Bring Up the Bodies is another masterpiece from Hilary Mantel. Like her first book on the reign of Henry VIII from Thomas Cromwell's perspective, Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies is carefully crafted and manages to tell a historical tale with an atmosphere that feels authentic but is also accessible to a modern audience. There are several points in both where you find yourself reading a sentence and having to pause to admire Mantel's inspired choice of words.

Bring Up the Bodies seemed to me to flow more easily than the longer and heavier Wolf Hall. Part of that is Mantel's choice not to switch in and out of first-person narration. For some reason it felt almost dream-like. If you like historical fiction that's full of intrigue, doubt and personal vendettas while also being just truly a work of art, you should enjoy Bring Up the Bodies.

I can't wait for the third installment in this trilogy, expected in 2015.