The Lady of Misrule

by Suzannah Dunn

Escorting the nine-day queen Lady Jane Grey across the Tower of London from throne room into imprisonment is Elizabeth Tilney, who surprised even herself by volunteering for the job. All Elizabeth knows is she's keen to be away from home; she could do with some breathing space. And anyway, it won't be for long: everyone knows Jane will go free as soon as the victorious new queen is crowned. Which is a good thing because the two sixteen-year-olds, cooped up together in a room in the Gentleman Gaoler's house, couldn't be less compatible. Protestant Jane is an icily self-composed idealist, and Catholic Elizabeth is . . . well, anything but.

They are united though by their disdain for the seventeen-year-old boy to whom Jane has recently been married: petulant, noisily-aggrieved Guildford Dudley, held prisoner in a neighboring tower and keen to pursue his prerogative of a daily walk with his wife.

As Jane's captivity extends into the increasingly turbulent last months of 1553, the two girls learn to live with each other, but Elizabeth finds herself drawn into the difficult relationship between the newlyweds. And when, at the turn of the year, events take an unexpected and dangerous direction, her newfound loyalties are put to the test.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Tudor Period, Historical, British Literature, 16th Century, Mary I

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 2015

About the author

Suzannah Dunn was born in London, and grew up in the village of Northaw in Hertfordshire (for Tudor ‘fans’: Northaw Manor was the first married home of Bess Hardwick, in the late 1540s). Having lived in Brighton for nineteen years, she now lives in Shropshire. Her novel about Anne Boleyn (The Queen of Subtleties) was followed by The Sixth Wife, on Katherine Parr, and The Queen's Sorrow, set during the reign of Mary Tudor, ‘Bloody Mary’, England’s first ruling queen. Her forthcoming novel – to be published in hardback in May 2010 – is The Confession of Katherine Howard. Prior to writing about the Tudors, she published five contemporary-set novels and two collections of stories. She has enjoyed many years of giving talks and teaching creative writing (from six weeks as ‘writer in residence’ on the Richard and Judy show, to seven years as Programme Director of Manchester University’s MA in Novel Writing).

Reviews

[Louis Skye · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointing read. I absolutely love the Tudors and a friend of mine suggested I read this book. Unfortunately I really didn't like this, at all.

For one, it is historically inaccurate. The characters are poorly drawn; the protagonist is dull and stereotypical. There is not enough information about the era or of significant events during that period.

I also didn't like the first-person view of events; I've never enjoyed that way of story-telling and with this book, I liked it even less. It was only exacerbated by the modern language used in the dialogue.

Definitely not one for your bookshelves.

[Pauline Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good historical fiction set around the time of Lady Jane greys demise

[Saturday's Child · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not at all what I was expecting. I feel dissatisfied with this novel for a number of reasons and the main one being the use of modern language (especially a certain expression). This for me was a distraction every time I came across it. It did not concern me that Lady Jane Grey was not the main character, but there was part of Elizabeth's story that I felt could have been a bit less descriptive and not said in so many words.

[Thea Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts On The Book:

'Lady Jane Grey's reign lasted for nine days. But her story echoes through history!'

The Plot Of The Story:
Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England for a few brief days before being removed from the throne and replaced by the indomitable Mary Tudor. Locked away in the Tower Of London while the new Queen contemplates her fate and the fate of her husband Guildford Dudley, left in limbo for months on end, alone and afraid. Being a Lady, Jane was allowed a lady-in-waiting so Elizabeth Tilney volunteers to be Jane's companion as it allows her an escape from her own life and her own problems. Jane is not an easy girl to be around and is Elizabeth's complete polar opposite which makes the months imprisoned together unpleasant until they can find common ground but what can the two sixteen year olds possibly have in common with one another?
It's an intriguing idea for a novel and gives us some insight into what that imprisonment was like for Jane and Guildford while letting us in on the kind of people the pair might have actually been, how they might have felt about their fates, their families actions and more importantly about each other. Very interesting indeed!

What Is There To Love?
I love the subject matter, I love books about Jane Grey but they are generally few and far between and her short and fatal rule as queen is an interesting and intriguing one. Was she a victim of her family's machinations and not guilty in the slightest or was she more involved than we think, who knows and that is the point I think, a bit like the riddle of the princes in the tower, unknown but much speculated upon.
The best thing about the book is actually Jane's companion Elizabeth, the book is just as much about her as it is about Jane, although I wanted it to focus more on Jane personally. Elizabeth takes on the job to escape the problems in her life as she's in love with a much older and married man it's a relationship not going anywhere and in danger of ruining Elizabeth in more way than one. Going to the Tower is her escape and turns out to be a pivotal time in her life. She's a brave and strong minded young lady with a lot of spirit.

What Is There To Dislike?
I felt the book to be a little thin in places and there felt like there was a a lot of glossing over information and skipping through time which left it feeling a bit wishy washy in paces. Some of the characters (particularly Jane and Guildford) also felt a little thin and I would have liked them to be much more rounded out and clear especially as they are the real focus of the book, it was distracting and put more of the focus onto Elizabeth where she was telling their story through her eyes and it made the book more about her than about them.... it was them that I really wanted to know more about though. It just didn't seem to hit the correct mark for me entirely.

How's The Writing?
I will be completely honest with you here and admit that I have had a problems with Dunn's books in the past. I've read several of them but in them she's modernised the speech and the names and it really did not fit the Tudor settings at all and completely put me off of them and more importantly off her work in general at the time. I put off reading this for some time as while I loved the sound of the book I was scared that this book would go down the same lines and I believe that a historical novel should be full of historical detail and not modernised. I am extremely pleased to say that Dunn has changed my view on her work with The Lady of Misrule, it's a historical gem with none of her previous modernisation and I genuinely enjoyed it!
The writing is clear and crisp and the feel is definitely more of the age than some of her other work has been for me, you really get the feel of how it felt to be imprisoned in the Tower with a death sentence hanging over your head and never knowing if or when it's going to happen...... to watch the world carry on without you. The characterisations are decent but didn't quite feel round enough for the most part for me, Elizabeth was fine as she felt complete but Jane and Guildford didn't feel the same, they felt more transparent and less distinct.

Final Thoughts:
While I don't think this book is in the same league as some other historical fiction I have read it's perfectly readable and perfectly enjoyable to boot if a little wishy washy at times.
It's a whole lot better for me than some of her previous work but I still felt it was lacking something..... saying that I do have more faith in the author now I've read this book and will try her books again in the future, The May Bride sounds good so it might be a good place to try again. I won't give up her again so easily as I love historical fiction in general just THAT much but I hope that future books will continue the way this one has and that she doesn't go back to the way she wrote previously as it really didn't do it for me before.
If you are a huge fan of historical fiction than this book is worth reading as you might not have the same preconceptions and feeling towards the book and author as I do and it might work out much better for you than it did for me..... regardless of this review this is a book that is interesting and is a decent read so if you like the sound of it you should try regardless of what I think.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 120 pages.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an account of the last days of Lady Jane Grey. She is held prisoner in a house within the grounds of the Tower of London and a young woman is sent to be her companion. They don't get on as Jane is so pious and superior. As the weeks go by the companion Elizabeth never really believes that anything will happen to Jane, she believes that eventually Jane and her husband will be released.
Elizabeth is a strange mix of seductress and political naivety - she never understands Jane's motivations but learns to care for her slowly and reluctantly.

The book is a slow read and maybe this is deliberate as the reader already knows the ending. It's an excruciating but compelling gradual twisting of the reader until the final scene.

For myself I wondered why Dunn made Jane so unsympathetic and why we so rarely hear Jane's own voice in the book. I dont know if that is based on accounts of the time. Still an interesting if rather unhappy read.

[Barbara Ford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as I expected in that I found it historically incorrect in places and there was no background to the commencement of turbulent times, at the beginning of the reign of Mary I's reign, with the nation divided in religious beliefs and the "Spanish marriage". I also found the use of modern language and certain expressions, dissatisfying. All in all a poor telling of the last days of Lady Jane Grey, the "nine day Queen" and told through the eyes of a girl, Elizabeth Tilney, the same age as Jane, and who is to be Lady Jane's, companion during her imprisonment.

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I remember struggling through The Confession of Katherine Howard but I still read this for the same reason - a Tudor-era novel about one of the lesser known (or at least written about) women. Well, I won't be tricked again. For one thing, this wasn't really about Jane Grey but about the (fictional?) Catholic girl who is tasked with keeping her company in the tower. So first, we miss all the action. It could still be an interesting novel with good characters, but the characters were flatter than flat. Worst of all, these flat characters had decidedly modern speech patterns, and I was continually thrown out of the story by constant verbal anachronisms. I'd think to myself, "Surely that phrase wasn't used in 1554... [Google]... Oh look, first used circa 1850! ... Oh look, first used during WWI!" Absolutely maddening. I really don't know why I finished this book - it was a struggle.

The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.

[Laura Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing good about a bad cold is everyone leaves you alone and you can read a book in one sitting. This was that book! Having enjoyed her last book, I had high hopes for another good read and I wasn't disappointed. Lady Jane Grey was the Queen of England for nine days. She was put in the Tower to await her fate as Lady Mary takes her turn at the throne. Her young attendant Elizabeth writes of Jane's time in imprisonment. Excellent.
.

[Terelyn Marks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Lady Jane Grey from the point of view of another 16 year old attending her during her imprisonment in the tower. Good story but a bit disconcerting because the language is 21st century English. Referring to themselves and Guildford as 'us kids' or after Mary's coronation 'things are in the home stretch' just don't sound right. I prefer a historical novel to SOUND like one! The characters don't have to 'speak forsoothly,' but they really shouldn't sound like the kids next door.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent novel about Lady Jane Grey seen through the eyes of her attendant, Elizabeth Tilney.

A very different Jane Grey to the one usually portrayed by novelists as a poor, innocent little lamb. This Jane is a cold, rigid, Protestant, with what almost amounts to a hankering for martyrdom.

Great read. Highly recommended.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was gruelling. 21st century language ruins it. Lady Jane Grey is seen through the eyes of her companion Elizabeth Tilney. The narrative is repetitive and boring. Remove all that and there is nothing left. I had to keep putting it down because I found it so irritating.

[Reagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ummmm... This book started out as a one star. I was confused and bored. I felt like there was no real plot for the book. This may have something to do with the fact that I read it on audio book but who knows. As the book progressed, I liked it way more. By the end I would have rated it 4 or 5 stars. I loved the writing style, but the plot of the book was really not my favorite. There wasn't much to keep reading for. Around 80% of the book was the main character and Lady Jane in the room not doing very much, which I understand is the point, but it doesn't make for a very interesting book. Overall, I loved the writing, but the book itself was not very notable. Have a lovely day everyone!!

[Jo Hurst · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear. This was not a good book. I had no problem with the modern language used for an historical novel, but I had a big problem with the content. Or lack of it as the case was. The back promised me Elizabeth Tunney would have her loyalties tested at the end but I must have missed that bit as it didn’t happen. Neither did the only historical bit of action that is known happen. It seems that Guilfords body was paraded in from if Jane’s room but this didn’t happen in the book. In fact they don’t seem to know it has happened. Elizabeth was awful, truly awful, a selfish girl with no intelligence and niavety at an Olympic level. Best avoided would be my advice.

[Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lady of Misrule is my second book of Dunn's and I think I now have a pretty good sense of her style. Whether or not you will like her books depends on how much of a stickler you are.

Dunn uses a vast amount of poetic licence and greatly fleshes out characters and situations about which very little is known (and that little often rumour, supposition, or footnote). If you like your historical fiction to be as close to fact as knowable, doubtless you will not be impressed. Personally I'd rather a character be rounded but possibly somewhat inaccurate than accurate but two dimensional.

Dunn writes in the first person and uses language which feels more modern than you might expect for historical fiction of this era. She gave an interesting argument at the end of The Sixth Wife which I've copied from my review of that book. She 'considers it likely that speech would not have been as formal as it is often portrayed and points out that even now, where plenty of novels contain slang, contractions, abbreviations etc, speech is translated rather than transcribed onto the page. Her aim, therefore, was to make conversations more realistic and bearing that in mind - I think it actually worked rather well.'

I think her books are therefore probably best enjoyed by not the devoted reader of Tudor fiction, but by the reader who finds some of this fiction staid or inaccessible. It's historical fiction lite in a sense, but still enjoyable for the right market. I would rate The Lady of Misrule as 3.5 Stars - it didn't bowl me over, but it did have power nevertheless. I sobbed at the ending - both of the book and Jane and Guildford's lives and their relationships with Elizabeth. Elizabeth's denial, her firm belief that both would be pardoned at the last minute, was very moving and felt like an accurate depiction of profound shock and grief in the moment. As endings go, this was a four star.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

JaneGrey was named by her cousin Edward VI, only son of Henry VIII, to succeed Edward on the throne of England. This effectively removed his two half-sisters from any consideration for Queen. But now, Lady Jane Grey is called a "Pretender" to the throne.

Lady Mary, Catholic daughter of Catherine of Aragon, has mounted counter-attack and the people have decided they want her for their Queen. Lady Jane Grey, one-time Queen for 9 days and a pawn in the chess game for power between the Papists and the Protestants, has been imprisoned in the Tower of London and Elizabeth Tilney is her companion.

Their time in the tower is sprinkled with a cast of characters who include Mr & Mrs Partridge, the resident gaolers, Goose who cleans their apartment every day "with gumption" and is also the bearer of news from the outside, and cook and his boy who manage to prepare 3 meals a day for the residents.

Historically accurate and emotionally charged, this novel told by Elizabeth in the first person, will keep you turning pages until the end, when you'll let out a breath you didn't even know you were holding.

I read this E-ARC courtesy of Eidelweiss and the publisher.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maneuvered onto the throne against her will by ambitious relatives, Lady Jane Grey was Queen of England for all of nine days before being ousted by her cousin Mary, eldest daughter of Henry VIII. This novel covers the period of Jane's captivity in the Tower until her execution, told through the eyes of Elizabeth Tilney, a teenage girl who has volunteered to keep Jane company for reasons of her own.

With the setting, much like the characters themselves, being confined to the Tower for most of the novel with the exception of Elizabeth's flashback scenes and the girls' lives in near solitude not offering much in the way of action, the book is rather slow-paced and more a character study than anything else. That's not to say that I found it boring - on the contrary, I enjoyed the portrayals of the characters and their interactions which formed the heart of the novel. Jane Grey is a figure I've always found interesting, so I didn't find the lack of action disturbing in the least.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review - A very interesting book about Jane's time in the Tower. Not a lot is known of the time when Jane was imprisoned after her nine days reign. There is little surviving evidence, not even the names of her attendants. This seems a very plausible explanation of what happened in those missing months, although I did feel like the end was a little rushed. I also liked the addition of real people like John Feckenham, who was sent to try and get Jane to recant her Protestantism, and who are often overlooked.

Genre - Historical / Drama

Characters - Lady Jane Grey / Elizabeth Tilney / Guildford Dudley / Mrs Partridge / Mr Partridge / Goose / William / Harry

Setting - Tower of London (England)

Series - N/A

Recommend - Yes

Rating - 17/20

[Ami M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The modern, 21st century narrating really made it hard for me to imagine the 16th century events. Didn't like the main character at all. I didn't dislike her either. She was just...there. Considering what the book is about, I thought it would be focusing more on actual historical figures and events, but it was actually just the inside of an insanely monotonous character's mind. The narrating really was awful - so repetitive.

[Misty Farias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for review purposes. This is the best work of historical fiction I have ever read. While the reader knows the conclusion from the outset, the characters are so well drawn and sympathetic that the ending is heartbreaking none the less. Excellent, crisp writing and attention to period detail make this book a delight!

[Nicole Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow start that almost lost me. Glad I persevered however. Worth a read if only for the choice of viewpoint and the historical detail, confined though it is to a couple of rooms in the infamous Tower.

[Renee Gimelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

London's Tower come alive. Some great descriptions of life in 1554 when Protestants and Catholics were pulled back and forth by a monarchy in disarray. Jane Grey was actually the first female queen, and a devout Protestant who would not recant to save her life.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read from reviews on this, that the book wasn't historically accurate. That may be true, but I thought it was a good story just the same.

[Kiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Jane Grey was held for almost 7 months in the Tower after her cousin Edward VI declared her his successor to the throne. Jane, Edward, and Jane's husband Dudley were all very young and were manipulated by their parents and members of the Privvy council. Henry VIII's succession act of 1544 had already restored his "illegitimate" daughters to their rightful places in line to be heirs to the throne, and after 9 days, Jane and her husband and their fathers were removed bu Queen Mary and her forces. Dudley's father was executed. Jane and Dudley were held in the Tower for almost 7 months, leading up to an uprising orchestrated by Jane's father, which led not only to his beheading, but also to that of Jane and Guildford's executions.

This book imagines what might have happened in those 7 months. Jane was actually accompanied to the Tower with three ladies in waiting. Ladies in waiting were not necessarily friends of the royalty, but were chosen for their noble standings. Little is known about the actual Elizabeth Tilney, and it is highly doubtful she spent all this time exclusively with Lady Jane--more than likely, the three ladies took turns staying with Jane in the confinement. But here, Dunn portrays her as a teenager (like Jane) who wants to escape from her home and family, and possibly, an affair with an older man.

Aside from flashbacks to Tilney's home, scenes around the Tower, and the trial of Jane and Guidlford, this novel takes place mostly in the confined space of the rooms in the tower where Jane is held. Being royalty--Jane was the great niece of Henry the VIII--afforded a rather comfortable confinement, with domestic servants to prepare food for them, do laundry, and allow Jane to keep her beloved books and writing materials with her, as well as have her ladies (or in this fictionalized version, lady) in waiting with her for support and help with dressing. Elizabeth is nominally a Catholic, and Jane is of course, a Protestant. While both are still teenagers, they have had very different lives. Jane leads an austere and pious life, while Elizabeth is from a boisterous household where she is largely ignored as the youngest daughter. Jane has been close with both Katherine Parr
(Henry's last wife) and Edward VI, Henry's son and the King. Elizabeth has been close to Harry, an older neighbor of the Tilney's, embarking on an illicit and hidden sexual relationship with him. But all three teenagers--Jane, Guildford, and Elizabeth--have their youth and relative inexperience with the real world in common. Elizabeth becomes close to both Jane and Guildford.

This is a total fiction of course--no one really knows what Jane and Guildford's days were like in the Tower, aside from the usual deprivations and worries. They probably did not develop any meaningful relationships with people they didn't already know there, aside from Jane's quickly formed friendship with Queen Mary's chaplain, John Feckenham, who was sent to convert Jane to Catholicism immediately before her execution (he was unsuccessful).

Elizabeth's character uses language that sounds above her station in life--she is not a scholarly girl, despte her nobility--reading is not a hobby. She also uses language that is anachronistic. However, where Dunn did reach me in this novel was with the emotional connection that occurs towards the end of the novel, when Elizabeth is faced with both the reality of Jane and Guildford's impending execution, and that of the actual beheading of her friends. She is terrorized. She finally sees that everyone living and working in the Tower is faced with this reality more often that she ever imagined. Her escape from her own manor home and family becomes much more: it's a complete loss of innocence, and an education.

While this novel is highly flawed, I could totally see it edited and rewritten as a wonderful stage play, taking place in one room in the Tower. I did love the way Jane's character was not romanticized. Guildford as well, is written in a more realistic manner--an immature teenage boy with a love for life, and his family, and even his child bride.

[Rachel Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

**spoiler alert**
**did not finish**

I knew myself right down to the blood and the bone and the breath that were singing there loud and clear and wild in the wind.

Suzannah Dunn's novel, The Lady of Misrule, delves into the small world of Elizabeth Tilney, a handmaid tasked to look after the Nine Days' Queen, Lady Jane Grey, after being deposed from the throne. The two sixteen-year old girls are forced to live with one another in a cramped room while they await the crowning of the new queen, Mary Tudor. If one is familiar with the story of Lady Jane Grey's demise, it would be known that the story does not have a happy ending.

The Lady of Misrule was an excruciatingly painful and disappointing read. I originally picked it up in the sale section of my local bookstore many months ago, and I finally decided to read it. I wish I hadn't. Although Suzannah is an excellent writer and manages to capture her audience with her poetic descriptions, I've found that she uses many modern phrases that had never been heard of in the sixteenth century. I understand that fiction is largely up to the interpretation of the reader, however, when writing a historical novel, one must be diligent to avoid using terms that had not been created until the nineteenth-century.

Suzannah Dunn does have the potential to write a very good book, but this was not it. My suggestion to her would be to please do a little more research before delving into any historical period, especially one as intense as sixteenth century England. Because of the overall historical inaccuracy of this novel, I will be donating The Lady of Misrule and refraining from reading any other novels by Suzannah Dunn.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story follows Jane Grey, the "nine day queen" after she's queen, through the eyes of Elizabeth Tilney, a young minor noblewoman who volunteered to be Jane's companion in the Tower, mostly as a way to put off making any decisions about her own life.

There were a few instances where the language felt too modern - for example, Guildford talks about how he will "kiss this place goodbye" when he describes leaving the Tower, but it works to convey the emotions the characters are feeling at certain moments.

Elizabeth hasn't exactly been at the center of Tudor politics for her young life, so she makes a good reader stand-in to have various events explained to her, without it feeling too much like info dumping.

The story drags at a few points, which partly makes sense given how much this time period for Jane was about waiting, but it felt like a waste for Jane and Elizabeth to spend so much time not talking to each other.

The story does a good job showing how both exasperating and inspiring it can be for the more ordinary types to see someone willing to put principles before any other considerations, like their own lives and others lives, and worked the themes of "freedom" and "reprieves" in nicely as well.

Also - no epilogue, so be prepared for a rather sudden stop.

[Avis Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about Lady Jane Grey's imprisonment across from the Tower of London, after ruling England for only nine days. Her escort from the throne room was Elizabeth Tilney (Lady in Waiting), who even surprised herself by volunteering for the job. Elizabeth thinks it won't be for long and that Jane will go free as soon as the new queen is crowned. Tho they are both sixteen years old, they are both cooped up together in a room in the Gentleman's house and couldn't be less compatible. Protestant Jane is an icily self-composed idealist, and Elizabeth is a Catholic.
Jane has recently married a seventeen year old boy, whom they both disdain. Petulant, noisy and aggrieved Guildford Dudley. He is held prisoner in a neighboring tower. As Jane's captivity extends into the increasingly turbulent last months of 1553, the two girls learn to live with each other, but Elizabeth finds herself drawn into the difficult relationship between the newlyweds.
And when, at the turn of the year, events take an unexpected and dangerous direction, her newfound loyalties are put to the test.
The Tudor era is full of historical events and this is just one of them that I found interesting and you will too.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fictionalised account of the time spent by Lady Jane Grey in Tower of London, leading up to her execution. It was told from the perspective of the 16 year old catholic girl assigned to be her companion in captivity. This was an interesting slant, but naturally involved a lot of imagination as in reality, little is known about who accompanied Lady jane in her last months. This did not bother me, as it is a novel.

We see Jane as a well-read implacable protestant with uncompromising beliefs, serious-minded for her age and therefore hard for someone like Elizabeth Tilney, the narrator to relate to. In many ways, Lady Jane here contrasts well with Mary's implacable mother Catherine of Aragon of the previous generation, who would also not give way in her beliefs. Writing the book from the perspective of her companion, an ordinary girl caught up in the times meant that we could see how the high-flown religious arguments of the day meant very little to ordinary people who just wanted to get on with their lives.

Some have criticised the use of modern language in this book. My take is that this is a novel and is not supposed to be an accurate account of what really happened. Sixteenth century language would be hard to follow.

[LibrarianMel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for Tudor novels, while this book doesn't concern itself with any of the court intrigues which are usually my bread-and-butter, I still really enjoyed it.

It begins with Mary Tudor returning to England to take the crown after the death of her half-brother, however, her brother "willed" the crown to his Protestant cousin, Jane Grey. The opening scene of the book is Jane and her husband being placed in custody, awaiting Mary's return to London and ends with the inevitable beheadings.

The plot is driven by the experiences of her sole maid, Elizabeth, who uses Jane's imprisonment as a way out of her house and a relationship with an older man which we find out through the book had started to turn bad. I really enjoyed this tack, but I wish it contained some sort of epilogue. The book ends with Elizabeth, covered in Jane's blood and in shock, being given a ring, being told not to return to the rooms she and Jane had lived in for the past months, and being told to say the Dudleys had given her passage.

[Aisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Escorting 'nine days queen' Jane Grey across the Tower of London from throne room into imprisonment is Elizabeth Tilney, who surprised even herself by volunteering for the job. All Elizabeth knows is she's keen to be away from home, she could do with some breathing space. And anyway, it won't be for long: everyone knows Jane will go free as soon as the victorious new queen is crowned.

This was ok, this was nothing really special to say about it. We read the perspective from Elizabeth Tilney's perspective and even though she is a somewhat interesting character, I found her bland at times. Jane as written through Elizabeth's perspective, seemed boring and a little soulless. The one thing that really irked me, was that there are no chapters. So any momentum that is building doesn't go anywhere and there is no indication that the story is moving forward. Overall, a disappointment.


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