The Heretic Wind: The Life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England

by Judith Arnopp

Adored by her parents and pampered by the court, the infant Princess Mary’s life changes suddenly and drastically when her father’s eye is taken by the enigmatic Anne Boleyn. Mary stands firm against her father’s determination to destroy both her mother’s reputation, and the Catholic church. It is a battle that will last throughout both her father’s and her brother’s reign, until, she is almost broken by persecution. When King Edward falls ill and dies Mary expects to be crowned queen. But she has reckoned without John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, who before Mary can act, usurps her crown and places it on the head of her Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey. Furious and determined not to be beaten, Mary musters a vast army at Framlingham Castle; a force so strong that Jane Grey’s supporters crumble in the face of it, and Mary is at last crowned Queen of England. But her troubles are only just beginning. Rebellion and heresy take their toll both on Mary’s health, and on the English people. Suspecting she is fatally ill, and desperate to save her people from heresy, Mary steps up her campaign to compel her subjects to turn back to the Catholic faith. All who resist will face punishment for heresy in the flames of the Smithfield fires.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Tudor Period, Fiction

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 26, 2020

About the author

.A lifelong history enthusiast and avid reader, Judith holds a BA in English/Creative writing and an MA in Medieval Studies.
She lives on the coast of West Wales where she writes both fiction and non-fiction based in the Medieval and Tudor period. Her main focus is on the perspective of historical women but she is currently writing a novel from a male perspective, that of Henry VIII himself.
Her novels include:
A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII, the Aragon Years
A Matter of Faith: Henry VIII, the Days of the Phoenix
The Heretic Wind: the life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England
Sisters of Arden: on the Pilgrimage of Grace
The Beaufort Bride: Book one of The Beaufort Chronicle
The Beaufort Woman: Book two of The Beaufort Chronicle
The King’s Mother: Book three of The Beaufort Chronicle
The Winchester Goose: at the Court of Henry VIII
A Song of Sixpence: the story of Elizabeth of York
Intractable Heart: the story of Katheryn Parr
The Kiss of the Concubine: a story of Anne Boleyn
The Song of Heledd
The Forest Dwellers
Peaceweaver

Judith is also a founder member of a re-enactment group called The Fyne Companye of Cambria, and makes historical garments both for the group and others. She is not professionally trained but through trial, error and determination has learned how to make authentic looking, if not strictly HA, clothing.

Her non-fiction book, How to Dress Like a Tudor will be published by Pen and Sword in 2023,

You can find her group Tudor Handmaid on Facebook. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.
Webpage: www.judithmarnopp.com
Author page: author.to/juditharnoppbooks
Blog: http://juditharnoppnovelist.blogspot....


For more information please visit my website: www.judithmarnopp.com

author.to/juditharnoppbooks

Reviews

[Michele Quirke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction has always been my favorite genre, but of the many books I've read in this genre, the ones by Judith Arnopp are the ones I love most. Unlike many other hist. fic. authors who write books from the POV of well-known royals, Arnopp doesn't seem to take many liberties with their stories. She sticks to fact and obviously puts hours and hours of research into her work. She has a way of drawing us into their stories while also remaining true to the actual history those people lived.

For that reason, when I saw she'd written The Heretic Wind, a story from Mary Tudor's POV, I knew I had to have it. As I said, I've read tons of historical fiction books, particularly those centering on the lives of Tudors. Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn, even Mary Queen of Scots are some who have had *many* stories written about them. Mary Tudor, on the other hand, isn't written about nearly as often. Writing a book about her life must've been a true challenge for Arnopp, but I'm pleased to say she did an incredible job.

Mary Tudor had a horribly stressful life and when she became Queen of England, she was merciless and cold. However, I admired how Arnopp allowed us to understand *why*. She made Mary come to life and I really admire that!

Definitely check this out if you enjoy Tudor history!!

[Terry Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been so looking forward to reading this book, and I was not disappointed. It tells the story of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and sister of Elizabeth I, in the first person, and alternates between chronological events and instances just before her death; in these, she talks about the events of her life, which are then expanded upon in the main chapters. The format worked very well; I was engrossed throughout.

Mary has always had a bad press, for being a religious fanatic and burning so many at the stake for heresy, but this book made painfully evident how tragic and lonely her life was, right from childhood, when her father all but abandoned her. I've always been Team Boleyn, but one could not help having great sympathy for Mary after reading this. Some think that she was actually insane during the later years of her reign; I am not sure that she wasn't driven to it before that - and, as I read in the author's notes, we can't try to understand her brutal, inhuman actions by relating them to the world we live in now. I daresay she really did think she was doing God's will.

In all other fiction I've read about her, she is shown to have been besotted with her husband, Phillip of Spain, and her infamous phantom pregnancies being, in part, a deranged attempt to bind her to him; in this book, however, Judith Arnopp illustrates her as being as lukewarm about the marriage as he was. That she only knew just a hint of real love, with Phillip of Bavaria for just the odd brief day when she was young, is so, so sad.

This is not a very long book, and is a very 'easy read', which I liked, with scant detail surrounding some aspects, but I thought this was cleverly done, because the book is written from Mary's point of view. Some events would not have been paramount in her thoughts, or she simply might not have known a great deal about them. For instance, when she is placed in a position to overhear a conversation, in order to let the reader know what was going on, Ms Arnopp does not over-egg the pudding, making it unrealistic. Snatches of conversation are all she hears.

Highly recommended if you are as much of a Tudor addict as I am!

[Suzy Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated with the Tudors, and I knew very little about Mary so this book was a must-read as soon as I heard about it. The book tells the story of Mary Tudor, Queen of England, and it begins with Mary on her death bed. Narrated in the first person, it evokes a sense of immediacy and personal insight into her life & her story in such a way that you feel connected and close as a reader. While I was very aware of Mary's nickname - 'Bloody Mary' and her fight against heretics, her struggles with religion and in continuing her Catholic faith during her father's and brother's reign, the author sheds some insight into the story. And this is not to explain or impart any truths (such a difficult thing to do given the historical period), but the story allows you to see Mary in a new light, to understand the difficulties she faced from an early age through to becoming a queen herself, and indeed throughout her reign. It has given me a fresh perspective, and far more empathy for Mary Tudor than I had before. It is well written, a beautiful read, and I think the author has done a tremendous job here - she has given a voice to Mary Tudor, a fine voice, and one worth listening to.
Wonderfully researched. Highly recommended read.

[Rosie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always Judith has another hit book and I’m always sad when it comes to the end cos nothing I read afterwards can match any of books

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book from Judith Arnopp

It demands great writing abilities to author a book so intriguing one reads it in a single sitting. Consider the main character is Mary Tudor - not the quintessential queen - and you've found a masterful and compelling read. I love the way Ms. Arnopp always brings her subjects to life with realistic dialogue and internal monologue; their idioms may be different than ours but their emotions are/were the same. She does not portray the subjects as stilted, one-dimensional reflections of illuminated manuscripts, and I am always sad to see her books come to an end.

[Annelies - In Another Era · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary Tudor sees how her father gradually casts aside her mother Catherine of Aragon because she cannot give him a son. His eye falls on Anne Boleyn and Mary herself is later forced to take care of her daughter Elizabeth. Nevertheless, she will become Queen of England and during the last week of her life she tells her story to a young maid.

This was my first book by Judith Arnopp and also the very first time that Mary Tudor is at the centre of a book I read. Much more is written about Elizabeth. Arnopp writes in first person tense and only from the perspective of Mary, both the young version and the queen who tells her story a few days before her death. So the narrative style wasn’t quite my thing and especially the added value of the older perspective completely escaped me. It kept the pace out of the story for me at times.

Mary Tudor has undoubtedly had a miserable life. She’s portrayed here as a proud princess with great loyalty to her mother, Spain and the Catholic Church. With a weak immunity and a stubborn character. She loves her sister Elizabeth and brother Edward, but cannot always reconcile this with her ambitions to make England Catholic again. In itself, this is a good characterisation, but I had problems with just about every other character.

To begin with, her whole life from childhood to death is told in about 300 pages. Stepmother after stepmother is briefly reviewed and nothing is portrayed with any depth. Some things are omitted, others are said in just one sentence.

From page two onwards, Anne Boleyn is already portrayed as an adulterous witch. And I understand that Mary may not have liked her, but she was a child at the time and this lifelong hatred of Anne seems a bit harsh. Jane Seymour is a saint. Anne of Cleves is hardly worth mentioning. Catherine Parr is a nice one according to Mary, but too weak because she is in love with Thomas Seymour.

Elizabeth is a vain master manipulator. Edward is an innocent child who has nothing to say during his reign. Jane Grey is Dudley’s puppet queen. Philip II of Spain an uninterested man who’s barely worth two pages. The book is simply full of ‘last century clichés’. There is no nuance at all. As a result, I did not find Mary a sympathetic main character. Even though Arnopp wants to focus very hard on all the dramas in her life. And I certainly feel sorry for her. But this is life at the Tudor court from a caricature and I found that a pity.

I don’t know if I’ll read another book by Arnopp. Mainly because of the narrative style and the characters. But it was certainly not a bad book. It’s a good introduction to Mary’s life. But also not more than that.

This is book 5/20 for ‘20 books of summer‘.

Dutch review:

Mary Tudor ziet hoe haar vader stilaan haar moeder Catherine Of Aragon aan de kant schuift omdat ze hem geen zoon kan geven. Zijn oog valt op Anne Boleyn en Mary zelf wordt later verplicht om te zorgen voor diens dochter Elizabeth. Toch zal ze het schoppen tot koningin van Engeland en tijdens de laatste week van haar leven vertelt ze haar verhaal aan een jong dienstmeisje.

Dit was mijn eerste boek van Judith Arnopp en ook de allereerste keer dat Mary Tudor centraal staat in een boek dat ik las. Over Elizabeth wordt veel meer geschreven. Arnopp schrijft in eerste persoon en enkel vanuit het perspectief van Mary, zowel de jonge versie als de koningin die enkele dagen voor haar door haar relaas doet. Ik vond de vertelstijl dus niet helemaal mijn ding en vooral de meerwaarde van het oudere perspectief ontgaat me volledig. Het brak het verhaal voor mij soms.

Mary Tudor heeft ongetwijfeld een miserabel leven gehad. Ze wordt hier neergezet als een trotse prinses met veel loyaliteit voor haar moeder, Spanje en de katholieke kerk. Met een zwakke immuniteit en ook heel wat koppigheid. Ze houdt van haar zus Elizabeth en broer Edward, maar kan dat niet altijd verzoenen met haar ambities om Engeland terug katholiek te maken. Op zich is dat een goede karakterisering, maar ik had problemen met zowat elk ander personage.

Om te beginnen wordt haar hele leven van kind van aan vertelt tot helemaal aan haar dood in een 300-tal pagina's. Stiefmoeder na stiefmoeder passeert kort de revue en eigenlijk wordt er niets met diepgang neergezet. Sommige dingen worden niet verteld, andere zaken in één zin.

Vanaf pagina twee wordt Anne Boleyn al neergezet als overspelige heks. En ik snap dat Mary haar niet tof gevonden zal hebben, maar ze was een kind toen en die levenslange haat voor Anne lijkt me wat hard. Jane Seymour is een heilige. Anne Of Cleves het vermelden amper waard. Catherine Parr is dan weer wel een toffe volgens Mary, maar te zwak omdat ze verliefd is op Thomas Seymour.

Elizabeth is een ijdele meestermanipulator. Edward een onschuldig kind dat tijdens zijn regeerperiode niets te zeggen heeft. Jane Grey is een puppet queen va Dudley. Filips II een ongeïnteresseerde man die amper twee pagina's waard is. Het boek zit gewoon vol met clichés uit de vorige eeuw. Er is geen enkele nuance. En ik vond Mary daardoor ook geen sympathiek hoofdpersonage. Ook al merk dat Arnopp heel hard wil focussen op alle drama's in haar leven. En ik heb zeker medelijden met haar. Maar dit is het leven aan het Tudorhof uit een karikatuur en dat vond ik jammer.

Ik weet niet of ik nog een boek van Arnopp zal lezen. Voornamelijk omwille van de vertelstijl en de personages. Maar het was zeker geen slecht boek. Het is een goede introductie tot Mary's leven. Maar ook niet meer dan dat.

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Winner

I really do like this author. Great telling of the life of Mary Tudor in her own words. The story is written in Mary's pov and has duel timeframes which only makes it more enjoyable as she looks back on her life. A must read for any Tudor lover. I deducted one star because 1) I felt the latter part of her life was rushed and 2) all accounts say that Mary was head over heels for Philip but it is not portrayed this way at all here.

[Lynnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4
Good introduction to Mary Tudor told from her POV. There are a few copyedit errors that don’t hinder reading.

[losira13gmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not stop reading it

Truly enjoyed this book, once I had started reading it I just had to finish it. Yes the story is historical fiction but the way the author writes the story, I feel like it was a different view of Mary Tudor. How different English history might have been if her father had let her marry as a young woman, would the Tudor line been longer on the English throne and if course what would've been Elizabeth's fate of one of Mary's children would've come to the throne by an earlier marriage? The story gives one much to think about and giving one a chance to see the trials that Mary went through that made her the way she was and do feel sorry for her.

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I am fated, it seems, to be the unhappiest woman in Christendom.”

The Heretic Wind is a novel about Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Mary the cherished daughter and princess. Mary the bastard. Mary the queen. ‘Bloody Mary’.

The story opens in October 1558. Confined to her bedchamber, Mary, Queen of England, knows she is dying. Her already fragile health is deteriorating fast.

When a young girl attends to the fire in her chamber, she finds her a willing listener. Somewhat ironically, the girl is called Anne, reminding Mary of the woman who destroyed her life Mary: Anne Boleyn. Memories of the past come flooding back, and she is keen to tell her side, knowing full well that if her sister, Elizabeth, inherits the throne, things will never be the same again.

Summer 1523. Mary is seven, her father’s ‘precious pearl’. Her interest lies in pretty gowns, and she is already proud of her status as Princess of England, her father’s heir. But it is also an age when she becomes acutely aware of her mother’s deep unhappiness at not having a son. Mary soon uncovers that her father does indeed have a son – by another woman! In her childhood innocence, she wonders how it was possible at all. And how should a boy not of her mother’s womb become king?

We see that, from an early age, Mary is thrown into the world of political intrigues. She witnesses her mother’s despair as she grows older. On the other side, there is her flamboyant father whom she adores. She is at her happiest when he spends time with her.

Soon, she realises tensions between her parents. Her father’s eyes have always roamed, but as Mary grows older, she begins to understand that his behaviour deeply hurts her mother. There is still no sign of a living male heir. Catherine withdraws into prayer, and Mary witnesses her strong devotion to the Catholic Church.

Mary’s life is thrown into turmoil when a young woman appears on the scene, who is not prepared to show Mary or Catherine the respect they deserve: Anne Boleyn. With Henry smitten, he turns fully against Catherine, demanding an annulment. Mary is still too young to comprehend the ramifications, but she cannot avoid the sudden antipathy courtiers show her mother, as Anne Boleyn’s influence grows.

The history as we know it takes its course. We follow Mary through the major changes in her life: her mother’s separation from her, and the subsequent taunt of illegitimacy; Mary’s fall from princess to servant to the new Princess Elizabeth; Mary and Elizabeth’s changed circumstances when Jane Seymore arrives, and her little brother Edward is born; the danger Mary faced from Edward’s councillors, more deadly than in her father’s reign; the threat to her accession; to the dark days when Mary begins to destroy the enemies of the True Church.

We experience these events through Mary’s eyes, as she tries to make sense of fast-changing circumstances. A teenager / young woman who has lost everything, she learns to shut her feelings away like her mother had done.

“What times are we living in when the son of a farrier can grind a princess of the realm into the dust?”

Her loathing of Anne Boleyn, the ‘whore’ who stole her father, is a strong emotion, one that accompanies her throughout her life, and that lives on in her love-hate relationship with her sister, Elizabeth. This was very well shown, I thought. Boleyn is to blame for all Mary’s misfortunes and her mistreatment; she’d been the one who seduced Henry away from the True Church.

And here we have the main theme of Mary’s life: her Catholic faith. Unwavering in her righteousness, she tries to make sense of it all. Why would others not see that they imperil their souls? This was something the old Mary, on her deathbed, asked in the same way the young Mary did. The Mary we’re shown is not open to religious discussion. She is determined in the righteousness of her beliefs. Ms Arnopp provides us with strong characterisation here.

But we also see another thread running through her life: her illnesses. Suffering from strong monthly bleeds accompanied by megrims (migraines), she shuts herself away for at least a week or two each month. This must have been debilitating. Her health suffers, and the strong cramps might explain the phantom pregnancies later in life, when she is well past child-bearing age. Ms Arnopp conveys Mary’s physical and mental suffering very well.

The combination of external events in her life outside of her control, and her regular migraines that stop her from living her life to the full, turn Mary into a bitter, wronged woman. Unmarried until her late thirties, we see her envy those who have happy marriages, whilst we also sense her relief at not having a cheating husband. She’s a paradox.

As we see snippets of old Mary on her deathbed, reluctant to concede her crown to her heretic sister, she comes across as stubborn, convinced she is right. Her obsession still shines through, to her final days.

There are few moments of delight in Mary’s life. Her brief happiness at a suggested engagement to a Prince of Bavaria falls through, and her expectations of Philip of Spain are soon crushed. When she finally inherits the crown, her happiness is cut short when she is forced to put down a rebellion. The emotional ups and downs are wonderfully told. We suffer with Mary in her disappointment.

The novel focuses to a large extent on the first part of Mary’s life, her parents’ challenges and her subsequent status of illegitimacy, and the dangers – and brief joys – she faces.

“Nobody listens! They leave me no choice.”

Unfortunately, there is not enough focus on the last couple of years, when Mary unleashed her fury at the heretics. We witness her brushing away any thought of her enemies burning at the stake – after all, they ‘deserved it’. As this period resembles in some ways her father’s last years when everyone at court lived in fear of upsetting him – and of losing their heads – I’d have liked to read a bit more about how she deals with it. The glimpses we are given show her determination, her obsession with the True Church, but I’d have liked to know how the executions affected her on a daily basis.

Maybe this was intentional. After all, Mary tells her story to young Anne from her deathbed. Perhaps it was her right not to delve too far into the darkest period of her reign. And just perhaps, Mary was still unwilling to face her conscience. If she had one…

The Heretic Wind is a slow burner, but it is engrossing and told in exquisite detail. The historical research is, as expected, impeccable.

I couldn’t help but feel for Mary’s plight. Looking at her portrays, one can see that she aged well before her years. Events in her life must have taken a huge toll. That’s no excuse for her purging the streets of heretics, but it might go some way to explaining why she became so bitter. Ms Arnopp has done a brilliant job, presenting Mary as a lost soul on one hand, but also a woman determined to re-establish the Catholic Church in England.

It makes a change to read a novel about Mary, and not about the usual Tudor ‘suspects’ such as Henry and Anne. Mary is often forgotten, and in The Heretic Wind, Ms Arnopp brought her vividly to life. A remarkable feat.

A highly recommended novel that will make you think long after you finish reading.

Review by Cathie Dunn.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judith Arnopp is a favorite author and I appreciated the read, although Mary Tudor's life was sad.
I did enjoy some of the glimpses into her early years as a lot of her childhood was happy.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent novel on the life of Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon! Her life was tragic, unfair and so full of misery, and definitely shaped her as a harsh Queen of England. The author has managed to show how Mary's life could have influenced her reign without bearing judgement on her or finding excuses at her acts one would define nowadays as acts of cruelty, blinded by her religious fanaticism. A real success!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this book. I've read scores of books on the Tudor (and extended) era and Mary obviously is a main character in a lot of them, even just as a background character. I was looking forward to reading her point of view during her reign as queen.

The format was told in first-person from Mary's POV on her deathbed, with Mary telling a servant girl her story.

Two main disappointments:
1. The bulk of the book covered the time leading up to Mary taking the throne. Once she was Queen, the book felt really rushed and just glossed over her enforcement of Catholicism and marriage to Philip, almost like an afterthought.
2. While most other accounts pretty much support that Mary was self-righteous and crotchety, it did get tiresome being in her head, especially since we only got to spend a small time in her head as Queen, the biggest draw for me to this story.

There were some inconsistencies in spelling and terminology but overall not as bad as some of this type of book. It just felt rushed; too much time spent chatting in "present day" with servants and not enough time recounting actual events. Some pretty big events, like the execution of Jane Grey, were barely mentioned.

What was done well is portrayal of Mary's sheer misery all throughout her life. You could feel her misery as hopes were pulled up and dashed down. She was miserable and I felt it.

3 stars for content and solid story-telling, but it almost lost 1/2 star for readability.

I may try other books by this author.

[Dayanara Ryelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend sent this to me and I was curious, since no one ever really talks about Mary. A compelling story but there were telltale things that made it obvious this was a self-published book, possibly because I've seen them in other books (and may occasionally be guilty of them myself).

Things like spelling errors—"Courtney" in one sentence and back to the proper "Courtenay" in the next—or odd spelling choices—calling Mary's best friend "Susan Clarencius" when every other book has it as "Clarencieux".

Odd item use or placements—comment on seeing an arras in the hallway when I was under the impression it was a tapestry that hangs over the door. Frequent references to wearing a hood or cap, when others have made it sound like women didn't cover their hair until marriage back then.

Fortunately, I've only noticed one historical error, and that was well into the last quarter of the book (circa 1556). When Mary is in confinement, she thinks about naming her son after her father and calling him Henry IX. Except it's commonly held that the boy that lived for 53 days of 1511 was baptized as Henry IX, so Mary's son would've had to have been Henry X.

But the errors aren't bad enough to force me to stop reading—which is good, because I'm interested her other books!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decent fiction covering Mary Tudor

I liked this because the story didn't flinch from showing the brutality of the last part if Mary Tudors short reign. It did show by her reminiscences that she is not a one dimensional character. She was a Princess who was treated with isolation and brutality for much of her life. This may have resulted in her belief that if she could turn England back to Catholicism, she and her people would not only be happy, but she would be saving their souls. Later, her illness caused likely instability of the mind.
Queen Elizabeth is much lauded as the Queen who brought peace to England but she didn't flinch from torturing and burning priests and killing Catholic families despite her promise for religious tolerance. She also beheaded Queen Mary of Scots, while Queen Mary never convicted Elizabeth despite evidence that she was knowledgeable of plots to kill Mary.
History is written by the victors. Mary's early death and lack of am heir, combined with Elizabeth's tutor tenacity allowed her to triumph. She also had Walsingham and Walsey as supporters and advices.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve not read many books solely about Princess Mary, she has always been a secondary figure in the historical novels that I’ve read. I’m sad to say that I did not enjoy this one as much as I’d hoped. The entire novel was Mary, on her death bed, telling her life story in snippets. Everything she said was angry and suspicious and negative. Yes, I am aware of how she struggled, and the humiliation she endured by her father and Anne Boylen, but after 100 pages, her tone just became repetitive and grating. I enjoyed the sections where she had a wider range of emotions, where she shared thoughts and feelings that weren’t all anger and resentment. It was still a good read, but it did seem to drag in parts where it was constant anger and bitterness. I preferred “The Kiss of the Concubine” because the characters seemed more realistic, with a wide range of emotions and social dynamics occurring. This novel seemed a bit flat, and Princess/Queen Mary was always portrayed as an angry, bitter, jealous woman, and I really want to believe that there was more to her than that.

[Candace Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

VISIONS OF STEPHEN KING'S CARRIE YET COMPASSION FOR MARY

Be it Kings, Queens or Presidents, days of yesterday or today, it seems little changes in the quest for money, power and position. I can relate much of what is happening in the world today with what happened yesterday. Yes, so often history only repeats itself.
I have been privileged to have finished most of Ms. Arnopps novels now and each of them have given me broader understanding of yesterday's monarchs. I have enjoyed her wit and benefited from the mass amount of hours she has given to research and study. However, the largest treasure has been to have my heart touched with compassion and understanding as each of her well rounded characters has come to life in front of me.
I will forever be grateful for the generous spirit Ms. Arnopp must so undoubtedly possess in order to spin these historical people, places, events into a time and people who by turn-of-page come to life in our hearts and minds.
I pray Ms. Arnopp keeps the midnight oil burning and her keyboard keys clicking as she creates more masterpiece tales of a foregone yesterday! I look forward to the next!

[Jarka Woody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looked for a book that was written from Mary Tudor's point of view for a while, and in this work, I have found it. Mary is on her death bed and is telling her life story to a young servant, Anne. The book goes back and forth in time, as Mary reflects on her life and also struggles to name Elizabeth as her heir. This book shows us a very unhappy queen, who struggled with so many physical and mental ailments. It forces us to think through the perspective of a 16th century mind and helps us debunk the myth of "Bloody Mary" which is how Mary is mostly remembered. It helps us understand her actions. I feel like you need to have some history knowledge prior to reading this book to fully enjoy it. I loved it.

[W.J. Small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always had an affinity for Mary I, aka "Bloody Mary," the first daughter of Henry VIII and sister of Elizabeth I. She led a sad life, cast aside from her father, forcibly estranged from her devoted mother, married - finally - for political reasons and plagued with a false pregnancy. Her life was difficult to say the least. So I hoped Judith Arnopp's book "The Heretic Wind" would delve a bit deeper into Mary's character. It did not. I would recommend this book as a primer to Mary I, a good read for anyone with little to no knowledge of the Queen. But if you know a bit about her history, I think you would find this book skims over many important aspects of her life and provides the reader with a cursory interpretation of the life of this complex, tragic woman. 3.5 stars rounded up.

[michelle kjersem · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read!

Ms.Arnopp’s book about Mary was a fantastic read! I thought that she really brought Mary into a different light. I think most see Mary as a fanatical religious queen bent on killing any around her that didn’t convert ( which she did) but through this whole story Ms.Arnopp lets us see Mary in a totally different way. This was a really, really, good book and if you enjoy this time era and reading about Henry’s family, you don’t want to pass this one up! Definitely a five star read! I can’t wait to read Ms. Arnopp’s other books!

[Joy H. Lee-Story · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

What a misunderstood woman who lived a tragic life in fear and self disappointment. This is the first I learned of the phantom pregnancies which, by themselves, make clear the extent of this sad woman 's mental state. A well worthwhile read and gripping story.. Provides some clarity on the far reaching impact of Henry XIII's behaviors. hThe strength of England despite long periods of rule by weirdo royals is remarkable.

[Hanna (lapetiteboleyn) · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was so much to say here, and really very little time in which to say it. It's a shame, but this retelling of the life of Mary Tudor falls very flat - her character is done quite well, but the sheer speed in which ever major event is brushed past is deeply frustrating. The loss of Calais gets a sentence, while the execution of Lady Jane Grey gets referred to briefly on two occasions. The beginning of the book is better, but there's still this feeling of rushing.

[Mary Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different

This book presents a different view of Queen Mary, and makes her more human, and gives some different reasons for her actions rather than making her a witch. She may have been but this book gives her many reasons why she may have been. Her teenaged years up thru her middle twenties was pretty horrific if Ms Arnopp's history is correct....and it does have a ring of truth to it. I truly enjoyed this book.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

If possible, I would rank this novel at 3.5 stars. I did enjoy that this was a story of Mary Tudor, who is arguably the Tudor who is least written about and who is infamously remembered as a religious fanatic. I also appreciated the relating of Mary's childhood as a child who didn't understand the weight of what was happening around her i.e. her parents fighting over the legality of their marriage.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb fiction!

I don't often mix history with any fiction. I love Alison Weir so, I was leary of books like this. I've been incredibly happy reading this book, most especially because "Bloody Mary" is no ones favorite Queen. I was able to feel differently about her. Thank you for that, Judith!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, Queen Mary as a human

I am not a fan of Mary Tudor or any of the books written about her. I’ve read so many & honestly liked none. I’ve felt pity & anger for her. This historical fiction changed my mind.
I think this is the first Judith Arnopp book I’ve read. I’m definitely going to investigate the others she has written!

[Lorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary, her life in history

I really enjoyed reading this book about Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary being the brand ahe was most known by). I've never entirely understood her part in history but this book truly guides the reader to better understand her role, her life and what she lived through and how she might have felt.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this one dragged a bit. I have read others by this author that were better. The series on Margaret Beaufort was excellent. Maybe I feel this way because Mary Tudor was not the most interesting character to me personally

[Bill Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first person narrative from Queen Mary recounting her lost legitimacy, her relationships with father Henry, half brother Edward, have sister Elizabeth. Mary's efforts to return England to Catholicism and rid the country of its protestant leaders. The author convincingly probes the mind of this physically and mentally tortured soul.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent!

I enjoyed the fresh viewpoint. I thought it was nice to see the story that had been told a thousand times through something Mary’s mind and eyes. I think it fell into some stereotypes that you see with these stories but overall it was a good read.