The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary Queen of Scots

Young Royals #7

by Carolyn Meyer

Mary Stuart was just five years old when she was sent to France to be raised alongside her future husband. But when the frail young king dies, eighteen-year-old Mary is stripped of her title as Queen of France and set adrift in the harsh world, alone. Determined to reign over what is rightfully hers, Mary returns to Scotland. Hopingthat a husband will help her secure the coveted English throne, she marries again, but the love and security she longs for elude her. Instead, the fiery young queen finds herself embroiled in a murder scandal that could cost her the crown. And her attempts to bargain with her formidable “sister queen,” Elizabeth I of England, could cost her her very life.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Royalty, Fiction, Romance, Scotland

420 pages, Hardcover

First published June 19, 2012

About the author

Carolyn Meyer is as versatile a writer as you will find. Along with historical fiction and realistic novels for young adults she has written nonfiction for young adults and books for younger readers on topics as diverse as the Amish, the Irish, Japanese, Yup'ik Eskimos, a rock band, rock tumbling, bread baking, and coconuts. And ten of her books have been chosen as Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. In her most recent historical novels she has dealt with the young lives of Mary Tudor, Princess Elizabeth, Anastasia, and Isabel of Castilla, Spain.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently, there's this big world of Carolyn Meyer YA-style historical novels that I've never really known about. I guess I should, considering that I enjoy historical fiction and some YA novels so much, but for some reason I never really knew about these books, and after looking at Meyer's rather long line of bio-historicals surrounding women in history, it seems that this began as a more child-oriented approach but, with the popularity of Philippa Gregory and other historical fiction, it grew into YA historical fiction -or, something like that.

Thus, The Wild Queen was my first introduction to Carolyn Meyer. The Wild Queen chronicles the life of Mary, Queen of Scots who, interestingly, seems to only get scene time (or, book time) in relationship with her nearly 20-year imprisonment by Queen Elizabeth I. In fact, I'd say that I knew every little about Mary's earlier years before picking up this book.

At the age of five, Mary was left as the only surviving heir to the Scottish throne. Fearing for her life (and to secure an advantageous marriage to the Dauphin), Mary is sent off to France. Though she later marries the Dauphin, he unexpectedly dies, and Mary is left to pick up the pieces of her life -and the complex politics that comes with her inheritance. Using little but her own strength and power, Mary must secure her way to the Scottish throne among turmoil, religion and political intrigue -along with her distant claim to the throne of England and uncertain friendship with her cousin Queen Elizabeth I.

I wasn't really expecting much from this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The writing here is very solid, straightforward and incredibly quick and easy to read. And the research is surprisingly solid and accurate, but yet with enough unique intrigue to keep readers interested (even if they already know Mary's story). I was especially impressed with how Meyer handled the politics and how she portrayed a strong female character triumphing over -and being a victim of -these politics. Honestly, this almost read as an adult historical fiction novel because it became so sophisticated and strong (worthy of The Other Boleyn Girl crowd).

Yet, what kept it distinctly YA is how Meyer glossed over some of the more horrible (and adult) happenings in Mary's life. I was glad, at least, that she didn't completely leave them out (as they are an important part of Mary's story), but glossed over enough to keep it fairly clean (compared to the adult novels in the genre). After having read so many of those adult novels, I actually found this to be very refreshing and much more readable. Most importantly, Mary's story isn't about romance, it's about a strong young royal trying to survive the wild world that she's been born into.

The Wild Queen isn't an innovative book, but an incredibly solid entry into the YA historical fiction genre. I'd recommend it for history nerds (such as myself) who like their stories a little bit cleaner. Very polished, very clean and very entertaining. I'll have to pick up some of Meyer's other novels now.

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary, Queen of Scots by Carolyn Meyer is a young adult historical novel that narrates the dramatic, tragic life of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, from her early childhood in Scotland and education at the French court, through her tumultuous reign, ill‑fated marriages, political rivalries, and eventual imprisonment and execution.

Told in first person from Mary’s own perspective, the story follows how she is sent to France as a child to be raised and wed to the French dauphin; becomes queen of France at a young age only to lose that title when he dies; returns to Scotland determined to rule her homeland; and faces power struggles, scandal, and the constant shadow of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England, with whom she negotiates and conflicts across decades until her death. The novel brings 16th‑century court life, religion‑fueled strife, and royal intrigue into an accessible YA format.

What I found most compelling about The Wild Queen is how Meyer invites readers into Mary’s own voice and turmoil, making a historical figure often defined by legend feel human, caught between passion, ambition, and survival. In Mary’s early years in France, her longing for love and belonging, and her fierce belief in her right to both the Scottish and English thrones give the narrative emotional grounding even amid sprawling political events.

The book doesn’t shy away from scandal and tragedy, her difficult second marriage to Henry Stuart (Darnley), the fallout from his murder scandal, and her desperate appeals to Elizabeth I carry real tension, and they made me reflect on how vulnerability and power can become dangerously intertwined in the life of a monarch.

At times the storytelling reads more like a straight retelling of events than a deeply embellished drama, which keeps the history clear but sometimes made it harder for me to feel the characters beyond their roles in historical outcomes. Still, Meyer’s research and vivid settings (from the French court to Scottish castles to Elizabethan England) bring the tumultuous era alive for readers new to Mary’s story.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I’m giving The Wild Queen four stars because it offers a broad, engaging portrait of one of history’s most fascinating and embattled queens in a way that feels accessible and compelling for younger readers or anyone looking for a narrative version of Mary Stuart’s life. Mary emerges as headstrong, tragic, and fully human, even if the sheer breadth of events sometimes outpaces deep character exploration; overall, this is a rewarding historical read that sparked in me a deeper curiosity about the real person behind the legend.

[Small Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite in this series, but still a solid edition. Review to come.

Originally posted at Small Review

I feel like I become more and more of a fan of Carolyn Meyer with each book I read. None have totally amazed me (though The Bad Queen is by far my favorite) but by this point I've come to look at her historical fiction books as a solid, dependable standby for when I want "good enough to be satisfying" historical fiction.

And The Wild Queen did totally satisfy my desire to read more about Mary, Queen of Scots (have you seen Reign? No? Ah go watch now! It's like Gossip Girl meets historical fiction and it's my latest guilty pleasure. Watching an adult Anne (of Green Gables), I mean, Megan Follows, play the scheming Queen Catherine is totally worth it alone).

Ahem, anyway, Carolyn Meyer's take on Mary is typically Carolyn Meyer-ish. Not shallow but not very deep characterization, surprisingly heavy on the historical detail, and written in a very easy breezy way. This is heavy historical fiction that reads real easy and is perfect if you want the knowledge of a history lesson but none of the snooze or work.


Originally posted at Small Review

[Beka Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this book 3 stars because I don`t like the story; but chose to give it 4 because Carolyn Meyer is an Amazing writer! Imagine all the work she put into this historical fiction book. She had to dig up alot of facts and dirt on this Queen of Scots.
Positives The author put everything together to perfection, and loved the historical epilogue.
Negatives sad sad sad sad!


Young Mary must leave her home of Scotland to go to France, where she will be raised with her husband to be, the Dauphin, Francois. Although he was a weak, fail, and shorter than her, they became great friends. Mary was raised and spoiled with all the luxuries of a Queen to be. She was already Queen to Scotland, but this marriage with Francois would also make her heir to France. These plans were ruined when Francois died and his sister became the next in line to the throne. Mary went back to Scotland to rule as their queen. Again she was married to Henri Stuart; she feel madly in love with him. The honeymoon didnt last forever and she saw the true side of this horrid man, and she found herself in tears and with his child. Henri was murdered and then she was blamed for his murder. She was kidnapped and forced to marry Lord Bothwell. He also was not the man he first seemed to be. Her marriage to Lord Bothwell angered many of the Parliment; and they set out to capture Mary and kill Bothwell. Mary allowed them to capture her; but to let Bothwell escape. She was held prisoner yet again only with the help of her friends was she able to escape and travel to France to beg the good graces of Queen Elizabeth. This was the worst decision that Mary had made and it ended in her Beheading.
An interesting note: every British Monarch from Charles I to present day ruler came from the direct line of Mary, Queen of the Scots.

[Darque Dreamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I debated about writing a review for this one for my blog and I just don't feel like it. It was very dull and boring. It read more like a historical accounting than a historical FICTION. Though I would love to learn the true details about Mary Stuart, I picked this up for a bit of entertainment and hoped for something like Reign. I was sadly disappointed and will not be reading anything further from the author...

[K.C. Rivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this one, though I mostly liked it. I felt it started out a lot stronger than it ended. There was more detail, more emotion, and much more "show." By the end, it felt like I was being told a list of facts about the character. While still interesting to a point, I wanted more of a story than a history lesson. The author could have expanded on certain relationships more, and left out a few of the details of the parties/masques or surroundings that frequented the storyline.

Mary's relationship with Lord Bothwell, for example, was hard to understand. One minute they're having a normal conversation, the next he kisses her. She's caught off guard and enraptured by it, having never experienced something like that before. Fine and dandy, but she only speaks fondly of him for a few pages. After that, he's spoken of like an acquantance. Well, that is until near the end of the book where he rapes her to convince her to marry him so he can have a chance at the crown. To which she's initially appalled, then changes her mind and tells everyone that he only wants her because he's in love with her, eventually agreeing to marry him. Mind you, this is after he kidnaps her and murders her second husband. I didn't see how she could have any feelings other than animosity. Seriously.

But, all that set aside, I did learn more about this particular queen than I knew beforehand, and the overall story was interesting. It kept my attention enough to read through to the end, so I give it three stars.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wild Queen is the second-to-last novel in the Young Royals series created by Carolyn Meyer and is about the legendary Queen of Scotland, Mary Stuart. Crowned as a monarch just days after her birth, and the death of her father, Scotland is in a crisis where warring factions are at each other, and the interference of the English does not help matters. Her mother, Marie of Guise, sends Mary to France with an entourage for she is betrothed to marry the Daulphin of France, Francois. While her mother rules Scotland as regent, Mary is to be educated to become a fine French Queen when the time comes. Though tedious, she soon finds France as a welcoming experience in their court and culture, plus her mothers' extended family members treat her extremely well, Mary becomes more of a Frenchwoman than a Scottish lady. When the time comes for her to become a consort, she realizes that her relatives see her as a pawn for influencing Francois, her personal feelings becomes second to their rise in power. Unfortunately, Francois' sudden death means Mary loses the title of Queen, but knowing of her mother's recent death, she decides to head back to Scotland to rule in person.

A lot has changed since she left Scotland, the country adopted the Protestant religion, thanks to the preaching of John Knox, while Mary remains a Catholic. But with her charisma, she wins most of the court over, allying herself with her mother's trusted advisors and includes James Moray, her half-brother, and Lord Bothwell, who ignites some passion within her, in her council. While she rules her country, she seeks to someday take the throne of England, believing herself to be the rightful heir to England since Elizabeth remains barren. To further support her claim, she marries her cousin Henry Darnley, who also shares claims to the throne, to produce her future child, James. However, this marriage is truly the start of her downfall spiral into chaos, Darnley is vicious, petty, and constantly demanding that Mary become more subservient to him. This marriage also alienates her from Elizabeth and Moray, who soon forms a rebellion against her. She knows he has desires to be King despite being illegitimate, but her brother is not just her worries when it becomes apparent other men are wanting to use her to their advantage to get what they want. Mary tries to steer herself against the conspiracy against her, but every point she turns, a greater threat pops up. It becomes to the point that she is forced to abdicate the throne, and in a desperate attempt, stole away to England to seek Elizabeth's support. This proves to be her final downfall.

Since this book is about Mary Stuart, we see how things play out from her POV, relating to her struggles and predicaments. She is headstrong and very passionate, following her heart on every matter, helping her move through numerous obstacles. But this proves to also be her downfall, she refuse to listen to reasonable advice from her councilmen and is too focus on seeking the English crown while Scotland becomes more divided by religious tension. She also is too trustworthy to many of the wrong men, namely Bothwell and Moray, almost always believing whatever they say and promise. We could say also that the Scottish court is very manipulative and likely never trusted her from the start either, but many of the problems that appeared in the story were also created by her own doing just as much. It is only by the end does she realize maybe her wild heart may have been the reason behind so much heartbreak for her, from losing the crown and life.

Carolyn Meyer has recreated the 16th century of the French and Scottish court through looking into Mary's eyes. We got to see some of the famous figures of both worlds while in her hands, and some of the major events that occurred in her lifetime. Meyer really focused on Mary's childhood in France the most and the early years of her adult reign in Scotland, speeding through events when necessary, to not glossing over some of the darker rumors and violence that has lead Mary's life. I do wish that Meyer had give us a few more glimpse into Mary's time in captivity in England, as the ending felt a little half-rushed there or gave more interactions with Elizabeth via letters since those documents have become important in learning the cousins' dynamics. Regardless, Meyer has managed to create a sympathetically neutral viewpoint into what was going on in the mind of Mary, Queen of Scots with full information and documentation that I applaud her for.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. I chose this book because I love historical fiction and learning about royalty. I also had heard a bit about Mary, Queen of Scots, and I wanted to learn more. The way this book was written gave me so much information about her life, but in an engaging way. It’s told in Mary’s perspective, so you get to understand where all her beliefs and actions come from. Additionally, it goes from the beginning of her life all the way to the end, so we see the whole spectrum. And, she is young, around the same age as me, for most of the book, making her easier to relate to. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this kind of book.

[Katherine Macy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. What a tragedy! No wonder Elizabeth I was such a hard ass. It was truly difficult for a woman to hold onto power in this era. Mary Queen of Scots didn't stand a chance against the ruthless noblemen who opposed her. I feel so bad for her after reading this.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cover Blurb: Yes or No? No. While I love the dress (I have a thing for pretty dresses) and the castle in the background, the cover is leering at me.

Characters: Mary isn’t the most sympathetic character. She’s rather spoiled and makes all of the wrong decisions - and all because she wants the English throne. The only time I felt sorry for her was the fact that practically everyone she thought she could trust used her, and she was never taught to be wary of those who surround her. The rest of the characters in the story feel like names. The factual manner in which they are written sacrifices personality, and thus these long-dead figures never come to life.

The Romance: It’s difficult to be supportive of any of the romantic attachments Mary develops, since they all go so horribly wrong. She’s no more than a child when she’s engaged - and then married - to Francois, and then her later husband when she’s officially Queen of Scotland is thoroughly despicable. If the Reader knows anything about the story of Mary, then said Reader will know immediately that the romance is doomed. So it’s hard to get emotionally invested in any of it.

Plot: The Wild Queen follows Mary’s life from when she’s five, to her death. Consequently, it’s filled with intrigue and court life, which makes for a very interesting plot. And since this isn’t an alternate history story, it also makes for a predictable plot (unless you know nothing about Mary, Queen of Scots). Whatever complaints I have about the storyline has more to do with writing style.

Believability: I actually don’t know a whole lot about the details of Mary’s life and reign. I know how she died, and I know of the dislike Queen Elizabeth held for her. I also know that people have turned Mary, Queen of Scots into an innocent victim over the course of years. The Authors presents both: Mary was a victim in the sense that she was betrayed by everyone she thought she could trust, but she was also eager for more power, willful, and made all of the wrong decisions while ignoring good advice. This, to me, seems like a very accurate portrayal. And I have never known this Author’s historical facts to be in grave error, so I trust that she is accurate as is possible in this book, too.

Writing Style: Carolyn Meyer has a very pleasant writing style and beautiful descriptions. However, in The Wild Queen, her style took on a more straightforward, “these are the facts” tone, and it caused the plot to feel like a more entertaining history book, and leeched the personality from the surrounding characters. I love Authors who use dates and place names in their historical fiction, but there can be an excessive use of it, and there is also a trick to it, and unfortunately it’s not one that the Author really employs in this book.

Content: Mary talks a lot about consummating her marriage with Francois, though they never do. However, the little act Francois and Mary put on for the benefit of King Henri is rather suggestive. Mary is raped at one point (pg. 369), but it is only the very barest of details, and the same goes for when Mary consummates her marriage with her second husband.

Conclusion: Again, if you know anything about Mary, Queen of Scots, then you know her story ends. It’s difficult to feel sorry for Mary at the end, because again she’s not the most sympathetic character. She brought a lot of her sorrow down on her own head. I’ve always enjoyed the Young Royals, series - it provides very interesting looks into the lives of famous royal women throughout history. The Wild Queen, wasn’t my favorite, however, because the writing style was just too straightforward facts, and not much storytelling (which you can do without discarding historical accuracy, by the way).

Recommended Audience: Girl-read, sixteen-and-up, fans of Carolyn Meyer’s Young Royals series and historical fiction in general.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying that I love historical fiction and I love Scotland, and parts of this book were very interesting. But as a story (plot, characters, detail), it failed me so often that I almost abandoned it. And the main reason I didn't abandon it is that out of principle, I don't abandon books (unless they are inappropiate).

I think the problem with this book is that the author tried to do too much. Meyer is trying to describe the entire lifetime of Mary, Queen of Scots, from a first person perspective. That's beginning at age 6 with her move to France and ending a few hours from her execution at age 44, and between these two events is a lifetime of power struggles, wars, scandals, and fancy royal parties. The constant moves between castles and the changing loyalties of the characters and the people of Scotland are confusing, and since there is close to zero character development, even of Mary herself, the reader honestly could care less. I suppose I should take that back. The reader pities Mary, feeling bad that everyone she trusts seems to turn on her and that disaster stalks her life, but that is as far as emotion goes. We pity her, but that doesn't mean we like her or support her terrible decision making.

So much happens in Mary's life that this book ends up reading like a list of facts: Then Mary went to this castle, where she learned that the rebel lords had done something terrible in defiance of her, and her servant got married to this man, and her secretary of war delivered a message to Queen Elizabeth, and her brother asked for more land, and etc. So much happens that it feels like nothing is happening. My problem with this story is that there is so much potential for it to be a brilliant and tragic adventure across Scotland with so much weight and complexity to the political issues involved. I wish we had been given more details about the people's opinion and the rebel lords; Mary always seems to ignore her subjects except for feeling pleased when they dote on her. I also wish we had been given more meat to the character of Mary. Despite the novel being in first person, I felt like I didn't really know Mary that well. She seemed weak and naive: she didn't like men having power over her, yet she didn't know what to do about it and all her decisions just put men in power again and again.

So as not to make this review entirely negative, I will say that the beginning of the book was well written. But overall, the story was stretched too thin for my liking.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

This latest entry in the Young Royals series is about Mary, Queen of Scots, who was the only legitimate child of James V of Scotland and granddaughter to Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII of England. From birth, Mary was in danger of kidnapping by the English and her own country was torn by warring factions. At a young age, she was sent to the French court to become engaged to the dauphin. Mary enjoyed her time at the French court once she got used it it. By the time they were married, Mary had come to care for Francois like a sister. Francois was an immature boy but everyone hoped for an heir when the unthinkable happened: Francois died. Stranded alone in a foreign country without allies, Mary realized she was a pawn in a larger political game. She was determined to chart her own course and return to Scotland to rule. It proved far more difficult than she ever expected to be a female ruler in the 16th century and thus was her downfall.

I found this book very difficult to read. It is very long and covers Mary's entire life. I already know the story so I didn't feel compelled to finish the book. I did eventually get through it, but it was slow going. The time frame covered is too vast, especially for a young adult novel. The prose reads like a biography rather than a novel. I just could not enjoy this book due to the style of writing. I liked the first three books in the series but the last few have been rather dull. If you are interested in Mary, Queen of Scots then I recommend the Royal Diaries book Mary Queen of Scots Queen Without a Country 1553 by Kathryn Lasky or The Queen's Own Fool by Jane Yolen and Robert Harris.

[Inis Fal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Years before I had read this particular book in the Young Royals series, I read Carolyn Meyer's Beware, Princess Elizabeth, and I loved it. Miss Meyer has a real talent for writing historical fiction, and draws you into the stories of the young ladies that she writes about, so that you feel a part of the story, which is not at all an easy thing to do. Her details and settings are lavish, realistic, and very enjoyable to read, not to mention the fact that she chooses fascinating time periods to write about. I especially love any kind of good Scottish/Medieval reads that I can get my hands on, and once I found out that there were more in the young royals series than just Beware, Princess Elizabeth, I jumped for joy and couldn't wait to read more.

That being said, however, I now have to give my reasons for why I rated this book a single star. Whenever I read young adult books and/or novels, I do it with the idea that the material is going to be clean, wholesome (at least to a fairly large extent), and decent for younger audiences to read. There's nothing I hate more than having to skip over whole paragraphs or pages in books because the subject matter is inappropriate. Unfortunately, that is exactly how I found not only this book to be, but also another book in the series, The Bad Queen, about Marie Antoinette!
I have to say that I am very disappointed in Miss Meyer, for including material that in my mind has no place in a young adults book! I do not want to read the "gory" details of the matrimonial demands put upon those poor royal kids since they were barely 14 years of age, or anything remotely similar (and there was plenty of that!)! I don't even want to read about such "mature material" in an "adult" book! It's bad enough!
So these are the reasons why I marked both this book, as well as The Bad Queen, a single star!
It's really too bad, too, because I had such high hopes for both of them!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've long been a fan of Carolyn Meyer, having read all her "Young Royals" novels, and I must say this is one of her best. "The Wild Queen" is a magnificent, epic story based on the harrowing, and in many ways mysterious, reign of 16th-century Scottish queen, Mary Stuart. Although the story spans some forty-five years, it is a fast-paced, enjoyable read, rich in historical detail, vivid descriptions, and well-drawn characterizations.

After a pampered childhood at the French court, in preparation for her marriage to the dauphin, Mary returns to Scotland to claim her throne. Soon her life spins out of control amid a raging vortex of deceit, betrayal, and foul play as she watches her country being literally "torn apart by warring factions." Mary's often poor judgment, and tendency to fall in love with treacherous men and place her trust in false friends, only exacerbates the mayhem. As she herself admits toward the end of the novel, "I have given my trust too easily to the wrong people."

Clearly well-researced, and beautifully written, "The Wild Queen" is indeed wildly entertaining and at the same time highly educational. I would recommend this book to all fans of good historical fiction.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed the first part of The Wild Queen, but once Mary returned to Scotland after the death of her first husband it felt like the story was just a stream of facts. I still enjoyed reading those, but would have liked to seen more development of the story.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good in that I hadn't read much about Mary of Scots so it gave me some good insight but it wasn't very well advanced in the history or writing. Considering it was meant for a younger age then I am that's probably why.

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

If one went solely by the character of Mary in this book, it is no wonder she lost control of her reign. Her portrayal is annoying to say the least, pathetic at the best.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and highly recommend it!

[Solana Rivera · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Duchessina," "The Wild Queen," and "The Bad Queen" were the last three books that I read of this series. Each of these three was horrible. I kept on, thinking that learning the history from these books would be more fun and interesting than reading an article. I was wrong. I would much rather have the stark historical facts in a compact article than have to trudge through a bad story in order to get to the facts.

That said, I thoroughly did not enjoy "The Wild Queen." If this had been a purely fictitious novel, I would have stopped reading it a quarter of the way in. The only thing I liked was the adorable picture of a troupe of royal 3-7 year olds wheedling a sweet out of the indulgent cook. I also appreciated the extremely accurate way Queen Elizabeth's fickleness was portrayed. The rest of the book was a horror story.

First of all, the sheer amount of sexual material in this YA book is simply astounding. Mary's governess has an affair with King Henri. The pretended consummation of Mary's marriage to Francis is described in detail. Her nights with Henry are described in almost as much detail. And Ms. Meyer leaves VERY, VERY little to the imagination when James Hepburn kidnaps and RAPES Mary. This is not an exhaustive list, just the stuff that is highlighted the most. Needless to say, I was shocked that this is considered a kid's book!

Then there is the whole returning-to-Scotland-and-establishing-her-authority-as-queen bit. I personally think she was a HORRIBLE leader after reading this book. She was heavy-handed and quite unwise on multiple occasions. A good leader leads by example, not through force. Honestly, I could go on FOR HOURS about Mary's character issues, awful life decisions, and poor choices as a monarch. So I am going to summarize by saying that Mary Stuart is the antithesis of what we, as a society, want our girls to emulate. Sidenote: I do not think that I would have such an issue with her INTENSE character flaws except for the fact that the author never seems to condemn them! Their is only one instance that I can think of where it is said that Mary handled something "poorly." I want to say that her life is even portrayed as a tragedy, even though she was partially responsible for bringing about all of the horrible things that she went through! For example, her broken marriage with Henry, her loss of power, and her imprisonment by Elizabeth. Also the loss of Queen Catherine's friendship.

Moving on from the story and on to the writing itself. The dialogue was horribly stilted and unrealistic. Yes, I realize this is supposed to be a "kid's" book, but that is no excuse for poor writing. If she was trying to give an impression of sophisticated, elegant speech in this time period, not only did she fail historically (ever read Shakespeare?), but it made the dialogue unnecessarily dry and long-winded. And then there's the whole "wild queen" theme that kept popping up. I have not decided if I think it is clever or cliché. I am leaning more towards cliché, but the variations in the meaning of "wild" were intriguing.

As a sidenote, Protestants and John Knox in particular are portrayed in a decidedly negative light. I cannot recall if Ms. Meyer tries to keep up the pretense from "Dushessina" that Catherine de Medici was not at least partially responsible for the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. I want to say she does, but it has been a couple weeks since I read the book so I cannot say that with certainty. Reasons I should review RIGHT after reading the book. ;)

[ughniki · Rating 4 out of 5]

My silly, silly Queen of Scots.

I have been intrigued by her history for a time, knowing bits here and there but reading some sort of accuracy into what happened really baffled me cause how many awful decisions could you consciously make under these circumstances?? Every single time she saw herself digging her own grave and yet she just kept going only by the idea of keeping her crown and saving her legacy above all. I don’t think I could’ve endure all that for that long, I felt miserable just by reading it, ugh.

It also saddens me to think that had she been a man, all this calling out and hunting for her would’ve never happened and had no one been on both Mary and Elizabeth ear, they perhaps could’ve get together and strengthened their respective kingdoms.

I’m lacking a lot more of information regarding this bit of history of course but I had a great time getting into this particular narrative so I hope I keep finding more entertaining ways to learn about everything else surrounding it.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book! I could not put it down. I’m fascinated by books about royals, but too many of them read like a boring history book. This one read like a novel. I didn’t realize it was YA when I started reading it, but I actually preferred that. It toned down some of the more difficult parts but did not take away from the story. I loved that this book was focused solely on Mary, because most books that mention her only talk about how she was beheaded and give nothing about her life. I felt like I was part of her very turbulent journey and experienced the emotions along with her. I am eager to read more books by this author. My only complaint about the book was that it was missing a lot of punctuation and had several spelling and grammatical errors. I’m not sure if this is due to it being an ebook version or what. It did not distract me from the story but it did get annoying at times.

[Katherine Basto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book a 3.5 rating. I love and enjoy a good Mary Queen of Scots read. This was a condensed version and Myers did her best to include everything right up to her execution. The first part was interesting--Mary's early life in France under King Henri and her life at court.
But I think Meyers had a daunting task to tell the whole sordid tale and sometimes it felt like she was trying to cover everything. Then again, something was lost in the story. There were many characters that came and went and at times, it was a bit confusing to recall who was who. Meyers didn't have time to focus too intently on the growing rift between Queen Elizabeth and her half-cousin.
Mary was a hot-headed ruler who acted impulsively--leading to her ruin.
I love Carolyn Meyers but I didn't think this was one of her stronger works!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story about the life of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. This story takes place from the time that Mary was a young child of 6 and was sent to France to live to the time when Queen Elizabeth of England had her beheaded for treason at Fotheringhay castle. Throughout the novel Mary makes many unwise decisions regarding her reign, mainly with the men in her life. But being so young and not really having any family to guide her, she made many decisions that turned out to unwise. She was a strong-willed ruler at times, but there were also times when the men in her life dictated what her decisions would be. I always feel sorry for her because she was not really given a chance to reign because of so many treacherous relationships in her life.

[Reading With Yeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Power struggles, identity crisis, contempt for her values,.. This queen was entangled in series of unfortunate events.

The Wild Queen is an insightful  YA historical fiction , summarizing Queen Mary’s (not to be confused with Bloody Mary)entire life - from her early years in Scotland, through her days in France, and until her last days in Scotland.
I liked how the story was told in first person's (from Mary’s) perspective. It adds sympathy for the reader, and helps to understand this mysterious character.
I wish that her story of her adulthood was longer as her childhood story was. It seemed that the last quarter was rushed too quickly.
I was facinated by the story, and would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in history. Since it’s written for young adults, the prose is brief  and simple.

4/5 🌟

[Teri Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Is this historical fiction? This is first book I’ve read of Meyer’s so I’m not familiar with her writing at all.

I knew a lot of Mary’s story before reading this and am currently reading John Guy’s book so I knew right away a lot of Meyer’s info was from his book, just easier to read without the complicated political jargon and keeping up with all of the players in her story.

I guess it’s a bit watered down, but I suppose that is the intention. It wasn’t bad, I just didn’t think it did Mary’s story justice. Or maybe I just wasn’t a fan the writing style? And is it historical fiction? Some of it seemed that way.

All in all, I think it’s worth a 3.5 ⭐️ rating.

[Katja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it's no Philippa Gregory, that's for sure. I think the book could have delved into Mary's character a bit more. Now, she seems more of a stupid queen, not listening to other people's advice, than a wild queen. But as a biography, it describes Mary's life quite well. Since she is the ancestor of the current royal family, I think that is reason enough to get to know her better. I just wish that somebody (ping, Ms. Gregory!), would write a better book on her. On the positive side, the book reads fast!

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything I said about another of Carolyn Meyer's books, "Cleopatra Confesses," holds true for this book as well.

The title of this book, "The Wild Queen," with the exception of one or two mentions in the narrative, feels wildly inappropriate for the protagonist as portrayed by Meyer. I have read plenty about Mary, Queen of Scots, before, both fiction and nonfiction. This book ranks dead last in all I have read about her.

I do not recommend this book at all.

[Natasha Hurwitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book, in my opinion, of the Young Royals series. The overall biographic perspective feels more right, in a sense, to me, than the other Young royals books, that focus on only a few years of the royal's lifespan. The syntax and diction also feels much more sophisticated than the other books in this series. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fictitious biography of Mary, Queen of Scots.

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book a little harder to get into. I didn’t like Mary, so it was difficult to be interested in her life. She made a lot of bad decisions and didn’t seem to listen to advice well. It is still good to read about her life, so I’m glad I read it.

I liked this series and found the book interesting. Meyers does a good job of making them appealing to young readers. I would have liked more diversity in seeing monarchs from outsides of Western Europe.