Published May 9th, 2024 by Headline
Historical Ficiton, Biographical Fiction, Historical Biographical Fiction
Welcome to my review for this compelling and riveting historical novel that I read with the SquadPod this month. Thank you to Headline for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
********
ABOUT THE BOOK:
‘A must for Tudor fans everywhere’ Tracy Borman
‘Thrilling, captivating . . . unforgettable’ Kate Williams
‘A gripping story that’s underpinned by a wealth of research . . . this is Alison Weir at her best’ Nicola Tallis
Sunday Times bestselling novelist Alison Weir returns with the spellbinding story of Mary I.
A DESTINY REWRITTEN. A ROYAL HEART DIVIDED.
Adored only child of Henry VIII and his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary is raised in the golden splendour of her father’s court. But the King wants a son and heir.
With her parents’ marriage, and England, in crisis, Mary’s perfect world begins to fall apart. Exiled from the court and her beloved mother, she seeks solace in her faith, praying for her father to bring her home. But when the King does promise to restore her to favour, his love comes with a condition.
The choice Mary faces will haunt her for years to come – in her allegiances, her marriage and her own fight for the crown. Can she become the queen she was born to be?
MARY I. HER STORY.
Alison Weir’s new Tudor novel is the tale, full of drama and tragedy, of how a princess with such promise, loved by all who knew her, became the infamous Bloody Mary.
********
MY REVIEW:
A DESTINY REWRITTEN. A ROYAL HEART DIVIDED.
I’m a huge history buff and have always been a fan of the Tudor era so I was very excited when the SquadPod were offered the chance to read this as one of our featured books.
The book opens in 1525 when Mary is nine-years-old and follows her life all the way up until her death in 1588. Known infamously as ‘Bloody Mary’, Mary is a controversial figure among historians, but the last few years has seen a surge of research into her life and there has been an effort to rehabilitate her reputation. This prompted Alison Weir to revisit her past research and write a new book about one of England’s most famous queens.
Before reading this book I thought I knew a lot about Queen Mary I and this period of history. But I soon realised there were things I didn’t know such as the close bond that she and Elizabeth shared for many years, the health issues that plagued her most of her life, or that she was the first woman to rule England. And I realised that what I did know about her was so much more complex under the surface. Most interesting for me was learning why she turned to religion so ardently. Mary’s life was not a happy one. She was embroiled in royal politics from an early age, separated from her mother at 15, declared illegitimate at 17, and made lady-in-waiting to her infant half-sister, Elizabeth, that same year. Among all of this turmoil, heartache and uncertainty, Mary found solace in her Catholic faith. She was horrified when her father broke with Rome and declared Britain a Protestant country and became increasingly zealous, even risking martyrdom to attend mass when it was illegal. But the biggest reminder of her zealousness is her religious persecution of the Protestants when she was Queen. She lives on in infamy as the monarch who sent 280 people to the stake during her short, five year reign and it earned her the nickname ‘Bloody Mary’.
Compelling, powerful and riveting, this novel is a reminder that fact is so much more interesting than fiction. It also reminded me that one of the reasons I love history so much is that it is made up of the most spectacular and fascinating stories. Meticulously researched and expertly written, Ms. Weir brings history to life, transporting me back 600 years. I felt like I was in the room with them and could see it all vividly unfolding in front of me like I was watching it on a TV screen. Ms. Weir has been careful to write a balanced account of Mary’s life that highlights her accomplishments as well as her failures. But, for me, the good doesn’t outweigh the bad, and I didn’t find her to be a sympathetic character, even though she was fascinating, I am glad to understand her a little more.
Mary I Queen of Sorrows is a gripping and unmissable novel that history fans won’t want to miss.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
********
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Dr Alison Weir is the biggest-selling female historian (and the fifth best-selling historian) in the United Kingdom since records began in 1997. She has published thirty-two titles and sold more than 3 million books – over a million in the UK and 2.2 million in the USA. She is now working on two concurrent series of books: the Tudor Rose trilogy of novels about Elizabeth of York, Henry VIII and Mary I, and England’s Medieval Queens, a quartet of historical works of non-fiction.
********
BUY THE BOOK:
Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links
********
Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx
Emma's Biblio Treasures 
One reply on “SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: Mary I: Queen of Sorrows by Alison Weir”
I felt the same. I loved all of the historical detail but Mary just wasn’t an easy character to like even while sympathising and understanding how she came to be that way. I love the photo for this post.
LikeLike