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Oct 20, 2008

Kristianne rated it:

It wouldn't be hard to accuse me of building up so much anticipation for the release of 'The Other Queen' that it was doomed to fail from the start. Much in the way 'The Other Boleyn Girl' movie was always going to tick me off - even if I do love Eric Bana. So, I am willing to cop a little of the flack when I say that I've found Gregory's latest and last Tudor novel effort a little disappointing. This was still a great book about the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots, I just felt it wasn't up More...

6 comments like (11 people liked it)

Feb 02, 2009

Vivienne rated it:

Gregory seems to have changed her style some since 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. This is certainly not a frothy bit of 16th century soap opera but quite a serious and well researched bit of historical fiction on life of Mary, Queen of Scots during the first few years of her imprisonment in England.

It also places a great focus on one of my personal heroines of the period, Bess of Hardwick. She is one of the three narrators. The others are Mary and Bess' husband George Talbot, Earl of Shrew More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jul 02, 2011

Heidi rated it:

The latest in Gregory's Tudor Court novels is about Mary, Queen of Scots. It sent me back to my Anne Somerset biography of Elizabeth I to look at certain details, and like most historical fiction, has prompted an interest in reading more actual history about the characters involved.

The book surprised me by being *very* focused on the Queen of Scots, with little of Elizabeth at all. It makes sense, but still surprised me. What also surprised me was the assumption that the average read More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 27, 2008

Diana rated it:

This book took me quite some time to get through. I have read Philippa Gregory's other books, and though they are not always factually correct, and most often read like gossip mags, I have come to enjoy them and expect that of her books. This was so long and drawn out, and not at all enjoyable. It is written from the viewpoint of Mary Queen of Scots and her two jailers, but you are never engaged with any of the three main characters. Gregory simply twists and repeats the same sentiments for More...

5 comments like (11 people liked it)

Dec 18, 2008

Sheila rated it:

Not Philippa Grefory's best book by far, but it was okay. The story of Mary Queen of Scotts, this one was told from the view point of three different people, and while the comparison between Mary and Bess was interesting, the book did seem very repetitive on many issues, and did drag a bit.

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Feb 15, 2011

Jade rated it:

I'd heard great things about Philippa Gregory and loved the film The Other Bolyne Girl, but was sadly disappointed. This book focuses on the time of Mary Queen of Scots and her incarseration (which was really just staying somewhere else) by Queen Elizabeth. The book took the points of view of Mary, Lord Shewsberry and his wife, Bess. Given that Mary stayed with the other two during her capture, I don't really feel that a very wide remit was given to the subject at hand. With the uprising in the More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 18, 2009

Roxy rated it:

On those days when I'm feeling sorry for myself I can now say, 'Hey, it could be worse, you could have been Mary, Queen of Scots. Wow, was this depressing! I know, I know... It was obvious from the beginning that Mary's story would not end well, but still, I felt the urge to lecture the people in the book: 'Don't do it, Mary!' or 'Be nice, Elizabeth!' I usually like the author's historical details, but there wasn't so much of that in this book. I also think that it was repetitive and drawn out t More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 14, 2009

Anna rated it:

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0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Sep 27, 2008

Lacy rated it:

Phillippa Gregory novels are sort of my secret shame - I love her books and pretty much devour them as soon as they come out. This one was...well, it was just okay. The historical focus(Mary Queen of Scots) is intriguing, but...I felt like it was sort of just..meh, as Gregory basically gave Mary no personality other than her bizarre obsession with freedom (honestly, the character must have said (or had commented about her) that she "had to be free" about 95 times. I GET IT, okay?) a More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Sep 30, 2008

Meg rated it:

As an avid reader of Philippa Gregory's historical fiction, I was very excited for this book to hit the shelves but I ended up being somewhat disappointed with it. The book takes place during the time of the house arrest of Mary, Queen of Scots. The story is narrated from three viewpoints-Mary, her guardian George, Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife Bess. At first, newlyweds George and Bess are honored with Queen Elizabeth asks them to house Queen Mary and her court after her trial in London unt More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 10, 2008

Melissa rated it:

This is a review based on an Advanced Copy obtained at Book Expo 2008

Like a good wine, Gregory's work only improves with time. I found The Other Boleyn Girl to be tawdry and lurid, but have been pleasantly surprised with her works since then.

The Other Queen tells the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, through her voice and the voices of her jailers, Bess and George, Countess and Count of Shrewsbury. Mary's character, however, is not a sympathetic one--she's manipulativ More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 01, 2009

Allison rated it:

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0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Sep 20, 2008

Quianna rated it:

This is the latest book in the Tudor series and it is painful to get through. I can pick up The Other Boleyn Girl and read through it in one sitting, but each book in the Tudor series grows more and more tired until we are left with the mess that is The Other Queen. Using three different perspectives worked fine in The Boleyn Inheritance, but in this book they change so often, sometimes lasting only a page and a half, it is hard to grow attached, or even understand the point of view of one sin More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Aug 05, 2011

Connie added it

I enjoy this genre a lot. If you're like me, and the Tudor court seems like a fascinating combination of history and fairy tale, then you'd probably like this book. I agree with another reviewer who said it isn't Philippa Gregory's best work, but it's still engaging and includes all the intrigue we expect from this historical time and place. Gregory's presentation focuses a lot on the relationships between Mary and her wardens, the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury. Although it's a fictionalized a More...

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Jun 22, 2011

Roxanne rated it:

Philippa Gregory writes brilliantly, and really draws her reader into the sights, sounds, feeling of the 16th century. She really brings history to life.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 19, 2009

Meghan rated it:

What I love about Philippa Gregory's novels is that you fall in love with the main character, even if you hated them as a periphery character in a previous book; and you also find yourself hating periphery characters that were main characters in another novel and you feel like your world is all upside-down and you love it all the more for that. In this book I find myself hating Queen Elizabeth once again because of my complete sympathy with the main character of Mary, Queen of Scots. At the same More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 12, 2011

Patti rated it:

This was a good read, although not my favorite of Philippa Gregory's books.

I think overall, this gives somewhat of a thumbnail sketch of Mary, Queen of Scots confinement in England. It does not give an idea as to the depth and complexity of her personality. If anything it paints her as somewhat naive.

By far, the heroine of the novel seems to be Bess of Hardwick, who has a far greater grasp on the politics of the time. Her lack of gullibility and frustration of her situa More...

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Apr 21, 2011

Aaron rated it:

This is the last of the books in Gregory's Tudor series, and it shifts focus to the cousin of Queen Elizabeth I. Mary, Queen of the Scots, has claims on three separate thrones: France, Scotland, and England. As the novel starts, Mary has been forced to flee from Scotland because of rebellious lairds. She finds herself in her cousin's court, hoping for sanctuary. Elizabeth is only too willing to help out, particularly since she questions Mary's loyalty. The result is that she places Mary in More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 25, 2011

Tocotin rated it:

It was a fast, if a bit choppy, easy read about the imprisonment years of Mary Queen of Scots, told from three points of view (Mary, her jailer George Talbot, and his wife Bess of Hardwick). The whole story happens almost exclusively between Mary, George and Bess, with only an occasional appearance from William Cecil, queen Elizabeth, and Norfolk.

All three main characters are prone to whining: Mary about her sacred status as a queen, Bess about her wealth which is rapidly diminishing d More...

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Aug 27, 2010

Jenny rated it:

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Apr 14, 2010

E rated it:

I love books about this period of English history. The power,paranoia
and ruthlessness of King Henry VIII and his daughters Mary and Elizabeth are horrifying but intriguing.

Poor Mary, Queen of Scots, thought her relationship to Queen
Elizabeth and the fact that she was a Queen would protect her.
However, if she really had so many people trying to not only
restore her to he throne of Scotland but also to put her on
the throne of England, I can see why Eliza More...

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Apr 12, 2010

Katy rated it:

I read this because it was recommended to me by my sister when I asked her for books to read before I go on my trip to England... and now I, in turn, recommend it to everyone-- but in particular people who are going to England.
I find the monarchy's history absolutely fascinating, but I also get mixed up about when certain Kings ruled, what they did, were they considered good or bad, how they became king, etc. So reading this book was wonderful because it really puts the story in context s More...

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Mar 22, 2010

Linda rated it:

Actually, what really got on my nerves was that Bess of Hardwick had to be such a jealous bi***. What can she expect Mary to do? Seduce old men or sell herself? She is born to be a queen, and a born sofisticated young women, and bold, and truely brave. Not to mention a beautiful lady. Bess, to me seems like an old ugly b****. I see that she's jealous about George, her husband the Earl of Shrewsbury, falling in love with Queen Mary, but what can the poor guy do? She's so intimidating and has such More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 10, 2010

April rated it:

I,too, wish we could give half (.5) stars and my review would give The Other Queen just 2.5 stars: better than 2 but not quite 3

Using three different voices (sort of like diary entries) for the novel was a good device for giving us information from different sources and provided different perspectives. And, in spite of knowing our history, that things don't turn out well for Mary, Queen of Scots, I found myself very caught up in her cause, really rooting for her to regain her freedom More...

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Feb 10, 2010

S rated it:

What can I say, I really enjoy historical fiction novels and this is the second one I have read by Phillipa Gregory. The first one I read "The Other Boleyn Girl" was totally engrossing and I just dove right in and though I found this very entertaining, it was not as totally engrossing as the Boleyn book was.

This is the story of Mary Queen of Scots and how she fled the rebellious Scottish lords, ran to England where she thought her cousin, Queen Elizabeth would keep her saf More...

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Dec 28, 2009

Ali rated it:

I had thought that this novel would make for good holiday reading – and essentially I was right. I was however a bit disappointed in this novel. Although very readable, and quite a page-turner, for me it was rather lacking. With Philippa Gregory novels such as The Other Boleyn Girl, and The Boleyn Inheritance - while I recognised they were just good historical novels and no more serious than that - they immersed the reader in the Tudor world with all it’s sights sounds and smells. I didn’t feel More...

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Oct 14, 2009

Joy rated it:

I was somewhat disappointed by this one--it just wasn't as gripping as The Other Boleyn Girl. It is about the captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots and her caretakers, George and Bess Shrewsbury. Each one of these three people is a narrator and unfortunately, they have a tendency to be repetitive. I decided while I was reading it that it could have been edited by about 100 pages with some of the repetition taken out. Each one of them tends to speak on their own theme each chance they get: Queen More...

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Sep 23, 2009

Siobhan rated it:

This is the third book I’ve read by Philippa Gregory (the others are The Constant Princess and, of course, The Other Boleyn Girl). I don’t find her to be a great writer, but I enjoy the historical period in which she sets her books. Tudor and Stuart England and Scotland are a source of never-ending fascination for me. So it was inevitable, really, that I would pick up this book.

There was a lot that I found interesting about the book that didn’t necessarily have all that much to do w More...

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Sep 18, 2009

Tara rated it:

As a Gregory fan, I am very very disappointed. This book has the same style as The Boleyn Inheritance, in which it goes back and forth between narratives of three different people. That, I did not mind. The narratives themselves are awful. You have Bess Hardwich who just goes on and on and on about her properties and her candlesticks stolen from monasteries and her account books. She never talks of much else and she speaks every 2nd chapter. You have her husband George that just rambles on about More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Sep 06, 2009

Steven rated it:

Philippa Gregory is a skilled writer of historical fiction. I have enjoyed other of her novels. This one is fine, too, but it lacks a certain sparkle that I experienced with other of her works. The focus here is Mary Queen of Scots, depicted as a beautiful, conniving, utterly untrustworthy, but still charismatic person.

The structure of the story is one possible problem. This is a first-person book, through the eyes of Mary, Lord George Talbot (The Earl of Shrewsbury), and Talbot's wi More...

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