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Queens of England #6
In the Shadow of the Crown
As Henry VIII's only child, the future seemed golden for Princess Mary. She was the daughter of Henry's first queen, Katharine of Aragon, and was heir presumptive to the throne of England. Red-haired like her father, she was also intelligent and deeply religious like her staunchly Catholic mother. But her father's ill-fated love for Anne Boleyn would shatter Mary's life forever. The father who had once adored her was now intent on having a male heir at all costs. He divorced her mother and, at the age of twelve, Mary was banished from her father’s presence, stripped of her royal title, and replaced by his other children--first Elizabeth, then Edward. Worst of all, she never saw her beloved mother again; Katharine was exiled too, and died soon after. Lonely and miserable, Mary turned for comfort to the religion that had sustained her mother.In a stroke of fate, however, Henry's much-longed-for son died in his teens, leaving Mary the legitimate heir to the throne. It was, she felt, a sign from God--proof that England should return to the Catholic Church. Swayed by fanatical advisors and her own religious fervor, Mary made horrific examples of those who failed to embrace the Church, earning her the immortal nickname "Bloody Mary." She was married only once, to her Spanish cousin Philip II--a loveless and childless marriage that brought her to the edge of madness.With In the Shadow of the Crown, Jean Plaidy brings to life the dark story of a queen whose road to the throne was paved with sorrow.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1989
55 people are currently reading
2185 people want to read
About the author
Jean Plaidy
192 books1,593 followersEleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
April 5, 2015
I loved this book and can't believe I had never heard of Jean Plaidy, a writer of more than 200 books. I think the reason why I liked this one so much, was that although I've read a few books on the Tudors, not one on Mary, and I'm greatly lacking in knowledge of the period, so much so until I had read this, I could never quiet get all of Mary's father's wives clearly in my mind, and had always assumed that he had lopped off all his wive's heads.
Although a bit told, it would difficult to tell such a life story on an epic scale, written otherwise. I think Jean Plaidy tells the story well, following Mary from a young child till her death, and in turn we see all of Henry VIIIs wives, and the effect his choices had on his daughter. From a Princess, first in line to the throne to a bastard, pushed back with each successive child from his other wives.
I liked that it provided an insight into all the women Henry VIII married and her half sister, Elizabeth who would ascend the throne after Mary as Elizabeth I, as well as the state of mind Mary may very well have had througout her tuberlant life and reign plus an insight of what her brief and childless marriage to her Spanish cousin, Philip II might have been like.
Although a bit told, it would difficult to tell such a life story on an epic scale, written otherwise. I think Jean Plaidy tells the story well, following Mary from a young child till her death, and in turn we see all of Henry VIIIs wives, and the effect his choices had on his daughter. From a Princess, first in line to the throne to a bastard, pushed back with each successive child from his other wives.
I liked that it provided an insight into all the women Henry VIII married and her half sister, Elizabeth who would ascend the throne after Mary as Elizabeth I, as well as the state of mind Mary may very well have had througout her tuberlant life and reign plus an insight of what her brief and childless marriage to her Spanish cousin, Philip II might have been like.
September 9, 2010
How can someone take one of the most interesting periods of history and make it this boring??
I was hoping to get a intriguing, interesting, fiery(no pun intended!) story of the infamous "Bloody Mary." Instead I found a passive whiney brat.
And the writing was lacking. It was like hearing a boring story from your 103 year old great-aunt many years after the fact instead of an in-the-moment exciting account.
Do yourself a favor, skip over this.
I was hoping to get a intriguing, interesting, fiery(no pun intended!) story of the infamous "Bloody Mary." Instead I found a passive whiney brat.
And the writing was lacking. It was like hearing a boring story from your 103 year old great-aunt many years after the fact instead of an in-the-moment exciting account.
Do yourself a favor, skip over this.
March 9, 2020
La biografía de Maria Tudor es sumamente entretenida y desdichada porque tuvo una vida muy difícil y siempre al bordo del peligro. Está narrada en primera persona, lo cual lo hace muy interesante, pero a la vez es bastante light digamos porque no cuenta en detalle cómo fue lo bestial de su reinado (aunque cuando compara sus acciones con las de otros hombres me parece que tiene mucha razón ya que a ellos los juzgaban menos).
La parte que más me gustó fue su niñez y toda la etapa de las diversas esposas de Enrique VIII, de hecho creo que es un buen libro para adentrarse en la historia si es que no la conocen mucho. Me gusta cómo recopila un poco de cada libro de la saga de mujeres del rey y cómo cuenta en detalle qué se sentía en cada momento, así como también cómo viró la opinión pública en el caso del padre y de si misma a lo largo del tiempo.
No sabía tanto de su vida realmente, así que me pareció una buena iniciación como lupa en los momentos claves de su vida y las relaciones de Inglaterra con el Emperador de España y la tumultuosa relación con él y el rey de Francia. Es sumamente interesante y quisiera leer el de Catalina de Aragón! Le doy 5 estrellas!
La parte que más me gustó fue su niñez y toda la etapa de las diversas esposas de Enrique VIII, de hecho creo que es un buen libro para adentrarse en la historia si es que no la conocen mucho. Me gusta cómo recopila un poco de cada libro de la saga de mujeres del rey y cómo cuenta en detalle qué se sentía en cada momento, así como también cómo viró la opinión pública en el caso del padre y de si misma a lo largo del tiempo.
No sabía tanto de su vida realmente, así que me pareció una buena iniciación como lupa en los momentos claves de su vida y las relaciones de Inglaterra con el Emperador de España y la tumultuosa relación con él y el rey de Francia. Es sumamente interesante y quisiera leer el de Catalina de Aragón! Le doy 5 estrellas!
April 17, 2020
En cuanto a la técnica literaria, a la obra la encuentro muy bien escrita, sobretodo si se toma en consideración que la misma fue creada alrededor de los años cuarenta y en pleno 2020 me parece ligera, bien estructurada y fácil de leer, además de ser entretenida y cautivadora. En cuanto al aspecto histórico, María Tudor definitivamente es una mujer que hizo el intento por ser fuerte y ganarse un buen lugar en la historia de Inglaterra, desgraciadamente este esfuerzo no fue suficiente ya que no pudo vencer sus carencias afectivas y su incesante necesidad de tener un marido a su lado y un heredero que la llenaran de plenitud. Paso a la historia con el sobrenombre de “bloody Mary” de una manera injusta. Todos estos aspectos son bien plasmados en la obra.
May 23, 2023
The Queens of England series is Jean Plaidy's retelling of novels she's already written. The difference being the earlier novels are in the third person; TQOE books are in first person.
“In the Shadow of the Crown” is about Mary I. Or at least it’s supposed to be. Like the other books in the series, this one features many events that the narrator has no direct involvement in, so the story has many dry second-hand reports. This, to me, makes the point of rewriting a third-person narrative as a first-person one pointless.
The story opens with Mary’s birth, which she naturally has no memory of, so we get what she’s learned of the famous Cloth of Gold incident between her father Henry VIII and Francois I of France. This has no place in a first-person novel about Mary I. It bears no relevance on her personal history. You could argue it’s written by an author unfamiliar with the writing term, ‘murder your darlings.’
Dry accounts of historic events that don’t feature Mary pop up often in this driest, and possibly worst, book I’ve read by Jean Plaidy.
When Mary is involved in a scene, we often get blatant telling and reported speech:
‘I received a call from Chancellor Rich, who informed me that the Act of Uniformity must be obeyed by all, and there could be no exceptions. I told him that I would worship in my own way, and I knew from his response that he would be afraid to take drastic action against me.’
While we get lengthy and dry second-hand accounts about Henry VIII’s wives, scenes that feature Mary are rushed over. Her meeting with Philip of Bavaira, with whom marriage was on the cards, is not dramatized at all. This is the sort of thing that should’ve been developed to bring Mary’s personal experiences to life but this is one of several that’s treated like a footnote.
A lack of revision is evident with sentences like, ‘“Who is it who will be our new stepmother?” asked Elizabeth impatiently,’ and, ‘He told me how great was his pleasure in beholding me, and I replied that I was glad I pleased him.’ This is first draft material.
After much reporting on Anne of Cleeves, Mary states, ‘I did hear that, when he left her, he gave vent to his anger. There were plenty who heard it and were ready to report it.’
Sadly, the author was ‘ready to report’ far too much.
Following lengthy reports of Buckingham, including his resentment of Wolsey, Mary states, ‘I should not have known anything of this at the time, as I was only five years old,’ which again highlights the lack of significance regarding Mary’s personal story.
More lengthy reporting follows on events Mary hasn’t witnessed:
‘I imagined the pageants, the speeches of welcome, the plays performed for the Emperor's enjoyment. I wished that I could see them: the wonderful tableaux which sprang to life as the Emperor approached, representing the two rulers embracing. There was one, I heard, representing England.’
Reporting on Katherine Parr, Mary states, ‘I only know what I heard later of that interview,’
and: ‘There were several to witness this scene, so I had an accurate report of what happened.’
Some paragraphs, like the one below, read like a textbook:
‘On the 22nd of June Bishop Fisher went out to Tower Hill and was beheaded. On the 6th of July Sir Thomas followed him. A silent sullen crowd looked on. This was the King's answer. No matter who disobeyed him, they should die. The execution of Sir Thomas More sent a shiver through the country and waves of indignation abroad.’
Flowery language makes the lack of drama even more tedious: ‘I would be thirteen years old in the February of the following year.’ I would’ve preferred the more concise, ‘I’d be thirteen next February.’
I skipped over many paragraphs in this novel the moment I realised another over-long description of one Henry’s wives was underway, in which Mary has no direct involvement.
From the other books I’ve read by this author set during this period, it’s clear that Ms Plaidy was fascinated by Anne Boleyn. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but she can’t last long without mentioning Anne, either by name or suggestion, and it’s irritating. She does so in this and every other book set during Henry VIII’s reign. As mentioned, this author wouldn’t ‘murder her darlings’ for the good of the story.
Anyone who’s unfamiliar with this period in history might find the facts and info included of interest. If, like me, you want to read a gripping story, filled with tension and drama, that brings the main character to life, then you’ll be disappointed.
Something about Jean Plaidy’s books keep me coming back for more. Perhaps it’s her obvious love for English and French history, which I share, that draws me back. I wish she’d focused less on turning out as greater quantity of novels as possible and concentrated more on quality writing. A novel like this one should be revised about 20 times, yet this at best feels like a second draft. This was badly put together. Endless second-hand reports, most of which have no relevance to Mary I, ruin what could've been a great novel.
“In the Shadow of the Crown” is about Mary I. Or at least it’s supposed to be. Like the other books in the series, this one features many events that the narrator has no direct involvement in, so the story has many dry second-hand reports. This, to me, makes the point of rewriting a third-person narrative as a first-person one pointless.
The story opens with Mary’s birth, which she naturally has no memory of, so we get what she’s learned of the famous Cloth of Gold incident between her father Henry VIII and Francois I of France. This has no place in a first-person novel about Mary I. It bears no relevance on her personal history. You could argue it’s written by an author unfamiliar with the writing term, ‘murder your darlings.’
Dry accounts of historic events that don’t feature Mary pop up often in this driest, and possibly worst, book I’ve read by Jean Plaidy.
When Mary is involved in a scene, we often get blatant telling and reported speech:
‘I received a call from Chancellor Rich, who informed me that the Act of Uniformity must be obeyed by all, and there could be no exceptions. I told him that I would worship in my own way, and I knew from his response that he would be afraid to take drastic action against me.’
While we get lengthy and dry second-hand accounts about Henry VIII’s wives, scenes that feature Mary are rushed over. Her meeting with Philip of Bavaira, with whom marriage was on the cards, is not dramatized at all. This is the sort of thing that should’ve been developed to bring Mary’s personal experiences to life but this is one of several that’s treated like a footnote.
A lack of revision is evident with sentences like, ‘“Who is it who will be our new stepmother?” asked Elizabeth impatiently,’ and, ‘He told me how great was his pleasure in beholding me, and I replied that I was glad I pleased him.’ This is first draft material.
After much reporting on Anne of Cleeves, Mary states, ‘I did hear that, when he left her, he gave vent to his anger. There were plenty who heard it and were ready to report it.’
Sadly, the author was ‘ready to report’ far too much.
Following lengthy reports of Buckingham, including his resentment of Wolsey, Mary states, ‘I should not have known anything of this at the time, as I was only five years old,’ which again highlights the lack of significance regarding Mary’s personal story.
More lengthy reporting follows on events Mary hasn’t witnessed:
‘I imagined the pageants, the speeches of welcome, the plays performed for the Emperor's enjoyment. I wished that I could see them: the wonderful tableaux which sprang to life as the Emperor approached, representing the two rulers embracing. There was one, I heard, representing England.’
Reporting on Katherine Parr, Mary states, ‘I only know what I heard later of that interview,’
and: ‘There were several to witness this scene, so I had an accurate report of what happened.’
Some paragraphs, like the one below, read like a textbook:
‘On the 22nd of June Bishop Fisher went out to Tower Hill and was beheaded. On the 6th of July Sir Thomas followed him. A silent sullen crowd looked on. This was the King's answer. No matter who disobeyed him, they should die. The execution of Sir Thomas More sent a shiver through the country and waves of indignation abroad.’
Flowery language makes the lack of drama even more tedious: ‘I would be thirteen years old in the February of the following year.’ I would’ve preferred the more concise, ‘I’d be thirteen next February.’
I skipped over many paragraphs in this novel the moment I realised another over-long description of one Henry’s wives was underway, in which Mary has no direct involvement.
From the other books I’ve read by this author set during this period, it’s clear that Ms Plaidy was fascinated by Anne Boleyn. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but she can’t last long without mentioning Anne, either by name or suggestion, and it’s irritating. She does so in this and every other book set during Henry VIII’s reign. As mentioned, this author wouldn’t ‘murder her darlings’ for the good of the story.
Anyone who’s unfamiliar with this period in history might find the facts and info included of interest. If, like me, you want to read a gripping story, filled with tension and drama, that brings the main character to life, then you’ll be disappointed.
Something about Jean Plaidy’s books keep me coming back for more. Perhaps it’s her obvious love for English and French history, which I share, that draws me back. I wish she’d focused less on turning out as greater quantity of novels as possible and concentrated more on quality writing. A novel like this one should be revised about 20 times, yet this at best feels like a second draft. This was badly put together. Endless second-hand reports, most of which have no relevance to Mary I, ruin what could've been a great novel.
June 17, 2012
Mary Tudor is my favorite character of the Tudor period; I have long been fascinated with her, and tried to understand her thoughts as to what she did in her reign and why. Jean Plaidy is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. Putting the two together should have been a dream, right?
Honestly, not so much.
As much as I love the author and the subject matter of this book, it was pretty much a chore to get through. I can't quite figure out why, but it took me forever to read, and I just had to push myself through it, rather than be engaged enough to find myself unable to put it down. Definitely not one of her better works, which saddens me.
Honestly, not so much.
As much as I love the author and the subject matter of this book, it was pretty much a chore to get through. I can't quite figure out why, but it took me forever to read, and I just had to push myself through it, rather than be engaged enough to find myself unable to put it down. Definitely not one of her better works, which saddens me.
November 3, 2010
This is the story of Mary, firstborn daughter of King Henry VIII told by Plaidy in the voice of this tragic woman. Born to Katharine of Aragon and Henry VIII, she enjoys her father's affection, his scorn when he declares the marriage invalid and his daughter a bastard, and finally his affection again when she does what she must to please him and save her life. She believes that she has a greater purpose in life - to bring back the Catholic church to England. Her father's frail son, Edward, is king for a short time, leaving the crown to Mary whose tender heart and lack of political finesse make her life difficult indeed. She marries Philip of Spain, love at last she believes only to discover that for him it was an arranged marriage. This is a sad tale well written by an author I had not read prior to this one.
February 19, 2019
Outstanding
Wonderful, sad and poignant. I have always thought that she did what she did concerning the burnings that she did it to save the people, but you can't with murder in your heart
Wonderful, sad and poignant. I have always thought that she did what she did concerning the burnings that she did it to save the people, but you can't with murder in your heart
June 20, 2022
Ever since the beginning, Mary Tudor has always been "Bloody Mary" to me. History has picked a side with this English monarch, and it has not been kind to her. It's taken years for me to be open-minded enough about Mary to be able to look beyond the Elizabethan propaganda that dogged her legacy. Jean Plaidy removes the final nail in the coffin and blows open all of Mary's complexities. What follows is a nuanced portrait of a tragic yet determined woman who became England's first queen regnant.
I can't help but wonder what Mary would've been like if her father hadn't treated her mother so abominably, let alone what England would look like today. Instead we have the case of Henry VIII and his six wives. Through each wife, Mary's fortunes rise and fall. Under Anne Boleyn, her life is a misery, and you can't help but pity the poor girl. I firmly believe that her fanaticism in religion was fostered at this time, as it was her final link to her devout mother. The cruelty doesn't end when Anne's beheaded. The next four queens try to form a relationship with Mary, but she persists in being her father's bastard. Yet, she is full of kindness. This younger Mary is more tolerant of her Protestant friends like Katherine Parr, and she generously gives her half-sister Elizabeth money so that she can have new clothes. If Mary had been shown more affection, if she'd been given a kind husband at a younger age, I think history would've been kinder to her overall, and it's such a shame.
Mary is intelligent and determined. She is every inch the queen. The people love her, and she shows great astuteness as she navigates the days following her brother Edward's death and Jane Grey's unexpected ascension. If she could've been more tolerant and if she didn't marry Phillip of Spain, she could've had a more empowering legacy. She was England's first queen regnant! Unfortunately, this is overshadowed by her reign's failures, of which there are several. As Mary continues her downward spiral, Plaidy still shows her as a complex figure. Fanatical and desperate, but also someone who didn't want to cause unnecessary pain, someone who was desperately trying to patch things up with her sister.
Truly, I was surprised by how much closer Mary and Elizabeth were compared to how I was led to believe by pop culture. You can't help but pity both women who couldn't believe in love thanks to their cruel father.
This fictional memoir of Mary is a must-read for any Tudor historian. Forget what you thought you knew about Mary. This story will rock you to your core. There is a reason I docked it a star, though, and that's because I wish Plaidy had explored other facets of Mary's reign, such as how she laid the groundwork for transatlantic exploration that Elizabeth later built upon. It would've been nice to see Mary really shine as queen, and not just some delusional tragedy.
I can't help but wonder what Mary would've been like if her father hadn't treated her mother so abominably, let alone what England would look like today. Instead we have the case of Henry VIII and his six wives. Through each wife, Mary's fortunes rise and fall. Under Anne Boleyn, her life is a misery, and you can't help but pity the poor girl. I firmly believe that her fanaticism in religion was fostered at this time, as it was her final link to her devout mother. The cruelty doesn't end when Anne's beheaded. The next four queens try to form a relationship with Mary, but she persists in being her father's bastard. Yet, she is full of kindness. This younger Mary is more tolerant of her Protestant friends like Katherine Parr, and she generously gives her half-sister Elizabeth money so that she can have new clothes. If Mary had been shown more affection, if she'd been given a kind husband at a younger age, I think history would've been kinder to her overall, and it's such a shame.
Mary is intelligent and determined. She is every inch the queen. The people love her, and she shows great astuteness as she navigates the days following her brother Edward's death and Jane Grey's unexpected ascension. If she could've been more tolerant and if she didn't marry Phillip of Spain, she could've had a more empowering legacy. She was England's first queen regnant! Unfortunately, this is overshadowed by her reign's failures, of which there are several. As Mary continues her downward spiral, Plaidy still shows her as a complex figure. Fanatical and desperate, but also someone who didn't want to cause unnecessary pain, someone who was desperately trying to patch things up with her sister.
Truly, I was surprised by how much closer Mary and Elizabeth were compared to how I was led to believe by pop culture. You can't help but pity both women who couldn't believe in love thanks to their cruel father.
This fictional memoir of Mary is a must-read for any Tudor historian. Forget what you thought you knew about Mary. This story will rock you to your core. There is a reason I docked it a star, though, and that's because I wish Plaidy had explored other facets of Mary's reign, such as how she laid the groundwork for transatlantic exploration that Elizabeth later built upon. It would've been nice to see Mary really shine as queen, and not just some delusional tragedy.
July 6, 2019
I honestly liked the sympathetic view of Mary I of England. I honestly believe that she was just a woman who desperately wanted to be loved by a man and have children, and also bring her country back to Rome. It is fiction but part of me believes her council was to blame for the killing of the 'heretics' and not just her own choice.
It felt more like an interview than a novel but I'm okay with that type of atmosphere and preferred it for this type of book. Glad someone wrote a historical fiction book on Catherine of Aragon daughter.
It felt more like an interview than a novel but I'm okay with that type of atmosphere and preferred it for this type of book. Glad someone wrote a historical fiction book on Catherine of Aragon daughter.
March 15, 2020
Un libro muy interesante, de inicio me aburrió un poco porque repite todo lo que pasa en los primeros libros, y ya la segunda mitad de vuelve más interesante, sabía muy poco de Maria Tudor, muy triste su vida
June 19, 2021
Loved the way the author writes in the first person. Makes you think Queen Mary is really writing it. Cloak and dagger, spies, arranged marriages, treason, capital punishment. . all things so foreign to us. But very interesting to read how life was like back then for royalty.
August 20, 2021
I greatly enjoyed this book! its so far my favorite Tudor novel. it was less a romance like some others i have read and felt more like it could have been a biography. I would like to read some of her other in the series.
July 22, 2017
This is excellent, it really shows how Mary was misguided and how much damage her deranged father had on her in the crucial years of her life.
May 26, 2018
El final me parecio desgarrador. Como siempre me quedo con sentimientos de un amor/odio por sus libros, pero sus finales tan buenos me hacen caer de nuevo. Me gusto mucho este libro y lo sufrí.
October 14, 2018
A bit slow. Not to Plaidy's usual standard.
May 21, 2019
For some reason it took me more than I expected to finish this one. Review to come this week! Oh, I've got so much to say I want to write it already.
April 11, 2021
great historical novel. was made feeling very well the atmosphere of the time. sometimes Mary seems a bit too naive for her role.
January 17, 2022
Es un gran libro
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2023
Historically accurate, engaging, entertaining and unforgettable.
March 28, 2023
I have read several of Jean Plaidy's books about the Tudor Queens so I knew at least have of this story very well but I was still sucked in from start to finish. She was a great writer!
August 10, 2023
Fantastic true-to-the-facts historical fiction!
July 19, 2025
Too long, repetitive and dull. Too unpleasant to be in Mary I’s point of view, full of excuses and how she is not responsible.
July 30, 2021
Este libro fue muy entretenido, pero menos que los anteriores. Culpo en esto al personaje de María, con el que claramente no congenio y no comparto mucho con sus ideas religiosas, tema principal en este libro.
Aquí claramente hay una especia de desfase o error al momento de realizar la edición, porque se siente que tomaron dos libros distintos y los unieron. Hay saltos temporales poco orgánicos y resultaba muy difícil en ocasiones determinar en qué momento de la historia estábamos.
Fuera de eso, fue muy interesante conocer una supuesta perspectiva de la hija de Enrique Octavo. Por lo que establecen los otros libros, la vida de María no debió de ser muy agradable, y este libro explora muy bien la dicotomía entre la realeza y las relaciones filiales, además de la complejidad de tener a un padre tan volátil.
En este libro, además, podemos experimentar nuevamente esa sensación de no ser dueña de tu propia vida que se había intentado en el libro final de la serie "Los Reyes de España". María replica ésa sensación de desamparo y falta de injerencia en su vida, de una forma quizás más trágica, al no poder contar realmente con nadie a su lado para apoyarse.
También fue muy interesante ver la resignación con que María aceptaba la falta de amor romántico en su vida. Todo era compromiso y deber, al punto de engañarse sentimentalmente varias veces con el fin de lograr cumplir con la idea de esposa y enamorada que debía ser. Aquí no hay un amor sufrido, hay un sufrimiento por falta de amor, lo que le da una capa más de tragedia a toda la historia.
Todo es complicado, no tiene consuelo alguno, y sus alegrías fueron solo espejismos. Es quizás el libro más trágico de la serie, y su falta de pasión es simplemente el reflejo de su protagonista, quien debía privarse de cualquier sentimiento o anhelo pasional para no sufrir más de lo que ya hacía.
Aquí claramente hay una especia de desfase o error al momento de realizar la edición, porque se siente que tomaron dos libros distintos y los unieron. Hay saltos temporales poco orgánicos y resultaba muy difícil en ocasiones determinar en qué momento de la historia estábamos.
Fuera de eso, fue muy interesante conocer una supuesta perspectiva de la hija de Enrique Octavo. Por lo que establecen los otros libros, la vida de María no debió de ser muy agradable, y este libro explora muy bien la dicotomía entre la realeza y las relaciones filiales, además de la complejidad de tener a un padre tan volátil.
En este libro, además, podemos experimentar nuevamente esa sensación de no ser dueña de tu propia vida que se había intentado en el libro final de la serie "Los Reyes de España". María replica ésa sensación de desamparo y falta de injerencia en su vida, de una forma quizás más trágica, al no poder contar realmente con nadie a su lado para apoyarse.
También fue muy interesante ver la resignación con que María aceptaba la falta de amor romántico en su vida. Todo era compromiso y deber, al punto de engañarse sentimentalmente varias veces con el fin de lograr cumplir con la idea de esposa y enamorada que debía ser. Aquí no hay un amor sufrido, hay un sufrimiento por falta de amor, lo que le da una capa más de tragedia a toda la historia.
Todo es complicado, no tiene consuelo alguno, y sus alegrías fueron solo espejismos. Es quizás el libro más trágico de la serie, y su falta de pasión es simplemente el reflejo de su protagonista, quien debía privarse de cualquier sentimiento o anhelo pasional para no sufrir más de lo que ya hacía.
October 5, 2014
3.5 Stars.
I have mixed feelings in regard to this novel. On the one hand, Plaidy is as ever a skilful and interesting writer. She is able to take one of history's known fanatic, a murderer no less and turn her into a vulnerable and sad girl right up to her last days.
I sympathised for Mary throughout the novel, the loss of love from her father, the separation from her mother and later death, through her struggles with staying true to her religion and fulfilling a goal she thought God wanted her to fulfill when all in all, she deeply desired a loving husband and a child. I really felt for the woman. It is so easy to look at her, think Bloody Mary and forget about what she did suffer. The people whose death lay on conscience died awfully and through her command but her father did what he pleased and all he is known for is his six wives and changing religion. Where is his 'Bloody Henry' name?
I confess, I too viewed Mary as an evil woman and while we don't know for sure, exactly what she was like - I can at least view her with a changed perspective. It is only a historical fiction but it was an enlightening one.
However, Mary I was a fanatic and I find it very hard to like or understand such actions. Despite her guilt for the lives lost, I felt as though she wanted that (not in the novel but through her actions recorded in history)and that it was almost completely missed. Also, much of the novel didn't focus entirely on Mary but on other events, some she did not even witness. From the top of my head, the affair with Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour.
It was interesting to view the characters from her point such as the Lady Jane Grey and her half sister Elizabeth. Her husband, Philip II is described exactly as I would think he was like. His relationship with Mary was sad, I felt her pain over her two phantom pregnancies and her insistence on receiving his love when he did not admire her at all.
All in all, a relatively good novel, accurate the time it was published and always interesting to hear a sensitive and emotional account of Bloody Mary. I struggled reading it, I admit, but I finished it with satisfaction.
I have mixed feelings in regard to this novel. On the one hand, Plaidy is as ever a skilful and interesting writer. She is able to take one of history's known fanatic, a murderer no less and turn her into a vulnerable and sad girl right up to her last days.
I sympathised for Mary throughout the novel, the loss of love from her father, the separation from her mother and later death, through her struggles with staying true to her religion and fulfilling a goal she thought God wanted her to fulfill when all in all, she deeply desired a loving husband and a child. I really felt for the woman. It is so easy to look at her, think Bloody Mary and forget about what she did suffer. The people whose death lay on conscience died awfully and through her command but her father did what he pleased and all he is known for is his six wives and changing religion. Where is his 'Bloody Henry' name?
I confess, I too viewed Mary as an evil woman and while we don't know for sure, exactly what she was like - I can at least view her with a changed perspective. It is only a historical fiction but it was an enlightening one.
However, Mary I was a fanatic and I find it very hard to like or understand such actions. Despite her guilt for the lives lost, I felt as though she wanted that (not in the novel but through her actions recorded in history)and that it was almost completely missed. Also, much of the novel didn't focus entirely on Mary but on other events, some she did not even witness. From the top of my head, the affair with Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour.
It was interesting to view the characters from her point such as the Lady Jane Grey and her half sister Elizabeth. Her husband, Philip II is described exactly as I would think he was like. His relationship with Mary was sad, I felt her pain over her two phantom pregnancies and her insistence on receiving his love when he did not admire her at all.
All in all, a relatively good novel, accurate the time it was published and always interesting to hear a sensitive and emotional account of Bloody Mary. I struggled reading it, I admit, but I finished it with satisfaction.
February 27, 2014
I have read a lot of books about Mary Tudor and this book was one of the few books that truly portrayed Mary's entire life as it may have actually been without exaggerating her life extensively.
Mary Tudor was the apple of King Henry VIII's eye, and the darling of England as a child. However, that all changed when Anne Boleyn showed up. An intelligent child, so unaware of the turmoil around her since her birth, and so desperate for love. And because of the love that she was deprived of so constantly (the forced separation between her and Queen Katharine and everyone she is close with), she turned to religion. Through her religious beliefs and lack of love, she so willingly and freely falls in love with the idea of love and religion through Phillip of Spain, who ultimately breaks her heart and brings her country to ruin.
Poor Mary, she could have been such a passionate and loving person if it weren't for the tragedies in her life. Both her and Elizabeth Tudor grew up in similar environment yet both grasped and handled their hardships differently. Mary did not deserve the title "Bloody Mary", after all she had good intentions when she first began her reign. While she clearly was a religious Catholic fanatic, she certainly wasn't a tyrant or unreasonable ruler in any sense, not compared to King Henry VIII or King John.
Mary Tudor was the apple of King Henry VIII's eye, and the darling of England as a child. However, that all changed when Anne Boleyn showed up. An intelligent child, so unaware of the turmoil around her since her birth, and so desperate for love. And because of the love that she was deprived of so constantly (the forced separation between her and Queen Katharine and everyone she is close with), she turned to religion. Through her religious beliefs and lack of love, she so willingly and freely falls in love with the idea of love and religion through Phillip of Spain, who ultimately breaks her heart and brings her country to ruin.
Poor Mary, she could have been such a passionate and loving person if it weren't for the tragedies in her life. Both her and Elizabeth Tudor grew up in similar environment yet both grasped and handled their hardships differently. Mary did not deserve the title "Bloody Mary", after all she had good intentions when she first began her reign. While she clearly was a religious Catholic fanatic, she certainly wasn't a tyrant or unreasonable ruler in any sense, not compared to King Henry VIII or King John.
January 10, 2010
This is a story of Mary, Henry VIII’s daughter with Katherine of Aragon. As a child, Mary has it all. She’s the king’s only child and it’s understood she’ll be inheriting the throne. But, the king divorces the queen, marries Anne Boleyn, and has another daughter, Elizabeth. Mary is declared illegitimate and she is constantly fighting for her place in court (and her place in line for the throne). By the time Henry VIII dies, he has a son, Edward. Edward dies young, and after a fight, Mary becomes queen. Mary is a staunch Catholic and realigns England with the Catholic Church. Protestants are put to death during her reign, earning her the nickname “Bloody Mary.” Mary marries Phillip of Spain, but the marriage is distant and Phillip is constantly out of the country. Mary is desperate for a child and becomes so obsessed that she deludes herself into believing that she is pregnant.
Reading this book, what I felt most for Mary was pity. She has a rough time as a young woman, basically being discarded (along with her mom) by her father. As a queen, it seems that she had the best of intentions and was doing what she believed. And as a woman, she desperately wanted (probably because of her being “dumped” by her dad) love and affection and a family.
Reading this book, what I felt most for Mary was pity. She has a rough time as a young woman, basically being discarded (along with her mom) by her father. As a queen, it seems that she had the best of intentions and was doing what she believed. And as a woman, she desperately wanted (probably because of her being “dumped” by her dad) love and affection and a family.
May 20, 2010
I really enjoyed this book until it actually started talking about the life of the supposedly main character of the book, Mary Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragona. From a good historical novel it turned into a sappy Harlequin. I was skipping page after page trying to find some interesting fact through all the long complaints on the loveless life of the poor queen!! Anyway, although it took forever to finish, I think Jane Plaidy is really good at making people like me digest historical facts, so I'm still giving it four stars in spite of the endless 'cry me a river' scenes. And finally, if nothing else, it is now clear to me who the famous/infamous Bloody Mary was!
April 13, 2018
What I enjoyed most about this book is the balanced view Jean Plaidy gives to Mary Tudor. So often, Mary is demonized in both popular history and other Tudor-era novels. While certainly her actions might not always have been right, she is obviously more complex than history perceives her. This novel does an excellent job of highlighting this fact; it doesn't hide Mary's shortcomings but neither does it bludgeon the reader over the head with them. Mary's motives throughout the novel are believable, and I applaud any author who reminds the audience that Philip II of Spain was not a good dude.
I believe this novel is essential reading for anyone seeking a more neutral perspective on the infamous Bloody queen.
I believe this novel is essential reading for anyone seeking a more neutral perspective on the infamous Bloody queen.
August 1, 2015
Most stories of Mary Tudor invoke the same emotions but Jean Plaidy is a master of painting the perfect picture of a betrayed and forgotten daughter, outcast sister, and underestimated queen. Mary carried such a force that undoubtedly came from her Spanish lineage, but she was still Henry VIII's daughter and that meant she could hold her own even when he declared her a bastard. History can only remember her as Bloody Mary but Plaidy shows her resilience and her strong spirit. This story of her life matches very closely with the documentation that remains to us and the author brings to life a tragic yet inspiring saga.
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