[close]
I always enjoy Brandy Purdy’s books, so I did not hesitate when I learned her latest book, The Queen’s Rivals, was going on tour. As with her previous books, Purdy wove a fascinating story that brought these characters to life and although I have read fiction and nonfiction works on the Grey sisters, I feel like there is not much out there on those three young women who lived so long ago during the turbulent times of a weak king and a strong-willed queen.
Purdy chose Mary Grey, the youngest, as the narrator of the story. I thought it was an interesting and wise choice because Mary’s condition kept her in the background much of the time, sadly forgotten, but able to observe a lot and thus flesh out the story. The Queen’s Rivals began with a prologue featuring an older Mary reminiscing about her life and the lives of sisters before going into the story proper. Even though the Mary in the main story was very young at the time a lot of the events occurred, she sounded more mature than her years which was a result of the retrospective narration and the way she was shunned by much of the world (or perceived to be so).
Kate, the middle sister, delighted me as she did those around her. She was continuously described as sunny, spicy, saucy, and bubbly and Purdy really brought her to life with her positive attitude and the way things just came easily to and for her.
Jane, on the other hand, the oldest and most well-known, surprised me a bit. She preferred to be plain and study her languages and literature and the Protestant faith, but I was surprised at the tantrums she threw throughout the book, especially at her age and her station. It has been awhile since I have read the sisters’ real history so I cannot recall at the moment if there were time she acted so immaturely. But she was also strong-willed and I loved how Purdy subtly found common ground between Jane and her cousin Mary Tudor. Jane snubbed Mary at every opportunity and was as fervent about her religion and her plainness as Mary was about her religion and adornments. They were on opposite sides of the spectrum but they both had stubbornness and conviction in common.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction set in Tudor England and for those who enjoy descriptive, steadily-paced books.
Rating rounded up from 4.5 because I do not have half-ratings.
Read the full review
here.
