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hannahhbic's review
4.0
Liked this one better than the Janie books, tbh. It's more coherent. And finally, FINALLY, one of the POV characters is queer.
chuskeyreads's review
4.0
Hilarious retelling of Mary Queen of Scots! For those of you who are fans of the show Reign, you'll love this story.
Told with three narrators - Mary, Francis, and Ari - this story is simply delightful!
MARY:
Magic, murder, and mayhem surround Mary as she is betrothed to the dauphin, Francis. Mary has her ladies - all named Mary (which is historically correct, BTW), but they're given nicknames to avoid confusion: Mary Beaton "Bea," Mary Fleming "Flem," Mary Livingston "Liv," and Mary Seaton "Hush." Oh, and all the Marys are Eðians (shapeshifters), who turn into animals. Mary (the Queen of Scots) is a mouse. However, this is a secret that Mary cannot share because her soon-to-be mother-in-law Catherine de Medici is a Verity and detests Eðians. When King Henry meets an untimely demise, Mary's world is turned upside down. She's unsure of who to trust and whether she'll be next.
FRANCIS:
His character is fairly spot on with his wimpy, sickly ways. He's just not interested in becoming king. When Henry dies, he's forced onto the throne and has his evil mother Catherine to "guide" him. The problem arises when Francis his idea of ruling France doesn't exactly match that of his mother.
ARI:
Ari, short for Aristotle (not that Aristotle) is the daughter of the famous Nostradamus, the great seer. She does have visions, but she's much better at making potions. Besides, Ari can't really make sense of what she sees:
"I see a girl with pale hair singing in the snow. She wants to let it go, but I don't know what it is."
Just like the Janies series, this one is laugh-out-loud funny. Between Ari's "visions" of popular movies and the inserted commentary of the authors, the first of the Marys series doesn't disappoint. I highly recommend that you read My Lady Jane first, as the characters from that book appear in the last few chapters of this story.
Told with three narrators - Mary, Francis, and Ari - this story is simply delightful!
MARY:
Magic, murder, and mayhem surround Mary as she is betrothed to the dauphin, Francis. Mary has her ladies - all named Mary (which is historically correct, BTW), but they're given nicknames to avoid confusion: Mary Beaton "Bea," Mary Fleming "Flem," Mary Livingston "Liv," and Mary Seaton "Hush." Oh, and all the Marys are Eðians (shapeshifters), who turn into animals. Mary (the Queen of Scots) is a mouse. However, this is a secret that Mary cannot share because her soon-to-be mother-in-law Catherine de Medici is a Verity and detests Eðians. When King Henry meets an untimely demise, Mary's world is turned upside down. She's unsure of who to trust and whether she'll be next.
FRANCIS:
His character is fairly spot on with his wimpy, sickly ways. He's just not interested in becoming king. When Henry dies, he's forced onto the throne and has his evil mother Catherine to "guide" him. The problem arises when Francis his idea of ruling France doesn't exactly match that of his mother.
ARI:
Ari, short for Aristotle (not that Aristotle) is the daughter of the famous Nostradamus, the great seer. She does have visions, but she's much better at making potions. Besides, Ari can't really make sense of what she sees:
"I see a girl with pale hair singing in the snow. She wants to let it go, but I don't know what it is."
Just like the Janies series, this one is laugh-out-loud funny. Between Ari's "visions" of popular movies and the inserted commentary of the authors, the first of the Marys series doesn't disappoint. I highly recommend that you read My Lady Jane first, as the characters from that book appear in the last few chapters of this story.
myfairphantom's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
brianne_k's review against another edition
3.0
*3/5*
I sooooooo wanted to love this - I love Mary Queen of Scots and her history.
I loved Reign (the actors from the show are who I pictured.. I even actually laughed out loud when Bash was introduced.. as a dummy for archery practice).. but this book was a bit of a slog to get through. The same issue I had with My Lady Jane. If they were a bit shorter, they'd stay fresh and fun.
I am really interested in the other 2 Mary's they have lined up, so I will probably still continue with this series. I never did finish the Jane series but maybe I will one day. Plus I just love these covers.
I sooooooo wanted to love this - I love Mary Queen of Scots and her history.
I loved Reign (the actors from the show are who I pictured.. I even actually laughed out loud when Bash was introduced.. as a dummy for archery practice).. but this book was a bit of a slog to get through. The same issue I had with My Lady Jane. If they were a bit shorter, they'd stay fresh and fun.
I am really interested in the other 2 Mary's they have lined up, so I will probably still continue with this series. I never did finish the Jane series but maybe I will one day. Plus I just love these covers.
thekawaiislartibartfast's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
foraging_pages's review against another edition
4.0
Such a fun read as always with the dynamic trio of historical retelling! I’m interested in Mary Queen of Scots, so it was fun getting to travel to France, Scotland, and England in her name. A cast of humorous and admirable characters as always!
I loved the Princess Bride references especially.
I loved the Princess Bride references especially.
woolgathering_jane's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Just like My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane, this book was so much fun. The humor was so clever, the story was moving at a steady pace and I adored all the characters.
savbag's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️ less developed characters than the Lady Jane series but still fun
rachelkc's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75