A review by books_coffee_cornwall
Mary I: Queen of Sorrows by Alison Weir

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Thank you #netgalley for this arc in return for an honest opinion.

I am a big fan of Alison Weir's work. Her research and historical content is well written with believable and courteous fiction to flesh out the story.

In history lessons, you only hear about 'Bloody Mary's and how sent so many people to their death for heresy. This book shows quite how complex her life actually was. A woman who was used as a political pawn, suffering multiple bereavements of people close to her, constantly pushed from property to property, never knowing if she was safe or ever loved. The amount of trauma she endures could quite easily have contributed to her physical and mental health. The only things she felt in control of was her religion.

For me, there was a bit of a lull in the middle when Edward was on the throne, but I guess this is due to the lack of information available about this period, other than the constant push and pull between them about religion.