Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles tells the story of the Queen who never got the chance to truly rule. History has never given me much information about her in her own right, instead often pairing her with the monarchs of France, Queen Elizabeth I, or her own son, King James I. So it was refreshing to get an in-depth look at her and her story even if through slightly fictionalized and romanticized glasses. Margaret George always manages to make you feel as if you are not reading about so much as witnessing a life in her novels. A lovely read that I thoroughly recommend to anyone who loves the genre and/or the era. ( )

Don't get me wrong, I loved this book. It haunted me for weeks after I finished it. My only complaint is that the book probably could have been 100-200 pages shorter. The entire last 1/3 of the book seemed like it would never end. There were countless descriptions of Mary's life in captivity, how depressed she was, what she wore, how she passed her days. And every single day was exactly the same, but for some reason the author made us keep reading about those days... over, and over, and over, and over.... Well you get the point.

I definitely do not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone interested in Mary's life or just looking for a good read. It was definitely a great book, as all of George's books are! ( )

Like most people, I have a passing familiarity with the historical figure, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland. However, in almost every instance, Mary's story is told in conjunction with that of her English cousin Elizabeth Tudor. Rarely do you see reference to her early years or even her reign in Scotland. In most renditions, her story begins in the custody of Elizabeth. In this book, we get the entire life history of Mary, and what a life it was!

I was unaware that Mary fled Scotland as a child, grew up in France, married the dauphin, Francis, and became Queen of France for a period of two years upon the ascension of Francis to the French throne. I was only slightly familiar with her mother Marie de Guise who served as her Regent in absentia. It was only upon her return to the Scottish throne with the death of Francis and Marie de Guise that the story began to become somewhat familiar.

The biggest part of the novel deals with the political and religious intrigue inherent in Mary's relatively short Scottish reign. Her contentious relationship with the Protestant (Mary was famously Catholic) Scottish Kirk and its leader John Knox. Her constant power struggles with her half brother James and the shifting loyalties of the Scottish nobility. A fascinating and highly instructive treatment on the subjects of religious intolerance and the related struggle for power.

Finally, in the last 100 pages, we meet the Mary we have always known, in the custody of Elizabeth, constantly scheming and soon to lose her head.

The rating for this book benefits greatly by having been read soon after The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory. In my opinion, this book is a far superior and much more entertaining and educational treatment of the period encompassed by the Tudor/Stuart dynasty. This is the third Margaret George book I've read and I have been well pleased with each effort. I highly recommend it and Ms. George's other works as well. ( )

I enjoyed this version of Queen Mary's life. Although it was quite long, I never lost interest in the story. As other readers have pointed out, it did drag a bit toward the end, but I think that may be because Mary's life dragged toward the end - she was imprisoned in various castles by Queen Elizabeth for twenty years.

I found it interesting to watch the progression over this time, because at first, she was treated as a displaced queen, with a throne, many servants, and a nice place in which to stay (although she wasn't allowed to leave it). As the years went on, her surroundings dwindled, she was treated with less respect by her keepers, and she wasn't allowed to have many servants.

I think that George did a good job bringing Queen Mary to life, and making her an interesting, if not always likable, character, and I look forward to reading more of her historical fiction. ( )

Another fine novel by Margaret George. Her use of historical facts leads the reader into the life and times of Mary Queen of Scotland.

This is not a book for those that love the strength, mystery, and intrigue surrounding the Tudors. This is a vision of how Mary would likely have felt and dealt with the position of her birth - Mary, not as strong as Elizabeth .. not strong enough to rule when needed. Born to be the daughter of a King, but not born to fulfill the need and rule as a Queen.

I was entranced from the first chapter, and could not put it down. From birth to death I was with Mary, feeling her love, joy, fear and final acceptance of her fate. ( )