My Lady Jane

This reading year has begun with several choices outside my usual genres, perhaps the most extreme being this one: a YA historical romantic comedy that replaces history with fantasy anytime it wishes. For example, Henry VIII was able to transform himself into a lion and devour anyone who ticked him off (thereby earning himself the nickname of Lion King). Oh, and Jane Grey's husband Gifford (historically Guildford) Dudley turns into a horse every morning and back into a man every evening. And Bloody Mary is all about purging England of anyone with an animal form.

Should any of this work? Well, not for me it shouldn't. It does, though, because the writers know exactly what they're trying to do. At five hundred pages, it feels a bit long by show more the end (really my only critique), but My Lady Jane delivers on all its promises. It's a joyride of pure romantic fun, with unpredictable turns and endearing characters--poor kids who are expected to run a country instead of chasing true love, who are threatened with beheading when all they ever wanted was freedom to live their lives. They are developed with consistent motivations and adorable details. The recipe for this sweet treat of a book would look something like this: blend wit, nonsense, and huggability; sprinkle with "aww" and humor. I look forward to the next in the collection. show less

In this alternative history, Lady Jane Grey is not executed after her nine-day reign as Queen of England; instead, she takes an animal form to escape, reunite with (also not dead) King Edward, and overthrow Queen Mary, a Verity who has a hatred of Edians (those with the power to turn into animals). The first half of the story largely follows historical knowledge; the second goes entirely off the rails, in a fun, speculative way which nevertheless echoes history (with the Verity/Edian conflict standing in for the Catholic/C of E conflict). Altogether a more joyous outcome for all! Full of humor in the style of The Princess Bride and Monty Python, with plenty of Shakespeare quotes thrown in for good measure.

Quotes

But what could one person show more do? Nothing, he thought. One person could do nothing. (Gifford "G" Dudley, 130)

"If it is a gift, I do not deserve it. If it is a curse, I do not deserve it." (G to Jane, 136)

How easily, she thought, despair could turn to hope. (Jane, 276)

"Imagine how much money the realm would save if the rulers focused their finances on libraries, rather than wars." (G. to Jane, 428) show less

I started this book on the plane ride on a trip, and finished it on the ride back. This was incredibly fun, though I didn't go into this expecting it to be as anachronistic as it was. Interesting alternate history in which instead of conflicts between Protestants/Catholics, it is a conflict between shape-shifters and their supporters (aka, Protestants) and those who feel those shapeshifters are unnatural and should be killed (aka, Catholics). It's a bit heavy-handed at times in setting the stage and there is considerable suspension of disbelief happening on the part of the reader, particularly regarding the historical background of Europe.

(As an aside, I always have some consternation that many fantastical alternate histories involving show more known historical figures assume that most everything up to that point still happened as our history dictated it, never mind that the addition of vampires/magic/shape-shifters/elves/etc. would have caused human history to have been thrown off the rails very early on. But I digress.)

The authors focused on Lady Jane Grey, the oft-overlooked queen who sat on the throne for nine days between Edward's death and Mary's usurpation. I didn't know much about her, other than she existed, so I found this what-if look inside Jane's head very interesting. There's not much known about her historically, so many liberties were taken (beyond the obvious). Jane shared the shifting point-of-view narration with her husband, Gifford Dudley, and her royal cousin, King Edward, with interjections from the chatty author-voices.

Fun, fast-paced, and surprisingly grounded in historical fact. I really enjoyed this, and I wasn't expecting to. The anachronisms soon stopped being occasions for eye-rolling, and more an inside joke amongst friends. There were nods, subtle and not so subtle, to Shakespeare, Monty Python, Doctor Who, and many others that I can't recall off the top of my head at the moment.

I was kind of sad to finish the book. I had really grown to love the characters, and wanted to spend more time with them. show less

This novel is a highly fictionalized version of the events surrounding Lady Jane Grey's accession to the throne of England, where she ruled for only nine days. The story begins as teenage king Edward VI learns that he is dying. He names his best friend Jane as his successor, which immediately makes her a highly desirable bride to the ambitious men at court. Although Jane is not particularly interested in marriage or becoming queen, she is forced to marry Gifford, the son of Edward's most trusted counselor. Of course, Jane and Gifford don't get along at first, but soon they must work together when she finds out that Gifford is an Edian, a person with the magical ability to turn into an animal. In fact, he can't control this power, so he show more spends all his daylight hours as a horse. Jane and Gifford must conceal this politically dangerous secret and figure out how to control his power -- all while navigating the perils surrounding the English monarchy.

When this book first came out, I refused to read it despite its popularity because of the terrible cover. But then I started reading reviews comparing it to things like The Princess Bride and Monty Python. And then I read the dedication -- "For everyone who knows there was enough room for Leonardo DiCaprio on that door" -- and I was hooked. This book is a fun and funny romp through Tudor history, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course, those who are looking for realistic historical fiction from this era should definitely look elsewhere; the actual historical situation is just a springboard for the characters' completely fantastical adventures. I really enjoyed the main characters, especially Edward, whose main complaint about dying is that he hasn't ever kissed a girl. The plot does get a bit hectic toward the end, but by then I was happy to go along for the ride. Overall, I liked this book a lot, and now I'm interested in trying some of the authors' solo works. show less

This work of historical fiction flat out revels in the fact that it is completely made up. This version of the story of Lady Jane Grey, a.k.a. the Nine Day Queen, has the boy King Edward being manipulated and slowly poisoned by his adviser Lord Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. Edward designates his favorite cousin Jane to be his heir and has her married to Dudley's son Guildford.

So far, similar to reality, but sillier. In this alternate history, some people are Effians, that is having the ability to change into an animal. Swiftly, Jane inherits the the throne when Edward is declared dead, and then she and Guildford are forced to flee when Mary in turn claims the throne. Jane, Guildford, and Edward (spoiler: he's not dead) all have show more adventures, discover new powers, and meet interesting people along the way to a happier ending than reality. The book is riotously funny both in the dialogue and the authors asides. The audio book is excellently performed by Katherine Kellgren. show less

I wish I remembered who recommended this to me. Without that recommendation, I would have missed a heck of a romp—just what the doctor ordered. My Lady Jane is an alternate history take on Lady Jane Grey's story (including cousin King Edward VI and his sister Queen Elizabeth I), injected with shapeshifters and a bunch of humor. The silly quotient isn't terribly unlike The Princess Bride (well, maybe a little sillier). Anyway, good fun!

What if Lady Jane Grey managed to escape the Tower of London after her nine days as queen? And what if Edward VI was not actually dead, but had also escaped when he discovered that his illness was actually a plot to poison him? And what if some people could magically turn into animals?

As you can see, these authors are not afraid to take a few liberties with British history. Readers who are sticklers for period detail may find themselves thinking things like, "But tea hadn't been introduced in England at that point," or "I don't think personalized wedding vows were a thing back then," or "That's a very feminist attitude for the sixteenth century." On the other hand, if you think of it as pure fantasy that bears a passing structural show more resemblance to events that once happened in our world, this makes for a cute story (though even then you may feel that the magic system could be better explained). There are references to The Princess Bride, Monty Python, and other elements of geek culture, and if you listen to the audiobook, Katherine Kellgren's narration is delightful. So, if you're the sort of reader who can separate your knowledge of history from your enjoyment of fiction, and you're looking for a light fantasy with some humor and some kissing and a little bit of sword fighting, this is the book for you. show less