In
an age where producing sons was all that mattered and Queens rose and fell
depending on the sex of their child, three girls with royal Tudor blood were
born to the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, parents with a passion for gambling
and an ambition to climb the royal ladder. The stakes they wager – their daughter’s
lives against their growing ambition. For
the oldest daughter, Lady Jane Grey this means that they will stop at nothing
to place the crown of England on her head as Queen. But when their plan to
marry her to Edward VI fails, they strike a far deadlier arraignment with the
Duke of Northumberland. For
the middle daughter, Lady Katherine Grey her beauty will not save her from her parent’s
ambitions. To survive her family’s shifting fortunes, Katherine must learn to
change with the times and serve as a lady in waiting to the Queen who executed
her sister and then again to Elizabeth, who is determined to humble the “upstart
Grey”. Katherine comes close to stealing her cousin’s throne and risks the fury
of a desperate Queen for love. For
the youngest daughter, Lady Mary Grey, a dwarf with a twisted spine who never
hopes to win a man’s devotion or love, no one expected much of her or for her. Her
size is both a blessing and a curse; she is able to hear everything, the good and
the bad. In an effort to protect the people that she loves, Mary will be the
catalyst for disaster.
☆☆☆½
This
was a pretty decent novel – it was impeccably researched and beautifully
written. Normally I am not a fan of novels that switch back and forth between
different character’s perspectives however it worked in this case. It was a refreshing
change to hear the story of the Grey sisters from the lesser known sisters,
especially from Mary. The author was particularly effective at distinguishing
the voices of the three sisters as the voice that was given to each individual
sister was unique and realistic – one could definitely relate to the
characters; Jane with her desire to be the perfect daughter and to do whatever
is expected of her; Katherine, the beautiful daughter who has unrealistic
notions of love and Mary, the neglected and unloved daughter who manages to
outlast them all despite a life of extreme hardship and disaster.
I
have to be honest – it took me a while to really get into the story. I found it
slow to begin with but it started to pick up about a third of the way in. I
also was not completely convinced with the portrayal of Elizabeth – I know that
she could be cold, calculating and manipulative but honestly; she was portrayed
as a total “witch” whereas Mary was portrayed in a rather saintly light, and as
if she did nothing wrong despite the fact that it was by her hand that Jane
lost her head.
Overall
it was decent read and the characters voices are enchanting. Chase was able to
weave together a suspenseful novel and was able to sweep the reader away into a
world where one wrong move could end up costing you your head.
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