My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand (Epub)

Description

In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

Like that could go wrong.

User’s Reviews

Review ★ “Wacky, irreverent, and just plain fun. This fantasy-adventure politely tips its hat to history before joyfully punting it out of the way. An utter delight.” — Booklist (starred review)★ “An uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Gleefully anachronistic comedy.” — Kirkus Reviews“Three cheers for this well-written and rollicking revision of history full of timely mannerisms and bold adventure. Those who enjoy clever humor, colorful fantasy, and light romance will savor each page.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)“The Tudors meets Monty Python. Prepare to laugh and gasp and clutch your pearls.” — Tahereh Mafi, New York Times bestselling author of the Shatter Me series“History, humor, and unexpected magic come together in this marvelous story.” — Jessica Day George, author of Silver in the Blood“Adventure, intrigue, humor, and romance abound. A great choice for those who enjoy lighthearted, alternative history adventures.” — School Library Journal

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ Lady Jane Grey or Dudley as known throughout history was queen for nine days following her cousin’s abrupt death. “My Lady Jane” is a comedic retelling of this very tale in history except there’s a few twists and turns. In the novel, there are two types of people; the edians and the verities. Edians have the ability to turn into animals which upsets the verities. This will come into play the majority of the plot.When Edward finds out he’s sick, he gets worse and worse. Lord Dudley told him to make Jane the queen, sounds great right? Wrong. This occurs around the time when he also has Edward marry Jane off to his son Gifford. Gifford is an edian without control of his power and Jane, this is something y’all book lovers can relate to, she loves to read! Their relationship slowly builds up as Jane really didn’t want marriage. She’d begged Edward not to marry her to Gifford.This book is a fantastic retelling. The comedic aspects of the novel were amazing. Personally, I love historical fiction so that also played a major part in my love for the novel. I mean, it’s set in the 1500’s! My main concern heading into this novel though was the hype. I don’t know what it is about me but generally, I don’t like retellings. Retellings are the kind of make it or break it genre in the book community but really I ended up loving this! Honestly though, the comedy is ever so slightly repetitive but personally, I didn’t mind.This novel brought history to life, well more or less, the fact is that this novel did follow the majority of the true tale of Lady Jane Grey. In fact, I never dreamed I’d end up reading this novel. The characters grow so much throughout the novel, it’s a precious thing to be able to watch them grow in relationships. Jane and Gifford have that special love we all are looking for in life.Finally, I adored this novel and can’t wait for the next novel in the series, “My Plain Jane”! “My Lady Jane” is now one of my favorite books, if you ever see it, pick it up and you won’t be disappointed. You’ll find you’re on the edge of your seat the entire read! I’ll be giving this a 4.2 out of 5 stars! Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day!

⭐ My criteria for my first read of the year usually is as follows: an author I know and love, a book I’ve been highly anticipating and something that’s easy to read. My Lady Jane easily met all three requirements, so I didn’t hesitate to dive right into it on the first of January. And, truth be told, I couldn’t have picked a better choice! Jane Grey is known in actual history to be the “nine day queen”, Edward VI’s successor for a little over a week. No one really knows what happened, and in response to the “what if” hanging in the air, authors Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows worked together to tell the (not so true) (but oh so fun) tale of the Lady Jane Grey.My Lady Jane is a book that is meant to entertain in a gloriously funny, satisfying way. The narration is excellent, complete with wry observations, witty retorts and a dash of whimsy. I was hooked right from the start! (And no, it’s not just because I find British royal history fascinating, though that was definitely another reason I enjoyed it.) I loved the tone, which made it feel like I was reading someone’s journal or hearing a storyteller tell the tale. I loved the switches between characters, because it was all too interesting to discover what was going on with each individual. I loved the humor, because it is so rare for a novel to make me laugh out loud (and I did laugh reading this one, and multiple times). I loved the magic, which was simple but still so entertaining. It was certainly all too easy to get swept up in learning what was to become of Jane, Guildford and Edward, and it was just impossible to do anything but see these three through to the end of their story.Can you tell I was happily entertained by this tale? Because I was! The combination of magic, history and humor (with just a tiny bit of romance) was utterly irresistible. Whether you’re fascinated by actual history or a total newbie to Jane’s story, this novel is guaranteed to make you crack a smile, if not elicit fully on belly laughs. I know I enjoyed it, and I certainly think that plenty of other readers will too.

⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 PenguinsQuick Reasons: super entertaining; these characters are vibrantly different and yet still familiar; the humor in this is SPOT ON; LOVED the narrators, they helped to both bridge the gap and break the wall down; intriguing, unique premise to the “magical” aspectsIf I could brew snark and put a stopper in satire, this book would be at the tippity top of my favorites list. Seriously, the level of personality JUST in the narrators alone was consistently sending me into fits of giggles. They (the narrators, not the giggle fits) helped to both bridge the gap between reader and characters…and also, somehow, build up the wall at the same time? I’m not sure if that even makes sense as an explanation. While they were fairly transparent with their chronicling of the events, they also made it very apparent how unreliable they could be. By this, I mean they often led us, the readers, onto hidden and treacherous paths toward what we thought, at the time, was disappointment…only to totally change directions halfway through and surprise us entirely. Basically, this whole journey was a mess of chaos, scattered thoughts, and pitter-pattery heartbeats–and I adored every single moment!The characters are also just as vibrantly written, with their own distinct flairs and personalities. I found myself falling in love with and then loathing them each in turn, though for varying reasons (some of which are due to those pesky flighty romance butterflies. Seriously, this is a roMESS from start to finish!) While each character is uniquely written, they also (at least, in certain instances) maintain a semblance of the real-life historical figures they’re based upon. This both entertained me throughout, and made placing the characters/their relationships to each other slightly easier in the middle of the messiest bits. (Don’t worry, Penguins–mess is a good thing in this instance!)—And since this was supposedly the first day of his happily-ever-after, he could only conclude that marriage consisted of four solid walls, a door too small to squeeze through, and a window too high to jump from.—This plot is fast-paced and filled with the type of satirical snark I’ve been DYING to read for ages now, but have been unable to find of late. There were so many moments I found myself piecing things together only to laugh out loud at the brilliance behind the implications (the play on horse and steed, especially, was almost too much for my poor ribs!) While it is obvious this isn’t true to actual historical events (or, at least, such events have been altered to better fit the magic of this world) I really enjoyed the creativity and fun that the authors brought to this tale.I am just SO glad I made time for this book this month–I should have read it eons ago, honestly! The characters are witty and vibrant, the satirical snark is top-notch, and the plot is super entertaining. I recommend this to lovers of historical satires, delicious word-play, and journeys that quite literally RETELL history! Breathe deeply, Penguins; what beastly form will you take when the light flares?

⭐ I snagged My Lady Jane when it was on sale one day. I’d heard so much about it and I wanted to see what it was like for myself. I figured $1.99 wasn’t too much of a gamble, so I bought it.It was a complete surprise. I expected a regular historical fiction novel along the same lines as Ophelia or maybe even Palace of Spies. Instead, I got a hilarious deviation from actual history into what the authors decided SHOULD have happened. Plus, they added in some shape-shifting, excessively large noses, and an arranged marriage. I was sunk before I finished the first chapter.Of course, I adored Jane. She’s bookish and intelligent and unaware of how adorable she is. I love her feisty personality and her independence.Gifford is an equally admirable character in his own way. I especially liked his gentle nature and the way he always tried to be kind.And how could we not mention Edward? One third of the book is told from his perspective and he’s hilarious and pathetic and charming and sweet. I loved watching his transformation from sickly boy into a man. I also found his (probably accurate for the time period) views on women funny.Other than the great characters, I also liked the manipulation of the court, the shifting loyalties, the diabolical plans, the betrayals, and the fast-paced plot. For being a long book, it was pretty darn fun to read.Content: Pretty clean, actually. People are naked when they change out of their animal form, but there’s no descriptions or details. There’s a bit of innuendo and some action and perilous situations. Movie rating would be on the lower end of PG-13.

⭐ My Lady Jane was one of those books I kept hearing about so I decided I needed to read it for myself and I am so glad I did because this book was hilarious and really well done! I would definitely say this book kept me entertained the whole story through. The three different perspectives were perfect and I love the narrators voice as well. This made me think of The Princess Bride, so if you like that kind of storytelling humor, you’ll really enjoy this book as well. I like the “loosely based on history” aspects and all the fun magical what ifs. Definitely an entertaining novel that was easy and enjoyable to read.I would put this in the cleaner category content wise. There is no sex, but a few innuendos, nothing I would be afraid of an older teenager picking up.

⭐ Let’s face it–history can be pretty depressing.For one thing, the vast majority of people involved in history are dead. For another, quite a few of them came to sad and even gruesome ends. Take Lady Jane Grey, for example. Became queen of England in 1553, ruled for only nine days, got her head chopped off. And on top of that, the poor girl was only sixteen years old. Her beloved husband Lord Guildford Dudley met the same end, at age nineteen. If any historical event needed a heaping dose of good old-fashioned revisionism, it’s this sad little anecdote.Never fear. Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are here to tell you what really happened–or at least, what happened in a far more fun and funny corner of the multiverse than this one. How about English history with a complex society of shapeshifters? And a YA heroine who doesn’t want to be a heroine at all, preferring to stay at home with her massive book collection? And male lead characters who aren’t total jerks? And a Tangled reference?If that last one doesn’t sell you on this book, I don’t know what will.The problem with My Lady Jane is that it’s not marketed the way it should be. The synopsis just doesn’t tell you enough. Stop trying to hide fantasy and hilarity under a bushel basket, Harper Teen. And I like the cover, but you could at least have put a horse next to Jane and shoved a few books into her arms.Let me explain what My Lady Jane is really about. Roughly half the human beings in this version of medieval England are each able to turn into a particular animal. These people are called Ethians (a different symbol is used in place of the “th” in the book, but I don’t know what it’s called or how to get my keyboard to do it, so let’s just go with the phonetic spelling). The three authors build on this premise to create something that has little or no historical accuracy, and isn’t remotely sorry about it.So here’s a more thorough synopsis: King Edward VI of England is dying, and without an heir to take his place. The only person eligible for the throne is Lady Jane Grey–his cousin, his best friend, and an inveterate bookworm. But of course, a woman cannot be the sole ruler of England, so Jane will have to get married. The good news is, there’s a candidate–Lord Gifford Dudley, a young man of unusual habits but sound character. The bad news is, he’s a horse. Well, half the time, anyway.Do not read this book if you are seeking reliable historical education. By all means read it if you want to cheer up and laugh your head off.I don’t have anything to put in the “stuff I wasn’t so fond of” column on this book, so instead, I’ll talk about the main things I loved:The characters. The book features quite a few POV characters, and they’re all awesome. Each one has a distinct personality and unique, engaging traits. Jane and Gifford, in particular, are delightful. Jane is a heroine for every young woman who loves to read. Gifford is a hero for every guy who likes to write. (Also for every guy who is cursed to spend his daylight hours in the form of a horse, though I’m not sure how big that target audience is.) Together, Jane and Gifford are pretty much the perfect couple. They don’t wallow in angst, and their romance is never tiresome.The backdrop. It’s not just the alt-history-with-shapeshifters concept that sets My Lady Jane apart, it’s the way that premise is developed. Too many fantasy novels fall into the threadbare trope of pitting one-dimensional magic-hating villains against equally one-dimensional magic-using heroes. The conflict between Ethians and ordinary humans in this book is more complex than that, leading to political intrigue and unexpected twists. The presence of heroes and villains on both sides of the aisle provides welcome shades of gray. (No, that wasn’t a pun. Unless you want it to be.)The humor. This is one of those books that has you laughing out loud on every page. Sometimes more than once on each page. It’s a “feel-good” story. It’s not really a big spoiler to say that My Lady Jane has a happy ending. It’s the kind of book you know will end that way as soon as you read the first chapter. As in a P.G. Wodehouse or Terry Pratchett book, the enjoyment comes not from wondering if the characters will get a happy ending, but from wondering how the author will bring about the inevitable happy ending. And the path to My Lady Jane’s cheery resolution is brilliant and full of surprises. There’s plenty of suspense, but nothing truly dark or unpleasant.A few quotes, in case you’re not convinced yet:Content Advisory: A smattering of mild profanity, a few slightly off-color references and a tastefully-written “fade to black” scene (in which the participants are married). The book is suitable for teens, and younger kids could probably enjoy it as well with a bit of parental guidance.In short, My Lady Jane is a literary pleasure that you should not deny yourself one second longer. Buy it now. Read it. Then read it again so you can discover all the funny lines you missed the first time around.And ladies, when you get engaged to a guy, be sure to ask questions if you smell hay on his breath.

⭐ It took me several chapters to really get into MY LADY JANE. The comparison to THE PRINCESS BRIDE made me really nervous because I love that book, and while I totally see why MY LADY JANE gets compared to it, it made some of the spunk and jokes seem like a copy rather than letting them shine on their own.I wasn’t crazy about Edward’s character at the opening of the book. Maybe because of the dying part, I guess I figured he was an intro character who would turn the story over to other characters in a chapter or two. Jane and “G” pretty much had me at hello, though. I’m kind of a sucker for those stories where characters have to get married even though they don’t like each other and then magically, unexpectedly (to them at least) fall in love. So in that way, it was a perfect read for me.Also, some of the minor characters were hilarious. Jane and Edward’s grandmother is my favorite. She has that very pragmatic, very frank personality and also, she turns into a skunk when she gets angry.I’m also kind of a fan of re-imagined historical fiction. MY LADY JANE reminded me a little bit of THE RING AND THE CROWN by Melissa de la Cruz.On the whole, I enjoyed reading MY LADY JANE partly in spite of its weirdness and partly because of it. If you like really quirky books, this is a great one to put on your summer reading list.

⭐ I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would! The characters were all so lovable, and I loved how the women in the story didn’t just let the men do all the tough stuff and actually contributed to the plot. I definitely identified with Jane’s love of books (obviously) and how she would rather be reading than anything else. I flew through this book in about a day and a half because I just couldn’t put it down!I thought that the plot was interesting, and I went into it thinking that it would be a sort of serious historical fiction novel, but it was definitely not that! The authors definitely put their own twist on the story of Lady Jane Grey, and it was so enjoyable and hilarious that I actually laughed while reading the book, and that almost NEVER happens!The action and the romance in this book were written so brilliantly and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series! This book definitely deserves the hype that it has been getting, and its been one of my favorite books of the year!

⭐ Oh my, what a wonderful book! This is a fantasy alternate history in a world where E∂ians (sort of were creatures in the Andre Norton tradition) and Verities (normal people) add to the politics in Tudor England. It is well-drawn with people I came to love.It is set during Edward VI’s illness and death, Lady Jane’s marriage and succession to the throne, and the following chaos. Edward grows in maturity and wisdom, Jane is delightfully bookish, and Mary and Elizabeth both are in the story.The authors had me from this sentence on: “Yes, it’s a tragedy, if you consider the disengagement of one’s head from one’s body tragic.” That is the tone that is throughout the book.I think the authors expressed the primary theme here: “Evil will exist among E∂ians, just as goodness will exist among Verities. I believe E∂ians deserve protection from persecution. The scales need to be righted in the direction of equality. And if it were the other way around, and Verities were persecuted, I would still fight for equality. Not dominance. Dominance leads to tyranny.”Secondary themes are friendship and love in various forms, responsibility, and learning to control one’s special gifts.Who should read this book? Anyone who enjoys fantasy or alternate histories. Fans of Andre Norton’s Witch World series. People who enjoy well-written, witty books.Just go ahead and read it!

⭐ The plot goes around the last days of Edward VI and the “reign” of Jane Grey. The Catholic/Protestant divide is framed as people with certain magic vs. “normal” people.The book itself is “Young Adult” but I usually like that kind of books, if written well. That itself was not a problem. The first thing that caught my attention there was general inattention to actual historical realities in everything. From opera to honeymoon, to what is an appropriate marriage for a noble girl. The authors obviously did little to no research on the period. And that would be OK if it was a fantasy “loosely based” on a real historical period. But the book pretends to take the matter seriously. Many times the narrator explains how things were done historically to a modern reader. And at least once got that totally wrong (lead pencil, anyone?) And the whole of the first book pretends to follow the actual history with just some minor changes (except for magic and everything). So while the authors caution the reader against applying modern notion to the historical setting, they do so all the time themselves. And the characters talk and think as modern people would with only a slight nod to an actual culture of the time.Besides the total failure on a historical part, the book is rather mediocre. The main plot and the character development is relatively straightforward. Their romantic subplots are as simple as they can ever be. The “evil guys” are extremely one-dimensional. Kill a son to get somewhat closer to a throne with zero remorse, really? And the plot in general, by the end of the book the “sudden” discovery that another character has that magic are not even funny.This book requires some serious suspension of disbelief to enjoy. I managed it by switching it mentally to “silly fantasy” genre, but I cannot really recommend the book to anyone.

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