Book Review: “The Archer’s Tale” by Bernard Cornwell

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The year is 1342 in the sleepy coastal English town of Hookton when marauders attack and steal a precious relic. Thomas, a young archer, is the only survivor. With his father’s dying breath, he has given Thomas a mission to carry out, retrieve the relic, and avenge his family’s honor. The hunt for the man responsible takes Thomas to France during the beginning of the conflict that will be known as the Hundred Years’ War. Can Thomas of Hookton find the relic he was tasked to find or will another quest drag him into an even darker path? Thomas’s tale begins in the first book of the Grail Quest trilogy by Bernard Cornwell called, “The Archer’s Tale.”

I found this particular book in a used bookstore and it caught my eye. I have enjoyed the Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell and so when I saw that he had written a trilogy set during the Hundred Years’ War, I was intrigued. I wanted to see how well he would tackle the medieval period and the conflict between England and France.

We begin with the massacre of Hookton, which happened in the early hour of Easter morning 1342. The prize that the raiders are after is the lance that St. George used to slay the dragon, or that’s the story that Father Ralph tells the town. His illegitimate son Thomas is given the task of recovering the lance for a man wearing black armor with a blue and yellow standard who happened to be Thomas’s cousin. As there is nothing left for Thomas in Hookton, he decides to join Will Skeat and his archers in France as they fight for King Edward III and his son Edward the Black Prince. It is in Brittany that Thomas is introduced to the Blackbird, a female archer whose true identity is Jeanette the widowed Countess of Armorica who is trying to protect her young son, the new Count of Armorica from the English.

After saving Jeanette from a complicated situation, Thomas is on the run for killing a man. It is while he is on the run that his life is saved by a Jewish doctor and in return, Thomas saves the life of a girl named Eleanor. This girl is the illegitimate daughter of Sir Guillaume d’Evecque, a French nobleman who was with the black armored man who attacked Hookton. They both have a grudge against the man, but Sir Guillaume offers Thomas a different quest, which is to find the Holy Grail, the same relic the man in black armor is searching for. Thomas decides that he must help his friends in the English army as they face off against the French army in the battle that will be known as the Battle of Crecy.

As someone who is a fan of the Saxon Stories series, I felt like Thomas of Hookton was very much like Uhtred of Bebbanburg in the way that he is on a long quest for revenge, but he discovers that he is destined for a bigger purpose and an even more deadly path. I found myself enjoying the way Cornwell portrays medieval England and France during this conflict and I am looking forward to seeing where Thomas of Hookton will go next and if he will get his revenge and recover the Holy Grail. If you love medieval tales full of adventure and action, you should check out the first book in The Grail Quest, “The Archer’s Tale” by Bernard Cornwell.

Book Review: “The Most Maligned Women in History” by Samantha Morris

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Throughout history, women have been seen as pious mothers, wives, or daughters who stayed in their lane or vile manipulators who wanted power and were willing to do anything to maintain their status. While the former group of women would be an interesting study, as the saying goes, well-behaved women seldom make history. So why did certain women receive a villainess lens when we look at their lives and what do the historical records tell us about them? Samantha Morris has chosen to take the stories of these misunderstood maidens and tell them in her latest book, “The Most Maligned Women in History.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed the previous books that I have read by Samantha Morris which covered Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia and Girolamo Savonrola When I heard that she was writing a book about maligned women in history, it caught my attention immediately as I wanted to see which women would be discussed in this book.

As Morris states in her introduction, there are numerous women who she could have chosen for this book she could make a second book, but in the end, she selected eleven women from different countries and centuries to highlight. The eleven women in this book are Cleopatra VII, Empress Wu, Joan of Arc, Lucrezia Borgia, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth Bathory, Catherine the Great, Marie Antoinette, Lizzie Borden, Empress Dowager Cixi, and Iva Toguri the “Tokyo Rose.” Morris takes the time to tell their stories succinctly while explaining why they are considered maligned.

I do appreciate the fact that she included women from different walks of life and different centuries to show how women have been vilified throughout history. We had women who were born queens, those who were mistresses or concubines and became rulers, and average women who did extraordinary things to the ire of those in charge. While I knew some of these stories like Anne Boleyn, Marie Antoinette, Cleopatra, and Lucrezia Borgia, others were completely new to me, such as Empress Wu, Empress Dowager Cixi, and Iva Toguri. The other women in this book were names that I had heard mentioned and knew some elements of their tales, but I didn’t know their full stories.

I found this book such a fun read full of vivacious women who were not afraid to go beyond the status quo. I do hope Morris will write a sequel book and include even more women from the past who have been viewed as maligned and maybe include women from Africa, Australia, and South America to show women from even more diverse backgrounds. If you want a delightful and insightful book about women who had some bad reputations, I highly suggest you read, “The Most Maligned Women in History” by Samantha Morris.

Guest Post: Spotlight for “The Dragon Tree” by Julia Ibbotson

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I am pleased to welcome Julia Ibbotson to my blog today to share a spotlight for her novel, “The Dragon Tree.” I want to thank Julia Ibbotson and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to be part of this blog tour. 

Blurb: 

A haunting medieval time-slip (#2 in the Dr. DuLac series, the sequel to A Shape on the Air, but can be read as a stand-alone) 

Echoes of the past resonate through time and disturb medievalist Dr Viv DuLac as she struggles with misfortune in the present. She and Rev Rory have escaped to the island of Madeira on secondment from their posts, yet they are not to find peace – until they can solve the mystery of the shard of azulejo and the ancient ammonite. Viv’s search brings her into contact with two troubled women: a noblewoman shipwrecked on the island in the 14th century and a rebellious nun at the island convent in the 16th century. As Viv reaches out across the centuries, their lives become intertwined, and she must uncover the secrets of the ominous Dragon Tree in order to locate lost artifacts that can shape the future. 

For fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. 

“The idea of being able to ‘feel’ what happened in the past is enticing … The sense of the island is wonderful … Julia brings it to life evocatively.”
~ Joanna Barnden 

 “Julia does an incredible job of setting up the idea of time-shift so that it’s believable and makes sense.”
~ book tour reviewer 

“… an engaging and original time-slip novel that keeps the reader turning the pages…the characters are authentic and the mystery is neatly woven between the centuries … seamless time transitions …”
~ Melissa Morgan  

Buy Links: 

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

 

Universal Buy Link:  https://mybook.to/TDT 

Author Bio: 

Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of time. She is the author of historical mysteries with a frisson of romance. Her books are evocative of time and place, well-researched, and uplifting page-turners. Her current series focuses on early medieval time-slip/dual-time mysteries. Julia read English at Keele University, England, specializing in medieval language/literature/history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics. 

After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, and then a university academic and researcher. Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s. She has published five other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone. 

Her work in progress is a new series of Anglo-Saxon mystery romances, beginning with Daughter of Mercia, where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries. Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘Julia’s books captured my imagination’, ‘beautiful storytelling’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘brilliant and fascinating’, and ‘I just couldn’t put it down’. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://juliaibbotsonauthor.com  

Twitter:   https://x.com/JuliaIbbotson  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaIbbotsonauthor  

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-julia-ibbotson-62a5401a/  

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julia.ibbotson  

Pinterest:   http://www.pinterest.co.uk/juliai1  

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julia-ibbotson  

Amazon Author Page:  https://Author.to/JuliaIbbotsonauthor  

Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/juliaibbotson  

Book Review: “The Nightingale’s Castle” by Sonia Velton

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A castle looms in the distance and the owner, a glamourous countess, has asked for fair maidens from the surrounding areas to work for her. But this is not an ordinary castle and this was not a benevolent countess. The rumors say if you enter the castle, you will never return as the infamous Blood Countess Erzsebet Bathory will kill you and bathe in your blood. A rather gruesome tale that has been told for centuries, but how true is this story? What truly happened in the Countess’s castle and what was the countess like? Sonia Velton hopes to answer these questions in her novel about Erzsebet Bathory’s life, entitled “The Nightingale’s Castle.”

I want to thank Harper Perennial and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have heard about Elizabeth Bathory the Blood Countess, but just the dark tales about how she killed virgins and bathed in their blood to keep her youth. Sadly, I don’t know much about the woman herself and the circumstances around her life that made the charges around her so extreme.

We begin with a scene in the future from a court case where we see a mysterious girl listing the names of the accomplices who helped the countess, namely Janos Ficzko Ujvary, Ilona Jo Nagy, Dorottya (Dorka) Szentes, and Katalin Beneczky. The mysterious figure also reveals that there is a ledger that she claims lists the names of every victim of the countess, which totals hundreds of young ladies. Then, we jump to the main story with two servants of the countess, Dorka, and Fickzo, looking for a new woman to work at Cachtice Castle, which they find in Boroka Libalany, the adopted daughter of the town doctor Jozsef. It is at the castle where Boroka meets another girl named Suzanna and the two girls form a sort of friendship as they work in the laundry.

Things seem to be going well for Boroka and Suzanna until they realize that there is something off about this castle. While Boroka meets Countess Erszebet Bathory and gets to interact with her court of young noble ladies, Suzanna sees the darker side of the castle. I do appreciate that each one of the accomplices of the countess gets their unique backstories on how they met Erszebet Bathory. As Boroka gets closer to the countess and earns her trust as a stand-in for her portrait by Valentino, she discovers an intricately craved box and a journal inside that tells the story of Boroka’s birth mother, however the context of the box changes for those who open it. While I do enjoy learning more about Boroka’s familial connection to the countess, the magical box element almost felt unnecessary as she could have easily found the diary in the countess’s library and it would have had the same effect for Boroka.

Finally, we get to see how the case against Erszebet Bathory and her accomplices occurred. Gyorgy Thurzo Count Palatine of Hungary joins with King Matthias of Hungary to create a case against the countess. We get to see the arrest of the countess and her accomplices, the trial, and the aftermath of this case on the entire cast of characters, but especially Boroka.

As this was the first novel that I have read set in late 16th/ early 17th century Hungary and that was about Erszebet Bathory “the Blood Countess,” I found this novel extremely engrossing. It was a haunting yet stunning story filled with so many twists and turns that I did not want it to end. If you want a riveting retake on the life of the infamous Blood Countess, I highly recommend you read, “The Nightingale’s Castle” by Sonia Velton.

Book Review: “The Lady Rochford Saga Part 2: Tourmens de Mariage” by Danielle Marchant

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Marriage has been an integral part of life for centuries. It has been used to create strong alliances and cement love matches. However, once the wedding ceremony is finalized, the facade often fades and the truth about the families is revealed. Jane Parker finally marries the love of her life, George Boleyn, but she soon realizes that her new family is full of ambition, especially her new sister-in-law Anne Boleyn. As one of the greatest marriages of the 16th century is beginning to fall apart, can a new romance be waiting in the wing to rock England and all of Europe to its core and whose side will Jane join in the end? Danielle Marchant continues her exploration of Jane Parker Boleyn, Lady Rochford’s life in her novel, “The Lady Rochford Saga Part 2: Tourmens de Mariage.”

I’d like to thank Danielle Marchant for sending me a copy of this novel. I enjoyed the first novel in this series, “Into the Ranks of the Deceived,” so I wanted to see how Marchant would continue this series and where book two would end. 

We begin with Catherine of Aragon attending the Blackfriars to discuss her marriage with Henry VIII. He wants the marriage dissolved because Catherine was married to his brother Prince Arthur Tudor and that is why they cannot have any living male children. Obviously, Catherine disagrees and is fighting for her marriage, which gains the respect of Jane Parker. However, Anne is not interested in the affairs of the queen and instead has her heart set on marrying Henry Percy. This does not work out for Anne as Cardinal Wolsey finds out and decides to put a stop to their engagement, which creates animosity between Anne and Wolsey. 

While Anne is trying to figure out her love life, we see Mary Boleyn become a mother of two while dealing with the death of her husband William Carey. Jane must navigate these complex issues of her new family while she enters a new chapter of her life when she marries the love of her life, George Boleyn. However, Jane’s married life is not all sunshine and rainbows and she realizes that they are having problems conceiving a child. I think the story of this second novel was good, but I think it should have covered a bit more ground and possibly gone to the marriage of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII so that the third book could focus on the fall of Anne and George Boleyn and hopefully show a glimpse of Jane’s fall from grace.

Overall, I think it was a decent novel that shows the softer side of Jane and George’s relationship which is sometimes lacking in other novels. I think it was a bit short for the material that I hoped she would cover in this series since there is so much to Jane’s story, but I think she can create a story with believable characters that you don’t want to stop reading. If you have enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, I think you should read, “The Lady Rochford Saga Part 2: Tourmens de Mariage” by Danielle Marchant.

Book Review: “Crecy: Battle of Five Kings” by Michael Livingston

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The year is 1346 and war has just begun between France and England. This conflict would be known as the Hundred Years War, which lasted over 116 years and ended in failure for the English. However, some glorious moments like Agincourt gave the English cause to celebrate, but none more so than the Battle of Crecy. It was a colossal battle between five European kings, leaving countless dead on the field without many long-term rewards. So how did the French and English armies meet on the field of Crecy and what truly happened? Michael Livingston dives deep into the archives and archaeological research to tell the truth of this famous battle in his book, “Crecy: Battle of Five Kings.”

I first heard about this title from a post by Dan Jones singing the praises of this book. I have heard about Crecy from books that I have read, albeit as a side note for the other storylines, so when I learned that there would be a new book about the battle, I jumped at a chance to read it.

Before we dive into the bulk of the conflict, we must understand the challenges of investigating a battle that happened centuries ago. Livingston explains that we must take the more traditional story of this battle with a grain of salt, especially regarding the death totals and the location of the fighting as they were more susceptible to alterations. We also must understand that the issue of biases comes into play and that every writer has a different motive for recording what they do and why some accounts were remembered and others lost to the past.

Livingston then dives into the origins of the conflict, the Hundred Years’ War, starting with the Norman Conquest and exploring how things like wine and wool led to England’s desire to capture the French crown. It is an extraordinary tale, but so were the marches by the English army, led by Edward III and his son the Black Prince, and the French army under the command of King Philippe VI, Charles II Count of Alencon, and King John (the Blind) of Bohemia. What I found fascinating is the different approaches that the French and English armies took on their road to Crecy and what they considered important during their campaigns. Finally, Livingston takes the time to focus on the battle itself, what we know about the battle, including the capture of the Black Prince and the death of King John of Bohemia, and the location where he believes the battle was fought.

This was my first time reading a book by Michael Livingston and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Livingston does a fantastic job of explaining his thought process when it comes to his theories on this important battle while also making it accessible to his audience. I learned so much about the battle, the campaigns of the French and English leading up to the battle, and how to re-examine a medieval battle. If you are a medievalist or just a medieval history nerd, “Crecy: Battle of Five Kings” by Michael Livingston is the book for you.

Book Review: “Planning the Murder of Anne Boleyn” by Caroline Angus

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The 16th century was filled with tales of remarkable women. Still, one of the most defining figures of the century was a woman of noble birth who the King of England fell in love with and decided that he was going to divorce his first wife of over twenty years to marry her. The Great Matter caused a great scandal across Europe, however, it was a love match that would not last long. The relationship between Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn would turn volatile and in the end, Anne and the men around her would be executed. We often blame Anne Boleyn’s death at the foot of Henry VIII’s right-hand man Thomas Cromwell, but who was behind the death of this famous queen? Caroline Angus has chosen to re-examine the case to find out who was truly responsible for the fall of this famous queen in her latest book, “Planning the Murder of Anne Boleyn.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed previous books by Caroline Angus, so when I heard that she was writing a book about Anne Boleyn’s “ trial,” I was curious to see what new insights she would bring to the case.

Angus begins by explaining to her audience that this case is hard to put together centuries after the fact because papers pertaining to the case were destroyed after the verdict was carried out. She then dives into how the fall of Anne Boleyn and the men around him happened, starting with the aftermath of the Great Matter, and the divorce between Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. We see how the Boleyns rose to power and Henry was so infatuated with Anne that he knew she would be the next Queen of England. Angus explores the men and women who served Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell, it was fascinating to see how they would shape the case against the queen. Finally, we get to see the rivalry between Thomas Cromwell and Anne Boleyn develop regarding religious reform issues and Princess Mary’s place in the line of succession.

The second half of this book focuses on the actual fall, trial, and execution of Anne Boleyn and the men who were associated with her. Angus takes the time to do a diary-style section, starting at the time when the idea to remove Anne from power to her actual execution to show her readers how quick this “case” was and to show that Henry wanted her out of his life permanently. She has taken the available information and the gaps left behind to create a plausible case for what truly happened in these few weeks. Angus shows what Princess Mary and Jane Seymour had to do with the fall of Anne Boleyn. We also see that most people knew that Anne Boleyn and the men around her were innocent and didn’t deserve to die, but it was a foregone conclusion as the king wanted them dead.

Overall, I found this enjoyable and enlightening with the new information Angus brought to the table. Yes, there is a bit of repetition of information already shared in previous books about Anne Boleyn, but it was one of the most infamous cases in English history, so it has been examined for centuries. It’s hard to show new information about this case without repeating facts that we already know but I think Angus does an excellent job of balancing the old and the new information about this case. If you want a solid book specifically about the fall of Anne Boleyn, I recommend you read, “Planning the Murder of Anne Boleyn” by Caroline Angus.

Book Review: “The City of Tears” by Kate Mosse

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Weddings are supposed to be happy occasions to unite two families through the bonds of love, at least in our more modern sense of the ceremony. However, in the past, weddings were ceremonies that would unite families through contracts to create powerful alliances—hardly a romantic endeavor. One of the grandest weddings of the 16th century was meant to unite France, which led to bloodshed between Catholics and Huguenots. Minou Joubert and her family are invited to the wedding of Marguerite de Valois and Henri of Navarre in Paris, but the decision to attend the lavish event leads her family on a path full of tears and heartbreak. The story of the Joubert family’s struggle to fight for the faith they strongly believe in and to unite their broken family is masterfully told in Kate Mosse’s novel, “The City of Tears.”

This is a book that I found when I was going used book shopping one day. I had heard about Kate Mosse and her novels, so I wanted to give them a try. I didn’t realize that it was the second book in a series until after I brought it home, but the premise of this novel was so intriguing that I couldn’t wait to read it. So I decided to read the books out of order to see if this would be a series that I would enjoy reading.

We begin our tale with one of the Joubert descendants from the 1800s going to the house that her ancestors lived in in Amsterdam. I am not sure where this particular storyline will lead, but I am excited to find out. We then join the family Joubert in the year 1572 as they are debating whether or not to go to Paris for the royal wedding; even though it is a great honor to receive an invitation, the problem is that the Jouberts are a Huguenot family. Their mortal enemy, Vidal or Cardinal Valentin, is always looking for a way to harm Minou and her husband Piet no matter what, even if it means sending assassins to hurt those closest to them. Even with the danger and the tragedies that befall them before the journey, they still choose to take a risk and go to Paris.

Paris was one of the biggest cities of its time and with big cities comes excitement and risks of danger. On the day of the wedding, everything ran smoothly, but three days later, on St. Bartholomew’s Day, a massacre of the Huguenots happened on the streets of Paris and the Joubert family lost their precocious daughter Marta and Minou’s brother Aimeric in the midst of the chaos. Now, Minou and Piet must take their remaining family members and flee with Cornelia van Raay to her native Amsterdam. What they did not realize was that religious change was also brewing in Amsterdam, which they also had to navigate. To top it all off, the life they left behind in France decided to rear its head as reunions and plots against the Jouberts were afoot. The Jouberts must face every challenge head-on if they have any hope of seeing a brighter future.

I enjoyed reading this novel. It may have taken me a moment to get into the story as this is book two in a series so getting used to the characters and their background, but once I did, I became super attached to them. I found it extremely fascinating to read about France and the Netherlands during the 16th century in historical fiction because even though France features pretty commonly in this era’s historical novels, the Netherlands is a new area to explore. I was so enthralled by this novel that I bought the first and third novels in this series and I am looking forward to reading more books by Kate Mosse. I would suggest if you want to start this season, start with the first book, “The Burning Chambers.” If you have started this series and want to see what happens next, I highly suggest you read, “The City of Tears” by Kate Mosse.

Book Review: “Medici Heist” by Caitlin Schneiderhan

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The year is 1517, and Florence is experiencing great change. No longer is it a grand republic that it once was; instead, it is under the control of the Medici family. They ruthlessly controlled Florence, especially Pope Leo X, who was born Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici. The people suffer as the Medici become increasingly wealthy, but a band of misfits and thieves plan to give some power back to the people with one of the greatest heists of 16th century Italy. Can they survive as a group when revelations from the past and dangers lurk around every corner? The adventure with this ragtag team of thieves as they fight for Florence is explored in Caitlin Schneiderhan’s novel, “Medici Heist.”

I want to thank Feiwel and Friends and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. It’s been a little bit since I read a new YA historical fiction novel, and so when I read the description of this one, I jumped at the chance to read it. I like a good novel set in Italy during the Renaissance, so I wanted to see what Schneiderhan could bring to the genre.

We kick off with Pope Leo X in all his grandeur entering the city and being greeted by a girl named Cat throwing a mud pie at the Pope. This incident sets the mood of the city towards the Medicis. We then jump to meeting our main four protagonists; the con woman/ leader of the misfits Rosa Cellini, Sarra the Tinkerer, Khalid the skilled fighter, and Giacomo the master of disguise. Along with the apothecary Agata, Dominic the apprentice, and even Michelangelo, the crew has decided that the only way to free Florence from Medici rule was to steal the indulgences that the people gave the church for the forgiveness of their sins so they spend less time in purgatory when they died. The Medicis were able to gather about 10,000 florins, an impressive amount that the band of thieves hoped to split evenly. However, complications do arise such as unexpected reminders of the past, romances, and those who want the treasure for their nefarious purposes.

While I do applaud Schneiderhan for writing her first-ever historical fiction novel, which is not an easy task, I did have a few issues when I was reading this particular novel. I felt like this book read more like a screenplay in that it gave locations and information, but it was hard to visualize for someone who cannot see these locations as images. The characters felt a bit generic and blended together, especially with the short chapters that might have been purposeful to get through the story quickly, but I was not able to build a connection to these characters. Finally, I feel like this story does not feel like it could take place in the 16th century, except for a few famous name drops, historical places, and the currency used at the time. It feels too modern and it could be put into any period and it would still work. I wanted to get lost in 16th century Florence and that did not happen for me.

Overall, as a YA heist book, I think it is a pretty good book, but it missed the mark when it came to the historical element for me. I feel like the concept of this book was strong, but the execution was a bit lacking. It was a difficult book for me to read and at times, I did want to put it into a did not finish pile, which I never do with books. I know that some books just are not right for me, but they might be right for other people, which is why I continued to read this book. If you do want to read this book, it might be a good idea to have a device next to you to look up the locations mentioned to help visualize what is happening. If you want a heist book with some history sprinkled in, “Medici Heist” by Caitlin Schneiderhan might be the book for you.

Book Review: “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart” by John Guy

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Women rulers in the past have either been praised or pushed down. They are either seen as ideal women or power-hungry villains. One such figure who suffered the worst from having her image raked through the mud for centuries was Mary Stuart, known throughout history as Mary, Queen of Scots. The Queen of Scotland who was married three times, was once the Queen of France, the mother of the future King of both England and Scotland, accused of having a hand in her second husband’s murder, plotted to overthrow Elizabeth I, and was executed for treason. Her story is well known, but what does the archival information tell us about Mary Stuart? John Guy scoured the archives to find the truth about this queen and presented his research in his biography, “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart.”

I have heard about this particular title for a few years, as it inspired the Mary Queen of Scots movie. I have read similar books about Mary Queen of Scots, but this biography is so revered that I wanted to give it a shot. 

Guy begins at the end of Mary’s life, with the day of her execution and the details that made her death legendary. Mary Stuart was the daughter of King James V and Mary of Guise of France. Five days after she was born, her father James V died after the battle of Solway Moss, and the young girl was proclaimed Queen of Scotland; it was solidified nine months later at her coronation. She didn’t have much time to enjoy her youth as she had to deal with the Rough Wooing from England, which was Henry VIII’s attempt to have Mary marry his son Edward VI, which did not end well. Guy shows how Mary’s education began in Scotland before she moved to France, where she would continue to learn how to become a queen before she married Francis II. While in France, Mary started to fight for her claim to the English throne as her father James V was the son of Margaret Tudor. Francis II and Mary would become King and Queen of France for a short time as Francis would tragically die from an ear infection, which meant that Mary had to go back to her native Scotland.

It is in Scotland where we get to see Guy’s research truly shine as he shows how Mary had to navigate her tumultuous court. Mary had to navigate being a queen while searching for her next husband, who ended up being Henry Stuart Lord Darnley. To say their relationship was rocky would be an understatement. Even though Henry was the father of the future James VI/I, he was not the most liked person in court and it ended up costing him his life. Shortly after the death of Darnley, Mary married for a third and final time, to James Hepburn Earl of Bothwell, who was one of the men who allegedly was behind Darnley’s murder. It is the last portion of this book where Guy focuses on the trial, the Casket Letters, and the schemes that led to Mary’s imprisonment and ultimate execution. 

I found this a very rich and well-researched biography. I found myself taking my time reading this book as I wanted to fully understand the points Guy was making about Mary and her reign. If you want an excellent biography about a queen whose reputation has been tarnished for centuries, I highly recommend you read, “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart” by John Guy.