Although I know of Jane Grey's story, her lineage and the circumstances surrounding her execution, I did not know a lot about her family. I certainly did not know that one of her sisters was a dwarf, or that her mother was so very cruel. Now I realize that this is historical 'fiction' and, not having read extensively about Jane Grey, I can't say how historically accurate this book is. However, Purdy has written a great book giving us not only the story of Jane Grey, but a glimpse of the lives that surrounded her. I enjoyed the characterization of the sisters. Jane, it would seem, was very studious and serious...and stubborn, which really rubbed their lady-mother the wrong way. The vivacious Kate was a delight to read about and Mary seemed such a sweet girl. It must have been a difficult life for her.

There were a couple scenarios in the book that were quite shocking. Again, not sure about historical accuracy, but the elements added some interest to the story. Of course, the execution parts of the books were very sad and, Jane's time at the block especially, brought tears to my eyes.

In all, I very much recommend this book. Maybe it isn't completely accurate historically (again, I can't say for sure on what I know of the subject matter), but historical fiction is 'fiction' and the value of a good story is that it makes the reader more interested in the subject matter and thus more interested in history. For me, that's the goal and it was achieved here.

Read more of my reviews at http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/ ( )

The Queen's Rivals tells the tragic fictional story of the Grey sisters, as told in the voice of Mary Grey. The sisters were very close to each other, their mother Lady Frances Brandon was too worried about appearances and the royal court to pay a lot of attention to her daughters, unless she profited from them. Their father on the other hand was very indulgent if not a little flighty and preoccupied with 'sweets'.
Lady Jane Grey along with her husband and father were executed for what was called the Wyatt rebellion. The Wyatt rebellion was the uprising brought on by the fact that Queen Mary was said to be engaged to marry Philip of Spain, which the English did not like. Jane was Queen for nine days before Mary was back on the throne and ordered the execution.
Lady Katherine Grey, as were all the Grey sister's, a potential heir to the English throne. Queen Elizabeth was not happy when Katherine secretly married Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford and lived in captivity until her death. She was pregnant and was able to keep it secret for a long time but was found out. While in prison after her the birth of her first son, she gave birth to another son after clandestine visits from her husband who was also in imprisoned in the Tower. She was the mother of the 'boys in the Tower'. As punishment for thwarting the Queen she was separated from her family to live out her days alone.
Lady Mary Grey also married Thomas Keyes,sergeant porter to the Queen, without the Queen's permission and was subsequently separated from her husband never to see him again. She lived in house arrest in various households for over seven years. She eventually became one of the Queen's Maid's of Honour and lived for 33 years. Even though she was considered a dwarf and not expected to live long, she outlived her sisters.
I love Brandy Purdy's books, she does thorough research into the lives of the people in the Tudor era and it shows in her writing style. Very descriptive, engaging characters makes The Queen's Rivals a page turning novel. If you are a fan of the Tudor era like I am, then this book is a must. ( )

This was an insanely fun historical novel, a salacious and tawdry look at some of the lesser known Tudor relatives, in the vein of Phillipa Gregory. Following the three Grey Sisters -- Jane (The Nine Days' Queen), Katherine, and Mary -- Purdy's story is sympathetic toward the women who find themselves pawns by blood, marriage, or choice.

Mary narrates the story of her family and the tragic ends her sisters faced. Almost like a fairy tale, each sister embodies a vice or virtue: Jane is brilliant, Kate is beautiful, and Mary is beastly. (Mary is described as a dwarf with a hunchback.) The Grey sisters are cousins of the Tudors (their mother, Frances, was the daughter of Mary Tudor, the younger sister of Henry VIII), in the line of succession for the English throne.

Jane is brilliant, well educated, vying to be a Protestant philosopher rather than a nobleman's wife. Kate is desperate to be in love, to be loved, to have run of her own household. Mary, while scolded as beastly, is a moderating middle between her sisters, watchful and cautious. She's a wonderful narrator who convinced me from the start to agree with her on the nature of her sisters, her family, and their fates.

Frances is a parent straight out of a fairy tale: ruthless, cold, abusive, quick to use her riding crop on anyone who disobeys her while her husband, the girls' father, is a cowardly glutton with unusual affectations. Their parties are known for the excess and debauchery, yet the Grey sisters grow up strong, passionate, loving, and moral, united in their affections for each other although each is driven by a single, varying motivation.

Her writing style is as much a character as the sisters: long, dramatic, punctuated with wild flourishes, it took me the first chapter to get used to it but in the end I loved it.

I've already grown accustomed to living without them, to thinking every time I let myself start to feel again, to let fondness and care take root within my heart, those first tender shoots that herald the flowering of love in any of its many forms are also the first dip of the quill in the silver inkwell to begin the first grandiose curlicue of the word good-bye to be write slow or fast across the pulsing rosy parchment of my heart. (p6)

This isn't racy novel, per se, not the way Gregory can be, but Purdy throws in many salacious innuendos and suggestions which ratchets this novel from tame to wild. If you've a particular opinion of the Grey family, I'm not sure if Purdy's novel with affirm or offend.

Being unfamiliar with Jane's story (shamefully, I realized upon starting I had conflated Jane Seymour and Jane Grey, and had to get an impromptu lecture from my wife on who Jane Grey was!) and without a horse in the race, so to speak, I found myself completely taken with Purdy's articulation of Jane, her family, and the people around her. I found her hard to like and very sympathetic in equal part, and it made this wildly boisterous novel feel human and emotional. It's a wonderfully zippy read, too, perfect for the summer, and an escapist drama that kept me distracted and happy. ( )

This novel tells the tale of the three Grey sisters; Jane, Mary and Kate. I was quite familiar with Jane's story of course, but not so familiar with her sisters'. It starts from their girlhood and progresses through their tragic ends. It's narrated by Mary - the last of the three to die.

The girls came to their adulthood in dangerous times carrying a dangerous heritage; they were next in line to the throne after Henry VIII's offspring and were therefore used as rallying points for those opposed to the rules of Mary and Elizabeth.

I enjoyed learning more about the other two Grey sisters and Tudor intrigue is always fascinating but the characterizations were so one note for all of the major characters it was frustrating; Jane was always an uptight, religious fanatic. Mary was always a perfect, sweet girl. Their mother was a dominating, horse mad woman. Minimal nuance at all within a character. The plot was a foregone conclusion but I found plenty to keep me interested in the stories of the other two girls. ( )