The Queen’s Rivals by Brandy Purdy
Kensington
June 2013
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Their ambitions were ordinary, but they were born too close to the throne…
As
cousins of history’s most tempestuous queens, Ladies Jane, Katherine,
and Mary Grey were born in an age when all of London lived beneath the
Tower’s menacing shadow. Tyrannized by Bloody Mary and the Virgin Queen,
the sisters feared love was unthinkable —and the scaffold all but
unavoidable…Raised to fear her royal blood and what it might
lead men to do in her name, Mary Grey dreads what will become of herself
and her elder sisters under the reigns of Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I.
On their honor, they have no designs on the crown, yet are condemned to
solitude, forbidden to wed. Though Mary, accustomed to dwelling in the
shadows, the subject of whispers, may never catch the eye of a
gentleman, her beautiful and brilliant sisters long for freedoms that
would surely cost their lives. And so, wizened for her years, Mary can
only hope for divine providence amid a bleak present and a future at the
whim of the throne — unless destiny gains the upper hand.A
gripping and bittersweet tale of broken families and broken hearts,
courage and conviction, The Queen’s Rivals recounts an astonishing
chapter in the hard-won battle for the Tudor throne.
My thoughts: Ever since picking up Phillipa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl, I’ve been obsessed with any and all books about the Tudors and that time period in England. With each book I read, I find I learn more about all the major players of the time. This latest book by Brandy Purdy was certainly no exception and what I found to be most interesting is that it really paired well with another book I recently listened to, Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey by Alison Weir.
The Queen’s Rivals is about the three Grey sisters: Jane, the brilliant one; Kate, the beautiful one; and Mary, the beastly little one; and is told from Mary’s point of view, the one sister to outlive the others. Born with an affliction that caused her to be a dwarf, Mary was a unique choice for narrating this tale as she was mainly kept in the background and therefore observed much more than everyone probably realized. These three sisters find themselves to be pawns during a tumultuous time in England.
I’ve read a few books where Jane Grey, better known as the Nine Days Queen, is featured and so I knew a bit about her, but there’s not as much out there about the other two sisters. It’s easy to feel for these girls, who just want to live their lives the way they choose. Besides having a mother that is basically just horrible – all she cares about is appearances and how far she can rise within the court – they have to deal with pleasing their queen. They are not free to marry at will, and it is this basic right that leads to the downfall of Kate Grey. Even Mary, disfigured though she is, is really not free to follow her heart when she finally does fall in love.
This is the second book I’ve read by Brandy Purdy, having read The Queen’s Pleasure, last year. I love the way she really develops the characters she writes about. After finishing her books, I end up feeling as if I knew the characters a bit more intimately than I did before reading the book.
I will definitely be reading more of Brandy Purdy’s books and will also be looking to see if there are any other books out there about the Grey sisters. Have you read anything about them?
GIVEAWAY DETAILS – CLOSED (US only)
Thanks to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours I have one copy of The Queen’s Rivals to give away to my readers.
To enter…
- For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
- Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.
- Please include email address so I can contact you if you win.
This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends August 14th.
Good luck!
SO ready to read this book – thanks for the giveaway!
tiffanyannbutton[at]gmail[dot]com
Thanks for this fascinating giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
What a great historical. many thanks. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks for a wonderful giveaway.lomazowr[at]gmail.com.Will tweet@rhondareads
Thanks for the giveaway. jtretin at aol dot com
I love Brandy Purdy's books and I would love to learn more about the Grey sisters.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
I tweeted: t.co/32ZVefkgks
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
I have never even heard of the Grey Sisters. I am going to have to look them up 🙂
i would love to read The Queen's Rivals!!
thank you for the giveaway!!
cyn209 at juno dot com
shared giveaway on my FB wall: facebook.com/cyn209
cy209 at juno dot com
Ohhhh, my daughter would love this book, thank you for the chance to win it for her.
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
I shared on my blog: wrensthoughts.blogspot.com/p/contests-and-giveaways-good-luck.html
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
I shared on my blog: wrensthoughts.blogspot.com/p/contests-and-giveaways-good-luck.html
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
Ooh fun! LOVE the Grey sisters! Thanks for the chance to win.
lafra86 at gmail dot com
I think this will be so interesting reading about all three of the Gray sister's.
kathleen.bianchi@ymail.com
This book sounds so good! I love the idea of hearing the story from Mary's point of view. Thanks for the giveaway!
candc320[at]gmail.com
I have never read of the Grey sisters but I do love historical fiction. This one seems very interesting to me.
lag110 at mchsi dot com
This sounds wonderful!! I will post this giveaway in my blog's sidebar. 🙂
suko95(at)gmail(dot)com
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Would love to read Mary's narrative! Thank you for the giveaway!
texaggs2000 at gmail dot com
I would love to win a copy! I've read Brandy Purdy's last two books and would love to win this one as well!
shoshanahinla(at)gmail(dot)com