The Last Tudor (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels)

Let's be clear, I am a bit saddened that this is her last book (and she's definitely not going out with a bang here). She really inspired me to do the research into the true history of the Tudors & Plantagenet families, so I know more of what really went on, and I read her work for the drama, not the historical accuracy. I do feel she could go on with these characters and we'd all still buy!

That aside, I trudged through this book. Jane Seymour was pious and boring, she seemed a mixture of Margaret Beaufort and Mary Tudor all rolled into one. Philippa seemed to try and make her a strong "feminist" (and I say this lightly) character, but she never truly steps up to her male keepers, and in the end, submits to death in a seemingly mentally unfit state. I suppose I expected a little more substance.

Katherine, poor flighty darling. She does seem to grow in character, but again withers at the end, and dies, like her sister, with no will to fight any longer.

Mary marries for love but is kept from her husband, however, she is the only one to overcome, despite all disability, and makes a life for herself.

And the enemy throughout is Elizabeth herself. Whether or not she was truly the wicked, selfish, vile, jealous, and angry person that kept anyone from true love because she never had the freedom to choose for herself is something I would have to look into..but this book just dragged. I would skip if I had trusted the reviews.

I don’t take this author very seriously, but she usually puts out a light, enjoyable read. Always heavy on the “fiction” component rather than the “historical” component. In this saga, however, the portrayal of Elizabeth 1 is incredibly jarring - really distracts from the “storyline”. A real low from this author, for whom I never set a very high bar in the first place.

Philippa Gregory must be desperate to mine her knowledge about the Tudors to have written this book. There is very little of substance in it. The three Grey women, all teenagers, she describes were not particularly interesting either in history or in their persons. Endless descriptions of teenage angst: about religion, lovers, etc. Boring.

Reading of Elizabeth in such a negative light, has made me want to explore more. I need to know the history from all sides and I never knew the Jane the Nine Days Queen had sisters. Katherine's story is simply heartbreaking.

Extremely disappointed. When I bought this kindle book I saw the publication date as August 2017. I thought it was new work by this author. Apparently, it was republished. I bought this book previously and read it. It wasn't one of Philippa Greggory's best books and I wouldn't read it again.

Three sisters and three very different voices from the past all coming from one family. Philippa Gregory's The last Tudor is the final story in her successful series that began with Anne Boleyn. Starting with Jane Grey, the doomed nine day queen, Gregory draws a portrait of a teen devoted to both her religion , as well as the duty she owes her name. Born the granddaughter of King Henry's younger sister, Mary, she knows she is royal and though she is unsure of the legality of the circumstances bringing her onto the throne, she accepts her role with fatal responsibility, willing to die for both her name and her devotion to her religion. She is one extreme, and with Gregory's deft descriptions, each of the players take real shape, from her jealous and negligent mother to the boy she ends up marrying. Gregory is able to recreate the rushed coup de tat, giving each of the players credibility that made the circumstances understandable and relatable. When she is sacrificed for the Spanish marriage Mary so desires, her sister, Catherine takes over the narrative. Fun-loving and superficial, Katharine's story really shines. She grows from a sullen teen to a warm and devoted wife and mother. Where Jane sacrifices all for religion, Katherine does it for love. Falling in love with Edward Seymour creates an alliance that threatens Elizabeth. Young, fertile, attractive, the Seymour-Grey union provides the possibility of a viable succession. Petty and mean, Elizabeth destroys Katherine's life by separating her from her husband, declaring the marriage invalid and any offspring illegitimate. I have read about Katherine's plight many times, Gregory paints a vivid picture of a young life slowly smothered by the political machinations and vanity of a selfish queen. Lastly, Mary Grey emerges from the shadows as a survivor. Born a little person, she is relegated as unimportant in the dynasty, but with her quiet dignity and strength she is able to survive the hostile palace. Able to eavesdrop, she navigates the treacherous shoals of Elizabeth's narrow world until she meets Thomas Keyes. She falls in love with the castle guard and then, throws caution to the wind to marry him. Elizabeth vindictively ruins their lives as well. All the key players are caught in Elizabeth's narcissism, her vile pettiness and heartless revenge. It's a sad story of being a victim of impossible circumstances, and while each girl may see their sister's weaknesses, they are blind to their own. It was my favorite of the later books in the series and a read that once I started, I couldn't put down.

Loved the historical/fictional content. Given the authors incredible knowledge of this time period, it shed a very new light on Queen Elizabeth for me. Always anxious to return to this read after having to put it down.

Absolutely fantastic!! This story is told from the perspective of each of the Ladies Grey during the rules of Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth. I could not put it down--I finished it in 3 days! I am a huge fan of Hilary Mantel, and while this writing was not that of Mantel, I loved it. Highly recommend to anyone loving a Tudor story!

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a fan of Gregory, even though I know that her idea of "history" is "stuff I cooked up in a fever dream while delirious on mead." Usually, I can ignore her glaring historical errors because the woman can spin a gripping story. This time, she fails on both counts.

The book recounts the heartbreaking fates of the three Grey sisters (Lady Jane Grey, the 9-day queen, and her sisters Mary and Katherine). The first section is told from Jane's POV, but it was such a hard slog getting through it that I eventually gave up, since I know the story and since Alison Weir did it 100 better in "Innocent Traitor." Katherine's story was a little more interesting but again, Weir wins again with "Dangerous Inheritance" in relaying this story. So on to Mary, who has to be the angriest, most venom-filled and spiteful character in literature. I don't know if the real Mary was like this, but if so, I would have sent her to prison too. She hates everyone, especially Queen Elizabeth, and blames everyone for the troubles that she and her dopey sisters have mostly brought on themselves.

For some reason, Gregory really, really hates the Tudors and Elizabeth in particular. She hates them like they personally stepped out of their graves, reanimated themselves into zombies and murdered her family. In this book, she slanders Elizabeth to the point that it becomes ludicrous. In fact, it becomes deeply offensive, when she blames Elizabeth for "seducing" her stepfather, when in reality, Thomas Seymour betrayed a loving wife and a trusting stepdaughter by sexually molesting the 14-year old girl in his care. To heap insult onto injury, Gregory then posits that Elizabeth locks her governess Kat Ashley in the Tower of London for calling Elizabeth a "whore." In fact, Kat Ashley protected Elizabeth from Seymour and told HIM off in no uncertain terms. And yes, Kat was sent to the Tower, but she was sent there with Elizabeth, not by her.

This is bad enough, but to make matters worse, the book is boring. The three sisters come across as self-delusional idiots who alternate between stating they have no interest in taking the crown and bitterly, angrily listing all the reasons they are the clear heirs to the throne. They whine endlessly and expect other people to solve the problems they create for themselves and just come across as very unpleasant, angry and self-deluding jerks. In reality, Mary and Katherine did have sad stories and certainly didn't deserve their harsh fate, but this book is not the testament they deserve.

The Last Tudor is a return to form for Philippa Gregory. I found most of the Cousins' War books (The White Queen, The Red Queen) to be uninspired, with the characters all sounding similar. Here, each of the Grey sisters—Jane, Katherine, and Mary—narrate a section of the novel, and they each have their own distinct voice and personality. I especially loved how the virtuous Jane was presented as, in some way, a typical teenager: irked by her younger sisters, grandiose one minute and frightened the next. It did drag a bit in the middle, but [spoiler alert for those unfamiliar with British history] when your narrator is imprisoned for years on end, that's bound to happen. And that leads me to why, imo, Gregory's novels that serve as fictional biographies/autobiographies don't move me the way that "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The Queen's Fool" do: Having to hew closely to the trajectory of a real, well-known person is more limiting than the possibilities that open up when following a fictional or lesser-known individual. NB: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whoever came up with the moniker "Good Queen Bess" for Elizabeth II must have been a paid lackey, as Pippa Gregory deftly illustrates through the eyes of the Grey sisters that she was nothing of the sort.

History tells us of Lady Jane Grey, the "Nine Day Queen", but leaves us in the dark about Jane's remaining sisters, Catherine and Mary. For good reason--the chroniclers of Elizabeth's life don't want you to know that she had a nasty habit of locking up people who annoyed her (her beloved Kat Ashley) or people who married without her permission (the Grey sisters and Margaret Douglas are the three mentioned in this book). As if imitating her father wasn't petty enough, Elizabeth is constantly promising help to her cousin Queen Mary (or Mary's Scottish opponents), only to back off when she gets bored--or when Robin Dudley bats his eyelashes in her direction.

"The Last Tudor" opens with a retelling of Jane Grey's short marriage and reign, then changes hands to Catherine Grey, who had the temerity to marry Edward Seymour (Queen Jane's nephew and my 12th great uncle) without Elizabeth's permission. They manage to keep their marriage a secret until Catherine couldn't hide her pregnancy any longer, at which point the queen has the two of them arrested. Catherine has her first son while imprisoned at the home of the Lord Lieutenant of the Tower, and later--since the security is so lax--conceives and births a second. Elizabeth is so infuriated by the (perceived) threat to her throne that she separates Catherine from her husband and boys multiple times over the course of several years, until my aunt eventually starves herself to death out of grief and frustration.

We learn of this from Catherine's sister Mary (to whom the story was passed after Catherine was put under house arrest), who is also kept in confinement for having married without the queen's permission--although she wedded a soldier (Elizabeth's sergeant porter) to try to escape this fate. At least I have the relief of knowing that this aunt didn't die in prison...she was released three years before her death; though died a theoretical widow, as the queen never allowed Mary to see her husband again.

This book isn't anywhere near as thrilling as Pippa's previous Plantagenet/Tudor books, but is worth a read to learn about what happened to Lady Jane's sisters after her death--and how Elizabeth I wasn't so "good" after all.

27-The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory (Novel-Physical-Fiction) 5* I've read a number of this author's Historical works of fiction and I am always captivated by her writing and the voice she brings to these women. It's no doubt she spends hours researching her subjects and with the knowledge she obtains creates a plausible history for them. In this novel she gives a personal story for each of the three Grey Sisters, Ladies Jane, Katharine and Mary so the work is divided into three sections, where one sister leaves off the next continues from that point. As the reader follows through time each one's thoughts, hopes and how they view their precarious situations it reflects how it is not a benefit to be one of royal blood in the line of succession. Is it a wonder than that Queen Elizabeth I refused to wed or name an heir until her final hour? If you enjoy an exceptionally well written work of historical fiction you are sure to become immersed into the highly controversial lives of these three women and the decisions that motivated them to make the choices they did. Fast past and entertaining.

Philippa Gregory’s latest work of historical fiction, The Last Tudor, focuses on the Grey sisters: Jane, Katherine, and Mary Grey. The Greys were a Protestant family, and the girls were in line to inherit the crown through their mother, who was the niece of King Henry VIII. Although many have heard of Jane Grey, who had been queen for nine days before Mary was crowned, not much is known about her two younger sisters. After chronicling Jane’s execution, the book picks up with Katherine, the second sister who would be next in line for the throne, and lastly moves on to the youngest sister, Mary.

The Last Tudor is a lengthy book; I happen to like long books, but I found this one to be very repetitious, tedious, and predictable. I have reviewed other books in Gregory’s Tudor series, and I found quite a bit of repetition in those books as well.

In general, I would not recommend The Last Tudor. However, at the end of the book, Gregory included an author’s note, which I think is the best part of the book. Gregory does have training in history, and that was evident in this note. In my opinion, this note might make it worthwhile to read the book.

A while ago I saw a Dutch translation of another book by this author in a bookstore, and thought the story sounded interesting. So on my Secret Santa wishlist I requested a book by this author, and was gifted The Last Tudor.

The title is slightly misleading, as it doesn’t focus on one specific ‘last’ Tudor. Rather, it tells the tale of Jane Grey and her younger sisters Katherine and Mary. As a result, the story is actually divided into three different stories and three different narratives. At some point, however, I found that especially Katherine and Mary started to sound increasingly similar. Also, focusing on these three sisters with tragic lives brings a certain bias to the narrative.

In history, Jane Grey is often portrayed as a puppet of her ambitious father. This book gives her more depth and dimension. She is very serious and religious, almost self-righteously so, to the aggravation of her younger sisters, who she finds frivolous. She doesn’t like being married off to Guildford Dudley, but follows her father’s orders, for the good of the realm and their religion, and for her cousin Edward. I found it admirable that she tried to do as good a job as she could, given the circumstances, once she realized there was no other way. I also found it rather admirable how steadfast her beliefs were, even to her own detriment, but her condescending tone at times became quite aggravating. I did like how the author described her preparations for her execution; it gave her some dignity.

Jane’s younger sister Katherine doesn’t appreciate Jane’s religious devotion, and is determined to live a better life at court. She becomes a lady-in-waiting to both her cousins, Mary and Elizabeth. She is moderately successful in this, but then makes the mistake of falling in love and not asking the Queen’s permission to marry. Granted, Elizabeth would most likely never have allowed it, seeing as Ned was of a prominent family himself, and their union would pose a risk to Elizabeth’s claim to the throne. On the other hand, perhaps Elizabeth might have welcomed a Tudor heir without having to get married herself. Alas, we will never know.
Katherine’s takes her imprisonment in stride at first, deciding to prove she’s loyal to the Queen and did not marry Ned out of treason or in a claim to the throne. Over time, her desperation starts to gain traction, and she becomes more and more bitter.

In the third part of the book we move onto the youngest sister, Mary. She is not a dwarf, although she is small of stature and was born with some problems to her spine. Because of this, she is hardly ever taken seriously as a woman or an adult, which allows her to fly mostly under the radar, so to speak. You’d think she’d have learned from her older sisters’ mistakes, but she too secretly marries without permission. Her imprisonment isn’t as harsh, though, because she is placed under house arrest and assigned into the care of some high ranking nobles, loyal to Elizabeth. The ending of the book is somewhat hopeful regarding Mary’s eventual fate, the only one of her sisters to find it.

I liked reading more about the Grey sisters, especially the younger two, who are often overlooked in history. However, both Katherine and Mary sounded very similar as the story progressed, which became a bit annoying at times. It felt as though the author used the same voice to narrate both stories.

Still, if you’re interested in Tudor history, this is an enjoyable read. I will probably try a few more books by this author.

I've read many of Philippa Gregory's novels, and been a fan. Here she is mining a historical dry hole, to mix metaphors. While her writing is still top-notch, the tale of three sisters close to the Crown wasn't really entertaining. Lady Jane Grey, queen for only nine days, and her hastily-wed teenaged husband were sent to the block when Queen Mary Tudor reclaimed her crown at the head of an army after the death of Henry VIII's only legitimate son. Everyone who reads historical fiction of this time knows this, it's only a blip in history--Lady Jane did nothing of note before she lost her head on the block. The first section of the book goes on at length about Jane's pride in her scholarship and disbelief she could be executed. As portrayed here, she was kind of a twit, looking down on her sisters who were not her equal in religious learning, and self righteous in her Protestant belief. But then everyone in this time, Catholic and Protestant, were lethally self-righteous in their beliefs. It was a time of religious obsession, no tolerance for anybody not of their faith, a very good reason the US Constitution forbids the establishment of a state religion. [Of course, we still see religious fanatacism in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world, and the murder of those whose beliefs differ from others who have big knives, bombs and big guns.]

Lady Jane Grey was put hastily on the throne by the Protestant faction in England who didn't want a Catholic ruler. But Mary was actually next in line to the throne, and triumphed. And earned her reputation as Bloody Mary not only sending numbers of people to the block but burning alive people who were caught practicing Protestant rites under her rule, sometimes several people to a stake. Gregory, however, reserves her condemnation for Elizabeth I who was more reluctant to execute, and even reluctant to condemn her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, when more than one plot was uncovered on Mary Queen of Scots' part to overthrow Queen Elizabeth. Gregory just doesn't like anything about Elizabeth, a point she has made in several of her other novels. I get the impression she disapproves in general of the whole Reformation, which is her right; but I find it annoying in fiction, as if she is trying to refute history.

The remainder of the novel chronicles the miseries of Jane's sisters, Katherine and Mary, next in line after Elizabeth for the throne. Both sisters wed secretly without Elizabeth's permission, to be discovered and exiled from court and imprisoned on remote estates, in Katherine's case until her death and for much of Mary's life. Katherine had borne two sons, the surviving male heirs Henry VIII had so fruitlessly sought from six wives. It certainly was cruel to keep both Katherine and Mary confined separated from their husbands, but unlike Mary, Elizabeth didn't kill them. The remainder of the entire book is the downward spiral of their lives.

This takes nothing away from Philippa Gregory's excellent research and scholarship and her power as a novelist. It was just not an enjoyable read, historically factual as it might be.

The Last Tudor was a great read with sexy highs and depressing, heartbreaking lows. It took me a while to get into it, because religious martyrs are not my jam, but after the Jane section, the book definitely improved. I remember the tension of Elizabeth's reign from other Gregory books, and seeing Elizabeth follow in Henry VIII's fearful footsteps was maddening and gave me greater appreciation for our own democracy. The spirit of Katherine and Mary, Jane's sisters, give this book a passion and make it worth reading.
To me, the best part about finishing one of Philippa Gregory's books is going back over the family tree and looking at how these characters fit in with others I've read about to create England's history. I saw somewhere that Ms. Gregory calls herself "a gateway drug" and that has certainly been true for me. Her books have given me a love for history that I wouldn't have otherwise cultivated.

The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early August.

Sisters Jane Grey, Katherine Seymour, and Mary Keyes share narration in this giant, emotive Philippa Gregory tome about the queen between Edward VI & Mary I and the aftermath echoing throughout the lives of her sisters. There are times of respite, spiritual/emotional highs and lows, and a lot of what I referred to as the 'house arrest shuffle,' since Elizabeth had been intensely jealous and vindictive toward Katherine and Mary for being able to marry for love; enough to split husbands and wives (and Katherine's sons) apart to hold them in separate prison cells and, eventually, the homes of extended family members. Despite her anger and vitriol, Elizabeth was able to find love with my favorite Gregory-enhanced character, Robert Dudley. Oof, so very handsome, debonair, and seductively calculating.

I borrowed this from the library; I am so glad I didn't waste my money. Ms. Gregory turned the three protagonists into thoroughly unlikable characters. It's true Jane was a fervent follower of the Protestant religion and could be a smart mouthed teen, (refusing Princess Mary's gift of a gown and "Did the baker bake him?), Gregory does not capture any of her vulnerabilty or sweetness. She is portrayed as an arrogant intellectual snob. Katherine Grey is portrayed as a sex mad bubble head, and Mary Grey is just plain bitter. The Grey girls got a raw deal in life because of their parents ambition and their proximity to the throne, but this novel just turns them into whining brats with no likable qualities. Ms. Gregory seems to dislike her subjects with an especial hatred of Elizabeth I.

Strange book. Its less a novel than a docudrama. The three Grey sisters as POV's in three separate smaller pieces. The first, Jane, is excellent. The second, Katherine, is OK. The third, Mary, is somewhere in between. The chief problem is that the two younger sisters essentially are prisoners of their cousin Elizabeth I. The portrayal of Elizabeth is so one dimensionally negative as to be both caricature and extremely repetitive. I'm a history junkie and, while this isn't per se one of my periods, I enjoyed reading it. But I was reading for period detail and skimming the endless repetitions of Elizabeth's character flaws, inherent evil, etc. Forget whether this is an accurate portrait of 'Good Queen Bess'. Its boring. Pity, as the author is a good stylist and knows the era well.

I pretty much like anything Phillippa Gregory writes about the Tudor period and this was no exception, but if you came into it cold turkey, not knowing anything about that period, I think you'd be somewhat lost. There were a few parts that were slow and quite a lot of repetition, but overall it held my interest - Gregory has a real talent for building tension through mundane day to day details - and now I'm sorry that I rushed through it. Strangely, I kept finding strong similarities between the politics of then - run by an avenging queen and our current political leader. Thank goodness that today a president can't just order, "Off with his/her head!"

I am a huge Philippa Gregory fan and The Last Tudor did not alter my opinion of her work in any way. This story of the Grey sisters -- Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for less than two weeks; her sister Katherine who died for love and their little sister Mary, who outlasted both of them. The story is also about Queen Elizabeth (the first) and her constant battles and jealousy with Mary, Queen of Scots. There are moments where I found myself getting exasperated because it was so easy to predict where the plot line was going but overall it's a wonderful work and pretty true to the history of the times as well. If you are interested in Tudor England or historical fiction, I highly recommend The Last Tudor.

First of all I can whole heartedly endorse the narrator; she does the best she can with what she is given. The box is divided into three parts with each sister the focus of one. Although the personality of each sister is different there is a sameness in their fates that makes for dull reading. As soon as each sister has a chance at happiness and/or power Queen Elizabeth imprisons them. So much time is spent hoping that the Queen will show mercy to no avail that frankly I wanted to take myself out of my misery and skip ahead to the end to just get the book over. I think I'm giving up on Philippa Gregory. It's been all downhill since The Other Bolyen Woman unfortunately. I suggest skipping unless you are really a die hard fan.

Ugh what a terribly boring and depressing book. I mean, I know that you can only go so far with historical fiction. But still..it felt like a chore to finish this book, and I kept waiting for something to happen. Nope, just 3 girls who basically get supremely screwed over their whole lives (won't go into details to avoid spoilers).

Normally I really like Philippa Gregory's books but this one was just ugh. Tragic stories can still be very good reads but this just was not.

This book terribly saddened me, especially the last two parts, since they were little known. The only "crime" that Katherine and Mary did was love, and faced such harsh sentences.
Not sure why Gregory chose to make Jane's character so prissy. I never read that anywhere else, and she comes out very annoying and full of herself, rather than one caught up passively between ambitious men's plots.
I especially liked Mary's gutsy character, even though Gregory wrote the chapters in a repetitious manner.

My favorite time in history is Tudor England, I never tire of it. I waited for this book to come out because I had not read one about the Greys. I am more than halfway through and simply cannot finish...it seems like there is nothing but whining. There is little historical insight and very little moving along. There is a bit of a picture of political marriages but it has little depth.

I'll start off by saying I LOVED all of Gregorys other books but this one and The Virgin Lover were horrible...its long and repetitive and boring. Usually she makes all her female characters strong and interesting but the way she portrays Elizabeth 1 in this and the previous book is just insulting. The book could have been half as long as she just repeats the same thing over and over. I suppose I'm so disappointed bc I enjoyed all her other books so much. Either way as an avid reader of all Tudor historical novels this is not one I would recommend to anyone.

When I saw the two names attached to this book, Tudor and Philippa Gregory, that was all I needed to tap the "Request book" button within a second. My fascination with The Tudors has spanned decades, and no one makes it more palatable than Philippa Gregory.

My only misgivings were that I would not find the central figures in this tome that interesting: the "Nine Days Queen", Lady Jane Grey, and her two younger sisters, Lady Katherine and Lady Mary. Queen Elizabeth I was England's Monarch at this time, and hers is a story I am not that charmed by as well. However, the special writing gift author Philippa Gregory has is to so humanize the characters through her first person narration that the reader can easily connect with them. She takes history, marries it with a bit of poetic license and serves you up "edible" history...while the reader eats out of her hand.

This book is divided into three "narrations" as I call them. The first Part begins with Lady Jane Grey (who at sixteen was Queen of England for just nine days), followed in succession by her younger sisters Katherine, and then Mary. Each "Part" is narrated by each of the sisters. Philippa Gregory weaves the tapestry of history with twists of irony, great love, shattering heartbreak, and anger ...which is acutely felt by the reader through the method of each sister's first person narration. You will surely shed a tear while reading this book.

Across the decades, I have read an abundance of books on the Tudors and specifically on Queen Elizabeth I. However, I hadn't quite realized just how paranoid, ruthless, jealous and heartless Queen Elizabeth I was until I read this particular book. In addition, I thought I wouldn't be that interested in reading about the Tudor line of the Grey sisters, but author Gregory handily lured me in with her enchanting writing magic.

I feel very fortunate to have read this tome as I learned much about another branch of the Tudor Dynasty I had given short shrift . My previous knowledge was limited to the movie starring British actress Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Jane Grey. Now I know a much richer story which is truly sad and makes me wonder what might have been had the Tudor line extended on an alternative pathway, as it most likely should have.

This was brilliant, and I shall approach unread present and future offerings from Philippa Gregory with the knowledge that I will both learn and feel much...and forever be touched by history.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the privilege of receiving an advance reader copy in return for my honest review.

Told from the POVs of the three Grey sisters, Gregory takes us on a treacherous journey of royal succession until we are at the last Tudor, Elizabeth I, their cousin. Ambition, arrogance and betrayal fill the pages of this meticulously researched novel. Pious (and for me, unlikeable) Jane's story wasn't as fascinating as was Katherine and Mary's stories in which falling in love is a recipe for disaster. Still, the path which they walk to their ends is both fascinating and satisfying. And now, with the Tudors done, where will Gregory take us next? I can't wait to find out.

The history & politics of the time period are interesting, but the story is told from the personal perspectives of each of the Grey sisters, who are much less interesting. Jane was a tedious religious zealot. Silly Katherine was spectacularly stupid, and I was surprised she survived as long as she did. Little Mary only got about 20% of the story, but still managed to annoy me by knowingly repeating Katherine’s errors. I’m glad this was the last of the Tudor books.

Good historical fiction but honestly not Gregory's best. For some reason, this novel, told from the viewpoints of Jane, Katherine, and Mary, never really took off for me. All three of these woman have been explored at depth in both fiction and non-fiction so there's a good chance you know their stories and their view points. I didn't gain anything here but equally importantly think it would have benefited from a tough edit to cut out reptetiveness, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to whatever Gregory writes next.

I spent too long reading this book, only to quit half-way through. It is rare that I put down a book without finishing it, but this one was just too boring. I have read most of Gregory's books, and enjoyed them. After just finishing watching The White Princess on TV, I was looking forward to
some interesting reading. I was wrong. Don't waste your time on this one.

This novel is an excellent example of what historical fiction should be. The characters are varied and fully developed. The historical detail is impressive and the story is also highly entertaining. The book presents an interesting look at the dominating influence of religion on the lives of that era. The author places readers in the middle of the action while also drawing us in to experience empathy or anger towards the characters. This is a novel to savour.

As always, Phillipa Gregory puts you there. After only a few pages, you are shivering in a damp castle and dreading the arrival of the Queen after her afternoon of riding. You feel a sudden chill and you can even smell the dampness in the air. You too began to wonder if you'll survive her capricious whim. It is beautifully, beautifully read by Bianca, who could make going for a carton of milk sound exciting.
I look forward to her next great read!

I think she's running out of steam. With much less historical material available on these characters, we've gotten a lot of redundant (and repetitive) inner monologue channeled through shallow and uninteresting people. Someone being related to personages of historical significance does not necessarily make them interesting.

This is the second novel I've read by the author. The first one was "The Taming of a Queen. " I found that one so historically inaccurate that I told myself I wasn't going to read another of her books. But when I saw this one, I decided to give her another chance. WRONG!

Admittedly, I don't know a lot about the Grey sisters. Therefore I can't comment on the historical accuracy of their plight. BUT the depiction of Queen Elizabeth--OMG! She had no redeeming qualities. She was downright evil. The woman who ruled during the golden age of Britain? I don't think so.

Just my opinion...

Definitely the most un-interesting Philippa Gregory book so far. The beginning of the book is from Jane's perspective, which is monotonous (as I expect Jane probably was in real life...), but the writing style is also simplistic and boring for the rest of the book. I finished it, but really contemplated just walking away and finding other books about the sisters. I think the story of the 3 Grey girls itself is interesting, but not the way this book depicted it.

As usual, Ms. Gregory made me feel like I was living during Tudor reign. I knew so little about Lady Jane Gray and her sisters. This book made me want to learn even more. For me that is the sign of good historical fiction. I can’t say this was my favorite of her Tudor books but is was solid. She tends to use the same formula and style in all the Tudor books so it does get old. However, her style is effective in telling these little known stories.

I LOVE historical fiction and this one was right up my alley. I really enjoyed the book over all but Mary;'s book became redundant with hope that they will all be free. Question? Was Elizabeth I really this wicked? I ordered The King's curse next. I hope enjoy it as much as this one.

More of the same boring drivel. I wonder how many Americans know that in a UK magazine a few years ago (Good Housekeeping) Phillipa Gregory When asked a series of questions in an interview to 'name something you could do without' she replied America. Wonder if she would be willing to 'do without' the money she makes from America! Avoid.

I enjoy most of Philippa Gregory's historical fiction, and this was no exception. The only complaint I have about it is that the beginning and the end felt really tedious and slow. Lots of action going on that didn't really have anything to do with the main characters. But overall it was a fun read.

I love all of Philippe Gregory’s books. It’s the very best mix of fiction and history. Her books have sparked a thirst for knowledge in me for the old English Monarchy. It’s fascinsting to learn about the incredible powers of the monarchy and all of the scheming of people behind and around the power.

I love all her Tudor books but not this one, the whole storyline is boring and here and there. Elizabeth and Queen Mary was fill the whole story but the book is not really about them, is about Grey girls but they all locked up and there is nothing to write about it.

About 300 pages too long. In general, I’ve enjoyed most books in the “Tudor” series & liked them. Thank goodness this is the last. It was as if the author needed to fill pages with minutia, perhaps attempting to reach a particular word or page count? (I finished it as it was the only book I brought with me on vacation”

The story is told from each sisters perspective. Each of them are very different in disposition but share a host of tragic circumstances brought about by being Tudor heirs under the rule of fearful and vengeful queens, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.

Was looking forward to this as I have read and thoroughly enjoyed at least 6 of her other books. Couldn’t even finish this. It was so repetitive. It was interesting at first getting to know the family and how they planned to marry off the girls to maintain their standing. Jane’s religion, piety and sense of duty. I stuck it out through Jane’s story and partway through Katherine’s (should we tell the queen? No we can’t tell her now! Wait...we have to tell her... this went on forever) it went downhill to the point of my looking up the rest of the story in Wikipedia to put myself out of my misery.

I have loved every Phillipa Gregory book I have ever picked up & I was so excited for this one & it has been an epic disappointment. It is painful to read. Not only is it boring but it gets downright confusing at times. I thought about not finishing it but I'm already half way through & owe my library over due fees so unfortunately I'm committed

As with Ms. Gregory's books, it is hard to put down. She gives a voice so clear and sympathetic to the characters. I know I will research more on E1 to try to settle my dislike of her cruel and selfish treatment of these young women. Oh the curse to be born a royal in this period.

I have read all the Plantagenet and Tudor novels of Philippa Gregory, as well as her earlier books. Having read and watched other interpretations, fiction and non, I am ready to be done. I am sure the writing is just as good but my enthusiasm has waned. On to something different.

This is my least favorite of Gregory's books. 2 out of the 3 sisters are extremely unlikeable characters. Most of the books chronicles the captivity of the 3 Grey sisters. The complaining about Queen Elizabeth just goes on and on...

I have read all the Plantagenet and Tudor novels of Philippa Gregory, as well as her earlier books. Having read and watched other interpretations, fiction and non, I am ready to be done. I am sure the writing is just as good but my enthusiasm has waned. On to something different.

This is my least favorite of Gregory's books. 2 out of the 3 sisters are extremely unlikeable characters. Most of the books chronicles the captivity of the 3 Grey sisters. The complaining about Queen Elizabeth just goes on and on...

The story drags at times and the facts are repetitive. Since I don't know much about Englisg history I am anxious to see how this turns out. I could do some research but prefer to read the book instead.