My Contrary Mary: Now a Streaming Series (The Lady Janies, 14)
Long live the queen: The authors who brought you the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane kick off an all-new historical trilogy with the classy, courtly tale of Mary, Queen of Scots—perfect for YA fantasy and romance readers.
Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?
Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It’s a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.
Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn after the king meets a suspicious end. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis face a viper’s nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary’s secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.
With a royally clever sense of humor, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows continue their campaign to turn history on its head in this YA fantasy ideal for fans of A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.
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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
Three brilliant authors are at it again with their historical fiction, bringing imagination and creativity to My Contrary Mary.
Great Storytelling
It was such a brilliant move to bring readers back into the Eðian world introduced in My Lady Jane. This was the setting that opened this portal into a new realm of storytelling. So, it was great to see this world brought to life again.
It was also great to see Jane near the end as part of an Eðian refugee organization (H.O.R.S.E.).
Nevertheless, like the previous novel, what makes the novel so brilliant is how the authors break the fourth wall. God, I love the humor in their voices and how they talk to the reader without breaking pace. It works so well because they make you laugh as they reference history and pop culture. Moreover, it does not run the risk of taking the reader out of the story. It pulls the reader deeper into the story.
Incredible Voice
As with their Jane series, authors Hand, Ashton, and Meadows combine their unique voices to bring to life three distinct characters.
My Contrary Mary splits between Mary Queen of Scots, the dauphin Francis, and Ari de Nostradame, daughter of the famed seer Nostradamus. I do not know how these authors do it, but they can imbue these characters with strong personalities that fit within the historical context. Their personalities also fit within what we as readers know of these characters from historical accounts.
Seeing Mary Queen of Scots rise in France and then go on this adventure to Scotland was brilliant. Her voice was incredible, as was her attitude. The authors made sure to capture this regal self-assured, strong woman, bringing her to life with such ferocity. Furthermore, it was great to see her turn into a mouse as well. Many people do not look at mice much except to rid themselves of them, so it was a clever juxtaposition to her personality.
As for Francis, what was great about him was his character growth. Of course, there is character growth all around but what makes him so remarkable is that he starts insecure, unsure of himself, and the entire experience allows him to grow. Francis grows into this self-assured young man from the man who never felt worthy of Mary. This brilliant team of authors made Francis relatable and grounded, making him worthy of the fierce Mary.
And then there is Ari. As the daughter of Nostradamus, with the same gift of mixing potions and seeing the future, she is trying to prove herself to the royal court. Ari makes many bad decisions, like working for Catherine de Medici, but it mirrors the present-day workforce. Sometimes people think they must sacrifice their morals and ethics to move up, and while that might make her unlikable, it keeps her relatable. The reader wants to see her escape the clutches of Catherine, they want to see her grow, and she does. To see her form an excellent relationship with one of Mary’s ladies and grow into her own person outside of her father’s shadow in a male-dominated era gives her depth.
Final Thoughts
My Contrary Mary was incredible in every way. The authors rewrite history and use fantasy to highlight those religious prejudices gives the story again this incredible edge. These authors have once again opened the door to a fantastic new series.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Three brilliant authors are at it again with their historical fiction, bringing imagination and creativity to My Contrary Mary.
Great Storytelling
It was such a brilliant move to bring readers back into the Eðian world introduced in My Lady Jane. This was the setting that opened this portal into a new realm of storytelling. So, it was great to see this world brought to life again.
It was also great to see Jane near the end as part of an Eðian refugee organization (H.O.R.S.E.).
Nevertheless, like the previous novel, what makes the novel so brilliant is how the authors break the fourth wall. God, I love the humor in their voices and how they talk to the reader without breaking pace. It works so well because they make you laugh as they reference history and pop culture. Moreover, it does not run the risk of taking the reader out of the story. It pulls the reader deeper into the story.
Incredible Voice
As with their Jane series, authors Hand, Ashton, and Meadows combine their unique voices to bring to life three distinct characters.
My Contrary Mary splits between Mary Queen of Scots, the dauphin Francis, and Ari de Nostradame, daughter of the famed seer Nostradamus. I do not know how these authors do it, but they can imbue these characters with strong personalities that fit within the historical context. Their personalities also fit within what we as readers know of these characters from historical accounts.
Seeing Mary Queen of Scots rise in France and then go on this adventure to Scotland was brilliant. Her voice was incredible, as was her attitude. The authors made sure to capture this regal self-assured, strong woman, bringing her to life with such ferocity. Furthermore, it was great to see her turn into a mouse as well. Many people do not look at mice much except to rid themselves of them, so it was a clever juxtaposition to her personality.
As for Francis, what was great about him was his character growth. Of course, there is character growth all around but what makes him so remarkable is that he starts insecure, unsure of himself, and the entire experience allows him to grow. Francis grows into this self-assured young man from the man who never felt worthy of Mary. This brilliant team of authors made Francis relatable and grounded, making him worthy of the fierce Mary.
And then there is Ari. As the daughter of Nostradamus, with the same gift of mixing potions and seeing the future, she is trying to prove herself to the royal court. Ari makes many bad decisions, like working for Catherine de Medici, but it mirrors the present-day workforce. Sometimes people think they must sacrifice their morals and ethics to move up, and while that might make her unlikable, it keeps her relatable. The reader wants to see her escape the clutches of Catherine, they want to see her grow, and she does. To see her form an excellent relationship with one of Mary’s ladies and grow into her own person outside of her father’s shadow in a male-dominated era gives her depth.
Final Thoughts
My Contrary Mary was incredible in every way. The authors rewrite history and use fantasy to highlight those religious prejudices gives the story again this incredible edge. These authors have once again opened the door to a fantastic new series.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
*Thank you to Netgalley & Harper Audio for approving my access to an early audio of My Contrary Mary in exchange for an honest review*
Mary Queen of Scots has lived in France since she was a young girl and she always knew she'd marry Francis. There is one secret she has been keeping from him and the rest of Court, not only for her safety but for the safety of her people as well. Mary is an Eðian. Her spirit animal is a mouse and when Francis tells her that her uncles are scheming against her she decides to use her ability to find out the truth. This gets her in a bit of hot water and after she weds Francis she sneaks away to Scotland to seek advice from her mother. This is when the adventure begins and not only for Mary. Francis finds himself on a separate journey with Ari Nostradamus which leads him to uncovering more plots against them all.
It was so good to be back in the world filled with Eðian! My Lady Jane was so much fun and when I heard that My Contrary Mary was going to be set in the same time and world I was so excited! I will have to admit that this one is my favorite of their works (minus Calamity Jane because I haven't read it yet, which I plan on to remedy very soon)!
My absolute favorite part of this book were all the subtle pop culture references and they were all over the place. If you're not paying attention you may miss the references to Titanic, Terminator, Braveheart, and Princess Bride just to name a few. I found myself giggling out loud quite often.
Although the audio is a bit shaky on the Netgalley Shelf app, I thought it was well done. If you've loved the Janies than you'll definitely need to pick this one up! I can't wait to read about more Mary's in the future!
Mary Queen of Scots has lived in France since she was a young girl and she always knew she'd marry Francis. There is one secret she has been keeping from him and the rest of Court, not only for her safety but for the safety of her people as well. Mary is an Eðian. Her spirit animal is a mouse and when Francis tells her that her uncles are scheming against her she decides to use her ability to find out the truth. This gets her in a bit of hot water and after she weds Francis she sneaks away to Scotland to seek advice from her mother. This is when the adventure begins and not only for Mary. Francis finds himself on a separate journey with Ari Nostradamus which leads him to uncovering more plots against them all.
It was so good to be back in the world filled with Eðian! My Lady Jane was so much fun and when I heard that My Contrary Mary was going to be set in the same time and world I was so excited! I will have to admit that this one is my favorite of their works (minus Calamity Jane because I haven't read it yet, which I plan on to remedy very soon)!
My absolute favorite part of this book were all the subtle pop culture references and they were all over the place. If you're not paying attention you may miss the references to Titanic, Terminator, Braveheart, and Princess Bride just to name a few. I found myself giggling out loud quite often.
Although the audio is a bit shaky on the Netgalley Shelf app, I thought it was well done. If you've loved the Janies than you'll definitely need to pick this one up! I can't wait to read about more Mary's in the future!
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