My Contrary Mary (Mary, #1)
Cynthia Hand
Long live the 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. 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 that’s perfect for fans of A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.
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0**I was provided a galley audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**
Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows return to the world established in My Lady Jane to bring My Contrary Mary. In this installment, the author trio continues with their fantastical retellings of historical women by taking on the story of Mary, Queen of Scots.
I will start with a disclaimer; the galley audiobook is made utilizing a synthetic voice. Unfortunately, for me, the voice acting imparted by the narrator has a strong impact on whether or not I enjoy an audiobook. A synthetic voice is simply insufficient, even for galley purposes, in my opinion. I have not allowed my utter dislike for this to taint my rating, as this is decidedly not the fault of the authors.
The content of the novel had the same humor and whimsy to the retelling that was present in the Janies books, which I really enjoy. Ultimately, I feel if you have read any of the Jane books, you get the concept of how this book will be. These books are simply fun twists on historical tales that involve shape-shifting type magic. Overall, they are just a good time and, having listened to the Jane books, the voice actors typically contribute well to the delivery of the humor.
I would certainly recommend the series as a breath of fresh air sort of fun and I look forward to future installments.
0I received an e-arc of My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I've read the Lady Janies' previous series following Janes, and I was so excited when I heard that they were writing more books, this time following Marys. Also, I've never been so excited to be approved for an arc!! I love the way the Lady Janies write, their books are funny and entertaining but you also learn about history.
My Contrary Mary follows three POVs, Mary Queen of Scots, Francis the next king of France, and Ari the next Nostradamus. The setting is Renaissance France and takes place in the same world as My Lady Jane. This book read like Reign fanfiction in the best way, it was so funny and I flew through it! I watched a few episodes of Reign before reading and I think it helped to understand the court politics and setting a little better.
I really liked that there was a female female romance between Ari and one of Mary's ladies, and their interactions together were so cute. The romance between Mary and Francis was so sweet, and I love the friends-to-lovers trope when it's done well.
I think that if you like Six the Musical or The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue then you might also enjoy any of the Lady Janies' books.
I can't wait to read about the next Mary in the series. <3
4/5 stars.
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