Books & Java

My Lady Jane 

by  

Cynthia Hand

Brodi Ashton

Jodi Meadows

Synopsis:

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.  
At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

My Review:

This book was such a breath of fresh air. What a way to take the tragic fate Jane Grey and turn it into such a wonderfully fantastic and not corny funny yet hilarious tale. 

I have to admit that I wasn't very knowledgeable about the story of Jane Grey. She becomes queen unexpectedly after a plot to dethrone King Edward. Her reign is short as after 7 or so days on the throne she is beheaded. However, this is not exactly what happens in My Lady Jane. In this version of the tale, there is an element of magic, shape-shifting and comic relief that alters the ending in a way that will make every reader so happy.  Great story-telling. Fantastic dialog and of course characters that just leap off the page right into your imagination. I happened to listen to this book on audio and I found myself walking around doing my day-to-day activities while unwilling to put down my headset. If you get a chance listen to the audio book as the narration is the best I have ever heard.