My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**4.5-stars**
Returning with all the fantastical humor of My Lady Jane, My Contrary Mary follows Mary Queen of Scots as a teenager in 16th-century France.
Although she has the title of Queen of Scotland, Mary has actually spent most of her life living in France, where she is betrothed to the Dauphin; future King, Francis.
She has her handmaidens with her, all named Mary, but luckily assigned nicknames so they don’t all respond at the same time. Less confusing that way.
Mary, our Mary, Mary Queen of Scots, also feels fortunate that she and Francis actually get along quite well; many young people aren’t as fortunate with their arranged marriages. #blessed
Just look at Francis’s mother, Catherine de Medici. It’s pretty clear she despises her husband, King Henry II and frequently plots against him in various ways.
Oh, the drama of the royal court!!!
Our varied cast of characters doesn’t end there however, we also have the infamous seer Nostradamus, along with his daughter, Ari, on Catherine’s payroll.
Lurking about behind the scenes providing predictions, potions and more!
I should also probably mention that our Mary is an edian, a shapeshifter, transforming into a mouse when it suits her.
This is an awfully handy skill for palace eavesdropping, as you can imagine, and has helped our dear Mary on more than one occasion.
Y’all, I’m giddy. This was so much fun. It was everything I wanted it to be.
I love the Lady Janies’ creative narrative style. It’s quirky, funny and full of subtle pop culture references. These authors sure know how to tell a delightful story!
Captivating from the start, if you enjoyed My Lady Jane, I think you will love this just as much. I know I did.
Thank you to the publisher, Harper Teen and Harper Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. It was pure fun on the page and I can’t wait to meet more Marys are the series continues!!!
