my lady jane review

Price: $15.99 - $8.81
(as of Jan 05, 2025 00:02:48 UTC - Details)

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New York Times Bestseller * Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Book of the Year * Bustle Best Young Adult Book of the Year * YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

This comical, fantastical, romantical, New York Times bestselling, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey is “an uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA 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.

Like that could go wrong.

And don't miss the authors' next fun read, My Plain Jane!

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Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars

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4.2 out of 5 stars

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4.2 out of 5 stars

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4.4 out of 5 stars

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4.2 out of 5 stars

105

4.4 out of 5 stars

55

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History is turned on its head in this hilarious and romantic YA fantasy series.
All hail the… queen? The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey —because sometimes history needs a little help! Move over, Charlotte Brontë. This irreverent spin on Jane Eyre is a tale of mischief, romance, and supernatural mayhem. Hold on to your hats: This is the side-splittin’, not-so-tall tale of the one and only Calamity Jane. Long live the queen! This historical romp is a royally clever take on the classy, courtly tale of Mary, Queen of Scots. It’s aliiiiiiiive! This talented trio of authors is back with the electric, poetic, and (almost) historical tale of the one and only Mary Shelley. Ahoy, mateys! This fantastical, piratical historical fantasy remix marries the story of The Little Mermaid with the life and times of infamous lady pirate Mary Read.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (June 11, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 512 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063420198
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063420199
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 17 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 1.15 x 8 inches
Reviewer: Kyle Shultz
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A delight from start to finish!
Review: Let’s face it–history can be pretty depressing.For one thing, the vast majority of people involved in history are dead. For another, quite a few of them came to sad and even gruesome ends. Take Lady Jane Grey, for example. Became queen of England in 1553, ruled for only nine days, got her head chopped off. And on top of that, the poor girl was only sixteen years old. Her beloved husband Lord Guildford Dudley met the same end, at age nineteen. If any historical event needed a heaping dose of good old-fashioned revisionism, it’s this sad little anecdote.Never fear. Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are here to tell you what really happened–or at least, what happened in a far more fun and funny corner of the multiverse than this one. How about English history with a complex society of shapeshifters? And a YA heroine who doesn’t want to be a heroine at all, preferring to stay at home with her massive book collection? And male lead characters who aren’t total jerks? And a Tangled reference?If that last one doesn’t sell you on this book, I don’t know what will.The problem with My Lady Jane is that it’s not marketed the way it should be. The synopsis just doesn't tell you enough. Stop trying to hide fantasy and hilarity under a bushel basket, Harper Teen. And I like the cover, but you could at least have put a horse next to Jane and shoved a few books into her arms.Let me explain what My Lady Jane is really about. Roughly half the human beings in this version of medieval England are each able to turn into a particular animal. These people are called Ethians (a different symbol is used in place of the “th” in the book, but I don’t know what it’s called or how to get my keyboard to do it, so let’s just go with the phonetic spelling). The three authors build on this premise to create something that has little or no historical accuracy, and isn’t remotely sorry about it.So here’s a more thorough synopsis: King Edward VI of England is dying, and without an heir to take his place. The only person eligible for the throne is Lady Jane Grey–his cousin, his best friend, and an inveterate bookworm. But of course, a woman cannot be the sole ruler of England, so Jane will have to get married. The good news is, there’s a candidate–Lord Gifford Dudley, a young man of unusual habits but sound character. The bad news is, he’s a horse. Well, half the time, anyway.Do not read this book if you are seeking reliable historical education. By all means read it if you want to cheer up and laugh your head off.I don’t have anything to put in the “stuff I wasn’t so fond of” column on this book, so instead, I’ll talk about the main things I loved:The characters. The book features quite a few POV characters, and they’re all awesome. Each one has a distinct personality and unique, engaging traits. Jane and Gifford, in particular, are delightful. Jane is a heroine for every young woman who loves to read. Gifford is a hero for every guy who likes to write. (Also for every guy who is cursed to spend his daylight hours in the form of a horse, though I’m not sure how big that target audience is.) Together, Jane and Gifford are pretty much the perfect couple. They don’t wallow in angst, and their romance is never tiresome.The backdrop. It’s not just the alt-history-with-shapeshifters concept that sets My Lady Jane apart, it’s the way that premise is developed. Too many fantasy novels fall into the threadbare trope of pitting one-dimensional magic-hating villains against equally one-dimensional magic-using heroes. The conflict between Ethians and ordinary humans in this book is more complex than that, leading to political intrigue and unexpected twists. The presence of heroes and villains on both sides of the aisle provides welcome shades of gray. (No, that wasn’t a pun. Unless you want it to be.)The humor. This is one of those books that has you laughing out loud on every page. Sometimes more than once on each page. It’s a “feel-good” story. It’s not really a big spoiler to say that My Lady Jane has a happy ending. It’s the kind of book you know will end that way as soon as you read the first chapter. As in a P.G. Wodehouse or Terry Pratchett book, the enjoyment comes not from wondering if the characters will get a happy ending, but from wondering how the author will bring about the inevitable happy ending. And the path to My Lady Jane’s cheery resolution is brilliant and full of surprises. There’s plenty of suspense, but nothing truly dark or unpleasant.A few quotes, in case you’re not convinced yet:Content Advisory: A smattering of mild profanity, a few slightly off-color references and a tastefully-written “fade to black” scene (in which the participants are married). The book is suitable for teens, and younger kids could probably enjoy it as well with a bit of parental guidance.In short, My Lady Jane is a literary pleasure that you should not deny yourself one second longer. Buy it now. Read it. Then read it again so you can discover all the funny lines you missed the first time around.And ladies, when you get engaged to a guy, be sure to ask questions if you smell hay on his breath.

Reviewer: Brittany
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A fantastic blend of history, satire, and magic!
Review: MY LADY JANE is such a fun and unique concept. There isn’t a lot of satire out there in YA right now and this was such a fun way to bring both history and humor together. The book is told by narrators who frequently interrupt their own story-telling to add notes for the reader and inform them of historical inaccuracies, fun facts, or just silly tidbits. It was a lot of fun and really reminded me some of wonderfully comedic Mel Brooks movies in which characters often break the 4th wall to address the audience directly. It’s even more fun to incorporate satire with a historical account (or rather, a quite fictionalized historical account) because of all the anachronisms and pop culture references that really make the book even more funny!Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about the story of Lady Jane Grey. Obviously by now, I know the broader points of history (and I still blame my middle school and high school education for a seriously lack of historical knowledge) so I think the book could have been a bit more fun if I was more of a history buff. I know a few friends who love history and have an extensive knowledge on historical events who took a little more joy from the story overall, so that’s really just a personal experience that unfortunately can’t helped. I will say, though, that the book was enjoyable whether you know the history or not! I had a basic understanding but details are explained and even if you don’t care about the true story, the book will carry you through with a fun historical-fiction romp (and they change the ending anyway so I suppose it doesn’t matter too much in the end)!The concept of Eðians (people who magically change to and from an animal form) was so much fun! I loved how it was incorporated in to the book in so many ways — from selecting to change to being cursed, the support and blatant rejection, the people in disguise — it was a great way to incorporate magic from start to finish. I liked that it was the only real form of magic in the book so it brought that magical element but didn’t turn into a full-out fantasy. It was the perfect way to alter history just a bit and keep things tied to the actual facts.I just loved the collaboration from Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, and Cynthia Hand. They really put together a fun and unique book and MY LADY JANE easily found a place in so many readers’ hearts. MY LADY JANE easily appeals to fans of The Princess Bride with its historical feel and slight satire, Disney fans for its animal magic and pop culture references, and historical fans who love a twist on history. There are direct references to books and movies like The Princess Bride, A Game of Thrones, Monty Python, and I’m pretty sure I saw Tangled in there! It also had the magic of all of seeing everything combined and so many loves in one place. I laughed out loud so many times and the book was just so clever!I had a weird experience in which reading this book was so enjoyable and yet it felt really long! The book is over 500 pages so it’s no speed-read but the content was so light and fun that I feel like I should have finished it fasted. Maybe it was just my reading schedule… but I do feel like it could have been a little bit shorter. A lot of people said the book just flew by and it didn’t feel to long until I was nearing the end and it still wasn’t over. Don’t get me wrong — I was enjoying the whole thing — but there was just something that was off that was making me anxious for things to wrap up. That’s seriously one of my only qualms, though. MY LADY JANE was always fun and these authors did a great job of putting things together!

Reviewer: Rita Mota
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fun, irreverent historical retelling
Review: Honestly, I think I liked the show’s outrageousness better. Nonetheless, this was a fun read. It’s ridiculous, but hilarious. The dialogue and the narrating were on point.

Reviewer: MommaLayne
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Hilarious and Whimsical Twist on History
Review: "My Lady Jane" by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows is a delightful mix of historical fiction and fantasy that breathes new life into the story of Lady Jane Grey. With its playful tone and clever humor reminiscent of "The Princess Bride," this YA novel cleverly reimagines history, transforming Jane's plights and the political intrigue surrounding her into a charming and entertaining adventure.As Lady Jane navigates the complexities of a hasty marriage, treachery, and the burden of an unexpected crown, readers are treated to a unique narrative filled with whimsical characters and unexpected twists. The narrative is both engaging and laugh-out-loud funny, making it an enjoyable read for fans of fantasy and history alike. The authors masterfully blend romance, humor, and a touch of magic, leading to a refreshing and imaginative tale that assures readers that sometimes, history is best experienced with a dash of creativity.

Reviewer: Danna
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I saw the prime video series, so I bougth it, and it is a bit the same

Reviewer: Tim Chesterton
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Hugely enjoyable historical fantasy novel. The recent miniseries starts in the same place and almost with the same characters, but the story unfolds in a very different direction, so if you've only seen the miniseries, do yourself a favour and read the book too. It's pure enjoyment from beginning to end; just don't get hung up on anachronisms, of which there are more than a few!Highly recommended. Five stars out of five.

Reviewer: Sofia Vezaro
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: it has everything a book girlie could want!! it has action, romance, comedy, drama and much more!!!

Reviewer: esther gomez
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Es original y entretenida.

Reviewer: Ala
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I bought this after watching the TV series. It is a fast-paced, quirky, funny and witty little read. I very much enjoyed it and I think the show did its spirit justice, even though it is rather different.