History can't be rewritten -- or can it? Because, in this case, history got it all wrong. Enter a humorous, magical retelling of a beloved moment from history, because it's the right story. With three dynamic characters, an exhilarating plot and a group of hilarious narrators, the Lady Janies give Lady Jane Grey the story she deserves. And it's definitely the kind of story no reader can soon forget.The authors of this novel fondly call themselves the Lady Janies, and are comprised of writers Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows. Ashton, author of the Everneath trilogy and Diplomatic Immunity, received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master's degree in international relations from the London School of Economics, and currently lives in Utah. Hand, New York Times bestselling author of the Unearthly trilogy and The Last Time We Say Goodbye, studied literary fiction and earned an MFA and PhD in fiction writing, and currently lives in Idaho. Meadows, author of the Incarnate trilogy and the Orphan Queen duology, currently lives in rural Virginia. These authors met in Texas in 2012, became fast friends, and then New York Times bestselling co-authors. You can find them at ladyjanies.blogspot.com.
Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He's also dying, which is inconvenient, as he's only sixteen and he'd much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown . . . Jane (reads too many books) is Edward's cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there's something a little odd about her intended . . . Gifford (call him G) is a horse. That is, he's an Ethian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed -- but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. It's all very undignified. The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and G are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own. But can they pull of their plan before it's off with their heads?
Jane, Edward, and G all have equally distributed chapters in their different POVs. Sometimes in books with multiple perspectives, it's easy to fall in love with only one character and look ahead to always reading in their POV. That is not the case here, as all three of our characters are engaging, dynamic, and hilariously enjoyable. I would be remiss to not begin with our leading lady, Lady Jane Grey. I personally love bookish main characters, because I feel like they're the easiest to relate to. I especially enjoy bookish characters who believe themselves always right. That is the case with Lady Jane Grey, whose head is always stuck in the clouds but is grounded by her knowledge. Her character arc is fun to follow, because she was in the shadow of the world for sixteen years, and then all of a sudden is thrust into the spotlight as queen, but only for 9 days, and is then back in the shadows but in a more intense way. Throughout it all, she believes herself to be right about her actions and thoughts, but that quickly changes as other characters and her own new experiences broaden her worldview. There's also this absolute joy to Jane that never completely disappears, despite all the things that happen to her. She's fun to read because of her endless optimism and her ability to wiggle out of tight spots. The character our authors build around the actual Lady Jane Grey cause readers to really root for her as she undergoes so many quick changes in her life. Because of the Lady Janies, Lady Jane Grey is no long an illusive historical figure, but a respected, revered, and short-lived Queen of England.
Let's not forget about our male characters, Edward and G. Edward might be a bit insufferable at first -- he is a spoiled king, after all. But when push comes to shove, Edward finds his way out of plenty of tight spots. Edward just wants to live, and wants to live well. That's his personal journey in this story. G on the other hand, enjoys his freeing existence as a horse. His journey involves learning how to widen his horizons to include other people in his life. That begins with Jane, and is forced to expand to the people Jane cares about. What I enjoyed about both of these characters is the ways they're forced out of their comfort zones, both in very different ways. I would classify these characters as coming-of-age, because they're representative of young people finally understanding that they need to take accountability for leading the lives they want to live. While the real Edward and Gifford might not closely resemble the two characters the Lady Janies paint for readers, they are inspiring and amusing -- so much so that we can't help but cheer them on as they navigate the conspiracies of a kingdom and the tensions that always arise in an adolescent existence.
Let's not forget about our male characters, Edward and G. Edward might be a bit insufferable at first -- he is a spoiled king, after all. But when push comes to shove, Edward finds his way out of plenty of tight spots. Edward just wants to live, and wants to live well. That's his personal journey in this story. G on the other hand, enjoys his freeing existence as a horse. His journey involves learning how to widen his horizons to include other people in his life. That begins with Jane, and is forced to expand to the people Jane cares about. What I enjoyed about both of these characters is the ways they're forced out of their comfort zones, both in very different ways. I would classify these characters as coming-of-age, because they're representative of young people finally understanding that they need to take accountability for leading the lives they want to live. While the real Edward and Gifford might not closely resemble the two characters the Lady Janies paint for readers, they are inspiring and amusing -- so much so that we can't help but cheer them on as they navigate the conspiracies of a kingdom and the tensions that always arise in an adolescent existence.
Fans of history will recognize many nods to the historical nature of the (accurate) story, all the way down to the carving of Jane's name in a cell wall. The Lady Janies also stay rather true to the actual events, including how long Jane keeps her reign, and the appearances of how King Edward VI died. It's clear that the Lady Janies did their research and travel before "tearing apart" the history for the sake of such a fun story. I think it's important that they did this research, because it gives them the credibility they need to change the story. That way, readers can trust them with the bigger and accurate historical elements, while also agreeing with the small (and large) detail changes that makes the story unique. The addition of fantasy elements also gives the story the fun twist it needs to get the Lady Janies out of tight holes that abound in the real Lady Jane Grey's story. The combination of history and fantasy is well done, because neither genre overpowers the other, or the true purpose of the story.
Our narrators (the Lady Janies themselves, I should say) are unforgettable and quite droll as they tell this story. The inclusion of such nosy narrators is one of the most fun stylistic choices I've seen in YA fiction in a long time. They guide us through this new England we had no idea existed through amusing parentheticals and the first ever "Midlogue." Their little asides keep the story interesting and refreshing. Their inclusion never feels too funny to the point of being not funny. There's a perfect balance of humor from the narrators, versus humor from the characters themselves, versus the sincerity of the plot. Having the narrators also reminds readers that the story is well researched, and yet only a loose retelling of what happened to the real Lady Jane Grey. The combination of the narrators and the humor makes the book a real page-turner, and practically impossible to set down.
Lovers of the classic Jane Eyre will love the next book in this series, My Plain Jane. It is an entirely different story set in an entirely different world with different characters, but My Plain Jane is just as funny and endearing as its predecessor. You can find my review of My Plain Jane here!
Comments
Post a Comment