3.5
The Last Tudor
ByPublisher Description
The final book of the Tudor series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory features one of the most famous women in history, Lady Jane Grey, and her two sisters, each of whom dared to defy her queen.
Jane Grey was queen of England for nine days. Her father and his allies crowned her instead of the dead king’s half-sister Mary Tudor, who quickly mustered an army, claimed her throne, and locked Jane in the Tower of London. When Jane refused to betray her Protestant faith, Mary sent her to the executioner’s block, where Jane transformed her father’s greedy power-grab into tragic martyrdom.
“Learn you to die,” was the advice Jane wrote to her younger sister Katherine, who has no intention of dying. She intends to enjoy her beauty and her youth and fall in love. But she is heir to the insecure and infertile Queen Mary and then to her sister Queen Elizabeth, who will never allow Katherine to marry and produce a Tudor son. When Katherine’s pregnancy betrays her secret marriage, she faces imprisonment in the Tower, only yards from her sister’s scaffold.
“Farewell, my sister,” writes Katherine to the youngest Grey sister, Mary. A beautiful dwarf, disregarded by the court, Mary keeps family secrets, especially her own, while avoiding Elizabeth’s suspicious glare. After seeing her sisters defy their queens, Mary is acutely aware of her own danger, but determined to command her own life. What will happen when the last Tudor defies her ruthless and unforgiving cousin Queen Elizabeth?
Jane Grey was queen of England for nine days. Her father and his allies crowned her instead of the dead king’s half-sister Mary Tudor, who quickly mustered an army, claimed her throne, and locked Jane in the Tower of London. When Jane refused to betray her Protestant faith, Mary sent her to the executioner’s block, where Jane transformed her father’s greedy power-grab into tragic martyrdom.
“Learn you to die,” was the advice Jane wrote to her younger sister Katherine, who has no intention of dying. She intends to enjoy her beauty and her youth and fall in love. But she is heir to the insecure and infertile Queen Mary and then to her sister Queen Elizabeth, who will never allow Katherine to marry and produce a Tudor son. When Katherine’s pregnancy betrays her secret marriage, she faces imprisonment in the Tower, only yards from her sister’s scaffold.
“Farewell, my sister,” writes Katherine to the youngest Grey sister, Mary. A beautiful dwarf, disregarded by the court, Mary keeps family secrets, especially her own, while avoiding Elizabeth’s suspicious glare. After seeing her sisters defy their queens, Mary is acutely aware of her own danger, but determined to command her own life. What will happen when the last Tudor defies her ruthless and unforgiving cousin Queen Elizabeth?
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3.5
Conor
Created 17 days agoShare
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“The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory is a captivating novel that brings to life the tragic and complex stories of the Grey sisters: Jane, Katherine, and Mary. Divided into three sections, each narrated by one of the sisters, the book explores themes of love, ambition, and survival in the tumultuous Tudor court.
Book One: Jane
The first section, narrated by Jane Grey, is the shortest but no less impactful. Gregory’s portrayal of Jane’s piety and her complex relationship with her husband, Guildford Dudley, is both compelling and tragic. I appreciated how Jane sought to keep Guildford away from power, mirroring the Dudleys’ hunger for control as seen in The Virgin’s Lover. Jane’s unwavering faith and bravery as she faced execution were deeply admirable, though I found her tendency to underestimate her sisters disappointing.
Book Two: Katherine
The second section, narrated by Katherine Grey, is the longest and begins immediately after Jane’s story. Katherine’s personality and passions shine through, from her love for animals like Mr. Nozzle the monkey and Ribbon the cat to her deep friendship with Janey Seymour. Her whirlwind romance and secret marriage to Ned Seymour were endearing, and the nod to The Virgin’s Lover - where Katherine surprises Robert Dudley in Elizabeth’s chambers - added a touch of humor amidst the drama. Katherine’s imprisonment and separation from Ned were heartbreaking, particularly the devastating moment she realizes she will never see her son Teddy again.
Book Three: Mary
The final section, narrated by Mary Grey, was my favorite. Mary’s resilience and her love story with Thomas Keyes felt the most relatable and emotionally charged. Despite her small stature and the odds against her, Mary’s strength and determination to live life on her terms were inspiring. Her marriage to Thomas and their brief time together before imprisonment were bittersweet, and Gregory’s vivid descriptions of Thomas’s poor conditions made his suffering painfully real. Mary also provides a unique lens through which to view Tudor politics, from Mary Queen of Scots’ marriages to Elizabeth’s near-death experience with smallpox. I particularly enjoyed the detail of Mary borrowing Elizabeth’s makeup for her wedding - a touching, human moment amidst the political turmoil.
Overall, The Last Tudor is a brilliant and emotional novel that blends love, death, family, and war into a gripping narrative. For the first time in Gregory’s works, I noticed no pacing issues, which made the reading experience even more enjoyable. With its richly drawn characters and poignant storytelling, this book stands out as my favorite of Gregory’s novels so far. A solid 4.5 stars - highly recommended for fans of historical fiction!”
ConstantReader1974
Created 26 days agoShare
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MissDani
Created about 1 month agoShare
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“I have always been fascinated by the Tudor court and that era. I fell in love with Phillipa reading The Other Boleyn Girl and have read all of her books since. Reading is an escape and spending time with the Tudor court is such an adventure, this was indifferent. There are a lot of characters, and many have the same name. Jane, Anne, Mary, Elizabeth, Thomas, Henry, so Phillipa helps keep them straight by always saying who they are, their title and their family lineage. It would be quite confusing if she didn’t I think. So, while it annoys some, I think it is quite helpful for many. Many of the characters weren’t well documented in history books, so I applaud her for the research she does and the license she takes to bring them alive. Much so with Mary Grey in this novel. I did enjoy the escape. Also, it’s not really in chapters, it’s in “Books” so they can be quite long. I didn’t mind but some might not like it. I do hope it’s not the last one.”
About Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is the author of many New York Times bestselling novels, including The Other Boleyn Girl, and is a recognized authority on women’s history. Many of her works have been adapted for the screen including The Other Boleyn Girl. She graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and was awarded the 2016 Harrogate Festival Award for Contribution to Historical Fiction. She is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. She was awarded a CBE title for services to literature and charity in 2022. She welcomes visitors to her website PhilippaGregory.com.
Other books by Philippa Gregory
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