Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this peek into Bloody Mary's life, even if it was through the lens of fiction. Usually, when you think of the Tudor dynasty you think of Henry and his *six* wives or Elizabeth I. Mary is kind of a bloody after note in the history books, and there were many things I wasn't aware of before reading this. In this book Elizabeth is more of a footnote, so if you're looking for the tension between the half-sisters, this isn't where you're going to find it. An enjoyable view into the life of Mary I.

I was emotionally and mentally unprepared for the sadness and darkness in this story and was unable to finish reading the book.

I enjoy books that take a fictionalized look at historical characters, so I thought I would enjoy this book. I didn't know much about the main character beforehand. The author jumped forward a lot in time. Each chapter was months or years distant from the previous and the next. So it felt like the book was just these small vignettes that weren't really related, so they were hard to pull together. It didn't feel like a cohesive story. The beginning felt tedious, with all her physical complaints and not liking being at court. I did like the glimpse it gave into the young Elizabeth who became Elizabeth I as well as her aging father, Henry VIII. But the book just felt too disjointed for me to really get into the story and follow the narrative flow.

This is the story of Bloody Mary. I am always interested to read about The Tudor family. While this was an insightful book, perhaps it might have benefitted from a bit more editing?

I received a free ARC.
"Queen of Martyrs" reveals a side of Mary I that I enjoyed learning. She really was to rule the way she thought best. She had a longing to be loved and understood. I found that this book made me understand Mary a bit better.
I haven't read the other books in this series, but plan to hunt them down now.

I really enjoyed reading this.

This was a great read and definitely not necessary to read the other two books. I'm glad it was relatively historically accurate as well.

I am now an official fan of Samantha J. Wilcoxson! Queen of Martyrs was brilliantly written. I am a sucker for an impeccably written setting, and was thrilled to find myself pulled into each scene with ease. I happily invested myself in the lives of the characters, and took them with me each time I walked away from the book. (Which wasn't often, as I literally couldn't put the thing down.) Marvelously written and a definite recommend.

Book three of Samantha Wilcoxson's trilogy tells the story of Queen Mary I. Each book can stand alone. I haven't read book one yet, but I plan to read it soon. The author has really did her homework and this is a fantastic read that will keep you turning the pages. Highly recommend to Historical Fiction Fans!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley.
All opinions are my own.

A really unique look at queen Mary that I thoroughly
Enjoyed reading, well researched and written i recommend to any lover of historical fiction

Being a 'fan' of Elizabeth I, I was wondering if I would enjoy a novel about her half sister Mary Tudor, the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. After a slow start, I ended up really enjoying the book which portrays Mary as quite sad and I felt a little sympathy for her plight in trying to restore Catholicism and produce an heir.

She has been labelled as "Bloody Mary" and now "Queen of Martyrs" which are handy for us pseudo historians, but this author has been able to correct some of this, and good for her!

Not in the Alison Weir class, but a different view of Tudor history which has to be a good thing?

Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

The Tudor era is one of my favorites times in history and this book was just so great! It really put me in the mindset of Mary I and I enjoyed every minute of it!

This book is about Queen Mary and her life. It's a great piece of history that is told in a story format. It tells of how brutal her king father was to her and his wives. Her brother and her engage in an argument over religion. It also tells how she was transformed into "Bloody Mary, people who like historical fiction will like this book. It's not a page turner, but it's very interesting.

I have read a lot of books about the Tudor period but very little about Mary I. I enjoyed this book and it portrayed Mary as an unhappy person who lived a sad and disturbed life. It only touched on what was a very bloody period in British history because of religious intolerance and mainly concentrated on the more domestic aspects of Mary’s court. I felt it was well researched but was more a book of popular fiction although no less enjoyable.

For anyone with an interest in the Tudor era I'd recommend giving this a read. When I saw the title I was a little confused as it's the third book in the Plantagenet Embers trilogy and technically Mary wasn't a Plantagenet, although she had Plantagenet blood via her grandmother Elizabeth of York. Anyway I gave it a go and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The book spans the life of Mary from the death of Catherine Howard to her own death and covers the difficulties she faced on the throne, marriage and her sister Elizabeth. It's not often I've found a book which examines things from Mary's view so this was a refreshing change.
The author has clearly researched the subject and it was fascinating to read about the phantom pregnancy and her relationship with Philip of Spain and Reginald Pole. I do wish we'd have been given the opportunity to learn about Mary's younger life and her experiences from when her father divorced her mother.
I will certainly be reading the first two books in this trilogy but this is also perfect as a stand alone book.
I am happy to have come across this author and book and look forward to reading more.

I have read a lot of books of this time period so it worked more as refresher then give me new information.
The author gives you a bit of insights in Mary's life. She certainly did not have much happiness.
It shows how she both loved and feared her father and was constantly trying to get his approval and love. Mary was extremely Catholic mostly as a result of the religious upbringing of her mother. The uncertainty of always been betrayed even by those she had pardoned for their previous treason certainly did not help her health situation.
It is hard to know a person thoughts and feelings but I think the author did a good job in presenting how she might have felt and her reactions to various circumstances.

History is my passion, the Tudor age is my usual go to read, and I completely lose myself in all kinds of books about this period.

Queen of Martyrs by Samantha J Wilcoxson, was an absolute pleasure to read.

When we think of Henry Viii and Catherine of Aragon's daughter Mary I, we don't tend to think to kindly, this is most probably due to her nickname 'bloody Mary, and the stories of why she was given that title.
After reading this book, my perception of her changed somewhat, the author tells her tale in a sympathetic and enlightening manner. She almost manages to bring Mary to life... I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her, her friendships and bonds with Katherine Parr, and Margaret Pole, her war to win the throne from her cousin Jane Grey, the dedication to her faith and memory of her mother, the tragedy of being named illegitimate, and her battle with her sister Elizabeth I.

Although this is book number 3 in the Plantaganet embers series, this book can also be read as a standalone.

I've given this book 5 stars and recommend it to fans of Tudor history.
Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read in return for an honest review

Mary is often overshadowed compared to her more infamous sister, Elizabeth. While she was the first female ruler of England, she has often been portrayed in a negative light. In this historical fiction novel, Mary is seen as a very sympathetic character. She is a woman who believes that she is trying to save England and to restore it to its former glory. Thus, I recommend this for Tudor fans and those interested in strong rulers.

The story of Mary I, England's first reigning queen, is well known, and this author doesn't really add anything new to the knowledge. However she does document Mary's life in a credible and sympathetic manner.

Born the eldest child of Henry VIII, Mary's life is a rollercoaster as she drops from potential heir to being named illegitimate, suffers a plethora of step-mothers, tries to keep the Roman Catholic faith of her mother in the face of the English Reformation, and has to endure her young brother's short reign, seeing him guided by his ambitious Seymour uncles. Following his death and the abortive attempt to put Jane Grey on the throne, Mary finds herself queen. However, one gets the impression that while she was brought up to be royal, she was never really trained for government.

Mary's reign is not remembered kindly - the fires of Smithfield burned 'heretics' as her overweening ambition to return England to the Catholic faith blotted out everything else. She was popular at the beginning of her reign, but the persecutions and her choice of a Spaniard as her husband did not endear her to the English.
Sadly her marriage was solely one of convenience and she did not manage to conceive a child. Her sister Elizabeth did not come over very well in the book being pictured as a scheming and manipulative person. I suspect she was just very astute at keeping herself alive during the religious changes during her brother and sister's reigns. History being written by the victor, it is not surprising Mary doesn't get a good press from Elizabeth's standpoint.

The book is well written and entertaining. I didn't really buy into the presumed 'romance' between her and Archbishop Reginald Pole, which seemed rather contrived and not something I had seen any evidence for previously. Mary is portrayed as a pious queen, trying to bring her country back to the 'true faith', but her methods of persecution would never sit well with Englishmen, particularly when enforced by a Spanish presence. Hence history tends to remember her as 'Bloody Mary'.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

QUEEN OF MARTYRS by SAMANTHA WILCOXSON is an interesting historical novel which tells the story of Mary Tudor. As she does in the first two books in the series, the author gives us amazing insight into the life of the English monarchy during the sixteenth century.
Mary, who was called Bloody Mary for her determined killing of those she called heretics - those who no longer wanted to be under the Pope and the Roman Catholic church - has been portrayed by the author as a woman who has wanted to be loved for herself ever since her unhappy childhood.
Her brother, King Edward, who had become a Protestant and had banned the rituals of the Catholic church, turned against her completrly when she refused to obey, and she always feared her sister Elizabeth was planning to take over her throne. Add to that, marriage to Philip of Spain, who barely tolerated the wife who adored him, and two pregnancies which turned out to be something else, and you have a woman who only really found happiness in her religious rituals.
It is sad that religious persecution was so rife, sad that kngs and queens proudly exalted themselves above the God they professed to serve as "head of the church."
I recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from BooksGoSocial. the opinions in this review are completely my own.