Born a princess but later declared a royal bastard, Mary Tudor claws her way back to court after Anne Boleyn’s downfall. Ascending as Britain’s first reigning queen, she launches a ruthless campaign to restore Catholicism. This searing exploration reveals the vulnerable woman behind the brutality, shaped by childhood trauma and a hunger for power that twists faith into vengeance.

This novel does a good job of humanizing Mary I. It’s impossible not to feel sympathy for her precarious position, from the fall of her mother until the death of Edward VI. As queen, she remains a tragic figure—but her certainty that she’s performing the will of God blinds her to the claims of political expediency and human compassion.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The review will be posted on my blog and Goodreads, linked below, by the end of May 28th.


I would like to thank Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I by Alison Weir.

As a long time fan of Alison Weir's nonfiction works, I was very excited to be able to read this book early. I was especially excited to read a historical fiction book about Queen Mary I, as most interpretations of Mary leave her in the background and paint her as the villain in her sister, Elizabeth's, story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Having a book from Mary's point-of-view that is not demonizing her or tryin to make her villain is incredibly refreshing. While Mary is not entirely seen as a good person in the book, this is more realistic to the real life Mary as she was not a perfect person, but instead like most other people in this period, morally grey. I especially liked the time covered in between Henry VIII's death and Mary becoming queen, as I feel as though this is often forgotten about and a very interesting period of Mary's life. This part of the book showed how her relationship with Edward had changed over the years and how it had hurt Mary.

I really enjoyed how the book showed the relationships between Mary and many people in here life that I feel are not as focused on in media. Specifically, her relationship with Anna of Cleves and her early relationship with Elizabeth. Throughout most of their lives, it was a happy relationship, but only really began to change during Mary's reign due to their opposing religious views and the succession.

There were some elements of how Mary was characterized was off to me. I would not think that Mary would believe Elizabeth was not the daughter of the king, but this could have been showing how Mary based her thoughts/opinions/facts about what she heard from others in court. Similar, Mary calls Anne Boleyn a witch, which as far as I know was not an idea formed in public perception until long after Anne had died.

Overall, I would give The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I a 4 out of 5 stars, if you like historical fiction about the Tudor period and want to learn more about Mary I you will enjoy this book.

This is my first Alison Weir novel and it did not disappoint! I am fascinated by the Tudors and have wanted to read about them so this was the perfect book to start with. This historical fiction is about Mary, King Louis IXV’s eldest daughter with his first wife Katherine of Aragon. The story begins with Mary trying to protect her legitimacy to her adult years as a mean and nasty ruler of England. The story is fascinating and I thoroughly enjoyed this five star read. If you love historical fiction and the Tudors, don’t miss this! Thank you to Random House Publishing- Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I begins in 1525, when princess Mary is nine years old and betrothed to Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. That’s the year when the question of succession becomes a steady presence in the king’s mind. He is worried that his British subjects won’t tolerate being ruled by a woman, which may well launch the kingdom into a civil war upon his death. That there are still York relatives who may bring forth a claim to the throne if he is unable to beget a legitimate male heir is not far from his mind either. Because Mary hasn’t been sent to Spain to complete her education as intended, nor has the dowry been paid, Charles V breaks off their engagement. King Henry raises his son Henry Fitzroy to the peerage, and considers betrothing him to Mary. Either that, or draw a marriage contract between her and the dauphin of France, to forge an alliance between England and France against Spain. As none of these things become forthcoming, Mary is proclaimed Princess of Wales and sent to Ludlow Castle to begin her training as heir. In two years-time the King of France, Francis I, offers to marry Princess Mary, only it’s not immediately disclosed that a part of the arrangement for his release from Spanish captivity is to marry Mary’s cousin, Eleanor, sister of Charles V. Instead, princess Mary is offered to the Duke of Orleans. By this time, the name of Anne Boleyn starts to come up in every conversation at court.

In 1528 the King’s Great Matter finally comes to the forefront. King Henry has asked the Pope to annul his marriage to Queen Katherine of Aragon. In the next three years the matter of their marriage validity will go back and forth between Rome and England, until King Henry declares himself Head of the Church of England and breaks with Rome. Not satisfied with that, he canvases Europe’s centers of learning to find out where he stands on the issue of his ministers ruling on his behalf on his first marriage and subsequently marrying Anne Boleyn and proclaiming her queen. In 1532 King Henry marries Anne Boleyn, who begets only one surviving child, a daughter, named Elizabeth. When it finally becomes apparent that Anne Boleyn won’t be able to provide a male heir, King Henry’s close confidants start compiling proof and testimonies on the Queen’s conduct towards her male companions. The queen is embroiled in a cheating scandal, tried for treason, convicted and beheaded. By that time, King Henry has been eyeing another woman, Jane Seymour, a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon. Not soon is Queen Anne dead, and the King is already married a third time. Queen Jane is a sweet woman who shows affection for both Mary and Elizabeth. She is able to deliver the much sought after male heir, but a fever claims her life days after childbirth.

With Mary sent to Ludlow Castle as Princess of Wales, her banishment from court more or less starts. She is not allowed to see her mother or exchange correspondence with her—during the years her parents’ marriage is in limbo waiting for the Pope to rule on its validity —, because her father thinks they could rally the military forces of the Holy Roman Emperor on their behalf. During her father’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, Mary is engaged in the service of Princess Elizabeth as Lady Mary. She loses her right to succeed once her parents’ marriage is declared invalid, and Mary’s refusal to acknowledge her illegitimacy for having been born from an illegal union causes a rift with her father that is only salvaged when Mary recants. With the ascension of Queen Jane and the birth of a male heir, both Mary and Elizabeth are restored to the line of succession after Prince Edward.

In the following nine years, (c. 1538-1547) the physical health of the monarch increasingly deteriorates. In spite of this, he marries and crowns three more wives, divorcing one after just five months, beheading another, and leaving one a widow upon his death. In 1547, at just nine years of age, Edward VI is proclaimed King. However, due to his age, his uncle Edward Seymour is named Lord Protector. During Edward VI’s reign Catholicism is banned and people forced to convert to Protestantism. Mary is hounded to convert at the urging of the Privy Council members and later by the king. During Edward’s convalescence, prior to his death in July 1553, the Duke of Northumberland, John Dudley, who had declared himself the President of the Council a few years earlier, alters Henry VIII’s Third Act of Succession—in favor of Lady Jane Grey, the Protestant granddaughter of Mary (Henry VIII’s sister)—, who had included Jane as his fourth successor provided that his legitimate heirs (Edward, Mary and Elizabeth) died without issue. Upon the King’s death, Lady Jane is proclaimed Queen. However, most nobles in the Kingdom rally their forces behind Princess Mary and swear to defend her legitimate claim to the throne. She peacefully defeats an insurrection led by the Duke of Northumberland standing behind Lady Jane’s right to succeed. In 1553 Mary is proclaimed Queen to the delight of her subjects.

Queen Mary is advised caution in religious matters, urged to marry an Englishman, and deal decisively with her enemies. She doesn’t heed her council’s advices. She marries Prince Philip of Spain, Charles V’s son, a man that most Englishmen consider an enemy. It doesn’t help matters that Philip has kept the Holy Inquisition alive in Spain. Added to that, Mary’s subjects think that Philip may use English assets to fund his own wars abroad, and they are not that far off in their thinking as things turn out. Mary’s religious zeal, her indecisiveness as a leader, ineffective economic policies, and ill-advised marriage doom her reign.

A novel in three parts—The King’s Daughter, The King’s Sister, and Mary the Queen—, with an all-knowing narrator, The Passionate Tudor is an easy to read, gripping, blow by blow account of Mary Tudor’s life since she was nine years old until her death. There are court intrigues and treachery aplenty. The storytelling is immersive. Every time I stopped the reading for the day I wanted to keep going, a sign that I was captivated. Despite the ARC clocking at nearly 835 pages, I found the narrative engaging and engrossing. Overall, a winner!

Thanks to the publisher for granting me access to a digital copy via Netgalley.

"The Passionate Tudor" by Alison Weir was yet another outstanding masterpiece! Being a lifelong historical fiction reader, as well as an avid Tudor History fan, reading Mrs. Weir's books is always entertaining and educational. We all think we know the story behind Queen Mary I (aka-Bloody Mary) but what we're taught barely scratches the surface and Mrs. Weir did an excellent job of combining historical fact with her own creations, as well as including parts of her own life where she truly sympathized with Mary (see the author's note-no spoilers here!)

I really enjoyed getting into more of Mary's thoughts and feelings as she had to navigate Henry VIII's "Great Matter" and the heartbreaking separation that it caused between her and her mother. I also think that Mrs. Weir did a fantastic job of showing how conflicted Mary I was when it came to her relationship with Elizabeth; the juxtaposition of Mary's resentment towards her as well as her wanting to care for/dote on Elizabeth was very interesting (and I can't help but wonder if parts of Mary were glad Elizabeth had been a girl and not a boy, as her birth started the chain of events that would lead to the death of Anne Boleyn whereas a son would have only solidified her position).

Seeing Mary struggle with relationships, particularly with the men in her life (not just her father) was fascinating and I found Mary's desperation for connection to be both heartbreaking and believable. I think that the way in which Mary's two pregnancies were addressed was not only tactful and sensitive, but also informative as there is so much we do not truly know about her conditions.

All in all, this was another 5 star read for me! I couldn't put it down and found myself laughing, crying, and even cheering! Bravo, Mrs. Weir! Thank you for sharing your exemplary talent with us! I look forward to reading whatever it is that you write next!

Last night I DNF a book from one of my favorite historians who also writes historical fiction, Alison Weir. I have loved each of their books going back 25 years, both fact and fiction, so I struggled along for a few weeks and couldn't make it past 25% which was about 125 pages of a 500-page book. Maybe I'm Tudor-ed out after consuming many books on the subjects, maybe it was because some of the writing was unbelievable (having a not-yet 3-year-old Elizabeth asking in a very adult-like voice why she was being addressed as Lady instead of Princess after Anne Bolyn was beheaded). I did read the author's notes, where Weir admitted they didn't particular like Mary, so maybe that's why I couldn't engage. It's a great reminder that even favorite authors have duds.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Yes it's a big book- really long- but it's also one you can sink into. Mary has always been known as Bloody Mary for the havoc she wreaked but there was, as Weir has detailed, more to her than the legend. This is a well researched and accessible fictionalized look at a Queen who has been vilified (not without justification) throughout history. I know some might quibble about details but casual readers of the Tudor story (like me) will enjoy this for the atmospherics and the ways Weir brings people and the era to life. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A really good read.

This is quite the novel to work through. The first parts were better than the last as I enjoyed learning more about Mary's life, but towards the end there were too many details. This is great for fans of the Tudors and with a strong interest in royal history.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

There was a time when I could name in order over four hundred years of British monarchs. Much of that comes from reading books by Alison Weir and my other favorite Tudor author Philippa Gregory. In the Passionate Tudor, Weir brings to life the story of Queen Mary I. Mary is the first legitimate child of King Henry VIII. She is raised by her mother, Katherine of Aragon to be a future queen. She is beloved and then put aside as a child. She is also to be used as a barter for potential marriage alliances. She is forced to leave court but separated from her mother when Henry married Anne Boleyn.

Mary essentially has to stand by and watch as her father's wives are executed, die or are divorced. She also must endure being forced to sign documents saying that she is illegitimate so that she may return to court. I don’t think I was surprised by anything in the book as I knew in general how Mary came to power. Her fervent belief in Catholicism is a driving force for her. I forgot how tenuous her reign was. With an unpopular marriage, phantom pregnancies and religious zeal she goes from admirable to pitiable by her death.

At over 500 pages there is a lot of story here. I trust Weir to be accurate but some of the background details can be dry or tedious to read. As always I love the author's notes at the end of the book. This is the third in the Tudor Rose series and will be a welcome read for people who enjoy learning real history by reading historical fiction. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Passionate Tudor is Alison Weir’s latest Tudor novel, chronicling the life of Mary I. It’s truly an epic story, and in some ways, she did it justice. It doesn’t break new ground, nor did I expect it to, but while it’s not my favorite book I’ve read from her, I enjoyed the choices she made overall.
Mary herself has always been a polarizing figure, and Weir acknowledges this in her author’s note, although she also challenges it by pointing out that both Henry VIII and Elizabeth were also just as “bloody,” if not more so, and had longer reigns which skew the numbers more in their favor. But even those who condemn Mary’s actions as Queen admit that her upbringing is a reaction to the intense trauma she suffered as a child, which I feel Weir depicts the most strongly. Mary is depicted as the apple of her father’s eye and close to both her father and mother, until Henry grew disillusioned with his marriage and fell into his passion for Anne Boleyn. And even as an Anne Boleyn sympathizer (Weir is notably anti-Anne in other books), I can’t help but understand Mary’s ire toward Anne, especially when Anne responded with equal venom. While it’s hard to see Mary so easily absolve her father of his abuse of her, blaming it all on Anne, this is very accurate to Mary’s mindset, especially as she thought Anne’s execution would magically change things, and it actually wasn’t until Mary submitted to Henry’s demand that she acknowledge her parents’ marriage as invalid that he would acknowledge her again.
In addition to exploring the impact of those early years, I found the first part the strongest for how it focused on her relationships with each of her father’s subsequent wives, especially highlighting the close relationship she had with Jane Seymour, serving as chief mourner at her funeral. And despite the fact that religion would divide them, I liked seeing the bond between her and Katharine Parr, and how that also brought Mary into contact with Catherine Willoughby, whose mother, Maria de Salinas, was Katherine of Aragon’s lady-in-waiting, and they had a brief exchange about this.
I also enjoyed seeing how Mary’s relationships with Elizabeth and Edward played out. I was particularly intrigued by how Mary’s suspicions regarding Elizabeth’s paternity were established early on, and while it did not impact Mary treating her as a sister overall, there was a sense of doubt there. And with Edward and Mary’s religious clashes being documented, I love how the origins of this were depicted.
Pacing wise, I feel like this was where the book lagged. While all of Weir’s fiction at this point more or less deals with information that avid Tudor fans know, most usually are engaging. And the first two parts were the most interesting due to the tenuous position Mary was in as the King’s obstinate daughter, in and out of favor, and then the King’s heretic sister. But part three, chronicling her time as Queen, was dull, in spite of it being the part that most shaped her legacy. The early chapters of part three, with her fight for the throne, were engaging, and a bit with Wyatt’s Rebellion as well, but after that, I started skimming. Reading about her phantom pregnancy and declining health, while accurate to the timeline, were particularly mood-killing.
While I didn’t enjoy this as much as I’d hoped, it’s possibly a “me” thing, as I’ve often struggled with biographical fiction that covers long periods of a person’s life. And I’d still recommend it to readers of historical fiction, whether you’re looking for a solid introduction to Mary or if you’re a Tudor fan like me.

If you are a Tudor history buff then you know the queen of Tudor historical fiction is Alison Weir. There is no one better at making you feel you are living in that period of time than her. The Passionate Tudor is no different. Ms. Weir draws you into the world of King Henry VIII's child with first wife Katherine of Aragon; future Queen Mary I. Mary is often used as a pawn throughout her childhood with the hopes of making Queen Katherine agree to a divorce. Sometimes her father loves her and other times she is ignored, basically abandoned with only servants to care for her. Whether she was treated well or not by those servants was based on the King's mood at the time and he was quite mercurial.

Although we all know the basic history of future Queen Mary I, this novel tells you why and how she came to be known as Bloody Mary. Often seen as compassionate, once she became Queen she was determined to bring her country back to what she believed was the true faith: Catholicism. What she was willing to do to her subjects in the name of that faith makes it hard for many to continue feeling that same compassion for her.

Another great addition to the Tudor books by Ms. Weir! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group who provided an advance e-reader copy via NetGalley.

This was the first time that I had read a novel from Mary's point of view. Alison Weir did a brilliant job in showing us Mary's struggles growing up, as well as the path she chose as an adult to restore her religion.

In the passionate tutor the third book in the Tudor Rose Siri‘s by Alison where we get another five star read about king Henry’s daughter queen Mary a.k.a. bloody Mary and her life. We get to see all the reason she grew up to hate the protestant people and so much more. There is so much to read in this book that I didn’t already know about her previous fiancés her relationships with her stepmother‘s her siblings and her phantompregnancies this is a great book something I find your almost guaranteed with Allison Weir until reading this book I have always thought queen Mary was cold and unfeeling through her relationship with her nanny and some of her stepmother‘s I see a whole different side to her and feel so bad for her something I’ve never felt before. I want to thank valentine books for my free arc copy via NetGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review

I really wanted to love this book but I couldn’t get into it. It felt like it moved really slow. It did pick up farther into the book but it took me a lot. Ended up thinking it was just ok

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballentine Books for this eArc in exchange for my honest review. Welp, I made it to 43% and felt I had to DNF this book. But let's start with what is good. As always Alison Weir's writing is immaculate technically. She's also a very knowledgeable historian and it shows! I have read both her non-fiction and fiction books about the Tudor Dynasty. What didn't work for me? It felt as if we were jumping from one historically known event to another and showing Mary's reaction to those things. The pacing in the beginning definitely felt too fast. We flew through Mary's childhood and then the book started to slow down to moderate pacing as she reached her teenage years and it felt like the breaks were hit suddenly. Although I really enjoy the history, I was hoping for an indepth look at Mary's personality and feelings which I felt like was lacking. I think someone who is not as familiar with the history of this time period but is curious may really enjoy this book. Unfortunately it just didn't work for me and wasn't holding my attention.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Passionate Tudor by Alison Weir is a historical novel exploring the life of Queen Mary of England, aka Bloody Mary. When Mary’s mother falls from favor after yet another miscarriage, Henry VIII starts to look elsewhere for a queen to give him an heir and Mary’s life is changed forever. Her devotion to her mother and her faith is constantly tested as her father and her people demand that she submit to their versions of the truth.

My favorite part was how much time was spent on Mary’s relationship with her younger sister, Elizabeth. We see how Mary’s opinions of Elizabeth evolve and change, but nothing destroys her love for her sister because they are two women trapped in a world that is constantly trying to oust them. Mary doesn’t have strong aspirations for the throne, but more wants to be recognized as legitimate and wants the same for Elizabeth even if she doesn’t believe Elizabeth is also Henry’s child.

Mary’s faith and Catholicism show up quite a bit. From the constant references to the Pope in Rome to Mary’s belief that Anne Boleyn wasn’t truly married to Henry to mentions of mass, her devotion to her beliefs plays a key role in how Mary picks which relationships to invest in and guide her decisions and ideals. Many of the people close to Mary are Catholic themselves or do not recognize the Protestant movement that was brewing at the time.

Mary is portrayed as a sympathetic young woman who is often concerned that she is growing too old to attract a husband or have a child, which she does want. She isn’t portrayed as having grand plans for the British Empire in terms of expansion but wants to return the country back to the Catholic Church. Many of her concerns are more rooted in having access to her family (Henry, Edward, Catherine of Aragon, and Elizabeth) and in her family being treated with respect. There’s a strong throughline of Mary’s main motivation being familial love, especially when Henry starts paying attention to Anne Boleyn and tosses her mother aside.

I would recommend this to fans of works depicting the Tudor dynasty, readers who like works featuring Elizabeth I, and those looking for a historical novel exploring the history of religion in England.

In The Passionate Tudor, Alison Weir provides the accuracy we have come to expect from the author coupled with a personal narrative of Mary that allows us to explore both her point-of-view and her motivations. Mary remains one of my least favorite Tudor monarchs, and as Weir points out in her author’s note at the end, there is very little that history can do to make her a sympathetic figure. I respect Weir for providing Mary with a voice that allows us to see her vulnerabilities without attempting to make us sympathetic to her faults. I understand those who may feel the book was too long; however, I didn’t mind the length. Weir’s writing sucked me into the story fairly quickly and I was in no real hurry to leave. 4.5 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books (Random House Publishing) for the advanced reader’s copy.

I love all of Alison Weir's Tudor books. She has a way of making you feel as if you are living in the time period with these legends. Mary has always been fascinating, even before her "bloody mary" reign began. From being isolated from her mother, the drama with her father Henry VIII, and the various health issues she faced throughout her life. She was more complicated then her nickname would show.

The Passionate Tudor by Alison Weir is a beautifully crafted and poignant portrayal of one of history's most complex, maligned, and fascinating figures. With her characteristic verve and attention to evocative period detail, Weir tells the story in a way that will linger in your mind long after you finish the last page. This book is a must-read for Tudor fans everywhere.

As a passionate Tudor fan, I read everything Tudor, and Alison Weir is the go to proverbial author for me. She has done it again with this book, The Passionate Tudor! From beginning to end, it was absorbing and passionate. If you want to feel like you are in the rooms where it happened read anything by Ms. Weir. This book is a complete and admirable book on everything Bloody Mary. I feel like I now know all about her life, her queenship, her jealousies, her clothes, her castles and her sickness, I would definitely call Mary a very tragic individual, from her birth to her death. I have to say she deserved the death she had. A brutal Queen, I'm sure her people in England were so happy she died, finally, putting an ending to the horrible killings she instigated all over England. Elizabeth coming to power was so welcomed. Bye bye to Mary.

This was such a great book! I cannot wait until Ms. Weir's next book on the Tudors! Who will it be this time?