I devoured this book! Even though it is a work of fiction, it’s based on a real person. I’ve always hated Mary I as she was known as “Bloody Mary.” This story showed me that there was more to her than that and I feel more sorry for her than anything else. Four stars because it was a really long book and there were a few times it was repetitive.

This is the third in the Tudor Rose series, and my favorite! This tells the story of Mary I, the first daughter of Henry VIII and the queen who eventually became known as "Bloody Mary". She was also the first woman to successfully claim the English throne, an impressive feat that I think is often overlooked given the rest of her legacy. 
*
I've read a ton of nonfiction and historical fiction about the Tudor era, so I went into this knowing a lot about Mary I, but still felt like I got a new perspective of her life. This does a great job of showing how the tumult throughout her life could have affected her, and led to her making the decisions she made. 
*
I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of the persecution of Protestants, she's responsible for a lot of deaths but it felt like a very minor part of the story. 
*
All that said, I very much enjoyed reading this! If you're into this time period, I would definitely recommend reading (although be warned - it is long and very detailed, I think it could be boring if you're not really excited about it). This is part of a series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone.

Alison Weir, who has written extensively on the Tudor era in both fiction and non-fiction titles, portrays Queen Mary I of England very sympathetically yet fairly. Mary is a hard sell to view very empathetically, especially when she's earned the moniker "Bloody Mary" for her penchant for sending approximately 300 Protestant heretics to burn at the stake. Weir's depiction of Mary as a young princess whose world is completely turned upside down by the arrival of Anne Boleyn into Henry VIII's affections is compelling and realistic. Mary lost her legitimacy and hence her succession to the throne, and watched her mother, Queen Katherine of Aragon suffer humiliation and enforced isolation due to her resistance to give Henry the divorce he demanded. Because of Henry's cruelty, Mary was kept from seeing or communicating with her mother, even when she was mortally ill. Mary also suffered the indignity of becoming baby Elizabeth's caregiver while Anne plotted Katherine and Mary's demise.

Weir shows how all of these events, as well as the lack of a royal spouse for Mary, sent her increasingly towards religion for solace. The comfort Mary finds in religion and going to mass turns into an obsession as she often went nine times per day! To further compound her feelings of inadequacy and discontent Mary was still unmarried, and she watched Elizabeth grow into a young and vital princess who easily turned male heads. This caused tremendous jealousy, which Weir does an excellent job of conveying. This bitter envy also extended to the populous of England because they seemed to prefer Elizabeth as she rode through the countryside to the delight of the people. Mary's resentment festered even into her reign. Weir does try to justify Mary's desire to bring the Inquisition to England by hunting down and executing heretics as a way of giving them a taste of hell on earth in order to spare them the fires of hell in the afterlife. But even with these reasons mentioned a couple of times, it is hard to consider this as the real reason why Mary continued to execute Protestants even when she saw how it was ruining her reputation with her councilors, her people and even the Pope. Power and revenge seem like her true motivations, and even Weir talks about this in her author's note. Mary did indeed have a hard life, and her eventual marriage to Philip II of Spain was not the romantic happy ending she had hoped for either. Her story's ending is tragic and Weir delivers it with pathos. Overall, fans of Tudor England and Alison Weir will truly enjoy this fair and balanced characterization of Mary I.

Like all of Alison Weir's books about this period, The Passionate Tudor is well-told historical fiction that immerses the reader in the intrigue and drama of one of England's most memorable royal times. Her writing remains as impeccable as ever, but I struggled with the pace and length of this book. Perhaps it's that I had a hard time feeling empathy for Queen Mary I (in her readers' notes, Alison Weir confesses the same - perhaps that dogged determination to give her a fair shake is what makes this book drag a bit), but about halfway through I was incredulous that there was still so many wives and an additional king to get through until Mary's reign. And then, once there, well...let's just say my feelings for Mary didn't improve with her ascension. Mary is a challenging subject and Alison Weir tackled her with grace, which is an impressive feat.

This book was so fantastic. In true form, Alison Weir did no wrong here. The history was immaculate, and the story portrayed Queen Mary in a way that I had not seen before - making her extremely understandable, if not a sympathetic character. The character development was amazing, and I was transported to another time, as I always am with her writings. Though it was long, the story sped past and allowed for more insight on my behalf than ever before. I had only really read tales which were far more sympathetic to Elizabeth, or Anne Boleyn, or the wives of Henry VIII. This was something far different and far more interesting because Mary herself was a complicated individual, as is noted in the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves well-researched, immaculately written historical fiction.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As always, Weir's work is well-researched and entertainingly written. A must-read for readers of Tudor period fiction.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I read every book Alison Weir writes and I learn something every time. Ms Weir never fails to bring her stories to life and this book is no exception.

requested and received an eARC of The Passionate Tudor by Alison Weir via NetGalley. I have enjoyed Weir’s previous fiction and nonfiction works, so I knew coming into this novel I would be in for a treat. Weir’s latest work of fiction explores the life of Mary I, opening with childhood and concluding with the end of her reign (her death.)
Just like with her Six Tudor Queens series, Weir offers a plethora of detail and immerses the reader in Mary’s world, shedding a light of understanding on the queen typically reduced to the moniker “Bloody Mary.”

Beginning with her childhood, it is difficult not to form an attachment and sympathy for the young Mary. Separated from her mother, treated poorly by her father’s new wife, legally declared a bastard and having to worry over whether or not she might be poisoned! It’s a lot to bear for someone so young. There were moments that I wanted to shake Anne Boleyn on behalf of Mary. I was enthralled with the sections of her life throughout Edward VI’s reign, and even managed to have sympathy for Mary as her own reign began. Weir does not attempt to excuse the monarch’s actions, but does offer a compelling narrative insight into what molded Mary into the personality she was known for during her own reign (burning “heretics”, her phantom pregnancy, paranoia.)

Sometimes historical fiction can be daunting, with names and titles creating confusion, but this certainly isn’t the case here. Weir fills in the blanks, adjusting the gaps from the perspective of her chosen protagonist. Although I haven’t read the previous installments in the Tudor Rose series, I have read the complete Six Queens series and I thought it was incredible how the author was able to craft such lively personalities for the women in her novels. This is especially true of Mary as depicted in The Passionate Tudor. Her portrait of the monarch is both informative and entertaining. The story itself, although rooted in well-known history, still manages to deliver both suspense and a very immediate emotional response from the reader.

This book just sums up exactly how I feel about Mary Tudor and her rule as Queen. Once again, Alison Weir doesn't disappoint and keeps the story flowing and historically accurate. This takes place from the time of Mary's childhood until her death and covers all the important events during her lifetime. As with all of her books there is a great authors note at the end. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Passionate Tudor is the third book in Alison Weir’s Tudor Rose series. It was a fascinating fictional look at the life of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. For the first time Mary seemed like an actual person and you could understand what made her the person she became. My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Although The Passionate Tudor is written as a historical fiction, I was impressed with the large amount of actual history that was used in the book! It certainly brought to life the story of Queen Mary and what it would have felt like growing up in the household of King Henry the VIII. The struggle with the two daughters of his who both became queens in their own time was fascinating as the author tied them together in the story. It really gives a better understanding of how they would have lived and how their lives changed as the situations also changed for them. You really get a full view of the three children and how each get to the crown. Very well done!

The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I (Tudor Rose, #3) by Alison Weir
US pub date - 5/28/24


Henry VIII’s roving eye and desire to have everything so that it best benefitted him destroyed much and many, not least of all, his eldest surviving child, Mary I.

Reading Mary’s descent from hopeful and loving daughter to religious zealot and a queen who would stop at nothing to put right what she felt was wrong was highly interesting, as most books I’ve read about the Tudors, Mary is often but a bloody footnote in between Henry and Elizabeth I.

Combine Ms Weir’s research and writing, with her sensitivity to her subject matter and the result is highly engaging, very well written historical fiction based on a woman who went through much, and caused much cruel chaos and havoc.

Alison Weir is an auto-buy author for me, and this is one I definitely recommend.



Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the DRC

Thank you for NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my own opinion and freely given.

I was so over the moon to get an ARC of this book. I discovered Alison Weir several years ago when I read her book about Katherine of Aragon and she did the series about the wives of Henry VIII. Since then, I have read anything I can get my hands on by her and this book doesn’t disappoint.

The Passionate Tudor follows the dramatized life of Mary I, the only surviving child of Henry VIII and Katherine (Henry’s first wife). It begins as her mother and father’s marriage is starting to fray and the King’s Great Matter is becoming gossip for everyone. What follows is how Mary’s front row seats to the setting aside of her mother, her own illegitimacy then her own sadness as she continues to wait for a husband and children. Finally, she becomes queen, but because of everything she went through as a child she becomes a brutal defender of the Catholic faith. As well as deeply insecure, probably because of her years of unease as a child. It was interesting to see all these events through Mary’s eyes, as well as see the devotion to her mother, even as her father is bent on keeping them apart once he realizes that both women are on the same side.

While this book is based on history, and well researched, it isn’t boring. The story moves forward, doesn’t contain too much narration, and the characters are well developed. I felt badly for Mary, and I could not imagine the fear and doubt that plagued her life. Lots of young girls dream of being a princess, but Mary’s life was not enviable. Everything about it was difficult, and only through her faith was she able to endure. However, ultimately that faith and inability to compromise turned her into a ruler every bit as ruthless and brutal as Henry VIII.

If you enjoy Alison Weir’s work, this one is every bit as interesting, well researched and thoughtful as all her other work. I highly recommend “The Passionate Tudor” A novel of Queen Mary I.

Attention, all you Tudor fans! Since none of us ever get enough, here's a new historical novel about Queen Mary I - only daughter of King Henry VIII (1491- 1547) and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon (1485 - 1536), and Queen of England from 1553-58. Awarded three stars but 3.5 is more accurate.

THE PASSIONATE TUDOR traces the life of Mary from happy childhood as the adored child of her parents until her death at the age of 42. If you know anything about her history, you know that between these two events there is plenty of drama:

• Her father's betrayal by questioning both the legitimacy of his marriage to Catherine and Mary's birth, events which led to the English Reformation and its split from Rome.

• Anne Boleyn (1501? - 1536) taking Katherine's place as Queen of England and her subsequent mistreatment of Mary.

• Lady Jane Grey's (1537 - 1554) nine-day long attempt to usurp Mary's throne.

• Mary's engagements to a variety of royal heads of state, eventually leading to her not-too-happy marriage to King Phillip II (1527 - 1598) of Spain.

• Mary's steadfast devotion to the Catholic Church and the numerous Protestants who suffered as a result, resulting in her nickname as "Bloody Mary."

• And of course, the ups and downs of Mary's relationship with her younger sister and heir, Elizabeth I (1533 - 1603) an early Protestant.

The novel is long at 528 pages. Too long in my opinion. Most fans of Tudor historical fiction will no doubt already know the name Alison Weir. Either from her dozens of non-fiction books (most related to the Tudors) or from her many more recently published novels. Or both. As a well-respected historian, she definitely knows her history. But I have found with many historians who go on to write historical fiction, they often include too much of their scholarship in their novels. Excessive detail and background information tends to slow down the pace of a novel for me. And so it was with this book. So much so that Mary's day-to-day life as Queen became downright tedious. Also, at times, the voice of the narration didn't ring true, especially when Weir was writing about Mary as a child.

Of course as a diehard Tudor fan, nothing could keep me from finishing the book. And perhaps part of the problem is that I already know much about the Tudors so that much of Weir's detail was not new to me.

I am glad I read THE PASSIONATE TUDOR. I just didn't enjoy every single page. And I didn't enjoy this novel as much as Weir's SIX QUEENS series about the wives of Henry VIII.

Alison Weir does not disappoint with her latest installment to her line of Tudor books. This is one of her Historical Fiction offerings, but as she also writes Non Fiction, the history and facts are accurate. There is also an author's note included to confirm where she may have veered from the facts, or to clarify other aspects. The Passionate Tudor follows the life of Mary the daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine. Thank you #Netgalley for allowing me to give my honest opinion of #ThePassionateTudor.

Thanks to NetGalley, Alison Weir, and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Passionate Tudor: A Novel of Queen Mary I. I received an advanced reader copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors when it comes to this genre of books. Her extensive research about these historical figures really shows in her work. Mary Tudor has never been one of interest to me. She tends to be presented as a sad girl that grows into a mean adult. There never seems to be any nuance to her in anything I have read mentioning her before. This book has changed my mind about her though.

Mary was born to a devoted father and mother and started to grow up with riches poured upon her. When her father started to fall for Anne Boleyn, Mary got severely pushed aside. Her legitimacy was being questioned and she was kept from her loving mother. Everything Mary grew up to be made sense with how Weir wrote her character. There were so many emotions and depths to the hardships Mary faced in life. It was obvious that even her husband later on did not love her and wished to be rid of her. Although this is a work of fiction, it is based on mostly truth. Highly recommended to anyone who loves the Tudors as much as I do.

Amazing book, I loved it. Mary is such an amazing woman but went through so much trauma, all she wanted was to be loved.

I really enjoyed this book. This time frame fascinates me, and I was happy to give this book a try. I am very glad I did. I recommend you do the same.

560 pages

5 stars

I have read a great deal about King Henry VIII and his youngest daughter, Elizabeth I. However, I haven’t read very much about Mary I. I knew her reputation as “Bloody Mary.” I knew her childhood and the terrible travails she suffered at the hands of Anne Boleyn and her crony relatives. (As well as the dastardly manner in which her father Henry VIII treated her.) I have read about Queen Jane, the nine-day Queen and her sad demise. I knew she married Prince (later King), Phillip of Spain. But I had not read anything about Mary’s reign.

This book dives into Mary, herself. What she felt. What she did. How she acted in response to the various upheavals in England. The populace was very unhappy at her marrying a man from Spain. The Spanish were not trusted. People feared being drawn into a war.

Religion was a driving force in Mary’s reign. She was quick to have “unrepentant” Protestants arrested, and burned. She was advised to slow down, to give people a chance to adjust to her beliefs. She would not. Violent uprisings occurred in the nation. She was raised a staunch Catholic and saw Protestants as heretics and sinners. She was unbendable. She applied to Rome to rejoin the Catholic Church, but the Pope was having none of it. Rome was under siege by Phillips' army. He was even excommunicated.

Her relationship with her husband Phillip was an odd one. She was so obsessed with the relationship, she could see nothing else. She spent hours and hours crying over him. She was not listening to her council. She was stubborn. She would only really listen to her two favorite advisors, the Spanish Ambassador and Cardinal Pole whom she had appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury following her execution of Archbishop Cranmer.

These two men had a great deal of influence over Mary. She seemed incapable of making decisions, being decisive, on her own. She was so obsessed with her relationship with Phillip and her determination to make England Catholic, that she seemed blind to all else.

Her phantom pregnancy was devastating to her. With all her personal problems, combined with the war she finally acceded to in partnership with her husband, she became psychologically defeated, she was almost immobile.

Finally, came the loss of Calais. The last area of land that England held in France for centuries.

She became very ill, but did not want her Protestant sister, Elizabeth to inherit the throne. She came to hate Elizabeth apparently for she bought into the rampant rumors about Elizabeth’s involvement in the uprisings in the country. She even believed that perhaps Elizabeth wasn’t King Henry’s daughter. She finally gave into naming Elizabeth her heir when she became very ill.

She died on November 17, 1558 at age 42.

Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors. I have read all of her books and they are matchless. She does research her topics thoroughly. Ms. Weir’s afterward explains the conclusions she came to and why. It is very valuable reading and I recommend anyone who is interested in the period of England’s history dive into it. The book is easy to read, interesting, engaging and reads quickly.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Ballantine Books for forwarding to me a copy of this most informative and interesting book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

I loved this book. I think Alison Weir certainly knows how to bring historical figures to life. I know Mary after reading this book. I've read much about Mary, but she was always just a character in a book, never an individual. Now she's a living, breathing, woman, or she was.
I think the title of Bloody is well deserved, but also it could fit her siblings or her father; the Tudor's were a bloody lot.
I also think Mary was easily manipulated by all around her and she was ill prepared for the throne.
Honestly, I don't get the whole religion thing, just let people worship as they chose, her reign could have been so much more productive and peaceful.
A wonderful 5 star book. The writing is spectacular, it's easy to read and as always, so incredibly researched.