I love all things Tudor period so I jumped at the chance to read this. Right away, I was drawn to the fully watercolored illustrations depicting courtly dress and life. I particularly enjoyed the way Henry VIII was depicted--his exaggerated features reminded me a bit of a Fernando Botero painting. Storywise, 'Bloody Mary' serves as a great history lesson, covering the six wives of Henry VIII, the English Reformation, and the succession crisis of the time. While this is an engaging way to learn about Tudor history, those well-versed in the topic may not find much new here. I've always thought Mary a tragic figure and felt this graphic novel did a great job chronicling her life, I only wish it explored her feelings and motivations a wee bit more.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing this book for review!

This graphic novel is a portrayal of Mary Tudor’s life from her own perspective. The narrative begins as child and tells her story through becoming the monarch of England, giving a deeper understanding of the personal and political challenges Mary faced throughout her reign. This graphic novel is detailed with full color artwork which gorgeously supports the narrative of the story. I was fully enthralled with this historical graphic novel, learning even more about the women of the Tudor era in a new and exciting way.

This was a very interesting book that gave the overall context to the Tudor era. The art was gorgeous and the way Mary Tudor’s life was laid out kept me intrigued.

Oh wow, those Tudors were messy! 😳

Knowing very little about the history of this period, other than a few tidbits here and there, and of course, the infamous rhyme of Henry VIII and his wives, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one. But I was pleased to find that this graphic novel was easily approachable, seemingly carefully considered and found it to be an engaging look into the life or Mary Tudor, aka Queen Mary I of England.

I found that the religious and political factors were made very easy to understand, thanks to the beautiful watercolour artwork and storytelling, making it super accessible and engaging. It was also great to learn about this historical figure from a more personal view point, not just via a barrage of facts and information. I had never really heard much of Mary’s life before, only of her simplified and almost caricatured reputation. But thanks to the dialogue, alongside real quotes and letters of the period, it really opened up a new understanding of the complexities of her story.

I thought it was a great insight also into the everyday lives of not just Mary, but everyone: the servants, the families involved, the church, the politicians, the subjects and so on. It made the story feel very alive and grounded in the time period, and it felt like everything was well researched, and drawn and written with great consideration. I also really appreciated the notes throughout explaining who everyone was and their connections to the story. The brief “what became of…” section was also a great addition.

If I had any negatives to add, it would probably be that there were some topics/events mentioned that I felt might require a bit more information or further reading. But, as I mentioned, I was pretty much new to this topic! And I can understand the limitations of that in this form of storytelling. So I’d say overall it was a clear, engaging and well structured story, and with beautiful illustrations that brought Mary’s history to life. I’d highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the early access in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book and the illustrations in it. It was heavy on history but it was well written and illustrated which made it an easy read. I would love to read more graphic novels like these and I am pretty sure, this will stay in my mind for a long time.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

What I really enjoyed about this story was just the history, I do LOVE Tudor history and that was a quick, easy read. Even with me already knowing the history.

One thing I quite like about graphic novels is the art and the art for this one was....disappointing. The art seems very amateurish and everyone looks exactly the same. There were times where Mary and Elizabeth are in the same block speaking and you cannot tell the difference between who is who because of the art. That was rather disappointing.

Finally, through netgalley, this was only able to be read on the app which makes it SUPER inconvenient and very tight timeline. Makes me not want to read anything if that is the only option.

I am not generally a graphic novel fan, nor an English history buff, but I loved this!!

Bloody Mary tells the story of how Mary Tudor went from a loyal subject at her father's whim to a powerful tyrant whose name would echo through history. The reader gets to know Mary intimately and the author does a fantastic job of making the reader empathise with a figure who is often not seen favourably. Bloody Mary succeeds in its mission to provide context around Mary's tyranny and connect her hardships in life with her eventual abuse of power.

I absolutely LOVE the art in this graphic novel. I'm not art critic but I immediately recognised that the brushwork and colour palettes are reminiscent of royal portraits of the time, and I think this was such a clever touch. The movements between frames felt organic and there was clear 'light' and 'dark' eras shared by both the narrative and the illustrations.

I highly recommend to history buffs and novices alike. Most of this story was totally new information to me and it was delivered in a very accessible way, and I also think there might be some surprises for the aficionado as well.

This graphic novel gives the history of Mary Tudor from her birth to her death from a first person narrative. I found this book to be enjoyable and informative. It made history interesting while still being educational. I also thought that the art style was beautiful.

Not my cup of tea for reading I could not get into this read!! I would try another from this author ✍🏾

The watercolor art style feels fresh and different. The only criticism I have of the art is that at times, Mary and Elizabeth looked the same, and I only knew who was who when they used their names. The other one is that we don't truly see Mary age. We can clearly see others grow up. Story wise I think it was a good summary of her life. The major events were all talked about. The timing felt off. Some parts of her life went into detail while others were glossed over. I liked the additions of poetry and real letters. I wish more of these were included. Overall, I believe this is a good biography that allows us to see more of who history remembers as Bloody Mary.

Thank you to the author Kristina Gehrmann, the publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully illustrated in a comic style biography of Mary Tudor, or more widely known as Mary I Queen of England, or "Bloody Mary". The first child and daughter of Henry VIII with Catherine of Aragon of Spain.

It was a quick, fresh read and enjoyable for any History enthusiast. The illustrations are stunning and I loved the style.

It narrates Mary I's life since she was born in 1516 until her death in 1558. Her upbringing, what happened to her mother Catherine of Aragon, her complicated dynamic with her father because of their difference and different religious beliefs - she was Catholic; he, a protestant that defied the Catholic Church and the Pope and the Vatican by divorcing his first wife (Mary's mother) and created the Church of England, the Protestant Church.

This reimagined biography story is told by Mary's point of view and perspective at how she observed and felt things. All of this reimagined. Mary I of England was responsible for the burning of 300 protestants over the course of her reign of terror for the course of five years that she reigned, until her death.

Elizabeth Tudor, that would lately be known as Elizabeth I of England, that would lead England to live a 'golden age', the rennaisance of a nation by naval and international expansion and ideals.

This graphic novel depicts Mary Tudor's life, in particular, although highlighting the most important changes in her life - her parents' divorce, her being stripped off her title as Princess of England, her taking care of her sister Princess Elizabeth, her being back at Court and being given her title back as Princess and Heir to the Throne of England after her brother Edward, who would die at the age of 13, her ascent to the throne, her reign of terror and disputes and fear of her sister Elizabeth and what she represented for England - being back to the Protestantism her father created and Elizabeth was born into, her burning 300 protestants to suppress them - 'Bloody Mary' - and trying to impose back Catholicism in England, and her ultimate death in 1558.

In the end, her sister Elizabeth would succeed her to the throne and become Queen Elizabeth I of England, taking England back to protestantism.

It was an enjoyable reading, and as a person that loves History it was a great, quick and easy book to read.

#BloodyMary #Netgalley

The story of Mary Tudor comes alive in this graphic novel. This takes us from her early childhood to her untimely death. There was definitely some glossed over parts but for the most part I felt this biography was balanced. I didn’t love the art style, but the history was well told. This was an enjoyable graphic novel to read. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy to review.

An accessible look into the life of Mary Tudor told through watercolor-like visuals that give an aura of the time she lived in. The graphic novel does an effective job taking you through the basics of her story and political dynamics of the time, while enticing you as the tension heightens. I did find that some of the younger women in particular were a bit hard to distinguish, however.

Bloody Mary by Kristina Gehrmann offers an intriguing look at the life of Mary I, blending history with vivid illustrations. The artwork in the graphic novel was truly well done. The narrative is engaging, but at times it feels a bit rushed, glossing over some of the complexities of Mary’s life and reign. The book provides a good introduction to Mary I’s story, and I look forward to purchasing a copy for my library's collection.

Good way to tell story of Mary and nice illustrations helped younger kids to understand. This was good for my 10 year old.

Bloody Mary: A Graphic Biography of Mary Tudor was a great graphic novel! I teach high school English and it is getting more and more challenging to get students to read. I love this book because it is a great book for reluctant readers to get them reading about things that happened in history. It is just an introductory book on the subject, but it will get students interested. I can't wait to add this title to my classroom library!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC. My opinions are my own and not influenced by receiving a copy. I highly recommend this book and will add it to my classroom library when it is released! It is a great book to get students interested in reading and in history. It would also be great for anyone who is intimidated by reading about complex times in history.

This was a concise but very good account of Mary 1st and her life from childhood right through to adulthood. It is very well researched, very colourful and very engaging. I would definitely recommend it

Oh what a fascinating read!! First of all, I love the art style and coloring. They managed to make King Henry’s face look perfectly punchable 🤭

Most of my knowledge of King Henry and his wives admittedly comes from my obsession with Six, so a bit oversimplified tbf. So I went into this not knowing much about Mary’s life beyond… well, the more famous Bloody Mary aspect of it!

“She really is a Princess of England!” “It’s a pity she wasn’t born a male!”

Overall I’m here for any book that makes learning about old royalty fun and this book definitely accomplished that! It makes me want graphic novels on more major historic events and people so I can learn and look at beautiful art at the same time!

This was a very cute way to learn about Bloody Mary and how she got her name. It was a very fun and refreshing way to relearn the origin of her story.

Kristina Gehrmann's graphic novel offers a nuanced and visually stunning exploration of Mary Tudor, challenging the simplistic "Bloody Mary" narrative that has long defined this complex historical figure. Through meticulously researched storytelling and exquisite watercolor-style illustrations, the book provides a deeply human portrait of England's first reigning queen, tracing her journey from royal princess to persecuted heir to controversial monarch.

The graphic novel stands out for its balanced approach to Mary I's life, delving beyond her notorious reputation to examine the personal and political forces that shaped her reign. Gehrmann skillfully navigates the intricate Tudor court, revealing Mary's struggles, faith, and the profound challenges she faced as a woman ruler in a tumultuous era. While not glossing over the darker aspects of her rule, the book presents a compassionate and multifaceted view of a monarch often reduced to caricature.

With its accessible narrative, rich historical detail, and breathtaking artwork, *Bloody Mary: The Story of Mary Tudor* emerges as a remarkable contribution to historical graphic literature. It successfully bridges the gap between scholarly research and engaging storytelling, making Tudor history accessible to both enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Highly recommended for those seeking a deeper, more empathetic understanding of one of England's most misunderstood monarchs.