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.

A good introduction of the life of Mary I, Queen of England, for those unfamiliar with English history or the Tudor dynasty.

We've always focused on Henry and his wives, but I feel like Mary got side barred a lot. To see and read the history and how Mary became Bloody Mary was good. However, it was sad to see how harsh her life was and how her own dad treated her.

This book was fantastic, I had read on the Tudors but never focused on Mary herself. I loved the artistry of the pictures and truly enjoyed visually seeing the story unfold. For those who are visual learners this book shouldn’t be skipped.


I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was my first experience with a digital graphic novel and I was blown away! Beautifully done and very informative and engaging for someone who is not familiar with that part of history. I really enjoyed this one.

Bloody Mary is a graphic novel about Queen Mary I, detailing all the major events that happened right up until her death.

I enjoyed reading this graphic novel, it was interesting and informative. The illustrations were beautiful as well and the colouring was phenomenal. It was pretty surface level though and didn't provide much depth or anything.

It didn't seem to focus on Mary as much until the second half. The first half was basically her father (Henry VIII) having affairs and marrying/divorcing/beheading women. It's well known that Mary and Henry had a really strained and tragic relationship and I wish that was explored much further. As well Mary and her mother.

The graphic novel seemed to focus on the events that were happening around Mary as opposed to Mary herself. Her mother pretty much disappears less than 100 pages in and Mary's not shown to be as affected by it as I initially thought she would be. I feel like so much more could've been explored, like the relationship she had with her parents and siblings when they became older. There's some elements of it but it's pretty bare bones.

It was still interesting to read and the illustrations were lovely, I just wished there was more depth. The BTS at the end was really cool though and I liked reading about the process of creating this!

I really enjoyed this as an introduction/overview to Mary! Tudor history can get confusing with the titles and similar names and this avoided that while still giving you the broad strokes of her life. It felt aimed at a younger audience, I’m not sure if that was the intention or not, but not in a boring or bad way. More in that it was simplistic.

The art was also beautiful, my only issue with it was that once they were both grown up it was basically impossible to differentiate between Elizabeth and Mary. And Catherine Howard looked like the oldest of the wives despite being the youngest.

Bloody Mary is a graphic biography of Mary Tudor, the first child of Henry VIII. The story begins with one of Mary's first memories, her betrothal to a French prince and continues throughout her life. It shows the transition from being her father's pearl to her and her mother being ousted from the court, forced to live separately and told to give up their religion. The biography follows Mary as she grows up, stubbornly refusing to give up her beliefs, trying to navigate her relationship to her father and his wives, and the changes in the political and religious climate of England. This was a very sympathetic biography, although it does not ignore the violence of Mary's reign, and gives voice to a queen who is often overlooked when talking about this time in England's history.

The artwork was quite nice and I especially liked the use of color to express the emotions of the characters. There was also a little bit of background on Gehrmann's process writing graphic novels at the very end, which I found to be a nice touch. I enjoyed the storytelling and learned some information that I didn't know before. The story does span a large length of time, so it doesn't necessarily have the time or space to get into the details of certain events. I think it would be helpful for the reader to have some background knowledge of the people involved and the events that took place, just so they don't get lost. This will be a great one for people looking to learn more about the Tudors or who are interested in the history of England and the British monarchy.

I received a digital ARC of this from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for review.

As someone who is fascinated with King Henry VIII and the people around him I was excited to see an illustrated version of his daughter Mary’s life. The illustrations are lovely and I enjoyed reading this story from a different perspective. I liked seeing a glimpse into the authors drawing process as well which was fun and unique to see. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the history of King Henry VII.

I need more of this kind of graphic biography!
It's a visual retelling of England's first queen, Mary Tudor. Blending a historical narrative in her illustration, Gehrmann crafts a nuanced portrait of a monarch that is famously known as "Bloody Mary".
I really enjoyed how the book explores her personal struggles, political challenges and the religious turmoil that shaped her reign.
I appreciate there's a section at the end that shows what becomes of other historical figures that intertwined with Mary Tudor.
I find this approach of graphic biography adaptation is really engaging. I personally not really a fan of her artwork, but her story telling through the pictures makes the complex historical events more accessible, even to younger readers.