This book came highly recommended by The Orangutan Librarian and after reading it, I totally see why. My Lady Jane is such a delightful take on Jane Grey, Queen of England for nine days, spinning it into a humorous and magical story.

I was actually a little bit worried that I didn’t know enough about Tudor England to appreciate the book (people living in former British colonies don’t learn as much British history as you might imagine) but I totally got it. I’d like to credit the many tales I heard about Mary Queen of Scots because that led me to google Elizabeth I and her family.

Like I mentioned at the start of my review, My Lady Jane is an alternative take on Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for nine days before she was beheaded. In this version of England, however, magic exists. A large segment of society has the ability to change into animals – Henry VIII, for instance, changed into a lion and ate lots of people – leading to the rise of tensions between the Eðian (people who can change into humans) and Verities (people who can’t and are probably bitter about the whole thing). This may or may not be a reference to the tensions between Catholics and Protestants.

Anyway, since King Edward is dying, he decides to name his favourite cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his heir. And marry her off to Gifford (this should tip you off that the whole thing isn’t his idea). Jane is, understandably, upset about the whole thing but when Edward dies, she has a lot more problems going on.

This was an absolute delight to read. I absolutely adored all the characters, except the villains, and I want to be their friend. Edward’s a bit whiny but his earnestness is endearing, Jane is an obvious favourite because of her love of books, and Gifford reminds me a little of Jake from Brooklyn 99 after he falls in love with Amy. Even Elizabeth (aka Bess) was interesting; even though she was a comparatively minor character, she is a thoughtful, smart person and Edward is lucky to have her in his corner.

Apart from the great characters, I loved the narrative style. My opinion on comedic books is that they have to be done well or they will feel tiring/like they’re trying too hard after a while, but the authors manage to pull off the comedic tone and sustain it through the whole book.

I even enjoyed the love story and I’m normally not a big fan. Jane and Gifford have a lot of chemistry, even if Jane spends a lot of time denying the whole thing. They’re a great couple and I enjoyed reading about how their relationship evolved over time.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction and comedy, you have to read this. The book hits all the right notes – great characters, an exciting story, and the perfect narrative style. It’s a delightful take on a lesser-known character in British history and I am definitely going to have to find the other books in this series.