My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (491 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

Like that could go wrong.

My Lady Jane is definitely not a story you’ve read in any history book!

When I first picked up My Lady Jane, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it was supposed to be a humorous, alternate history version of the story of Lady Jane Grey, but since the reality of her story is far from funny I had no idea how this could work. My curiosity was piqued, and I eagerly dove in with an open mind.
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My Lady Jane is told from three viewpoints, Jane, Gifford (or G as he prefers to be called), and Edward. The switches between each character are clearly marked and never confusing. Telling the story from multiple viewpoints kept the plot moving along at a great pace. In fact, I found it hard to put the book down. Each time I finished a section I couldn’t help but keep reading to see what one of the other characters were up to.

I love the authors’ sense of humor. At times it is witty, absurd, or even tinged with a bit of seriousness.

“I asked him to change back to talk to me, but he won’t,” Jane said. “It’s disrespectful to remain a horse in the bedchamber, I should think.”

Desperate to console her he almost considered shouting, “Quick, someone get her a book! Any book!”

Quotes like these kept me giggling as I read. It takes skill to maintain a consistent level of humor throughout a book, and the authors’ do this well. It never once felt forced or overdone. Even the periodic interjections from the narrators were well timed and spaced and always entertaining.

Despite this tale being very funny, the plot is compelling. I cared about Jane, G, and Edward and could see real character growth in all three of them. Jane and G were a great couple. To say their relationship got off to a rough start is an understatement, but this made watching them slowly shift from animosity to friendship, and finally love all the more satisfying.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the magic of the Eðians as this is a key element in the story. Eðians have the ability to turn into animals. Shape shifting appears to be an inherited trait, but what sort of animal a person becomes seems to be individual, meaning members of the same family wouldn’t necessarily all turn into the same animal. It was so much fun to see not only who turned out to be an Eðian, but also what animal they changed into. The final Eðian reveal is priceless!

My Lady Jane far exceeded my expectations! I highly recommend this delightful book to anyone looking for a lighthearted tale full of comedy, romance, and magic.