My Contrary Mary (Mary #1)
By Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Recommended For: Ages 15+, history buffs (especially Mary Queen of Scots fanatics), fans of the Janies series, readers who enjoy a good dose of light-hearted humor in stories and want to dip their toe in fantasy
Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?⠀
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Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It’s a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.⠀
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Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But after the king meets a suspicious end, things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis are forced to navigate a viper’s nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary’s secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.⠀
Luna’s Top Thoughts:
- Fast-paced, light-hearted read
- Hilarious bits of comedy throughout
- Two, count that TWO, friends to lovers romance subplots
- Excellent creation of relatable characters you connect with
- Slightly lack-luster plot tension
The Review:
My Contrary Mary is the beginning of a new set of YA historical fantasy books by the amazing trio of authors that is Hand, Ashton and Meadows. If you read any of their Janies series, you’ll probably understand why I was so excited about this book, even more so because Mary Queen of Scots is one of my favorite historical figures. This story takes us back into the world of My Lady Jane in the 16th century with people who have the ability to shape shift into animals.
One of the strong suits of My Contrary Mary, and all the other books in these series, are its characters. There are three POV characters and I love how relatable the authors make them. They are multi-faceted and possess many different emotional layers. For instance, one scene Mary can be acting like a graceful, wise Queen, then the next scene she is throwing a temper tantrum. It’s nice to read characters with emotional variety and depth. And I appreciated each POV coming from a different personality. It’s refreshing to read the some over-arching story through such uniquely different lenses.
Perhaps the reason I love these stories so much is the fun, light-hearted tone. My Contrary Mary is one of the shining star examples in these series of books of telling a familiar story with an air of wittiness and clever humor. And the humor is subtle. It sneaks up on you then makes you laugh out loud. But, the authors also insert moments of sincerity and emotional resonance, which helps to prevent the story from becoming too cartoon-ish.
Raise your hand if you love the friends-to-lovers romance trope? Then you will love My Contrary Mary because it has not one, but two subplots with that trope (though granted, one might be closer to forbidden love). Both were very sweet in nature and had a slow build development throughout the story that increased my eagerness to see scenes with the couples together.
There is a lot going on in this novel. Not only is there the main plot, but there are subplots and themes they build on like friendship, loyalty, and being true to yourself. It’s all expertly woven together. As with their previous novels, I’m always amazed at how the trio of authors managed to incorporate a fantastical element with history without it feeling forced. It puts a fun, intriguing spin on already told story.
One area I got snagged on a bit was the lack of tension in the plot. It felt like there was always something happening, but the stakes didn’t always feel high enough for me to be on the edge of my seat needing to know what happened next. I think my love of the characters and the humorous nature of the storytelling is what kept me reading more so than feeling excited about what was happening. Though, take that with a grain of salt, because some of that might be because I know a little bit about Mary Queen of Scots, so I just might not have been surprised because I had an idea of what would happen.
All in all, this was a charming book I enjoyed reading. I think fantasy lovers of all levels, whether you’re dipping your toe into fantasy or have read it for decades, will find something to love about My Contrary Mary. It’s an excellent start to what I’m sure will be another great series by Hand, Ashton and Meadows.
Luna’s Lucky Rating: 4/5 Lunas
