The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

The Other Queen  (2008) Philippa Gregory

After reading The Other Boleyn Girl, I supposed I had read Philippa Gregory's best work and that her other novels would seem weak by comparison. I am therefore delighted to find The Other Queen to be such a superbly entertaining book.

The engrossing story is set during the captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots during the reign of Elizabeth I. Mary is the "other queen," with a legitimate claim to the thrones of Scotland and England.

Three characters take turns narrating the story, so the perspective is always changing as the plot moves forward. As a literary device, it sounds awkward I know, but I thought Gregory managed the three voices exceedingly well. The narrators are Bess of Hardwick, her newlywed fourth husband George the Earl of Shrewsbury, and their captive guest Mary the Scots Queen.

Philippa Gregory is very good at characterization. She writes reasonable dialogue, but it's not really convincing as period dialogue. The court's machinations and intrigue are palpable; other more mundane historical details are sparse.