The Tudor fantasy romance of My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows has recently been adapted for screen by Amazon Prime and is sweeping fans off their feet. The show is only 8 episodes but is full of action, comedy and Tudor court decadence that many say rival Netflix’s Bridgerton. Having never read the book I can’t comment on the true to the books adaption but I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure through the constitutional crisis of the Tudor dynasty. The show has all the tropes that many book lovers crave when reading, from enemies to lovers, comedy and adventure that distorts the stuffy historical dramas. My Lady Jane is a parody to those stuffy historical dramas and brings a modern sense of humour to a historical setting. Amazon’s adaption stars Emily Bader as Lady Jane Grey, Edward Bluemel as Guildford Dudley, Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon, Henry Ashton, Dominic Cooper and Kate O’ Flynn that bring the show to life and execute the comedy perfectly.Lady Jane Grey is a rebellious and outspoken girl who wishes to never marry and continue her study in herbs and plants. But history has other plans… Jane is arranged to marry Guildford Dudley and soon to become Queen after Edward’s alleged death.
My Lady Jane is set during the constitutional crisis of Edward, Mary and Elizabeth in the Tudor court. The fantasy element is used a metaphor for the religious disputes between Catholics and Protestants that dominated the Tudor reign. In the case, the Ethians (from what I gather) represent Protestants and the Verities are Catholics. This story weaves a similar tale infused by magic of a class and social battle between the hunters and the hunted while implementing a historical setting.
This series has everything I love in fantasy that is often overlooked and is actually very hard to execute well. I loved the slow burn romance, the banter between Jane and Guildford, at first I was convinced that the Dudley’s were evil, but in truth all they wanted to do was save and protect Guildford. I loved the father – son dynamic between Lord Dudley and Stan and their scenes were my favourite to watch. There were several threads of story that all entwined together that made this such an addictive watch. The strange power dynamic and power struggle between Seymour and Mary was hilarious that both actors did brilliantly to convey. Jane and Guildford’s character development and romance was everything and more. The storyline that I think lacked pace was Edward’s storyline with his kidnapping because this didn’t have the same level of mystery or political tensions that the other storylines had within court. If there is a second series (which I really hope!) I would like to see more of his character and storyline that expands on some of his comical moments that I enjoyed.
Overall, this series blends the richness and political tensions of history with modern humour that is fun, light-hearted and addictive with interesting characters made even better with fantastic acting. My Lady Jane has everything I adore in fantasy and historical fiction, that I devoured in a weekend. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next. I loved the addition of the narrator that adds an extra level of fun and humour.
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Amy is a writer and reviewer and is currently writing and editing her Pirates of the Caribbean X Bridgerton debut Adult fantasy novel. For more content click here to read book reviews, short stories and updates on Amy’s writing journey.
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