And it's back to the usual high standard with this instalment of the 'My Story' series. It's a great blend of fact and fiction, all perfectly pitched for its target audience, allowing you to 'know' Lady Jane Grey and follow her as she tries to discover herself, all while being pushed towards a tragic end.

This book actually put me in mind of Alison Weir's novel about Jane, 'Innocent Traitor'. They both have a similar emotional impact, highlighting the (rumoured) cruelty of her parents, her love of learning and her fiercely independent nature. Of course, one is aimed at children and the other at adults, so there are some obvious differences is tone and depth of content, but I was really impressed with how well such a short book still managed to invoke the same sort of reactions from me.

In and of itself, the writing was well paced and conveyed Jane's tone really well, giving a great insight into her life and surroundings, and the language used felt appropriate. The only thing I found a little disappointing was the length of time the story spanned; although the book is longer than a lot of others in the series, there was a lot of unnecessary build up and not quite enough time spent focused on those key 13 days. I understand why the story starts as Edward VI ascends the throne; the events of his reign are certainly important to Jane's story, but it left the entries concerning her brief time on the throne and its aftermath feeling all too brief, when there is so much scope for more. 

I also enjoyed the development of her relationship with Guilford Dudley, although again it feels like it was left too late to start. It's so common for him to be written off as a mummy's boy and a pawn in his father's games, and while there are clear elements of this within the book it is balanced really well with an underlying feeling of tenderness - for example, it's stressed that while her parents and Northumberland shout and demand that she accept the throne, in contrast Guilford tries to persuade her gently. And then their brief interactions after their arrest are beautifully done, and very touching. I do appreciate that it may well be romanticising a relationship that could barely be called as such in real life, but I adore that little bit of hope and positivity it injects into the sadness of their ultimate fate. It makes me believe that Jane and Guilford went to their deaths safe in the knowledge that there was someone who cared.

This one is joining the collection on my shelf.