My Contrary Mary is a charming, magical reimagining of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots

My Contrary Mary is the first installment in a new trilogy of stories from the powerhouse YA author team-up group of Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. The trio is probably best known for their collaborative work on the “Lady Janies” series, a trio of books – My Lady Jane, My Plain Jane, and My Calamity Jane – that put a very feminist, slightly magical YA spin on the lives of three famous women named Jane in pop culture.

As you’ve probably guessed from the title, this new series will do the same for similarly influential Marys – Mary, Queen of Scots, Marie Curie, and Mary Mallon (better known in life as Typhoid Mary) – all with a dash of the supernatural on top.

My Contrary Mary is a spin on the life of the tragically doomed Mary, Queen of Scots, and it should be noted going into this that though there are plenty of true historical tidbits woven throughout the story, there’s also a refreshing disregard for almost anything that denies our heroine the happy ending she didn’t get in history.

Much like My Plain Jane, this novel is set in a world whose citizens are divided into two types – Verities (regular, normal people) and Eðians (shapeshifters who change into animals). Verities rule and in some countries (including France where young Mary Stuart lives) to be Eðian is to live under the constant threat of a death sentence if discovered. Which is something of a problem considering that Mary herself is Eðian, and regularly turns into a mouse.

This story follows many of the beats of Mary’s actual life, she is betrothed to and does marry Francis, the dauphin of France; she eventually returns to Scotland, where a preacher named John Knowx publishes slanderous tracts against her; she frequently butts heads with her mother-in-law Catherine de Medici. But the similarities are often used to hilarious effect here, and generally point out the various deficiencies of a society that wants to control those it deems different or unworthy.

The fast-paced tale is pure fun throughout, with authorial inserts adding commentary and snark at regular intervals. The romance between Mary and Francis drives the bulk of the story – those of you who loved the CW series Reign will find so much to enjoy here – and is utterly delightful. Unlike Reign, we get to see Francis’ direct POV throughout My Contrary Mary, which adds a charming new layer to their relationship and allows us to see him grow both as a potential ruler and a partner for our Scottish queen.

The young queen’s friendships with her group of four ladies, also named Mary, are equally fun to watch develop, particularly given that they are also Eðians who can change into a variety of other useful – and/or dangerous – animals. The intra-group conflicts feel realistic to a world in which a friend group must inevitably bow down to one member not just as its leader, but also as the ruler of their country. (Translation: They have some awkward and  moments in which Mary forces her friends to follow her orders simply because she is a queen and they are not.)

My Contrary Mary does its best to craft a version of Mary Stuart that feels both true to life – the real queen was also headstrong and willful, even if she couldn’t turn into a mouse whenever she chose – and realistic to the experiences of a teenager asked to carry burdens far beyond her young years. As she struggles to learn that sometimes she should listen to others – instead of just knee-jerk doing the opposite of whatever they advise, see also the “contrary” of the title – Mary displays real growth, as both a leader and a romantic partner.

The book is full of fun pop culture references – mostly in the form of “visions” from Nostradamus’ daughter Ari, whose ability to see the future appears to be strictly limited to scenes from popular blockbusters that won’t exist for several hundred years. There’s also a sweet and unexpected relationship that develops between two of Mary’s ladies, and themes of forgiveness and growth – particularly to those that betray us – run throughout.

All in all, the sort of fizzy historical reimagining we could stand to see a lot more of in YA fiction.

My Contrary Mary is available now. Let us know if you plan to check it out – or have enjoyed other books in the authors Lady Janies series!