I really unjoyed this book.
Poor Jane,, a total inncocent.
All she wanted were her books and her faith it seemed.
For me, it's been a bit tough to find anything on this Jane or Jane Rochford. I already read Vengence Is Mine, but I won't go there here.
This womanchild was so dominated by her parents, to the point of child abuse.
You really feel for Jane, her life is nothing like she had hoped it would be.
She was used til the very end. The crown was put upon her head for nine days...nine days!
It's truly a wonder how some slept at night back then. They would have had no concious whatsoever.
I reccomend this book, it's a good but sad read.

what a wonderful story and tragic story made more so that it is true. alison weir is equally fantastic in writing this in novel form rather than the fiction books she writes. this novel is captivating, interesting, and moving. i highly recommend this to anyone loving either history or great stories involving mystery and intrigue. definitley a great buy.

A fascinating novel of the life of Lady Jane Grey, England's nine day Queen. Intelligent beyond her years, Jane is born to greedy and corrupt parents who plot to place her on the throne of England after Henry VIII's heir, Edward VI, dies. Jane, who is powerless to stop her conniving parents, is merely a spectator to the tragic events that ultimately lead to her death.

Other reviewers have pointed out that Mrs Weir's writing was slightly dull. While I admit that her style of writing in this book was not as colorful as say Philippa Gregory, the author explains this in the Author's note.

Since she wrote this book in the first person, it was more important for her to unveil the characters's thoughts and feelings, as opposed to spending a page describing the look and feel of fabrics etc. Innocent Traitor was also Alison Weir's first historical fiction novel. If you haven't already, you should read some of her royal biographies. Every work by this author is fascinating from start to finish!

When I was in high school, my mom was reading a book called The Six Wives of Henry VIII. At one point, she copied down one of Henry's poems to Anne Boleyn and gave it to me ("Green Grows The Holly"). Being young, American, and ignorant, I had no idea who or what the hell she was talking about. I think I had, at that point, seen the movie "Elizabeth" with Cate Blanchett (and oh, Joseph Fiennes!), but I hadn't thought about anything beyond that. I think it was the poem that led to me reading the book. I'd expected it to be dry and boring--after all, it's history! But I loved it, and it sparked a waxing and waning interest in Tudor England that's lasted for about ten years. Typically something will happen to re-awaken my interest, I'll re-read Six Wives, continue with whatever else originally sparked it, and then ... um ... get distracted with a-ha or House or god knows what else.

All of this is to say two things: I knew of Lady Jane Grey, but not in depth, and when I saw Alison Weir had started writing fiction novels, I jumped in and read Innocent Traitor. And although it was interesting enough, I still put it aside for almost a week to read other things, something I almost never do. A book this size I normally would've finished in a few hours if uninterrupted, but it just couldn't hold my interest that long.

At first, I thought it was because of the simple fact that I already knew the outcome. I knew Jane ended up being queen for nine days and then got her head chopped off. So I thought that was what was holding me back. However, I eventually realized it was more complicated. The first issue, I think, as the fact that the entire book is in first person ... but from the perspective of quite a few peoples' internal dialogue. I can think of at least seven narrators off the top of my head. Honestly, it just gets confusing after a while, especially since there's no distinctive "voice" to each. They're all in the same thoughtful, self-aware, carefully conscious voice, and the only way to tell them apart is by the headings or the events.

The other issue is the fact that I just didn't much care for the character of Jane after her early childhood. I swung from pity for a child who was abused, to disbelief that someone so young could suddenly grasp the fundamental difference between Protestantism and Catholicism, to annoyance that she suddenly was all holier-than-thou to everyone around her, and eventually a sort of disbelief. I realize that when reading these sorts of books, you had to accept the fact that women had few personal freedoms and were the property of men. I also realize that religion was an unchallenged, permeating tenant of peoples' lives.

But when Jane, suddenly confronted with being queen because of others' machinations, convinces herself that God wants her to be queen to keep the country Protestant, I just gagged. Even moreso when she feels sorry for her husband who raped her (which we got two or three graphic descriptions of). As sad as it was that a brilliant, introverted woman got pushed on to the throne and ultimately beheaded, by the time the book ended, I was basically sick of Lady Jane.

Lady Jane Grey, known as the nine days Queen of England, was the great grandaughter of Henry VII of England and daughter of Frances Brandon, Marchioness of Dorset Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk.
Born to parents who resented her for not having been born a boy, she suffers great cruelty and abuse at the hands of her mother and neglect from her father.
Her only love comes from her kindly nurse Mrs Ellen, and some kindly guidance from her tutors.
What comes across is the story of a brave, intelligent girl, wronged from the beginning and used as powerless pawn in a game beyond her control which leads to her death.
She never stood a chance.
It is heartbreaking and chilling to read of the abuse by her mother, and nevertheless we get to appreciate Jane's character. and that of her nurse, Mrs Ellen.
The book is told in various first person accounts, including that of her mother, Frances Brandon, Mrs Ellen, Jane, Queen Mary and the scheming and evil Lord John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland.
One cannot help but to admire Jane's powerful and immovable Protestant convictions while strongly sympathizing with the suffering visited upon her.
The story is well told, and I believe that Alison Weir holds up well to prolific historical novelists of British history such as Jean Plaidy, Sharon Kay Penman, Margaret George and Philipa Gregory.
The story follows through Jane's fleeting nine day reign to her tragic end.
I need to add that while some may point out that Elizabeth signed the death warrant for Mary, Queen of Scots, years later, this cannot be compared to Mary Tudor's warrant of death for Jane Grey. Mary, Queen of Scots schemed against her cousin until the very end while Jane Grey was totally innocent.
All evidence indicates that Jane's husband Guildford Dudley was indeed a snivelling bully.
I found this book very engaging and moving.

If you are a fan of British history, particularly the Tudor period, you are probably familiar with this author. Alison Weir is a noted historian and proliferate writer of many well-received non-fiction books, including The Princes in the Tower and The Six Wives of Henry VIII.


Innocent Traitor is the author's debut fiction work and I'm pleased to report that she succeeds quite well. The story of Lady Jane Grey is a small footnote in British history. Upon the death of young Edward VI, Jane's family plotted to use her tenuous royal connections (Jane was Henry VIII's great-niece) to set Jane upon the throne of England. Her reign lasted just nine short days before the rightful heir to the throne, Queen Mary I, seized power. Jane was only fifteen years old and her story definitely falls into the "tragic" category.


Ms. Weir's novel tells Jane's story, flitting between several points of view, including Jane herself, her mother Frances Brandon, her nurse, Queen Katherine (Parr), Queen Mary I, and John Dudley, Jane's husband. In a lesser author's hands, the numerous and rapid changes in point of view could have resulted in a confusing, disjointed work. But Ms. Weir manages it fairly seamlessly and the different viewpoints come together for a more complete understanding of Jane and circumstances swirling out of control around her.


In the end, we are left with a compelling portrait of a very young, naive teenager who had the misfortune of being born into an overly-ambitious, scheming family who did not scruple to use this innocent girl to achieve their own ends. Tragically, it is Jane who must pay the ultimate price for their follies.

Alison Weir's second novel, The Lady Elizabeth: A Novel, was released earlier this year and covers Elizabeth I's early life up until she takes the throne. The paperback edition is set for release on November 4, 2008.

If you enjoyed Ms. Weir's writing and are interested in reading some of her non-fiction books, I've provided an Amazon list in order of publication. And keep an eye out for The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn, scheduled for publication in Fall of 2009 by Random House.

I enjoyed this book emmensly, happy that someone finally took up this subject. Seeing as Lady Jane Grey is hardly mentioned in most history books (grade school or college) I was delighted to finally dive deep into the tale of the tragic figure, though a novel, is very close to the facts. The characters (there are many) really breath life into the book, as if you are hearing them speak and act right in front of you. The Tudor era, so intriguing and unforgettable, cannot be displayed any better and I give my hats off to Miss Weir for her first volume of fiction. However, I was under the intention that Jane and Guildford, though arranged in marriage, were actually quite fond of one another after the wedding took place. I thought I read it somewhere or saw it on some history documentary. So I would have given the book five stars if there had been a little more of a romance between them. All in all, I recommend this to anyone who loves Tudor history or history in general

Not too long of a book, but you probably won't want to put it down. It brings a story to life from English history that we don't hear that much about, and yet, it seems like it is a story that needs to be told. You will enjoy this book if you like historical fiction of the Henry VIIIth variety!

This was the first book by Alison Weir that I've read and I am DEFINITELY going to be reading more of her work! I was intrigued by the idea of a novel about Lady Jane Grey and am so happy to say that this book surpassed all of my expectations! It was interesting to follow the story from the points of view of different characters, most of whom are greedy and self-serving, with the exception of Jane herself. She, and her governess, are the only sympathetic characters in the story which makes it all the more tragic. I found myself sobbing at the end for this poor girl of 16 who lost her life because of the ambition of others. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with even a slight interest in Tudor histoy, but would also suggest that they keep a box of tissues handy as they near the end.

This is an amazing story of Lady Jane Grey. If you love Tudor history, this book is for you. I knew very little about the life of Lady Jane Grey before reading Innocent Traitor. After reading it, I researched the life of this tragic figure. I was delighted to find that Allison Weir's facts were accurate. While reading this book, I felt that I got to know Lady Jane Grey and understood the hardships she was faced to endure. I thought about her story days after completing the novel. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

There's a great story here, but I'm not sure Allison Weir was the right person to write the novel. Her writing isn't technically bad, but the prose is dry at best and page-skimmingly dull at worst. If the novel were told from a single instead of several different first person points of view, this might not be as much of a problem, but the pedestrian prose rendered the several points of view almost indistinguishable. I frequently found myself going back to check the section break to see whose point of view I was reading.

Others have mentioned this, but Weir also attempts to write part of the book from a small child's perspective, something which few novelists can pull off without it being precious. Weir both makes the child precious and gives her the vocabulary and observational powers of a modern historian, which makes it doubly fall flat.

Weir intends Lady Jane's story to inspire sympathy, but this also failed for me. Instead of feeling for Jane at her (occasionally very dark) worst moments, I was irritated by her woodenness and put off by her self-righteousness.

I do love Weir's histories, but I wish she would find a co-author with a talent for lively prose for writing her novels. Two stars because it was informative and a wonderful story, even with lackluster prose.

Fills us in on some of the goings-on between the death of Henry VIII and the reign of (following Edward and Mary) Elizabeth I. Good along the same lines as Phillipa Gregory's "The Other Boleyn Girl".

I found Allison Weir to be an excellent writer. She told the story with detail, yet kept the reader interested. I look forward to reading more of her work.

I was hooked in this book. You learn a lot about Queen Mary and the short life of Lady Jane Grey. It's hearbreaking what her family made her do against her will and that she had to pay with her life for her families meddling. I definetely recommend this book to other Tudor fans. I lended it to friends and they loved it, too.

I like this focus on Lady Jane Grey, though Alison Weir is better as a non-fiction history writer than as a novelist. A bit slow at times, but this is a good read for fans of the period.

Keeping in mind that this is a NOVEL and not purely an historical account, Weir manages to take the known facts and build an entertaining story of Lady Jane Grey. Many historical accounts have detailed the abuse Jane suffered from her parents, the manipulations and deceit but Weir helps to fill in the blanks by imagineing what Jane must have felt like and how she must have wanted to react (and sometimes tried to) given the times and the inclinations of a teenage girl. This was a fun read and I hope there are more on the way!

I don't normally bother to comment on books, but I feel this one demands an appropriate warning that somehow, in all their grandiose praise, other reviewers have neglected to mention.

I have a decent amount of respect for Weir as a historian, and have found her carefully researched volumes immensely helpful in my own research about the Tudor period. I was interested to learn she had written a novel about Lady Jane, and considered briefly purchasing it as a Christmas gift for a friend of mine. Fortunately, I learned the hard way never to give a book as a gift without reading it first, so I read this one.

Weir sticks to the facts (for the most part) but her book is highly confusing, as the narrator constantly leaps between Jane, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Mary, Jane's parents, and other characters -- all in the first person, so that if you don't stop and carefully read the notation at the beginning of each chapter, you're not at all certain just who is talking. This method of storytelling breaks all the unofficial "rules," and makes the story far more complicated to read than it needs to be. I found myself skipping chapters told from everyone's perspective except Jane's.

Then too, one cannot help but hate the way she painted Guilford as a self-pleasing, boozing rapist (certainly, he was a bit self-obsessed, and yes, he was a boozer, but the rapist bit does not explain Jane's later fondness for him, nor his act of inscribing her name in the wall of his prison -- you tend to abhor your rapist, not weep at the sight of his headless corpse being removed from the Tower green) ... which brings me to my biggest complaint: for all its former subtleties, the book has a graphic, several-page depiction of an explicit rape, in which Jane is harshly deflowered by her leering husband, complete with anatomical descriptions, much talk of pulsing organs and blood, as well as her violent tears. I am not a prude by any means, but that went far and beyond what I think was needed to express the scene. I felt as though I were reading rape porn, and it significantly lessened my respect for the author's vision.

Needless to say, I'm VERY glad I did not give this to my friend, because that scene alone would have made it intensely objectionable to her. I think it's nice that Weir is trying her hand at fiction. I just hope in future she holds back a bit more on the explicit content.

Alison Weir is a much read and much respected historian with a string of non fiction books to her name. She is widely known for her biographical books about British Royalty. She lives in Surrey with her two children, John and Kate.

Innocent Traitor is the first novel that Alison Weir has written and I am not sure whether it was a conscious effort on her part or a brave move to write about one of the lesser known characters of English history. Whatever the reason the author has brilliantly captured the feel of the Tudor period. A time when the country was in turmoil following the death of Henry VIII.

Lady Jane Grey was the victim of scheming and dominant parents who used her like a pawn in a game of chess. Although of royal blood Lady Jane was used by many of the powerful men of the time who were solely interested in feathering their own nests. The throne of England was there to be taken by those who dared to chance their arm on installing a young girl whose claim to the English throne fell far behind that of the rightful heirs. A young girl who was to pay the ultimate price allowing herself to be manipulated, albeit against her better judgment. For some of the most powerful men in the kingdom, virtually anything was preferable to Mary, with her strict catholic religion that would bring the country close to open civil war.

While it was refreshing to know that I could count on most of the book being historically accurate, I'd rather read some historical nonsense by Philippa Gregory any day. It was a little ambitious to have the story told by I don't know how many narrators. And I thought her portrayal of Jane was a little contradictory. At times she seemed meek and submissive- after all, she let those around her push her onto the throne- but at the same time it was said that she was too bold and outspoken. Still, I have to say that the last bit of the book almost had me in tears.

I found that this book didn't really add anymore insight to the story of Lady Jane Grey than did the movie made in the 1980s called "Lady Jane". The author does capture well the different personalities of the people involved. Although, most of it is rather stereotypical. I think what it does do well is represent Lady Jane in such a way that one really does feel for her. One is left mystified as to why her parents were so rough on the poor girl. All things which do seem to be historically accurate. I read it while on vacation at the beach one time and truthfully had I not had that much free time, I probably wouldn't have bothered to finish it.

A beautifully penned tale of tragedy. Done in diary style, the novel takes us into the point-of-view of all the characters. This book is a wonderful companion to the Philippa Gregory novels that do not elaborate on the doomed Lady Jane's story. All in all, an excellent read.

I have read all the novels the Alison Weir has written. I will admit my favorites are those of the Tudor Era.

When I saw this book on Lady Jane Grey I almost did not buy it, I thought I had read all there was to know about this "imposter." I was so wrong!

Unlike other books that have portrayed Jane Grey and Guilford Dudley as unwilling pawns of their greedy parents; but over time they grew closer they actually fell in love and had plans to make England a better and safer place. I remember one line from one book, "We will make a shilling worth a shilling again, with the correct weight if silver in it".

This shows Jane from early childhood, her hard-hearted, hardheaded mother was disappointed that Jane was not a boy and punished her for this all through her childhood with beating and other tortures. Nothing she did pleased her mother or her father who thought they should have much more than they had and with the help of Earl Dudley, they could make their dreams come true and rule through their children no matter what their child wanted.

This book still shows Jane as a very unwilling child/woman who was beaten into submission to marry a man she could not stand, who raped her to try and get her pregnant so they would have an heir to their "claim" for the crown and thrown.

Jane cried copiously before her coronation, she knew that this act alone would mean her death; but the parents of both did not care for the feelings on anyone but theirs, so she was crowned Queen. She ruled for a short nine days.

I do not want to give anymore away, but this book shows Mary Tudor in a new light also and I was hoping for the same thing that Queen Mary was, until outside forces interfered.

Even during death Guilford shows his cowardice and looks to Jane for comfort; she was fighting to keep herself togethr and strong so she could die with grace but she still found the strength to say the words Guilford needed to hear to die with some peace, though not with dignity.

This may be "historical fiction," but when I combine what I've read else where with this new novel it pulls everything together. More than anything Lady/Queen Jane was a devout believer in the new Protestant faith. She read the bible and the writings of other "learned" men of her faith. She even wrote Psalters of her own.

She may have only been Queen for nine days, but the example she set is as true today as it was then; with FAITH, anything is possible, even dying gracefully and braely before you had a chance to live.

This is the story of Queen Jane, the Nine Days Queen, who at sixteen briefly held the throne after Edward the IV, and before Mary I. Allison Weir is a historian who has written a number of books on the British royal family, and this is her first historical novel. The depth of Weir's historical knowledge is put on fine display here, and the details and extent of her research are excellent, but the characters' thoughts and dialogue are frequently awkward, reflecting her inexperience with such devices.

In this novel, Weir fills in all the little details of history, giving the story of Jane's life from birth. She uses shifting perspective, first-person narration from most of the major characters in Jane's life, to give immediacy and a wide range of knowledge to the reader. Weir carefully assigns emotions and motivations to her narrators to make the decisions history assigns them logical, and her research and thought are so careful that it is sometimes impossible to tell where fact leaves off and speculation begins. However, it is not *always* difficult to tell where the fiction begins, because character revelations are sometimes very awkwardly handled. When John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland and an important influence on the events of Jane's life, is introduced for the first time, we are told in his voice, "Looking in my mirror, I see a bull of a man with cold black eyes ... Some call me ruthless, but I prefer to see myself as a pragmatist, for whom the end justifies the means." It is very helpful to see John Dudley as this type of man, to understand his actions, but it is odd to read it in this way. Also, while the first-person narration should give each character an emotional impact by bringing immediacy and involvement to the story, every single one of the narrators are similarly and singularly detached. A prime example of this is Frances Brandon's description of her own labor: "In fact, when I am not crying out in my agony, ... I am terrified out of my wits. Indeed, I am now beyond caring whether I bear a son or a daughter..." The device of using each character to explain themselves and their own perspective is a good one, and even in this book it frequently works, but it sometimes falls far short of the mark, and is on occasion simply ridiculous. Having the executioner be the final narrator is a great idea, but I was taken out of the moment by his goofy voice: "It don't do to get too sentimental about this job," and "God, we've been rushed off our feet with hangings these past few days," are annoying distractions from what I want to focus on - the emotion of Jane's impending death.

In spite of these flaws, this book is full of juicy history and strange but true events. Some things which it seems the author must have made up to give greater impact are actually true - Jane's refusal to convert to Catholicism even to save her own life, and her last, poignant groping for the block. The book is easy to read and enjoyable even with the awkward style, and satisfied my desire to know all the gory details of Queen Jane's life. For anyone with a similar inclination, it's well worth a read.

While I enjoyed the story this book was telling immensely, I did find that having multiple first-person points of view was a little bit jarring. Perhaps this is simply a matter of what I'm used to - third-person past tense, or first-person past tense - but this is why I've given the book a four star versus five.

As other reviewers have pointed out, this is the story of Lady Jane Grey's short, tragic, and unhappy life, and I really enjoyed the fact the Weir has such a great eye for detail, something she uses well in her historical biographies.

Overall, I would give this book 4.5 stars. Well worth a read, it just may take some time getting used to.

Innocent Traitor is a very factual, well-written account of the life and times of Lady Jane Grey. Weir does not write in the sometimes salacious (but always captivating) style of Phillipa Gregory. Yet, this book moves at a good pace and keeps you turning the pages. The book provides excellent historical insight into a lesser-known figure in Tudor History. Typically, Lady Jane Grey's nine day rule is given fairly cursory attention in the history of Tudor England. This book does a wonderful job of casting light on the political machinations that led to the exploitation of a very interesting, intelligent and brave female of the Tudor Era. I have not read a more interesting fiction or non-fiction account of Lady Jane Grey.

Although I found this audio book engrossing, there were times when there was too much of the 'schoolmarm' and not enough of the 'storyteller' and the story ground to a shuddering halt so that we could be 'informed'. Don't let that put you off buying though. I'm really glad that I purchased it.

Alison Weir is a name familiar to anyone interested in English history, having written a number of well-received and accessible biographies of key figures of English royalty from the 15th-16th centuries.

This is her first attempt at fiction. It's interesting that she chose this approach with Lady Jane Grey's life. Perhaps that's because the actual historical material surrounding Jane's life is so scant (given the briefness of her life) that speculation was needed to fill in the gaps, and fiction allowed her to do this with a freer conscience.

At any rate, it reads like what it is: a competent work of fiction by a writer of historical nonfiction. The prose is clear if not memorable, and the dialog is workable and avoids the long, stilted speeches one might expect from a novice writer.

As one would expect, Weir avoids much of the unhistorical sentimentalizing of Jane's story one gets in other places. If most of what you think you know about Jane Grey comes from the Helena Bonham Carter/Cary Elwes movie, you'll be startled by the much more accurate portrayal of their relationship in the novel (i.e., Guilford Dudley was a mama's boy and a jerk whom Jane couldn't stand).

The downside is that you're often unsure if what you are reading at any given moment is history or speculations. Weir provides a note at the end where she explains some of this, but true history aficianados will probably miss the endnotes and bibliography that would be included in a straight nonfiction biography.

Having said that, the book generally succeeds in teling a dramatic story in a way that hangs together as fiction while not playing fast and loose with the facts.

Bravo Alison Weir!!! Innocent traitor was a pleasure to read! Intelligent, exciting and well-written. I look forward to your next fiction books!

The author shifts the narration from one character to another. It is a very interesting way to tell the story. I also apprecitated her attention to detail and staying true to historical facts.

Alison Weir is a justifiably respected scholar in the field of Tudor and medieval history and having read several of her biographies (including "Children of England" and "Eleanor of Aquitaine") I was interested to see how she would tackle fiction. I was not disappointed - this is a compelling exploration of the events that led to Lady Jane's tragic death, and a vivid depiction of the period. This novel has clearly been carefully and comprehensively researched, but never becomes "dry."

The device of alternating narrators, each giving a unique perspective on events as they unfold, worked really well in maintaining (for want of a better phrase) dramatic tension. While each character's apparent acute self-awareness can stretch credulity at times (no one is THAT consistently insightful), this did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel. I initially was a bit taken aback by Jane's apparent self-possession and insight at the ripe old age of four, but given that children were treated, and expected to behave, as miniature adults during that era, it's not as unrealistic as it sounds.

Even though most of us will know the story already, "Innocent Traitor" is well worth reading. I look forward to Weir's next novel.

...that you ever decided to write this novel.

I have long enjoyed Weir's popular histories and, in fact, consider her one of the better popular historians. While the Tudor era is my 'specialty' and I have many books by 'serious' historians, I have ALL of Weir's just for the pleasure they give me. I use popular histories whenever I'm interested in an era new to me. If a popular historian piques my interest, I'll go on to the 'hard stuff'. But, Alison is just so much fun to read that I buy her books for pleasure and not just knowledge!

*Innocent Traitor* could have been wonderful. Instead it has to reach up to achieve mediocrity. Weir's strange use of language keeps whomping me in the face with a dead fish and breaking the flow of the story.

Instead of choosing all-modern or all-Tudor English, she uses mostly-modern with a now-and-again 'methinks' type word or phrase. It's most disconcerting. Ex. Queen Jane Seymour says, "His (Henry's) obsessive and pathetic need for this child to be a boy is more than I can cope with." (Pg. 7, Ballentine USA edition) Not only would the queen NOT have said 'obsessive and pathetic' or 'more than I can cope with' she would never even have thought these words. Like most women, Jane Seymour had been raised to believe that a woman's only valid calling was to produce male heirs with the barely-secondary conviction that women were created to 'cope with' whatever men chose to throw at them. And the entire nation understood Henry's need to have a son. At that point in history and with his daughter Elizabeth's reign yet to come, no one thought England could survive as a nation with a female ruler. So, these 'thoughts' of Jane Seymour's are a glaring and annoying anachronism; just one of many.

Yet later, Frances and Henry Grey 'make merry' when having sex. Sheesh!

The story is certainly riveting, and Weir does an admirable job of laying the various political motivations out, with clarity, to a public possibly putting a toe into the Tudor era. That is, of course, the strong foundation her being an historian had to lay, even with the fictional set dressing. I think that Weir is incapable of making a hash of the historicity of her story.

I wish she had left it at that.

Very enjoyable read and sound fiction work by A.Weir. Interesting character development and rendition of Tudor times - both from political and private viewpoints. A cut above anything written by Philippa Gregory.

Wow! I have never heard of or read anything by Alison Weir before and I just happened to see the cover of this book at the library and it caught my attention. I love period books. I skimmed thru it briefly and decided to give it a try. WHAT A GREAT DECISION!!! I am not a fan of 'first person' dialogue, but that is what made this book so excellent! The way each character took a turn telling their part was very well done and keep the book flowing effortlessly. It is a rare occasion when I am moved like this with a book. I felt so intuned with the characters. I felt like I was there instead of just reading words on a page. It is totally engrossing! Even though I knew what the brutal end result would be for Lady Jane, the writing made it totally realistic. I sobbed my way thru the last 3 chapters of this book. I could totally feel everyone's anguish and despair of what needed to be done - - The Queen to uphold her authority and marriage alliance and Jane to uphold her religious beliefs to the bitter end. I felt like I was there with innocent Jane watching the tragic end of her troubled, young life. This is reading at its BEST!

An engrossing tale about a young girl who encounters only brief moments of happiness in her short life. Fans of Phillippa Gregory will be immensely pleased by this novel. Loved it!!

Really - 3.5 stars

Jane Grey is the unfortunate victim of natural sex selection when she is born into a cruel, scheming family during a very turbulent period in English history. Her cold mother, Frances Brandon (niece to Henry VIII) and her husband desired a son to use as a pawn in their games of court politics and jockeying for power with other nobles of the time. Had Jane been born a boy she might have been indulged and spoiled rather than abused, but a different gender would not have altered the ability of her parents to treat her as a human rather than a disposable prop.

Alison Weir's first novel brings the cruel treatment Jane endured to life for the reader. We witness her parents subject her to neglect, emotional and physical abuse, rape and ultimately execution. As is natural for any person who lives in such an environment, Jane finds refuge in a cerebral world and devotes herself to her studies and her faith, eventually becoming a well know scholar and Protestant zealot. While Weir's writing does not stir emotional responses from the reader, the sterile presentation of the facts of Jane's short life in some ways enhances the reader's ability to relate to Jane. It mimics the detachment that Jane employs to survive and endure 16 years of crushed hopes, withheld love and helplessness.

"Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey" is an interesting novel as it provides ample insight and context of how the "Nine Days Queen" came to be, filling in a gap often overlooked by other novelists who focus on the Tudor era. However, I did not find it to be an engrossing book. I would have been just as happy to revisit Jane's life via a biography so that my expectation to be emotionally drawn into such a compelling character and unbelievable story would not have been unmet.

Alison Weir really brings her characters to life, and uses her skills as a historian to weave all her detailed knowledge from the Tudor period into an absorbing story. She does an amazing job of bringing the reader into the minds of the historical figures.

I had never even heard of Alison Weir before, so I had no idea she was a non-fiction writer. I had zero expectations going into the book, and I absolutely loved it! I felt like I was really in the heads of the people involved, and, even though I knew what was coming, bawled like a baby at the end. I would recommend it to anyone.

I loved this book. Lady Jane Gray has always interested me because I'd heard about her tragic life but new little else. I saw the movie made a few years ago, and loved it so I was happy to finally read a story about her. The author did an excellent job in making this story come alive. But then I have enjoyed all of Alison Weir's book. I'm looking forward to reading two more of her books, THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY Vlll and THE CHILDREN OF HENRY Vlll. I know I won't be disappointed.
Arlette Gaffrey/avid reader and author of A WORLD OF HIS OWN IN THE LAND OF THE CREOLES

Compelling, engaging, and wonderful, "Innocent Traitor" is probably one of the best historical fictions I have read.
And let it be said that I am not a fan of Lady Jane Grey; in Tudor politics, I tend to side with Catherine of Aragon, Mary Tudor (daughter of Henry VIII), and Mary Tudor (sister of Henry VIII). I always say Jane Grey's refusal to convert to Catholicism as stubbornness rather than admirable loyalty to her faith. But this book really brought her to life.

It is perfect, utterly compelling, with the rich, sometimes harsh (in the sections from the point of view of Frances Brandon, Jane's steely mother), layered prose fitting of a historical novel, and one set in Tudor times at that.

The quintessential historical fiction novel. Philippa Gregory fans (like me), observe.

Oh, I could rave on and on...

Alison Weir is a respected historian who is often recommended as an antidote to inaccurate representations in historical fiction as written by other authors. This is her first novel, and what a novel it is. I was entranced from the first line, and even though I knew how it was going to end, I still hoped that there would be a change at some point near the end. That's the sign of a good writer - someone who can write so compellingly and with such suspense that you hope they can even change historical facts for you.

Lady Jane Grey was a pawn in the ambition of her parents and of the Duke of Northumberland, almost from the moment she was born. Never forgiven for the cardinal sin of being born female, she was beaten and tortured into becoming a "lady" suitable for marriage to a monarch. When that ceased to be an option she was beaten into a marriage and a reign she never wanted, protesting even as the crown was being put on her head. These are facts that are known by most who have even read cursory information about this young lady. What is amazing is the way Alison Weir makes it seem like new information. The chorus of different voices in the telling of Jane's tale is exemplary and clever. I kept turning pages wanting to see what spin the next narrator would put on the story.

This novel did what historical fiction should do - it made me want to seek out the non-fiction bases for the story and do more reading. Anything that inspires further study can only be praised.

It's not the strange happenings at the Tudor Court, the poison, the intrigue or even the coincidences that are hard to swallow. It's the writing.

Weir is an excellent historian. I've read her non-fiction and been impressed by it. But she's not a great novelist, at least not yet. Head to head with Phillipa Gregory, Weir suffers mightily in comparison.

The dialog is occasionally eye-roll inducing and the characters are cookie-cutter. Jane, someone who should have been rather sympathetic, comes across as a self-righteous, self-centered, emotionless little cypher whose depth of character is absolutely trashed by a clumsy narrative voice.

All of this is not to say that I did not read the book avariciously and enjoy it. It was a good tale, engaging, important, and I learned something from it. It was definitely my cup of tea. It just wasn't as good as it could have been.

Has anyone bothered to read Jane Grey's diary or consider the generally overlooked facts of her life? Certainly Alison Weir's picture of Jane is just another repeat of the old errors gussied up as fiction. Jane was a serious Protestant scholar who corresponded with Erasmus In Latin. She was deeply concerned about the threat posed to England by Mary Tudor, and when Parliament passed the Acts os Succession at the end of Henry's reign, it was done with the idea that the crown should be given to the most able family member, not just automatically go to the eldest living child. Jane obviously knew that she or Elizabeth was to be chosen if the sickly Edward followed Henry VIII to the grave. Rather than some kind of innocent victim, she was well aware of the risk of claiming the throne, but felt it necessary to preserve the country's Proptestant heritage. No one seems able to appreciate the brilliant intellect and courage of this young woman and the extraordinary tragedy of her death. The typical myth started with Fox's Book of Martyrs and has been repeated ever since, but someday a competent historian will bring the real Jane back.

I admit, I am one of those readers who cannot get enough of historical novels from mid-evil England to Queen Elizabeth. I was pleasantly surprised with this book because I did not know too much about Lady Jane Grey.I do,however, know her grandmother:)In Alison Weir's notes, she hopes the book has 'both enthralled and appalled the reader. It did.

Loved every minute of it. Ranks right up there with all of my favorites! A well-written novel by someone who has always received so much praise for her non-fiction works. I definitely recommend reading this one.