I didnt quite know what to expect from this book and I did enjoy the read but poor Mary didnt stand a chance.Queen Elizabeth 1 appeared obsessed by every breath her cousin took and her prime objective was to extinguish her from any rivalry. I felt most of the story was dedicated to Elizabeth, who in the author`s view seemed to be the epitome of what a Queen in those times should have been: a ruler. I am not casting aspersions on the author but she appears to be overwhelmingly biased in favour of Elizabeth and wrote the story with conviction and passion. There is no doubt Queen Elizabeth 1 was a very intelligent woman - not a lady - a woman: there`s a difference. She lacked great sensitivity and respect for other females also with conviction and passion too. She was the Queen after-all!! but would she rather have been a King? She acted like a King and whether she had any feminine charms or not they appeared never to have surfaced through her iron exterior. Queen Elizabeth 1 never thought she would be Queen. Who knows what her thoughts, anxieties and hopes were, prior to and after her enthronement? We shall never know. One thing was certain, she intended on keeping what she had (a human trait).
I actually felt extremely sad for Mary Queen of Scots who is described as `seducer, conspirator and martyr` by Jane Dunn. Who wouldn`t be if they wanted to stay alive? The next book I read will be totally devoted to Mary Queen of Scots. What a very sad and lonely life she endured and she the mother of the future King of England a very early Diana Princess of Wales in similar ways.

Jane Dunn, Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens - I would not advise any avid Mary Stewart admirers (or feminists) to purchase this book. Jane Dunn in my mind (and from the extensive text I have read) does Mary Stewart a great injustice with her blatant Elizabethan bias. She over looks the obvious motives of Queen Elizabeth for Mary's murder, instead painting Elizabeth as a strong woman in a man's world who had no option but conspire against, imprison and eventually have her cousin put to death.

I was looking forward to an in-depth read, a psychological & sociological perspective of these two female power brokers... but instead found the book to view Mary in a very sexist fashion (surprising, as the author is female!). Jane Dunn's 'Mary bashing' stems around her intolerance of Mary expressing and ruling with her female traits intact Mary rules from the heart and is often merciful, and led by her intelligence and her emotions.

In contrast to this, Elizabeth kills off the feminine aspects of herself, and rules with a cold, calculating and ruthless vision. She is the archetype that us 21st century women still struggle against we do not want to have to behave like men to function at a high level in this world, we want to be respected for our feminine qualities of caring, understanding and tolerance; something this world sadly lacks. Mary had these qualities and used them to great effect (i.e. allowing the blend of the two dominant religions in her land to co-exist). Mary had her faults as we all do but she accepted others and there faults and tried to negotiate for compromise and tolerance.

Mary could have made a real difference in her time if it were for two factors.

1. If she had the chance to grow and learn free of imprisonment.
2. If she had had the support of her so called 'sister' Elizabeth!!! Something that Elizabeth would never give in fact Elizabeth was wriggled with the most terrible of negative female expression 'Jealousy'because she had suppressed her femininity, she became a twisted version of a woman, one who could not allow a real female Queen to share the same island so much so she murdered her!
Mary was wronged enough in her time and Jane Dunn should be ashamed that she finds it necessary to slander her character and trivialize her even in death.