My Royal Story: Bloody Tower

“Through my roof hole I am watching the final touches being put to the scaffold on Tower Green. It is draped in black, and straw has already been strewn around the block to catch the blood. There is no axe yet. The executioner will bring that. I wonder if Mother will let us watch?”

It is February, 1554. Tilly Middleton lives in the greatest castle in England – the Tower of London. It is a palace and a fortress, but also a prison. Tomorrow a lady will be executed: Lady Jane Grey, Queen for just nine days, sentenced to a traitor’s death at the age of sixteen. Many say she does not deserve to die, but the Bloody Tower will have no mercy on her…

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Recent reviews

  • This book is a little bit vague as to some of the background stories, such as her relationship with her friends. The main storyline also seemed to become forgotten half-way through the book and other events take the limelight. However, the most disappointing bit of the story is that we never find out what is in the letter, which is the whole point of the book.

    This book is good, but it is definitely not the best I’ve read. The plot is realistic and uses real events as a bit of a guideline to what happens. To be honest, Tilly had thousands of chances to deliver her letter but she kept missing them and it just seems to be a diary of feelings towards the happenings in sixteenth century London. The letter plot just seems to fill in missing gaps and gives a good end to the story and a reason to make the sequel, ‘To Kill A Queen’.

    I do think that this book had potential, but it has been lost, and even though I still believe it’s a good book despite the many, many issues. I’m sure that if it was rewritten it would be so much better.

    18 February 2016

  • I love historical fictions like this book.

    8 March 2014

  • I thought this book was a little grusome but a enjoyable book . I don’t know if a girl in hat day acutally wrote this but if not I think the author did well turning history in to a story I wouldn’t have been able to

    6 March 2013

  • I do love historical fiction, and this one was certainly interesting. I have to say, though – at some parts it was a bit gruesome!

    4 March 2013

  • loved it

    I really enjoy the my story books. They give you an insight into the past and help you see what life was really like. I really enjoyed this book because it helped me learn about the past, but in an interesting way.

    3 January 2013

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Authors

  • Valerie Wilding

    Valerie Wilding is an experienced fiction writer and school librarian. She has recently written Discovering Dinosaurs for the Double Take series, and has also written for My Story, Pickle Hill Primary and Top Ten.

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