Although some of this book was fiction the majority is fact from research carried out by the writer on the life of Lady Jane Grey and was an enormous task. To take the small `embers' of Jane's known life story and from `feelings' gained when visiting her childhood home at Bradgate Park and then to use his imaginary powers to write so much and with such feeling is a feat achieved with my great admiration and so convincing too with all its twists and turns.
At first when I started to read the book I admit I had difficulty in `getting into it', when I did eventually I found it fascinating, it was as if the writer was actually John Aylmer and it was he who was in love with Jane, she completely took over his life.
The book had everything, from murder, treachery, intrigue and of course romance. Her miserable early life and the contempt of her parents towards her was just dreadful. The way the author conveyed her life of a controlled miserable existence and not as it should have been for a young girl was very well done and had great feeling.
I must admit that John Aylmer's affair with Lady Mary Sidney came as a shock and from my feelings of his character I could not accept this part of the book, with him being a `man of the cloth'. I accepted his `laying' with Jane at her end, because of the trauma of the situation and her lack of security and need of self assurance, even though she was only 16 years of age and him being much older. I did find it this part hard to believe but understand storylines of this mode are a must for publication.