AfterEllen.com Book Club discussion

I still haven't even started this monster of a book, which makes me nervous--I'm going to have to do some marathon reading soon. But for those of you who are better than me, go to it!

I read it in two solid sweeps, I didn't mean to marathon it I just got to that point where I couldn't put the book down. I loved that the plot was really just history and I thought that the characters were well developed. It had a good level of me loving and hating the main character to the point where I don't even know how I feel about her anymore and I always see that as a good thing as it just means that a lot of thought has gone into the character.

I loved seeing this side of the the Queen, as I've only really learnt about Tudor England from the English point of view and never really a Scottish. So yeah overall definite thumbs up.

I read the book in a few days too, I guess that means I was hooked from the beginning. The story is a great adventure to recover a castle, and the characters are very interesting. I liked the idea of a queen who has to prevail and survive in a man's world, and a girl who does not hesitate to pose as man to get what she wants. But bit by bit, as the plot progresses, I started having a feeling of disappointment. Everyone seemed ready to betray in order to save their interests, even Alison. But then, the story takes place in a court of the sixteenth century and I guess machinations were even normal.
Anyway, it's really curious the issue of women who dressed and posed as men throughout history, don't you think?

I was very excited when I begin reading the book, but by the end, I found myself wishing it to be over. I found the constant shift in loyalty, especially by Alison, very tiresome. It became difficult to understand what were Alison's motives because she seemed to change them so often. Although historically, the sixteenth century court setting does lend itself to betrayal and treachery, it still became difficult (and tedious) keeping track of which side everyone was on.

I also wish the relationships between Alison and a few other characters were better fleshed out. Especially her lovers. I feel as though I was just getting into the relationships and the feelings behind them when they abruptly ended.

However, I do like the fictional story taking place within the historical context of the rule of Mary. And, yes, especially from the Scottish point of view. (All of my previous history knowledge has also been from the English point of view.) I liked that the subject of cross-dressing was so prevalent here. Both with Alison and Mary and how they both used cross-dressing to meet their political needs as well as, for Mary, entertainment ones. It is an interesting idea that we have touched on with a few other books. How dressing like a man can be done for reasons of identity (both how someone identifies themselves as well as how they want the world to see them) and also for reasons of safety (forced to become a man to safely and successfully interact in a male dominated world).

I really loved the book and I liked Alison very much. The time in which the book was set was very interesting to me, I didn't know that much about Scotland or Mary and so the story was not just entertaining but also a little bit of a history lesson.
I was instantly sucked into all the plots and scheming and at some point I didn't know who to trust anymore.

The cross-dressing was cool, I also liked that Alison never really settled for male or female in her identity or who she's attracted to. She was just who she was.

I really admire Alison for her loyality to her father, espeically in the end. I would have walked away from that kind of family long ago. But times were different then, I guess.

My favorite character was Isobel. She should have gotten more scenes. She was refreshing, and not as hardened as Alison is in the end, and I think she'll be good for Alison.

Well, it took me more than a month to read the book, between work and life I just couldn't find the right time.
I can say I liked the book in general. At the beginning I couldn't put it down, it was later on that I wanted it to be over.
I liked Alison as a character, but I don't really understand why she was so addicted to people who just used her and hurt her.
Sophie was my favorite character of them all, she was what the others were not...loyal.
But still, even with its ups and downs I'm glad the book got picked.