The Last Tudor

By: Philippa Gregory

Narrated by: Bianca Amato

The final book of the Tudor series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory features one of the most famous women in history, Lady Jane Grey, and her two sisters, each of whom dared to defy her queen.

Jane Grey was queen of England for nine days. Her father and his allies crowned her instead of the dead king’s half-sister Mary Tudor, who quickly mustered an army, claimed her throne, and locked Jane in the Tower of London. When Jane refused to betray her Protestant faith, Mary sent her to the executioner’s block, where Jane transformed her father’s greedy power-grab into tragic martyrdom.

“Learn you to die,” was the advice Jane wrote to her younger sister Katherine, who has no intention of dying. She intends to enjoy her beauty and her youth and fall in love. But she is heir to the insecure and infertile Queen Mary and then to her sister Queen Elizabeth, who will never allow Katherine to marry and produce a Tudor son. When Katherine’s pregnancy betrays her secret marriage, she faces imprisonment in the Tower, only yards from her sister’s scaffold.

“Farewell, my sister,” writes Katherine to the youngest Grey sister, Mary. A beautiful dwarf, disregarded by the court, Mary keeps family secrets, especially her own, while avoiding Elizabeth’s suspicious glare. After seeing her sisters defy their queens, Mary is acutely aware of her own danger, but determined to command her own life. What will happen when the last Tudor defies her ruthless and unforgiving cousin Queen Elizabeth?

Critic reviews

"All bow down before the queen of historical fiction."

"Expect high demand for another outstanding entry in Gregory’s ongoing and best-selling Tudor saga."

"Gregory’s first-person perspective on late Tudor England’s turbulent history will delight existing and future fans."

Excellent!!

Another great novel by Philippa Gregory! It was a bit slow to start but did not disappoint. The narrator was captivating. This is a must read!!

Unknown, fascinating tidbits of the Tudor history

What did you love best about The Last Tudor?

I learned another point of view, the Greys, which I had not known before.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Last Tudor?

One of Mary's scenes when she shows her spunk. She was a little powerhouse. I also had not heard the other side of Elizabeth I reign, from the POV of someone she disliked or feared. Very interesting and made me think.

Which character – as performed by Bianca Amato – was your favorite?

Mary.

Any additional comments?

Well-written as always by the talented Philippa Gregory. I am sad to hear this is the last of the Tudor series. But I'm sure whatever she picks up next will be entertaining as well.

One of the best in this series

This is a beautiful story that is expertly crafted by one of the best writers of historical fiction and beautifully read by Bianca Amato. I highly recommend this audiobook.

Loved this book!

I truly enjoyed listening to this book. It captivated me from beginning to end. As always I love this authors writings.

Love, Love, Love

I absolutely love this novel. No one does Tudor like Phillipa and Bianca. I appreciate hearing the history of the women who obviously played important, but have been overlooked. It makes the long horrible Tudor period more dynamically rich. They were as beautiful and magnificent as they were damaged and treacherous. I’ve wanted to slap them all. LOL!