Sisters of Treason by Elizabeth Fremantle

Sisters of Treason

by Elizabeth Fremantle

"SISTERS OF TREASON, the second novel by Elizabeth Fremantle, is a story of love, politics and tragedy. Beginning early in Mary Tudor's turbulent reign, SISTERS OF TREASON explores the lives of a pair of sisters as dangerously close to the throne as their sister Lady Jane Grey, who died on the executioner's block at the age of 16, after being queen for nine days. After Jane's death, Lady Catherine becomes the focus of plots to thwart Mary Stuart's claim on England's throne. Catherine is a young woman driven by a compulsive and ultimately fatal desire to love and be loved. Clever Lady Mary is burdened with a crooked spine and a tiny stature in an age when physical perfection equates to goodness and vice versa. Both girls have inherited the Tudor blood that is more curse than blessing. It is court painter Levina Teerlinc who helps the girls survive Mary's reign, but when the Queen's sister, the hot-headed Elizabeth, inherits the crown, the world at court becomes increasingly treacherous for the Grey girls. For either girl to marry without the queen's permisison would be a potentially fatal political act, perceived as a treasonous grab for the throne, but Elizabeth is unlikely to let either girl ally herself and become an even more dangerous focus for her enemies. Each young woman must decide how far she will go to defy her queen and find the safety and love she longs for"--

Reviewed by Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews on

4 of 5 stars

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Fond Of

The opening scene with Jane Grey at the block really caught my attention, holding me in suspense despite knowing the outcome and set a firm tone to the novel.

Like Queen's Gambit, Sisters of Treason was visually stunning and could clearly see the story that was playing out.

The Sisters in question were well built and instantly felt for them, I particularly liked Mary, she was the tortoise of the childhood fable that everyone just has to route for. Kathrine on the other hand is the hare, hurrying to advance without thought to consequences and gets lost in the excitement.

The Queen is a nasty piece of work. A royal I liked to dislike but kept you on the edge of your toes as just when you thought she would grow a heart she twists the knife in deeper and puts salt in your wounds.

Not Fond Of

There was a little more than just Sisterly Love going on between Jane Seymour and Catherine Grey and felt it was unnecessary and irrelevant to the plot.

Catherine's time in the tower (when told by her) dragged and became a bit repetitive. While it was an "oh no" time in the book one can only pace around a room so many times.

Levina, while like the rest of this cast of characters is well developed but I thought she distracted from the Grey's story as they were the ones I was most interested in.


Final Thoughts
Sisters of Treason was a well thought out, plotted book with fantastic pacing. It is another great read from Elizabeth Fremantle and a must for fans of the Tudor era.

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  • Started reading
  • 22 March, 2015: Finished reading
  • 22 March, 2015: Reviewed