I'm definitely a fan of sharing history in various forms. When most attention spans today last as long as a mayfly, whatever will draw someone to a historical tale is good thing. Thus, reading "Bloody Mary" by Kristina Gehrmann was quite fun. As a history buff, I knew a bit about the time period and the many people and organizations recounted in this graphic novel. Yet Gehrmann found a way to truncate the various lives and intrigues that was entertaining.

There were events I would have enjoyed having more included in the novel, but I could imagine how difficult it must have been for the author to select what to write about and illustrate. I did find the art a natural and appropriate style for the genre. I'd recommend this for people who do enjoy exploring history in a refreshing format, and those who can't help being drawn to the politics of different eras.

Final note: Gehrmann made me want to track down more historical graphic novels. If these were available when I was in school (I'm Generation X), I would have never left my house and simply stayed in my room reading.

This is a great resource for those new to England's history & anglophiles alike! This offers an easy way to learn this history, which can occasionally seem a bit complicated. The text keeps easy track of the dates & the players/events involved, & the dialog bubbles tell the story. The watercolor artwork is very good, & uses different color dynamics to great effect..... this is all very well done. At the end of the book the author includes a 'what became of...' section that tells what became of the real characters involved, & also a section called 'a look at the comic process', which was very interesting. This is something one can enjoy, even if 'history' isn't your jam!
I received an e ARC of the book from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley, giving me an opportunity to read it & post an honest review.

2.5*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to an eARC! All opinions are my own.

This was an interesting read, but the artwork wasn't for me. The pacing was also very off. The beginning took ages to get through, and I read the second half in one sitting. I still think this is a very important part of history, and making it a graphic novel makes it way more accessible.

Great graphic novel that gives an overview of the life of Queen Mary I. The artwork is great as well. Hoping there will be a follow with the life of Queen Elizabeth I. That ending felt like a cliffhanger!

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank to NetGalley for the ARC.

As an enjoyer of world history, I loved loved loved this depiction of princess Mary Tudor's childhood to adulthood and finally her ascendance to the English throne.

The art style was super detailed, gorgeous and easy on eye. The usage of watercolor for coloring was my favorite part.

I think this graphic novel was really successful in portraying the majority of the historical events that occurred during Mary's life span.
In my opinion this book is going to be interesting and informative even to individuals who don't know much about English history beforehand.

I thoroughly enjoyed this visual exploration of history! My friends love history and I have a hard time following, so this was a delightful way to learn about the life of Mary! I would highly recommend this version, and I like the explanations of what happened to different characters at the end. Thank you to #netgalley for the arc!

4⭐
An absolutely stunning and beautifully illustrated story of Mary Tudor aka Bloody Mary. Thoroughly enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

An interesting graphic biography of Mary Tudor. It's great to get a biography from Mary's perspective. While I enjoyed this book, I was unclear who the audience is. 3.5

Bloody Mary by Kristina Gehrmann Being published on Jul 15 2025

I was so thankful to have gotten to read Bloody Mary!
I have loved this time of history, and I found this to be very informative about the life of Mary Tudor Daughter of Henry VIII and Katerine of Aragon

The illustrations were so beautiful, and the colors really popped when needed too.
I learned some things that I had not expected too as well!
Having Mary's age included every now and then was also so helpful for showing what to expect.
I work in an educational system that really focuses on differences of social identity , like religion and so this book was a great demonstration of not being accepting or being accepting when it pleases a person.

Actual raing 3.5 stars, but I rounded up :)

I enjoyed this book, I had never known much about Mary I aside from her staunch Catholic faith, and all the people who were burned at the stake under her reign. Queen Mary, nicknamed Bloody Mary, was always painted as a villian in all the books I have read.

This book was different, in that it was from Mary's point of view. We got to see her rebellion against her father King Henry VII, who reminded me a lot of <s> King <s> President Trump. We heard of her point of view watching him re-write the rules so he could marry whoever he wanted. I never thought I would empathize with her plight, but I did and I enjoyed learning a different perspective.

This was an excellent graphic novel depiction of the life of Mary Tudor. She really does have a fascinating story and this book brought it to life.

a history of mary tudor, whom i did not know much about before. i thought that the watercolors were quite lovely but they are undermined by the amateurish construction of the speech bubbles and the massive blocks of text. i was engaged by the story though, which i think is the most important thing for a graphic novel. i just wish more care had gone into the font & spacing of the words.

⭐⭐✨

In this graphic novel, we follow Mary Tudor from her birth to the very end of her life and all the historical events surrounding her. The story-telling was pretty informative and easy to follow throughout it (specifically the religious aspect of the story). The art style was gorgeous when it came to the castles and landscapes shown, but when it came to character design, it put me off; it seemed rushed in some instances.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2.5 rounding up because I could see this working for someone else, such as a youth who's getting into Tudor history.

This one is a bit of mixed bag for me. I love Tudor history. And seeing things through Mary's eyes is a different approach that should have been an exciting because it is such a different perspective. Yet something just didn't connect for me. The information is solid and does a good job simplifying the mess to be understandable to the masses. But I felt so little connection to any of these characters. Perhaps my disconnect is with the art work; it's all over the places. While I appreciate the overall tone and skill, some of the characters were just poorly done. I had a hard time telling them apart, guess ages, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley for my Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

"Bloody Mary" by Kristina Gehrmann is an insightful read wrapped in beautiful art.

As a non-english reader, I have always enjoyed learning about England's history. I have found a special interest in the six wives of Henry VIII, and so, this book feeds my interest perfectly.

Besides the gorgeous art, the story follows Mary while painting her life in a new light. The reader can fully understand her struggles and everything that led to History as we know it.

I do wonder if there were any details left unwritten that could have been beneficial to the story. Nevertheless, this book covers almost all the bases in a simple and concise manner.

A historical biography of the daughter of Catalina of Spain. Princess Mary Tudor spends so much of her life being denied. When her chance for power, for righteousness rises up, how will she respond?

A very interesting take on the life of Mary Tudor. Well paced, covers so much of her life. Fascinating and intriguing. Good for many ages.

Princess Mary was the first born to King Henry VIII and Queen C/Katherine of Aragon. History precludes that a male heir would inherit the throne, but any sons produced by Queen Catherine were either stillborn or died shortly after birth. A daughter and son were subsequently produced by King Henry’s subsequent wives. Thereafter ensued battles between King Henry, his wives, Princess Mary, Parliament, the Vatican, and others for the right for Princess Mary to inherit the throne. Eventually we learn about her becoming Queen Mary of Tudor, the first queen of England, and how she arrived with the moniker Bloody Mary … and it’s not because of a cocktail!

I’d be the first to admit that I know practically nothing about the ancient British monarchy, let alone that King Henry VIII was a huge narcissistic jerk. In fact, I did not know about Bloody Mary at all so this graphic novel not only was an extremely educational guide for me, but also presented in a story-like, not textbook, fashion. I enjoyed every aspect of the dialogue which thankfully was written in modern day English, not Shakespeare-like language. The illustrations and colors were lovely. This graphic novel would be appealing to those who’d like to learn about Bloody Mary and for those who are already familiar with the history of British monarchy but wish to add to their reading catalog.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this story

I can't speak on the historical accuracy but I really enjoyed this story. I don't read alot of history related stories but I am trying to get more into them and I think this is a perfect introduction into this topic. Frankly the most I was hoping from this was to learn something new and try to peak my intrest in a new subject and I would say this succeded in doing both. The art style wasnt my favorite but its not the worst. The story itself is pretty fairly paced to cover her entire life

This was a quick and easy read to get some background on Queen Mary. I didn't know a ton about her as we only spoke of her a little bit back in school but it was more of an overview. It was interesting to read about her upbringing and all the things that added up to who she was. The only drawback for me was when it would pop back into 1st person -- I felt it would've been okay to do it as 3rd person as it sometimes would trip me up switching from all the dialogue to it being from Mary (but that's probably just a personal preference!). Great work.

It’s a graphic novel-style biography about Mary Tudor and it does such a good job showing her life beyond the scary nickname. The art is gorgeous, kind of moody and delicate, which fits the whole Tudor drama vibe perfectly.

What I really liked is how human Mary felt in this. You see her as a little kid, a daughter desperate for her father’s approval, and then as a queen just trying to hold it together in a country full of people who basically hate her. It doesn’t sugarcoat the messy parts of her reign, but it also gives context to why she made the choices she did.

If you’re into history, royals being dramatic, or just love a good graphic novel with beautiful art and solid storytelling, I would be heavily recommending it to you. It’s a fast read but leaves you thinking about it after.

I rated it a solid 4/5, I don’t read graphic novels often but this one sucked me in and now I kinda want a whole series on Tudor queens done like this.