What a wonderful way to learn more about Tudor History.
Bloody Mary is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that explores the life of Mary Tudor, from her childhood as Henry VIII’s daughter to her death and the rise of Elizabeth I. Often reduced to her nickname, Bloody Mary, this book offers a more nuanced and human portrait of a misunderstood queen.

The watercolor artwork and comic-style narration make complex historical events, such as England's religious and political turmoil, easy to follow and engaging. Real quotes, thoughtful storytelling, and detailed settings like the Tower of London add authenticity.

This book is overall very accessible, well-researched, and visually stunning, a must-read for Tudor fans and a great entry point for newcomers.

Thank you to Kristina Gehrmann, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC.

"Bloody Mary" is a graphic novel by Kristina Gehrmann.

The story follows Mary from birth until her death.
I appreciated the way she was portrayed, showing how her religious faith influenced her decisions and shaped both her personal life and her reign.
I also liked that the story included the well-known tales of her father and his six wives, as these are significant parts of Mary's life and legacy.

I like that it kept the famous stories of her father and his 6 wives. All of these are important parts of Mary's life.

Highlights:
The hidden “easter eggs” at the end:
extra insights into what happens to the other characters
and a behind-the-scenes look at the comic-making process (so much work clearly went into it!)
The artwork is beautiful, and I loved the costumes.
The colours are subtle yet so evocative of the story’s tone and period.


Overall:
I enjoyed the story and all its rich details. It’s refreshing to see Mary given her own narrative, rather than just a brief mention in history books. I recommend this to history lovers, Tudor enthusiasts, and anyone who enjoys beautifully illustrated graphic novels about strong women.
The part about her pregnancy and the pressure queens faced to produce heirs was particularly well depicted.

Thank you to Kristina Gehrmann, Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel.

I’ve always loved the Tudor era, and this book was such a fun and accessible way to explore Mary I’s life. It’s a great intro if you're curious about her story, but don’t want to dive into something super dense.

The art really stood out to me—vibrant and expressive, capturing Mary from her childhood to her death. It made history feel alive and added so much to the storytelling.

What I appreciated most was how Mary was portrayed in a more nuanced light. She’s often vilified in history, but I thought Gehrmann did a great job showing how her faith influenced her decisions, without turning her into a caricature.

That said, the book does focus a lot on her early years. I would’ve loved to see more time spent on her fight for the crown—it’s covered, but felt a little glossed over. I’m not sure if that’s because the story is told from Mary’s perspective, but I definitely wanted more of that part.

Still, I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves history, especially fellow Tudor fans!

Thank you to Kristina Gehrmann, Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for review. This book will be released on July 15th, 2025.

I love getting close to history through unconventional ways and this graphic novel was perfection! I really enjoyed the art style, the story and how it was developed throughout the book

Overall, Bloody Mary is a beautiful looking book that has an ambitious goal of showing us the entirety of Queen Mary's life.

At times, the book feels bogged down in intricacies of church history, and early in the bk, spends more time on her father's marriages than on Mary herself, which means we don't see much of her youth beyond reacting to her father's choices.

Obviously, this is a story very steeped in religious history, but it felt like I needed to have a stronger grasp of religious doctrine and the tensions of the time to keep the middle part of the bok interesting.

During the depiction of Mary's time as queen. we see a lot of depraved violence, often quite graphically depicted on the page. However, I don't think the book goes far enough in showing her actions as problematic rather than divine, making it inappropriate for younger audiences. It is hard to say that a book with multiple pictures of heads on stakes and people burning alive downplays the violence of the time, but I do think that this one does.

When I was in high school, I snuck in secret episodes of The Tudors. Learning about the life of King Henry VIII has always intrigued me. He lived quite an illustrious life and his legacy is still discussed to this day. Last year I saw a musical called Six, a fun concert featuring his six wives. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived...live! A perspective we don't often get was his first daughter, Mary Tudor. I did like the format of Bloody Mary as a comic. It felt very accessible and palatable to the uninformed reader. There were moments that dragged on or felt repetitive, but it's to be expected with an intense biography. I thought the artwork was lovely, especially with the historically accurate wardrobe. I would be happy to read more from this author detailing other important figures in history. Although Bloody Mary barely got her heinie on the throne, she still made an impact!

A chronological telling of Mary’s life as “told” by her spans her magnificent life, starting from her “first memory” at the age of two to becoming the first queen to inherit the throne of an England in disarray. Once rejected at birth, Mary was certain the cause of suffering was her subjects’ rejection of the one true faith: Catholicism. Her zealous campaign to re-Catholicize England was unrelenting in its brutality, re-christening her, “Mary, the Bloody.”

This graphic novel is a great way to tell the story of Mary Tudor and how she came to be queen of England.
As always, using comics or graphic novels is an excellent way to teach history is a way that is entertaining. I remember learning some things about Queen Mary but don't remember why she had some many killed and tortured.
Such a troubled and painful life, but I will never understand how the love of God can lead to such cruelty.

Highly recommended. Expected publish date: July 15, 2025
Thanks to @netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I thought that this book was interesting. I knew about Queen Mary's story, but I think this book is great for teens and tweens who are interested in history and/or are struggling readers. I will suggest this for English language learners or history buffs if my library purchases this title.

As someone fascinated by the Tudors, this comic was right up my alley. Recounting the story of Mary I of England, Bloody Mary showcases the life and motivations of the queen, with delicate, watercolour illustrations bringing the story to life.

If the author is planning to bring out other historical comics, in the future, I would like to see an illustrated note at the end, showing how the actions of the historical figure stuck around after their passing.

Thank you to Kristina Gehrmann, Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

The author does a wonderful job of depicting life during the Tudor reign . She focuses here on the life of Mary Tudor, the first heir legitimately born to Henry VIII. Sadly standing in the way to her succession is the fact she was born female.
The story follows from her viewpoint from early childhood,growing up in the Tudor court, her father’s frustration at his then wife’s ( Katherine of Aragorn ) inability to bear him a male heir. Her mother is cast aside ( annullment) which then led to Mary being declared illegitimate, despite the people’s love for her.
Throughout it all,Mary is unwaivering. Her faith in her God and religion remains resolute. She is depicted as having a strong love for her half siblings, Elizabeth and Edward despite all she endures. The scene in which a very young and overwhelmed king Edward collapses in his older sisters arms is truly heartbreaking .
Mary’s eventual reign, during which many are executed for conspiring against the crown ,earning her the nickname ‘Bloody Mary’ is fraught with treason and tragedy. The author does wonderful job of making the reader empathetic to Mary. I found myself compelled to continue reading,hoping for a happier ending for Mary despite already knowing.
The author does wonderful work depicting the scenery of the time with gorgeously muted watercolors.

That was okay ? I guess really I don't know what to think of it ...
Wasn't a fan of the drawing style or the storytelling so I spend a long time skimming through it

I really didn't know much about Mary Tudor and was curious to learn more about why she was called Bloody Mary. I think there was a lot of great information that broke down her birth to death and the important roles being a princess, being religious, and being the daughter of Henry the VIII had in leading to her namesake. The art style and color felt perfect for the storyline and time period. I think younger readers would really enjoy the crazy history of this woman and learn a lot about the historical point in England, religion, and the monarchy.

Bloody Mary is beautifully illustrated with muted watercolor strokes and perfectly condensed information of the life of Mary Tudor. I really liked how we start from the beginning;chronicling her life at court, her mother's exile, her reign as queen and the terror brought to her people, and her death which makes way for Elizabeth's reign. Gehrmann's perspective of England's first queen is tragic, yet filled with compassion that is left out of history books; it encompasses the weight of being unwanted, an "illegitimate" child to a dynasty that shaped England for centuries, and her own conviction in her faith that anchored her. Mary's reign was wrought with terror, but she too, left a lasting mark on history.

A great primer and addition to Tudor history!

This is a comic book-like biography of the only living child of King Henry VIII and his first wife Katharine of Aragon, Princess Mary...also known as "Bloody Mary"- for ordering the burnings of heretics during her reign. The book is just over 300 pages with authentic looking color illustrations that sport bubbles of dialogue in comic book style. I recognized The Tower of London, The Great Hall in Hampton Court Palace, and Westminster Abbey- for a few notable British Royal locales. The book ends upon Queen Mary's death and with her younger step-sister Princess Elizabeth ascending the throne. As a passionate reader of Tudor history, it was a pleasure to digest it in a totally different way. For such a time in British royal history that was so turbulent and consequential, it somehow made it more palatable and lighthearted to digest with its splashes of watercolor and concise narration. The author included an end piece where she described how she created these comic strips with certain tablets, programs, printers and inks, and with supporting photos of these stages of development.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing / Simon & Schuster who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

As someone that did not know anything about the Mary Tudor, this book was a easy entrance and glimpse of what was her life. Obviously, there is author interpretation to her story and does try to be as historical as possible, but it can be used to get someone interested about the history of Mary Tudor. After reading this book, I read some biographies online and the mayor point in here life are told in this graphic biography. This helped me cleared out some misconceptions of her life and get a clear picture of her reign in England. Very interesting. I definitely liked it. Good for history teachers that want to get their students interested in Queen Mary I, or really, anyone in general.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for sending me this ARC for my honest opinion.*

Book Review: *Bloody Mary: The Graphic Novel* by Kristina Gehrmann
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

When I picked up *Bloody Mary*, I had no idea what I was walking into. I didn’t check the genre — just dove in, expecting something spooky or fictional. But instead, I found myself immersed in a beautifully illustrated **biographical graphic novel** about one of England’s most controversial monarchs: Mary Tudor.

From the very beginning, I was drawn in. By the halfway point, it felt like I was reading the political equivalent of *Game of Thrones* — full of royal drama, betrayal, and ideological warfare. And that’s not an exaggeration. The **political tension** and **power dynamics** in this book are so well-portrayed, it’s hard to believe you're reading actual history.

Kristina Gehrmann has done a fantastic job balancing historical accuracy with engaging storytelling. The **artwork is stunning** and truly elevates the narrative, capturing not only the period’s grandeur but Mary’s emotional journey. It’s not fast-paced, but the story flows naturally — never too slow, yet deliberate. It did take me some time to finish, but only because I kept stopping to absorb the art and the layers of history unfolding.

Mary Tudor is often painted as a villain in popular culture, but this book offers a **more nuanced, empathetic portrayal**. It shows her not as a one-dimensional figure, but as a woman shaped by trauma, loss, and the relentless demands of power. Her loyalty to her beliefs, her dignity under pressure, and her personal struggles are all presented with depth and care. I felt for her. Deeply.

That said, the ending left me gutted. Not because it was poorly written — it’s history, after all — but because it was so *real*. Her life didn’t end in glory, but in solitude and pain. And still, her strength shone through.

If you’re into **historical biographies**, **royal history**, or **graphic novels that actually make you *feel***, you need to read this. I especially recommend it for **young women**, as it offers both inspiration and a powerful reflection on how women in history are remembered (or misremembered).

It’s a **solid 4-star** read for me. Some sections felt slightly stretched, but overall, it’s a brilliant blend of fact, emotion, and artistry. Highly recommend it.

This did not work for me, The premise of a graphic novel biography of Mary Tudor is great, but the execution is just very mediocre. The art is really beautiful in some panels, but then other ones are just incredibly awkwardly drawn, which takes you out of the story and really shatters the immersion. For example, King Henry's face is just sooo weird looking? Which is quite problematic with how big of a role he obviously plays in Mary's life. Another example would be the fact that the younger characters do not look their ages, 10 year-old Mary looks like she's 18, which is very off-putting. The story-telling is fine, but nothing outstanding.

This graphic novel focuses on the life of Mary I of England, with an in-depth description of his family's story.
The book is perfect for those who are interested in this part of the English history and can read about it in a more interesting and stimulating way.
The author covered Mary's story from the reign of her father till her death. and I think they did a great job at selecting what to write and draw. Also. the drawings were really well done and their style fits perfectly with the historical period represented.
Being honest it was a bit confusing when it came to remembering who were some secondary characters, I wanted more footnotes about them, but overall it has been a great and interesting read.
Thank you Kristina Gehrmann, Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this comic arc.

This graphic novel about Mary Tudor is quite stunning, with beautiful watercolor art that shows off the fancy royal life and the loneliness that came with it. It uses real quotes from history, which helps make the story feel more real.

But the way the story is told doesn’t always work. It goes through Mary’s life in order, but it feels more like a list of events than a real story. Mary’s thoughts and feelings don’t always feel natural, and sometimes the writing is a bit too dramatic. Some parts are slow, while others feel rushed.

Overall, it’s a pretty book with an interesting idea, but the storytelling isn’t strong enough to keep it engaging all the way through.

4.5/5 rounded down

Bloody Mary is a brief dramatised history of Queen Mary I, the first queen of England.

The artwork in this graphic novel is stunning. Whilst the facial features are somewhat simplistic they convey a range of emotions very well. the mixture of line work and watercolour make this an eye catching read.

The Tudor period in general is a historical period of great interest to me and to many others. Often in history Queen Mary is villainized and most takes lack the nuance to understand her actions, why she did what she did. Yes, she committed some atrocities, I'm not excusing that, but even in such a brief history of her life, Gehrmann explores the why and gives her some semblance of justice.

The only thing keeping this from a 5star is I would have liked a bit more about the time period in general linked in to her story.

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