Rating: 
Summary: Good, but. . .
Review: Okay, I picked up this book at the library expecting the best. I had read all those good reviews here at Amazon and I was expecting some phenomonal novel. Well, I began it, and found it a little boring until she got to France. Then it was wonderful. I read and read and by the time I got to Part II I was totally enveloped in Mary's (a woman formally too boring to interest me) story. Then Lord Darnley came in and the book lost its interest to me. The book was mutilated and changed into this barfable romance novel. Now don't get me wrong, I really like romance in my novels, but all of a sudden it was Darnley this Darnley that, and it portrayed him as a guy that he wasn't. And then came this horribly inappropriate scene between Mary and Darnley. I shrugge it off, though, but within fifty more pages there was another scene, except this time it was John Knox and wife. If you're offended wiyth stuff like that, then I don't recomend it. This book was a real let down.
Rating: 
Summary: Yummy History
Review: I loved this book, as I have all of Margaret George's historical novels. She conveys the inner life of such characters as Mary and Henry VIII, as well as the historical context of their lives. This nice, thick read is full of romance, intrigue, religious strife, pagentry and more. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful
Review: If you are interested in the "Age of Queens" and looking for something with more than timelines and geneology, this is a GREAT pick. The book is nearly 900 pages but so engrossing that it flies by. I have read several books on both Mary Queen of Scotts and Queen Elizabeth of England, (I am well versed on the subject) but I found myself in tears upon the execution of Mary. Margret George bares Marys thoughts and feelings with honesty. You cannot help but to love and pity Mary at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!!!!!!
Review: Because of this book I went to Scotland and fell in love with scottish history! George wrote a wonderful book that opened a new world to me. She created Mary Queen of Scots into a character that I could sympathize with and cheer for.
Although this book is "long" I couldn't put it down and was sad when I finished the last page.
If only all historical novels could be of this quality.
Rating: 
Summary: Too long!
Review: This book makes the sixteenth century come alive. Time is devoted not just to events but also to characters who then have both depth and personality. If flows smoothly from one era of Mary's life to another, managing to inspire sympathy for the doomed queen despite her often self-indulgent and outrageous decisions.The major flaw in this book is it's length. At times it seems interminable and towards the end it is a relief to be finished with it. The quality could certainly have been improved by more ruthless editing. Overall however, this is interesting and makes history come alive.
Rating:
Summary: Truthful and Compelling Read
Review: when I first picked up this book I was a little intimidated by the size (I have never read anything this long before)yet decided to give it a try. Before long I was hooked. it took me only a week to finish this 800 page story, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The author's writing style can become a little dull in some places yet her descriptions of the important events of Mary's life are thrilling and exeptionally written. I loved the descriptions of the battles and Mary's many escapes from prisons and enemies. The end of the book was hard to read though, as I already knew how it must end, and was just waiting for Mary to die, but it was told really well. I recomend this book to anyone who like historical fiction and learning about famous women of the past. It is a wonderful read.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books I have ever read
Review: I read this after I had read The Autobiography of Henry VIII. I didn't think any of her books could compare. I was right. This book was equally wonderful, but in a totally different way. I knew very little of the Scots Queen before reading Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles, but I really feel like I got to know her during my time being immersed in this book. Mary, the infant Queen, is spirited away to France to protect her from the Protestant rebels taking over Scotland. Her Mother, Marie de Guise, reigns over Scotland as regent in her absence. While in France, Mary is raised in the elegance of the French lifestyle. She eventually marries Francois, the young French prince, only to ascend the throne and become Queen of both Scotland and France as a teenager. Upon the untimely death of Francois, Mary returns to her homeland where she faces treason and betrayal at every turn, only to forgive those who attempt to usurp her throne and power every chance they get. She finds that despite her eagerness to learn of the customs of her native land, she is an outcast among the powerful Scottish lords because she is a woman, and because they view her as being too French and too Catholic. Her interactions with Queen Elizabeth I are intriguing, making me wish that George would have written a novel from her perspective as well. The story of her rise and fall is compelling, to say the least. Mary's marriages, thoughts, trials, imprisonment, and ultimate untimely death couldn't make for a better page-turner. Ms. George is a master at creating a person behind the history. The mother of the United Kingdom comes to life in ways I simply can't describe in this review. For anyone who likes history, historical fiction, royalty, scandal, sex, love, war, ambition, dynastic power, and any other topic under the sun, this is a must-read. It's absolutely wonderful. I cried at the end--and despaired that the book was over. I wanted MORE.
Rating:
Summary: LONG. And fantastic.
Review: From her first days to her last, Mary Stewart, the unwanted Queen of Scotland, lives and breathes upon the pages of Margaret George -- all 900 of them. She, as well as the rest of the cast (especially her brother, her lover Bothwell, and everybody's favorite preacher, John Knox) is very well-written, and her gripping and tragic story is told with enthusiasm and attention to historical detail. Kudos to Margaret George -- this is her best book so far.
Rating:
Summary: Great writing, weak character
Review: The writing of this book is terrific and certainly brings you back to the time of Mary - but what a pitiful person she was. I think that I have not given it 5 stars, not because of the writing but because of the biographee.
Rating:
Summary: Good but to long
Review: This was a good book but way to long. However it was worth the read.
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