My Lady Viper by E. Knight

Narrated by Corrie James

The Tudor court has become quite popular in historical fiction. In fact, one could go as far as to say the Tudors saturate the genre. In My Lady Viper, author E. Knight attempts to put a fresh spin on an all-too-familiar place and time.

Lady Anne Seymour takes her position at court very seriously. She always has, but, now that her sister-in-law Jane is England’s newest queen, Anne knows she must be especially vigilant. After all, King Henry VIII has already set two wives aside. It wouldn’t take much for Jane to join their ranks. She must give him an heir, and the Seymour family must rise to power.

Anne counsels Jane on how to be a good queen and an even better wife. She becomes Jane’s closest friend, watching those around her all the while. Court is nothing if not a dangerous place. Everyone is jockeying for positions of power with no regard for those they call allies. This is the world Anne has always known and she loves and hates it in equal measure, but, whatever her personal feelings may be, she will do what she must for the family she married into.

Narrator Corrie James did a wonderful job with My Lady Viper. Her well-modulated British accent set the scene perfectly. She was able to make each character distinct, something which must have been challenging, given the number of characters.

The story is told in first person from Anne’s point of view. Ms. James was able to capture the very essence of Lady Anne Seymour. I felt like I really knew this complex woman, who some called a viper. I was able to sympathize with her need to be loyal to her family, and her wish for a simpler life. Anne doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on what might have been though. Instead, she does what she feels she has to do, becoming a colder person as the book progresses.

The first two-thirds of the book fascinated me. I found myself drawn into the story. However, toward the end, things began to drag. Ms. Knight would have done better to end the book when Jane Seymour’s reign ended.

Shannon

Narration:  A

Book Content:  B

Steam Factor:  You can play it out loud

Violence:  Graphic and Domestic (many descriptions of people being executed, and some discussion of nonconsensual sex)

Genre:  General Fiction

Publisher:  Tantor Audio

My Lady Viper was provided to AudioGals for review by Tantor Audio.