This novel opens up more erotically than you'd expect of a historical fiction, but don't let that deter you. This is true historical fiction, and it is done quite well by Alison Weir. So for those of you that like a bit of romance, this is a nice change of pace though it is a denser read. It took me longer than I thought to get through this novel.
Genre: Historical Fiction
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This novel opens up with a very unsatisfied Eleanor of Aquitiane. Her marriage to the French king is an unhappy one and she seeks an annulment, which is granted allowing her to marry the great love of her life, Henry. This novel is primarily about their marriage and what that might have looked like. I don't know a lot about this period in history, but it was interesting to imagine these characters, the parents of Richard the Lionheart, and to see how mad they were each other and then watch that marriage erode. It's about politics too, to a degree, and their roles as monarchs and parents. All of this is interconnected and makes for an interesting read.
I think what I most especially liked was the style. The characters were ones you could relate to, the pacing was steady and so much happens--affairs, wars, family strife, betrayals. I think what move me most was the way Henry and Eleanor parted and it was interesting to have a piece of history painted for me. The exploration of relationships and efforts to heal old rifts is both hopeful and yet sad because you know the past cannot be recaptured. The novel was poignant in places and kept me wondering as to what would happen next.
Captive Queen tells an interesting history of a period in history that isn't highlighted in the television world's period pieces, and makes me yearn for me novels set in medieval times.
Happy Reading,
Jewels
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