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taherasplace's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I, Queen of England are two of the most famous female figures in history.
I was aware of the name Catherine dé Medici but didn't know much about her besides her being a member of the Medici family before her marriage and being called the Serpent Queen.
What I definitely didn't know about at all and got to know through this book was that Mary, Queen of Scots spent a period of her life as part of the French royal family, at first thanks to her maternal family enjoying a high place at the French court and later as a wife of Francis II, the eldest son of King Henry II of France and Catherine dé Medici.
Also, the fact that Catherine dé Medici hoped for a possible Anglo-French alliance by encouraging a marriage between her youngest son Francis, Duke of Anjou and Elizabeth I.
Elisabeth de Valois was a name I had no idea about and even though she makes up the trio of queens discussed in this book, I felt she as a figure overall had no huge impact except for being married to King Philip II of Spain and being his most beloved wife.
Mary, already born a queen with a crown and country to rule when the time came; who spent her earlier years in great comfort, splendor and loved by all and was a woman of great beauty and popularity, finds herself later on all alone and betrayed, with no family or friends, desperately trying to hold on to her legacy and crown. Meanwhile, Catherine dé Medici and Elizabeth I (who does make her presence felt in the final chapters) who each after spending a lifetime thwarting machinations against their being, their position and sovereignty end up becoming a powerful figurehead of their respective ruling dynasty.
How the wheel of time and fortune turns!
I listened to this as an audiobook and Olivia Dowd's soothing and clear voice ensured that I did not find it difficult keeping up with the narrative. Infact, I enjoyed it so much that I ended up listening to it twice.
I was aware of the name Catherine dé Medici but didn't know much about her besides her being a member of the Medici family before her marriage and being called the Serpent Queen.
What I definitely didn't know about at all and got to know through this book was that Mary, Queen of Scots spent a period of her life as part of the French royal family, at first thanks to her maternal family enjoying a high place at the French court and later as a wife of Francis II, the eldest son of King Henry II of France and Catherine dé Medici.
Also, the fact that Catherine dé Medici hoped for a possible Anglo-French alliance by encouraging a marriage between her youngest son Francis, Duke of Anjou and Elizabeth I.
Elisabeth de Valois was a name I had no idea about and even though she makes up the trio of queens discussed in this book, I felt she as a figure overall had no huge impact except for being married to King Philip II of Spain and being his most beloved wife.
Mary, already born a queen with a crown and country to rule when the time came; who spent her earlier years in great comfort, splendor and loved by all and was a woman of great beauty and popularity, finds herself later on all alone and betrayed, with no family or friends, desperately trying to hold on to her legacy and crown. Meanwhile, Catherine dé Medici and Elizabeth I (who does make her presence felt in the final chapters) who each after spending a lifetime thwarting machinations against their being, their position and sovereignty end up becoming a powerful figurehead of their respective ruling dynasty.
How the wheel of time and fortune turns!
I listened to this as an audiobook and Olivia Dowd's soothing and clear voice ensured that I did not find it difficult keeping up with the narrative. Infact, I enjoyed it so much that I ended up listening to it twice.
hedgehogreads01's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.75
Had started this one strong for about 80 pages, I then began ti drown in names and dates, with the switches between queens (current and future). Though in the end it all came into order, it took me 5 months to finish the book, with the help of the audiobook for the second half of the reading.
I am not as well versed in this particular subject, so my struggles could be attributed to me not being a history buff.
I am not as well versed in this particular subject, so my struggles could be attributed to me not being a history buff.
smitch29's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.75
This was better than I expected and hoped. It was a bit slow and dragging at times, but overall, I feel like I learned a lot and got a decent perspective on how terrible it was to be a monarch (regardless of gender, but also more especially a queen) in medieval Europe. The author tried to stick to dedicated themes within chapters, which led to some jumping around in history to illustrate how a particular aspect of power or responsibility affected a particular queen. It was well done for the strategy, but I prefer just a bit more linear of a story. Also, this was a very dreary book. It focuses heavily on the hardships in these queens' lives and what turmoil they experienced. There are some happy moments, but very few. Perhaps that is all that is known, and/or maybe their lives were miserable. I found it fascinating to see how they people with significant power reacted to certain hardships, as it gave me a better perspective on history, but let me learn it in a narrative format. I appreciated the sprinklings of modern takes on medical issues, and when the author would draw in feedback from contemporaries. It is hard to understand what was normal for the time period for certain behaviors and decisions. Overall, I would recommend this book, and I enjoyed my time listening. The narrator was excellent, really making it a seamless listen.
djgoose's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
I think it was wonderful to contrast these three women against each other. Really interesting!
paulap's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.0
This historical account focuses on the women of the story. I think the perspective was interesting, but history just had too many Catherine’s, Elizabeth’s, Henry’s and Francis.