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jtlars7's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars. Good when I picked it up, but it took me forever to get through it. I think that’s partly because with a saga that covers 20+ years, it wasn’t always clear that we were moving toward something. There was momentum page-to-page, but somehow not overall.
nekomeith's review against another edition
4.0
An amazing look into the lives of the two sister queens, Marguerite and Eleanor. Filled with historical accuracy and well developed characters this novel is truly a historical fiction masterpiece!
courtknee_bee's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
The second of five new Christmas books!
Medieval historical fiction is not normally my jam, but I love sister stories and sister stories + royalty = YAS. Overall, Sophie Perinot's novel delivered. Eleanor, Queen of England and Marguerite, Queen of France both have really interesting stories, and the strength here is that one story does not outshine the other. Too often in books with dual narratives I find myself being complete bored by one story, always hoping that I can get back to the other one sooner. Perinot weaves the source material very well to keep the reader engaged in the trials of both sisters.
The sisters are also surprisingly well-developed, well-rounded characters. Both have real flaws - stubbornness and vanity for Eleanor, passiveness and something else ~scandalous~ for Marguerite - but they're still likable. Even better, they have distinguishable personalities that had me rooting for them both. I know this novel gets a lot of weird comparisons to [b:The Other Boleyn Girl|37470|The Other Boleyn Girl (The Tudor Court, #2)|Philippa Gregory|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355932638s/37470.jpg|3248536], but it's really not. With Boleyn Girl it's easy to like one sister and despise the other, but here both girls are likable in their own way.
The biggest complaint I have with this book, though, is the same I have with most historical fiction about real people - there was WAY too much telling instead of showing. It felt like each chapter had a specific plot point to tell without a lot of excess details or "life as usual" anecdotes thrown in. It made it hard to really become fully immersed. Additionally, the romance between
Overall an enjoyable read. Would recommend to fans of historical fiction about real-life royalty. Not as scandalous or heart pounding as The Other Boleyn Girl, but certainly more engaging than many other medieval fiction I've tried to read.
The second of five new Christmas books!
Medieval historical fiction is not normally my jam, but I love sister stories and sister stories + royalty = YAS. Overall, Sophie Perinot's novel delivered. Eleanor, Queen of England and Marguerite, Queen of France both have really interesting stories, and the strength here is that one story does not outshine the other. Too often in books with dual narratives I find myself being complete bored by one story, always hoping that I can get back to the other one sooner. Perinot weaves the source material very well to keep the reader engaged in the trials of both sisters.
The sisters are also surprisingly well-developed, well-rounded characters. Both have real flaws - stubbornness and vanity for Eleanor, passiveness and something else ~scandalous~ for Marguerite - but they're still likable. Even better, they have distinguishable personalities that had me rooting for them both. I know this novel gets a lot of weird comparisons to [b:The Other Boleyn Girl|37470|The Other Boleyn Girl (The Tudor Court, #2)|Philippa Gregory|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355932638s/37470.jpg|3248536], but it's really not. With Boleyn Girl it's easy to like one sister and despise the other, but here both girls are likable in their own way.
The biggest complaint I have with this book, though, is the same I have with most historical fiction about real people - there was WAY too much telling instead of showing. It felt like each chapter had a specific plot point to tell without a lot of excess details or "life as usual" anecdotes thrown in. It made it hard to really become fully immersed. Additionally, the romance between
Spoiler
Marguerite and Jean de Joinville didn't do it for me. It felt too clinical, too flat to get me excited. I could understand why Marguerite would turn to someone new, but there wasn't that sweeping romance that got me all swooning.Overall an enjoyable read. Would recommend to fans of historical fiction about real-life royalty. Not as scandalous or heart pounding as The Other Boleyn Girl, but certainly more engaging than many other medieval fiction I've tried to read.
foxspirits's review against another edition
3.0
This book was compared to The Other Boleyn Girl, a novel which I loved and added to my fascination of the Tudors. The Sister Queens was decent, and had a lot of good chapters. Most of the problems I had were that I often confused the two main characters for each other. It would have been a better book if it had only one POV. It was filled with a lot of potentially good subplots but they often fell flat, and the book seemed like it was stretched out when it would have been significantly better as a shorter novel.
sabregirl's review against another edition
5.0
This book was intriguing from the first page. It did take a little while to get used to the constant chance in point of views, but after a while I didn't have to keep reminding myself to look at the opening of the chapter to see who was speaking. By the fifth chapter it was easy to tell if it was Eleanor or Margret who was speaking. Their stories were also easy to tell apart which was good. I can see why they had a sibling rivalry and how easy it was to fall into it. The only thing is I wish the book didn't constantly jump times. It was hard to keep track of the children, and where exactly in history that they were. But suppose that wasn't really important in the end.
zenithharpink's review against another edition
4.0
Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book! I made a bit of a mistake reading this so soon after The Other Boleyn Girl, so I was a little fatigued on the whole palace-intrigue plot. This book is just as well-researched, just as dense, just as fascinating!
Eleanor was by far the more compelling sister, I think to some extent less is know of her, so Perinot was able to take more liberties with her life/personality, which wasn't as possible for Marguerite. Both sisters are still fascinating characters of history, though. I was always rooting against certain facts of history, which sadly could not be adjusted.
The ending definitely slows down quite a bit, and I found the ending a little abrupt in terms of timing, it felt somewhat as a Part 1, though there is no Part 2.
Lastly, with the geography involved in this book, I really wish a map had been printed with the book, I was constantly googling where things were located, and trying to understand certain routes that were mentioned, at times it made for a confusing read.
I definitely recommend this book - it's so good for those looking for a fiction or historical fiction read. The characters are rich, the story is well-researched and immersive, and the world is wonderfully brought to life!
Eleanor was by far the more compelling sister, I think to some extent less is know of her, so Perinot was able to take more liberties with her life/personality, which wasn't as possible for Marguerite. Both sisters are still fascinating characters of history, though. I was always rooting against certain facts of history, which sadly could not be adjusted.
The ending definitely slows down quite a bit, and I found the ending a little abrupt in terms of timing, it felt somewhat as a Part 1, though there is no Part 2.
Lastly, with the geography involved in this book, I really wish a map had been printed with the book, I was constantly googling where things were located, and trying to understand certain routes that were mentioned, at times it made for a confusing read.
I definitely recommend this book - it's so good for those looking for a fiction or historical fiction read. The characters are rich, the story is well-researched and immersive, and the world is wonderfully brought to life!
mercipourleslivres's review against another edition
3.0
My knowledge of this period in France and England is foggy, so I wasn't sure what time period to place these sister queens (both of whom did actually exist.) This actually added to the intrigue, and I enjoyed how fate (and history) kept their lives intertwined throughout the years. I'd definitely reccomend this title if you enjoy good historical fiction.
dauphine's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Historical fiction of this sort always makes me wonder how odd it must have been to be a commoner with teenage monarchs. I suppose this is less a reaction to the book itself than to the historical setting, but just...the reminder that the fate of Europe was entrusted to power-hungry youth (kings in their twenties, in this case, but queens in their teens). I'll have to look up some kind of analysis of how the stability of Europe has changed... But, too, it's a reminder of the grasping nature of that power, and the instability of alliances: The goal was never truly to rule one's lands well, but to rule one's lands well and gain more lands and secure land and power for your children.
As for the book itself: I enjoyed it well enough but get frustrated by how much of historical fiction about queens revolves around who is sleeping with whom. It makes some sense, of course: these are not queens who were permitted to wield much power in their own rights. For better or for worse, Louis IX and Henry III are better distinguished here than Marguerite and Eleanor, who run together in my brain a little. But I'm more interested in Marguerite's relationship with her mother-in-law, the queen mother, Blanche of Castile. In what limited material I've read including Blanche, she is portrayed as a harsh woman, controlling her son and grasping for power and doing her best to keep Louis from Marguerite's influence. But I also have to think, well, what choices did she have? She too was grasping for power. I'd love to see something that sought to get into Blanche's brain as well as those of the main characters.
As for the book itself: I enjoyed it well enough but get frustrated by how much of historical fiction about queens revolves around who is sleeping with whom. It makes some sense, of course: these are not queens who were permitted to wield much power in their own rights. For better or for worse, Louis IX and Henry III are better distinguished here than Marguerite and Eleanor, who run together in my brain a little. But I'm more interested in Marguerite's relationship with her mother-in-law, the queen mother, Blanche of Castile. In what limited material I've read including Blanche, she is portrayed as a harsh woman, controlling her son and grasping for power and doing her best to keep Louis from Marguerite's influence. But I also have to think, well, what choices did she have? She too was grasping for power. I'd love to see something that sought to get into Blanche's brain as well as those of the main characters.
mgcco's review against another edition
4.0
I tried to read The Other Boleyn Girl many years ago, but I never got around to finishing it. I don't remember why, but somehow I lost interest in the medieval setting, the neverending intrigues, etc. However, The Sister Queens proved to be a compelling read; it was realistic and nuanced and melodious—without being too grating. Looking forward to more of this author's works.