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greenbriarssss's review
5.0
I think this book changed my life. I picked this book up on a whim because I thought the cover was really pretty, and now I feel so empty inside after finishing it. I could have finished it in a few days, but I didn't want it to end. This book had everything in it for me: good characters, a great story, beautiful dialogue, and I could picture everything happening as I read. The story laid out between Philip and Richard was just...everything. My book is covered in tabs because it was written so beautifully. It will forever be imprinted in my mind, and I have no problem with that at all lol.
juliana_reads's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Damn this was good. I loved the lyrical writing. The book was like a literary historical romance. I burned through it despite it being pretty dense. And there was 12th century banter! Isabella was a delight, and her relationship with Philip was highlight for me. I’m so glad her book fate was different than in real life, because I couldn’t take losing her. Also, sections being named for types of Occitan/French poems? *chef’s kiss*
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Sexual content
aceoflanterns's review
4.0
this one gets an honest 3.5 from me but it’s bumped up because the writing is gorgeous. anyway isabella for queen of france 1180
wangz's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
stephanieroc's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
kattandra's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
voidature's review against another edition
3.0
for a book so heavily influenced by war, it felt like there were very little stakes and actual conflict. things seemed to resolve almost too quickly and easily, and the timeline was difficult to follow because time jumps happened entirely too often and with little notice and it wasn’t always a smooth transition. philip and richard were cute together but there was very little development and build up of their actual relationship from strangers to lovers, but again that goes back into the messy progression of the timeline and the lack of clarity on what is happening when. i really really wanted to love this book but there was just too much missing for me that i felt should have been in there.
coco_lolo's review
3.0
JULY 2023: It's taken a couple months, but I'm lowering my rating of this book for a few reasons. There's nothing really memorable about it; I liked it at the time, but it didn't have a lasting impact. And now that I've had time to think about this more, it really would have made more sense to just write this as a fantasy rather than historical novel.
I love how before the book even opened, there was an author's note stating that this wasn't going to be historically accurate. It provided an overview of what Solomon's Crown was and wasn't, and I found that extremely beneficial when it came to my expectations for the book. This is first and foremost a romance; everything else comes second, so we don't have elaborate descriptions of battles or armor. Rather, this centers around two men and what they want, from one another and from life. Phillips was absolutely fascinating: cunning and cowardly at turns, his decisions and the reasoning behind them were so interesting to tease apart, and Siegel made him both sympathetic and somewhat unlikeable. In contrast, I did think there were a few missed opportunities when it came to Richard. He's described early on as wanting to be kind but kindness not coming easily, and this could have been explored later on to give him a depth he lacked. The tension between him and Phillip was delicious though: I loved the push and pull, the banter, the way they navigated one another knowing full well they would eventually stand on opposite sides of conflict. I do wish there'd been a bit more to the secondary characters (Stephen and Richard had the best bromance, and I loved Isabella and how she evolved over the novel), but the writing was strong (if a bit overly dramatic when chapters ended). This was just a lot of fun to read!
I love how before the book even opened, there was an author's note stating that this wasn't going to be historically accurate. It provided an overview of what Solomon's Crown was and wasn't, and I found that extremely beneficial when it came to my expectations for the book. This is first and foremost a romance; everything else comes second, so we don't have elaborate descriptions of battles or armor. Rather, this centers around two men and what they want, from one another and from life. Phillips was absolutely fascinating: cunning and cowardly at turns, his decisions and the reasoning behind them were so interesting to tease apart, and Siegel made him both sympathetic and somewhat unlikeable. In contrast, I did think there were a few missed opportunities when it came to Richard. He's described early on as wanting to be kind but kindness not coming easily, and this could have been explored later on to give him a depth he lacked. The tension between him and Phillip was delicious though: I loved the push and pull, the banter, the way they navigated one another knowing full well they would eventually stand on opposite sides of conflict. I do wish there'd been a bit more to the secondary characters (Stephen and Richard had the best bromance, and I loved Isabella and how she evolved over the novel), but the writing was strong (if a bit overly dramatic when chapters ended). This was just a lot of fun to read!
mkim1104's review
4.0
I think other comments raise good points about the historical inaccuracy and the quick pace of the romance, but... I still really enjoyed this book.
The writing was lyrical and extremely pretty. I was completely swept up in the atmosphere of 12th century Europe, and enjoyed a peek into what life *might* have been like. I didn't already know much about these character's real life history, so the inaccuracies did not bother me. Additionally, the romance wasn't a slow burn like I might have liked, but this story is extremely romanticized. I liked the story that two important monarchs could fall in love in a low-risk environment and get a happy ending.
On another note, Isabella was by far my favorite character, and I wish we got more of her.
The writing was lyrical and extremely pretty. I was completely swept up in the atmosphere of 12th century Europe, and enjoyed a peek into what life *might* have been like. I didn't already know much about these character's real life history, so the inaccuracies did not bother me. Additionally, the romance wasn't a slow burn like I might have liked, but this story is extremely romanticized. I liked the story that two important monarchs could fall in love in a low-risk environment and get a happy ending.
On another note, Isabella was by far my favorite character, and I wish we got more of her.