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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
2.0
I just finished the historical novel Medicis Daughter by Sophie Perinot. Medicis Daughter tells the story of Catherine de Medici’s daughter, Marguerite de Valois (aka Margot). It is told from Margot’s perspective from the time she is a young girl through the days after her marriage (when she is nineteen) to her cousin, Henri, the King of Navarre. We find out how she lived her life under her mother’s thumb (and her brother’s, King Charles who seemed to have mental issues). We find out how she felt about the Protestants (Margot is Roman Catholic) and their fight with King Charles and how this affected her life.
I picked Medicis Daughter because I enjoy history, and I love the show Reign. I thought it would be interesting to learn more about Margot. Medicis Daughter is a very long, drawn out novel (I just never got into this book). I found it to be very dry and dull (flat). It did not make for enjoyable reading. The story comes across more like a young adult novel in places (especially with Margot’s infatuation with Henri, Duc de Guise). There are also French words, phrases, and sentences with no translation (which is frustrating). The author did a very good job with the history. She was pretty accurate except for a few areas (which she notes at the end of the book). There are many characters (seems we were introduced to every person at court and anyone they met while traveling) in the book which can lead to a lot of confusion. I have to confess that I gave up after a while trying to keep all of them straight. I focused on the main characters (makes it easier). I give Medicis Daughter 2.5 out of 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of Medicis Daughter from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out my blog for more information: http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/12/medicis-daughter.html
I picked Medicis Daughter because I enjoy history, and I love the show Reign. I thought it would be interesting to learn more about Margot. Medicis Daughter is a very long, drawn out novel (I just never got into this book). I found it to be very dry and dull (flat). It did not make for enjoyable reading. The story comes across more like a young adult novel in places (especially with Margot’s infatuation with Henri, Duc de Guise). There are also French words, phrases, and sentences with no translation (which is frustrating). The author did a very good job with the history. She was pretty accurate except for a few areas (which she notes at the end of the book). There are many characters (seems we were introduced to every person at court and anyone they met while traveling) in the book which can lead to a lot of confusion. I have to confess that I gave up after a while trying to keep all of them straight. I focused on the main characters (makes it easier). I give Medicis Daughter 2.5 out of 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of Medicis Daughter from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out my blog for more information: http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/12/medicis-daughter.html
mcgbear's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. It had all the intrigue and subterfuge of a royal court, including sexual scandal, without being sexually gratuitous or graphic. It delved into the equal sides of power and helplessness being a woman in the 16th century entailed. Highly recommend for those who enjoy Historical Fiction.
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
lamom77's review against another edition
4.0
This was very good, an interesting look at France in the 1500s during the religious wars. This was a time period I was not very familiar with and enjoyed the glimpses of Paris during this time period. While I was recently in Paris, I saw a memorial for the Saint Bartholomew's Massacre and was not familiar with it, and I didn't realize until I was part way into this book that these were the events leading to that sad time in history. Although some of the fictional portions of this story seemed forced at times, it was still very good overall.
bookswritingandmore's review against another edition
5.0
Winter, 1564. Beautiful young Princess Margot is summoned to the court of France, where nothing is what it seems and a wrong word can lead to ruin. Known across Europe as Madame la Serpente, Margot’s intimidating mother, Queen Catherine de Médicis, is a powerful force in a country devastated by religious war. Among the crafty nobility of the royal court, Margot learns the intriguing and unspoken rules she must live by to please her poisonous family.
Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot accepts her role as a marriage pawn, even as she is charmed by the powerful, charismatic Duc de Guise. Though Margot's heart belongs to Guise, her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce. But the promised peace is a mirage: her mother's schemes are endless, and her brothers plot vengeance in the streets of Paris. When Margot's wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul.
I found this book so detailed and rich in history of a time that isn't often talked about and a person who isn't in hundreds of historical fiction novels. It is always refreshing to me when an author writes about a completely new character to me as it holds my interest most definitely.
There were some parts that seemed to drag but only at the very beginning.. The rest of this novel was steady and flowed nicely.
I hope that Sophie gets the recognition she deserves for this amazingly told story.
Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot accepts her role as a marriage pawn, even as she is charmed by the powerful, charismatic Duc de Guise. Though Margot's heart belongs to Guise, her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce. But the promised peace is a mirage: her mother's schemes are endless, and her brothers plot vengeance in the streets of Paris. When Margot's wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul.
I found this book so detailed and rich in history of a time that isn't often talked about and a person who isn't in hundreds of historical fiction novels. It is always refreshing to me when an author writes about a completely new character to me as it holds my interest most definitely.
There were some parts that seemed to drag but only at the very beginning.. The rest of this novel was steady and flowed nicely.
I hope that Sophie gets the recognition she deserves for this amazingly told story.
kdurham2's review against another edition
3.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Most people would put this book solely in the historical fiction part of the library or store, but I would possibly debate that this one could really go into the romance department, this one had a lot of romance at times for me and I wished for less of the romance drama and more of the court drama (although some may debate that there was a lot of this also).
If you love a book with a large cast of characters, then this one is for you. This is one of those times where I had to get a sheet of note paper to write down a family tree and a court tree to keep things straight, I would have loved something in the front of the book to see and reflect.
Yes, this book is long in page count, but more than that it was long in that the story moved VERY slow and I felt as though there were big unusual pauses in action. I wanted more moments of action linked together for some reason I had a hard time keeping my attention on the book.
Most people would put this book solely in the historical fiction part of the library or store, but I would possibly debate that this one could really go into the romance department, this one had a lot of romance at times for me and I wished for less of the romance drama and more of the court drama (although some may debate that there was a lot of this also).
If you love a book with a large cast of characters, then this one is for you. This is one of those times where I had to get a sheet of note paper to write down a family tree and a court tree to keep things straight, I would have loved something in the front of the book to see and reflect.
Yes, this book is long in page count, but more than that it was long in that the story moved VERY slow and I felt as though there were big unusual pauses in action. I wanted more moments of action linked together for some reason I had a hard time keeping my attention on the book.
hrh_victoria's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Review: Sophie Perinot has clearly dedicated much of her time to research for the historical fiction novel Médicis Daughter. Still, I was disappointed.
Not because she failed to represent history correctly; this is a problem faced by everyone who takes creative license with history, no matter how much or little research has been done, and I think Perinot tried to remain true to what she sees as a possibility for history.
No, I’m disappointed simply because Margot’s character was painful in some respects and the book was too slow in parts.
I’m sure it must have been hard to be a daughter to Catherine de Médicis, and Margot is shaped into a strong woman by the end of the novel who I can’t help but admire (the character growth is well-formulated). Through most of the novel, though, I found her to be not only in pain, but painful. Her strained relationship with her brother Henri, for example, felt forced in parts. I think such a relationship is hard to pull off effectively, but it didn’t help that Margot blamed herself after the problem escalated. Throughout much of the book, she blames herself for the actions of others. This is dangerous for a novel, especially as she blames herself even when others threaten to take advantage of her. This is an idea that should be refuted by the end of the novel, but it is not.
The book also lags in the middle, as historical fiction novels so often do. Rather than build suspense, I found Margot’s relationship with a certain gentleman tedious. The character change of that gentleman is not as well-formulated as the change of Margot herself. Moreover, his change felt contrived for the convenience of plot. In this same section of the novel, I found it difficult to follow where in France Margot was.
In spite of its flaws, this book taught me a lot about Margot de Valois and her family as well as the War of Religion and St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, and, for historical fiction, having learned something is perhaps the most important quality.
Recommendation: Fans of the TV show Reign or the film The Duchess and similar stories will likely enjoy this book.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews like this, friend me on goodreads or follow my blog!
Review: Sophie Perinot has clearly dedicated much of her time to research for the historical fiction novel Médicis Daughter. Still, I was disappointed.
Not because she failed to represent history correctly; this is a problem faced by everyone who takes creative license with history, no matter how much or little research has been done, and I think Perinot tried to remain true to what she sees as a possibility for history.
No, I’m disappointed simply because Margot’s character was painful in some respects and the book was too slow in parts.
I’m sure it must have been hard to be a daughter to Catherine de Médicis, and Margot is shaped into a strong woman by the end of the novel who I can’t help but admire (the character growth is well-formulated). Through most of the novel, though, I found her to be not only in pain, but painful. Her strained relationship with her brother Henri, for example, felt forced in parts. I think such a relationship is hard to pull off effectively, but it didn’t help that Margot blamed herself after the problem escalated. Throughout much of the book, she blames herself for the actions of others. This is dangerous for a novel, especially as she blames herself even when others threaten to take advantage of her. This is an idea that should be refuted by the end of the novel, but it is not.
The book also lags in the middle, as historical fiction novels so often do. Rather than build suspense, I found Margot’s relationship with a certain gentleman tedious. The character change of that gentleman is not as well-formulated as the change of Margot herself. Moreover, his change felt contrived for the convenience of plot. In this same section of the novel, I found it difficult to follow where in France Margot was.
In spite of its flaws, this book taught me a lot about Margot de Valois and her family as well as the War of Religion and St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, and, for historical fiction, having learned something is perhaps the most important quality.
Recommendation: Fans of the TV show Reign or the film The Duchess and similar stories will likely enjoy this book.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews like this, friend me on goodreads or follow my blog!
lucycol's review against another edition
3.0
Consumed a lot of content about the French monarchy recently. Enjoyed this, found this interpretation of Margot complex and interesting and have no trouble believing there was more to the real Margot than her controversial reputation
andipants's review against another edition
4.0
This is my favorite kind of historical fiction - real people in a real time and place I know basically nothing about, written such that after I've read it, I have a pretty good understanding of at least the basic political and/or social environment was and what was going on at the time, all while still feeling like I've read a good story. The politics are there clearly enough to follow what was happening, but not in such detail as to overwhelm the story; it was a great starting point for a Wikipedia binge to get the more detailed history behind the book.
I found Margot to be a likable and realistic main character. Female protagonists in mediocre historical fiction often fall into one of two extremes: either they are passive decorations sitting helplessly by and accepting everything because "that's just how it was back then", or they are "strong female characters" who express anachronistically progressive sentiments and act completely shocked and appalled by things that seem awful to us know, but anyone living at the time would have taken as commonplace and expected. This book deftly navigates the middle ground - Margot chafes at some of her mother's and brothers' more controlling and manipulative behavior, but she readily accepts, for example, the fact that marriages among 16th century European royalty are not generally love matches. She may be unhappy with her options, but she's not surprised at what they are, and it's very interesting to watch her grow into a strong, intelligent, self-aware woman who knows what she will and will not accept.
The other characters, seen through Margot's eyes, are similarly nuanced and realistic. Even her scheming, manipulative mother is not a flat-out evil character; she's ambitious and power-hungry and will stoop to sometimes shocking methods to get what she wants, but she's not doing it because eeeeevil, she's doing it because she thinks it's the best way to ensure the success of herself and her family.
The writing itself is also excellent. The prose is lovely, without being overly dense or flowery or getting in the way of the story. The dialogue is mostly formal but not stilted or wooden, and there is enough French sprinkled throughout the text to lend flavor without becoming overwhelming or distracting.
My one complaint (and it's a small one) is that not a whole lot happens "on-screen" - much of the action, the battles and backroom dealings, are only heard about later, through the grapevine of court gossip. This is, of course, how it would have been for Margot, and with the first-person narration, it makes sense; but I did find it slightly frustrating and slow-moving on occasion.
Overall, this was an excellent read, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone with a taste for historical fiction, well-written female characters, or political intrigue.
I found Margot to be a likable and realistic main character. Female protagonists in mediocre historical fiction often fall into one of two extremes: either they are passive decorations sitting helplessly by and accepting everything because "that's just how it was back then", or they are "strong female characters" who express anachronistically progressive sentiments and act completely shocked and appalled by things that seem awful to us know, but anyone living at the time would have taken as commonplace and expected. This book deftly navigates the middle ground - Margot chafes at some of her mother's and brothers' more controlling and manipulative behavior, but she readily accepts, for example, the fact that marriages among 16th century European royalty are not generally love matches. She may be unhappy with her options, but she's not surprised at what they are, and it's very interesting to watch her grow into a strong, intelligent, self-aware woman who knows what she will and will not accept.
The other characters, seen through Margot's eyes, are similarly nuanced and realistic. Even her scheming, manipulative mother is not a flat-out evil character; she's ambitious and power-hungry and will stoop to sometimes shocking methods to get what she wants, but she's not doing it because eeeeevil, she's doing it because she thinks it's the best way to ensure the success of herself and her family.
The writing itself is also excellent. The prose is lovely, without being overly dense or flowery or getting in the way of the story. The dialogue is mostly formal but not stilted or wooden, and there is enough French sprinkled throughout the text to lend flavor without becoming overwhelming or distracting.
My one complaint (and it's a small one) is that not a whole lot happens "on-screen" - much of the action, the battles and backroom dealings, are only heard about later, through the grapevine of court gossip. This is, of course, how it would have been for Margot, and with the first-person narration, it makes sense; but I did find it slightly frustrating and slow-moving on occasion.
Overall, this was an excellent read, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone with a taste for historical fiction, well-written female characters, or political intrigue.
jgeter's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
linwearcamenel's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5