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whatiswhatwas's review against another edition
5.0
Historical fiction at its best, I loved this book. I knew absolutely nothing about this woman, and while I recognize this is at its heart fiction, I much enjoyed reading about a time and place I hadn't previously. It also has the drama, intrigue and sexiness that keeps you turning the pages past your bedtime.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
5.0
Very well done, the author has done a great job of incorporating what little historical record there is, and making Eleanor believable and likeable.
petitpoucetreveur's review against another edition
4.0
Join the ride and follow the journey of this amazing young woman as she conquers France and then England while maintaining her power over her natal Aquitaine. She's a powerful woman not to be messed with and Elizabeth Chadwick writes her well. She offers us a great character sets in her beliefs, yearning for freedom and yet conscious of her duty. She is thirteen at the beginning, thirty at the end, and throughout a tumultuous journey full of scandals, politics and tragedies, she shine her greatness over the world.
I think it's pretty well written, describing places and clothes to make them swirl under the eyes ; presenting the machinations of politics and religion; as well as conveying the strength, hopes and despair of Aliénor.
As for the historical fidelity, I'm no expert but I thought it was well done, she did her homework and showed it with talent.
I recommend this book for everyone, not only lovers of Aliénor but also people who want to dip their toes into Middle age's history without it being too scholarly.
I think it's pretty well written, describing places and clothes to make them swirl under the eyes ; presenting the machinations of politics and religion; as well as conveying the strength, hopes and despair of Aliénor.
As for the historical fidelity, I'm no expert but I thought it was well done, she did her homework and showed it with talent.
I recommend this book for everyone, not only lovers of Aliénor but also people who want to dip their toes into Middle age's history without it being too scholarly.
lchamberlin97's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this. Plain and simple.
Alienor is my favorite type of character. I saw her as the strong but realistic woman who wants to be in control of her life and loves a little power, though not to the extent that it distracts her from being human. Complex, entertaining, FABULOUS.
I'm a huge fan of historical fiction in general because I like the element of truth to it. Now, in this case, I know that everything that happens may or may not be strictly true. But maybe that's part of what I like about it - these were real people, and this plausibly could have happened. And yet it seems like something completely made up. That makes for the best kind of story! I don't have to waste my time debating if humans would actually behave this way, or if chance would allow this to happen.
Anyway, I'm very excited to read the next one.
(Full disclosure: I knew NOTHING about Alienor/Eleanor's story before reading this. I kept it that way because I wanted to be carried away by this story rather than Wikepedia's story. I listened to the author's description of what she decided to be true afterward and learned more about the for-sure versus fiction of the novel.)
Alienor is my favorite type of character. I saw her as the strong but realistic woman who wants to be in control of her life and loves a little power, though not to the extent that it distracts her from being human. Complex, entertaining, FABULOUS.
I'm a huge fan of historical fiction in general because I like the element of truth to it. Now, in this case, I know that everything that happens may or may not be strictly true. But maybe that's part of what I like about it - these were real people, and this plausibly could have happened. And yet it seems like something completely made up. That makes for the best kind of story! I don't have to waste my time debating if humans would actually behave this way, or if chance would allow this to happen.
Anyway, I'm very excited to read the next one.
(Full disclosure: I knew NOTHING about Alienor/Eleanor's story before reading this. I kept it that way because I wanted to be carried away by this story rather than Wikepedia's story. I listened to the author's description of what she decided to be true afterward and learned more about the for-sure versus fiction of the novel.)
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
I usually like her books more. Ok that does not mean I did not like this book. No, I enjoyed it. It was well-written, it's just, I usually like them more.
I do have a theory. See, most of her books that I have enjoyed have been totally unknown to me, or a little know. But Alienor, yeah, I know everything. Yes I know she married Louis, yes I know it took ages to get a kid. Yes I know she went to Jerusalem, yes I know she tried to get an annulment, yes I know she did get it and married Henry. Huh, my problem was that I knew too much?
But then, why have I read a million books about the war of the roses?`*thinks* To be fair, all those books have been about different players. Well played brain, but not this time.
So yes my issues was that I was never surprised. I knew it, it was the stories I knew, mixed with some fiction. Oh curse this mind of mine!
But it's still a good book. She was an interesting woman. But to be fair...I would rather have read a book about her grandmother Dangerouse. I guess to to prefer lesser known characters, and I guess that is why I try to stay clear of the well known Tudors.
But hey, if you want a book about Eleanor, then read this one :)
PS. Ok, so she is 13, married, having sx for the first time. It hurts for a sec and then it feels good...come on! Why, why? why does every freaking virgin in every freaking book always feel pleasure? Let her feel nothing. I am not gonna go into a talk about sx and orgasm from v sx *grumbles*
I do have a theory. See, most of her books that I have enjoyed have been totally unknown to me, or a little know. But Alienor, yeah, I know everything. Yes I know she married Louis, yes I know it took ages to get a kid. Yes I know she went to Jerusalem, yes I know she tried to get an annulment, yes I know she did get it and married Henry. Huh, my problem was that I knew too much?
But then, why have I read a million books about the war of the roses?`*thinks* To be fair, all those books have been about different players. Well played brain, but not this time.
So yes my issues was that I was never surprised. I knew it, it was the stories I knew, mixed with some fiction. Oh curse this mind of mine!
But it's still a good book. She was an interesting woman. But to be fair...I would rather have read a book about her grandmother Dangerouse. I guess to to prefer lesser known characters, and I guess that is why I try to stay clear of the well known Tudors.
But hey, if you want a book about Eleanor, then read this one :)
PS. Ok, so she is 13, married, having sx for the first time. It hurts for a sec and then it feels good...come on! Why, why? why does every freaking virgin in every freaking book always feel pleasure? Let her feel nothing. I am not gonna go into a talk about sx and orgasm from v sx *grumbles*
caitlin_89's review against another edition
4.0
2 stars. Too many characters named Geoffrey. Such a lack of creativity.
jenmeleon's review against another edition
1.0
I got almost halfway through this book and then the cliches/anachronistic wording were too much. I'm glad I gave this author another chance, but unfortunately this will probably be the last book of hers that I try to read.
jobinsonlis's review against another edition
4.0
This is great. I don’t think it’s as well-written as Sharon Kay Penman’s Eleanor and Henry books but it has a whole lot more of Eleanor and as a major Eleanor of Aquitaine simp, I always want more Eleanor. I do think Louis got a bad turn here and honestly I found some of this depiction of him homophobic and I didn’t really like all the drama with her vassal Geoffrey as Eleanor’s great love but I did really like Eleanor and Henry together here. Henry in particular shines. You can see why they really thought it would work early on and you can already see the seeds of why it would all go so wrong for them.