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blodeuedd's review
4.0
I have never read a book about Eleanor but after this one I wonder why I waited so long. What a fascinating woman! Since this is a work of fiction O'Brien does give her take on the rumours surrounding her. Because like all historical books we just do not know and have to make the best of what we do know. Though she sure made me believe I was there.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was married to Prince Louis of France when she was 15 and he was 17. He was raised in a monastery and would rather have wanted to be a monk. Which we do see through out this book. He is pious and rather spends his time on knees praying than doing anything else. While Eleanor was raised in the more free spirited court of Aquitaine and can't understand the darkness of Paris. I had also not realized who tiny "France" was. It was nothing really and the country as it is today was made up from different parts. So this marriage is a disaster from the start and that they had 2 kids is a miracle.
We also follow them on their failed crusade to the holy land and get to read about the rumours of her and her uncle. By now I really liked the Eleanor portrayed here, she was so strong and she tried her best. She was certainly not a meek woman of her time. I really enjoyed how O'Brien portrayed her.
The only time I was unsure about Eleanor was when she married Henry Plantagenet. She seemed weaker. He was such a womaniser but sure after a marriage like her first she needed a strong man to help her guard her lands, and he was young, virile and certainly had a reputation among the ladies. The book did make me wonder about these two, they sure had a lot of kids. There was that big age difference and then their split that is not show in this book and how the kids rebelled. But in the end, perhaps they did like each other and I am sure they quarrelled and made up a lot ;)
O'Brien does weave a great story about the early life of this marvellous woman that was queen of two countries. Was talked about a lot and managed to divorce her first husband. It was well-written and it made me want to try more books by her and see how she brings other characters from history alive. Because that is truly what she did for me, she brought them to life.
I also must talk about something I had heard about but which was brought to my attention so well here. That in those days it was sure best to keep young heiresses under lock and key. Because any man who wanted riches could just ride up kidnap and marry that woman and that was it. What a time to live in. Poor women.
Recommended to those who enjoy historical fiction. It also had this lightness over it and it did not dwell on things to long but the events unfolded in a nice pace.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was married to Prince Louis of France when she was 15 and he was 17. He was raised in a monastery and would rather have wanted to be a monk. Which we do see through out this book. He is pious and rather spends his time on knees praying than doing anything else. While Eleanor was raised in the more free spirited court of Aquitaine and can't understand the darkness of Paris. I had also not realized who tiny "France" was. It was nothing really and the country as it is today was made up from different parts. So this marriage is a disaster from the start and that they had 2 kids is a miracle.
We also follow them on their failed crusade to the holy land and get to read about the rumours of her and her uncle. By now I really liked the Eleanor portrayed here, she was so strong and she tried her best. She was certainly not a meek woman of her time. I really enjoyed how O'Brien portrayed her.
The only time I was unsure about Eleanor was when she married Henry Plantagenet. She seemed weaker. He was such a womaniser but sure after a marriage like her first she needed a strong man to help her guard her lands, and he was young, virile and certainly had a reputation among the ladies. The book did make me wonder about these two, they sure had a lot of kids. There was that big age difference and then their split that is not show in this book and how the kids rebelled. But in the end, perhaps they did like each other and I am sure they quarrelled and made up a lot ;)
O'Brien does weave a great story about the early life of this marvellous woman that was queen of two countries. Was talked about a lot and managed to divorce her first husband. It was well-written and it made me want to try more books by her and see how she brings other characters from history alive. Because that is truly what she did for me, she brought them to life.
I also must talk about something I had heard about but which was brought to my attention so well here. That in those days it was sure best to keep young heiresses under lock and key. Because any man who wanted riches could just ride up kidnap and marry that woman and that was it. What a time to live in. Poor women.
Recommended to those who enjoy historical fiction. It also had this lightness over it and it did not dwell on things to long but the events unfolded in a nice pace.
fifteenthjessica's review
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I don't think I would've finished this if Eleanor of Aquitaine wasn't such a fascinating person, although this book's Eleanor came off as cartoonishly vain.
The prose isn't great. Memorable passages in Queen Defiant are associated more with an intense cringe than awe (including a description of Eleanor's thirteen year old sister that includes the phrase "a child beneath her developing curves"), and chapter 2's description of Eleanor's family history felt more like an info dump (and could probably be worked into a conversation between characters with ease). The supporting cast is a bit frustrating as there are a few characters who seem like they'd be important but don't actually have name, such as the brother Louis doesn't want to give his crown to (which Eleanor uses to help convince him to grant the somewhat anti-climactic annulment) and any of Eleanor's ladies in waiting who aren't Agatha or Eleanor's sister Aelith.
But these are fairly easy to forgive compared to Eleanor's love life. She has four sexual partners (I really don't think love interest is an accurate word for most of these) during the course of this book: her monk-like husband King Louis VII of France, the ambitious and grasping Count Geoffrey Plantagenet, her uncle Raymond (most modern historians believe that claims that they actually slept together were a combination of slander and misinterpretation of how affectionate Aquitainians can be with each other), and Henry Plantagenet who is crowned King Henry II of England in the epilogue. Louis is condemned for being short-tempered, neglecting her needs for intimacy, forcing Eleanor to love in a castle she doesn't like, and refusing to listen to Eleanor because she is a woman. Henry is even more short-tempered, leaves her alone for long periods to go campaigning, forces Eleanor to move to his holdings in Anjou and Normandy after marriage, does not listen to her because she is a woman, and has her raise an illegitimate child he fathered while they were married, but he is somehow portrayed as the love of her life. One could say maybe this decision is to show the effect of a strong patriarchy on women, but in an interview in my copy of the book, Anne O'Brien states that she sees Henry II as the love of Eleanor's life. Why?
The prose isn't great. Memorable passages in Queen Defiant are associated more with an intense cringe than awe (including a description of Eleanor's thirteen year old sister that includes the phrase "a child beneath her developing curves"), and chapter 2's description of Eleanor's family history felt more like an info dump (and could probably be worked into a conversation between characters with ease). The supporting cast is a bit frustrating as there are a few characters who seem like they'd be important but don't actually have name, such as the brother Louis doesn't want to give his crown to (which Eleanor uses to help convince him to grant the somewhat anti-climactic annulment) and any of Eleanor's ladies in waiting who aren't Agatha or Eleanor's sister Aelith.
But these are fairly easy to forgive compared to Eleanor's love life. She has four sexual partners (I really don't think love interest is an accurate word for most of these) during the course of this book: her monk-like husband King Louis VII of France, the ambitious and grasping Count Geoffrey Plantagenet, her uncle Raymond (most modern historians believe that claims that they actually slept together were a combination of slander and misinterpretation of how affectionate Aquitainians can be with each other), and Henry Plantagenet who is crowned King Henry II of England in the epilogue. Louis is condemned for being short-tempered, neglecting her needs for intimacy, forcing Eleanor to love in a castle she doesn't like, and refusing to listen to Eleanor because she is a woman. Henry is even more short-tempered, leaves her alone for long periods to go campaigning, forces Eleanor to move to his holdings in Anjou and Normandy after marriage, does not listen to her because she is a woman, and has her raise an illegitimate child he fathered while they were married, but he is somehow portrayed as the love of her life. One could say maybe this decision is to show the effect of a strong patriarchy on women, but in an interview in my copy of the book, Anne O'Brien states that she sees Henry II as the love of Eleanor's life. Why?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Incest, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, Sexism, War, Confinement, Rape, and Violence
liralen's review
3.0
Reading this, I couldn't help but think how young they were. So much historical fiction about kings and queens paints advisors and so on as power-hungry fiends who are Not To Be Trusted, and while I expect that in some cases that was true -- but at the same time, I imagine it would be difficult to trust the judgement of teenage regents, even if they'd been groomed for the throne.
Anyway. It's a decent enough read. Probably not the most historically accurate thing ever (and I'm starting to think that I should look for historical fiction about Louis VII, just for some balance), but I love seeing a female character with serious agency.
Anyway. It's a decent enough read. Probably not the most historically accurate thing ever (and I'm starting to think that I should look for historical fiction about Louis VII, just for some balance), but I love seeing a female character with serious agency.
tellmeastoryxx's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
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