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A review by liziev
Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir
4.0
A very solid 4 stars!
This is the first book I've read by Weir, and I wouldn't hesitate to read more from her given her engaging writing style and depth of knowledge. Eleanor is an intriguing character and I found myself really liking her throughout the book.
I saw in other reviews that some people were bothered by the sexual tone of parts of the book, but I didn't find anything offensive or pornographic. I'm an adult, so I understand that passionate people do passionate things, both in the bedroom and out. I think Weirs's depiction of Henry and Eleanor's relationship captures that very well. There are some sex scenes in the book, so I wouldn't recommend this for children, but I don't see too many children enduring a 500 page historical novel in the first place.
I wish there was more information about Eleanor's relationship with her family (her children, her sister, etc) as those are glossed over at times. And I wish that there was more info on her political and economic plans. Throughout the book Weir makes it clear that Eleanor wanted to be, and was capable of, independent rule apart from her husband. But she doesn't allow Eleanor to really talk about her ruling strategy, so that part of her life feels a bit empty for me.
Overall an interesting set of characters and an engaging plot. I look forward to reading more from Alison Weir!
This is the first book I've read by Weir, and I wouldn't hesitate to read more from her given her engaging writing style and depth of knowledge. Eleanor is an intriguing character and I found myself really liking her throughout the book.
I saw in other reviews that some people were bothered by the sexual tone of parts of the book, but I didn't find anything offensive or pornographic. I'm an adult, so I understand that passionate people do passionate things, both in the bedroom and out. I think Weirs's depiction of Henry and Eleanor's relationship captures that very well. There are some sex scenes in the book, so I wouldn't recommend this for children, but I don't see too many children enduring a 500 page historical novel in the first place.
I wish there was more information about Eleanor's relationship with her family (her children, her sister, etc) as those are glossed over at times. And I wish that there was more info on her political and economic plans. Throughout the book Weir makes it clear that Eleanor wanted to be, and was capable of, independent rule apart from her husband. But she doesn't allow Eleanor to really talk about her ruling strategy, so that part of her life feels a bit empty for me.
Overall an interesting set of characters and an engaging plot. I look forward to reading more from Alison Weir!