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A review by _groovyginger_
Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir
3.0
This was an exceptionally well-researched novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine. Instead of focusing on her entire life, this book focuses on Eleanor's marriage to Henry II, which at times was turbulent. I felt this novel was a little drawn out and oftentimes redundant. While reading, I thought the author could have used a little more fiction than history to enhance the story and break up the monotony. After reading her author's note explaining just exactly why she didn't do this, I understood but thought: at what point do you sacrifice entertainment for accuracy? Other historical novels stray from the truth or at least rearrange timelines, and it's something I don't have a lot of issue with, especially if sources are scarce.
Maybe I just had a few things going on in my life while I was trying to make my way through this book, but it was hard and I felt I was reading sluggishly trying to make it through to the end. Some scenes could have been cut to help the flow. I liked Eleanor and despised Henry. I liked the rich settings but after a time couldn't keep track of the constant location changes. There was good and bad in this book and overall, I didn't think it was overly special. Not that it's forgettable because I did learn a lot, but I was just not very entertained consistently throughout. Sure, there was romance at the beginning but it fizzled, just like the initial spark of this book.
Maybe I just had a few things going on in my life while I was trying to make my way through this book, but it was hard and I felt I was reading sluggishly trying to make it through to the end. Some scenes could have been cut to help the flow. I liked Eleanor and despised Henry. I liked the rich settings but after a time couldn't keep track of the constant location changes. There was good and bad in this book and overall, I didn't think it was overly special. Not that it's forgettable because I did learn a lot, but I was just not very entertained consistently throughout. Sure, there was romance at the beginning but it fizzled, just like the initial spark of this book.