A review by adam_mcphee
The Poisoned Crown by Maurice Druon

5.0

These books fucking rule.

This one's about the short reign of Louis X. He has a disastrous war in the mud, and Artois gets torn up with what's essentially private war between nobles, a pious turn brought on by love for the queen, Dante gets read, poisoners poison, and Philipe, Count of Poitiers, becomes something of a statesman. Also the Lombard advances his romance.

Mahaut is a stonecold bitch but she has great taste in books, look at all those chansons de geste:

Spoiler

‘Nothing is changed, you see,’ Mahaut said.
‘No, nothing has changed,’ Jeanne repeated, her throat constricted, turning towards the bookcase.
It contained a dozen volumes and thereby formed one of the most important private libraries in France. Jeanne stroked the bindings with her fingers: Les Enfances d’Ogier, Le Roman de la Violette, the Bible in French, The Life of the Saints, Le Roman de Renart, Le Roman de Tristan. She had so often, with her sister Blanche, looked at the beautiful illuminations painted on the sheets of parchment! While one of Mahaut’s ladies had read to them.
‘You know this one. Yes, I had already bought it. It cost me three hundred pounds,’ said Mahaut, showing her Le Voyage au Pays du Grand Khan by Messire Marco Polo.

The crux of the story:

Spoiler

‘I’ve gained you a fortnight,’ said Philippe, shrugging his shoulders. ‘The customs of Saint Louis! Really, I’m beginning to get tired of the whole lot of them with their customs of Saint Louis! You might think my father had never existed. When a great King has brought progress to the land, must there always be idiots who are determined to be reactionary. And my brother encourages them!’