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A review by stellarature
The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
4.0
Finally a telling of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s story that I enjoyed! I love that it really took the time to explore young Eleanor and how she progressed very naturally over the course of the book. What I most loved is that this book didn’t turn her into the overbearing girlboss modern interpretations seem to enjoy or the maneating slut history paints her as. She’s very much a product of her time and her struggles through losing her father, ending up in an ill-fated marriage, and coming into her own. Also I do think she did a good job at her portrayal of Louis, who in so many words, was a man child from the beginning of the marriage all the way to his final appearance in the story.
On a side note, the whole subplot with Petronella and Raoul was very uncomfortable but I feel like that was deliberate. Chadwick was very subtly showing how imbalanced and toxic the relationship was by showing how differently they viewed the relationship through their thoughts: her as a very passionate, lost girl with a desperation for love and stability in the wrong place and him as a predator very consciously preying on and taking advantage of a young girl. It wasn’t meant to be shown as something positive and how it played out makes that very clear.
Can’t wait to read the next one!
On a side note, the whole subplot with Petronella and Raoul was very uncomfortable but I feel like that was deliberate. Chadwick was very subtly showing how imbalanced and toxic the relationship was by showing how differently they viewed the relationship through their thoughts: her as a very passionate, lost girl with a desperation for love and stability in the wrong place and him as a predator very consciously preying on and taking advantage of a young girl. It wasn’t meant to be shown as something positive and how it played out makes that very clear.
Can’t wait to read the next one!