Tag: france

Books

“The Strangled Queen” by Maurice Druon

Elxia

Publish date: 1955

Genre: Historical fiction

The second book from a series “The Accursed Kings”.  King Phillip is dead, and now his son Louis X sits on the throne. His wife is imprisoned in the Chateau Gaillard for her adultery.  Seeking to remarry and father a male heir, Louis puts his own plan in motion.

I enjoyed this book. Maurice Druon once again did an incredible job.  The storyline is well thought.  It is easy to read and characters are nicely presented. I could easily imagine them and think about what would they do. The story caught my attention and left me interested until the very end. I can’t wait to read next part of the series.

My rate: 8/10

Books

“The Iron King” by Maurice Druon

Elxia

Publish date: 1955

Genre: Historical fiction

The first book in the series “The Accursed Kings”. The book tells the story of Philip the Fair, the king of France, who rules the country with an iron hand. The main plot twists are the Templars’ trial, which results in the Grand Master Jacques de Molay death and scandal in the royal family when it was discovered that the three wives of Philip’s sons are unfaithful.

The book itself is nicely written and easy to read. Maurice Druon did an incredible job presenting the characters. After introducing the characters to the book, I could understand their motives and what lies behind their thoughts. The story is great. Given that there are many references to French history, I learned a lot about France under the Capetian dynasty. I was so intrigued, what was fiction and what was the truth that I was looking for more information. And this is also a plus for me.

My rate: 8/10