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ClareR (5906 KP) rated Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power in Books

May 31, 2023  
Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power
Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power
Leah Redmond Chang | 2023 | History & Politics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It’s not often that I read a non-fiction history book - I’m more of a historical fiction reader - and I’m really glad that I picked this up.

This book is about the lives of Catherine de’ Medici (married to the French Henry II), Elisabeth of Spain and Mary, Queen of Scots and how their lives wove together.

There are some really interesting facts here (Mary was nearly 6 feet tall - now THIS is the kind of fact I live for!). But it was the personal side that really interested me. Catherine loved her children fiercely even though she had little time with them. She wanted to know every detail of their lives. Her letters to Elisabeth when she went to Spain were filled with family gossip and instructions. Just the kind of stuff that any mother would send their daughter, and Elisabeth appeared to want to always make her mother proud.

Mary and Elisabeth were like sisters, so when Mary needed Elizabeth’s and Spain’s support when the Scottish Lords turned against her, it must have hurt her greatly when they refused to help.

What I liked most was having the opportunity to dip my toes in to the history of France and Spain. It sounded as tumultuous as our own.

I do think that I’m going to have to follow up on Cathrine de’ Medici, though. Now she sounds fascinating!

I’m so glad that I read this - thanks to The Pigeonhole!
  
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ClareR (5906 KP) rated Execution in Books

Jul 26, 2020  
Execution
Execution
S.J. Parris | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Execution is the sixth book set in Elizabethan world of Giordano Bruno. I have read the first book in this series, so it was definitely on my radar, but as so often happens with me, I got distracted by other books 🤯
The fact that I haven’t (yet) read books 2-5 has made no difference at all to my great reading enjoyment, so this can be read as a one off (but why would you do that? Books 1 and 6 are fab, so I’ll be reading books 2-5 without a doubt).

Bruno is working undercover for Elizabeth I’s spymaster, Francis Walsingham, and they hope to stop what becomes known as The Babington Plot - a plot to kill Elizabeth I, break Mary Queen of Scots out of prison and put her on England’s throne instead. This is all about Elizabeth’s claim to be queen. Henry VIII has disowned her as illegitimate when Anne was beheaded, and she was a Protestant to boot! Babington and his crew are staunch catholics, and they want a catholic on the throne. Mary fits the bill.

Francis Walsingham is desperate to find an excuse to dispose of Mary, and Babington is providing the goods. There is a secret letter exchange going on between the plotters and that Walsingham knows about, but he needs to catch them in the act - and he needs to ensure that Mary implicates herself completely.

This is all historical fact, as is Bruno’s existence, and I think that’s what puts the icing on the cake for me. I love historical fiction that brings real characters to life on the page. Bruno is a great character - he’s intelligent, funny and emotional. Basically, he’s a great character to build a story around.

So much research must have gone in to this book, and I really appreciate that. The side characters add couloir and substance to the whole story.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book, and I’ve now given myself the rather enjoyable task of catching up with Bruno!