This proved a much better read than the previous two books in the series. This is largely owing to it being more on topic compared the earlier books, which focus mainly on the kings because little info on their queens has been recorded.

I also prefer this one the most of the three because I’m less familiar with the period covered, particularly Anne of Bohemia’s history.

Even the way Alison Weir has written this third instalment feels better.

Overall, then, an excellent account of queen consorts of the fourteenth century. ( )

This was an excellent inclusion in Alison Weir's "Medieval Queens" series. The book profiles the lives of five queens of England: Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia, and Isabella of Valois. Going into the book, I knew next to nothing about said queens, with the exception of Isabella of France, of whom I had a little background. We get as full a picture as possible with Weir's book. We are treated to details not just of the lives of these women but also in the way they lived and how their world operated.

Fascinating medieval history at its finest. ( )

A free ARC of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In this book Alison Weir sets out to tell the story of five Queens of England of England's Medieval Queens: Marguerite of France (2nd wife of Edward I), Isabella (Queen of Edward II), Phillipa (Queen of Edward III), Anne of Bohemia (1st wife of Richard II) and Isabella of Valois (2nd wife of Richard II). It is a conceit of many modern authors that women have been written out of history, when the reality is far more nuanced, although the author does little to present new evidence which would shine a greater light on these apparently overlooked women. The difficulty of course is one of survivability, it is clear that these five Queens were all highly educated and wrote many letters during their lifetimes, however the letters which have been preserved are inevitably ones of political importance to their husbands. The more personal and intimate letters are far less likely to survive, and it is those letters which would really help us to understand the characters of these women. This unfortunately means that the events covered in this book have already been covered in any half competent biography of the kings they married. This, of course, is no fault of the authors and is entirely a reflection of the limited documentation which has survived the intervening seven centuries.

Overall I think the author has achieved her aims of bringing together the biographies of five Queens who collectively both witnessed and directed events which still have ramifications today. The things I disliked most of all about this book was the writing style, the author cannot decide on a consistent tone; at one moment colourful and descriptive, the next reciting off a list of facts in a more academic style, the result is somewhat jarring for the ready.

If you are looking for a history of four interesting medieval queens, and one child bride then this is a good summary. It does help is you have some knowledge of the period in which they lived, however if that is the case then you may find this book is a repetition of information already covered elsewhere.

7/10 ( )

Alison Weir is a great writer of history, both non-fiction and more recently fiction. This is the third in a series of potted biographies of medieval queens and covers the fourteenth century. From Edward I's second wife, the unheralded princess from France, through to the second wife of the deposed Richard III, each woman is placed in her context and her actions and motivations explored. Of course most detail is given to Isabella and her revolt against Edward II, strongly backed up with Philippa of Hainault and the generally obscure Anne of Bohemia, Richard II's first wife. It's a brilliant and detailed insight into politics and royal life in a busy century. ( )

The final book in a trilogy, it is the only one that I have read. The author was recommended to me by a fellow Bookstagrammer.

This book recounts the stories of five queen consorts of Plantagenet period, during the age of chivalry in the fourteenth century . They are Marguerite of France, wife of Edward I, Isabella of France (Edward II), Philippa of Hainault (Edward III), Anne of Bohemia, first wife of Richard II, and his second wife, Isabella of Valois

In this meticulously researched tome we learn not only of these five women, but also quite a bit about their royal spouses. and the importance of these unions.

Although there is a lot of information, no stuffy nonfiction chronicle is this. Rather it reads more like a novel. I really liked that when Weir cited money, she gave the equivalent in today’s price; this provided a meaningful perspective on the costs.

If you are interested in English royal history, particularly medieval, this will be a very satisfying read.

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse #Ballantine books for the ARC ( )