Book Review - Captive Queen by Alison Weir

Synopsis:  It is the year 1152 and a beautiful woman of thirty, attended by only a small armed escort, is riding like the wind southwards through what is now Fra ...more   It is the year 1152 and a beautiful woman of thirty, attended by only a small armed escort, is riding like the wind southwards through what is now France, leaving behind her crown, her two young daughters and a shattered marriage to Louis of France, who had been more like a monk than a king, and certainly not much of a lover. This woman is Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, and her sole purpose now is to return to her vast duchy and marry the man she loves, Henry Plantagenet, a man destined for greatness as King of England.

Theirs is a union founded on lust which will create a great empire stretching from the wilds of Scotland to the Pyrenees. It will also create the devil's brood of Plantagenets - including Richard Coeur de Lion and King John - and the most notoriously vicious marriage in history. It tells of the making of nations, and of passionate conflicts: between Henry II and Thomas Becket, his closest friend who is murdered in Canterbury Cathedral on his orders; between Eleanor and Henry's formidable mother Matilda; between father and sons, as Henry's children take up arms against him; and finally between Henry and Eleanor herself.

First Line:  "Please God, let me not betray myself, Queen Eleanor prayed inwardly as she seated herself gracefully on the carved wooden throne next to her husband, King Louis."

Random Quote:  "Had she been anticipating a private reunion, with just the two of them present, she would have been delirious with anticipation.  Even a public reunion on familiar ground would have set her heart beating wildly."

Review:  I love Eleanor of Aquitaine so I was excited for this book. She was an amazing historical figure, strong in ways that aren't typical for women of her time (or for any other). She had a famously passionate love for her Henry and they sired a devil's brood that continues to fascinate. From depictions of her in The Lion in Winter (one of my top 5 favorite movies) to Sharon Kay Penman's many looks at her and her children, she is always entertaining and continues to fascinate me. Until this book.

Effigies of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine on their tomb - Image via Wikipedia


I got about midway through this - 225 pages or so - before I gave up. Honestly, I get that she was hot blooded and she and Henry had lots of sex, but that can't be all they had and I just couldn't read anything else about his penis and her clitoris. Just godawful - neither hardcore porn nor decent erotica - clinical, demeaning, boring. I'll guess I'll have to wait for the next Eleanor book to come out because this was just unreadable for me.

If you want to read good historical fiction about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine I highly recommend Sharon Kay Penman's three book series -  When Christ and His Saints Slept, Time and Chance, and Devil's Brood.  These are fascinating, well written, and highly entertaining.  You won't regret it.

FTC Disclosure:  San Leandro Public Library

Rating:  Grey

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