Battle of the Queens

By Jean Plaidy

Book Overview

Multi-million copy and international bestselling author Jean Plaidy brings the fascinating story of the hatred between two queens expertly to life. Readers of Philippa Gregory will not be disappointed.

'Full - bloodied, dramatic, exciting' - THE OBSERVER
'Plaidy, by the skilful blending of superb storytelling and meticulous attention to authenticity of detail and depth of characterization has become one of the country's most widely read novelists.' - THE SUNDAY TIMES
'It is hard to better Jean Plaidy . . . both elegant and exciting' - DAILY MIRROR
'Definitely a page turner ' -- ***** Reader review
'I found it hard to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Gripping' -- ***** Reader review
'I could not put this down' -- ***** Reader review

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The first half of the thirteenth century is dominated by two women, as proud and ambitious as they are beautiful, yet different in all other qualities.

Isabella, flamboyant and passionate, a medieval Helen of Troy - wife to King John and mother to Henry III...

Blanche of Castile, serene and virtuous Queen of France, wife of Louis VIII and mother of Louis IX...

The two women hated each other on sight. Isabella would stop at nothing, not even murder, in her passion to destroy the French Queen...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 009951026X
• ISBN13: 9780099510260
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Arrow Books
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 1.1" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

Battle Royale

This is the next book on the wonderful Plantagenet Saga. This chronicles the tale of the widowed Queen of England, Isabella of Angouleme, and the widowed Queen of France, Blanche of Castile. Isabella occupied a small part in the last book and in this one she's brought to the fore. She was like John in many ways, but the biggest one was that she would stop at nothing to have what she wants. Unfortunately she's not as good as she thinks she is and ends up causing herself more trouble than it's worth. She also does some awful things to her daughter that would seem unforgivable to many people. But she's interesting and Plaidy makes her just a bit hateful, without making you hate her so much you put the book down. On the flip side of Isabella, is Blanche of Castile. Handpicked by Eleanor of Aquitaine herself to be the Queen of France, Blanche is as good where Isabella is selfish. She does all she can for France while her son is a minor and hopes to make France great. She loves her adopted country and will put off suitors, of which there are a few, for the good of her new country. In the midst of all of this, remember this is the Plantagenet Saga, is the beginning of the reign of Henry III. He is crowned as a young child and must do what others tell him. He tries his best to be a good king, and please his mother, with some disastrous consequences for him. The ending is very good and you're left satisfied. Jean Plaidy doesn't disappoint.

Not just about the queens...

The Battle of the Queens is Jean Plaidy's fifth book in her Plantagenet series-of which there are fifteen. It begins where the fourth book, The Prince of Darkness, ended- just after King John's death and the crowning of his child son, Henry III. The title of the book may lead the reader to believe that the book is strictly about two queens- in this case, John's wife and Henry III's mother, the beautifully seductive and wild tempered Queen Isabella of England and the virtuously beautiful and strong Blanche, Queen of France. But it is also about many others who are in some ways connected to each of these women- Hugh Lusignan-Isabella's former lover and now husband-Isabella's children, Blanche's husband-King Louis VIII, the power hungry Hubert du Burgh- Henry III's justiciar- William Marshall and others. It's a fascinating novel filled with a rich knowledge of two powerful queen's who despised each other upon their first meeting. Queen Isabella takes her daughter's betrothed, Hugh, for herself (having been betrothed to him herself years before and marrying King John instead- better prospects.) Although she seems to love Hugh, she turns him into her slave, as he is bewitched by her and loses all sense when she is with him. Blanche is a strong, surviving woman- one who her grandmother, Queen Eleanor found to be a great match for Louis VIII. Although Blanche loves her husband, she intends to rule his country for she knows he is a weak and somewhat naive man. This book read very fast, due to the fact that there was so much going on- the newly crowned Henry and his struggle with his justiciar, Princess Eleanor and her secret marriage to Simon de Montfort, Richard Plantagenet and his unhappy and disappointing marriage, the hopelessly enamoured troubadour of Blanche, Princess Joan and the loss of her childhood love that she never recovered from... This book is yet another brilliant and vividly detailed history lesson from Jean Plaidy. Once again, she perfectly captured a time that was anything but simple, yet fascinating all the same.

THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE...

In this, her fifth book in the Plantagenet series, Jean Plaidy, renowned writer of historical fiction also known to her devoted fans as Victoria Holt, tackles the two most powerful women of the early thirteenth century, Isabella of Angouleme, the Dowager Queen of England, and Blanche, the Dowager Queen of France. The heartbreakingly beautiful and sensual Isabella, a woman with little motherly instincts, had been married to King John of England, the most depraved, dissolute, and evil tyrant ever to rule over England, when she was just a child of twelve. John had been the youngest son of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England. Unfortunately, he did not follow in the footsteps of his father in terms of his ability to govern his widespread kingdom. When John died a mysterious death, both Isabella and England were freed from his tyranny, and his and Isabella's eldest son, though a mere boy of nine at the time, became King Henry III of England. Isabella was now the Dowager Queen of England. Meanwhile, across the English Channel in France, Blanche, the granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England, had married Louis VIII of France. Her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had handpicked her for that explicit purpose, as Eleanor had sensed in Blanche one such as she, a person with the wit and drive to be a strong queen. The marriage of Blanche and Louis had been a happy one, until an untimely death took Louis, who had been a well-meaning, though weak, king. Their handsome son, Louis, would become King Louis IX of France at the age of twelve. The beautiful Blanche, a virtuous and regal woman, was now the Dowager Queen of France. When Isabella and Blanche would meet, it was clear that neither woman had much love for the other. When King John of England died, Isabella remarried Count Hugh of Lusignan, the man to whom she had originally been betrothed a lifetime ago, before King John had abducted her and made her his child bride. The fact that Joanna, her daughter with John, was now betrothed to Hugh did not deter Isabella from her determination to marry her first love. So, in addition to being the Dowager Queen of England, Isabella became a Countess through her marriage to Hugh, who was a vassal of France. This was an untenable situation for Isabella, who despised Blanche and refused to give her and her son the homage that they were due. Isabella ruled her husband Hugh through her ability to provide many amorous and sensuous delights, causing him to commit many grave errors in judgment that were to cause much disharmony in his life. Isabella was single-minded in her determination to cause Blanche as much trouble as possible. She plotted and intrigued against the French crown and no perfidy was too great, encouraging her son, Henry, to try to regain the lands that his father, King John, had recklessly lost to the French. Blanche, however, was not oblivious to Isabella's hatred of her and, being a clever woman, made the nec

THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE...

In this, her fifth book in the Plantagenet series, Jean Plaidy, renowned writer of historical fiction also known to her devoted fans as Victoria Holt, tackles the two most powerful women of the early thirteenth century, Isabella of Angouleme, the Dowager Queen of England, and Blanche, the Dowager Queen of France.The heartbreakingly beautiful and sensual Isabella, a woman with little motherly instincts, had been married to King John of England, the most depraved, dissolute, and evil tyrant ever to rule over England, when she was just a child of twelve. John had been the youngest son of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England. Unfortunately, he did not follow in the footsteps of his father in terms of his ability to govern his widespread kingdom. When John died a mysterious death, both Isabella and England were freed from his tyranny, and his and Isabella's eldest son, though a mere boy of nine at the time, became King Henry III of England. Isabella was now the Dowager Queen of England. Meanwhile, across the English Channel in France, Blanche, the granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England, had married Louis VIII of France. Her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had handpicked her for that explicit purpose, as Eleanor had sensed in Blanche one such as she, a person with the wit and drive to be a strong queen. The marriage of Blanche and Louis had been a happy one, until an untimely death took Louis, who had been a well-meaning, though weak, king. Their handsome son, Louis, would become King Louis IX of France at the age of twelve. The beautiful Blanche, a virtuous and regal woman, was now the Dowager Queen of France. When Isabella and Blanche would meet, it was clear that neither woman had much love for the other. When King John of England died, Isabella remarried Count Hugh of Lusignan, the man to whom she had originally been betrothed a lifetime ago, before King John had abducted her and made her his child bride. The fact that Joanna, her daughter with John, was now betrothed to Hugh did not deter Isabella from her determination to marry her first love. So, in addition to being the Dowager Queen of England, Isabella became a Countess through her marriage to Hugh, who was a vassal of France.This was an untenable situation for Isabella, who despised Blanche and refused to give her and her son the homage that they were due. Isabella ruled her husband Hugh through her ability to provide many amorous and sensuous delights, causing him to commit many grave errors in judgment that were to cause much disharmony in his life. Isabella was single-minded in her determination to cause Blanche as much trouble as possible. She plotted and intrigued against the French crown and no perfidy was too great, encouraging her son, Henry, to try to regain the lands that his father, King John, had recklessly lost to the French. Blanche, however, was not oblivious to Isabella's hatred of her and, being a clever woman, made the necessa

Jean Plaidy Does it again!

This is a wonderful book! it is part of the plantagenet series and as the rest is beautifully written and full of historical information. Highly reccomended!