Sourcebooks Landmark
Featuring: Prince Louis of France; Eleanor of Aquitaine
512 pages ISBN: 1402294069 EAN: 9781402294068 Kindle: B00JX1GLTQ Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
The queen of historical novels returns with a tale of
Eleanor of Aquitaine. Elizabeth Chadwick has chosen to
spell the lady's name Alienor as this is how it was spelt
in documents of the time. THE SUMMER QUEEN explores the
life of this strong, pivotal woman in what is now France,
beginning in 1137.
Alienor is thirteen and heir to the Duke of Aquitane. At
this time the Norman French have conquered England, but
there are many rivalries and Alienor has to attend to her
duties as befits a noble lady. When her father dies on his
final pilgrimage, plans have been made to safeguard Alienor
and her little sister Petronella by sending them to the
care of the King of France, Louis. Otherwise every lord in
the land will be trying to marry the girls to their sons.
Louis has a son of his own, also Louis, and he orders the
boy to marry Alienor and secure her landholdings. They're
not married long, however, when the senior Louis dies,
making them the most influential young couple in Europe.
Uprisings, pilgrimages, perilous travels, Greek fire in a
naval battle, overbearing priestly advisors and scornful
dowager queens abound, with all the colours, sounds, and
reverses of the day. The stinking, damp city of Paris
contrasts with the heat of Antioch. In 1142, with Alienor
still childless, not for want of trying, her sister is
perceived as a fine match and the possible inheritor of
Aquitaine. Machinations take place behind the scenes to
marry Petronella off appropriately. Women at this time had
no choice about such matters. However, Petronella has every
right to expect that Alienor will take care of her - will
this issue split the faithful sisters? Meanwhile power and
anger have gone to Louis' head, and he is out sacking and
burning every town that crosses him.
This is high drama indeed, so we have to thank Elizabeth
Chadwick for bringing these turbulent times so excellently
to life. This British author has gained many loyal fans
down the years, from her early books The Wild Hunt
and The Running Vixen to the recent The Greatest Knight
series about William Marshall. I can only say that with THE
SUMMER QUEEN she has done a magnificent job and rewarded
those fans, as well as being sure to delight a new
generation of readers who love historical romance.
Alienor's story will continue in two more volumes, which
will recount the period of her rule as Queen of England.
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Chadwick brings
Eleanor of Aquitaine to life in a stunning new trilogy Young
Eleanor has everything to look forward to as the heiress to
the wealthy Aquitaine. But when her beloved father dies
suddenly, childhood is over.
Forced to marry Prince Louis of
France, she barely adjusts before another death catapults
them to King and Queen. Leaving everything behind, Eleanor
must face the complex and vivacious French court. She is
only 13. Barely out of childhood and forced to deal with
great scandals, fraught relationships, and forbidden love at
every turn, Eleanor finally sees what her future could hold
if she could just seize the moment.
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