The Fatal Crown (The Queens of Love and War #1) in Retro Reads

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Aug 06, 2014 NomdePlumePress rated it liked it · review of another edition

I love historical fiction based on real characters, and especially those that go far back in time and bring eras entirely mysterious to me to life. I know so little about this time period (really, all I know of Maud and Stephen I learned from The Pillars of the Earth, which isn't a lot) that I was really excited about learning more. And as usual I'm not sure how much to believe; I've been taught by The Tudors to expect that the more fantastic the rumour, the more likely it is to be included in t I love historical fiction based on real characters, and especially those that go far back in time and bring eras entirely mysterious to me to life. I know so little about this time period (really, all I know of Maud and Stephen I learned from The Pillars of the Earth, which isn't a lot) that I was really excited about learning more. And as usual I'm not sure how much to believe; I've been taught by The Tudors to expect that the more fantastic the rumour, the more likely it is to be included in the storyline as fact. Not the least of which is, in this case, the premise itself: lovers at war. But it's fun rumour that makes for great fiction. Plus, I imagine the basic facts are true, so I'll go with it. Most of all, I appreciate the effort to humanize figures who are little more than names and icons almost a millennium later.

Maud's bad decisions are chalked up to naivete and irrational faith in the loyalty of others. Stephen's mercy towards Maud is chalked up to chivalry...and, of course, love. And this is where historical fiction can help fill in the blanks when everything else is lost to dust and decay. Whether it's accurate, we can't know, but it's fun to speculate. I loved that about this book -- how questionable actions were explained with motivations modern readers can relate to.

Occasionally the language took me out of it. "Totally" came up a lot. Also, when Maud gets upset, she goes shopping. In a historically appropriate way, but still. Perhaps there's evidence of her decadence during that time of her life, but it came off a bit silly.

As historical romance, The Fatal Crown is going to be a bit disappointing by nature; if it weren't disappointing, it would be far too inaccurate to swallow. As historical fiction, it gets a bit florid. However, I became absorbed in the world and learned a lot, and I even enjoyed the florid bits, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, accessible glimpse into this era, one that's slightly shorter than The Pillars of the Earth, at least, and with slightly less sex among the infrequently washed. ...more

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Jul 17, 2014 Ionia rated it liked it

I didn't especially love this book, but I didn't hate it. There were definitely some liberties taken in the writing of dates, family relationships and alliances.

If you are a huge fan of Monarchy literature then you may want to check this book out. It is not the fastest paced book out there, but does have some interesting plot twists and unexpected scenes that are worth reading.

If I had to choose the thing that made me glad I read this book, it would be the imaginative love story that the book ...more

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