17 of 52

The She-Wolf of France by Maurice Druon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I wasn't as enamored of this book in the series as some of the others. Part of that may be that the intrigues were too diffuse, or that I know the story of Edward II, Isabella, and Mortimer too well. Or that I interrupted my reading about half-way through and read 4 other books in the interim.

Or it could be that I find the Capetian Royal House of France BORING. Yes, yes, I know--how can I find all that backstabbing, petty jealousies, infanticide, and corruption boring? After all, am I not a devotee of that similar period of English history, the War of the Roses? And do I not find endless fascination in that quagmire known as the Angevin dynasty? Well, yes. To both. But there is something about the Capets, and their successors the House of Valois, that I find...distasteful. I can't explain it.

However, there is a silver lining to the book. In this volume young Edward Plantagenet meets and falls in love with chubby, freckled Philippa of Hainault, thus assuring that my favorite historical romance novel of all time, Katherine, by Anya Seton, will be written.

Ah, but before I re-read that, I must finish this series--two left. And about a hundred other books in stacks beside my bed.



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