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13th out of 15 books
—
17 voters
Queen Defiant: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine
by
Anne O'Brien (Goodreads Author)
A riveting novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine's early adult years from the author of The Virgin Widow.
Orphaned at a young age, Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, seeks a strong husband to keep her hold on the vast lands that have made her the most powerful heiress in Europe. But her arranged marriage to Louis VII, King of France, is made disastrous by Louis's weakness of will and...more
Orphaned at a young age, Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, seeks a strong husband to keep her hold on the vast lands that have made her the most powerful heiress in Europe. But her arranged marriage to Louis VII, King of France, is made disastrous by Louis's weakness of will and...more
Paperback, 412 pages
Published
June 7th 2011
by NAL Trade
(first published January 1st 2011)
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Jun 19, 2011
Misfit
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Misfit by:
Michele
Shelves:
historical-fiction-lite,
skimmed-a-lot
Author O'Brien's very fanciful take on Eleanor of Aquitaine begins in 1137 as Louis of France arrives to claim his young and oh-so-wealthy bride. Louis brings Eleanor to Paris, and she's immediately turned off at the filthy, smelly, uncouth and ever-so-tacky Frankish court (Aquitanians being gracious, classy and the artibers of everything in good taste). You will be constantly clubbed over the head with this throughout the novel just so that you don't forget it. Louis would rather be on his knee...more
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I decided to pick this up to read hoping it would give me insight to Eleanor Of Aquitaine's "early" life. What a disapointment to say the least.The first part of the book covers Eleanor's rule as Duchess of Aquitaine and Queen of France,which to me felt skimmed over and insubstantial. The author portrays her at age 14 but it felt like she was 21 years old! (as it is told in the first person's voice) For 14 she was awfully "worldly" in all manners of life including the bedchamber..14? I also got...more
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While I was reading this book I just knew I would give it five stars, but towards the last 75 pages or so I decided on four stars. I have to say that I could not put this book down, and almost enjoyed every single word from cover to cover. This is the first book I have read about Eleanor, and I am glad I picked Anne O'Brien's story. In Anne's writing Eleanor is practically a comedian, she is hysterical! Despite the fact that this is the 1100's and no woman is seen as strong as a man or with as m...more
After reading The Virgin Widow, I had high hopes for Anne O'Brien's future historical novels. I thought she was off to a great start in the genre and had plenty of promise. While I think that promise was definately delivered upon in her follow up novel, Queen Defiant, I have to admit that it bugged me just a little bit. Queen Defiant is yet ANOTHER novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine. While I know that she's a fascinating woman, I think that I have just been Eleanor-ed out. I've read no fewer than...more
This is the third book by Anne O'Brien I have read recently, and I have found her to be a very readable author - far better that the dull Gregory, if you want my opinion! All three of the novels I have read have been written in the first person, which is a narrative technique that I don't generally care for as it often feels too contrived and limits the point of view (see Philippa Gregory!). However, O'Brien, for me, has managed to pull this off and the first person narrative works for her and g...more
Eleanor, Dutchess of Aquitaine and Gascony, has grown amidst splendor, education, and culture in her home lands. The king of France arranges a marriage between her and his son, Louis the Sixth, in order to acquire her regions and secure an heir for his son. While Eleanor looks forward to the marriage, she soon learns that her husband–a second son more fitting a position in the church than as a future king–is reluctant to fulfill his roles as a husband and ruler.
Years of frustration and boredom p...more
Years of frustration and boredom p...more
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I'm not sure how much artistic liberty was taken in creating this fictionalized account of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life, but it made for an interesting story. This is the first book I have read by O'Brien, but I will probably check out the other(s) she has written.
I had only ever known of Eleanor of Aquitaine as the wife of Henry II of England. It was interesting to learn all about her life and first marriage before she married Henry. She had a great deal of courage to fight for her annullment f...more
I had only ever known of Eleanor of Aquitaine as the wife of Henry II of England. It was interesting to learn all about her life and first marriage before she married Henry. She had a great deal of courage to fight for her annullment f...more
A lot of novels about Eleanor of Aquitaine focus upon her tumultous marriage to Henry II, yet in this novel the focus is upon Eleanor's first marriage to King Louis of France and her subsequent pursuit of an annulment. It gave great insight into who Eleanor was as a person and why she made the decisions she made. She wasn't portrayed as a promiscuous woman as she so often is, nor was she portrayed as selfish. She was truly unhappy with Louis and sought to escape from a life of perpetual boredom...more
I was very kindly sent this book by Simon from BookRabbit as I had read and reviewed Anne O'Briens last book which I enjoyed immensely, and I have to say this was just as gripping. I loved it, all about Eleanor of Aquitaine, a person I knew very little about to start with, but who I now know more about and would like to learn more! The blurb on the back of the book makes you believe that Eleanor was ambitious beyond belief, but I really have to say that was not the way she came across in the ac...more
A highly readable account of the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Louis Caput of France.
I find Eleanor of Aquitaine a fascinating figure; ahead of her times not only did she rule Aquitaine, but was Queen of France, had her marriage annulled, and married to become the Queen of England. Her sons included Richard the Lionheart and bad Kind John...so with this in mind Ms O'Brien had her work cut out to rise to my expectations.
And I wasnt disappointed.
This book created an empathy for a complex...more
I find Eleanor of Aquitaine a fascinating figure; ahead of her times not only did she rule Aquitaine, but was Queen of France, had her marriage annulled, and married to become the Queen of England. Her sons included Richard the Lionheart and bad Kind John...so with this in mind Ms O'Brien had her work cut out to rise to my expectations.
And I wasnt disappointed.
This book created an empathy for a complex...more
This book was such a pleasure to read. Both the American and the British titles suit it perfectly. I've read a lot of Philippa Gregory's books and Anne O'Brien can give her a run for her money! Eleanor is such a fantastic character, admirable but selfish, very well-rounded. I loved the chemistry between her and Henry Plantagenet and grew to thoroughly hate her first husband, Louis, who was also such an odd but believable character. You can tell when reading that you're getting a lot of the facts...more
I find Anne O'Brien's books so readable, I get through them really quickly! I didn't like this one as much as The King's Concubine but it was still very good. I'd wanted to read about Eleanor for a while but couldn't get into Alison Weir's The Captive Queen. No such problem with this book! O'Brien's Eleanor was an engaging character who was easy to sympathise with. Her marriage to Louis of France was well treated and its progress was believable. The only faults were that it went on a little too...more
I liked this particular account of the early life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Usually she is painted as either a love-obsessessed, airheaded idiot who brings all her misfortune down upon herself or as the most devious, cold-hearted, scandalous woman in all of Christendom. This particular novel strikes a nice balance between the two, showing Eleanor to be a young woman with little guidance and good counsel who makes a number of mistakes, but learns quickly as she goes along. By drawing a more realis...more
I have never read a book about Eleanor but after this one I wonder why I waited so long. What a fascinating woman! Since this is a work of fiction O'Brien does give her take on the rumours surrounding her. Because like all historical books we just do not know and have to make the best of what we do know. Though she sure made me believe I was there.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was married to Prince Louis of France when she was 15 and he was 17. He was raised in a monastery and would rather have wanted to...more
Eleanor of Aquitaine was married to Prince Louis of France when she was 15 and he was 17. He was raised in a monastery and would rather have wanted to...more
This is about the young life of Eleanor Of Aquitaine covering her young years when she is wedded at the tender age of fifteen years to seventeen year old Louis VII Of France. Louis had been raised a monk until he was elevated to the throne by the untimely death of his older brother. Louis is unable to pull away from the monkish ways he had been raised too. He is no ruler, no warrior and certainly no lover. While he pursues the life of a monk, the young and vibrant Eleanor soon becomes bored stif...more
3.5 Stars
Eleanor of Aquitaine seems to be the historical “it” girl of 2011 and adding to the bevy of books on her is Anne O’Brien’s novel, Queen Defiant. This is truly one of the reasons why I love the historical fiction genre: you can read so many varied books on any one person and they all bring something new to the table.
In Queen Defiant, O’Brien chronicles Eleanor’s life from the death of her father, through her time as Queen of France and her unhappy marriage to the ineffectual and overly-...more
Eleanor of Aquitaine seems to be the historical “it” girl of 2011 and adding to the bevy of books on her is Anne O’Brien’s novel, Queen Defiant. This is truly one of the reasons why I love the historical fiction genre: you can read so many varied books on any one person and they all bring something new to the table.
In Queen Defiant, O’Brien chronicles Eleanor’s life from the death of her father, through her time as Queen of France and her unhappy marriage to the ineffectual and overly-...more
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I found this book a little hard to get into during Eleanor's marriage to King Louis but towards the end of the book when she gets re-married to Henry the story becomes much more enjoyable. I enjoyed her strong willed character though and how she always stood up for herself. It would of been dreadfully boring to be married to King Louis who was practically a monk for someone like her. I recommend this book to anyone who likes Phillipa Gregory or royal type books.
I didn't enjoy this, I'm afraid, and will hold my hands up and say that I skimmed through most of the last third or so of the book.
This book covers the first part of Eleanor of Aquitaine's rule as Duchess of Aquitaine and Queen of France - a huge topic in itself, which unfortunately felt skimmed over and insubstantial, despite the book being over 600 pages long. The characterisation, the dialogue, the plotting, all seemed lacking, somehow, and I found the mix of tenses, at times, slightly jarrin...more
This book covers the first part of Eleanor of Aquitaine's rule as Duchess of Aquitaine and Queen of France - a huge topic in itself, which unfortunately felt skimmed over and insubstantial, despite the book being over 600 pages long. The characterisation, the dialogue, the plotting, all seemed lacking, somehow, and I found the mix of tenses, at times, slightly jarrin...more
Not being a fan of books written in the first person, I found this book to be the exception. Well written and researched, this was an intriguing insight to Eleanor of Aquitaine during her first marriage to the King of France before her stormy marriage to Henry Plantagenet of England. A highly recommended read for those lover's of historical novels.
Really enjoyed this story. Much is written about Eleanor's years as Queen on England but not a lot about her early years as Queen of France. Although a novel it does answer the question of whether or not she had an affair with her uncle and whether or not she slept with Henry's father before she married Henry. I would highly recommend this novel.
Eleanor of Aquitaine is someone I knew very little about until I read this, and I feel certain that I've got a better idea of her now. She certainly seems to have been a remarkable woman, very aware of her own value as a wife and an ally (although these were basically the same thing at the time).
The book is fairly well structured, and obviously very well researched, but I can't help feeling that it's just not terribly well written all the same. The prose feels clunky, dry, and in need of a good...more
The book is fairly well structured, and obviously very well researched, but I can't help feeling that it's just not terribly well written all the same. The prose feels clunky, dry, and in need of a good...more
As stories go, this one is well-written. My major complaint is that it only deals with one aspect of Eleanor's life, that of her marriage to Louis VII. It only discusses her relationship with Henry II at the very end of the book, in the last quarter or so. Other than that, the story itself is excellent. I'd give it a 3.5, but damn-the-man only allows whole number ratings.
I really enjoyed this; I bought it on a whim with a gift-card and found that it was a quick read. I can't attest to the historical accuracy, though the author certainly addresses that in her notes, but she presented an interesting take on a well-known story: Eleanor of Aquitaine and her marriages to 2 kings.
Excellent novel about one of my favorite queens--I cannot help but remember Katherine Hepburn's marvelous portrayal of the older Eleanor in "Lion in Winter". I had complained that I was tired of novels about queens, but couldn't resist this one--I'm glad I didn't.
May 03, 2011
Becky
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
12th-century
A new author for me but right up my street with a gripping novel about another strong woman in history. This time Eleanor of Aquitaine - not a perfect woman by any means but she knew what she wanted and mostly got it. Really makes the 12th century come to life.
Engaging biographical fiction of Eleanor of Aquitaine's early years including the arranged marriage to King Louis VII of France, eventual annulment, participation in the unsuccessful Second Crusade as well as another marriage to Henry Plantagenet, future King of England.
I really enjoyed this book. Admittedly this is my favorite genre and Anne O'Brien is in my opinion one of its best authors.
I knew nothing of Eleanor or this time period and didn't really know what to expect from it. A few pages in and I was excited to be reading about a dynamic and independent heroine, a lady of history determined to be heard and seen.
I knew nothing of Eleanor or this time period and didn't really know what to expect from it. A few pages in and I was excited to be reading about a dynamic and independent heroine, a lady of history determined to be heard and seen.
Reading this, I couldn't help but think how young they were. So much historical fiction about kings and queens paints advisors and so on as power-hungry fiends who are Not To Be Trusted, and while I expect that in some cases that was true -- but at the same time, I imagine it would be difficult to trust the judgement of teenage regents, even if they'd been groomed for the throne.
Anyway. It's a decent enough read. Probably not the most historically accurate thing ever (and I'm starting to think t...more
Anyway. It's a decent enough read. Probably not the most historically accurate thing ever (and I'm starting to think t...more
I have read a few books on Eleanor the Queen, about her early years and after she became Queen of England.
This was about her earlier year and some of her loves before Henry. No matter what I read I still think she was a very permissive with her men. This stoory gives alot of reasons about her life. It was interesting is some parts and dragged out in others. But Anne oO'Brien is a good writer. I look forwart to more of her books.
This was about her earlier year and some of her loves before Henry. No matter what I read I still think she was a very permissive with her men. This stoory gives alot of reasons about her life. It was interesting is some parts and dragged out in others. But Anne oO'Brien is a good writer. I look forwart to more of her books.
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My home is in the Welsh Marches, although much of my early life was spent in Yorkshire, most recently in the East Riding.Ann O'Brien The Marches is a remote region of England, surrounded by echoes from the past. Hereford is close with its famous Mappa Mundi and chained libr...more
More about Anne O'Brien...
My home is in the Welsh Marches, although much of my early life was spent in Yorkshire, most recently in the East Riding.Ann O'Brien The Marches is a remote region of England, surrounded by echoes from the past. Hereford is close with its famous Mappa Mundi and chained libr...more
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