Alison Weir

Abandoning her marriage to the king of France in favor of a partnership with the equally ambitious Henry II of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine shares a tumultuous and influential reign marked by their children and her long-term imprisonment. By the author of The Lady Elizabeth.

A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine

Captive Queen

Lacy W

Title: Captive Queen
Author: Alison Weir
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: hardback from the library
Series: NA
Star Rating: 2 stars

tw: execution, sexism, cheating, parental death, rape, imprisonment, child marriage, homophobia, incest-ish relationships, spousal abuse, misogyny

Every so often, your favorite author writes a book you think is going to be good. You think you will learn a lot bout a royal family you don’t know much about. Instead, you find out that sometimes, you won’t like every book. You find out that sometimes, it might be best to not finish a book.

This book was not good at all. Literally, the entire book consisted of three things: Eleanor talking about how hot and sexual she and Henry are, Henry being an absolute rake and cheating constantly, or Henry being a sexist pig. That's all. It was so damn annoying to constantly read about how hot Eleanor was, how amazing the sex between her and Henry was. It got so old. I felt like I was reading about a couple of teenagers, not people in their late thirties. 

There were some parts that were written that made it seem like we were supposed to feel sorry for Henry. Absolutely not. Henry was awful and it enraged me to see how we were supposed to sympathize with Henry. Like when his mistress died. Sure, it is very sad someone died but he expected everyone to be just as sad as him, including Eleanor. Or the way he treated Eleanor. We were supposed to think he was doing it for her own good, like putting her in prison. Yeah, no thank you. 

Overall, this book was a complete waste of time. I wasted so many days attempting to persevere through this book because I don’t like not finishing books. I really need to change that. Maybe I’ll try to find another book about Eleanor to see if she is actually as insufferable as she was in this book or if she is actually redeemable. I would like to think she is redeemable.

It is the year 1152, and a beautiful woman rides through France, fleeing her crown, her two young daughters and a shattered marriage. Her husband, Louis of France has been more monk than monarch, and certainly not a lover. Now Eleanor of Aquitaine has one sole purpose: to return to her duchy and marry the man she loves, Henry Plantagenet, destined for greatness as King of England. It will be a union founded on lust, renowned as one of the most vicious marriages in history, and it will go on to forge a great empire and a devilish brood. This is a story of the making of nations, and of passionate conflicts: between Henry II and Thomas Becket; between Eleanor and Henry's formidable mother Matilda; between father and sons, as Henry's children take up arms against him - and finally between Henry and Eleanor herself.

The Captive Queen

Amanda

This was an exceptionally well-researched novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine. Instead of focusing on her entire life, this book focuses on Eleanor's marriage to Henry II, which at times was turbulent. I felt this novel was a little drawn out and oftentimes redundant. While reading, I thought the author could have used a little more fiction than history to enhance the story and break up the monotony. After reading her author's note explaining just exactly why she didn't do this, I understood but thought: at what point do you sacrifice entertainment for accuracy? Other historical novels stray from the truth or at least rearrange timelines, and it's something I don't have a lot of issue with, especially if sources are scarce. 

Maybe I just had a few things going on in my life while I was trying to make my way through this book, but it was hard and I felt I was reading sluggishly trying to make it through to the end. Some scenes could have been cut to help the flow. I liked Eleanor and despised Henry. I liked the rich settings but after a time couldn't keep track of the constant location changes. There was good and bad in this book and overall, I didn't think it was overly special. Not that it's forgettable because I did learn a lot, but I was just not very entertained consistently throughout. Sure, there was romance at the beginning but it fizzled, just like the initial spark of this book.

Shelby Goodwin

The author harks back to the twelfth century with a sensuous and tempestuous tale that brings vividly to life England's most passionate and destructive royal couple: Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II. Nearing her thirtieth birthday, Eleanor has spent the past dozen frustrating years as consort to the pious King Louis VII of France. For all its political advantages, the marriage has brought Eleanor only increasing unhappiness and daughters instead of the hoped for male heir. But when the young and dynamic Henry of Anjou arrives at the French court, Eleanor sees a way out of her discontent. For even as their eyes meet for the first time, the seductive Eleanor and the virile Henry know that theirs is a passion that could ignite the world. Returning to her duchy of Aquitaine after the annulment of her marriage to Louis, Eleanor immediately sends for Henry, the future King of England, to come and marry her. The union of this royal couple will create a vast empire that stretches from the Scottish border to the Pyrenees, and marks the beginning of the celebrated Plantagenet dynasty. But Henry and Eleanor's marriage, charged with physical heat, begins a fiery downward spiral marred by power struggles, betrayals, bitter rivalries, and a devil's brood of young Plantagenets including Richard the Lionheart and the future King John. Early on, Eleanor must endure Henry's formidable mother, the Empress Matilda, as well as his infidelities, while in later years, Henry's friendship with Thomas Becket will lead to a deadly rivalry. Eventually, as the couple's rebellious sons grow impatient for power, the scene is set for a vicious and tragic conflict that will engulf both Eleanor and Henry. This is an historical novel that encompasses the building of an empire and the monumental story of a royal marriage.

Elizabeth Raines

I think Alison Weir is great at bringing old historical figures to life. There were real people and they had real thoughts and feelings like we do in 2020. However, at times I felt like this made Eleanor seem not as strong but towards the end when she is getting up in age she seemed strong and she would do anything for her children, much like another lion we know, Cersei Lannister. I learned a lot from this book, I was not really familiar with this time in history. I didn't really like the writing but the epilogue was absolutely beautiful.

Captive Queen A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine

Reviews