The Lost Queen by Carol McGrath
The Lost Queen by Carol McGrath
1191 and the Third Crusade is underway . . .
It is 1191 and King Richard the Lionheart is on crusade to pitch battle against Saladin and liberate the city of Jerusalem and her lands. His mother, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine and his promised bride, Princess Berengaria of Navarre, make a perilous journey over the Alps in midwinter. They are to rendezvous with Richard in the Sicilian port of Messina.
There are hazards along the way - vicious assassins, marauding pirates, violent storms and a shipwreck. Berengaria is as feisty as her foes and, surviving it all, she and Richard marry in Cyprus. England needs an heir. But first, Richard and his Queen must return home . . .
The Lost Queen is a thrilling medieval story of high adventure, survival, friendship and the enduring love of a Queen for her King.
Acclaim for Carol McGrath's ROSE trilogy:
'Powerful, gripping and beautifully told' KATE FURNIVALL on The Silken Rose
'A tour de force of gripping writing, rich historical detail and complex, fascinating characters' NICOLA CORNICK on The Stone Rose
'A beautifully narrated novel' K J MAITLAND on The Damask Rose
The Lost Queen by Carol McGrath
My Review
Living in the modern-day Nouvelle Aquitaine, I am fascinated by Eleanor of Aquitaine and her extraordinary life as Queen of France (as wife to Louis VII) and of England (as wife to Henry II) in the Middle Ages. This is a period in history that seemed to elude me at school, therefore, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to step back in time with this book, and it didn’t disappoint.
Even in her later years, when this book is set, Eleanor is not afraid to trek across France, cross the Alps in winter and head towards the heart of the crusade action in the east Mediterranean. Her mission this time, for this wasn’t her first epic journey, is to accompany Berengaria, a princess from Navarre, who will become her son, Richard the Lionheart’s bride, and Queen of England. Their journey is long, slow and arduous, with harsh winter weather and danger from enemy attack, and all that before the treacherous sea crossings they must then undertake.
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| The Lost Queen by Carol McGrath |
This book gave me a fascinating insight into the period, life on the road and at court. Berengaria and her ladies came alive as they occupied their days sewing, storytelling and singing as they awaited news from the battle lines, always ready to drop everything when messengers informed them of a return of the King and his troops. There were frustrations when her ideas or points of view were dismissed and the fear of not producing an heir hung over her. They too lived the highs and lows of victories, defeats, injuries and losses, as the Christian Franks and the Saracens fought over Jerusalem, the Holy Land desired by both Christians and Muslims.
I still find it quite bizarre to think that Richard, with his French lineage was King of England (despite spending little time there), married a Spanish princess in Cypress, who then travelled to the Middle East on a crusade to take Jerusalem as Queen of England, despite never having set foot on English soil.
I do love an historical fiction that adds flesh and personalities to my limited knowledge of real-life events in this period, and I especially enjoyed the vibrant colours of the silks, flavours of the fruits, and perfumes of the middle east as I immersed myself within its pages.
This book definitely whetted my appetite and made me realise I don’t read enough fiction from this period.
Purchase links
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Amazon UK purchase link
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Carol McGrath
About the author
Following a first degree in English and History, Carol McGrath completed an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in English from University of London. The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 was shortlisted for the RoNAS in 2014. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister complete this highly acclaimed trilogy. Mistress Cromwell, a best-selling historical novel about Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of Henry VIII’s statesman, Thomas Cromwell, was republished by Headline in 2020. The Silken Rose, first in a medieval She-Wolf Queens Trilogy, featuring Ailenor of Provence, saw publication in April 2020. This was followed by The Damask Rose. The Stone Rose was published April 2022. Carol is writing Historical non-fiction as well as fiction. Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England was published in February 2022. The Stolen Crown in 2023 and The Lost Queen will be published 18th July 2024. Carol lives in Oxfordshire, England and in Greece.
Social Media Links
Follow her on amazon @CarolMcGrath
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| The Lost Queen by Carol McGrath |
Thank you. This is lovely.
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