The sequel to The Fatal Crown chronicles the passionate and turbulent lives of Eleanor of Aquitaine, King Henry II, and Chancellor Thomas a+a6 Becket in the golden age of chivalry. 30,000 first printing.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Brisk, cogent and bristling with engaging characters, this sequel to The Fatal Crown follows the wily Eleanor of Aquitaine through 32 tumultuous years. Set between 1130 and 1162, Jones's new saga is pure romance, with a crusade to the Holy Land, civil war in England and devious political machinations used as colorful yet secondary background. Indulged, raised with pageantry and splendor, the fiery Eleanor becomes at age 15 heiress to the rich duchy of Aquitaine, and reluctantly marries Louis VII ("a huge, harmless rabbit"), the pallid, deeply pious French prince who ascends to the throne of France the day after the wedding. But the strong-minded Eleanor still has ideas of her own. ("If you do not care for the way things are, change them," counseled her equally independent grandmother.) After a divorce is granted because there is no heir to the throne, Eleanor marries the lusty Henry of Anjou, soon to become England's monarch, and the two give birth to a stormy yet fruitful dynasty that will bring prosperity to a land torn by civil war and rampant corruption. Some fascinating historical personages strut across the pages: the hostile Abbe Suger; Henry's formidable mother, Maud; Bellebelle, Henry's compliant mistress; and Thomas a Becket, the shrewd and ambitious chancellor who is about to become Archbishop of Canterbury. Loose ends deftly left untied point to yet another intriguing sequel.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Jones revisits the medieval England she portrayed in Fatal Crown (S. & S., 1991), but this time her characters are the familiar Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II. Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, 15-year-old Eleanor longs for romance and shared power with her husband. Her disastrous marriage to the monkish Louis of France is dissolved for failure to produce an heir. Eleanor then marries Henry, Duke of Normandy, 11 years her junior but her equal in ambition and passion. Their early years are marked by a growing family and empire as Eleanor bears six children and Henry becomes Count of Anjou and King of England. A sequel is likely since Eleanor and Henry do not become the enemies of the title until their sons are grown. Jones focuses here on the personal relationship between Henry and Eleanor rather than the political events of the day, and her work is distinguished from James Goldman's classic A Lion in Winter (LJ 12/1/66) by its focus on Eleanor's early years. Recommended for general collections of historical fiction.
Mary Ann Parker, California Dept. of Water Resources Law Lib., Sacramento
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Mary Ann Parker, California Dept. of Water Resources Law Lib., Sacramento
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
CHARACTERS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH!!,
By
This review is from: Beloved Enemy: The Passions of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Hardcover)
I am a British history buff! I read everything about the British Isles, history and fiction. I loved the Fatal Crown and after finishing it (nothing good lasts forever) I immediately began to read Beloved Enemy, which I also enjoyed to the max. I'm eagerly awaiting the third installment of the series and hoping there would be a fourth one (After all, the Plantagenets could fill many volumes). Please, Ellen Jones, WRITE, WRITE!!! I love your books!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I agree, Please Ellen, WRITE.,
By sharon (QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beloved Enemy: The Passions of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Hardcover)
Fatal Crown and Beloved Enemy bring to life people, times and places that we can normally only experience through dry facts.Ellen's novels actually made those facts believable. Fantastic writing and I have not given up hope on the third of them. I can't wait to read Ellen's spin on Eleanor and her sons running amok on Henry and or Thomas.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A history lesson and a great read all in one package.,
By Bedtime Stories "Once upon a time" (California, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beloved Enemy: The Passions of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Hardcover)
I'm English and love to read my country's history. I'm lazy, too, so when an author like Ellen Jones does meticulous research and distills it all into a highly enjoyable story it's like having my cake and eating it. I rank this book right up there with Margaret George's "Autobiography of Henry VIII." The reason I logged on to Amazon.com today was to see if the sequel was published yet. I hope it comes out soon.
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