Reign of Madness [Hardcover]

Lynn Cullen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 4, 2011

From the author of The Creation of Eve comes a tale of love and madness, royal intrigue and marital betrayal, set during the Golden Age of Spain.

Juana of Castile, third child of the Spanish monarchs Isabel and Fernando, grows up with no hope of inheriting her parents' crowns, but as a princess knows her duty: to further her family's ambitions through marriage. Yet stories of courtly love, and of her parents' own legendary romance, surround her. When she weds the Duke of Burgundy, a young man so beautiful that he is known as Philippe the Handsome, she dares to hope that she might have both love and crowns. He is caring, charming, and attracted to her-seemingly a perfect husband.

But what begins like a fairy tale ends quite differently.

When Queen Isabel dies, the crowns of Spain unexpectedly pass down to Juana, leaving her husband and her father hungering for the throne. Rumors fly that the young Queen has gone mad, driven insane by possessiveness. Who is to be believed? The King, beloved by his subjects? Or the Queen, unseen and unknown by her people?

One of the greatest cautionary tales in Spanish history comes to life as Lynn Cullen explores the controversial reign of Juana of Castile-also known as Juana the Mad. Sweeping, page-turning, and wholly entertaining, Reign of Madness is historical fiction at its richly satisfying best.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lynn Cullen is the author of Reign of Madness which was added to the Best in the South selection by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and nominated for the Townsend Prize for fiction. Her previous novel The Creation of Eve, was named  among the best fiction books of 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and an April 2010 Indie Next Pick. She is also the author of numerous award-winning books for children, including the young adult novel I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter, which was a 2007 Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” selection, and an ALA Best Book of 2008. An avid traveler and historian, Cullen lives in Atlanta.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (August 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399157093
• ISBN-13: 978-0399157097
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Juana Redeemed August 9, 2011

By P. Woodland

Format:Hardcover

I did not know much about Juana of Castile before reading this book but I now know that I want to know more.This tale of yet another young woman in history sold to a man she did not know for political reasons is unbelievably sad. While a work of fiction the story is based on what fact has come down through history.

Juana was the third daughter of the very famous Ferdinand and Isabella. She was not expected to ever ascend to the throne of "the Spains" but as a royal daughter she was sent to Austria to marry the Duke of Burgundy, known as Philippe the Handsome. He does seem to care for her as much as he can care for anyone other than himself but he is a vain, power hungry man. When Juana, through the tragic deaths of her brother, sister and mother ends up becoming Queen of Spain he in cahoots with her father has her locked up for close to 50 years. The men in her life, the men who were supposed to love her and support her stole her power and created the myth that she was crazy.

Ms. Cullen creates a fictional reason why Juana allowed this to occur since no one knows the true reason. The book fascinated me. I was drawn in from the beginning and I fell in love with this poor young woman. I feel so very sorry for what she had to endure and for what history has done to her.

The beginning of the book details Juana's life as a child in her parent's court. She meets Christopher Columbus and becomes infatuated with his son Diego. She is eventually told of her marriage to the Duke of Burgundy and embarks on her way to meet and marry him but is shocked at the ways of his court and people. She finds a way to adapt so as to keep him happy since a man at that time owned his wife and could do anything to and with her. There is much foreshadowing early in the tale.

Ms.... Cullen's writing style is easy to read and draws you in to the era. History is finite so it is a good author that can breathe such life into old myths and create a reason to reconsider what has come through time. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Being a princess was no fairy story! December 21, 2011

By Jemille Williams

Format:Hardcover

This tale is more tangled than Rapunzel's! Reign of Madness is an account that begins as a sunny romance and ends in gothic noir.

Juana of Castile was a bartered bride, following in her sister Catherine of Aragon's doomed footsteps, bargained off as a political pawn to Habsburg Philippe the Handsome, Archduke of Flanders.

A flowering branch of one of the mightiest family trees in history, she was the daughter of Spain's Ferdinand and Isabella. Her brother-in-law was history's most infamous king, Henry VIII. She gave birth to a full house of two emperors and four queens, yet spent the last five decades of her life alone under house arrest in a convent.

At 16 years of age she left the hilly high country of sunny Spain and descended to the rainy grey lowlands of the Netherlands, becoming mired in a sordid Renaissance Gaslight. Initially swept off her feet by her handsome groom, she acquiesced to an impromptu marriage with none of the pomp due her circumstance. She never saw her mother again, and surely came to wish she hadn't seen her father again after his duplicitous treachery.

Her story reflects the sad reality of the lot of the woman, even when that woman's title was Queen. In the end, she is betrayed by husband, father, and son, and left childless and bereft in a tower. Most historians disagree with her moniker of Juana the Mad, and Reign of Madness chronicles the rampant use of poison widely employed back in the day to kill or merely weaken and dement its victims. Through disinformation and innuendo her power is wrested from her and the affections of her children alienated.

Lynn Cullen continues to outdo herself with each successive work.... She obliquely mentions Juana of Castile in her wonderful Creation of Eve and her story unfolds in Reign of Madness. Her meticulous research gives substance and texture to the fascinating historical faction of one of history's most hapless heroines. Cullen pulls the reader right into the heart of the court and castle, bringing home the passions and disappointments of this most pitiful queen.

The maps and family charts are a welcome enhancement and aid in keeping the august cast of characters straight. Her frequent inclusion of nature, especially birds, brings a vibrant immediacy to her writing that draws the reader deep into the narrative. Her mastery of the telling sexual details is not lurid, but evocative a la Edith Wharton. Like a train wreck, you won't be able to stop turning the pages, in false hope that surely things can't go as badly awry as they seem. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cullen has done it again! August 17, 2011

By Karen Torghele

Format:Hardcover

Cullen has done it again. I lost hours of sleep as I was drawn into the saga that led Juana's life as a beautiful young princess happily married to her beloved prince to being unjustly and cruelly labeled, "Juana the Mad." The characters come to life through their physical descriptions, dialogue and deeds. Like all of us, they are all multidimensional, making them believable. As the book gets deeper into their lives, one yearns to personally intervene to change the inevitable outcomes. Even so, I felt directly involved as a personal friend with whom Juana could share her inner most thoughts and feelings as circumstances led irrevocably to her confinement and loss of power. Amazingly, she does not come across as a weak woman to be pitied. She seems to be able to maintain her decorum and grace through each calamity, making her a woman to be admired.
I appreciate books that clarify gems of real history in such an entertaining way by an author I trust to have thoroughly researched and documented historical facts that otherwise might be lost to future generations. Thank you, Ms. Cullen for another treasured read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Novel! December 11, 2012

By Canz2

Format:Hardcover

When I purchased this book I did not realize it was a historical novel. I prefer historical biographies; but Reign of Madness was a real treat. This book allowed me to do more than simply read history. I was able to really analyze the characters, especially Juana, and appreciate their hopes, fears, mistakes, and passions.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars None January 14, 2012

By Kim S.

Format:Kindle Edition

I absolutely loved this book. It made me believe that indeed Juana was not mad at all. Her greedy husband wanted her crowns then her father and finally her son. This was a great book !