Book review
I have been consistently amazed by this series and cannot recommend this collection of works enough to those who have been searching for a brilliant series to curl up with, forget the outside world and entrust themselves in following the lives of a distinct album of characters that brings the courts of 14th century Europe and the beginning of the battle thunder of the Hundred Years War to life for the modern reader. These novels introduce complex characters, believable dialogue, rich scenes and unparalleled storytelling each time another part of this epic into the House of Capet is opened. Seven novels make up this epitome of historical research and daring imagination and the new reader is strongly encouraged to please begin their journey into the cursed halls of the House of Capet with The Iron King. Although the succeeding novels have a short summarization for the benefit of the unfamiliar, it still may help to grasp all the alliances, compounding secrets, betrayals and reasoning behind all shifting political manoeuvres by starting at the very foundation that Mr. Druon has set- but it is ultimately your choice.
The She-Wolf is the fifth installment of The Accursed Kings series and takes the reader this time to across the channel to England in a time span of August 1 1323 to the end of September 1327 and examines human frailties in many forms along with a daring tale of escape, exile and returns. In this realm two souls wait, one burning with resentment and desire for revenge and the other neglected and starving for love and attention. And when fate throws these two souls together disaster may ensue for those all involved. In The She-Wolf love has many forms and there are many ways to kill a man and in this tale, legends and whispers are brought to brutal light in forms of unbridled imagination that only deepens one of history’s shrouded mysteries with the cryptic message of ‘without trace’. The sharing of court secrets are as tempting as ever to reveal and it is a simple fact that no one’s hands are free from a drop of previously spilled blood. So let the wheel of fate spin another round with The She-Wolf and who knows you may finish questioning just who the real wolf is.
- Goodreads rating – 4.18
- DIGEST – Elspeth G Perkin