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The Queen's Companion
Love does not always arrive in the ways we imagine or expect. Sometimes the arrival of love in our lives may be inconvenient--even terrifying.
Fanatical religious groups, claiming to assist the church and God to rid the kingdom of heretics roam the countryside, killing and torturing innocent people. Upon their return from Rome to request help in stopping the rogue groups, Queen Catherine and her soldiers happen upon a young woman bound and being raped. They rescue Lady Isabella. During her convalescence, the women fall in love.
The ensuing sexual tension creates a profound spiritual struggle for Catherine, who convinces herself that their feelings doom them for eternity. The harder Catherine works to deny her feeling, the more power they have over her. The fact that her own bishop suspects the women of having feelings for one another and is determined to expose them creates an atmosphere of danger and intrigue. Catherine marries to protect herself, Bella, and the kingdom during the Inquisition.
Set against the backdrop of one of the most wretched times in human history, The Queen's Companion is an epic tale of lives torn apart by ambition, greed, and betrayal. Moreover, it is a story of how justice, forgiveness, and love an transform broken souls.
Fanatical religious groups, claiming to assist the church and God to rid the kingdom of heretics roam the countryside, killing and torturing innocent people. Upon their return from Rome to request help in stopping the rogue groups, Queen Catherine and her soldiers happen upon a young woman bound and being raped. They rescue Lady Isabella. During her convalescence, the women fall in love.
The ensuing sexual tension creates a profound spiritual struggle for Catherine, who convinces herself that their feelings doom them for eternity. The harder Catherine works to deny her feeling, the more power they have over her. The fact that her own bishop suspects the women of having feelings for one another and is determined to expose them creates an atmosphere of danger and intrigue. Catherine marries to protect herself, Bella, and the kingdom during the Inquisition.
Set against the backdrop of one of the most wretched times in human history, The Queen's Companion is an epic tale of lives torn apart by ambition, greed, and betrayal. Moreover, it is a story of how justice, forgiveness, and love an transform broken souls.
499 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 29, 2015
This is not a light read, especially there are quite some truth to the period of inquisition. Be prepared to shed a few tears reading this book.
The story started with Catherine, the queen of Montalcino rescuing a tortured and very wounded Isabella during her journey back to her castle. Given the ordeal Isabella went through the her difficulty in establishing trust with people, Catherine became her sole care taker. She gradually came to enjoy Isabella's intellectual conversations and company, but struggles with her feeling towards Isabella. The first portion of the book was more focused on Catherine and Isabella's relationship, how the companionship gradually sets into deep love with such connection and tenderness; and the latter portion has more focus on how Catherine, through compassion and bravery, stood up for her people to fight against cruelty and injustice of inquisition. Can't say I'm a big fan of the ending but I would say it is appropriate given the circumstances, I just wish the characters have to suffer less. I'm sure the events will have very profound effects on Sofi as well and her future path as Queen.
I'm not a religious person, but I do believe God's love is universal and non-discriminatory. It is sometimes human who chooses to interpret God's words in a one dimensional way. Do read the prologue and epilogue of this book, it is interesting how the author describes the story came musing in her head.
Highly recommending this book, and I know I'll be re-reading it soon.
The story started with Catherine, the queen of Montalcino rescuing a tortured and very wounded Isabella during her journey back to her castle. Given the ordeal Isabella went through the her difficulty in establishing trust with people, Catherine became her sole care taker. She gradually came to enjoy Isabella's intellectual conversations and company, but struggles with her feeling towards Isabella. The first portion of the book was more focused on Catherine and Isabella's relationship, how the companionship gradually sets into deep love with such connection and tenderness; and the latter portion has more focus on how Catherine, through compassion and bravery, stood up for her people to fight against cruelty and injustice of inquisition. Can't say I'm a big fan of the ending but I would say it is appropriate given the circumstances, I just wish the characters have to suffer less. I'm sure the events will have very profound effects on Sofi as well and her future path as Queen.
I'm not a religious person, but I do believe God's love is universal and non-discriminatory. It is sometimes human who chooses to interpret God's words in a one dimensional way. Do read the prologue and epilogue of this book, it is interesting how the author describes the story came musing in her head.
Highly recommending this book, and I know I'll be re-reading it soon.
November 8, 2021
This book is the definition of faded to black.
Why did Catherine gotta die near the end? . And why did Sofia ( Cat's daughter) gotta betray her own mother??!!
Honestly this was interesting only at the beginning. Too damn long. Too many damn sufferings.
Why did Catherine gotta die near the end? . And why did Sofia ( Cat's daughter) gotta betray her own mother??!!
Honestly this was interesting only at the beginning. Too damn long. Too many damn sufferings.
June 1, 2026
Profound!
What a tale! “The Queen’s Companion” pulled me in from the beginning, and didn’t let me go until … well, it’s still in the back of my mind! Petton’s characters - were they characters? Catherine, Bella, Robert, Father Timothy, James, all strong forces for good, were too real to just be “characters”. All too real, the evil and twisted, Bishop Capshaw, represented everything wrong with “religion” - the hypocrisy, self-righteous justification of the Inquisition, of judging and administering harm, and so much more that “organized religion” has been throughout history. “The Queen’s Companion” is so descriptive and detailed, it serves not just as a story, but more like documentation of events and times actually witnessed by Maggi Petton. And then, reading the epilogue brings the author’s reality into full focus - and as Petton says, “maybe the universe has a way of making certain that none of us are forgotten…”. What a good book!
What a tale! “The Queen’s Companion” pulled me in from the beginning, and didn’t let me go until … well, it’s still in the back of my mind! Petton’s characters - were they characters? Catherine, Bella, Robert, Father Timothy, James, all strong forces for good, were too real to just be “characters”. All too real, the evil and twisted, Bishop Capshaw, represented everything wrong with “religion” - the hypocrisy, self-righteous justification of the Inquisition, of judging and administering harm, and so much more that “organized religion” has been throughout history. “The Queen’s Companion” is so descriptive and detailed, it serves not just as a story, but more like documentation of events and times actually witnessed by Maggi Petton. And then, reading the epilogue brings the author’s reality into full focus - and as Petton says, “maybe the universe has a way of making certain that none of us are forgotten…”. What a good book!
October 14, 2011
A well-researched and well-planned novel. It may or may not have happened but the narration bears such a close resemblance to history, one might actually believe it is true. The characters are well-defined, and their motives well-explained.
This is an entertaining and enlightening novel of a period of history which most people now look upon with horror and regret. The author’s foreword is also an enlightening explanation of how she came to write the story.
This is an entertaining and enlightening novel of a period of history which most people now look upon with horror and regret. The author’s foreword is also an enlightening explanation of how she came to write the story.
May 25, 2011
Great character development. They are likable, and you can sympathize with their feelings and decisions. Excellent period detail--very easy to picture the physical surroundings. The afterward, which describes how the story came to be told, is amazing! Well done!
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September 26, 2011Profound. That is the only word that comes to mind after reading The Queen's Companion. There was profound loyalty, lose, grief, persecution and most importantly....profound love.
September 26, 2011
Profound. That is the only word that comes to mind after reading The Queen's Companion. There was profound loyalty, lose, grief, persecution and most importantly....profound love.
March 5, 2013
Not my usual style of reading but I picked it up due to reveiws I had read elsewhere. Even though it was not my usual type of romance, I found it interesting.
April 13, 2012
Incredible story.
November 28, 2017
If indeed this is historical fiction or not it's a well written piece. I wasn't enamored by the first chapter but as I read on I appreciated the investment on character, dialogue, plot. To accept that this might have all been real and the writer was given this revelation as described is something I am still pondering on.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews