The Queen's Granddaughter

by Diane Zahler

Embark on a sweeping journey of self-discovery in this adventurous middle grade novel perfect for fans of Karen Cushman and Gary Paulsen.

Twelve-year-old Blanca of Castile is the granddaughter of the Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, once the wife of both the king of France and the king of England. When Eleanor comes to visit Blanca at Castile to select the girl who will marry the prince of France, all expect her to pick Blanca's older sister. But, to everyone's surprise, it's Blanca she chooses to be the princess.

Blanca, along with her best friend Suna, must set out over the Pyrenees Mountains for France. But the journey there is not easy. The group, which includes knights and attendants, and Queen Eleanor herself, is trapped by a late-season blizzard. And as they near France, they are kidnapped by one of Eleanor’s renegade vassals.

As Blanca overcomes the many perils of the journey, she will need to learn how to protect herself and those around her -- and about what it truly takes to be a queen.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Adventure

304 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 24, 2026

About the author

I grew up reading children's books and never wanted to do anything but write them. I'm the author of nine middle grade novels, and my newest book is a historical novel called WILD BIRD. I live in the country with my husband and very enthusiastic dog Jinx. Visit my website at www.dianezahler.com.

Reviews

[Christine Gustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally written story for young people and all lovers of historical-fiction 👏🏽

This was my first time reading a book by Diane Zahler and I absolutely loved it!

I read this aloud with my 12 and 14 year old daughters—we were hooked from the first page until the very end! Well-written, engaging, fascinating.

This story is historical-fiction based on real people from the 12th century. The people and places come to life through Zahler’s writing!

Age recommendation: middle-grade/teens and adults. Themes of death, illness, peril, violence, loss present. Nothing explicit. No language.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book. All thoughts shared are my own.

[Mildly Mad Hatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the history and how the story followed it. I wasn’t a fan of Queen Eleanor, she annoyed me so much. She would literally tear couples apart like it was no biggie. Blanca was okay, she would be a sweet 12 year old girl at times and at others, a bit selfish. A big part of this is a 12 year old getting married but that’s what happened at the time. There was some language that was pretty surprising to me. Also a lot about Christianity and Muslins, how it was for them back then. Honestly, I wasn’t too much of a fan of that part because of how everyone acted and treated the others. I liked the history note at the end that told what was true and what wasn’t. All in all, some of it was good and some of it wasn’t good. It’s history, would I choose this book to give to one of my siblings to read? Probably not. Someone else out there would probably like it much better than I did though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Roaring Brook Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The only other book I have read of Zahler's was The Thirteenth Princess and that was quite a few years back, so I went into this book with few expectations. I loved it! The medieval setting (and most historical settings, really) is difficult to get right for kids and requires some gentle anachronism to keep the story enjoyable to the modern reader. Zahler gets this balance right.

Blanca is happily living as a middle daughter and princess of 12th century Castile when her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, arrives to great fanfare, ostensibly to take her older sister back to Paris in order to marry the Dauphin and future king, Prince Louis IX of France. Spirited, clever, and wily Blanca is not happy with the idea of losing her beloved sister, and sets out to convince Eleanor that she is the wrong choice for the future queen. Her success in this mission does not exactly go to plan. Eleanor is equally spirited, clever, and wily and recognizes her younger self in Blanca, who is chosen in her sister's stead.

On the subsequent journey over the Pyrenees, to Bordeaux and eventually Paris, Blanca depends on her wise and kind best friend, Suna, a Muslim orphan with whom she has grown up, to help curb her impetuous impulses. The journey is fraught with challenges--weather, political enemies of the Queen, and the physically grueling day to day reality of travel in the period. Along the way, Blanca grows in character and finds her inner strength. Zahler portrays Blanca's interior life with great skill. She is a likable, relatable, and ultimately admirable, protagonist. Likewise, Eleanor is haughty, demanding, manipulative, and yet completely endearing.

This is a sweet, tender story of generational love and also a fascinating and fun historical adventure.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read a historical fiction novel. It's been even longer since I read one where the main character actually existed in history.

It's the story of a girl leaving her family to travel with her forbidding grandmother to a new country and a new life, learning lessons along the way. The story was pleasant to read, but honestly the end notes were most interesting to me- the ones that explain Queen Eleanor and Blanche's places in history. I wish we would've gotten a bit of that in the book, but I do understand why the author ended the book where she did.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

[Michelle M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and Macmillian for the eARC.
I think I’ll give it a 3/5

I love history, and I'm especially facinated with Eleanor of Aquitaine which is why I requested this book in the first place.

Final review (as opposed to my rantings further down lol). I thought it was a good story about a girl coming of age and coming to terms with the decisions made for her and how her life would be. As a princess in the 1200s, so had little autonomy over her life, decisions (big ones) were made for her. I’m not a historian, just a lover of history, so I don’t really know exactly how much is known about Blanche’s (Blanca’s as she’s known to her Castilian family) life before she marries into France. But in this story, she’s portrayed as a willful girl who gets into trouble, is stubborn, and generally embarrasses her self from time to time. Her parents, the King and Queen, don’t seem to actually stop her or punish her in any way for her behavior. Or if they do, it’s not enough of a deterrent to keep Blanca from continuing her mischief. I think this is a way to make Blanca more relatable to modern girls and to compare her to her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine who was known to be strongwilled. I think this would be a good stepping stone for a child who is kind of into medieval history and likes adventure stories (for many things happen in this story that might have happened or might not have, but it made for a good story and a good way to show Blanca’s growth).

Suna, the original character, was a great addition to the story. Suna is a Muslim girl who is Blanca’s best friend. Suna is also deaf, as caused by an illness. She, Blanca, and Blanca’s eldest sister developed a sign language so that they could communicate with each other, which ends up helping the travelling party out of a precarious situation! I thought it was also great to see that Suna’s differences (religious and disability) did not in one way make Blanca treat her as less than or other. However, they were used as a way to help Blanca grow as she finally notices how the stares and hostile looks make her friend feel on their journey away from the more “tolerant” Castile and into Christian France. And Blanca makes the decision to allow her friend to go home at the end of their journey (which is what Suna wants) instead of ordering Suna to stay with her.

I was surprised that the story ended not with Blanca’s wedding to the dauphine, but slightly after she and her grandmother parted ways on the road to France. Blanca stays on the path to Paris, and Eleanor breaks off to go to Frontevraud Abbey where she ultimately ends her days. But this leavetaking was as good a place as any to end the story, as Blanca is full of hope for her future.


Now to my angry rant at 77% through that book that made me lower my rating to the GENEROUS 3 Stars (truthfully I think the book deserve 1 star just for the slander thrown at my fave, but I can be an adult lol Plus this is an ARC, so it deserves a fair review as a whole story. Had this NOT been an ARC…)

So! A decent story! Especially for a middle grade novel. And had I read this book without having any knowledge of the time period and some of the key characters, I would have liked it more than I did. Oh, I didn’t know anything about Blanche (Blanca as she is known is Castile and to her immediate family) and to be truthful, though I have read a few books about Queen Eleanor of England and France (Eleanor of Aquitaine) I didn’t know of her bringing a granddaughter out of Spain to France to marry the prince. And Blanche’s wiki page was so pitifully small that I didn’t have much prior knowledge to draw on. So Blanche and Eleanor’s characters were fine. However! My favorite “character” of this time period is William Marshal and sadly, I found out that he wasn’t part of this adventure…. In real life he wasn’t anyway, but he was here in this story.

I'm writing this part of my review after reading a part in the story that, as a fan of William’s, has my blood boiling lol. There’s a part where Eleanor, Blanche, William, and Suna (Blanche’s friend) claim sanctuary as William is hurt and they’re being chased by Hugh DeLusignan. While in the church, a girl claims to be a healer and checks out William’s leg wound. Fine, acceptable. WHAT I WONT ACCEPT, HOWEVER, is Blanche and Suna seeing “a tenderness bloom between William and Marguerite”. WHAT????? NO!!! William is AT LEAST 53 here(at this time in real life) and the girl can’t be older than 20! AND William has been happily and fruitfully married to his wife Isabel for AT LEAST 10 years!!! I will not accept this SLANDER against William! In real life at least 5 of his 10 children are born and Isabel would’ve been pregnant with number 6!

Should I have expected true historical accuracy from this book? No, I guess I shouldn’t have. But there should be at least SOME! If you’re going to add characters, move historical figures around, at LEAST keep them SOMEWHAT close to their real life counterparts! William is supposed to be a knight known for his chivalry, and as far as I know, there weren’t any bastards attributed to him while he was married, or before, which would break faith with his wife, which William would not do.

[Christine Sturman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just about every little girl wants to be a princess. In “The Queen’s Granddaughter” by Diane Zahler, we follow the journey of Princess Blanche of Castile to Paris where she is to marry the French Crown Prince, Louis. She has been selected for this honor by her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor travels to Castile to select one of her granddaughters to marry Louis and then accompany her on the journey for this great honor. While traveling they encounter many hardships that are typical to 12th century Europe. This is a journey not just to go from one place to another; it is a journey of development and maturing of a princess.

I have always enjoyed historical fiction and this book was no exception. Women in medieval Europe had very little say in their lives. This was especially true of the royal women. They were raised to marry whoever their father arranged for them to marry, usually to help secure some political advantage. These princesses were often very young when the matches were made and the marriage ceremonies performed. When they became of age, usually somewhere between the ages of 13-16, they were expected to have as many children as possible to secure the heredity line of the prince they married. I think that Diane Zahler has done a good job of portraying what a typical princess’ life could be like. The interactions between Blanche of Castile and her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, are very touching as they get to know one another. Blanche learns many life lessons from her grandmother as they travel together. At the end of the book there are historical snapshots of the lives of the main characters that I enjoyed reading. I would recommend this book to any middle schooler or older who wants to know about royal life in medieval Europe from a female prospective.

I wish to thank Roaring Book Press of the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the complementary eARC of this book and for selecting me to review it on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#TheQueen’sGranddaughter
#RoaringBookPress
#MacmillanChildren’sPublishingGroup
#NetGalley
#MiddleSchoolHistoricalFiction
#LifeOfAPrincess
#MedievalEurope

[Lola B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to author Diane Zahler and Roaring Brook Press for an ARC to review. All expressed ideas, thoughts, and content hereafter are my own.

I was interested in this book because I haven't read a good historical fiction novel in awhile, the cover art caught my eye, and I've always been fascinated with Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. It seemed serendipitous timing, too, as I'd been doing research into King Charlemagne, Robin Hood, and the Magna Carta. The writing is very approachable (seeing as it's middle grade, it should be), but still challenging enough maybe for someone who is not yet widely read. Following Blanca's growth from a young girl to a young woman was pleasurable, though I do wish the novel had continued on a bit more before stopping where it did (refraining from specifics here to avoid spoilers). I loved that Blanca had a best friend (Suna), and that Eleanor presented a decent role model. For a younger me, this book would also have been a joy to read. This is the first novel I've read from this author, and I'm curious to see if this one becomes a series. Slight nitpicks I have with it are certain words and/or place names that seemed odd, and upon looking them up, were not used or did not exist until a few hundred years after the novel takes place. Other than that, a fun, beautiful read.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle grade historical fiction novel was exceedingly well researched. For some reason I thought it would be a fantasy when I requested it, but it was not. It takes place in and around what is now Spain in the year 1200 CE, when Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine came to Spain to choose a granddaughter to marry the prince of France to unite the various nations. The book follows 12-year-old Blanche of Castille as she journeys with Eleanor and her dear friend Suna to Paris to marry the prince. One change from history that the author made was the existence of Suna. She was by far my favorite character. Suna is Muslim and partially deaf, and there are multiple discussions about acceptance (and lack thereof) between the Christians and Muslims, including about the Knights Templar who slaughtered Muslim people. Because of her deafness, Suna and Blanche use their own sign language to communicate. The diversity in this book was one of my favorite aspects. However, I didn't enjoy the writing style, as it felt basic even in its descriptions of the grand settings and adventures. I also felt like the pacing was slow even though the book itself is short. For these two reasons I dropped the rating from four to three stars, but I would still recommend it for anyone interested in this time period or to any young reader wanting to read an account of a real life princess.
*Netgalley ARC review*

[Alison Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ☆
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book to read and review!
I really enjoyed reading the majority of this book, and I loved the fact that a lot of the story is based on real people and real events.
In The Queen's Granddaughter, Blanca of Castile, an infantana, is suddenly being forced to go to Paris with her grandmother and marry the young Prince Louis. Blanca is furious at first, because all she wanted was to discourage her grandmother from picking her older sister, not choose her instead. On the journey from Castile to Paris, Blanca must sort through her feelings and learn what it really takes to be a good queen.

I only have two complaints: 1, a lot of the chapters, especially in the beginning, felt very long (my kindle often showed a chapter would take me 14 minutes to read). 2, the ending felt a little odd to me. I was expecting the book to end with Blanca in Paris at her wedding, or just after her wedding. Maybe there is meant to be a sequel book in the future? Either way, the ending left me feeling as if I was missing extra information or a cliffhanger.

Aside from all that, this was a great book! I always love a good fiction book based on something from history that really did exist.

[M.L. Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing of 13th century Europe poses many challenges by any standard, much less from the perspective of a 13 year old royal. The vast differences of gender and sexuality cannot compare to modernity. Diving into this novel, I was curious to read how Zahler broached the subject of marriage between (what we now consider) children for a middle grade audience. And I have to report that it was done tactfully and elegantly. While this novel follows Blanca’s literal and figurative path towards adulthood (aka marriage to the king of France), it really focuses less on the end of the road and more on the deep connections between the women of this tale. Between mother and daughter, sisters, friends bridging religious practices, and of course, granddaughter and grandmother. Despite being written during a time when women were purposely left out of the narrative, Zahler focuses on the agency and empowerment of each female character in her societal role. Blanca becoming queen. Suna traveling the [Christian] world. Eleanor of Aquitaine continuously asserting her power of family matriarch even across country borders. This is a beautiful coming-of-age novel, filled with action-packed scenes of travel from Castile to Paris. More than anything, I enjoyed the historical immersion.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Queen’s Granddaughter by Diane Zahler was a delightful surprise for me. I don’t typically read middle grade fiction, but the moment I saw that the story centered on Eleanor of Aquitaine and her granddaughter Blanche of Castile, I was immediately intrigued and I’m so glad I picked it up.

Zahler’s research shines through on every page. The historical details are woven in with such a light touch that young readers (and adults!) absorb a wealth of information without ever feeling lectured. I especially appreciated the subtle learning embedded throughout the narrative--facts, context, and cultural nuances that enrich the story rather than slow it down.

What stood out the most was the portrayal of Eleanor. Zahler captures her intelligence, political savvy, and larger-than-life presence in a way that feels both accessible to a younger audience and satisfying to readers who know her historical significance. Blanche is also rendered with great care, making her development engaging and believable.

While it’s clearly written for a younger demographic, the story has enough depth, charm, and historical richness to appeal to adults as well. For anyone interested in medieval history or strong female figures, and especially for readers looking to introduce these topics to younger audiences, this is an excellent choice.

A strong four stars, and a book I’m glad I didn’t miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gr 4 & Up – In this richly imagined historical novel, Diane Zahler brings to life the later years of Eleanor of Aquitaine as she journeys to her daughter’s court and selects a granddaughter to marry the French king. Readers follow Blanca (also known as Blanche), the unsuspecting granddaughter suddenly chosen for this royal duty, and her best friend Suna as they travel to France and face the realities of political marriage. Blanca’s perspective provides an accessible window into the world of arranged alliances, courtly expectations, and the heavy responsibilities of leadership. Zahler’s portrayal of Blanca is engaging and relatable, balancing pluck and vulnerability as she navigates friendship, duty, and identity. The immersive medieval setting, woven with vivid details of court life and society’s rules, adds depth and authenticity. VERDICT: A strong purchase for middle grade collections. Both a captivating coming-of-age tale and an introduction to Eleanor of Aquitaine’s legacy, this novel will appeal to historical fiction fans and readers drawn to stories of courage, growth, and navigating destiny.

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of medieval history, I really enjoyed reading this middle grade title. Many stories have been told about Eleanor of Aquitaine and her famous family, but this was one I had not encountered before. The main character, Blanca, is a Castilian infanta and granddaughter of the indomitable Eleanor of Aquitaine. She is headstrong, vivacious and maybe a little bit spoiled and when she meets her legendary grandmother, her life changes forever. Her grandmother has plans for her future that Blanca wants nothing to do with. But an infanta doesn't get to say no to a queen like Eleanor. Blanca embarks on a literal and emotional journey with her best friend Suna, her cranky grandmother and the legendary William Marshal. Blanca learns many lessons about humility, friendship, bravery, prejudice and what it means to be a leader.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor of Aquitaine's spunky granddaughter, Blanca, comes up with a plan so that she can keep her favorite sister at home, in Spain with her, instead of going off to marry the Dauphin of France. The plan backfires spectacularly and only brings Eleanor's attention to Blanca. She sees much of herself in her granddaughter. A great trip is taken, with many hurdles along the way, in which Blanca and Eleanor relationship grows. A lovely historical fiction novel that will give readers a great introduction to Eleanor of Aquitaine, her influence in Europe, and the Middle Ages.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this great book. This is a well-written historical fiction set in 13th century Europe full of adventure, complex, well-developed characters, family, friendship, and compassion for one’s fellow humans. It reads like a diary but is written as a narrative and describes the journey that Blanca, a granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine takes to meet her future husband, the dauphin of France. Such a wonderful middle grade read that I absolutely recommend to any historical fiction lover.

[Sonya Superstar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

There is something enchanting about historical fiction of royal lives. This story did not disappoint.
We follow Blanca as she meets her renown grandmother and the two develop a special friendship.

The characterization is done well, allowing insights into the complex relationships of royals, and the reality of making mistakes as young royals are still young and impulsive. I was engaged throughout the whole story and would love to see more events following along Blanca's life.

Recommend for YA readers who love adventure with some historic background.

[Clara Lash · Rating 5 out of 5]

The journey of Blanche becoming queen was very nice to read. Honestly this reads like a modern day Royal Diaries or Dear America, but without the journaling format. I think it being in first person really ended up lending to that narrative in my mind. This would be such a good read for any young reader obsessed with history and princesses!

[Madison Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book was clearly written for a middle grade reader, I truly learned quite a lot from reading The Queen's Granddaughter. A simple and gentle introduction to some of the great ruling families of the 12th and 13th centuries in humanized story form.
Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC of this book.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I enjoy reading about history, so this was right up my alley. Even though fiction, it was interesting reading about life back then. I do like that the author includes a bit of historical inserts at the end of the book.

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic book that's perfect as a MG book to get kids into historical fiction while engaging them. would recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Claire Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ebook ARC provided by NetGalley
This book was a fun one! It was enjoyable and fast paced. I liked all the characters, especially the relationship between Blanca and Suna, they were the best of friends. It was cool to see Blanca navigating life and the unknown. Their journey was fun to read about and all the obstacles on the way. I would have really liked this as a kid!

[Hanah Kirkwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Queen's Granddaughter is a historical middle-grade book. It follows Princess Blanca who is from the family Castile. Her grandmother Queen Eleanor of England. She is journeying from England to Palencia to arrange a marriage between Blanca's older sister and the dauphine of France. It is a beautiful story of family, friendship, and compassion for your fellow humans. There is an adventure that takes place that kept me hooked. I can't wait for my own daughter to one day read this book.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read for younger readers. I came to love the narrative perspective of Blanca and see how she navigates a big and changing world. Her grandmother is not an easy woman, not by a mile, but I enjoyed the way they develop a relationship and influence each other at pivotal times in their lives. There is good adventure, as well as thoughtful depiction of a young girls' gaining of life experience. I look forward to revisiting this short book with my nieces. Highly recommend!