Médicis Daughter: A Novel of Marguerite de Valois

by Sophie Perinot

It's the winter of 1564 and the beautiful young Princess Margot is summoned to her mother's household, where her true education begins in earnest. Known across Europe as Madame la Serpente, Queen Catherine is an intimidating and unmoving presence in France, even as her country recovers from the first of many devastating religious wars. Among the crafty nobility of Queen Catherine's royal court, Margot learns the intriguing and unspoken rules she must live by to please her manipulative family. Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot embraces her role as a pawn to be married off to the most convenient bidder. Despite her loyalty, Margot finds herself charmed by the powerful and charismatic Duc de Guise and falls for him even as she is promised to another. Finally setting aside her happiness for duty, Margot leaves the man she loves for Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic. Yet Queen Catherine's schemes are endless, and Margot's brother plots vengeance in the streets of Paris. Forced to choose between her family and what's right, Margot at last finds the strength within herself to forge her own destiny. Médicis Daughter is historical fiction at its finest, weaving a unique coming-of-age story and a forbidden love with one of the most dramatic and violent events in French history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, France, Fiction, Romance, Adult, 16th Century

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2015

About the author

Sophie Perinot writes historical fiction. Her debut novel, The Sister Queens, (NAL/Penguin) was set in 13th century France and England. The Sister Queens weaves the captivating story of medieval sisters, Marguerite and Eleanor of Provence, who both became queens – their lifelong friendship, their rivalry, and their reigns.

Perinot's novel, Medicis Daughter , (Thomas Dunne/St. Martin) is set three-hundred years later--at intrigue-riven 16th century French Valois court. Medicis Daughter spins the tale of beautiful princess Marguerite who walks the knife edge between the demands of her serpentine mother, Catherine de Medicis, and those of her own conscience.

Her Ribbons of Scarlet (William Morrow) is a collaborative work with authors Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Heather Webb and Eliza Knight. Ribbons offers a gutsy and sometimes gritty telling of the French Revolution from an entirely female perspective.

Ms. Perinot has both a BA in History and a law degree. She left the law to pursue artistic interests, including writing. An avid reader, especially of classic literature, and life-long student of history, it seemed only natural that Sophie should write historical fiction. As someone who studied French abroad and a devotee of Alexandre Dumas, French history was a logical starting point. An active member of the Historical Novel Society, she has attended all of the group’s North American Conferences and served as a panelist multiple times.

Active among the literary twitterati as @Lit_gal you can also find Sophie on facebook at www.facebook.com/sophie.perinot.author

Reviews

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

France, 1564. Princess Margot, the Duchesse de Valois, is taught, “To be a woman is to wait, to stand in the background, to accept that your life is governed by others.” But Princess Margot doesn’t wish to accept such fate. I liked her at this point and was eager to find out how she forges her way in a world where her fate is already decided for her.

I was interested to see how Catherine de Medici gets portrayed in this novel through the eyes of her daughter to which I didn’t warm up after all or her view of her mother.

There is more of yawning and glancing than action pertaining to the plot. It’s very slow burning. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. The atmospheric part for example the clashing between two faiths felt flat, not rising any feelings for this tumultuous time.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you’re the daughter of Catherine de Médicis, Queen Mother and de facto ruler of France, you do as you’re told.

After you’re introduced to court life, you avoid imitating other women’s flirtations, since it’s behavior unbecoming of your status. You acquiesce to potential marriage arrangements, even if it means a union with an unstable Spanish prince, or your unrefined Protestant cousin, Henri of Navarre. You must spurn the advances of the attractive Duc de Guise, even though your youthful heart yearns for warmth and understanding.

Above all, you must stay loyal to your family. While you’re an unmarried woman under their protection, there’s no opting out.

Told in an unobtrusive present tense, Médicis Daughter follows Marguerite de Valois, youngest sister of France’s Charles IX, and the difficult path she traverses over a ten-year period, beginning with her childhood in the year 1562. During this time, the setting swirls with dark undercurrents as France is torn apart by religious wars between the ruling Catholics and those they term heretics, the Protestant Huguenots.

Marguerite makes some unwise decisions, but hers is a constrained life, and it understandably takes time for her to awaken to the reality of her situation and figure out where to place her trust. There’s as much political scheming, secret romance, and family dysfunction as any fan of royal fiction could want as Marguerite comes of age at the French court, slowly becoming less of an observer and more of a participant.

Given all the intrigue that surrounds Marguerite, her story could have been an over-the-top drama-fest, but Perinot keeps the atmosphere tightly controlled, which increases the level of tension. This suits the time and place. Character is key here, and the combination of Marguerite’s personality and circumstances makes her a complex individual indeed.

Perinot excels at illustrating the nuances of interpersonal relationships, and those she depicts – and their transformations over time – are worth beholding. These include Marguerite’s interactions with her next oldest brother, the Duc d’Anjou; with her would-be lover, the Duc de Guise; and with the King of Navarre, the cousin she finally agrees to marry. All of these men, incidentally, are named Henri, although this doesn’t cause confusion. Instead, Perinot plays upon this historical fact to craft some revelatory character-defining moments.

As one can guess from the title, the mother-daughter relationship sits at the heart of the book, and this is handled with finesse. Catherine de Médicis, who inspires both awe and fear, is a powerful antagonist. To round out her character, she’s granted moments of vulnerability, ones that hint at her deep-rooted motivations at the same time.

The novel’s ending, culminating at the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, is both devastating and magnificent, with Marguerite courageously taking a stand. At this point, Marguerite’s life is far from over, but the decision to conclude the novel here makes for an extremely satisfying character arc.

First posted at my historical fiction blog, Reading the Past.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a reader who enjoys exploring the lives of historical figures who were not always in the limelight, I enjoyed this novel featuring Marguerite de Valois. With a mother like Catherine de Medici it would have been difficult for Marguerite, or Margot as her friends call her, to take center stage. Then there's the fact that she had three brothers who were King of France and the King of Navarre for her husband.

This novel takes a close look at the girl who would become a queen twice over through a brave first person narration that gives voice to the Valois princess. I know that some of you are sighing already at the author's choice to tell Margot's story this way, but hang in there. Once you enter Margot's inner thoughts, you will lose yourself in the drama, politics, and power struggles that she grew up with.

Initially, Margot is a young girl desperate to please her larger than life mother. Nothing gives her more joy than to learn that she will be whisked from the nursery to join the Queen's household. Never does Margot concern herself with what her brother, King Charles, might think of her. Everyone knows who truly rules in France.

Perinot develops a complex personality for Margot, causing the reader to waver between admiration and scorn. I wanted to embrace the young woman who never received the affection that she should have from her mother, but she made me cringe when she flirted with her own brother or traded her friend's virtue for her own. She is no Mary Sue, so be prepared for a complicated relationship with this character.

Marguerite's entire family is boldly brought to life in all of their creepy, selfish, overbearing glory. Mercurial Charles, spoiled Henri, and Catherine, who just may be the devil incarnate, form a barrier around Margot that keeps her from happiness, freedom, an truly living until she falls in love.

Those who enjoy romances will appreciate the relationship between Henri de Guise and Marguerite. It is wonderful to see someone in her life finally give her unconditional love . . . until she's not sure that there are truly no strings attached. I could never quite decide if I liked or trusted Margot's duke.

The one person I really liked was the one person Margot did not: her cousin, the third Henri. The King of Navarre seems to be the only person not waiting to place a dagger in someone's back. Watching him endure the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre was heart wrenching. One cannot help but be angry with the murderers who do so in the name of being the better Christians.

Margot has to make some difficult choices when her family and her lover take the side opposite her husband. She is truly becoming her own woman as the novel ends, which I hope is an indication that there will be more to her story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel in return for a review. Opinions expressed are my own.

[Jenny Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Sophie Perinot's debut novel, The Sister Queens, and I have been anxiously awaiting the release of her second book. Having read several books about Catherine de Medici, I was familiar with her daughter Margot, but not intimately, and this novel brings one of the unsung heroes of the house of Valois and the Wars of Religion to life. From a sweet, eager, naive child to a teenager warped by her family's ruthless quest for power, a pawn used by her mother and brothers, and then a young woman seizing control of her own destiny, Margot's story is one of love, sacrifice, heartbreak, and redemption.

As a child desperate to please her powerful and, quite frankly, terrifying mother, Margot enters the French court determined to be a dutiful and exemplary princess of France, and she realizes the best way for her to do this is by securing an advantageous marriage with one of Europe's most powerful men. A beautiful girl by all accounts, her family attempts to match her with one prince after another, and Margot desperately wants to be a wife and future queen . . . until she falls in love with the young Duc de Guise, heir to the powerful family that wielded much influence over politics in France and made enemies of her mother and brothers. Their heartbreaking relationship is a real-life Romeo and Juliet tale. It could have been a union that united a fractured France, but instead it became one that ripped the Valois family apart and led to an even deeper divide between the ruling families, setting the stage for the War of the Three Henrys.

After spending so many years thinking she would marry a powerful foreign prince, Margot is devastated to be forced into marriage with her country cousin, Henri of Navarre, in a last-ditch effort by her family to stem the growing religious unrest between Catholics and Huguenots. Still reeling from her tattered relationship with Guise and put off by childhood memories of her boorish cousin, she determines to take the reins in her new marriage, and the pair form an unexpected alliance. But both she and her new husband have been misled, and their wedding celebration quickly becomes a bloodbath. During a thrilling and horrifying climax as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre rages in the castle and the city beyond, Margot finds herself at moral odds with her family and her former lover and must find the courage to defend her husband's life as well as her own, sacrificing her future happiness with a series of bold decisions that will forever change the course of history.

In the days after finishing this novel, my mind kept returning to it, to the utter sense of helplessness and powerlessness that even one of the most exalted women in the land was subject to. Margot is a worthy heroine, hemmed in by the circumstances of her birth and her gender, at the mercy of her brutal family, coming of age in one of the most twisted times in French history, and yet she manages to navigate a debauched court with grace and modesty and to hold her ground and take a stand for what is right in the face of overwhelming odds and far-reaching consequences. I savored this emotional and gripping tale of an extraordinary woman who is often judged by history for her love life, but who deserves to be remembered for the courageous stand she made against the most powerful woman in Europe.

This novel ends on a high note with Margot triumphant, and I completely understand the author's decision to focus on this portion of Margot's life because of the lasting effect it has on history, but so much drama happens in her life after the end of this book, so it's not a complete picture. Her relationship with Henri of Navarre turns caustic and is eventually annulled, and she never does reconcile with her family and is later imprisoned by them for many years. Then Margot becomes Queen of France. The tales of her romantic and sexual exploits earn her the enmity of the people of France, and her published memoirs scandalize the country. So I am keeping my fingers crossed for the juicy sequel the rest of her life would make in Sophie Perinot's capable hands!

[The Lit Bitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

This is my first novel by Perinot, I know she has written another historical fiction book set in the French court, so clearly this is a period that she loves and that shows in her research. The way that Perinot describes the court makes the reader feel like they are right there, and the historic characters are well written and true to their forms for the period and what history tells us of these characters. She captured the political intrigue so well that I felt like I was right there experiencing it myself. So well done on the historical elements!

Margot’s character wasn’t an immediate ‘like’ for me but by the end I was mesmerized by her. She was very complex with many layers to her. When she came to the court, she was so eager to please and be a dutiful princess which kind of bothered me a little as she almost came across too innocent. But then as the novel went on she bloomed into this really intriguing character. She wasn’t afraid of making hard decisions and while I didn’t always love each choice she made, I understood why she did things. I loved that the novel was told in the first person, because then the reader could really connect with Margo’s character from the get go. A very well written and interesting character for sure!

The thing I was most sad about in this book was that it only covered a short period of Margo’s life. I get that you have to end a novel somewhere, and I understand that the period selected was probably the most historically valuable but I still felt like I wanted more for some reason. When the book was over, I felt like it was a complete story, however I also felt at odds because I wanted to keep reading about her and how things continued to evolve through her life but at the end of the day, I was satisfied.

Can we talk for just a minute about the cover?! BEAUTIFUL! I love the chateau in the background and the image of ‘Margo’ on the front in red works so well with the background and the colors selected. It suggests glamorous, mysterious (because she has her back toward us), and romantic. I absolutely love the cover!

This was a great read. If you are a fan of Marci Jefferson, Stephanie Thornton, or C.W. Gortner then you will LOVE this book! It’s full of royal intrigue, political conflicts, betrayals, romances, and historical figures that have unique stories to tell. This is a great read, pick it up without question!

See my full review here

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very impressed with Médicis Daughter. It has all the elements of fantastic historical fiction—court intrigue, family politics, love, and betrayals. I’ve read a bit about Catherine de Medicis, but never about Marguerite and her story fascinated me. Despite being brought up to always follow orders and being used as a pawn, she still had a conscious which drove her to do what she thought best. While I felt sorry for her throughout much of the novel, I ultimately admired her for her strength of character. Full review you can find on my blog: https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com/...

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amboise, France. Summer 1562. Sophie Perinot’s Médicis Daughter, A Novel of Marguerite De Valois centers on the children of Catherine de Médici who married into the French royal family. Being an Anglophile not a Francophile a great deal of the information found in this book was new to me. I know the reputation of Catherine de Médici, a royal women, a ‘Queen Mother’ in this historical fiction book of the last years of the Valois royal dynasty and this particular Valois family’s religious war against the Protestants of France culminating in the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. Catherine de Médici, known as ‘the serpent’, continued to have great control/influence over her children as ‘Queen Mother’. What I was completely unaware of was the propaganda painting her children in a very negative light. Marguerite was painted in a horrific way in pamphlets, but in truth she was intelligent and politically astute. She does prevail in this book and in history. As a note Elizabeth I was on the throne in England when ‘Margot’ was dealing with grand difficulties in France. Her final stance provides France with its ultimate ‘salvation’. Very enlightening! 4 stars.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since a high school English Lit teacher introduced me to European royalty during class, I have been smitten with all things Royal. I can't seem to get enough and was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this, particularly as a pre-release. I have to apologize for the late review...I totally got swept up in busyness and forgot I hadn't reviewed this yet (even though I read it in November).

Margot was a great character! With a notorious mother like Catherine de Medicis, you can't help but have an interesting life. A good bit of the book centers around the mother-daughter relationship and more times than not it's heartbreaking.

I appreciated all the research and detail that the author put in to the book. She did a great job of making the characters seem real and not one-sided.

Court life during this time was extremely political (but then again when is it not?) and drama and schemes are there aplenty. Total family loyalty is also expected and dang it you better walk the line! Margot mostly complies with what is expected, but often with a little twist of her own. She has passion & spunk! The ending of this book was particularly emotional and was written so well!

It often seems to me that LOTS of royalty lived with unhappiness, either in childhood, as adults or both. It's so sad, but what all they endure makes for dang good reading! Marguerite de Valois is no exception.

Highly recommended to Royal fiction readers!

Looking forward to going back & reading Sophie Perinot's first book this year. I have a feeling it's going to be good too!

** Many thanks to NetGalley & Thomas Dunne Publishing for an advance readers copy of the book**

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rising above the chorus of historical drama is Perinot’s epic tale of the fascinating, lascivious, ruthless House of Valois, as told through the eyes of the complicated and intelligent Margaret. Burdened by her unscrupulous family and desperate for meaningful relationships, Margaret is forced to navigate her own path in sixteenth century France. Amid wars of nation and heart, MEDICIS DAUGHTER brilliantly demonstrates how one unique woman beats staggering odds to find the strength and power that is her birthright.

[Melisende · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Dumas' "la reine margot", I was looking forward to Sophie's interpretation of marguerite de Valois, and I was not disappointed. It is a remarkably fluent story of Margueriets life from her debut at the French Court until her marriage and the massacre on St Bartholomew's Day.

Much has been said of Marguerite, especially in relation to her mother, Catherine de Medici, but here Sophie casts her in a more favourable light. The story flows and held my interest from start to finish.

[Julia Chupryna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Зловила себе на думці, що почала втомлюватись від літератури, яка в чомусь переконує, до чогось закликає, щось пропонує, від цих вічних "як ніколи не помилятись" до "чому ми мисливо краще за машини" через "фрікономіки та нації, які занепадають". Втомилась навіть дивитися як відмічають, читають, виділяють їх інші (не кажучи про те, що сама маю мільйони таких у списку відмічених).

І тут (просто як повітря) натрапила на історичний роман.
Я гік будування генеалогічних дерев, починаючи від монарших осіб, закінчуючи літературними творами з багатьма поколіннями героїв. Тому, поки розібралась, хто-що-кому-і навіщо пройшло півкниги. Але це був абсолютно виправданий крок.

Головна героїня - Маргарита де Валуа, неймовріної краси дівчинка, яка боялась матір наскільки, що заледве не втрачала свідомість (а хто б протримався, якщо твоя мати - Катерина Медічі, жінка, яка стояла за Варфоломіївською ніччю, мала безмежний впив на сина Карла, правлячого на той час Францією, і просто пані, від ідей та реалізації яких, кров не холоне, а закипає). Так от, бідна Маргарита наскільки була залежною від уваги матері, що просила рідного брата Анжу (материного улюбленця) замовляти слівце за неї. Брат би і не проти, допоки не почав вимагати девіденди від своїх послуг. А смаки у нього були (не те, що чудернацькі, для того часу - якраз норм), але захотів він не багато, не мало - любові своєї сестри. Ну, не тієї духовної і чистої (як у лицарських романах), а звичайної, тілесної, хай сестра не викаблучується, вони створені один для одного (такі ідеальні, такі могутні). І, у той момент, коли брат поліз за красою сестри, вона йому відмовила. Це був перший свідомий крок до будування своєї ще маленької, але незалежності.

Нею торгувались, її сватали як розмінну монету за європейських королів (тут теж нічого дивного), а вона терпіла (не те, щоб була аскетом, від утіх свого коханця Маргарита теж не відмовлялась), але мужньо чекала свого часу. Її час прийшов в обличчі Генріха Навварського (одного з найлюбленіших французьких королів і до цього часу). Від шлюбу Маргарита не чекала нічого, а отримала - все. Вона назаважди звільнилась від впливу матері, вона переграла її, своїх залежних братів, вибудувала свою оборону так, що навіть чоловік повірив у щирість її намірів. Вона не стала щасливою, але вона нею була, прийшов час стати сильною.

[Julianne Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s about time! Time to give the Tudors some competition. Time to show that the history of sixteenth century France is just as, if not more, gripping than that of Henry’s and Elizabeth’s England. Time to bring to vivid life the historical players who stalked the halls of the Louvre and Fontainebleau pursuing goals as grandiose, hatching plots as intricate, and delighting in loves as passionate as those of any of Henry’s wives or Elizabeth’s courtiers.

In MÉDICIS DAUGHTER (St. Martin’s Press), Sophie Perinot rises to the challenge, offering a glimpse into the spectacular, turbulent years of the waning Valois dynasty. The novel’s namesake, unmarried princess Marguerite of Valois, comes of age as the Catholic monarchy’s uneasy toleration of the reformed religion dissolves and war breaks out between Protestants and Catholics. Raised in the full knowledge that her marriage must ultimately serve the politics of France, Marguerite expects her marriage to bolster one of France’s traditional alliances against the growing religious threat. But plans to wed her to a Catholic monarch fail, and Marguerite's mother Catherine de Médicis, the true power behind the unstable king, decides upon another course: Marguerite will marry Henri, King of Navarre, leader of the Protestant faction. Marguerite has little respect and even less inclination for her unsophisticated, heretical cousin, especially since she has given her heart to the dashing Henri, duc de Guise, scion of the powerful Catholic House of Lorraine. But she has little say in the matter, and when the occasion of her marriage results in one of the bloodiest religious massacres of French history, Marguerite must choose between betraying a man of principle in order to win her own happiness or freeing herself of her mother's pernicious dominion once and for all.

Told in the first person from Marguerite's perspective, the story covers about a decade of her life, from the age of ten through the early weeks of her marriage at nineteen. It is, in many respects, a standard coming-of-age story. Marguerite seeks to define herself within the parameters of her family and her station as she matures from obedient daughter to independent woman. Focus falls intently on her relationship with her despotic mother, the widowed Catherine de Médicis, who favors her sons and schemes to retain power over them and the kingdom. Marguerite's singular relationship with her brother the duc d'Anjou takes center stage for a good while and flirts closely enough with the salacious to justify the characters' actions and motivations later in the book. As in any good coming-of-age story, friendship features prominently, as Marguerite learns both to trust and to serve her closest confidantes. These friends in turn facilitate her ardent, dangerous affair with Henri de Guise, who schools her in the arts of love and deception.

These coming-of-age elements are well-handled and engaging, but the story picks up steam and increases in emotional complexity once Marguerite finds herself engaged to Henri of Navarre. Forced into marriage with a man whose manners and appearance she scorned and whose commitment to the reform offends her faith, Marguerite must draw on all she has learned to determine her course. As her relationship with the king evolves in unforeseen ways, she takes full and total ownership of the person she becomes. The incredible horror and ongoing violence of the times demand she take a stand against injustice and display the courage, wisdom, and integrity her previous experiences have helped to refine.

Though the era's religious history is a central and inextricable element of the novel's plot, details and doctrine never hamper the dramatic action of MÉDICIS DAUGHTER. Perinot escorts the reader with confidence and aplomb through the unfamiliar landscape of the Wars of Religion and the late Valois court, ably teasing from its rich soil nuggets of story with universal significance and appeal. Readers will be swept up in the challenges and choices Marguerite faces as she defines the roles of daughter, sister, wife, woman, and queen on her own terms. A compelling and thoroughly satisfying read sure to ignite interest in the era, MÉDICIS DAUGHTER depicts the pageantry and ugliness of sixteenth century court life in all its gritty glory.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot, so I was excited for this book from the moment I heard about it. I'm glad to say I ended up loving it even more than her first, and I will await her next books with even more eagerness.

Marguerite de Valois lived in a turbulent time period and her whole life was filled with drama and danger. Perinot's novel follows her from her childhood to her marriage, but Marguerite's life continued to be very complicated even after that: personally, I would love to read a sequel!

The book started a bit slow but the rest of the story was full of political intrigue and back-stabbing. The Valois court is portrayed as an alluring but also dangerous place, and, even if I knew something about the main events, I was still hooked for the whole time.

Marguerite was at first very naive, but she was never the typical innocent and positive heroine. She was unlikeable at times and I didn't always agree with her actions, but I always understood her and liked her for her flaws. I felt sympathy for her desire of a close family, and I was very interested in her complex relationship with her mother, Catherine de Medici. Margot's constant struggle to win her mother's favour, and her inability to separate herself from Catherine even after eveything she did, was tragic and understandable.

Like Marguerite, the other characters were all more or less despicable, but this made their interactions all the more interesting. Catherine de Medici was portrayed as evil and ruthless, but she also showed some occasional feelings and these saved her from being too much like a Disney villain. Henry of Navarre was without a doubt the most likeable. I wished a romance would blossom between him and Margot, but I still liked the unexpectedly strong bond they developed. Lastly, I didn't much care for Duc de Guise and his romance with Margot, but at the same time I didn't resent it. It was portrayed in a way that felt reasonable, and, even if Marguerite took a while to leave him for good, I was quite content with how they relationship ended.

A must read if you love historical fictions set in France. Highly recommended!

[Elysium · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

The book started really slow and I was thinking about quitting but at halfway through it changed when things started to happen. I’m glad I kept reading because the latter part was really good.

We follow Margot from her childhood when she joins the court of her brother Charles IX to St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. During that time, she learns to get less innocent and learn to stand up to herself.

My biggest problem, especially at the start, was Margot. I didn’t like her and she was just too naïve. How Catherine de Médici could have such a naïve daughter is a wonder. She did got more likeable towards the end but for some reason I never really warmed up for her.
However, I did like how everyone else was presented in the book. Since books usually focus on Catherine de Médici, it was especially interesting to see her through the eyes of her daughter.

This book doesn’t cover her whole life, and I was left wondering how Perinot would have covered her later life. This was my first book by the author and now I’m more curious to read The Sister Queens which I own.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well penned glimpse into the machinations of court life through Margot's point of view.

Margot is a pawn, used for power and political gain in the court of her brother. You understand her predicament along with emotions as she blossoms from adolescence to marriage.

Meticulously researched granting readers access to the life and times of the 16th century. Minute descriptions vividly depict the backstage and public schemes of court, first person narration adds to the level of intimacy presented.

Highly recommend this well researched, written and vivid display of Margot along with the times the 16th century, not excluding her peers.

[Heather C · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read novels on the life of Catherine de Medici the events in Medicis Daughter will not be new to you, however the first person perspective of Marguerite, Catherine’s daughter, should be a refreshing take on it. The novel only covers an approximate 10 years of Marguerite’s life, from her relative obscurity away from court until just past her marriage to Henry of Navarre. I actually appreciated this fact because even though Marguerite had an interesting life even after this time period, this was a defining moment her life and formed who she would become. Through Marguerite’s eyes we see a coming of age story from a young, innocent girl into a woman of the Valois court who makes decisions for herself, goes toe-to-toe with her powerful mother, and ultimately who becomes a strong woman. You get a distinct sense of her growing awareness though out the novel; she starts out a very naïve girl who finds that first blush of love thrilling and willing to do anything for it and over time begins to see the multi-faceted nature of people that maybe does not impress her so much. Upon realizing that she has been virtually used and manipulated by basically everyone around her, she makes her first truly individual decision in sticking with the husband that she never wanted for reasons that she would never have been capable of realizing at the beginning of the novel.

When I first opened the pages of this novel, I thought “oh, first person…great”. I am not the biggest fan of first person narratives for the same reason that many do not like this perspective – the limiting nature and scope of the story. Sometimes authors have to use a variety of tricks to bring important information into the narrative. In Perinot’s Valois court, accomplishing this task felt natural enough. For Marguerite, she is kept away from much of the back room deals, but her friends have close access, and are able to bring information to her that she would not have been privy to. Early on, it is established that here are hidden passageways and listening holes throughout the court that Marguerite takes advantage of on occasion. Knowing that Catherine was always on top of the intrigue, I could whole-heartedly believe that these things existed in her courts, which allow Marguerite to discover some information herself without feeling out of place.

I have read a few novels that take on the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, but Perinot really gives it a perspective I had not viewed it from before. First, and again, you are seeing it through the eyes of a relative innocent in the court. There are a couple forewarnings for Marguerite, but she really has no idea what is coming, she just has a feeling that something is coming. You have the emotional revelation for her of being just a puppet on a string to her mother’s and brother’s political and religious game and the emotions of the heart too. This serves to color her reactions to the events in a way that would be markedly different than any story told from the perspective of her mother, Catherine, or her brother, King Charles, who were both deep into this political plan. And, the way the event is seen through Marguerite’s eyes lends a whole new intensely dramatic lens to the story. Very well done.

The Author’s Note at the end of the novel pointed out how thru Marguerite we see Catherine de Medici in a different light – that of the lens of the eternal mother-daughter struggle. For quite some time Marguerite is not privy to all of the behind the scenes machinations that Catherine is a part of but there is still that eternal teenage angst that keeps the tension between the two.

This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog following receipt of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Thea Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a stunning read....... simple as that, STUNNING!

Sophie Perinot is a new author to me but after read this gem of a book she's firmly on my radar now and I eagerly wait for what's to come from her in the future. She has a real and genuine talent for evoking those days gone by and recreating characters as they could have been while leaving them feeling true to who we think they are which is something I really appreciate in a historical author and novel.

It's 1500's France during the reign of Queen Catherine De Medici, one of the most powerful and dangerous queens ever known but this book isn't about her but about her daughter Margot and her rather disastrous love life. Margot has always known she would a pawn in marriage for her family and it's something she has accepted until she falls in love with the Duc De Guise, an unsuitable match for a Princess Of France, a man with a reputation. Promised in marriage to Henri of Navarre, a heretic king who Margot's mother needs on side for a promise of peace regardless of her daughter's strong feeling of dislike for the boy. The peace is a ruse with Margot's mother and brothers plotting something terrible that will come to fruition during her wedding and will forever be remembered as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Margot is forced to choose between her family and what she believes to be right for herself and her country.

I haven't really read much about the De Medici reign although I have been watching Reign on the TV so I am keen to find out more about that time period and the truths and realities of the time so I found this book to be a great place to begin. I really did feel sorry for Margot and her plight, with no choice in who she marries, being a pawn of her mothers she is forced to do what she's told or suffer the consequences. Saying that she did bring some of her troubles upon herself by not wanting to say goodbye to the notorious man she loves, even when the story suggests at time that his plans for her are less than the honourable one she would have for herself. Margot is a great character though, she well defined and intriguing, her story giving a great insight into the times and that tribulations of France at the time.

Perinot has a great touch with her characters as I said, they are all brought to life in vivid colour and are contained with a well-described and intensely imagined world that feels correct of the time and with the right vibe to it. Her language is used in such an incredibly descriptive manner that you can't help but feel all the emotion contained within the pages while feeling like you are there in their world. The pacing of the book is just right, just the right amount of speed with enough lulls in the pace to give you chance to catch your breath and catch up with your own feeling on what you are reading. It's brilliantly done.

In fact the whole book is brilliantly done and in my view is worthy of all the praise it gets. If you love historical novels then this is a book and an author that you really should read in my opinion as Perinot is just as good as the top names in the field as far as I am concerned. Definitely worth a try, so why not give this book a go!?!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Médicis Daughter will be released on December 1, 2015, and I highly recommend this book to any lover of historical fiction. Especially anyone interested in the Valois dynasty or Catherine de Medici.

This novel follows the young and beautiful Princess Marguerite, or Margot to her close friends and family, as she makes her way to the court of her brother King Charles IX in 1564. She quickly learns the unspoken rules of the court and the terrifying machinations of her powerful family.

Margot becomes a pawn, used by her family to create alliances or to bring warring families to heel. Her mother and her brother, the king, want to bring more power to their family and to increase the power of France. Margot becomes an unwilling participant in their quest.

The young Princess soon finds herself falling in love with the powerful Duc de Guise, a member of the royal court and heir to the Lorraine family. But despite their love for one another, he is not powerful enough for the King and his mother. So Margot is bargained off to Henri of Navarre, leader of the Huguenots and in the eyes of the ruling powers of France, a heretic..

During this time, France is divided and a fragile peace had been achieved with the marriage of Margo and Henri of Navarre. But this does not last. The story culminates with the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre where thousands of Protestants were killed by rioting Catholics incensed by the marriage of their Princess to a heretic. At the head of this revolt, and pleased with the outcome, are Catherine de Medici and the King of France. Which side will Margot take?

This story is told in first person, from Margot’s point of view. You are able to see life through her eyes and her emotions as she grows up in the court of her brother and used as a pawn at every turn. I don’t normally enjoy first person narratives, but I found myself truly enjoying Margot’s voice as she grew from an awestruck young girl to a formidable Queen in her own right.

The research was meticulous and while this is historical fiction, you can tell that the author truly took the time to learn about the people she was writing about and the time that they lived in. You were given a rich and descriptive display of what court life may have been like for Margot and her contemporaries.

I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and anyone who loves a good glimpse into what life was like back in the heyday of the 16th century.

[Sheree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and France's history in particular is rich, vivid and endlessly fascinating. I've read a few novels focused on the formidable Catherine de Medici but this was my first look at the early life of her daughter Marguerite and my first Sophie Perinot novel. Definitely a positive experience.

The story is told from the first person perspective of Marguerite (Margo) and her relationships with her Valois family are front and centre. Mother Catherine de Medici, brothers King Charles IX and Henri Duc d'Anjou (Anjou) ... what a viper's nest.

In this coming-of-age story we follow Marguerite from relative obscurity and innocence to a place at court, in love with the unsuitable Henri, Duc de Guise, a pawn in her family's power struggles and finally in political alliance her marriage to Henri, King of Navarre.

He smiles again, then looks at me questioningly. "Whatever possessed you to wear that awful wig?"
"The same demon, Sir, that goaded you to wear yellow."
"Your mother then."
I can't help myself: I laugh.

There is a real sense of Marguerite's growth as the novel progresses, fueled by the machinations and ill-treatment by her family, naivety fast becomes awareness and intelligence and a strong moral compass hold her in good stead challenging her family in doing what she believes is right.

Set during the throes of the Wars of Religion and culminating in the horrific Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre the slaughter of thousands of Heuguenots (Protestants) viewing this through Marguerite's eyes added a different perspective.

Well written and researched, Perinot does justice to the colorful and bloody history and its players.

I thoroughly enjoyed Médicis Daughter. Now to hunt down The Sister Queens, I don't think you can OD on French historical fiction.

[Lígia Bellini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always find fascinating to read about Catherine de Médicis and her family. Catherine was indeed the "Madame La Serpente". Her "reign" (because, she always manipulated King Charles) was full of schemes, libertinages and murderers. Margot was one of Catherine's puppets, to use and achieve whatever she thought was the best for her and Anjou. The reading is very interesting! I think the writer, was true to the history about the Valois. I just think that she made Margot, looks more like an "innocent" woman. I meant, whenever we read something about Margot, we learn that she was promiscuous. Afterall, Charles' court was promiscuous! But besides that, everything is good on the book! There're the "rumours" about the incest between Margot and her brothers, which Perinot, didn't forget to bring on the novel, and also the way the Valois use violence, against whoever (even on Margot) got on their path. Margot was called "wanton", but she was a strong and an intelligent woman. She did have strength to fight back, against her family. She was important on Henri de Navarre's rescue! Thanks to her, Henri got out of Paris and could reunite with the huguenotes. Henri de Navarre, was smart! He acted like a silly, country man, but knew how to act! Read about the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, is still something that makes me feel horrified. For me, that was one of the most awful Catherine's act! The novel is great, but I still think, that the series "Caterine de Medici" by Jean Plaidy, is perfect to know more about the Valois! History is always fascinating, and of course, each historian or writer, will have their own views about the facts and Perinot did a great job on "Médicis Daughter".

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 An engrossing, enjoyable historical novel of 16th century France telling the story of Margot, Queen Catherine de Medici's daughter. This novel refreshed and increased my knowledge of how evil royalty could be when their power was at stake; how female princesses were mainly assets to be bartered and traded and seemed to exist for little other reason; and I think most importantly how again religion plays such a role in world conflicts, i.e. the strife between French Catholics and French protestant Huguenots during that period. The period appeared to be extremely well-researched and was also extremely well-presented. Princess Margot had three brothers who were kings of France, all apparently controlled by their mother Catherine de Medici, indeed a very sly, conniving, and cruel lady. Margot was married to Henri, King of Navarre, although he was not her love and she was not at all fond of him; he eventually became King Henri IV of France and was responsible for much of great benefit to France. Recommend, definitely to history lovers.

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous novel full of political intrigue, scandal, and romance. I am a great fan of Valois France, and this book had me at hello! Chock full of courtly intrigue, scandalous affairs, and religious strife, I could not put this down . This author pays great attention to historical details and descriptions, making these characters come to life! And the ending...
I need more Valois France!!
Great author, great book!! I highly recommend any book by Sophie Perinot!!

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renaissance France was a time in history known as the rebirth of culture, including art, literature, and music. Medici's Daughter takes place during this rebirth. The Valois family included King Henry II of France Catherine de' Medici, Margaret was the sister of Kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III of France, and Queen Elizabeth of Spain . In this novel, though, King Henry II and King Francis II are already deceased and Charles IX is king but rules under his mother's thumb.

Margaret (Margot) is a young girl when the story starts and we see her grow up to be a young woman. Always trying to do what is right to please her mother, who is not easily pleased, especially of Margot. When she falls in love with Duc de Guise who was not a favorite of her brother King Charles or her other brother Anjou. She is forced to marry Henry, King of Navarre. The reason is for the peace between the Catholics and Huguenots. She expresses her desire to marry deGuise and is beaten by her brother's.

Peace does not come though as shortly after the wedding is St.Bartholomew's Massacre in which the Huguenots uprise in the streets of Paris supposedly instigated by Catherine de Medici. Margot saved her husband's life and convinced him to pretend to convert to Catholicism.

While reading this novel I came to like Margaret and really dislike her mother and brothers. After Margot came into her own and realized just how cruel her family was, was when I really started to like her. I love a strong female historical figure and it was nice to read about a sometimes forgotten woman in history. Medici's Daughter is filled with court intrigue, good secondary characters, and a love that was not meant to be. Historical fiction has always been my favorite genre to read and with authors like Sophie Perinot, it continues to be my favorite. I give it five stars!

[Bookish Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Médicis Daughter is historical fiction at its finest, weaving a unique coming-of-age story and a forbidden love with one of the most dramatic and violent events in French history.

There are multiple times when I find Margot playing second fiddle to her family members—given the biographies and historical fiction about her mother, Catherine de Medici, that have been released in the last few years—so I am delighted to find a novel dedicated to Margot. Of course, there’s always Dumas’ Queen Margot which has immortalized Margot along with her own autobiographies, but hey, a girl can always use more Margot particularly when she is such an intriguing character in her own right.

This novel actually covers only a part of Margot’s very exciting life—it is essentially a coming of age story. And what a coming of age story! Most of us struggle during our teenage years as we slowly form our own identities, indulge in budding romances that seem sweeter than honey because it is our first love, and argue with those who possess more wisdom than us. Well Margot goes through the same thing—except she also has to deal with one of the craziest families in the world, a religious war in the background, and she is asked to be bait for her family’s enemies as well as be a peacemaker. No easy task, particularly when Margot to eventually decide to become her own person as oppose her formidable mother’s willing pawn. Perinot does a fantastic job in laying out the family dynamics, the position that France is in internationally and domestically, the intricate politics, and demonstrating how Margot is actually pivotal to her country’s future while being a teenage girl. Margot undergoes tremendous growth as a character and I definitely see the very strong and charismatic woman emerge by the end of the book, which is a huge leap from the shy and approval-seeking girl at the beginning of the book. While Margot is far from perfect, she is very realistic without Perinot being overly sympathetic or biased towards her.

The novel is told from Margot’s POV, but Perinot fleshes out the supporting characters in an excellent manner as well as establish the various relationships Margot has with them. Everyone is complex and they are not evil just for the sake of being evil—again I come back to Catherine de Medici (amongst the many other characters). She often makes questionable choices regarding Margot’s life. Yet it makes sense, because Margot is the remaining princess of France that Catherine has to broker an alliance that will keep her (and her sons) in power.

The rest of the family are just as despicable or likeable or both, depending when and who. My favourite relationship is the one between Margot and Anjou, where they are the most devoted siblings at the beginning and eventually things take a much darker turn. When Perinot crafts relationships, she doesn’t merely just build them but they also serve a purpose in plot or development of a character. In this case, when the sibling relationship sours, it allows Margot to become more clear-eyed about her family and the intrigue that surrounds her as well as ultimately give her motivation to make the choices that she did to further the plot along.

Given that Margot lives with some of the smartest schemers and plotters of the era, I am thrilled to note that there are plenty of political partnerships, betrayals, backstabbing, and more betrayal that brings history alive. The tension between the Catholics and Huguenots is so thick one can slice it with a knife. I also really appreciate how Perinot makes it clear that both sides have fanatics and clearly lay out the foundations to the infamous St. Bartholomew's Day right away Margot’s marriage.

As I have mention, this book is a coming of age story hence the plot will be mainly driven by what is occurring to Margot and the events that have a direct impact on her life. While it is chronicling a teenage princess’s years, the plot is fast-paced and plenty events occur. There is never a dull moment as the political and family connections shift and the players in the religious wars become more and less powerful.

In fact, I love this book, Margot, her crazy family and Navarre (her husband) so much that I am let down by de Guise. A decent portion of the book is devoted to the romantic relationship between Margot and de Guise, and while I appreciate this relationship and how it helps propel Margot’s character into a worldlier one, I never find de Guise to be swoon-worthy. Of course, I also did not read this book for the romance and given that Margot is a teenage girl with hormones despite also being a princess who has very high stakes surrounding her, I think it is a minor quibble.

The only other quibble that I have is that Margot’s female friends are the only supporting characters who are not as richly developed as the rest of the cast. Their friendship is tight but as a reader I am told that they are best friends because they are best friends, and it is something that is not further elaborated on. I believe it is a pity since the female camaraderie is a refreshing change from most books where females are pitted against each other. While there are females (and males) that are pit against each other, it is never because of popularity reasons or looks; it is often for political necessity and survival, which makes much more sense the 16th century French Court.

While the book ends quite early in Margot’s life (right after a very eventful St. Bartholomew’s Day), it makes sense in terms of Margot’s character growth and the development of the relationships in this book. My biggest wish is that Perinot will write a direct sequel featuring this cast again; she clearly has a knack for explaining the intricacies of the era as well as the very real depiction of historical figures, and I sorely need more time with Margot who I have come to adore.

Also published at https://somethingbookishthiswaycomes....

[TJ West]

Warning:  Some spoilers for the plot follow.

Thanks to the great folks over at NetGalley, I recently had the chance to read Sophie Perinot's newest historical novel, Medicis Daughter, which chronicles the life and loves of Marguerite of Valois, the daughter of Catherine de Medicis who, through an advantageous marriage, would ultimately become (for a time) Queen of France.  The novel, however, focuses mainly on the time before her fateful marriage to Henri, the King of Navarre, a noted Protestant and thus key to her family's plans for holding France together.

At the time of the novel's opening, Marguerite's family has been beset again and again by tragedy, first by the untimely death of her father and then her eldest brother Francois, and her brother Charles now occupies the throne.  As a young daughter of marriageable age, Margot (her nickname) is a valuable pawn in her family's hands, and she is soon courted by kings and princes alike, including the King of Spain (the widower of Margot's sister) and the young King of Portugal, until she is finally married to her cousin Henri.

Marguerite is not always the easiest character to like.  While the entire novel is told from her perspective, there are times when you just want to slap her for the silly (and sometimes politically disastrous) choices that she makes, including her passionate affair with Henri, the Duc de Guise.  And yet, one can also not really blame her for some of the things she does.  Confronted with the reality that she cannot but do as she is commanded, that her life choices are constantly circumscribed by the men and women around her (particularly her brother and her mother), and even by the events that threaten to plunge all of France into continued religious chaos, she strikes out in whatever ways she can devise.

Thus, where the novel most succeeds is in showing the ways in which Marguerite resists (sometimes more effectively than at others) the whims of the people around her:  her often weak, vacillating, and vengeful brother Charles, her ardent and incestuous brother Anjou, and her terrifying mother Catherine.  Through ways both large and small, she attempts to make her own way, even when that means bringing down the wrath of her various family members upon her head.  For example, her brother Henri, overcome with his carnal desire for her, successfully turns her own mother against her.  Truly, this is a nest of serpents, and it is all Margot can do to survive.

While Marguerite is indeed the novel's center, I would suggest that Catherine emerges as just as compelling a character as her daughter, though the novel does not paint her in a very flattering light.  And yet, if one looks beyond the surface, one can see the ways in which the novel also wants us to, indirectly at least, understand the world that could produce a woman like her.  Having scratched and clawed her way into power despite all of the obstacles in her path, it is even easy to understand why Catherine would deny her daughter those same qualities.  She more than anyone else realizes the political necessities of the world they live in, and these realities have hardened her until she sees no other way to be other than political.  Denied love and any semblance of political power by her husband, is it any wonder that she will do anything to maintain it once he is dead and her weak sons successively occupy the throne?

While the novel focuses mainly on the young Valois princess's experiences, it does make clear the pivotal role that she played as the daughter of one of the great houses of Europe.  It is important to remember that the French Wars of Religion were some of the most tumultuous and deadly in European history, as almost everyone, from the highest monarch to the lowest peasant, had to choose which way to salvation they would take.  Marguerite thus becomes another pawn in the great games of power being waged around her, a fate that she attempts to resist even as she recognizes the limits of her own agency.

All in all, Perinot has managed to bring another historically underappreciated woman into the modern world, allowing us a glimpse into the way that her mind might have worked and how she might have encountered the world she lived in and experienced on a day to day basis.  Perinot, like other great historical novelists currently working today, allows us to see, and at least partially understood, this extraordinary Renaissance woman, and we can but hope that she will continue to chronicle the rest of Margot's eventul life in French politics.

Score:  9/10

This review also appears at my blog, Queerly Different

[Colleen Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find my full review at http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com.

As much as I love history and historical fiction, my knowledge of French history is just dreadful. It's not that I don't enjoy it, I actually find it quite fascinating, I just haven't read very much about it. Because of this I know only the very basics about the most infamous figures, including Catherine de Medicis, and so was eager to see what delicious new information I would learn within the pages of Medicis Daughter. I am so happy to report that Medicis Daughter not only ignited my fascination of the complex and manipulative Medicis but completely immersed me in a time and place I won't soon forget.

Medicis Daughter begins with our young heroine, Margot, coming to the court of her brother, Charles IX, and continues until shortly after the vicious massacre of many of the Huguenots who had come to Paris to celebrate Margot's wedding to her cousin, Henri of Navarre, in what is now known as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. While this time period only covers about eight years those years are chock full of manipulation, political intrigue and a rollercoaster of appeasement and fighting between the Catholics and Huguenots of France. Laced between these is the luxury of the court, its bed-hopping courtiers and the heady games of power and influence. With all this going on (and there is a lot of action and intrigue to delight in, perfectly presented by the author) the real heart of the story, to me, is much smaller: that of a beautiful, intelligent girl long held prisoner to her family's demands, threats and machinations finally learning how to break free, at least in part, from their control to become the woman of honor she longs to be.

I think one of my favorite thing about Margot (and really all of these characters) is that she isn't perfect, not even close. Sophie Perinot did an astounding job of making each character so well rounded and complex that they felt wholly real to me, not just glitzed up or vilified representations of what someone might want them to be. Not one character is completely good or bad, thought some fall pretty far towards the dastardly end of the spectrum. In Margot's case, when we first meet her she's quite naïve and pretty full of herself. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor, disheveled and ill mannered Duc of Navarre as she was just so mean to him when they were young and, truth be told, never seemed to care for him much throughout the story, even when she (seemingly begrudgingly at times) came to his defense and saved him from an almost certain death. Even the passionate romance between Margot and the Duc de Guise wasn't over romanticized, but was real and raw and painful at times like real love can be. And, best of all, we get to witness not only Margot's voice but her very character shift and grow as she learns that even those she thought she could trust could let her down and she needed to look within her own heart and mind to determine what actions she would take and what sort of person she wanted to be. This very human element within these larger elements of historical fact is what really grabbed me and kept me glued to the pages.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my two favorite characters within the novel, Margot's two best friends, Henriette, Duchesse de Nevers and Charlotte, Baronne de Sauve. They both added a wonderful note of levity throughout the story and were always ready with a sardonic comment or observation to entertain Margot as well as the reader. Both were quite adept at seduction and taught Margot how to maneuver her way through the lascivious yet religious court and ultimately get what she wanted even within the barriers set up by her family. They also gave her two people to turn to and lean on when she had no one else she could safely turn to. I would love to see one of them, especially Henriette, get her own story as I think both have a slew of potential as main characters.

Medicis Daughter is a delightful yet heartbreaking story of what one must do and sacrifice in order to survive a court like that of Charles IX, especially with the vice-like influence of a conniving woman like Catharine de Medicis. I feel a need to read more about this court, the Medicis and Margot herself as I'm not quite ready to let them go just yet. Thank you to Sophie Perinot for introducing me to a whole new section of historical fiction to now become obsessed with (move over Tudors)!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. Having recently read the non-fiction book "The Rival Queens" by Nancy Goldstone I was able to enjoy this novel even more as all the key players were fresh in my mind and I was truly able to appreciate the author's decisions behind certain character portrayals. Nothing stood out as being overly embellished for the reader. The author did a good job of adhering to the historical record as much as possible without sacrificing her story. It was a very well-written novel.
However when reading it one must remember that it is historical fiction and not unfiltered historical fact. The author has chosen to solidify certain speculations that historians have whilst choosing to disregard others. This is another reason I am glad to have recently read "The Rival Queens" about Marguerite of Valois and her mother Catherine de 'Medici. It means I was able to clearly see what was speculation and gain a better understanding of WHY certain things had been rumored (such as the relationship between Marguerite and her brother Henri). Of course the author is forthcoming about such things in her author's note too, which I always appreciate.
The main body of the story focuses upon Marguerite before her marriage to Henri of Navarre. The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre occurs towards the end of the novel and therefore the marriage of Marguerite and Henri was not explored in this novel (I was a little disappointed by this in truth). We are introduced to Marguerite as a girl, just joining her mother's court, and we get to see how Marguerite is treated by her family. We gain insight into the nature of her brother Henri of Anjou and her brother the king, Charles IX, not to mention her mother Catherine de 'Medici.
I think the author did a wonderful job in her portrayal of Catherine. Writing from Marguerite's perspective it could have been very easy for the author to demonize Catherine, but she didn't. Not to say that she isn't portrayed as completely self-serving and somewhat cruel, because she is, however she isn't made to look like a she-devil (as she often thought to be; "La Madame Serpent").
Marguerite herself is portrayed as a girl trying to find her way in a court full of lies and secrecy. Truly this is a coming of age story about Marguerite and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. She is searching for something or someone that will give her validation; she is desperate to feel needed. Her family takes advantage of this and use her to suit their own needs, in ways even more extreme than you would expect (because let's be honest, all princesses are born to serve their family's needs). The Duc de Guise becomes Marguerite's rock and for the first time she feels wanted for who she is and not for what she can do for someone. This relationship makes up a large part of the novel and it goes a long way to shaping Marguerite into the woman she becomes.
Overall I really enjoyed this novel and I felt a connection to Marguerite that was missing from my non-fiction reading (this is why I love historical fiction). I just wish that more of Marguerite's life was explored and I had hoped for a sequel, but the author's note gave a summarized version of later events so unfortunately this won't be forthcoming.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow, this book has managed to capture my attention! I was truly excited to read this book, since I love the tv show Reign. The Valois were such an interesting family, especially with Catherine as its head.

What I liked most about this book was the character development. Sophie Perinot truly let the beautiful Marguerite evolve from a girl into a woman. It was very well written. You could see how much influence Catherine as her mother had on her personality. La Serpente, whose character was also displayed powerfully.

I was intrigued by the characters. Of course by Catherine, who would not be intrigued by her? I also loved the turbulent relationship between Anjou and Marguerite. And then, the Duc de Guise, well, he was not always my favorite I might say. I guess the lad was just too ambitious for my taste. I fell in love with the guy who Marguerite did not seem to love as much, the King of Navarre. He was very sweet and gallant, I would marry him a thousand times over Guise. I did like that Marguerite became more tolerant towards him in the end, and started to protect him.

All in all I am super happy to have read this book. I sincerely hope there will be a sequel someday. I rated this book 5/5 because I could hardly wait to come home and pick this book up. It kept my attention from the first word and I enjoyed every second of it.

Oh, and I would surely not like to be Médicis Daughter...

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Medici's Daughter Renaissance France was a time in history known as the rebirth of culture, including art, literature, and music. Medici's Daughter takes place during this rebirth. The Valois family included King Henry II of France Catherine de' Medici, Margaret was the sister of Kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III of France, and Queen Elizabeth of Spain . In this novel, though, King Henry II and King Francis II are already deceased and Charles IX is king but rules under his mother's thumb.Margaret (Margot) is a young girl when the story starts and we see her grow up to be a young woman. Always trying to do what is right to please her mother, who is not easily pleased, especially of Margot. When she falls in love with Duc de Guise who was not a favorite of her brother King Charles or her other brother Anjou. She is forced to marry Henry, King of Navarre. The reason is for the peace between the Catholics and Huguenots. She expresses her desire to marry deGuise and is beaten by her brother's. Peace does not come though as shortly after the wedding is St.Bartholomew's Massacre in which the Huguenots uprise in the streets of Paris supposedly instigated by Catherine de Medici. Margot saved her husband's life and convinced him to pretend to convert to Catholicism.While reading this novel I came to like Margaret and really dislike her mother and brothers. After Margot came into her own and realized just how cruel her family was, was when I really started to like her. I love a strong female historical figure and it was nice to read about a sometimes forgotten woman in history. Medici's Daughter is filled with court intrigue, good secondary characters, and a love that was not meant to be. Historical fiction has always been my favorite genre to read and with authors like Sophie Perinot, it continues to be my favorite. I give it five stars!

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago, I read The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot and I really liked it. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read her latest novel, Medicis Daughter. And let's face it--The Medicis are great fodder for storytelling anyway. I am happy to report that once again Perinot brings her 'A' game. She transports you back in time to France during the 1500's to a country full of religious turmoil.

Princess Margot has been brought up to basically be a pawn in her family's political board game. She is taught "To be a woman is to wait, to stand in the background, to accept your life is governed by others." And that is what she does--for the most part. That is, unit she falls in love with the Duc de Guise. Which aren't in Catherine Medicis plans. Her family will stop at nothing to separate the forbidden lovers.

Margot has a love-hate relationship with most of her family. They only really seem to love her if she's useful to them. Also (fair warning) her relationship with her brother Anjou is a bit too close for comfort. However, Margot is not the simpleton her family thinks she is. She's smart, cunning, and she gives the Medicis a run for their money.

I really enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book. The characters, the plot, the time period. Sophie Perinot does historical fiction right! She makes you care about the characters and their fate. I didn't want the book to end. If you haven't read any of Perinot's book, I strongly urge you to. You won't be sorry.

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