De Duivelse Koningin: Een roman over het leven van Catharina de Medici

by Jeanne Kalogridis, Mieke Trouw-Luyckx (Translator)

Geen vrouw is in haar leven zozeer belasterd als Catharina de Medici. Geboren in 1519 in het geslacht van de De Medici's, de beroemde Florentijnse familie van machthebbers, wordt ze al op jonge leeftijd betrokken bij allerlei politieke machinaties. Ze wordt gevangengezet door vijanden van de familie en uitgehuwelijkt aan een prins, die later koning Hendrik II van Frankrijk wordt. Haar rol als koningin is omstreden: was Catharina een koude, meedogenloze moordenares of juist de meest competente monarch die Frankrijk heeft gekend?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, France, Italy, Royalty, 16th Century

480 pages, Paperback

First published July 21, 2009

About the author

Jeanne was born in Florida , and has been interested in books ever since. Her interest in language led her to earn an M.A. in Linguistics. She taught English as a Second Language for eight years at The American University of Washington, D.C., before retiring to write full time.

She now lives in California with an overly adored Labrador retriever. Her outside interests include yoga and reading everything ever published.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jeanne...

Reviews

[Orsolya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of Catherine de Medici was anything but ordinary. Luckily for us, this drama makes for solid historical fiction novels. Jeanne Kalogridis focuses on this remarkable woman beginning with her childhood in, “The Devil’s Queen”.

The pages of “The Devil’s Queen” instantly draw the reader in with an onslaught of exciting and dramatic events; resulting in a fast pace and compelling plot. The problem with this instant bombardment of events is that there are many characters featured without proper introductions (and no genealogical table) which will confuse those readers unfamiliar with the time period and figures involved.

Another issue with all of the constant-revolving events is that the novel is told in first-person narrative and Catherine is not always at the frontlines of the action. Therefore, she always happens to be at the right place at the right time to overhear prime information, or is eavesdropping, walks into conversations, etc. This is distracting and also quite unbelievable concerning how the reality would have naturally occurred.

On the other hand, Kalogridis presents a layered look at Catherine’s life with vivid visuals instead of focusing on historical fluff. Yes, there are liberties taken but overall the novel is a rich insight into the history versus the fiction, making “The Devil’s Queen” a very strong novel. A warning though: one of the central themes which Kalogridis over exaggerates for shock value is one of magick and the occult which isn’t appealing to all readers.

“The Devil’s Queen” features broken chunks of missing time in Catherine’s chronological life plus in her character development. She jumps in maturity from one chapter to the next but her growth, psyche, and inner feelings aren’t explored. A large number of major events occur but her possible reactions aren’t revealed. Although I like objective historical stances in HF novels; it felt like Kalogridis didn’t always understand her own character.

Surprisingly, “The Devil’s Queen” is not overly predictable or with too much foreshadowing. In fact, the novel is actually quite a page-turner begging the reader to find out what happens next. It is simply a very gripping novel.

Although not for everyone; heavy descriptive detail pleases me. However, Kalogridis sometimes expedites too much of it slowing the story in such a manner that perhaps her plot was stalled and she instead decided to offer setting details. It can’t be said that the story isn’t illustrative, though.

As “The Devil’s Queen” progresses, Kalogridis gives more thought to the occult theme. Although this interferes with the genuine history; it also shows Catherine as a multi-dimensional character which is in accordance with her true self. Kalogridis does well in making her ‘real’ processing both positive and negative traits instead of slipping too far in either one direction. Accompanying these historical liberties are some inaccuracies (for example: calling Mary Tudor “Bloody Mary” when she wasn’t called this until after her reign). These are relatively minor, however, and aren’t too taxing on the enjoyment of the novel.

The final quarter of “The Devil’s Queen” is noticeably poorly executed. There is a dragged-out buildup to a future climax which is painfully slow and very boring in comparison to Kalogridis’s style until this point. The reader will want to yell, “Get on with it!” Despite this slower pace, readers will understand the events leading to the St. Bartholomew Day Massacre with more clarity. However, the conclusion is very anti-climatic and the ending is weak (and even slightly fluffy). Kalogridis does include a brief Author’s Note in order to set some facts straight. I stress “brief”, so don’t expect much detail.

Even though “The Devil’s Queen” has some flaws; it is readable, exciting, and heavy on the history. Kalogridis emphasizes politics more so than the lusty love lives of royalty which is a relief. The novel is much better than many of the HF novels currently available and is a suitable source on Catherine de Medici. “The Devil’s Queen” is recommended for all interested in Catherine and in this time period.

[Lori Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love her books and this one didn't disappoint!!!

[Misfit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Jeanne Kalogridis puts her own spin on the life of the infamous Catherine de Medici in The Devil's Queen. Left orphaned and extremely wealthy, Catherine's early life was marred by revolts among the Florentines against the de Medicis. Once the revolts are over her hopes to rule Florence are forever dashed when her uncle the Pope marries her off to Henri, the second son of the French King. Disenchanted with Catherine, Henri soon turns to the older Diane de Poitiers for comfort and the childless Catherine becomes increasingly desperate to conceive a child before she is cast aside - and that includes resorting to charting the stars and casting spells. Henri's older brother dies leaving him heir to the crown and Catherine destined to be Queen, although de Poitiers is the one who will remain the power behind the throne. Despite success at finally conceiving (thanks to the black-arts), the predictions of Nostradamus and Ruggieri of the fate that awaits Henri and her children continue to haunt her dreams and she will take any steps to protect them no matter what cost, and the story finally culminates with her daughter Margot's marriage to Henry of Navarre and the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre.

Alrighty, that storyline should have enough meat on it's bones to keep a reader riveted don't you think? Not, but then it's probably just me again - it usually is. My problems start with the use of the first person narrative, effectively hemming the author into a very limited point of view. To witness certain private events the author had to invent situations wherein Catherine could observe them and worse yet - when Catherine is not involved in the action she is recounting history to the reader - so that we're being told and not shown and I found myself nodding off on a few occasions. A genealogy chart and/or cast of characters is sadly missing, how many average readers are truly familiar with the period and it's players? Something to refer back to would have been very helpful and I thought it a bit presumptuous not to include it. As for the sex, it's not over the top, but at times I felt it a bit too gratuitous - and there were way too many instances of it being done from the back side. Less is more.

Also and anyone correct me if I'm wrong but according to other books I've read and Wik, there were four sons who ruled - where in the hell was Henri the third son? Did I read a different book again? For the most part Kalogridis appears to stick to known history, although there are two plot twists (which I will not divulge) that are rather far fetched IMHO, and unfortunately the author does not address them in her meager 1 1/2 page author notes as to what historical basis she has for including those in her story. Get it from the library if you must, I'm glad I did. A very very generous three stars. Honestly I think you're better off with Dumas - try The Two Dianas and La Reine Margot.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to make a Queen who shoulders the blame for a religious massacre sympathetic, so Jeanne Kalogridis doesn’t try. Instead she goes the complete opposite direction. Giving us an unsentimental Queen who would commit any atrocity to save herself or someone she loves. Even as a girl she is already murdering and dabbling in black magic. For those of you unfamiliar with Catherine de Medici, the Italian born duchess was reduced to living in a convent after her family was deposed in Florence. In a true Cinderella story she marries the second son, Henry, of King Francoise of France. She ends up the Queen of France, and though a mere figurehead during her husbands rule, she has a great influence over the reigns of her sons. Because Catherine ruled France during such a tumultuous time, (religious upheaval, civil wars, weak kings), her reign was marked with political gaffes and intrigues, the most notably, The ST. Bartholomew’s Massacre leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of Huguenots (French Protestants). Never faltering and with clear determination, Catherine meets rivals for her husbands heart and traitors seeking to claim the throne.

Kalogridis’ Catherine is decidedly evil which makes for entertaining story telling and is historically probable. The author doesn’t try to excuse any of Catherine’s behavior, but she does give us fictionalized back story to try and establish her motivations. Since Kalogridis is prone to dramatics and excessive detail, (she’s also known for a lively look into the family of Dracula) let me say that if you’re looking for historical accuracy, this probably isn’t your novel. But if you’re looking for a spirited read that enlivens history into Catherine’s time, The Devil’s Queen is an excellent choice. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’d like to add that I was fortunate enough to pick up the audio version read by Kate Reading. Reading delivers a commanding Queen, and is pure magic to listen to. The French words are pronounced perfectly (to my English ears) and her pacing is spot on.

[Elizabeth Sulzby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frieda Leonie has written an excellent history of Catherione de Medici based on deep research. I gave it 5 stars and highly recommend it to people interested in Catherine de Medici and the Valois lineage of French rulers. I have read a few reviews of Kalogridis's book on Goodreads and am afraid this historical novel (The Devil's Queen: A Novel of Catherine de Medici) may be closer to a "Philippi Gregory" tale than to a historically based novel. At first, I decided not read it but to skim it. With the starting of the TV soap-opera casted and written program Reign, I decided to read this book and finally assigned it 3 stars.

I finally read the novel, The Devil's Queen in November 2013. It is an interesting book and has much of the history of Friedo Leonie's book. The novel appears to be based on much of the documentation of this history with two large differences. In the novel, pages and pages are based on Catherine's meetings with astrologers and other students of magic throughout her life. In the history, it is barely mentioned and the characters of the astrologers and Nostrodamus are not mentioned. In the novel, the author says she only depicted 5 of the children because it would "take up too much space" to have the others born. Ironically, her history deals with the births and names of all Catherine's children on ONE PAGE.

In contrast, Leonie's is a real history, full of facts, relationships, and events that filled the long life of Catherine de Medici who became queen (consort) of France's Henri II and then was the queen regent of three of their sons during the era of France's Religious Wars. Fortunately, there are numerous records, letters, and memoirs from this era. This Italian descendant of the de Medici family was hard to "marry off" in France because she was not of royal lineage, but from a "merchant family." The book begins with a summary of the Medici family but did not stress the contributions to the arts by the family, especially Lorenzo "The Magnificent." Catherine herself continued the family history of sponsoring the arts.

Catherine de Medici was treated as an evil manipulative queen and she certainly was manipulative, including using her voice and statements to ingratiate herself when needed. Childless for 10 years, she then rapidly had 10 children and she made certain that her sons inherited the crown but she was the real ruler of France. As Freida portrayed her, the real period of evil was the Massacre on Saint Barthalomew's day in which Huguenots and Royal armies battled gruesomely under her rule. Prior to that time she had led to many treaties that were intended to pacify the land. Frieda distinguished the treaties that allowed for freedom of religion and, later in Catherine's reign, freedom of thought.

While Catherine was regent during their youth, she continued to rule and advise her sons long after they reached a normal age of rule on their own (18 usually but "contracts" could set different ages). While her Catholicism would have led her to support Mary, Queen of Scots, she and England's Queen Elizabeth communicated quite often and with respect near the end of Catherine's life.

I would urge anyone really interested in the Medici's, this era, and Catherine de Medici to read the interesting Frieda Leonie history rather than this novel. But for an overview that is not too much diverging from history, the Kalogridis novel is OK, in my judgment. It has enough untwisted "content" for 3 stars and the writing is interesting.

[Veselina Stefanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Интригуваща, исторически достоверна и увлекателна. Представя кралицата не като чудовище, виновно за Вартоломеевата нощ, а като жена със съвест, колебания и разкаяния. Препоръчвам.

[Nilo0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

همیشه تاریخ سلطنتی انگلیس خوندم و دوست داشتم اما کاترین دو مدیچی هم هم‌زمان با دوران هنری هشتم، مری و الیزابت اول انگلستان بوده.
کاترین به جادوگری، اخترشناسی و طالع تولد معتقد بوده و کشتار سن‌بارتلمی باعث شد به شخصیت معروف بشه، در‌حالی‌که از باهوش‌ترین ملمه‌های فرانسه بوده.
تاریخ رو همیشه دوست دارم و این کتاب هم خیلی قشنگ بود.

[Inita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Līdz galam nepavilkos uz to misticisma līniju šajā darbā. Darbs bija it kā interesants, bet kaut kas pietrūka. Varoņi bija kā fons vēsturiskajiem noteikumiem, bet nešķita organiski.

[JR Hassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘“Madame’, he said gently. “You and I understand each other well, I think – better than the rest of the world understands us. You and I see things others do not. Too much for our comfort.’” The words of Monsieur de Nostredame to Madame la Reine – Catherine de Medicis, Queen, Consort of Henry II, King of France 1519-1589 to Catherine during one of his visits before being removed for an astrologer.

The Devil’s Queen was fond of astrology and much of her life, Catherine De Medici practiced the art whenever possible. Her childhood friend, Cosimo Ruggieri, was the son of Bernozzo a physician and psychic. His date of birth is unknown, but appears to be about the same as Catherine and both are from Florence. Cosimo, the magician, would play a deep and abiding role in Cathrine’s entire life. From amulets to spells, Cosimo watched over and loved Catherine from afar for most of his life.

This version of Catherine’s life is uniquely different from any other I could find. And the reviews, for the most part, failed to give Author Kalogridis credit for her unique approach to a much written subject.

Cosimo gave Catherine a black stone with a bit of greenery – the Wing of Corvus Resing held the power of the raven’s star and the wing would shelter her from harm. Although she died before Cosimo, Catherine depended on Cosimo for comfort, guidance, and the necessary spells to provide heirs, escape harm, and keep her family in power. Was the Saint Bartholemew massacre fate, or a result of Catherine’s actions? Read The Devil’s Queen and decide for yourself.

[Susan]

Another book fed to the hungry Kindle!

This novel covers Catherine de Medici's life from her girlhood until shortly after the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. The occult plays a heavy role in it; Catherine has visions from an early age, and at a desperate time in her life resorts to an act of black magic that will have terrible repercussions for her and her family.

On the whole, I enjoyed this novel, which was told in the first person. Kalogridis made Catherine sympathetic, for all of her flaws, and the writing is quite vivid. I also liked the portrait of her husband and of the bitchy little Mary, Queen of Scots.

Catherine's visions, with all of the foreshadowing they entailed, became tedious after a while; as Catherine repeatedly learned that Something Really Bad was going to happen, I found myself muttering, "Well, let's get it over with, shall we?" When Something Really Bad finally did happen, i.e., the massacre, it almost seemed anticlimatic, as if the author, who'd been quite descriptive up to then, suddenly ran out of steam.

That aside, this novel did keep my Kindle flipping, and I enjoyed getting yet another perspective on Catherine and the French court during this period.

[Alexandra Dav · Rating 5 out of 5]

M-am gândit că o să fie interesantă din descriere, dar a fost mai mult de atât: am iubit-o de la bun început.
N-am știut prea multe informații despre Caterina, dar m-am documentat la finalul lecturii și pot să zic că, în linii mari, cartea a respectat realitatea.

Stilul de scriere a fost extrem de plăcut. Nu au fost introduse descrieri lungi și plictisitoare, limbajul nu a fost pompos, iar ritmul acțiunii a fost alert în mare parte. Chiar dacă e stufoasă, se citește repede.
Personajele principale au fost construite frumos, suficient de detaliat încât cititorul să le înțeleagă motivațiile și nu numai.

Pe Caterina am iubit-o. Dacă ar mai fi vie azi, aș vrea să o îmbrățișez.

[Dorina Danila]

E un roman incredibil. Mi-a placut mult, l-am citit fara sa ma pot desprinde de el, cu toate astea spre sfarsit am incetinit ritmul fiindca nu vroiam sa se termine. Am scris mai multe pe blog: https://dorinadanila.com/2017/01/14/r...

[Jean Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been awfully spoiled recently with plucking books off my shelves that are awesome. Warning, there be some spoilers.

My knowledge of Catherine de Medici is very basic. I know the vague outline of her life and reputation and always was a bit sympathetic to her because, let's be honest, she really did draw the short straw in life and made the most of a crappy situation time after time.

I enjoyed that this story began with the sack of Rome, when Catherine was a child and built up to the Massacre of St. Batholomew's Day, two of Renaissance Europe's most dramatic events in a time that was marred by dramatics. I also enjoyed how the author really focused on Catherine not only as a sympathetic character but also showing what's stained her reputation in a better light; and by this I'm referring to her dabbles in the occult and astrology and how that played a roll in her life in both Florence and France and her abilities a queen consort and later as regent.

I also really enjoyed how the author related her relationships with those around her from her uncle the Pope, to her father-in-law, husband, and sons as well as a little touch on relationship with Mary, Queen of Scots and her husband's mistress Diane de Poitiers. Kalogridis does a fantastic job of balancing her natural sympathy towards Catherine with keeping as realistic as possible in that Catherine did some questionable things, like her dabbling in the occult, but she did them for a reason: to protect her own and children's rights to the crown. I adored how the lead up to the Massacre played out; as it was rather clever, believable, and for what I know thus far (based on minor research and lectures from this past spring)rather accurate.

I really enjoyed Kalogridis' style of writing and definitely plan on reading the rest her historical work in the future and I highly recommend her.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this better than I remembered. The author cleverly used just enough real history to make this work. It was well done and enjoyable.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magic, sexual escapades, court intrigue, death, war … The Devil’s Queen A Novel of Catherine de Medici by Jeanne Kalogridis has it all. Despite this fact, I am left wondering what I got out of this book. There were times in the book where I was turning the pages fast desperate to know what would happen next and other times where I was immensely bored and wondering when something interesting would happen. Sometimes I felt a connection with the protagonist other times I felt there was something lacking in her, that she was slightly two dimensional. I’m not sure what was missing in this book. The story and plot line were fascinating. The ideas were great. I don’t believe there was much historical fact to the story line and that most of it was fiction, but that is to be expected in a historical fiction novel. I was also left at times disturbed by the some of the characters in the story.

The imagery used to describe dreams, visions, magic, and clothing were spectacular. They were filled with vivid details and allowed one to truly see those scenes. Those aspects of the book were brilliant and well done.

After reading The Devil’s Queen I am left with a neutral feeling. I don’t dislike the book, but I am not raving about it either. I feel it is an fascinating read and had it’s good points, but it wasn’t one where it held my interest the entire time and it felt a little slow and drawn out.

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a historical romance and if you are a fan of this genre of novels, I would recommend this book to you. I am not a fan and for that reason I did not finish the book.
It starts out with Catherine Medici as a 8 year old in Florence and I managed to read through the trials and tribulations of her childhood (I am not sure how accurate the story is) and through to the start of her marriage. Not having finished the book I cannot say at what point in Catherines life it ends.
I read this book hoping that it would be a regular historical fiction novel that would tell me about the Medici family. It did not fulfill my hopes.

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil’s Queen is a fascinating look at a controversial figure. While some assumptions are perhaps on the exaggerated side, one cannot dismiss the fictional imagination of Jeanne Kalogridis for delivering such a vivid, encompassing tale. Full review you can find on my blog:https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com/...

[Elysium]

DNF page 201

I was just so bored..

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine de Medici is a child of the infamous Medici family, rulers of Florence. After rebels topple the family, Catherine is forced into captivity. Even though Catherine is eventually rescued, her life will never be the same. As a daughter of the Medici family and niece to the Pope, Catherine is forced to become a political pawn in her family's schemes. She is sent to France to marry the unwilling Prince Henri. In France, Catherine continues her odd childhood fascination with astrology and gets pulled into the intrigue at the French court. When, by a twist of fate, Catherine becomes Queen of France, she will do anything to protect her children and the crown... anything.

The Devil's Queen is definitely not for children. It includes graphic depictions of sex and violence. The sex, in particular, is highly graphic and included primarily to give the novel a romance edge. While there is some aspect of romance in this novel, it's a fairly minor subplot, most likely included to draw in more readers.

The biggest centerpiece of this novel is the discussion of Catherine de Medici's involvement in witchcraft and astrology. While it seems like the market is being flooded with historical novels about witchcraft, Jeanne Kalogridis approaches the topic in a seemingly fresh manner, filled with vivid (and sometimes gruesome) depictions of rituals and well-researched information about the superstitions Catherine de Medici believed.

While The Devil's Queen was entertaining and kept me reading, it felt like it was a little lacking. First, while Catherine felt like a realistic woman with real emotions and reactions, I just wasn't completely pulled in by her. In fact, I was most interested in the story when Kalogridis talked about Catherine's witchcraft than any other part of the novel. Catherine does become more compelling as the story goes on, but for most of time I simply didn't find Catherine all that fascinating. I just wasn't entirely pulled into her story or her character - I didn't quite feel her emotions or become engrossed in her life. I actually thought that many of the secondary characters were more interesting than Catherine. Kalogridis did an amazing job of creating complex, dynamic secondary characters, but at the expense of pushing the main character out of the reader's focus.

I also felt like at times the Catherine de Medici that I read about in The Devil's Queen was hardly the same Catherine de Medici that I've heard about before or was alluded to in the book's marketing material. The Catherine in The Devil's Queen wasn't quite as deadly or as "evil" as I expected her to be (or even, at times, as much as she thought she was). For example, when her husband, King Henri, carried on a long affair with another woman, Catherine silently accepted it and did nothing to exert her power -- even after King Henri ended the affair, the mistress was able to keep a great deal of power and influence -- and Catherine did nothing. Thankfully, Catherine comes out of her shell after the death of her husband and takes on a stronger role as France descends further into war. While this is the strongest area of the novel, it takes far too long to get to. Once the reader gets there, the story is over before Catherine, and The Devil's Queen, can reach its full potential.

The Devil's Queen isn't a bad novel. It's very well-researched and written in a clear voice that's easy to understand and enjoyable to follow. However, the text is uneven - ranging from edge-of-your-seat intrigue to painfully boring (and seemingly unnecessary ) sections that should have been edited. The plot also becomes muddled at times with little discernible direction. This one is great for historical fiction and historical romance fans and for readers interested in medieval witchcraft. The story points to a future of potentially phenomenal novels, but Kalogridis just isn't there yet.

[Elizabeth Mueller · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is rated R for horrible acts of violence done to a young pregnant girl and her unborn babies as well as secret murders, the queen's marriage consummation, and a sexual scene watched from a distance.

Curious to read how someone would write about such a person, I purchased this book several years ago. The author did a sumptuous job of writing this wicked queen's life. I am impressed with how she wrote through a child's point of view all the way to her older years. It was smooth and painless. The author had done great research to express such painstaking detail of the French Renaissance down to the last detail of political unrest.

Despite the spectacular writing skill, I cannot convince myself to accept that Caterina was an innocent. Not in the slightest. Sure I empathize that she lost her parents when she was young. It truly is heartbreaking! I feel awful how she lost all her children as well as the twins who were killed within her womb in order to save the queen's life.

I, too, have done extensive research on this queen...

Caterina was a stalwart Catholic. She marched in the name of her church no matter the cost. She ordered the murders of every Protestant noble (called Huguenots) at her daughter's (Margot) wedding called St. Bartholemew's Massacre. She didn't stop there! Her obsession of "cleansing" the Catholic Church in France did go as far as using black magic--what true follower of Christ would condone such vile acts?

Again, though this book is beautifully written, I cannot find favor in someone like her enough to glorify it in writing--the writer went as far as creating book club questions that provoke sympathy! It's like trying to write Hitler's story and convince the readers that he was gentle at heart and had a tragic childhood (which he did) to overlook all he did.

Would I recommend this book? Not really.
I had purchased this book but could not bear to have it in my home--I tossed it into the recycling bin!

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating romp through the history of the Black Queen that ultimately enabled one to understand the limits (or lack there of) of power, love and loyalty. As a character I enjoyed Catherine, her childhood clearly demonstrated how loyalty and the need for love shaped her as a woman. This was my first foray into historical fiction and I'm glad that I had a god experience. This book is action packed from the beginning to the end which keeps the pace of the story moving. The astrological references throughout the book was novel and made the storyline even more interesting. In terms of the relationships that Catherine has with her husband, sons and even Astrologer, there were moments of frustration. These relationships demonstrated her weakness; these men limited her intelligence and power even though she surpassed them through other means. Altogether, it was a good novel and I enjoyed the ending. I understood her compassion for the massacre, the reasons she resorted to alternative methods to keep her life but I disagreed with the regret she felt at the end. All her life she had been fighting to keep this life, her bloodline in power and in the end the regret seemed out of place and out of character. A great look into the splendor, wealth, deceit, sacrifices, manipulation but ultimate love that prevailed in Catherine's life.

[Kristina Andreeva · Rating 1 out of 5]

Започна интересно, но очевидно не е моята книга. Може би заради това, че повечето факти от живота на Катерина вече знаех и ми се струваше, че действието се разточва твърде дълго. Не бих казала, че стила на авторката е суховат, въпреки това. Вероятно просто съм я започнала в грешен момент.
Както се очаква от един кралски двор, все има интриги и политика. Тук беше включена и фентъзи нотка, която ми допадна. Образът на главната героиня обаче не ми се понрави - усещах я прекалено наивна, прекалено нерешителна и пасивна, а това определено разрушаваше представата ми от сериала Reign, заради който исках да прочета книгата. Заради него знаех и по-важните части от живота й, за другите беше лесно да се досетя. Книгата може и да представя по-голяма достоверност в събитията от един сериал, но определено предпочитам Катерина от Reign много, много повече.
Книгата дори ми досади по едно време, карайки ме да я чета по "вентилаторната система" и накрая да мина направо на епилога.
Който харесва подобен тип исторически романи, разказани от името на главната героиня и проследяващи най-вече любовните терзания и мъката по изгубените деца, клюките и машинациите в двора, би му допаднала. На мен ми дойде в повече.

[LibraryCin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note that this review is for the abridged audio. Catherine de Medici, in the mid-16th century, went from Italy to France to marry, and she later became queen. Her husband much preferred his mistress, who was old enough to be his mother, to Catherine.

Unfortunately, this book had a double whammy against it – audios don’t always hold my attention (though some, I have no problem with). And, just after I checked it out from the library, I happened to notice it was abridged. Sigh. Why…? Why bother making them abridged! Now, I have read a bit about Catherine de Medici, but not a lot, so it’s sometimes hard to remember the people and how they are related to each other. This can be harder to follow in an audio book, but even worse in an abridged audio where there are huge parts that seem to be skipped over (or, in the case of this historical fiction, huge chunks of time, anyway).

So, this is more a review of the abridged audio (not worthwhile), than of the book itself. Also, one of the “books” I’ve read about her was a trilogy. So, if one author had to write 3 books to cover her life… this is already narrowed down to one book, but not only that, the one book is abridged! I hate abridged. If I’d had another audio book lined up and ready to go, I might have switched.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me this book was an example of a really good historical novel. I read some interesting books about the France during the civil war in the middle of the 16th century, such as the “Young Henry of Navarre" by Heinrich Mann and "The master of all desires" by Judith Merkel Riley. But they had portrayed Catherine de Medici as a plotting, scheming force behind the bloodshed in a war between the Protestants and the Catholics. In the "Devil's queen" we see a very different Catherine de Medici, a queen who was desperately in love with her husband, Henry the II, only being replaced by a Royal Mistress, a ruler who had to work behind the scenes to keep the country together and to secure the Valois monarchy despite the weak sons, who took the crown and failed one after another. This book has it all, the real sense of time, the intrigues of the Royal Houses of Florence and Rome, Spain and France, the power struggle between Mary Stuart and Catherine de Medici and the terrible events of the St Bartholomew's Day massacre. This book does not pretend to be more than it is, a solid historical fiction

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing that bugged me was the lack of a family tree, as had been included in the author's earlier "The Borgia Bride"; in that case it would have been fine without, but not so for this family and their repetition of names. This book started off slowly, and while there were plenty opportunites for an interesting story, the twists (if you can call them that) were minimal and the book ended up being too long for its own good. There were interesting tidbits and facts scattered throughout, but for some reason "The Devil's Queen" just didn't compare to "The Borgia Bride." The author's drawn-out descriptions of underage sexual activity were unsettling -- I get that marriages occured early back then, but an 11-year-old (maybe the character was "older" at that point, as in 12) having trysts? Come on! Kalogridis is a fine writer, but I sometimes feel like she gets too obsessed with marriage consummations.... Other than that, "The Devil's Queen" gives a good idea of the politics and court intrigue in 1500s Italy.

[Sara Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorite historical novelists hits the mark perfectly with this thoughtful, passionate look at a woman historians love to hate. While never trying to excuse Catherine de Medici's actions, Kalogridis employs her creative vision backed up by meticulous research to reveal a woman of great strength and determination trapped within a web of political intrigue and imposed values. The result is a riveting visit to a world too-often obscured by false assumptions. Get comfortable before you start reading this one because you truly will not want to put it down.

[Annelies - In Another Era · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik heb nog eens boek uit en wat voor een. Pure gedetailleerde historische fictie, goed geschreven. Zalig!

Over Catherine De Medici valt niet veel goeds te vertellen. Maar elke waarheid heeft meerdere kanten. Ik las al eerder een boek over de oudere Catherine tijdens de Bartholomeusnacht, maar dit boek brengt haar volledige verhaal.

Vooral haar jeugd in Florence vond ik uitermate boeiend, net als de eerste jaren aan het Franse Hof. Ik heb nog ontzettend veel inzichten over dit tijdperk opgedaan, ook al wist ik al wel wat.

Kalogridis is een goede historische schrijfster. Ze schrijft sfeerrijk met aandacht voor historische details zonder daarbij het verhaal te verliezen. Dus niet te fluffy en niet te droog, ergens daar tussenin. Just how I like it!

Ik vind het ook echt mooi hoe ze Catherine menselijk kon neerzetten zonder dat het een verheerlijking werd, want laat ons eerlijk zijn heel sympathiek zal ze niet geweest zijn.

Zoals in haar andere boeken neemt Kalogridis af en toe wat vrijheid en voegt ze elementen toe om het verhaal spicier te maken, zoals magie in dit verhaal. Ook aan het einde maakt ze meestal een bocht om het verhaal mooi af te ronden. Dat doet ze ook hier, maar het stoorde me niet.

Het is wel nogal een verhaal, ik deed er best lang over en voor iemand die niet heel veel achtergrond heeft kan het misschien allemaal wat veel zijn. Maar ik vind het een must dat we over de Bartholomeusnacht blijven schrijven en nadenken.

[Ashley Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember the Medici name from European History courses but this is the first time I've read anything in-depth about a particular member of the family. Catherine comes across as a fascinating individual.

[brisingr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really been into historical books lately, and it might be just a funny coincidence that my latest reads in this genre both regard the same queen: Catherine de Medici. Known under a lot of different names, including Devil's Queen, why not, she is the one behind the massacre on Saint Bartholomew's Night, that ended up in thousand of deaths and with a change in the french dynasties.

I really liked this book, and I especially like the fact that here is depicted her whole life, from the moment when she was just a young girl living in Florence, under the protection of her aunt (which I loved terribly), but never out of danger, as a civil war had her imprisoned for a big part of her childhood. You see all the steps of her evolution, the way she had to come to terms with what others decided for her future, the way she grew cold and ready to sacrifice anything for what she thought was right. You see her becoming the queen that had to be fierce enough to make others listen to her, but kind enough to receive the love and adoration a monarch needed for a peaceful reign.

I like Catherine de Medici as a historical figure in general, but I especially love when she is depicted in books, when it's used the first person narrative. I feel close to a person that otherwise is nothing but a cold portrait in a long row of rulers. I admire her for her determination, for her desperate search to love and to find happiness. She was the most human of all, in her sometimes purely egoistic needs or wise decisions. I love her both as a ruler that did her best, as well as a woman who had to survive in a world that listened only to the word of the men.

But this book is more about the mystic Catherine, the astrolog and believer in magic Catherine. Here, the history is closely related to "devilish" practices, to blood sacrifices, to magic charms. Here, life can be bought by demons and given to those who are brave enough to make the "right" thing. I still don't know if I liked this aspect of the book, or not, but it felt weird to me. The story, real story, suddenly lost its realism by adding this detail, and unfortunately, I am looking for that realism in the books I am reading.

But 'The Devil's Queen' made me feel something, made me think of the characters' situations and analyze them closely. It sucked me in, left me breathless and desperate to know more, even if the main ideas were already known by me. It felt like a race against time, in hope I will get to the ending faster than the story itself, so maybe I could bring a change. It was that kind of intense reading, that makes you forget you're actually reading, and deems you unable to do anything else besides thinking of what's next, when you're not reading.

The author's style is also very fitting for these kind of books. Maybe a little simpler than I expected, it was obvious that the writer made their homework, as the terms regarding astrology and royal matters were impressive. Also, for some of the sadder scenes (because unfortunately, such a few rulers managed to be happy during their lives!), I felt the pain just as strongly as the first time I found out about them, for even with a simple style, the writer still managed to stir something inside me. I could feel the exact same raw feelings as the characters; somehow a link between me and the story & characters was created. And even now, after I finished reading the book, I am still stuck in that world. I disliked a few of the details at the end of the book, and this might be the greatest disappointment this book brought me: the ending. There are a few things that I could complain about, but these aren't as important as the good things this book managed to bring to the world.

Catherine de Medici still has my love and admiration, and so does this book, for it managed to portray the queen pleasantly.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book not knowing much about Catherine de Medici, besides the fact that the de Medici family was extremely powerful in Italy at the time. Now, I want to learn more about this strong woman.

I don't know where to begin... Catherine's life is a mess. Her parents died when she was very young which forced her to be raised by her aunt, who served as a pseudo-'regent' Catherine and her cousins in Florence. Her father had been made Duke of Urbino by his uncle the Pope but her mother was a cousin of King Francis I of France. In Florence, Catherine - or Caterina - was called duchessina "little duchess" in reference to her unofficial claim to the Florentine throne. When she was 8 years old, a group of rebels overthrew the Medici family in Florence and held Caterina captive. But right before these events, Caterina was visited by a magician and astrologer, Cosimo Ruggieri. Ruggieri promised to protect her and through his various mysterious ways, made sure she was taken care of while in captivity. She survives, lives with her uncle, Pope Clement for a time in Rome and returns to Florence.

Here is where it got weird for me. Caterina was unofficially promised to her cousin, Ippolito, who was at least 8 years older than her. Okay. This was not uncommon at the time. But then they get back to Florence, 19/20 year old Ippolito decides to make a move on his 11 year old cousin. And she is so infatuated with him, because of his good looks and the attention and "love" he gives her that she has never had, that she goes whole-heartedly into this, even when the Pope and her half-brother tell her that she should not trust him. They are all over each other in ways no 11 year old should be. Then finally as they are about to have sex for the first time (which Ippolito pressures her into), Caterina finally realizes he is doing this not out of love but to make sure that they will marry (he wants her to get pregnant, like, NOW) and they will therefore have Florence. She manages to push him away and Pope Clement marries her off to King Francis' second son, Henry.

Oh! and Caterina, since she was a little girl has dreams of a bloody and dying man calling out to her for help. She does not recognize the man and he calls her "Catherine."

However, she soon finds this man when he meets her husband to be.... or does she?? She adapts to her new home, taking on the French variation of her name and dressing in their fashion. Ten years go by and she doesn't have a child. Her place in France, in her new family, is threatened. Catherine convinces her loyal and good friend, Ruggieri, to help her and together they perform a magic so dark it changes the history of France. And things get much worse from there.

My favorite character - and I cannot say this enough - was Cosimo Ruggieri. His loyalty and devotion to Catherine is unbelievable. He is so wise. But all Catherine sees is his "ugly" appearance. But he brings so much more. Whatever it takes, whatever she asks, he will do and he doesn't seem to expect anything in return. He is just.... I don't know how to describe him. Ruggieri is just such a wonderful character waiting in the wings but when he is present I feel like the story comes even more to life...... Do I have a crush or something?? ....?