Status Updates From Isabel the Fair

“The people in East Anglia are beginning to have more sense. They know that our wool is the best in the world & are setting up their own looms. But even when I tackled those numskulls in Parliament about it only Aymer de Valence of Pembroke had the wit to see or the honesty to admit that that is why Norfolk & Suffolk are becoming the richest counties in England.” ….And lo, I don’t give a flying fuck. 🤭

—“The time seemed so long. I thought my father would never die.”
—“It was not so much more than two months really,” mused Gaveston. “The poor old king died almost directly & you were able to summon me home again. And during all that summer of thirteen hundred & seven your people were coming from London to Paris so that I was always able to keep in touch with you.”

…The whole book is like this. 😑

…….I’m already bored. That’s not a good sign.

Not my favorite medieval era, but that cover is vintage perfection. Please take a moment to admire the unusual color scheme & beautiful lines. 💛💜 There’s no signature, but Edward’s shadowed scowl & the swirling diagonal lines lead me to suspect it’s Tom Hall.

An enjoyable read so far about Isabel the fair ! I’ve always liked Margaret Campbell-Barnes writing of historical fiction

Edward and Isabel are individually disasters. Edward is an idiot and goes to extremes when he's driven by emotion (love, anger). Isabella is vain and selfish, and comes out with this horrible, horrible gem: "I would sooner he [Edward] had it [the Plantagenet temper]. I would not mind if he beat me - so long as he were strong and passionate!" (Location 873)

Only one chapter in, but already quite liking the way the author is handling the relationship between Edward II and Isabella of France - there's affection there, but also a mismatch.