Blood, Fire and Gold: The story of Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici

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BLOOD, FIRE & GOLD is an enjoyable read that examines the relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici. There are periods of history that demand more exploration, and this is certainly one of them. Estelle Paranque sets the scene with a brief historical runup to the period. Included in this framework is the Catholic/Protestant battle, Italian wars, patriarchy, territorial claims, alliances, and royal succession and legitimacy. Readers can imagine these as balls that 16th-century monarchs must juggle.

Mary, Queen of Scots makes a heavy appearance in “Blood, Fire & Gold” standing as the middle man and thorn in both women’s sides. This coverage of Mary is completely (and abruptly) cut off before reappearing in the final chapters of “Blood, Fire & Gold”. Paranque’s “Blood, Fire & Gold” also suffers from repetition in of facts; slowing the pace and being taking away from any pizzazz held by “Blood, Fire & Gold”.

A smart and stylish portrait of two of Europe's most remarkable rulers, a compelling profile of female power and - that rarest of things - a truly original book about the Tudor period' Jessie Childs A fascinating, detailed look at the personal and political relations between Elizabeth and Catherine as they sought to promote the interests of their respective countries and religions."― New York Journal of Books On March 9th, 2022, Martin revealed that he was considering the title Blood & Fire for the second volume. [11] Contents

Blood, Fire & Gold is a nonfiction piece about the correspondence between two Queens in the 16th century: Elizabeth Tudor of England & Catherine de Medici of France. Two Queens who are subjected to many legends, and fame, or infamy, depending on which region you are from. Upon ascending the throne, Elizabeth held a strong exchange of letters with the Queen Mother of France throughout her lifetime, revealing a complicated relationship. A relationship that shows a little bit of everything: vulnerability, scheming, hard-headedness, betrayal, and even trust. What made their working relationship a challenge was both their different viewpoints on religion and how to rule. Estelle Paranque comes here to reveal the intimate details that brings to life the two most powerful female rulers of that century. Catherine de Medici, the Orphan of Florence, is from one of Europe’s most powerful families. She was by no means insignificant, regardless of her loss of family. The niece of Pope Leo X, she became another piece on the chessboard of European diplomacy. Her marriage --- like so many other children --- would be used to build alliances across the continent. For the humble teen, her family name and Florentine heritage made her a valued commodity, particularly to the future King of France, Henry (not to be confused with the English Henry). As Queen, Regent and ultimately mother of the King, Catherine would remain one of the most influential voices in France for almost 40 years. At San Diego Comic Con 2018, Random House made a poster available featuring the Targaryen family tree that will appear in Fire & Blood. They additionally provided a signup link for their mailing list giving access to a PDF of the family tree. [16] While this version of the family tree contained several errors, [N 2] the family tree was later republished in a finalized version and released online as PDF, from which all errors were removed. Bursting with fresh perspectives, this is a vibrant retelling of a story you thought you knew' Dan SnowAn excellent choice for both history buffs and listeners who are interested in feminist history and the lives of women rulers."― Library Journal