Julie's Review: Medici's Daughter

Author: Sophie Perinot
Series: None
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Slow to get started but worth it in the end
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: Winter, 1564. Beautiful young Princess Margot is summoned to the court of France, where nothing is what it seems and a wrong word can lead to ruin. Known across Europe as Madame la Serpente, Margot's intimidating mother, Queen Catherine de Médicis, is a powerful force in a country devastated by religious war. Among the crafty nobility of the royal court, Margot learns the intriguing and unspoken rules she must live by to please her poisonous family. Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot accepts her role as a marriage pawn, even as she is charmed by the powerful, charismatic Duc de Guise. Though Margot's heart belongs to Guise, her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce. But the promised peace is a mirage: her mother's schemes are endless, and her brothers plot vengeance in the streets of Paris. When Margot's wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul. 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. ~amazon.com  

Review: Medici's Daughter is a tale of intrigue, betrayal, loyalty, lust and love with a good amount of history within it as well. It always hard for me to remember that the young women in these novels are as young as 13 when they are married away for political or religious gain. Margot is different because she's a bit older when she's married off to bring peace between the Catholics and Protestants. It is a long road for her before we get to that point in Margot's life.

This is very much a coming of age story even if it is within the confines of a treacherous court. It is also a book about war and political/religious alliances. Family doesn't mean what it means to you and me, it's about what you can gain from those familial ties. I wouldn't want to be Queen Catherine's daughter or sons for that matter. Both of her brothers use Margot for their own various reasons but her brother Henri gave me the chills from very early on in the book. Something just wasn't right with him. It's not like King Charles was much better. He suffered from "episodes" which mad his moods tricky to  and meant his mother did much of the managing of the country. So in some ways, King Charles was just a figure head.

What is wonderful about Margot is that she follows her heart and her conscious. She is young but learns quickly and has good friends she can rely on. Early on in the novel she has a lot to learn about the way politics works and strives for her mother's approval and love. As she grows older she realizes she's a pawn but that she can control it to a certain extent.

I love that she remains loyal when her heart is tearing out of her chest. I was disappointed that the one person she loved with her whole heart ended up being a complete arse. I should have seen it coming but I kind of thought I might get a happy ending. I should have done a little research before reading instead of after.

I think that's what I like about Historical Fiction, is it makes me Google an event or a person that I didn't really know much about previously.

If you are looking for a solid, historical fiction set in France, then Medici's Daughter is for you.




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