4th title in ACCURSED KINGS
This is the fourth novel in Maurice Druon's saga of the French monarchy from Philip the Fair to the reign of his grandson, Edward III of England, and does not disappoint from its exciting and finely researched predecessors.
After the sudden death of Philip's eldest son and heir, Louis X, the succession is thrown into turmoil as multiple claimants to the throne struggle to seize power for themselves, and the rival factions are prepared to go to any lengths to achieve their ends. Meanwhile, in Avignon, the cardinals bicker and plot but still fail to agree on who should be elected the next Pope - a vital necessity for the ruthless and bold plan of Philippe of Poitiers, the late King's brother, to succeed. In the background, threading through the main thrilling narrative which leaves the reader on the edge of their seat, is the continuing bitter-sweet love story of Marie de Cressay and the Italian money lender's nephew Guicci Baglioni.
This is historical fiction at its finest.
