The Rival Queens

Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal That Ignited a Kingdom

By: Nancy Goldstone

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

The riveting true story of mother-and-daughter queens Catherine de' Medici and Marguerite de Valois, whose wildly divergent personalities and turbulent relationship changed the shape of their tempestuous and dangerous century.

Set in magnificent Renaissance France, this is the story of two remarkable women, a mother and daughter driven into opposition by a terrible betrayal that threatened to destroy the realm.

Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for 30 years. Her youngest daughter, Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.

When Catherine forces the Catholic Marguerite to marry her Protestant cousin Henry of Navarre against her will and then uses her opulent Parisian wedding as a means of luring his followers to their deaths, she creates not only savage conflict within France but also a potent rival within her own family.

Rich in detail and vivid prose, Goldstone's narrative unfolds as a thrilling historical epic. Treacherous court politics, poisonings, inter-national espionage, and adultery form the background to a story that includes such celebrated figures as Elizabeth I; Mary, Queen of Scots; and Nostradamus. The Rival Queens is a dangerous tale of love, betrayal, ambition, and the true nature of courage, the echoes of which still resonate.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.©2015 Nancy Goldstone (P)2015 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"With compelling storytelling, Goldstone colorfully weaves together the tales of these two women...whose powerful personalities and deep allegiance to France helped shape the country's future." ( Publishers Weekly)

"[Goldstone] spins a tangled tale of rivalry, ambition, and, especially - for the rare women leaders of the time - sheer self-preservation...Goldstone has a remarkable handle on these often Byzantine royal machinations. History brought to vivid life in the characters of these women of purpose." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Attention, Game of Thrones fans: The most enjoyably sensational aspects of medieval politics - double-crosses, ambushes, bizarre personal obsessions, lunacy and naked self-interest - are in abundant evidence." (Laura Miller, Salon)

History tells true drama

Loved this book that told the story's accurately yet did not get into gruesome detail.

Interesting but of History

very informative. the performance is a bit dry but as its less of a story and more of a fact by fact list it makes sense.

Two Amazing Woman and Conflicted Women!

Any additional comments?

The Medici Family is a favorite study of mine and this book does a spectacular job at bringing Catherine de Medici and her family to life. Well done and highly recommended!

Great read when truth is as entertaining as fiction!

I have read many historical fiction and non fiction recounting a of the story of these two queens and this is by far the best. A non fiction that is as entertaining as fiction. Narration was perfect with the footnotes included as ironic asides for the delight of the contemporary reader. Sorry it's over

Wonderful analysis of two fascinating women.

The subject matter is so compelling, and the juxtaposition of these two misunderstood historical women is truly revelatory.
The performance was so good I contrived to do menial chores to keep listening.
If you like good historical biography and find the era of 16th century Europe as fascinating as I do you will love this!

Engaging and persuasive

I read this in preparation for visiting the chateaux at Chambord, Blois, and Chenonceau, and Goldstone’s narrative history certainly helps me understand two of the most important French queens who lived there or wished to do so. I learned much more about the 16th-th C. Protestant-Catholic disputes/wars than I anticipated. I highly recommend this book.

An excellent historical drama

Well read, with The listener provided a window into the characters and their time in history.

Good but judgemental

After visiting many of the key locations in both of these women’s lives I’ve read/listened to quite a lot about both of them and would note the author has a relatively heavy hand on the scale as far as the readers perception of Catherine versus Margot.

I still think it was interesting to learn about more about Margot but would recommend Leonie Frieda’s biography of Catherine to anyone interested in learning more about her as well. There is a narrative established here that takes away the context of a lot of her more controversial actions.

Additionally, I think it could be difficult to keep track of events if I didn’t have that additional context.

Fascinating but not what I expected

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed and appreciated learning about history from the point of view of two women since women's stories are far too often overlooked. However, from the description, I was expecting to read about the direct conflict between a mother and daughter who took on unprecedented leadership roles; this book is more a lesson about the 16th century religious conflict in France that happens to explore said conflict through the stories of two women who played key (but not necessarily definitive) roles. Since many of us are familiar with the religious conflict in England through the reigns of Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, it was certainly interesting to learn how the same struggle played out among their French contemporaries.

great book

I loved this book. it was well written and very informative and engaging. I didn't know much about Margaret de Medici before. the narrator is one of the best I've heard so far.