‘This is the original game of thrones’ George R.R. Martin
From the publishers that brought you A Game of Thrones comes the series that inspired George R.R. Martin’s epic work.
France became a great nation under Philip the Fair – but it was a greatness achieved at the expense of her people, for his was a reign characterised by violence, the scandalous adulteries of his daughters-in-law, and the … daughters-in-law, and the triumph of royal authority.
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This is the first book in a series about the kings of medieval France. The book first visits the prison where we meet the Knights Templar. The king, Philip the Fair, found his treasury bare. He had already milked the Jews for every last penny, but he also knew that the Knights Templar had riches that were ripe for the taking. In a sudden move, Philip’s troops moved in and rounded them all up. Most of the troops were murdered, but the four of the highest rank were imprisoned, tortured, tried and condemned to death. We follow along as these broken men are loaded into a tumbrel and brought to Notre Dame for sentencing. We watch as Philip’s men stack the faggots of wood high on the Isle of Jews and erect the stakes on which they will breathe their last. And we hear the head of the Templars utter his prophetic curse on the Pope, the Keaper of the Seals and the King himself. We watch through the spring, summer and autumn until early winter when the prophecy is fulfilled. The author does a superb job of telling this tale, making his readers feel every tremor of dread.
Les Rois Maudits tells the story of the last direct Capetian kings of France, among many other things. The underlying theme is how the hatred of one Robert d’Artois, who obsessively tries to recuperate his inheritance, the county of Artois, will eventually lead to the Hundred Years’ War between France and England.
Before we get there, we encounter publicly castrated and quartered young noblemen, a strangled captive queen, the demise of the Templars whose last Grand Master curses King Philip the Fair and his descendants down to the thirteenth generation (hence the title of the series), the (presumed) poisoning of an infant king, just a few days old, the murder of the homosexual English King Edward II by the introduction of a red hot iron into “the place with which he hath sinned,” and many, many other cruel and extra-ordinary occurrences.
Druon weaves through these historical events the personal, and this time fictional, story of a young Lombard banker, which serves as a contrast, and a comparison, between the life in higher circles and those in more mercantile environments. It helps to make the picture complete. And plausible, if not factually true. At the same time it’s the weakest part of the series.
Maurice Druon has the gift to make history and historical figures come to life. Partly it’s his style of story telling, partly it is by imbuing his characters with understandable personal motives and logical — not to mention well-researched — reasons of state. At times you’d think Philip the Fair was more the CEO of the Capet family business than the king of France.
For me personally it finally explains why some reviewers see similarities between George R.R. Martin’s far more successful Games of Thrones, which I haven’t (yet) read, and my own Dark Tales of Randamor the Recluse. This is not the place, but if you want to know more, I’ve written a blogpost about it on my website, Ximerion: http://www.ximerion.com/bb-mystery-solved
The Templar curse begins.
Excellent book! What a brilliant author. King Phillip IV called the fair or the Iron King of France was made into a flesh and blood man. Excellent book looking forward to reading the rest of the series
This series of books was fascinating and never grew dull. Was sorry to finish the last in the sero.