The Autumn Throne

“The Autumn Throne,” is the final book in the Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy by author Elizabeth Chadwick. It chronicles Eleanor’s imprisonment, her release, to her eventual death in 1204. It was a good conclusion to the trilogy. As sad as it was to say goodbye to this historical queen it was time to move on.

Pros

I like that we see Eleanor become closer to her granddaughter Richenza and its obvious she becomes her favorite granddaughter. I like that we see more of William Marshal the knight that served Eleanor and her sons Henry and Richard. I can’t wait to read Chadwicks books about William Marshal. They are already out so I eventually I will put them on hold at the library. The way Eleanor’s story ended was sweet.

Cons

I felt that the chapters chronicling her imprisonment were so long. I know Henry released her for certain occasions but by a certain point in the book I was over it already. It was also sad how they never truly reconciled but that’s part of history. In one part of the book it mentioned Eleanor felt a short lived feeling of love for Henry that she thought was gone for good.

Overall

It’s a wonderful conclusion to a great trilogy. Whether you know about Eleanor of Aquitaine or not I recommend this if you’re a lover of history. While the book could have been condensed a bit I enjoyed it overall. I can’t wait to read more from Elizabeth Chadwick.