The Autumn Throne: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Middle Ages Queen of England

Loved the tale of Alienor from beginning to end. This series is remarkable and very detailed about her life and the things that she loved and didn’t

A beautiful conclusion to this tale of Alienor of Aquitaine. Rich and vibrant details bring to life the golden years of her life. A powerful novel about a woman who possessed and exercised great power in a time when most women were treated as little more than chattel and brood mares.A tiny point of irritation for me is the changing of the name of Alienor's motber-in-law and daughter from Matilda in the first novel to Mahelt in the second and third. I can assume it was done because they would have Germanized their names when they married, but the lack of acknowledgement left me confused since the other name changes are acknowledged and reason given. However, this is merely a point of literary irritation and doesn't detract from the story overall.As Ms. Chadwick closed up all the loose ends of Alienor's life, the one missing piece of the puzzle are her first two daughters with Louis. They are acknowledged during the betrothals of Richard and Alais (oddly not a problem with Harry's marriage, despite the same blood ties), but only insomuch as their being half sisters to both bride and groom. Another nod is given to them when Alienor laments that she had borne ten living children and been predeceased by eight of them. However, once she ended her marriage with Louis, it as though her first two children ceased to exist for her. This seems strange for a woman so fiercely loyal to her family, but perhaps her knowledge that they would have been married off and left her soon made it easier to just forget they existed. We see the end of the story for all of Alienor's other children; it's curious that not even note of their deaths is made. Again, not really a detractor from the overall beauty of the story, just food for thought for my curious mind.All in all I have to say two thumbs up to the Eleanor of Aquitaine novels. They are vivid, colorful depictions of the time period and the events surrounding the key players in Europe. I enjoyed almost every moment of it...the little twinges to my editor's soul over the Matilda/Mahelt inconsistency being the only downside... and that's nothing, really.

An excellent well told tale. There are areas that seem to be fantasy which is why the books didn’t receive 5stars. Still, I wouldn’t hesitate to read the trilogy again nor recommend it to a friend. Brava Elizabeth Chadwick. I shall miss you and Ailenor!

Elizabeth Chadwick brings these long dead people back to life in a wonderful way. This third bookreally shows Eleanor's true strength. She loves very intensely and protects her children the same.A perceived threat is taken care of. If people truly know the history of this time period they realizethat she was centuries ahead of her time and has to do some things she would rather not. I tracemy genealogy back through Eleanor through her unpleasant son John and through her daughterMahelt. I know some of the information here is true and some historical fiction and take it as such.It has been interesting reading about this time period because I found so many of the people in myfamily tree coming alive such as William Marshal, Roger Bigod and others. I had my tree checkedby an expert in the field and he said it is not unusual to see this during a far back time period becausethere were so many fewer people at that time compared to today. It literally was a small world.I liked this book of the three the best. It shows Eleanor as a prisoner and how she would not givein to Henry to ease her own lot, it shows a Mother's frustration and love with her children, and itshows her as a person who does what needs to be done at the time whether she really likes it or not.A person of integrity at a time when there were few around her like that save William Marshal.

This is the third and last book of the series on Alienor (aka Eleanor) of Aquitaine. It begins when she is imprisoned by by her husband King Henry who flits from one young mistress to another. He tries to get Alienor to move into a convent and free him to marry his current mistress, but she refuses.Alienor is portrayed as a strong woman way ahead of the medieval times in which she lived. She challenged men and stood up for what she wanted or thought was right. Alienor was also strong when she became the Dowager Queen. She knew how to fight for her lands and who she could rely on. She was physically strong too, as she traveled by horse long distances in bitterly cold weather even as an old woman.Alienor also defended her children through thick and thin. I found it interesting to see her emotions as she saw the tensions and arguments between her sons Richard and John. Like many mothers, she wanted to believe in the goodness of her children. She defended John even when he was conniving against her favorite son Richard and mistreating others.I also enjoyed reading about her tender relationships with grandchildren and friendships with various women and William Marshall.

I am so impressed by how good this trilogy was. I wasn’t sure all three books could hold my interest but they did easily. A wonderful tribute to an amazing woman. A great story. Compelling history. Loved all the books!

This is the final volume in the author's trilogy of novels on Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is as colourful as ever, as befits the subject matter of everything surrounding the Angevins. However, from a narrative point of view, a weakness of this autobiographical novel is that Eleanor (called Alienor here, as that is what she would have actually been called) spent much of the time from the early 1170s until her husband Henry II's death in 1189 in captivity in Sarum, with occasional permitted visits to Winchester for the Easter or Christmas court, and therefore cannot be a witness to many of the dramatic events of the time, so many chapters and scenes have to come to an end with a messenger coming bringing her the tidings of dramatic events which she perforce cannot experience herself. The author is intimately familiar with the details of the Angevin period, however, so this necessary absence does not detract too much from enjoyment of the novel. Eleanor of Aquitaine is like a force of nature, wife to two kings, one of France, one of England, mother of two kings of England and powerful Duchess in her own right, a woman who lived into her 80s in an era when few men or women lived much beyond their mid 50s, outliving nearly all of her children and seeing her grandchildren grow up. Emotionally absorbing stuff.

did not like the amateurish writing style. did not like the story- it was sadistic in the extreme and lacking in genuine emotion. The story was clumsy, characters shallow, and demoralised. The aim, if it was to show the lack of justice in early English time, did not get relief from the final outcome from the clumsy way the novel was written, without tension, and only predictable bland conversations- little scene setting or literary narrative. very poor, and not like previous Ken Follet novels I have read and enjoyed.

I have waited for this final book in the Alienor Trilogy and it was so worth waiting for. What should masterpiece. I think this is my favourite Eleanor if Aquataine book. It showed her so indomitable, strong and courageous. It also showed her softer side. So many books show her as not caring much about John, only that he was her son but this book showed the actual love she bore all her children, especially Richard. I have never read before how she reacted after Richard's death. It was heartbreaking and you could feel her pain. This book showed that she wasn't as stoic as I always believed, she did show her feelings. So heart rending that she bore ten children and buried eight of them. A lot of pain and sorrow followed her throughout her life. It was true what Richenza said, she will always be remembered. Wow what a lady. I will visit her effigy and those of her family one day. Their tombs and bodies being destroyed is disgusting. A very beautifully written book. Thank you Miss. Chadwick.

Elizabeth Chadwick is always a joy to read. Her research is so thorough that her books are a pleasure and an education. She brings historical people vividly and realistically to life, so that the reader is completely caught up in the narrative. I was especially thrilled to see "Ja Nus Hons Pris" referenced , as I have it in my own music collection. Five stars plus!

The last book in Elizabeth Chadwick’s Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy seemed to be a long time coming but was well worth waiting for. It completed the story of Eleanor’s life from her incarceration in Sarum by her husband Henry II as punishment for, as he saw it, inciting their sons to rebel against him, and the end of her life in 1203. Following Henry’s death and her subsequent release, she in fact becomes more powerful than ever in influencing various events including Richard I’s imprisonment, his later death and younger son John’s ascent to the throne as well as well as influencing many other events in Europe. I love Elizabeth Chadwick’s writing as she succeeds in bringing medieval life so brilliantly.