y separately published work icon Birth of the Plantagenets series - author   novel   historical fiction  
Issue Details: First known date: 2013... 2013 Birth of the Plantagenets
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1
y separately published work icon The Young Lion Blanche d'Alpuget , Sydney : HarperCollins Australia , 2013 5994458 2013 single work novel historical fiction

'Geoffrey the Handsome is the virile and charming Duke of Normandy, who seduces Queen Eleanor of France to spy for him. Said to be the most beautiful woman in Europe, and very rich, Eleanor has not been able to give birth to an heir for France. Her liaison with Geoffrey could remedy that – or lead to her downfall and Geoffrey’s death. But what begins with cool calculation becomes a passionate affair. Despite his love for Eleanor, Geoffrey has larger plans: to help his warrior son, Henry, seize the English throne from the uncle who usurped it from its rightful heir, Henry’s mother. When Henry is forced to intervene to save the lives of his father and Eleanor, he falls foul of the French queen – and madly in love with her Byzantine maid. Should he become King of England, however, this dazzling foreign girl will never be acceptable as his queen.

These two relationships – both forbidden, both perilous – are at the centre of a tale of consuming ambition, family vengeance and political intrigue set in the glorious flowering of troubadour culture, mysticism and learning that is 12th-century France.' (Source: Boomerang Books website)

2
y separately published work icon The Lion Rampant Blanche d'Alpuget , Sydney : Third Advent , 2014 7722158 2014 single work novel historical fiction

'It is 1154 and Henry Plantagenet avenges his family honour by taking back the English throne from Stephen the Usurper. The kingdom he inherits is impoverished, lawless and broken by years of civil war. By his side is the beautiful, wealthy and indomitable Eleanor of Aquitaine. Combining forces, this golden couple use their charisma and shrewd diplomacy to crush rebellious barons and restore England's prestige and glory.

'However, an equally ambitious financial magician is needed to restore the royal treasury. Opportunistic Thomas Becket answers the call, using his appointment of Chancellor to fill not only the King's coffers but also his own. In a dance of ambition, vengeance and forbidden passions, Henry, his Queen and the Chancellor fight for political power and control against forces seen and imagined, each with their own agenda, each determined to hide their own shameful secrets.' (Publication summary)

3
y separately published work icon The Lions' Torment Blanche d'Alpuget , Edgecliff : Ventura Press , 2019 14976781 2019 single work novel historical fiction

'The third book in the compelling Birth of the Plantagenets series follows the battle for dominance between Church and Crown. England's Archbishop of Canterbury is dying and with him the power of the Church. Seizing his chance, King Henry II sets out to enforce the rule of law that he has painstakingly established to bring violent, corrupt and criminal clergy before his courts. The ever-scheming courtier, Thomas Becket, uses his mastery of deceit, sycophancy and wit to undermine the monarch and the Plantagenet dynasty. Should Becket be elected as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, to the fury of Queen Eleanor and Empress Matilda, he will be one step closer to being applauded as England's strongman. A story of ambition, jealousy, rebellion and downfall, The Lions' Torment follows Henry, Eleanor and Becket in an era of political flux, betrayal, and vengeance that leads to one of the most scandalous and tragic murders in history.' (Publication summary)

4
y separately published work icon The Lioness Wakes Blanche d'Alpuget , Paddington : Ventura Press , 2020 18131616 2020 single work novel historical fiction

'England, 1171. Thomas Becket is dead, beheaded at the altar of Canterbury Cathedral. As news of his assassination spreads across the country and into Europe, Henry's reputation as a just and mighty king begins to disintegrate.

'Eleanor, no longer loyal, nor in awe of her husband, instigates the revolt she has craved for years—with Henry's three eldest sons as her allies against their father. Yearning to dethrone him and to gain power and liberty for herself, she beings to stir trouble at court.

'But when Henry discovers the plot, will Eleanor be strong enough to withstand his outrage? The punishment for treason is death. And what of the empire they have built together—can it survive when the royal family are at each other's throats?

'The fourth book in the illustrious Birth of the Plantagenets series delves into the feud between the spouses Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II, painting the portrait of an empire steeped in conflict, treachery, and wild gambling for power.'  (Publication summary)

5
y separately published work icon The Cubs Roar Blanche d'Alpuget , Paddington : Ventura Press , 2020 19558414 2020 single work novel historical fiction 'Eleanor of Aquitaine has disappeared. After launching a great rebellion to destroy her husband Henry II's reign, it seems she has abandoned her sons in the struggle against their formidable father. As treachery radiates from Scotland to the Pyrenees, tension between the kings of France and England erupts into war.

'Richard, the mightiest of the English princes, is determined to find his mother and avenge her. But Henry is more cunning than Richard or any of the other rebels anticipated, and the fates of Eleanor, her sons, and France itself, are in jeopardy.

'The final book in the sumptuous Birth of the Plantagenets series, The Cubs Roar, illuminates the tumultuous end of Henry II. A tragic history of love, power and betrayal, The Cubs Roar reveals the destruction of an empire at the hands of a broken family.' (Publication summary)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 2013
Last amended 8 Oct 2019 13:04:44
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