Historical Goodie

This was good - historical fiction like it used to be. I read it because George Martin recommended it as "the original Iron throne." I was not disappointed! It intrigued me and taught me some things, while making me feel like I was right there, exactly what I want from historical fiction. This story begins in the reign of Phillip the Fair, when he is killing off the last of the Templars; it is essentially the prequel to the War of Roses.

Good companion reading to Rutherford's new historical fictional exploration of Paris ("Paris"). There is a time period in that book very close to this one. Also, remember the beautiful Isabella, Queen of England in the movie Braveheart? She is Phillip's daughter and is featured in this.

13 people found this helpful

Why isn't this series being produced by HBO?

The seven titles in the Accursed Kings are all wonderfully written and are entirely accessible for those whose knowledge of medieval French history is limited (like me). I've read the series in paperback a couple of times and now time constraints are causing me to revisit the series via Audible. I just finished The Iron King and The Strangled Queen and have just started The Poisoned Crown. Peter Joyce is a good reader overall, but his raspy attempts at an Italian accent for Spinello Tolomei and Guccio Baglioni falls flat and often sounds more slavic or Balkan than Italian. But...I nitpick. That aside, the performance is good and the plot lines in all the novels definitely proves that truth is stranger than fiction. Buckle up and expect twists, turns and awful deeds.

I did a lot of referring to Wikipedia. Nearly all the characters in the books are real and so to get a Wiki-thumbnail portrait is very helpful.

3 people found this helpful

SO Happy the series is being worked on!

Any additional comments?

I am halfway through, and I just saw you added the second of the series. I am SO happy this is the case. My parents are huge fans of the books, but I don't have so much time to sit down to read them. If they weren't on audible, I'd be missing out completely, so THANK YOU to the makers of the audio version! and please don't stop until they are all done!!! <3!

3 people found this helpful

Interesting but...

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Those interested in historical fiction and know/understand French.

If you’ve listened to books by Maurice Druon before, how does this one compare?

This is the first I've tried. I was curious because of an article on the BBC website that hinted that this series was an inspiration for the Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire) series.

Any additional comments?

I understand the book was originally written in French. However, the English version did not have some French phrases translated so there were a lot of things that you miss out on if you don't understand French.

6 people found this helpful

A very good historical romp

I first read this series in my teens and enjoyed it tremendously. I thought I’d visit it and see how I feel about it now. Same. Excellent historical adventure, well written and well told. Very enjoyable.

2 people found this helpful

GRRM Writes Good, Recommends Good

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Iron King?

"GUARDS!" is the first thing that comes to mind. Then there's Philip and the deer, Philip and Nogaret's papers, Philip on his deathbed, and also quite a few scenes that don't involve Philip. Almost any death scene is memorable.

What about Peter Joyce’s performance did you like?

All of it. How he narrates the text, delivers the dialogue, voices the characters... as far as I'm concerned he does it all perfectly.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh, yes. Midway through writing this review, I opened a second window and bought The Strangled Queen.

Any additional comments?

Although I can't point to any one aspect of this book as being brilliant, everything here is solid, even above-average. It's a good novel and, combined with a first-class reading, is well-worth what I paid for it.

2 people found this helpful

Excellent. Performance is superior.

Great story. Very interesting. Like the game of thrones, this has many unexpected turns. Trust no one! Performance is one of the best I've ever heard.

1 person found this helpful

Like running itno an old Friend on a sunny day.

Where does The Iron King rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I read these books when I was younger, and I honestly was surprised to find them on here after many years not being released or being out of print these books were always hard to find in English. I know in both French and Russian they were very popular for many decades (and were recently made into mini-series with Gérard Depardieu in the role of the last Templar Grand Master Jacques de Molay).
Having listened to them now, I also have a whole new perspective of the Game of Throne books (another favorite), while these are very different genre the similarities between middle ages Europe and Westeros are amazing. I think the debt George RR Martin owes to historic fiction like this underlines a generation of writers for whom history was/is a source of inspiration.

What does Peter Joyce bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The performance is solid four stars, the only person I can think would sound better is Roy Dotrice.

Any additional comments?

This Series focuses on the events leading up to the 100 year was and the end of Capetian dynasty of France. For most people that's not exciting I suppose, but if you need a fix for Westeros while George is taking his time, this can be a touch of methadone (minus dragons and elaborate banner descriptions).

Additional value of this genre it actually opens you up to experience history through actions and character traits of real historical personages, even if embellished for fiction.

This particular book shows the France at a time when the feudal system was being dismantles for the sake nation states. When visionary kings began to centralize their authority from the feudal lords and consolidate it by relying on commerce and rising middle classes.

Maurice Druon wasn't just a historian and writer but also a member of the French government and I think he brings much of his own perspective on power and role of personalities and motivations in the events that change the course of countries.

5 people found this helpful

Just fantastic!

What made the experience of listening to The Iron King the most enjoyable?

The feeling of reality in the plot, because it is partly based on historical event and also because the characters act the way real people would.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Iron King?

When the adulterers are confronted with the evidence by the king, it came slowly but it was pretty intense.

What does Peter Joyce bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Tone, emotion, diversity from the way he alters his voice alone I could tell which character he was voicing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was truly sad for the princesses and truly angry at the king for the treatment of the Templars… what he suffered at the end, he absolutely had it coming.

Any additional comments?

This is a series I have to finish… my type of adventure.

1 person found this helpful

I Kept Waiting For It To Get Good...

The narration was awful. Every character voice he did, even the women, sounded congested!

I saw no point to the story at all. It never really went anywhere or got interesting. None of the story lines were built up enough to mall them interesting and none were really finished, yet the most useless detaiIs were described at length.