The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval WorldThe Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World
What it's about
In sixth-century France, two queens, Brunhild and Fredegund, ruled the Merovingian kingdoms. One was a Visigoth princess, the other a former slave. They waged a bloody forty-year war against each other, and Shelley Puhak tells their forgotten story and their remarkable achievements.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a vivid, gripping history.
You'll love it if you liked
The Poison King
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
Wolf HallGood to know
It's violent.
By the numbers
- Readers51 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller12 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 60.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World about?
In sixth-century France, two queens, Brunhild and Fredegund, ruled the Merovingian kingdoms. One was a Visigoth princess, the other a former slave. They waged a bloody forty-year war against each other, and Shelley Puhak tells their forgotten story and their remarkable achievements.
How long does it take to read The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World?
About 10 hours (384 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World?
If you liked it, try The Poison King by Adrienne Mayor, SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard or Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.