Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

As usual, history is told from a male dominated perspective. Without a doubt there are many women who have influenced the shape of events over millennia, but their story is rarely recorded. I have to confess I know very little about medieval queens, particularly the Scottish monarchs. Sharon Bennett Connolly has assembled a diverse cast and made an excellent job of recounting their role. Behind the scenes, usually, these women were playing a key part in political and court intrigues whispering sense and reason into the ear of their husbands ( and others) and without doubt helped to keep Scotland a strong, fearsome and independent country.

This book is so well written; it deals with the complexities of clan wars, struggle for power, isolation and foreign allegiances in a way that’s easy for the non academic reader to follow with interest. It’s like an adventure story in places and I had a strong sense of the heart of these women. The research appears meticulous. There’s an extensive bibliography with reference to primary and secondary sources. A great resource for further reading. A comprehensive index and best of all, at the end of the book there are numerous plates depicting some portraits and places associated with individuals. I’ve really enjoyed this title.

NetGalley, Anita Wallas

A delightful and thoroughly researched book on the early Queens of Scotland. As not much is known on many of them (which unfortunately was not uncommon during those times), the author does a painstakingly good job of trying to piece their lives together by analyzing their husbands. A must read for any monarchy history fan. Always a bonus from me when it contains pictures!

NetGalley, Christine Cazeneuve

Scotland has a fascinating history. While it was still a male dominated world, there were a few women that managed to leave their mark in history.

There were some medieval queens that managed to do more than some of their predecessors. With the ever-changing attitudes and political landscapes, these women were often a tie that could help bind a treaty. They were mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters.

This was a pretty good read. For many of the early queens, there is not a lot of new information or really any information, so much of that was a refresher, but for the later queens we have much more.

Dive into this book and get a look at not only these grand ladies, but the men and political realities that they were dealing with each day. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is full of facts, interesting tidbits, and more.

NetGalley, Rebecca Hill

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Scotland's Medieval Queens is such a good book If you love Scotland's history. Such a good pick! I rated this book 5 stars because it's THAT good. So beautifully written too.

NetGalley, Catarina Silva