REVIEW: The Dark Queens (Shelley Puhak)

Book: The Dark Queens

Author: Shelley Puhak

Premise: Brunhild was a Spanish princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave. And yet—in the 6th-century Merovingian Empire, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport—these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms for decades, changing the face of Europe.

This books was really interesting. I knew nothing about the Merovingian's, let alone these two queens. I found it amazing that these two women were in control of vast areas of Western Europe, driving their political agendas. The politics of this period was messy, with countless assinations, betrayals and other drama. This book had a clear narrative despite being non-fiction, making it really easy to read. Really enjoyed this one!