Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Distribooks Inc (2005), 316 pages
Description
"The Iron King--Philip the Fair--is as cold and silent, as handsome and unblinking as a statue. He governs his realm with an iron hand, but he cannot rule his own family: his sons are weak and their wives adulterous; while his red-blooded daughter Isabella is unhappily married to an English king who prefers the company of men. A web of scandal, murder and intrigue is weaving itself around the Iron King; but his downfall will come from an unexpected quarter. Bent on the persecution of the rich and powerful Knights Templar, Philip sentences Grand Master Jacques Molay to be burned at the stake, thus drawing down upon himself a curse that will destroy his entire dynasty..."--P. [4] of cover.
User reviews
LibraryThing member kaydern
This is quite a work of art! I enjoyed the language, the historical setting, and the detail put into creating realistic characters. However I didn't feel a lot of urgency to finish the series, so while I'm interested in finding out how it ends, I'm not motivated enough to hunt down the next book
I enjoy a good historical fiction, and this book didn't disappoint. I learned a lot about French history. Prior to reading this book I was vaguely aware that the French were a major world power during medieval times, but while reading I learned a lot more about how France maintained and used it’s power. I don't know what 14th century French sounds like so I won't pretend to know this, but the language of the book itself (and to some extent the character's conversational language) was suitably alien to this 21st century English speaker. It was fun!
The characters were also well-written, but I didn't find any one character stood out to me. The characterization felt strangely distant. I felt more like I was reading a plaque at a museum that said “Isabella was undoubtedly incensed at the King’s infidelity,” instead of the reactions of a human. This could be the fault historical nature of the book or the way it was translated, but it still irked me.
Since everyone else is doing it, here’s my take on this being “the original game of thrones”. Yes, it’s dark fiction set in medieval (or pseudo medieval) times. Yes, a lot of time is given over to creating a complete image of the time period by venturing into the lives of people who aren’t straight-up royalty. However the treatment of the time period is vastly different; Druon’s book looks back fondly into history to piece together an entertaining and engaging story. Martin on the other hand write a fun story sure, but he wants us to look critically at the violence, grime and horror present during this period of history instead of putting it on some silly pedestal.
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yet.I enjoy a good historical fiction, and this book didn't disappoint. I learned a lot about French history. Prior to reading this book I was vaguely aware that the French were a major world power during medieval times, but while reading I learned a lot more about how France maintained and used it’s power. I don't know what 14th century French sounds like so I won't pretend to know this, but the language of the book itself (and to some extent the character's conversational language) was suitably alien to this 21st century English speaker. It was fun!
The characters were also well-written, but I didn't find any one character stood out to me. The characterization felt strangely distant. I felt more like I was reading a plaque at a museum that said “Isabella was undoubtedly incensed at the King’s infidelity,” instead of the reactions of a human. This could be the fault historical nature of the book or the way it was translated, but it still irked me.
Since everyone else is doing it, here’s my take on this being “the original game of thrones”. Yes, it’s dark fiction set in medieval (or pseudo medieval) times. Yes, a lot of time is given over to creating a complete image of the time period by venturing into the lives of people who aren’t straight-up royalty. However the treatment of the time period is vastly different; Druon’s book looks back fondly into history to piece together an entertaining and engaging story. Martin on the other hand write a fun story sure, but he wants us to look critically at the violence, grime and horror present during this period of history instead of putting it on some silly pedestal.
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LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
I love good historic fiction and, when I saw that George R.R. Martin endorsed The Iron King, I figured I'd be in for a good ride. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.
I don't know why exactly this story fell short for me. There are several things I can think of that are just small things that
The first thing was the language. It may have been a translation issue (this was originally written in French), but the story did not flow at all. Sentences were stiff and awkward at times. The transitions did not flow, at all. Moments that were just wrought with angst and horrible scenes that begged for tears, were not just written clinically, but almost glossed over as well. Having just read Geoffrey of Monmouth's The History of the Kings of Britain this semester, I can say that I've read some difficult British history that could run circles around the story in this book.
The second thing I had a hard time with is the jumping from one story to the next. I understand that there were a lot of things that led to the 100 years war. Afterall, what war didn't start as a result of many little things leading up to a big act? But in a relatively short (340ish pages) book, it's nearly impossible to cover each thing in a manner that gives credit to where it is due. As a result, as I was bandied back and forth between characters, I felt the story was incredibly rushed.
Finally, the story itself. The first two things quite possibly affected how I interpreted the story, but it just didn't seem interesting enough to be put down in anything other than a history book. The most exciting moment in the book was during the execution of two men, and even that was only given a cursory paragraph. I'm not bloodthirsty, don't get me wrong, but I was hoping for a bit of drama to make me want to keep picking up the book.
Overall, I'd say give this one a pass. Pick up Geoffrey of Monmouth's book, or something by Sharon Kay Penman if you are looking for a bulky, but still interesting historical read. And if you are hoping this will give you your Game of Thrones fix while you wait for the next episode/book, let me just apologize in advance. I wish someone had warned me.
I don't know why exactly this story fell short for me. There are several things I can think of that are just small things that
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got to me, but it is quite possible that all those small things just added up to me not enjoying myself while reading this book.The first thing was the language. It may have been a translation issue (this was originally written in French), but the story did not flow at all. Sentences were stiff and awkward at times. The transitions did not flow, at all. Moments that were just wrought with angst and horrible scenes that begged for tears, were not just written clinically, but almost glossed over as well. Having just read Geoffrey of Monmouth's The History of the Kings of Britain this semester, I can say that I've read some difficult British history that could run circles around the story in this book.
The second thing I had a hard time with is the jumping from one story to the next. I understand that there were a lot of things that led to the 100 years war. Afterall, what war didn't start as a result of many little things leading up to a big act? But in a relatively short (340ish pages) book, it's nearly impossible to cover each thing in a manner that gives credit to where it is due. As a result, as I was bandied back and forth between characters, I felt the story was incredibly rushed.
Finally, the story itself. The first two things quite possibly affected how I interpreted the story, but it just didn't seem interesting enough to be put down in anything other than a history book. The most exciting moment in the book was during the execution of two men, and even that was only given a cursory paragraph. I'm not bloodthirsty, don't get me wrong, but I was hoping for a bit of drama to make me want to keep picking up the book.
Overall, I'd say give this one a pass. Pick up Geoffrey of Monmouth's book, or something by Sharon Kay Penman if you are looking for a bulky, but still interesting historical read. And if you are hoping this will give you your Game of Thrones fix while you wait for the next episode/book, let me just apologize in advance. I wish someone had warned me.
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LibraryThing member msjessie
A fascinating look at the events during the reign of France's Philip IV, and which directly led to the Hundred Years War between England and France. A bit dry, but long on detail and intrigue, and with an impressively large cast, The Iron King's influence on later novels, across genres, is
Much has been made of its particular impact on the popular fantasy world of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series (or A Game of Thrones if you're solely a fan of the tv show). Spanning seven volumes, with a large, disparate cast - from kings to bankers to heretics - the numerous parallels between Druon and Martin's work are easy to spot. While there are (sadly) no dragons to be found in the Iron King, there are she-wolves, betrayals, family curses, torture, court intrigue, and ambition to keep things interesting. Historical fiction is at its best when it makes you curious about the people and times portrayed, and Maurice Druon captures these particular times and these complex people so well, it's hard not to be inquisitive about them once the novel is over.
A Game of Thrones has rival families: The Starks and the Lannisters. The Iron King has the royal rival families of the French Capets and the English Plantagenets. George R. R. Martin wasn't lying when he said his Starks and Lannisters had nothing on the Capets and Plantagenets. Both families are filled with fools, ambitious men, capable and deceptive women, and more. While the first Accursed Kings book lacks the amount of sheer drama that A Game of Thrones packs into one novel, it is admittedly much shorter (by hundreds of pages!). But, thankfully, the author manages to infuse those too-short 275 with enough machinations and manipulations to make Littlefinger himself proud.
A Game of Thrones has the stalwart and rigidly serious Ned Stark. The Iron King has the severe and authoritarian Philip "the Fair" IV of France. Both men are descended from a noble and respected lineage (Ned - Brandon the Builder; Philip - Saint Louis aka Louis IX of France) and both take their responsibilities as leaders very seriously. The comparisons between the two are inevitable for those that have read both works, and it's easy to see how Ned was inspired (and improved upon) Druon's French king. Ned is easier to like, and more personable than the more remote and dispassionate Philip, but they are two men cut from the same cloth.
A Game of Thrones has a family matriarch with steel and determination in Catelyn Tully. The Iron King has Isabella, She-Wolf of France (and reigning Queen of England with Edward II). You may know her best (and inaccurately) as William Wallace's weepy lover in the 1995 movie Braveheart, but that film does her character a disservice. Cold, calculating, and highly intelligent, Isabella and her actions have more of an impact on the history of two countries than one would guess. Much like Catelyn, Isabella has goals and ambitions of her own - for her children, she will start a war that will kill thousands of people before it is all said and done. Both Isabella and Catelyn are remote and hard to like and can be traced as the imitators of huge struggles, but each are thoroughly fascinating to read.
A Game of Thrones has Cersei Lannister, a woman determined to have the love she wants regardless of the constraints society - and marriage - would put upon her. The Iron King has Marguerite of Burgundy, who, like Cersei, is unfaithful (and eventually found out) to her royal husband, which casts the paternity and thus the rights of her children in serious doubt and helps set off the series of dynastic disputes. SPOILER for later ASOIAF novels: And, like the Lannister lioness, Marguerite finds herself imprisoned against her will, without hope of freedom or redemption. Cersei may be easier to label as outright evil rather than selfish and short-sighted, but the similarities between the two women are apparent.
A Song of Ice and Fire is set to be published in a series of seven novels. Druon's series The Accursed Kings is a seven volume work. They are hard to come across, especially in English, but Harper Collins seems to be in the long process of republishing them in 2013. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the day I can continue this series and see how it all plays out in Druon's version of the Hundred Year's War.
The story that has begun to unfold here in the first novel continues in book two, The Strangled Queen. If it is anything like its predecessor I will be a big fan.
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undeniable. Widely read and recognized, Druon's epic work has been published and republished in the 50 years since it first came to be, but its story is as fresh and fascinating as ever. Anyone who enjoys descriptive and detailed historical fiction about France, England and the Hundred Years' War will find a lot to enjoy here.Much has been made of its particular impact on the popular fantasy world of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series (or A Game of Thrones if you're solely a fan of the tv show). Spanning seven volumes, with a large, disparate cast - from kings to bankers to heretics - the numerous parallels between Druon and Martin's work are easy to spot. While there are (sadly) no dragons to be found in the Iron King, there are she-wolves, betrayals, family curses, torture, court intrigue, and ambition to keep things interesting. Historical fiction is at its best when it makes you curious about the people and times portrayed, and Maurice Druon captures these particular times and these complex people so well, it's hard not to be inquisitive about them once the novel is over.
A Game of Thrones has rival families: The Starks and the Lannisters. The Iron King has the royal rival families of the French Capets and the English Plantagenets. George R. R. Martin wasn't lying when he said his Starks and Lannisters had nothing on the Capets and Plantagenets. Both families are filled with fools, ambitious men, capable and deceptive women, and more. While the first Accursed Kings book lacks the amount of sheer drama that A Game of Thrones packs into one novel, it is admittedly much shorter (by hundreds of pages!). But, thankfully, the author manages to infuse those too-short 275 with enough machinations and manipulations to make Littlefinger himself proud.
A Game of Thrones has the stalwart and rigidly serious Ned Stark. The Iron King has the severe and authoritarian Philip "the Fair" IV of France. Both men are descended from a noble and respected lineage (Ned - Brandon the Builder; Philip - Saint Louis aka Louis IX of France) and both take their responsibilities as leaders very seriously. The comparisons between the two are inevitable for those that have read both works, and it's easy to see how Ned was inspired (and improved upon) Druon's French king. Ned is easier to like, and more personable than the more remote and dispassionate Philip, but they are two men cut from the same cloth.
A Game of Thrones has a family matriarch with steel and determination in Catelyn Tully. The Iron King has Isabella, She-Wolf of France (and reigning Queen of England with Edward II). You may know her best (and inaccurately) as William Wallace's weepy lover in the 1995 movie Braveheart, but that film does her character a disservice. Cold, calculating, and highly intelligent, Isabella and her actions have more of an impact on the history of two countries than one would guess. Much like Catelyn, Isabella has goals and ambitions of her own - for her children, she will start a war that will kill thousands of people before it is all said and done. Both Isabella and Catelyn are remote and hard to like and can be traced as the imitators of huge struggles, but each are thoroughly fascinating to read.
A Game of Thrones has Cersei Lannister, a woman determined to have the love she wants regardless of the constraints society - and marriage - would put upon her. The Iron King has Marguerite of Burgundy, who, like Cersei, is unfaithful (and eventually found out) to her royal husband, which casts the paternity and thus the rights of her children in serious doubt and helps set off the series of dynastic disputes. SPOILER for later ASOIAF novels: And, like the Lannister lioness, Marguerite finds herself imprisoned against her will, without hope of freedom or redemption. Cersei may be easier to label as outright evil rather than selfish and short-sighted, but the similarities between the two women are apparent.
A Song of Ice and Fire is set to be published in a series of seven novels. Druon's series The Accursed Kings is a seven volume work. They are hard to come across, especially in English, but Harper Collins seems to be in the long process of republishing them in 2013. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the day I can continue this series and see how it all plays out in Druon's version of the Hundred Year's War.
The story that has begun to unfold here in the first novel continues in book two, The Strangled Queen. If it is anything like its predecessor I will be a big fan.
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LibraryThing member stefferoo
George R. R. Martin once wrote in a blog post that if you love his A Song of Ice and Fire series and are looking for "something like it", then you really need to check out The Iron King by Maurice Druon. In the newest edition of the book's foreword, he calls it the "original game of thrones" and
Even if I hadn't known all this, the parallels are clear; this is only the first book of The Accursed Kings series and already it has it all, just without the fantasy elements -- conspiracies, assassinations, illicit affairs, royal scandals, rivaling families, public executions, lies, sex, betrayals and torture and poisonings and death curses, oh my.
Originally written in French and published in the mid-1950s, the books in this series were long out of print and apparently quite difficult to get your hands on, until now. Fortunately, the English translation of the first book recently made it back into print (with the rest to follow, I hear), thus resulting in yours truly just about tripping over her own feet rushing to press the "buy" button for the Kindle version. Even without GRRM's glowing recommendation, I'm always up for good historical fiction, especially books involving European monarchies and the Middle Ages.
The Iron King is a fascinating take on the events which preceded and led up to arguably one of the most significant conflicts of the medieval period, The Hundred Years' War. King Philip IV of France, called "The Iron King" because of his aloof nature and severe rule, sentences the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar Jacques de Molay to burn at the stake. Upon his death, the Templar maintains his innocence and publicly curses the three men whom he feels has unjustly put him there: Pope Clement, King Philip, and Guillaume de Nogaret, Keeper of the Seals.
Meanwhile, all is not well in Philip's family. Two of his sons, Louis and Charles are being cuckolded by their wives, cousins Marguerite and Blanche of Burgundy. If that wasn't bad enough, his third son's wife, Jeanne of Burgundy, is also privy to these affairs, even if she doesn't cheat herself. When Philip's only daughter Isabella discovers what the Burgundy women are doing to her three brothers, she begins scheming to expose them, and Robert III of Artois, who harbors a deep hatred for the Burgundys, is only all too happy to help.
The scandal is blown wide open, of course, as we know from the events of the Tour de Nesle Affair. The king and his family recall the the last words uttered by Grand Master Jacques de Molay: "Pope Clement, Chevalier Guillaume de Nogaret, King Philip, I summon you to the Tribunal of Heaven before the year is out, to receive your just punishment! Accursed! Accursed! You shall be accursed to the thirteenth generation of your lines!" Are the troubles involving the unfaithful wives part of the curse? Or is the worst yet to come?
I have to say, I liked this book a lot. The story takes quite a bit of time to get get set up, but then so much of the history and the characters have to be detailed and introduced. As the reader, I felt I needed the ramp-up time to refresh myself on the historical facts and get all those "Philip"s, "Charles"s and "Louis"s sorted out anyway. As always, trying to keep names in order is a common occupational hazard when reading historical fiction about European kings and queens. However, all the people and events Druon decided to include and write about in his storytelling are there for a reason, building up and forming a cogent picture by the end of the book.
Also, fair warning: the writing can be a little hard on the eyes. As with many books translated from their original language, it's not always pretty. I'm not sure this can be helped, and I certainly don't hold that against the author or the translator; sometimes, that's just the way things are. I admit I've had better times with other translated-to-English books, but then again, I've also had worse. The experience was definitely not as rough as I expected after seeing other reviews talking about the same topic, and to me the book was still very readable and easy to get into.
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credits it for being one of the great historical novels that inspired his own epic series.Even if I hadn't known all this, the parallels are clear; this is only the first book of The Accursed Kings series and already it has it all, just without the fantasy elements -- conspiracies, assassinations, illicit affairs, royal scandals, rivaling families, public executions, lies, sex, betrayals and torture and poisonings and death curses, oh my.
Originally written in French and published in the mid-1950s, the books in this series were long out of print and apparently quite difficult to get your hands on, until now. Fortunately, the English translation of the first book recently made it back into print (with the rest to follow, I hear), thus resulting in yours truly just about tripping over her own feet rushing to press the "buy" button for the Kindle version. Even without GRRM's glowing recommendation, I'm always up for good historical fiction, especially books involving European monarchies and the Middle Ages.
The Iron King is a fascinating take on the events which preceded and led up to arguably one of the most significant conflicts of the medieval period, The Hundred Years' War. King Philip IV of France, called "The Iron King" because of his aloof nature and severe rule, sentences the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar Jacques de Molay to burn at the stake. Upon his death, the Templar maintains his innocence and publicly curses the three men whom he feels has unjustly put him there: Pope Clement, King Philip, and Guillaume de Nogaret, Keeper of the Seals.
Meanwhile, all is not well in Philip's family. Two of his sons, Louis and Charles are being cuckolded by their wives, cousins Marguerite and Blanche of Burgundy. If that wasn't bad enough, his third son's wife, Jeanne of Burgundy, is also privy to these affairs, even if she doesn't cheat herself. When Philip's only daughter Isabella discovers what the Burgundy women are doing to her three brothers, she begins scheming to expose them, and Robert III of Artois, who harbors a deep hatred for the Burgundys, is only all too happy to help.
The scandal is blown wide open, of course, as we know from the events of the Tour de Nesle Affair. The king and his family recall the the last words uttered by Grand Master Jacques de Molay: "Pope Clement, Chevalier Guillaume de Nogaret, King Philip, I summon you to the Tribunal of Heaven before the year is out, to receive your just punishment! Accursed! Accursed! You shall be accursed to the thirteenth generation of your lines!" Are the troubles involving the unfaithful wives part of the curse? Or is the worst yet to come?
I have to say, I liked this book a lot. The story takes quite a bit of time to get get set up, but then so much of the history and the characters have to be detailed and introduced. As the reader, I felt I needed the ramp-up time to refresh myself on the historical facts and get all those "Philip"s, "Charles"s and "Louis"s sorted out anyway. As always, trying to keep names in order is a common occupational hazard when reading historical fiction about European kings and queens. However, all the people and events Druon decided to include and write about in his storytelling are there for a reason, building up and forming a cogent picture by the end of the book.
Also, fair warning: the writing can be a little hard on the eyes. As with many books translated from their original language, it's not always pretty. I'm not sure this can be helped, and I certainly don't hold that against the author or the translator; sometimes, that's just the way things are. I admit I've had better times with other translated-to-English books, but then again, I've also had worse. The experience was definitely not as rough as I expected after seeing other reviews talking about the same topic, and to me the book was still very readable and easy to get into.
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LibraryThing member MusketGeneral
Fascinating historical novel of the events that lead to the 100 years war. Story begins with the destruction of the Knights Templar by Philip IV and ends with the future of the Capetian dynasty in peril. While the book is marketed as the original "Game of Thrones" the intrigue is rather light. The
A quick and easy read but with very little depth in plot and character devolpment. If a deeper plot and character devolpment is what your after then I suggest you read Nigel Trantor,Dorthy Dunnett and Sharon Penham. I gave it an extra star as it does center around a French Royal family which is rare as most medieval historical novels usually center around the English/Brits.
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characters were for the most part shallow and could use a bit more depth.A quick and easy read but with very little depth in plot and character devolpment. If a deeper plot and character devolpment is what your after then I suggest you read Nigel Trantor,Dorthy Dunnett and Sharon Penham. I gave it an extra star as it does center around a French Royal family which is rare as most medieval historical novels usually center around the English/Brits.
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LibraryThing member mattdocmartin
This was a tough book to review, as it is very good for what it is, but I did not enjoy it. Considering the age, it is VERY well written, and if you want a great historical novel and plenty of follow up books, start here.
I also found it mildly dry.
But worth it if it is your thing!
I also found it mildly dry.
But worth it if it is your thing!
LibraryThing member JGolomb
"History is a novel that has been lived, a novel is history that could have been."
E. & J. DE Goncourt
A few months ago, I decided to re-read George RR Martin's wonderful "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. I wanted to catch up with his amazingly flawed characters, foibles and all, remind myself of the
I poked around the internet to see what I could find that would be similar to Martin's series. It turns out that I'm not a huge fan of fantasy. Tales of magic and cure-all potions and tricks just don't do it for me. It works in "ASOIF" because it doesn't overwhelm, and where it's prevalent, it's mythologic in scope, without impacting the detailed realism of Martin's characters.
Then I saw on Martin's blog a reference to Maurice Duron's "The Iron King", as a seminally influential work from Martin's youth. Sadly, it was not then available in English. A near miss, but I kept my eyes open.
And then I saw that Duron's full series, called "The Accursed Kings" would be re-released (by Martin's own publisher) in its entirety and...in English!
I jumped at the opportunity to grab this through Amazon's Vine Program.
And it didn't dissapoint. The first in Duron's series is called "The Iron King", focusing on a short, but influential, period in the early 14th century during the reign of French King, Philip the Fair. The first 30 pages are dense with names (a lot of princes, priests and kings of the time all had the same name) and relationships, but the story gains strength as the character qualities builds, and the plot develops. And this isn't fantasy, this is pure historical fiction...which is really what Martin created with ASOIF, except he did it in a made up world with dragons.
"The Iron Kings" reads like an evolutionary fore-bearer to ASOIF. Superficially, many of the plot points are similar: adultery, palace intrigue, evil arbiters of the king's justice, a mix of good and bad princes and princesses, and many a-character with cliche-busting personalities. There's even a tiny bit of magic, or at least what passed for magic during the late Middle Ages. It's the realism of the human characters, though, that hints at Martin's world of kings, swords, and witty dwarves. You'll also happily recognize the persistently serious and dark themes, as well as tone throughout the story.
The first book is just over 300 pages, but the plotting and character development are so strong, it makes for an all-too-quick read. While it's self contained as a stand-along novel, I suspect modern-day publishers would've easily combined the first several books to enable Martin-style world building on a larger scale. My biggest disappointment is that I didn't have the second in the series to read right away.
I received this book through the Amazon Vine Program.
E. & J. DE Goncourt
A few months ago, I decided to re-read George RR Martin's wonderful "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. I wanted to catch up with his amazingly flawed characters, foibles and all, remind myself of the
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primary plots, and catch the myriad of subplots that I missed the first time around. I got through "Game of Thrones" and "Clash of Kings" before I needed to take a little breather. I poked around the internet to see what I could find that would be similar to Martin's series. It turns out that I'm not a huge fan of fantasy. Tales of magic and cure-all potions and tricks just don't do it for me. It works in "ASOIF" because it doesn't overwhelm, and where it's prevalent, it's mythologic in scope, without impacting the detailed realism of Martin's characters.
Then I saw on Martin's blog a reference to Maurice Duron's "The Iron King", as a seminally influential work from Martin's youth. Sadly, it was not then available in English. A near miss, but I kept my eyes open.
And then I saw that Duron's full series, called "The Accursed Kings" would be re-released (by Martin's own publisher) in its entirety and...in English!
I jumped at the opportunity to grab this through Amazon's Vine Program.
And it didn't dissapoint. The first in Duron's series is called "The Iron King", focusing on a short, but influential, period in the early 14th century during the reign of French King, Philip the Fair. The first 30 pages are dense with names (a lot of princes, priests and kings of the time all had the same name) and relationships, but the story gains strength as the character qualities builds, and the plot develops. And this isn't fantasy, this is pure historical fiction...which is really what Martin created with ASOIF, except he did it in a made up world with dragons.
"The Iron Kings" reads like an evolutionary fore-bearer to ASOIF. Superficially, many of the plot points are similar: adultery, palace intrigue, evil arbiters of the king's justice, a mix of good and bad princes and princesses, and many a-character with cliche-busting personalities. There's even a tiny bit of magic, or at least what passed for magic during the late Middle Ages. It's the realism of the human characters, though, that hints at Martin's world of kings, swords, and witty dwarves. You'll also happily recognize the persistently serious and dark themes, as well as tone throughout the story.
The first book is just over 300 pages, but the plotting and character development are so strong, it makes for an all-too-quick read. While it's self contained as a stand-along novel, I suspect modern-day publishers would've easily combined the first several books to enable Martin-style world building on a larger scale. My biggest disappointment is that I didn't have the second in the series to read right away.
I received this book through the Amazon Vine Program.
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LibraryThing member willowcove
This was a well-written and informative book. I did enjoy it, but can it be compared to the "Song of Ice and Fire" series? Most definitely not. It lacks the fantastic, the strong emotion, and the gripping tale. I feel that the mention of Martin's books within this book's description does more harm
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than good as it can be a bit misleading to the potential reader. I would definitely recommend "Iron King" but only to those readers who are more inclined to pick up a history book vs. a book of court intrigue and fantasy. Good, but not great. Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
This is a historical fiction novel, set in 14th Century France during the reign of Philip the Fair. As historical fiction goes, it is quite interesting as that was a quite busy period in French history. I am not a student of French history so I do not know how closely it follows real history. The
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author adds some fantasy elements and a bit of mystery to try and spice things up, but I didn't find the book to be very lively. There is quite a bit going on, but it still seemed to be flat and not inspiring. Show Less
LibraryThing member goth_marionette
I finished this a few weeks ago and forgot to review it. Then went to my library for a new book to read and grabbed this one knowing it was on my list. Unfortunately that means this book was not memorable. After reading the first page I realized that I had already finished it. The chargers were
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decently written but the writing overall was not the strongest. I suppose it does say something that in the review copy they don't even have the title of the book on the front cover. Not a bad read but not memorable. Show Less
LibraryThing member AshleighandJeremiah
I suspect that I am not alone in choosing this book on the basis of George Martin's glowing endorsement. That said, I have not been a big fan of historical fiction, so I began this book with some trepidation and a fair bit of skepticism. By the end of the first chapter I knew that this would be my
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kind of book. The prose is surprisingly fluid for translation, and the notes were always pleasant though as a historian of a different era I suspect that they were at times somewhat lacking in nuance. By the end Druon had a new fan. Perhaps the best endorsement I can give is this: Though I received Book 1 for free as an ARC, I will happily be parting with cash for the rest of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member raistlinsshadow
Overall, I'm a fan of historical fiction, of medieval and Renaissance time periods, of France, and of stories about nobility, so I was expecting to like this book a lot more than I did. It relies heavily on political intrigue, which I suppose is to be expected, but not really what I was expecting
This book felt a little disjointed in its plot—suddenly new plot points would come up and others wouldn't be referred to again. Characters would come in and go out at random and with very little connection to one another, and I'm still not completely clear on a lot of their relationships to one another.
Unfortunately, it's easy to tell that this is a translated edition. While I do believe it's important to stay true to the work that's being translated, it's also important to not have a literal, word-for-word translation that sacrifices clarity. The translator only seemed to get into the swing of the novel and of the author's writing style a hundred pages in, and fell out again toward the end of the book. The sentence structures that are fine in French may not be as comprehensible as they are in English!
Some of the word choice, too, was a little bizarre. "Chap(s)" and "Tallyho" are not what I'd expect out of French-speaking mouths, particularly not in the early 14th century. It makes me think of the flaw of period (American?) TV shows—this takes place in Europe a long time ago, so everyone needs an English accent, no matter where they're from!
The tough thing about this book is that when it's good, it's very, very good. I found the intrigue, well, intriguing, and I would have liked to have more development of virtually every character—but I guess that's why this is the first in a series. It wasn't a difficult book to read by any stretch, but some of the writing style was remarkably distracting, even during the parts that were keeping me on tenterhooks.
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from "The original Game of Thrones". That's not to say that it was a bad book, just that I had gotten my hopes up a little too high and the blurb was a little misleading.This book felt a little disjointed in its plot—suddenly new plot points would come up and others wouldn't be referred to again. Characters would come in and go out at random and with very little connection to one another, and I'm still not completely clear on a lot of their relationships to one another.
Unfortunately, it's easy to tell that this is a translated edition. While I do believe it's important to stay true to the work that's being translated, it's also important to not have a literal, word-for-word translation that sacrifices clarity. The translator only seemed to get into the swing of the novel and of the author's writing style a hundred pages in, and fell out again toward the end of the book. The sentence structures that are fine in French may not be as comprehensible as they are in English!
Some of the word choice, too, was a little bizarre. "Chap(s)" and "Tallyho" are not what I'd expect out of French-speaking mouths, particularly not in the early 14th century. It makes me think of the flaw of period (American?) TV shows—this takes place in Europe a long time ago, so everyone needs an English accent, no matter where they're from!
The tough thing about this book is that when it's good, it's very, very good. I found the intrigue, well, intriguing, and I would have liked to have more development of virtually every character—but I guess that's why this is the first in a series. It wasn't a difficult book to read by any stretch, but some of the writing style was remarkably distracting, even during the parts that were keeping me on tenterhooks.
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LibraryThing member Mary6508
Looking at the cover of the book, which says this is the original "Game of Thrones," I expected something more than the story this book presents. I was looking for all the drama, adventure, excitement that I got from G.R.R. Martin's series. All these are present in The Iron King, but really toned
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down. This book was more of a history than an adventure novel. Once I realized that, I was able to enjoy it, although it can't compare with "Thrones", if that's what you're looking for. Thank you LT, for my Early Reviewer copy. Show Less
LibraryThing member al.vick
An enjoyable piece of historical fiction about the end of the Templars and the death of Phillip the Fair. I'm not very familiar with French history, but it was engaging and easy to follow. I felt like not as much happened as I expected, so I will be interested to read the following books. All in
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all and enjoyable read but not outstanding. Show Less
LibraryThing member Wickedmick
Great first book. I look forward to reading the rest in the series.
LibraryThing member megacoupe
As a fan of Game of Thrones, I'm really looking forward to read this and seeking out updated translation of later books in the series.
LibraryThing member lucy3107
I enjoyed this, but it may not be for everyone - it was originally written in the 1950s and it is a translation, so stylistically it is different from contemporary historical fiction.
LibraryThing member john257hopper
This is the first book in The Accursed Kings series of French historical novels written in the 1950s by noted Academie francaise member Maurice Druon, and cited by George R R Martin as one of his inspirations for his fantasy series beginning with A Game of Thrones. It is set in the high Medieval
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period at the close of the reign of King Philip IV the Fair, the King who suppressed the Templars and whose daughter Isabella married and probably murdered the English King Edward II and later supported the claim of her son Edward III to the throne of France. This novel covers very dramatic events - the burning at the stake of the Templar leader Jacques de Molay, the serial adultery of the King's daughters-in-law, hideous executions, poisonings and betrayals. Unlike Game of Thrones, it's all real history, though; history being more my cup of tea than fantasy, I expect I'll be reading the second book in this series, The Strangled Queen, before I read A Clash of Kings (Druon's novels are much shorter also!). Great stuff. Show Less
LibraryThing member janerawoof
No, I did NOT decide to read this because of George R.R. Martin; I was not enamored of his GoT! I wanted a sense of medieval France [most medieval historical fiction novels seem to be set in England and this was something unusual. And, I thought to pick up a little French history along the way.]
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The characters were absolutely unloveable: from Philip the Fair down to his dysfunctional family and courtiers. Everyone is absolutely selfish, hedonistic, manipulative, cruel, and some are even amoral. The story does draw you in to the political machinations of that period; I can't say how much the author exaggerated them and the absolute evil of his characters. The burning at the stake of the Templar Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, and his curse were absolutely chilling. The adulteries of the daughters-in-law and their lovers led to an inevitable, horrible conclusion. Part towards the end where the curse was beginning to be fulfilled was eerie. The parts about the Lombard bankers was boring. Show Less
LibraryThing member rdwhitenack
Got the idea to read this book from looking at George RR Martin's influence for Game of Thrones. Said he wrote this book with this series in mind. Martin had to throw in sci-fi/fantasy elements to GOT to throw people off the scent of being a derivative work; there are so many similar incidences. In
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fact, while reading many of the characters in the book I visualized as being the characters from GOT. If you are a fan of that show, which I am, you will like these books. I have not read the GOT series, and I would but I typically do not enjoy a book that is the basis for a movie or show I've already seen. Show Less
LibraryThing member viking2917
George R. R. Martin called this "the original game of thrones", and that's apt. Interesting to read the beginnings of the 100 years war from the French perspective, rather than the English one, as I usually do.
LibraryThing member Joanne53
The series of books that George RR Martain used as his inspiration for Game Of Thrones. Written in 1956, it is the story of the French King Philip Capet, or the Fair,with his impossibly inadequate children and the intrigue and corruption of the French Court in the 14th century. Unlike Game of
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Thrones , it is based on a true story, so no dragons. Show Less
LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM
This book took a little time to get into, especially as all the characters were introduced. However as we approached the second third of the book I was totally hooked and needed to find out what happened next. Clearly this book has set it up well for others that will follow in the series. I really
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enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing this series soon. I certainly recommend it to people who enjoy good quality historical fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member BrilliantGlow
Overall, I felt this was okay. The writing was kind of boring, I'm not sure if it's the translator or if it was originally boring. I did end up not quite finishing this book however, and will be giving away my copy.
LibraryThing member ecw0647
The Accursed Kings series is probably Druon's most popular work and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Perhaps my expectations were low. I like historical fiction with a strong basis of accurate historical information and a grounding in detailed cultural and quotidian activities of people. The
The series consists of seven novels that concern the French Kings of the 14th century. It begins with the burning at the stake of the remaining Templars by Philip the Fair. As if his reign wasn't already beset with enough scandal and intrigue, with his dying breath, the Grand Master of the Templars visits a curse on Philip and those associated with his reign including the Pope to the thirteenth generation. Nogaret, the King's counselor is the first to die suffocating from poisoned candles, followed by Clement and then Philip himself of a cerebral hemorrhage. In the meantime, the equerry lovers of Philip's sons' wives (Louis of Navarre will soon succeed Philip as King of France) are entrapped by Isabelle, Philipp's daughter and Queen of England. The two are horribly executed by the King who then dies while on a hunt. The wives are sent off in exile to play a prominent role in the next book. It's all good fun.
Now on to The Strangled Queen, second in the series.
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Iron King, first in the series, held my interest.The series consists of seven novels that concern the French Kings of the 14th century. It begins with the burning at the stake of the remaining Templars by Philip the Fair. As if his reign wasn't already beset with enough scandal and intrigue, with his dying breath, the Grand Master of the Templars visits a curse on Philip and those associated with his reign including the Pope to the thirteenth generation. Nogaret, the King's counselor is the first to die suffocating from poisoned candles, followed by Clement and then Philip himself of a cerebral hemorrhage. In the meantime, the equerry lovers of Philip's sons' wives (Louis of Navarre will soon succeed Philip as King of France) are entrapped by Isabelle, Philipp's daughter and Queen of England. The two are horribly executed by the King who then dies while on a hunt. The wives are sent off in exile to play a prominent role in the next book. It's all good fun.
Now on to The Strangled Queen, second in the series.
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Awards
501 Must-Read Books (Emma Beare, 2006) (History)
Language
Original language
French
Original publication date
1955
Physical description
249 p.; 4.3 inches
ISBN
2253011010 / 9782253011019