The wait is over. Sophie Perinot, author of The Sister Queens, has a new book available, Medicis Daughter and it travels forward three-hundred years from Perinot’s last novel to the intrigue-riven French court of Charles IX, spinning the tale of beautiful princess Marguerite who walks the knife’s edge between the demands of her serpentine mother, Catherine de Medicis, and those of her own conscience. This is a coming-of-age story that will remind audiences that, when it comes to the 16th century, the Valois are even sexier than the Tudors—and just as treacherous.
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Formats: eBook, Hardcover
Genre: Historical Fiction
Winter, 1564. Beautiful young Princess Margot is summoned to the court of France, where nothing is what it seems and a wrong word can lead to ruin. Known across Europe as Madame la Serpente, Margot’s intimidating mother, Queen Catherine de Médicis, is a powerful force in a country devastated by religious war. Among the crafty nobility of the royal court, Margot learns the intriguing and unspoken rules she must live by to please her poisonous family.
Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot accepts her role as a marriage pawn, even as she is charmed by the powerful, charismatic Duc de Guise. Though Margot’s heart belongs to Guise, her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce. But the promised peace is a mirage: her mother’s schemes are endless, and her brothers plot vengeance in the streets of Paris. When Margot’s wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul.
Médicis Daughter is historical fiction at its finest, weaving a unique coming-of-age story and a forbidden love with one of the most dramatic and violent events in French history.
Praise for Médicis Daughter: A Novel of Marguerite de Valois
“This is Renaissance France meets Game of Thrones: dark, sumptuous historical fiction that coils religious strife, court intrigue, passionate love, family hatred, and betrayed innocence like a nest of poisonous snakes. Beautiful Princess Margot acts as our guide to the heart of her violent family, as she blossoms from naive court pawn to woman of conscience and renown. A highly recommended coming-of-age tale where the princess learns to slay her own dragons!” –Kate Quinn, Bestselling author of LADY OF THE ETERNAL CITY
“The riveting story of a 16th-century French princess caught in the throes of royal intrigue and religious war. From the arms of the charismatic Duke of Guise to the blood-soaked streets of Paris, Princess Marguerite runs a dangerous gauntlet, taking the reader with her. An absolutely gripping read!” –Michelle Moran, bestselling author of THE REBEL QUEEN
“Rising above the chorus of historical drama is Perinot’s epic tale of the fascinating, lascivious, ruthless House of Valois, as told through the eyes of the complicated and intelligent Princess Marguerite. Burdened by her unscrupulous family and desperate for meaningful relationships, Margot is forced to navigate her own path in sixteenth century France. Amid wars of nation and heart, Médicis Daughter brilliantly demonstrates how one unique woman beats staggering odds to find the strength and power that is her birthright.” –Erika Robuck, bestselling author of HEMINGWAY’S GIRL
Médicis Daughter: A Novel of Marguerite de Valois Available at:
About the Author
SOPHIE PERINOT is the author of The Sister Queens and one of six contributing authors of A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii. A former attorney, Perinot is now a full-time writer. She lives in Great Falls, Virginia with her three children, three cats, one dog, and one husband.
An active member of the Historical Novel Society, Sophie has attended all of the group’s North American Conferences and served as a panelist multiple times. Find her among the literary twitterati as @Lit_gal or on facebook at www.facebook.com/sophie.perinot.author.
My Thoughts
Renaissance France was a time in history known as the rebirth of culture, including art, literature, and music. Medici's Daughter takes place during this rebirth. The Valois family included King Henry II of France Catherine de' Medici, Margaret was the sister of Kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III of France, and Queen Elizabeth of Spain . In this novel, though, King Henry II and King Francis II are already deceased and Charles IX is king but rules under his mother's thumb.
Margaret (Margot) is a young girl when the story starts and we see her grow up to be a young woman. Always trying to do what is right to please her mother, who is not easily pleased, especially of Margot. When she falls in love with Duc de Guise who was not a favorite of her brother King Charles or her other brother Anjou. She is forced to marry Henry, King of Navarre. The reason is for the peace between the Catholics and Huguenots. She expresses her desire to marry deGuise and is beaten by her brother's.
Peace does not come though as shortly after the wedding is St.Bartholomew's Massacre in which the Huguenots uprise in the streets of Paris supposedly instigated by Catherine de Medici. Margot saved her husband's life and convinced him to pretend to convert to Catholicism.
While reading this novel I came to like Margaret and really dislike her mother and brothers. After Margot came into her own and realized just how cruel her family was, was when I really started to like her. I love a strong female historical figure and it was nice to read about a sometimes forgotten woman in history. Medici's Daughter is filled with court intrigue, good secondary characters, and a love that was not meant to be. Historical fiction has always been my favorite genre to read and with authors like Sophie Perinot, it continues to be my favorite. I give it five stars!
I received a copy of the book for my honest thoughts.
@hfvbt @lit_gal @StMartinsPress
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