i feel guilty for not loving solomon’s crown because i truly admire the author’s desire to tell a queer love story with a happy ending.

siegel is entirely upfront about the liberties she takes with this reimagining, so i won’t criticize that, but i still believe solomon’s crown might have been stronger as an original work. it seems like the historical figures and the fragments of history she chose to include only limit her storytelling, and her philip and richard are so far removed from the historical figures that i personally struggled with the juxtaposition of the two.

as for the story itself, siegel’s writing is lovely. i plan to pick up her next book for that alone. i also appreciated the inherent angst of political intrigue warring with romance, but i don’t think the two were balanced as well as they might have been. it was difficult for me to buy this as the epic love story it was being sold as without being shown why i should feel that way, and as a result some of the scenes that were intended to be impactful instead felt hollow. i did feel that the last quarter of the novel improved on everything else and therefore felt significantly more meaningful—i actually very much enjoyed the symbolism of the ending.

This is such a good historical fiction. While the events (obviously) got a little mushed together to make the story work, it was still so well written. The angst, the yearning...so good.

took me a while to get into but once phillip became king, i was hooked. both characters have such distinctive voices and it is incredible to see every nuance and detail put into their stories. particurlary i LOVED phillip and isabella's relationship, the understanding and comfort they had with each other was truly the highlight of the book for me and the way the novel did not write her off and ignore her in favor for the relationship between richard and phillip was very nice. overall, this is a book that really isn't something i normally enjoy but i'm glad i picked it up!

3.5 Stars. What an interesting book. I was not sure what I was going into, but this was very much a romance first before anything else. The best way to think of this book is historical fanfiction. The author took the characters in name only to create a romance. There are no mentions of the horrible things the real people did, but this was never meant to be that. The characters are so divorced from reality you could enjoy the story without knowing anything about their real-life counterparts.

I greatly enjoyed the writing and you felt the chemistry between the characters. Richard and Phillip circled each other and felt destined to be together from the beginning. I wish there was more tension besides Henry and more between the two mains. Overall I am a little conflicted because I enjoyed it, but I feel like it could have been better and more complex. Also, the narrators were great, and I loved their voices' differences. It really captured their characters.

Book Summary:

King Philip has newly been crowned the king of France. His one goal is to help restore his nation, a task easier said than done. Unfortunately, not everyone will help make this plan come to fruition. Take King Henry of England. He has plenty of reasons (and resources) to make this an impossible goal.

Then there's Richard, Duke of Aquitaine. Yet here he is, sitting as the heir to the throne of England. While this isn't what he wanted, it does put him in a position to bring change to the world – the sort of change he's always wanted.

My Review:

Apparently, I've been on a historical fiction/fantasy kick lately! Solomon's Crown is the latest in a series of books I've picked, all of which delve into the past – with unique twists. In the case of Solomon's Crown, that means we have more representation, a rivals-to-lovers trope, and so much more.

In truth, I'm not entirely sure what genre I would label Solomon's Crown as. It defies the standards of historical fiction, and I love how it breaks the mold and creates a new one.

Let us not forget that this book is full to the brim (and I do mean that) of political intrigue. Seriously, a lot is going on. I had to write notes to ensure I kept track of everything (admittedly, history is not my strong suit).

This book is probably not for you if you're looking for a historically accurate story. This is very much a book of fiction, with facts strewn about. So you may be frustrated if you're hoping for something else.

Highlights:
Romantic Fiction
LGBTQ+

Trigger Warnings:
Anxiety
Murder/War

Amazing historical fiction book! The flow was great, and it was an easy read. It was an incredible first time novel for Natasha Siegel! I can't wait for more from her.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. I just lost myself within this amazing story. I most definitely will read more by this author.

Philip, only son of ailing, addled King Louis of France, vows to regain the lands his father lost to King Henry of England and his sons. After his father dies and he is crowned, Philip is married to 13 year old Isabella and—though they do not consummate the marriage—they have a good friendship. When Richard the Lionheart, King Henry’s and Duke of Aquitaine meets King Philip, they feel an attraction to each other, but their romance is complicated by politics. Richard and his brother try to convince King Philip to ally with them in exchange for land. King Henry attempts to make Richard give up Aquitaine. Will he? Battle lines shift over the next several years. Somehow a relationship happens between King Philip and Richard despite thee risks. War is on the horizon, will the men be able to make it work or not?

The author has written the lives of real medieval European kings. Her writing evokes the era besides her well written characters. It felt like I was there watching the characters deal with their struggles and lives. It was captivating. The author does a good job of cf connecting them with their pasts and troubled families. This is excellent historical fiction.

I love historical fiction but I wasn’t sure if I would love this reimagining of King Richard/ King Philip. I was wrong. I finished this one in a matter of days because it was just that good! I also LOVE a dual POV, so I loved hearing both their thoughts. This one was full of thoughts about what power can look like with different people, duty, love, and making your own story. 4⭐️ for me.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in enhance for my honest opinion.

Lovely storytelling here, and gorgeous historical worldbuilding. Siegel balances authenticity and fidelity to the events of history with an imaginative recreation of the inner world of two fascinating figures with a complex relationship.

This book was a lot of fun! There's just something so fascinating about medieval Europe and the way politics and diplomacy worked between the ruling kingdoms of that time period, and the fact the story of Richard the Lionheart and Phillip of France is so well-known makes this a really fun place to stage a queer retelling.

And boy am I glad that the author decided to take the plunge! I've seen this book compared to THE SONG OF ACHILLES in a lot of ways, and while I do agree that it has a lot of similarities - absolutely <i>stunning</i> prose, ironic (in the classical sense) tragedy, a whole-bodied sense of devotion between each romantic partner - there's a lot that SOLOMON'S CROWN does differently that I can appreciate and maybe criticize.

For one thing, the main thrust of this story, the political machinations of Richard's family and Phillip, seemed to play second fiddle at times, and the ending of this book definitely takes a softer approach to wrapping everything up. I feel like we could easily get a sequel to this story, even if it's not quite historically accurate, but honestly, the author already stated in both the beginning and the end of the book that this was a romance first and historical fiction second, so I don't see why they couldn't continue to take some artistic liberty and go a step further.

And at the end of the day, the fact that I would <i>love</i> to read more about Richard and Phillip in this particular cast of medieval Europe says everything it needs to about how much I enjoyed this book. I am absolutely going to keep my eyes peeled for whatever Natasha Siegel puts out next, because if it's anything remotely like SOLOMON'S CROWN was, I know I'm in for a treat.

(Special thanks to the folks over at PRH and Ballantine for the NetGalley ARC!)

I ended up not finishing this book. I know the author prefaces it by saying they're fictional versions of Richard and Phillip, but I don't really understand the choice in using their names and lives. I tried, but attempting to ignore their violent history was impossible for me. I'm willing to try this author's future books, but this one wasn't for me.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

In the twelfth century, in Europe, King Philip of France is newly crowned and determined to bring glory to his name and restore his kingdom to it, but King Henry of England threatens to end his reign. He so forced to make an alliance with the king's volatile son. On the other end, Richard, Duke of Aquitaine, never thought to become a king, but when a tragedy occurs, he gets the chance to overthrow the father he despises. In his alliance with Philip, he initially thought he could be a tool for his own gains, but slowly romance intervenes, changing everything for them. When they find themselves facing an impending war, Philip and Richard have to decide if following their hearts or ambitions

In this reimagining of two real-life kings, Philip II of France and Richard the Lionheart, Solomon's Crown is a sumptous romance exploring their relationships, between intrigues and history, love and ambitions, their own hearts while the future of Europe hangs in the balance.
I absolutely loved this book. I love how history was mixed and used in this story and how romantic and tragic everything was. Two kings falling in love, but of rival nations? I'm absolutely in. I'm ready. This book is for me and it was such an emotional rollercoaster, filled with intrigues, betrayals, love and politics and so many twists I loved everything. The way the author describes their relationships, struggles and ambitions was realistic and captivating and I've found myself rooting for them, even though it was difficult and complicated. I loved every single thing.

DNF. Unfortunately, I just really dislike the writing style which is ultimately leading to me putting it down. Both simplistic and convoluted at the same time, I'm just not finding the plot and characters to be enough to enjoy the story despite the writing. Perhaps I will pick it back up again in the future, but I'm not sure.

Solomon's Crown is a fictional retelling of Richard the Lionheart of England and Philip II of France in the 12th century. It explores the possible romantic relationship between the two men that is based on some historical evidence. This book follows Richard and Philip before they are crowned and through some of their adulthood. I love a good historical fiction, especially one that explores previously dismissed relationships between historical figures, so was excited to get to read this book!

The thing that intrigued me the most about this book was that the author disclosed at the beginning and end of the book that she focused more on the love story between Richard and Philip than telling a historically accurate book. And to that I say, huzzah! How fun to give that expectation in the beginning of the book and allow the reader to sit back and enjoy the book without wondering what parts really happened. My feeling is that these people lived almost a thousand years ago and we will never know what really happened between them. The way that we perceive the past is different than how actually people lived during the time period. So, we might as well have some fun and tell a good story without worrying too much about it!

That being said, I enjoyed this book. I liked Richard and Philip and found their romance natural and believable. I liked Philip's relationship with his young wife and that she was an actual character in the book instead of an afterthought. I had to look up who Richard the Lionheart was before I read this book and I think this was one of my first times reading something set in this time period. I had a good time getting to know the characters and the world they lived in. I wasn't super blown away by the romance or plot, but the premise, time period, and characters were enough for me to enjoy my time reading it.

Overall, I had a lovely time in this world and recommend it to anyone who is also interested in historical fiction! 3.8 stars from me rounded up to 4. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I dropped the book 30% of the way through.

I really could not get into the story at all--if it can be called that since it's just apparently copying and pasting actual history and fudging the details? That bit made me uncomfortable. Why not just make your own world and characters instead of messing around with real history?

The writing was incredibly slow, even for a historical fiction book, and the characters were all flat. There was....no tension or emotion in the writing, it all felt very stiff.

Gorgeous and romantic, I loved every moment with these two. The author is upfront and states many liberties were taken with the historical context. So many I wondered why not just create an original story? If this beauty could be done borrowing very few true details of the historical setting, what could be done without the few limitations of history the story did contain? I hope to find out in the future.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There's something inevitable about this story.

All of it, every action felt inevitable. And real. The historical elements are so well presented, so deeply rooted, that it feels entirely plausible and not a work of fiction. Knowing a bit more about Richard I than Philip II, his character in particular felt incredibly lifelike.

Instead of traditional archetypes, it seems as if these characters personified different emotions. Philip was melancholy and fear. Richard was determination and love. Isabella was hope and kindness. Henry was fury. Louis was despair. It's a very interesting way to read a book, watching the characters lead with their dominant emotion in every interaction -- or try to overcome their natural inclination. It made everything all the more poignant.

I kept wondering if this would end with happiness, heartbreak, or some ambiguous ending I couldn't conceive of. I think the ending strikes the right tone for what the story is. Anything else would have been a disservice to Richard and Philip.

I very much recommend reading this one. Thank you, Natasha, for sharing your beautiful imaginings with us.

Solomon's Crown is a beautifully written historical fiction novel depicting the reigns and relationship of King Philip of France and King Richard of England.

Two rivals, destined to fight over land, find themselves madly in love. One is the King of France, and the other is the heir to the crown of England. In a world where royal marriages are more for the deliverance of heirs, this type of relationship is not heard of. But when Richard and Philip meet, they can't fight the draw they have to each other, even if they are sworn enemies. But will they let that stop them or have it build a bond that can overcome boundaries and titles? This was a fun take on 12th-century Europe and the lives of the King and Duke. I enjoyed it. Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC. 4 stars.