Historical fiction that's queer and loosely based on history is my favorite kind of historical fiction. Overall, I enjoyed this romance, but I felt it didn't grip me completely.

3/3.5 stars rounded up.

Richard of Aquitaine is forever quarreling with his brothers and father, constantly at war and scheming to increase his power and protect his beloved Aquitaine. Philip II of France is trying hard to live past the expectations his father and his people have for him, trying to regain that which was lost under his father's weak leadership and rebuild France into a political and geographic power. But when these two young men meet, one already king and one destined to become king of a rival nation, they find in the other an attraction that they cannot deny, even when they know that they should for the good of their respective lands.

I am always excited to find historical fiction that is NOT about WWII, especially if it happens to be medieval historical fiction, so I was ready to like this one, even knowing that it departs from historical fact in some pretty significant ways. I found myself going down Wikipedia rabbit holes while reading in order to get a grasp of the reality of these two men, even while knowing the book isn't trying to be historically accurate - I wanted to get a grasp of the reality of these two men's lives while also being happily carried away by Siegel's love story. Sometimes I am disappointed by historical fiction when it is not accurate, but in this case I was glad to go along where the author led and reimagine these two as men in love who also happened to be powerful political actors making decisions for their countries and futures influenced by their feelings for one another. I appreciated that Siegel ended things where she did, not going into the later years of their relationship and lives where things were bound to unravel, given their competing interests. Instead, she let Philip and Richard have their literal moment in the sun. I hope to see more from Siegel in the future, especially if she chooses to write more historical fiction.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Solomon's Crown early in exchange for an honest review.

First, don’t go into this expecting historical fiction. The author includes a helpful note that says it is “loosely based” on history, in that you’ll recognize historical characters and places, but that it’s a romance. At first, I wondered why the author didn’t just write a work that was completely original, but then I realized that doing this allowed the author to focus on the characters and the development of their relationship rather than trying to establish the parameters of a fictional world. Not everyone is going to be okay with this, so do not read this for the history.

The characters were decently written. Phillip and Richard were entirely different people in their personalities and how they thought about things, so having the dual POV was fascinating not only for that reason, but also because it gave a little insight into the two different kingdoms and their politics. Isabella was by far my favorite character though, and the best written one as well. While this work follows Phillip and Richard for many years, I didn’t see much growth or change in them during the book, which was disappointing. I also would have liked a little more buildup leading to their relationship and some more tension incorporated. I did however enjoy their relationship and how sweet it was, as well as how well the two of them worked together despite their drastic differences. Their relationship, their internal dialogues, and the issues they ran into did get a bit repetitive though.

This was a cute, sweet romance that I ended up enjoying even though it was lacking in a few areas. I liked the author’s writing style and I look forward to seeing what else she publishes. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this work, which will be published 14 March 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Natasha Siegel's debut historical fiction novel, Solomon's Crown, reimagines history where King Philip II of France and Richard, Duke of Aquitaine, have far more than rumors to their alleged relationship. Siegel acknowledges a bit (read as: a lot) of fast and loose play with historical events, though she is certainly well researched in her telling.

Tonally reminiscent of The Song of Achilles, where Achilles and Patroclus are inevitable, Richard and Philip are impossible. Siegel establishes a political landscape where Richard and Philip should be forever at odds and must constantly make the decision to choose one another again and again. The development of the relationship between them and the constant pressure of Philip's throne and Richard's family makes for the slowest of burns. The world is in constant motion around them and they can only find peace in each other.

Ordinarily, I might be frustrated with the inaccuracies and the liberties taken, but Siegel wrote the absolute crap out of the character development. Much as Richard and Philip could set politics aside for their love, I was so invested in their relationship that any errors or changes made by the author seemed not to matter.

This book is quiet, quotable, and is deeply felt. Now I just have to wait for the prettiest edition to buy for myself and to force my friends to read it on release.

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

I love this story. King Phillip II of France and Richard I, Duke of Aquitaine, are my new favorite love story! I want to point out that in the author's note at the end of the book, the author points out how many liberties were taken for this tale. And, I'm glad they were because I'm obsessed with this!!!

A romance that begins slowly turns and blooms into such an timeless tale that so many can relate to. Not as if we are kings and dukes or Queens or such, but as people that have insurmountable responsibilities that seem to keep them from their true desires. Or, anything that can keep any person from being with their true love. This is a love of the ages and I feel like it will always reside within me.

Obviously, I am absolutely enamored with this book. The attention to details about this time and the charecterization of these people I never get to read about is beyond amazing. I love that the author chose to bring this time period to life and tell this story. There is a lot of attention to the politics surrounding France and England at this time. However, this is something that I really enjoy reading about and didn't detract from the love story at all, in my opinion.

I highly recommend this one!

Out March 14, 2023!

Blurb: When Philip and Richard find themselves staring down an impending war, they must choose between their desire for one another and their grand ambitions. Will their love prevail, if it calls to them from across the battlefield? Teeming with royal intrigue and betrayal, this epic romance reimagines two real-life kings ensnared by an impossible choice: Follow their hearts, or earn their place in history.

Solomon’s Crown is historical fiction and could be classified as historical romance. The important word in the classification is fiction. No one knows what really transpired between Richard and Phillip. Even historians have to make guesses on many details. Fiction authors must do the same. Natasha Siegel does a good job of filling in those details. The Author’s Note at the beginning of the book is excellent in explaining her take on the relationship.

I have read a lot of non-fiction on England’s Plantagenet dynasty. I went into this knowing there was not a happy ending. That makes the story sweeter, that knowledge of the future. Richard and Phillip’s relationship is a moment in time before their own destinies carried them away from each other.

The author does a wonderful job creating the world as it was. Her descriptions of the setting, from castles to battlefields, helped me sink into the story. She also describes the characters’ physical being as well as their clothing. The book was very good. I am glad that I was able to request it from Netgalley.

Oh how I wanted to love this. I tried so hard but it kept falling flat and I'm really sad about it. The book has such potential but ultimately it didn't make me *feel* much and it was like it ended before it even really began.

Solomon's Crown is based on the real King Richard of England and King Philip of France in the 12th century though the book isn't meant to be historically accurate. It follows them from childhood into adulthood and tells the tale of their rivalry and, seemingly doomed from the beginning, romantic relationship in medieval Europe.

The book's beautifully written and has language that at times reminded me of The Song of Achilles. That, coupled with the seeming impossibility of Richard and Philip getting to be happy and together, made me think of both TSOA and Captive Prince. Unfortunately, I felt Solomon's Crown failed to properly develop its characters and their relationship. I kept waiting to be invested beyond a few gorgeous lines, and to believe they were in love, but in the end wanting to keep with some historical accuracy let it down.

Certain choices made sense for political maneuvering but felt off romantically. By sticking with the larger historical timeline, trying to justify things when it came to Philip and Richard’s relationship just didn't work. At least not for me.

I was talking to a friend about how sad I was this book didn't work for me and how the characters felt underdeveloped. She pointed out that because the author was working with real people characters maybe they were so fully fleshed out in her mind that her character-building didn’t translate to the book and I think that may well be it. Unlike my friend, who loved this book, I didn't have any prior knowledge of the time period or the characters and I definitely felt something was missing.

I think I'd still recommend this book if someone asked me about it because it's beautifully written, but I wouldn't bring it up to anyone without them doing so first.

Solomon's Crown by Natasha Siegel // ⭐⭐⭐ of 5

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love a good historical romance. When I saw this announced last year, the synopsis immediately hooked me. Enemies to lovers but make it a rival King and a Duke falling in love to the background of wars! Right up my alley. But I was underwhelmed by the execution. Natasha has pretty prose, for sure, and a lot of the lines moved me but the plot was lacking. I found myself bored through the first 40% of the novel. I expected be a little more intrigued once the romance started to hit but I just... wasn't blown away. It was a bit too instalove for me when it should've been more drawn out. The rivals to lovers spice was missing for me.

Years pass by, battles and wars are fought, won, and lost, but I didn't see much growth in either man nor much growth in their relationship. As I mentioned previously, it could be easy to be swept up in the pretty prose, the declarations of either men to each other, but I never saw the WHY. There was also a lot of repetition regarding their internal struggles and dialogues. By 70% I just didn't think that should still be happening, at that point y'all are in it to win it lol.

I struggled with with enjoying this book. Which was sad considering this was at the top of my anticipated reads for 2023. Maybe I should learn from this and stop getting so excited for books! Mostly this book wasn't very memorable for me. I almost rated it 4 stars but that requires me to feel affected by the story, moved in some way, and I just wasn't. The only time I found myself really moved was by Isabella, Philip's wife. She was sweet and such a loving woman to her husband. But otherwise, this story mostly fell flat for me.

If you enjoy historical fiction for accuracy then you won't enjoy this. Natasha takes a lot of liberties here. It did not bother me but a forewarning for those that this might bother.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm rating "Solomon's Crown" three stars, which to me means a good, solid book, though I would say it's closer to 3.5. I very much enjoyed the dual points of view, moving back and forth between Richard the Lionheart and Philip II of France. It's history re-imagined, and the author is quite up-front about that before the book begins. I'm a huge history nerd and was a history major, but did not have a problem with the author re-conceptualizing some of the history involved. Others might, though, and fair enough.

I did very recently see a regional theater production of "The Lion in Winter," and read the play by James Goldman that same morning, and I have seen the Katherine Hepburn-Peter O'Toole movie MANY times. I also recently read the first in Sharon Kay Penman's series on the Plantagenets. Thus, I'll admit it was sometimes difficult to put all those aside while reading "Solomon's Crown," especially focusing as it did mostly on Richard and Philip, and to a lesser degree on Richard's brothers, Geoffrey and John, and not as much on Henry II and Eleanor of Acquitaine. However, Natasha Siegel did an excellent job with the characters at hand, as well as evoking the times and the characters' conflicts, and in the end, I would recommend this book to a wide variety of people.

Before I begin: thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

This book was a rare bird. That is not entirely a compliment. Never before have I devoured a book like this in one sitting: normally, I prefer to read slow books at a slower pace. This one was an exception. I wasn't taken into the story, I enjoyed the characters (especially Richard and Isabella) but not enormously, and the world left me wanting for immersion. What kept me reading, to the extent that I finished reading this book about eight hours after acquiring it, was the language. Natasha Siegel has a tremendous gift for prose, if not for storytelling. Every line was richly flavored. She never used figures of speech flippantly: every single metaphor and simile was beautifully imagined, engineered to tell us something deeper. Her work demands to be savored. It has been a long, long time since I have read a book like this one, which had me highlighting gorgeous passages every few minutes.

With that being said, I can only recommend this book to people who, like me, can accept a lackluster story in exchange for the experience of the fine writing used to tell it. This book was close to plotless. The court intrigue, politics, and land scuffles were low-stakes and tedious; I kept coming back to the question of why does this matter? We are never shown the locations the characters so adore, and subsequently we cannot share in their motivations. So much of the narrative centered around Aquitaine, which we as the reader did not even see until nearly the end of the novel. Borders and lands feel arbitrary. This was not helped by the structure of the narrative, which was little action juxtaposed to immense swaths of interior monologue. Perhaps this is to be expected from romance, but much of the book blends together when it is only two characters' internal thoughts. This is not to mention that the "destined rivals" plot point, which is treated as axiom, is really strange in practice. It's never explained why France and England are destined enemies. Their kings get along, to put it mildly— so why isn’t it even considered a possibility that they can establish peace until the very end of the novel?

The characters themselves also left much to be desired. While strong in ways, and charming at times, Philip and Richard were almost too similar, and their voices were nearly identical. They had their own defining traits, but the way they spoke and thought was indistinct, which is a problem when the vast majority of the book is spent inside their heads. In addition, I found their ready acceptance of their queerness jarring. It felt less like historical fiction in that regard; of course, we were told from the beginning that this wouldn't be historically accurate, but I was still expecting some grounding. The characters didn't really feel like they inhabited the setting. On another note, the romance was stunningly beautiful, but we spent less time seeing the relationship grow and more time being told about it. I hesitate to call it insta-love, but it did feel somewhat sudden - though, again, this is craft-wise one of the loveliest stories I have read in a long time, and the romance was just as breathtakingly done.

My favorite part of the book, far and away, was the relationship between Philip and Isabella. Theirs was a relationship that felt organic. I'm a particular sucker for lavender marriages, and this one is going to live in my heart for a long, long time. Their affection for each other, Isabella's personality (she was one of my favorite characters), and the uncomplicated constancy of the friendship was incredibly heartwarming and genuine. I loved every moment they had together.

Overall: 3/5 stars. Mediocre bones saved by remarkable flesh.

Dreamy, elegantly written, and wistfully romantic, this book is everything I wanted it to be. It's less alternate history and more romantic fantasy—not that there's magic involved, but the story reminded me of the animated Sleeping Beauty more than it did historical fiction: a fairy tale with handsome princes where everything has the texture of stained glass. Best enjoyed if you set aside any and all facts you might know about the historical figures as they really lived and just settle in for the ride.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This had everything I could've possibly wanted. Philip and Richard had such amazing chemistry and seeing their relationship develop made me so so happy... I saw comparisons to The Song of Achilles but I feel like if anything, Solomon's Crown is almost a counterargument to that book. This one's about queer JOY and overcoming every obstacle in order to find that joy. Did the author basically throw away historical accuracy in order to provide that? Yeah and it was the best decision ever.

All the characters felt real and deeper than the surface-level medieval tropes I was expecting, the prose was gorgeous without being flowery, and I was gasping and squealing during so many of Philip and Richard's scenes. My only complaints are that the pacing of their relationship development didn't feel totally natural to me given the amount of time they'd actually spent together, and that I lost interest during some of the scenes when they were apart.

I’m a historian. That being said, I am the sort of historian who, sometimes, loves pushing aside historical accuracy for a bit of fun. This book undeniably delivered that fun and so much more.

The prose is utterly jaw dropping from the prologue alone: “… and my heart clutched like a rosary between his hands.” OKAY! I definitely feel emotionally stable after reading that. All in all this was an incredibly brilliant book that I cannot recommend more to people— endlessly fascinating, and I adored how politically heavy it was.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Solomon’s Crown takes place in twelfth century Europe right as Philip II of France has been crowned, while Henry II’s sons rebelled some years prior. As the second son, Richard does not expect to be the King of England, but then his elder brother dies and things get… messy, politically speaking. And, also, importantly, Philip and Richard fall in love. This story spans from just before Philip II’s coronation up until a little bit after Eleanor of Aquitaine is released by Henry II in a gambit to avoid war.

This is historical fiction in the loosest sense of the term. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, and Seigel is very upfront about that with an author’s note before the story starts (or maybe it’s just alternate history?). It reminded me in many ways of The Song of Achilles—gorgeous prose and a very old setting that features a queer love story (and by extension there are noticeable historical liberties taken, but honestly considering this is also a queer romance I found I was pretty okay with that, actually). Admittedly, Richard and Philip (and also Philip’s wife, Isabella) are portrayed with more modern sensibilities, and it’s sort of difficult to imagine these iterations to be Crusaders. So long as you know what you’re signing up for, I think this is a very fun and enjoyable read.

In any case, I loved this. I loved this!!! It was so good I wanted to bite something! It was very fun and was a pleasure to read! Seigel’s prose was incredible and I thought she did excellent character work—not just with Richard and Philip but also Isabella and Geoffrey, and this scratched a lot of brain itches I had. Seigel’s portrayal of Isabella specifically just hit the spot for me, as did her relationship with Philip. This was exactly what I wanted it to be, and man, what a delight.

Solomon's Crown is a book with beautiful writing but a lackluster plot. Though there were moments that I really enjoyed, ultimately I know this book will fade from memory rather quickly.

Richard and Philip's relationship is very sweet. There are so many beautiful lines about power, love, responsibility, and pain as the two characters reflect on their feelings for each other. But underneath the pretty prose, there is no substance to either the romance or the characters themselves. And honestly, many of the comments and internal battles became incredibly repetitive. By the end of the story, I didn't feel like I knew Philip or Richard as characters. Years passed and wars were fought but neither of them really grew as characters. Their relationship was rather boring. There was a hint of tension in places (there are literal wars how was I bored) but they really went from strangers to in love almost instantly. There was no time spent on them falling in love; none of the romantic tension or passion that I love. It was just lust and politics.

The book starts off really slow. I wasn't interested until about 40% when we start to get hints of a romance. But then we skip straight to "I love you" and the book spends the rest of the time on nonsensical political strategy. I will always support a romantic subplot especially if the main plot has interesting politics or scheming. But I genuinely could not follow the logic of the war. This is especially painful when Philip is portrayed as an excellent strategist. The conflicts were almost always solved with "I lied" or "I changed my mind" which was incredibly illogical and unsatisfying.

I think this book suffered from the remaining attachments to the historical inspiration. Having read the author's notes at the beginning and end of the book, I admire the inspiration and the transparency about the liberties Siegal took in writing this reimagining. However, I wish this book had committed to being an original story. The historical ties are so loose that they might as well not be there. Abandoning the inspiration could have forced the added substance that the story is lacking. I also think the historical context contributed to the abrupt ending. As I was reading the last chapters I was afraid that it would turn out to be the start of the series because it felt impossible to wrap up the story in such a short time. I understand that a story tied to real-life events needs to have a rather open ending but it felt unsatisfying. Even a "10-20 years in the future" epilogue would have made it better. This could have become a fantastic fantasy romance akin to A Strange and Stubborn Endurance or A Taste of Gold and Iron, but I admit that is my personal preference.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. I struggled to get into this book but finished the last half in one sitting. Though I thought the romance was lazy I still enjoyed reading about it. Siegal's writing is beautiful and I highlighted so many lines but the story lacks substance. Philip and Richard were flat but Isabella, Philip's wife, was incredible. I enjoyed most of my time with this book but it is ultimately forgettable.

Solomon’s Crown made me feel so many feels!! Philip and Richard were fully realized characters and, honestly, just two dumb boys that had dealt with so much trauma and BS that I lived for any soft-boi moments thrown my way. I was a little saddened that the sex scenes were fade to black, but that’s a personal preference and did not detract at all from the feelings these characters evoked in me! I know of many readers who prefer fade to black or closed door sex scenes (if any are include that is!) over explicit content, so I think this book will be well received by that community!

I loved the way that Isabella was depicted in this. How her friendship and love with Philip was born of convenience and grew to a real mutual respect and love. How Philip cherished her!!! How Richard equally so because she was a reality that the love of his life had to exist with. I just really love that she wasn’t the wife cast aside because of our gay main pairing! She wanted Philip to be happy since she didn’t have that choice… what a sacrifice to make.

This book is a solid 4-stars for me! I loved the slow burn and the brief moments of pure happiness the boys got to experience. I loved the queerification of these historical figures and seeing how their relationship would have been handled during the time.

Solomon's Crown
by Natasha Siegel
Looking at history with rumors and innuendo this book fleshes out a part of history that may never be truly known. The close connection of Richard the Lion heart, and Phillip of France are a mystery. We know historically they were close as young men, before Richard became the king of England. What caused their friendship to sour? Was it the differences between their countries? Was it the pressure of ruling, or was their more? Natasha Siegel looks at this with a modern viewpoint. The LTGBQ + angle to the story is refreshing the doldrums of the years between Phillips acceptance of the French throne and the inauguration of Richard. How they interreacted, how they felt may never be fully known, but her story is heart warming. Showing a humanity to these renown historical figures. Making the tragedy of their life's and responsibilities more understandable. It is stated that the book is historical fiction and the relationship is where the story diverges from known fact, but its remarkably humane.

I stumbled upon Siegel's debut novel "Solomon's Crown" by accident, and I really didn't know what to expect. I just read "a story about Prince Harry's gay ancestor" which amused me greatly for some reason, so I requested the arc and was lucky enough to be approved.

Now, do not go into this book expecting historical accuracy whatsoever. This is historical fiction only insofar that it takes place during an existing, long past era in our very own world, filled with actual historical figures - though often in names only. This is primarily a love story, and the author herself tells us that she basically rewrote history to fit this love story. As I'm not an expert on twelfth-century England and France, nor on King Philip II or Richard the Lionheart, this didn't bother me too much (though I do love to learn actual facts from historical fiction and I did go on a wiki binge afterwards). Richard and Philip definitely get kind of a makeover - the Philip of this novel would probably not expulse the Jewish people of France like the real one did. Now, I do think that it would have absolutely been possible to write a love story while sticking to the actual historical events, and generally I would have preferred that, but obviously it would also have been much harder to pull off.

For what it was - a story about a forbidden love between the young king of France and the future king of England - it was very enjoyable. Siegel's prose is beautiful, her characters complex and likeable. Richard is the more brash, open, stubborn of the two, whereas Philip is a more withdrawn and much more intelligent and manipulative character. Their romance is beautiful with just enough drama and tragedy to add the spice we all love, and the plot is well-crafted and exciting. There are parts that confused me a little bit - like the fact that Richard and Philip were rather obvious about their relationship but noone seemed to actually care that much, yet the book kept telling me how much of a scandal a reveal would cause - but you know what, I still liked it a lot. It's charming, it's beautiful, it's heartfelt, and it's such a mesmerizing read that I binged it in one sitting.
And for that I gladly give it 4 stars before returning to my twelve open Wiki tabs about the Angevins.

I love historical books, and I can understand reimagining private conversations, but one thing I don't care for is the reinventing that is occurring in the literary world. I don't understand this push to make everyone a homosexual, if they were, I think we would have heard of it by now. I didn't care for this overly dramatic tale. Sorry. Thank you for allowing me to read it. #Netgalley #RandomHouse

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this work.

Any book with the Song Of Achilles comp gets an automatic eye roll from me. But, this book REALLY would appeal to SOA lovers. The prose are gorgeous. Some of the most romantic writing I've read. The couple at the center of our story is impossible to not root for. At the start of the story they are each a Prince, one of France and one of England. The story revolves around them aging into their perspective roles within their countries paired with the depth of the feelings they have for each other.

What a genuinely beautiful story. I highly recommend.