Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I, Queen of England are two of the most famous female ruling figures I have read about.

I was aware of the name Catherine dé Medici but didn't know much about her besides her being a member of the Medici family before her marriage and being called the Serpent Queen.

What I definitely didn't know about at all and got to know through this book was that Mary, Queen of Scots spent a period of her life as part of the French royal family, at first thanks to her maternal family enjoying a high place at the French court and later as a wife of Francis II, the eldest son of King Henry II of France and Catherine dé Medici.
Also, the fact that Catherine dé Medici hoped for a possible Anglo-French alliance by encouraging a marriage between her youngest son Francis, Duke of Anjou and Elizabeth I.

Elisabeth de Valois was a name I had no idea about and even though she makes up the trio of queens discussed in this book, I felt she as a figure overall had no huge impact except for being married to King Philip II of Spain and being his most beloved wife.

Mary, already born a queen with a crown and country to rule when the time came; who spent her earlier years in great comfort, splendor and loved by all and was a woman of great beauty and popularity, finds herself later on all alone and betrayed, with no family or friends, desperately trying to hold on to her legacy and crown. Meanwhile, Catherine dé Medici and Elizabeth I (who does make her presence felt in the final chapters) who each after spending a lifetime thwarting machinations against their being, their position and sovereignty end up becoming a powerful figurehead of their respective ruling dynasty.

How the wheel of time and fortune turns!

I listened to this as an audiobook and Olivia Dowd's soothing and clear voice ensured that I did not find it difficult keeping up with the narrative. Infact, I enjoyed it so much that I ended up listening to it twice.

I received an ALC of the book from the publisher RB Media and the author Leah Redmond Chang via NetGalley.

I won't lie. Most of my knowledge about Mary, Queen of Scots, and her mother in law, Catherine de’ Medici, come from the terribly inaccurate Reign. You may remember Kenna, a walking Free People ad.

So while Mary and Catherine's stories weren't new to me, I was quite surprised by Elisabeth de Valois's existence. Her story should've interested me the most, as it was newest to me, but it didn't. I thought Mary's would, but as I am marginally familiar with her at this point, it got repetitive.

I didn't think I would fall so deeply into Catherine's story, but I may seek to know more about her. A rich Italian commoner, she went on to become queen consort of France, and the mother of kings and queens besides.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books

This was a really fascinating examination of Catherine de Medici, her daughter Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots. These three women were at the forefront of European politics during the latter half of the 16th century and I think the author did a great job of weaving the narrative to show how much their lives intersected at key times. A really thorough and clearly well researched account that I enjoyed a great deal.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and author/publisher for the free review copy.

Leah Redmond Chang's 'Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power' is a captivating exploration of the lives of remarkable female rulers. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Chang brings to life the challenges and triumphs of these influential women. This book not only educates but also inspires with its portrayal of resilience, leadership, and the complexities of power. A must-read for history enthusiasts and anyone seeking to discover the untold stories of Renaissance queens.

I really loved this one! It was well written and researched. The author did an excellent job making it so much more interesting than a typical biography-style book. I hope you enjoy it!

Do you love royal history, but find yourself confused by all the interconnections, marriages and similar names? Me, too!

Until I read YOUNG QUEENS, that is. And that’s a real testament to Leah Redmond Chang’s writing and Olivia Dowd’s audiobook narration.

The book is split into three sections, each detailing a different queen while also describing the events and people that connect them. Catherine de Medici, Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth de Valois are our heroines, and they are a fascinating trio of female figures in a time that treated women solely as marriage pawns.

While the audiobook is quite a listen, 17 hours long, I found that it flew by quite fast as the information was presented in a very engaging way.

Thanks to RB Media and Recorded Books for the ALC!

During the Renaissance period in Europe, one court saw the rise of three queen consorts, one sovereign queen, and one queen mother. Catherine de Medici, Elisabeth de Valois, and Mary Stuart all navigated the complexities of power, religion, and politics in their respective roles. While their destinies diverged, their shared experiences in wielding authority are evident. Catherine, often viewed as a 'puppet master,' was determined to secure her family's position. Elisabeth, initially sent to Spain for political reasons, eventually found her voice and connected with her subjects. Mary Stuart, groomed to be a queen consort, faced a different fate as a young widow returning to Scotland. Leah Redmond Chang's book 'Young Queens' offers a well-researched and engaging look into the lives of these remarkable women, shedding light on their upbringing and its impact on their reign. I highly recommend this insightful read to history enthusiasts.

As a lover of history enthusiast, I found Leah Redmond Chang’s "Young Queens" to be a captivating exploration of three powerful yet sometimes overlooked figures: Catherine de’ Medici, Elisabeth de Valois, and Mary Queen of Scots. In her book, Leah Redmond Chang intertwines their lives, revealing the complexities of their roles as queens in Renaissance Europe.

Despite covering several decades and multiple countries, the pacing never felt rushed or slow. Chang's narrative avoids getting lost in academic minutiae, making the book accessible and compelling for both casual readers and history enthusiasts. The portrayal of the three queens as protagonists of their own lives was a refreshing view! From Catherine's political cunning to Elisabeth's resilience and Mary's tragic fate, each woman is depicted as a multifaceted individual navigating the challenges of her time.

Olivia Dowd’s audiobook narration adds another layer of depth to the story. Dowd's clear and authoritative voice provided warmth and emotion to the narrative, leading to an enhanced listening experience. "Young Queens" is not just a historical account; it's a great exploration of power, politics, and womanhood in a tumultuous era. Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, Leah Redmond Chang offers readers a nuanced perspective on these remarkable women and the price they paid for their place in history.

Overall, I highly recommend "Young Queens" to anyone interested in royal history, feminism, and the vibrant tapestry of Europe in its Renaissance period.

Special thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #YoungQueens #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

I'm a huge fan of royal history, this this fem take on it was right up my alley! It was informative and intriguing. I appreciate when history books like this are not dry. I highly enjoyed it in audiobook format. The author's voice was smooth and perfect for the subject matter.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC. I got behind with all the goodies they give me and so, here I am, months too late, finally giving the review. This was so well researched. Chang's interjections into the narrative with context and details that may seem contradictory from common knowledge, were welcome. I will admit to knowing very little of Elisabeth de Valois and her relationship to Mary Queen of Scots and Catherine de’ Medici, who was her mother. They may have been queens, but they were still women and their lives all kind of sucked. Spoiler alert, the patriarchy is real.

I read this about half and half between ebook and audiobook, and both were fantastic. Olivia Dowd’s narration brought a lot of warmth and emotion to the book without being over the top (something I find especially important in non-fiction).

Mary Stuart has long held the public’s attention and Catherine de Medici is rising in popularity as Reign and The Serpent Queen have put her in the spotlight again. However, Elisabeth de Valois is not as well known as her mother and sister-in-law, and I am very happy to see her brought to the forefront in this joint biography. Redmond Chang highlights the similarities and differences between these three women and although all three occupied very different positions as queen, they had far more in common than it might seem

I will admit, I am one of those people that cannot stop reading about Mary, Queen of Scots. However, I learned quite a bit about her in this book, and much more about Catherine and Elisabeth. (I am always a fan of taking a new lens to a familiar subject, like a joint biography, because something new will always rise to the surface.)

I have to say, I’m particularly impressed with Redmond Chang’s pacing; she covers several decades across many countries and it does not feel rushed or slow anywhere. Although I love academic biographies, I find that they can often get lost in the weeds, but Redmond Chang completely avoids this.

Olivia Dowd's narration also moves at a good pace and brings much life to it!

Leah Redmond Chang does a wonderful job showing us the interwoven lives of three young queens who held the highest position of power in their time, and yet, were still so constricted in how they could really wield that power, even though they weren't willing to go so gently. Told in snippets from all three ladies and moving forward in time, it really shows just how much they were involved in each others lives, especially since Catherine becomes queen of France first, giving birth to daughter Elisabeth who marries the King of Spain, and Mary then becomes Catherine's daughter-in-law by marrying Catherine's son. Fascinating and some material was presented and covered that I personally didn't know before.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Olivia Dowd and really appreciated her tone and pacing as she brought you deep into the history of these three key figures. Also well done!
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

This is a detailed and intricately woven history of the three famous women: Catherine de Medici, Elisabeth de Valois and Mary, Queen of Scots. Told in chapters alternating the histories of these women, it also brings to light how their relationships worked as Mary was Catherine's daughter-in-law and Elisabeth's sister-in-law and the relationships they maintained later in life when France was no longer at the center of their lives. It's interesting and intriguing to see how interconnected they were and how the socio-politics of the time influenced how they acted with each other. The narrator does an excellent job portraying this history and all the emotions that must be conveyed.

I enjoyed listening to Leah Redmond Chang's Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power. It was fascinating to learn more about these queens of the past. Five stars.

This was a great nonfiction book that I’m really glad I picked up, especially because I’m so fascinated by Mary and Catherine (thanks to the TV show reign). I thought the pacing was great and the narrative was engaging and not too dry at all. I listened to the audiobook and like the narrator a lot!

I learned a lot with this book! I wouldn’t say I’m a total beginner with the subjects discussed (more knowledgeable with Mary queen of scots and Catherine de Medici) so I had the background. What I really liked about this audiobook is the organization of the topics. At first it can be a little confusing with the jumping around in the timeline but the narrator does a fantastic job of keeping me interested. So often history books can be dry and boring but that is not the case here! I listened to this in parallel with a historical fiction of Mary queen of scots, which really provided a lot of insight to what’s real vs fiction. Overall, I enjoyed myself and would read more from this author!

I love historical reads and this read so easy--which is a hard feat for this genre. Not dry at all, really entertaining and informative at the same time. I loved learning more about these queens. And as someone who already knows a fair amount, I found a lot of new insights and information in here that I wanted to share with others. Will definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves these time periods and historical books.

I absolutely love Tudor era queens. Reading about Catherine de’ Medici, Elisabeth de Valois, and Mary, Queen of Scots and their connections was so good. I am not a historian only enjoy the topic and this book was easy to keep up with. Highly recommend if for readers that want to dip their toes into non-fiction that reads like fiction.

Weather talking about Catherine de Medici Elizabeth the Valois or the Queen Mary Stewart it not only talks about their connection and what they have in common but their individual lives growing up each woman would pay a price for the silver spoon they were born with they were all connected Catherine and Elizabeth the Valois were mother and daughter but king Henry wanted Mary to be born and raised as a royal so while away at war he sent her to be cared for in France and this is the three future queens connection they would all be powerful historical women but first they were all little girls and we learn about each stage of their life this book is very well done and the author has definitely done their due diligence when it comes to research and getting the facts correct I thoroughly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it I listen to the audiobook and thought it had great narration and although long it seems to go by in a flash. I want to thank the publisher and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

While I am by no means a historian, I think that anyone with a love for history can enjoy Leah Redmond Chang's "Young Queens". It's long and chock full of information, but, despite the impressive amount of dates and facts, is never dry or boring. The three women it covers, all three fascinating figures in their own right, come alive in Chang's descriptions. We see them in the context of their own time, but in a light that most modern readers can empathize with. None were perfect, but all found themselves in positions in which much was expected of them. How well they lived up to those expectations, of course, varies.
If the length of the book serves as a deterrent, I would definitely suggest the audiobook. I found the narrator's voice to be soothing and pleasant.

A long audiobook that highlighted some queens who made a vital impact on England at times where women were typically in the background and men took all of the leadership roles. BUT these women had one vital role, to produce heirs to keep their families in power, so these women had a little bit of value! I enjoyed having multiple queens in one book and seeing how each reacted to the ups and downs in their countries and circumstances.

This book joined me on quite a few walks with the dogs and it was nice to have a chunky book to get into and be able to read for a long time - during house work, commutes and gardening!