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I recently read and reviewed The Queen's Pawn by Christy English.

Set during the Middle Ages in England, The Queen's Pawn is the story of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and Princess Alais of France, and the love and betrayal that occurs between these two women. Christy English weaves fact with fiction and the result is a great story that draws the reader in from page one. Highly recommended, especially to fans of historical fiction.

Read my full review here.



Today I am happy to say that Christy English has kindly taken the time out of her busy schedule to stop by my little corner of the web for an author interview. I've been in contact with Christy via email and she is a delightful lady. Read on for the interview...





Bookworm: Welcome to my blog Christy, and thank you for taking the time our of your busy schedule for this interview. Please tell us a bit about yourself.




Christy: Naida, thanks so much for having me. I am a writer originally from Wilmington, NC who has lived the last four years in New York City. I graduated with a degree in history from Duke University much longer ago than I am willing to admit. I love to travel, to Paris when I can get there, and through books when I can’t.





Bookworm: The Queen's Pawn is your debut novel, do you have any more books in the works?



Christy: I am fascinated by Eleanor of Aquitaine. She has absolutely captured my imagination. I am writing my second novel about her rise to power as duchess of Aquitaine and her first marriage to King Louis VII of Spain. To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine comes out from New American Library next April.






Bookworm: What inspired you to write The Queen's Pawn?



Christy: I wanted to give Princess Alais a voice. In history, she is completely silent, and is only referred to in relationship to the men in her life: her father, Louis VII of France, her lover, King Henry II of England, her betrothed, Richard the Lionhearted, and her brother, King Philippe Auguste of France. I am fascinated by speculating on what women in history, once given a voice, might have to say to us.







Bookworm: What was the hardest thing about writing this book? How long did it take you to write?
What type of research did you have to do?



Christy: The hardest thing about writing this book, about writing any book, is the re-writing. The first draft flows and fascinates me, but then I have to look at it from more of a distance, and fix all the problems that I didn’t see before. My editor is a huge help in this, but ultimately, I have to perform surgery on my child until I get the novel right.


The Queen’s Pawn took three months to write the first draft and then three years to get right. I am no historian, so I did a lot of secondary research, taking in biographies about Eleanor of Aquitaine. One of my favorites is the one by Ralph V. Turner that came out in the summer of 2009.






Bookworm: In the Queen's Pawn, Queen Eleanor and Princess Alais have a strong bond, they are almost like mother and daughter. Even after they betray one another, they still love each other. What made you write them this way, with such a close relationship?



Christy: It is obvious to hate the woman who is your husband’s mistress. But I thought, how interesting would it be, what kind of a story would I discover, if Eleanor and Alais loved each other, but betrayed each other anyway? I like what I’ve found by answering that question. In the end, it is the people we love who have the power to hurt us the most.






Bookworm: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?



Christy: Of all the books out there, thank you for choosing mine. After reading The Queen’s Pawn, I hope that you come to love Eleanor of Aquitaine and Princess Alais of France half as much as I do.







Bookworm: Who are your favorite authors and what is it that really strikes you about their work?



Christy: My favorite author is Mary Renault. She wrote about ancient Greece in novels such as The Persian Boy, The Mask of Apollo, and The Last of the Wine. What I love best about her work besides her amazing writing style is her ability to lift me from my regular, mundane life and transport me into the world she has researched and created.






Bookworm: Last but not least, if you were stranded on a deserted island, and were allowed to bring 3 items with you, what would they be?



Christy: A Kindle/Nook/I Book with endless battery power, a bottomless trunk of milk chocolate, and sunblock :) The perfect beach get away…






Bookworm: Thank you again Christy. I enjoyed this interview and always like learning a bit about the author behind the book. I think a bottomless trunk of milk chocolate is the perfect thing to bring to a deserted island :)

I'm happy to hear To Be Queen will be out next April! I look forward to reading it.

title: The Queen's Pawn


author: Christy English

published: 2010

pages: 378

first line: My mother died the day I was born.

rated: 4 out of 5 stars

Looking into my father's face I saw that he believed what he said. When life was dark and the road of duty and honor was rocky and long, I remembered my father's face on that day. I remembered how he loved me and how he was a man good enough to see beyond the evils of this world into a certain paradise.

Set during the Middle Ages in England, The Queen's Pawn is the story of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and Princess Alais of France, and the love and betrayal that occurs between these two women.


An arranged marriage has been planned for Princess Alais and Prince Richard, also known as Richard the Lionheart. Richard is the son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.



When Eleanor and Alais first meet, the two are drawn to each other and Eleanor thinks of Alais as a daughter right away. They form a mother/daughter type relationship, Eleanor teaching Alais everything she knows, and Alais looking up to the queen.


However, once Eleanor she sees how her son Richard reacts after meeting the princess, she can't help but be jealous. Richard shows emotion and lust for Alais, and sings love songs to her at court. Eleanor wants to figure out how to make sure the two of them love her more than they love one another.

I saw his loneliness then, and it called to the loneliness within me. Just as I had been alone all my life, sent to marry among my father's enemies to serve the throne of France, so had Richard been alone, except when his mother was with him. He too, served as I did. He worked always for the good of Eleanor, placing her needs and the needs of the duchy of Aquitaine above his own.

These two women have a strong bond, and you see it plainly throughout the book. Eleanor strives to teach Alais, to make her into a strong woman who thinks with her head, and not with her heart.

When I curtsied and bid her good night, Eleanor drew me close. "Lead men a merry chase," she said, "but never let them catch you."


"Not until the wedding night," I said, speaking low, so that others would not hear me over the music.


Eleanor smiled her wicked smile, and let go of my hand. "No, Alais. Not even then."

Once King Henry arrives at court, he sees Alais and is smitten with her.
Henry is used to taking lovers whenever he pleases and he becomes jealous of his own son, wanting Alais for himself. He even announces to Richard that he will never give Alais over to him for marriage. Eleanor is used to Henry's infidelities, and hasn't allowed him in her bed for many years.






Alais being well trained in how to behave at court and with royalty, plays it smoothly, always knowing just how to act and what to say to the king. This does not go unnoticed by Eleanor. As events unfold, this is where the story begins to take its turn. These two women who were once like mother and daughter, now begin to have a rivalry.

She met my eyes across the crowded hall. Everyone was pretending that they had not seen the exchange between her and the king, as if they were not speculating whether he would make her his mistress, and when.

I really enjoyed reading The Queen's Pawn. I was drawn in from page one, and I love a good scandal. The storyline was interesting, the characters were well developed and the setting was really well written. Christy English takes the reader to the Middle Ages in England. I always enjoy when an author takes fact and weaves it in with fiction.

This was my first time reading about Eleanor of Aquitaine and Alais of France, and I liked the dynamics of their relationship. There is betrayal between these two ladies, but also forgiveness. Eleanor is a complex character, it seemed she was always plotting and planning, but she did it for her survival.
She knew how to live and thrive in a man's world. Alais betrays Eleanor, yet loves her no matter what happens. Alais being young and naive, wants to believe in Henry and in his love for her. "Revenge was not the tonic I had hoped it would be."




This is the type of read you cozy up with and just kind of live within the pages for a few days. There's drama, heartache, romance and a good dose of scandal. Highly recommended, especially to fans of historical fiction.

Alais set her dog down and came into my arms as sweetly as she ever had, as if she had never cast a lustful eye at my husband, as if she had never threatened to take my favorite son from me. I had no god to pray to, but I prayed anyway. I begged a god I knew did not exist to shield this girl in the days to come, to harbor her, even from me.

Special thanks to Christy English for sending me a signed copy of The Queen's Pawn. Click here for my interview with the author.