What an extraordinary life Eleanor of Aquitaine had, and to live to be 80 in the 12th Century is no mean feat. Elizabeth Chadwick, over 3 novels, did an outstanding job of bringing Eleanor to life.

My only criticism of this final book in the trilogy is it is a bit over-long and there’s far too many references to Richard being her favourite.

What a way to end the triology! The Autumn Throne was by far my very favorite of the three. I am glad to have read so much about Ailenor of Aquitaine through this series and am anxious to learn more.

What a great series! Eleanor of Aquitaine was a strong, powerful and wise woman. I had never heard of her until these books by Elizabeth Chadwick, now I’m just amazed at the life thus remarkable woman led. If you’re a fan of historical fiction read these books!

The Autumn Throne creates a captivating account of Alienor/Eleanor of Aquitane, the Queen of Henry II. This book is weighty at nearly 500 pages long yet the author does not waste a word in weaving a colourful picture of the places and characters involved. Although my knowledge of this time in history is not sufficient to comment on the accuracy of the story, Elizabeth Chadwick's helpful epilogue explains many of the choices she made around names and events and leads me to believe this was a very plausible account of the time. I am now going to have to explore some of Chadwick's other work.

This was my least favourite of the trilogy and to me felt like the least vivid in the characterisations. There was always going to be difficulty as Alienor was imprisoned for a considerable portion of the book and that was always going to be a tough ask in terms of drama and entertainment. I felt like this book was a little bit more of a slog than the first two and there were parts where - although I never contemplated giving up - I was more bored than I probably should have been. I just felt like there was a lot of work that could have been done in fleshing out the other characters, Richard I and John (the first?) for example. Especially Richard, I mean he's special enough to have a nickname 'the Lionheart' and he was obviously Alienor's favourite and yet even he feels a little glossed over.

Don't get me wrong, this is a good book by anyone's standards but I think the first two books were so good, this book was destined to be a bit disappointing in comparison. I'm glad I've read the whole trilogy but I'm also okay to move on.

So sad to see this series end.

What an absolutely amazing woman Eleanor was. When you think about the time period and all she managed to do....I mean seriously, whilst her son was off fighting in the Crusades, there she was, in her 70's running England and their other lands. How is that even possible? It wasn't just 100 years ago...we're talking the 1100's!

All the things I complain about getting old (ha! at 47!) and she's just dealing with it. No aspirin. No muscle relaxers. Best (or worst) of all, no glasses!

I can't even begin to imagine what this woman was made of. If she had lived today, well just imagine!

I still....dang...if she wasn't a noted historical person, well, I would maybe have just pssffftttt'ed this book away, believing that there was no way it could have actually occurred during that time period. I would have just dismissed it as being unrealistic.

I love Chadwick's writing. It was truly beautiful. I also marvelled at how *real* she managed Eleanor to become to me. I felt her pride. I felt her contempt. I love how she allowed Eleanor to age true to life. She allowed her to become sentimental in memories of her earlier years. She let her become down-heartened as everyone else around her died and yet, she continued to live. She allowed her to be tired and ready to go off, to find rest and peace. Chadwick managed to do with without making Eleanor feeble or weak of mind.

Sure, it's a work of fiction....but Chadwick has found in me, a new fan...one that is very grateful to have been inspired by learning about Eleanor of Aquitaine...a lady I know will never fade in my memory...

Review copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review

I just can't get enough of her books. I hope she never dies or that she leaves millions of manuscripts. another perfect book.

The last book in Elizabeth Chadwick's trilogy about the amazing Eleanor of Aquitaine, the most kick-ass, dazzling, inspirational woman in European history. Eleanor only gets more magnificent as she ages- more confident, more capable and wiser. I worshipped her long before i read this trilogy and Ms. Chadwick brings her to life again more vibrantly than ever. A great read about a fantastic heroine.

Familiar and well-fictionalized account of the last act of Eleanor of Aquitaine's long life--imprisonment for supporting and masterminding the revolt of her sons against their father, Henry II, then acting as regent for Richard I and engineering his ransom from prison during the Crusades. Chadwick is a master of historical fiction, and finds ways to explain medieval laws, relationships and events to a 21st century reader while keeping within the hard lines of historical reality (people die when they die, things aren't romanticized).

I have really enjoyed reading the Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy. After reading a rather dry biography of her, I wanted to experience her as the lively woman she was. I think Elizabeth Chadwick has done Eleanor justice and portrayed her as a sparkling, strong, and powerful woman. This final book is a bit of a slog towards the end but I am determined to finish her story! Not only does she live to the amazing age of 82, but she accomplishes some incredible feats in her final decade.
Sometimes, it's easy to forget about the women of the Medieval period as they are over shadowed by sons, fathers, and brothers. But these novels remind us of both the power and hardships that came with being a 12th century woman.
A definite must-read for any fan of Medieval history!