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The Accursed Kings Series

This historical saga plunges into the tumultuous 14th century, revealing the intrigues, betrayals, and ruthless power struggles that engulfed the French monarchy. The series explores the dark side of ambition as kings and nobles vie to hold onto their thrones and elevate their families, often at the cost of bloody conflict. It's a gripping narrative of dynastic rise and fall, where legacy and treachery weave a complex tapestry of fate.

The Lily and the Lion
The She Wolf
The Royal Succession
The Iron King 3: The Poisoned Crown
The Strangled Queen
The Iron King

Recommended Reading Order

  1. The Iron King

    • 340 pages
    • 12 hours of reading

    'This is the original game of thrones' George R.R. Martin From the publishers that brought you A Game of Thrones comes the series that inspired George R.R. Martin's epic work. "Accursed! Accursed! You shall be accursed to the thirteenth generation!" The Iron King - Philip the Fair - is as cold and silent, as handsome and unblinking as a statue. He governs his realm with an iron hand, but he cannot rule his own family: his sons are weak and their wives adulterous; while his red-blooded daughter Isabella is unhappily married to an English king who prefers the company of men. A web of scandal, murder and intrigue is weaving itself around the Iron King; but his downfall will come from an unexpected quarter. Bent on the persecution of the rich and powerful Knights Templar, Philip sentences Grand Master Jacques Molay to be burned at the stake, thus drawing down upon himself a curse that will destroy his entire dynasty...

    The Iron King1
    4.3

  2. The Strangled Queen

    • 304 pages
    • 11 hours of reading

    'This was the original game of thrones' George R.R. Martin The King is dead. Long live the King. Philip IV is dead and his great kingdom is in disarray. It seems the fatal curse of the Templars is plaguing the royal house of France. His son has been enthroned as Louis X; but with his disgraced wife Marguerite imprisoned in the Chateau Gaillard for her adultery, Louis can produce no heir with which to secure the succession. But neither can he marry again while she lives... The web of scandal, murder and intrigue that once wove itself around the court of the Iron King continues to draw in his descendants, as the destruction of his dynasty continues apace.

    The Strangled Queen2
    4.3

  3. The Iron King 3: The Poisoned Crown

    • 320 pages
    • 12 hours of reading

    'This was the original game of thrones' George R.R. Martin No man is impervious to the poisons of the crown...Having murdered his wife and exiled his mistress, King Louis X of France becomes besotted with Princess Clemence of Hungary and makes her his new Queen. However, though the matter of the succession should be assured, it is far from so, as Louis embarks on an ill- fated war against Flanders. Where his father, Philip IV, was strong, Louis is weak, and the ambitions of his proud, profligate barons threaten his power and the future of a kingdom once ruled by an Iron King.

    The Iron King 3: The Poisoned Crown3
    4.1

  4. The Royal Succession

    The fourth part of the seven-volume historical fresco "The Accursed Kings" focuses on the tragedies of the French royal family and the intrigues at the royal court. The story follows the fate of the French kingdom, which is shaken in the first half of the 14th century by disputes and conflicts, plagued by confusion and misery. It seems as if the curse cast by the Grand Master of the Templars, Jacques de Molay, upon the House of Capet is coming to fruition. Louis X, known as the Quarrelsome, ruled for only eighteen months and six days, leaving no male heir; his son John was born just five months after his death. Initially, the struggle for regency ignites during the minority of this young king, who will be known in history as John I the Child. However, soon the battle for the throne intensifies as well.

    The Royal Succession4
    4.3

  5. The She Wolf

    This was the original game of thrones' George R.R. Martin Charles IV is now king of France and his sister is Edward II of England's Queen. Having been imprisoned by Edward as leader of the rebellious English barons, Roger Mortimer escapes to France, where he joins the war against the English Aquitaine. But it is his love affair with Isabella, the …

    The She Wolf5
    4.1

  6. The Lily and the Lion

    • 304 pages
    • 11 hours of reading

    “This is the original Game of Thrones.” George R.R. Martin. The royal house of France has fallen. Charles IV is dead, fulfilling the curse of the Templars once and for all. This leaves the path to the throne open for Robert of Artois to place his cousin, Philippe of Valois, upon it. Having committed fraud, perjury and murder in the name of the new king, Robert expects to receive a title and his full reward. But the days of betrayal are far from over and Robert is banished to England. In the land of France’s enemies vengeance sparks fresh conflict as King Edward III and his new ally prepare for war. As swords are sharpened the lion wakes and a pretender threatens France once more …

    The Lily and the Lion6
    4.2

  7. The Accursed Kings - 7: The King Without a Kingdom

    • 368 pages
    • 13 hours of reading

    The seventh and final volume of The Accursed Kings series by Maurice Druon, The King Without a Kingdom, is available for the first time in English. The reign of the Capetian kings has ended and John II, 'The Good', first of the Valois dynasty, has taken the throne. But through the eyes of his Cardinal, Perigord, we see that a monarch, as vain and cruel as he is incompetent, now sits on one of the most powerful thrones in Europe. And so, under his leadership does The Hundred Years War commence, one of the most prolonged and bloody conflicts in history, as England and France tear each other apart. Warring factions plunder the land, famine threatens its people and the Black Death spreads far and wide, as France bleeds around the new king.

    The Accursed Kings - 7: The King Without a Kingdom7
    3.3