Not Quite a Codpiece Ripper
Discussing Natasha Siegel's historical fiction novel 'Solomon's Crown.'
Welcome to the first installment of the Mall Goth Book Club! Staying true to my roots, we’re kicking things off with a historical gay romance: Natasha Siegel’s Solomon’s Crown, about the torrid love affair between Richard I of England and Phillip II of France.
Well, not exactly torrid. Solomon’s Crown wasn’t quite the codpieced ripper I hoped it would be. There is passion, but it is the courtly love of Lancelot and Guinevere rather than the smutty passion of the Luke Skywalker/Han Solo fanfic I read last night.
I knew almost nothing about Richard I and Phillip II going into the novel, and in fact, assumed that their relationship was entirely fictionalized. As it turns out, there is a historical basis for their romance: it was a pervasive rumor during their lives, although it seems to stem from a ceremonial slumber party that was more akin to a staged photo op than a night of kinky sex. The only textual evidence of the kings’ potential gay love comes from their contemporary Roger de Hoveden:
“Richard, [then] duke of Aquitaine, the son of the king of England, remained with Philip, the King of France, who so honored him for so long that they ate every day at the same table and from the same dish, and at night their beds did not separate them. And the king of France loved him as his own soul; and they loved each other so much that the king of England was absolutely astonished and the passionate love between them and marveled at it.”
I listened to the novel as an audiobook and appreciated the use of different actors for Richard and Phillip’s respective chapters (although Richard’s actor had noticeably worse audio quality). Even at normal speed, the novel flew by and it didn’t take long for me to be invested in the story. The characters felt well drawn and I understood why they would be drawn to each other: Richard is a soldier who needs someone to come home to, and Phillip requires someone as passionate as Richard to break down his defenses.
It was clear from the beginning that the two (future, in Richard’s case) kings were obsessed with each other, and I liked that the factors keeping them apart were political rather than personal. According to some sources, this period of Medieval Europe saw a huge moral overhaul. It was quite in vogue to buck social conventions, so while homosexuality was still seen as a moral sin, it might have been somewhat true to life that in their positions of power, Phillip and Richard would have faced very little outright hostility towards their romance.
I could have used some steamy scenes that went further than passionate kisses, but I’m a sucker for angst and this book had plenty. But enough from me, let’s discuss in the comments. What did you think?
I had no idea these were real people until I read the intro, so I don’t have any background on historical accuracy with the book (I’m assuming a lot of liberties were taken). I had a good time with the book! The juxtaposition of medieval political dramatics and romance was fun and kept the story interesting with the time skips. There were a lot of cute romantic scenes once the romance picked up, but I was also hoping for less wooing and more sucking.
Wasn’t completely thrilled with the ending, part of me was wanting a little tragedy for a Romeo and Juliet moment, but the open-ended happy ending was okay too. Overall, great first book choice!
I know I’m like a month late but I have finally finished the book, and I liked it! I agree with the prevailing opinion, which is that the two protagonists had a really great, angsty chemistry between them.
I would have loved to understand a bit more why Richard was so sprung over Philip. We got a lot of, “I loved you since the first time I met you,” but like, why was that? That confusion around the genesis of their attraction made it hard for me to believe the sacrifices they were making to be with each other.
I was also thinking about all the people looking for smut and how this book had none of that to deliver. As someone who enjoys romance, I found it to be a tease even throughout the more romantic parts. I felt the book often repeating something to the effect of, “and then we had a romantic few days,” but like show those days! That’s why I liked the last scene because it felt like it was going deeper than the sort of facile romance we’d been fed throughout the rest of the book.
In the end, all hail Queen Isabella of France; an example to hags everywhere!