The Last Crown: A Novel (The Bold, 2)

Political history in the Middle Ages is largely male-focused. Women were historically used as pawns or bargaining pieces for gaining profit for a kingdom. Though the men in The Last Crown by Elzbieta Cherezinska may want to think they run the show, it is ultimately the women who make the bold, albeit often hidden, moves that determine the true fate of the dynasties.
Cherezinska picks up the tale of Świętosław, where she left off in the first book The Widow Queen. Świętosław has married Sven of Denmark instead of Olav, the man she truly loves. He, in turn, takes his revenge by marrying Sven’s sister Tyra, brought to him by the aid of Świętosław’s own family. These betrayals set in motion decades of troubles that will engulf both families and their descendants.

I wanted to like these novels for the simple fact that I enjoy reading about women who have been lost in history. It is no mean feat to find them whispering in the darkness of time and bring their voices forward to be heard. And for that alone, I can forgive the overcomplicated storyline and often disjointed plot. Elzbieta Cherezinska is a wonderful writer whom I hope to find in translation more often.