Solomon's Crown: what if a historical rumor was true?

Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel is set in twelfth-century Europe as newly crowned King Philip of France is determined to restore his nation to its former empire and bring glory to his name. His greatest enemy, King Henry of England, threatens to end his reign before it begins, Philip is forced to make a perilous alliance with Richard, Duke of Aquitaine, the man history would know as Richard the Lionheart. Philip risks his throne as well as his heart. Richard was never supposed to be king but when family tragedy makes him heir to the English throne, he finally has the opportunity to overthrow his father. His alliance with Philip is simply a tool for his vengeful quest, he begins to question if the crown is truly worth it. As Philip and Richard face an imminent war, they must choose between their desires or their place in history.

There has been speculation among historians about Richard’s sexuality and the possibility of a sexual relationship with Phillip. Taking a historical rumor and imagining a scenario that might give truth to the rumor, with royal intrigue and betrayal, Solomon’s Crown imagines a romance between the two real-life kings faced with an impossible choice. The author does take a lot of liberties with the history. Ms. Siegel acknowledges this fact in her preface as she states her intentions was not to create an historically accurate story. Overall, the story was interesting; however, it was not the book for me. It wasn’t a bad book, the premise was intriguing but the story was slow moving and not enough to keep my attention. It just wasn't what I thought it would be. If you are interested in an alternative historical story, I recommend checking out Solomon’s Crown. 

Solomon’s Crown is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

We visit Norway, France, and Mexico in the "If you were me and lived in..." series

More books in the “If you were me and lived in…” series by Carol P. Roman. First, we start with Norway. A country in Northern Europe known as the Land of the Midnight Sun. Their currency is called the kroner which is a small coin with a hole in the center. While living in Norway, one can see the aurora borealis or the northern lights. They celebrated Syttendde Mai on May 17^th as a celebration of the signing of Norway’s constitution. There are parades and costumes.

Second, we travel to France located in Western Europe. Its most famous city, Paris, is known as the City of Lights because it was the use to use gas lamps in 1838. The most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower and the famous crepes which are served as a breakfast food or dinner and even dessert. They celebrate July 14^th, known as Bastille Day as their independence day. It signifies the beginning of the French Revolution.

Lastly, we visit Mexico. The largest city is Mexico City which is home to the Palacio de Bellas Artes or the Palace of Fine Arts. In Mexico, we learn about the Chichen Itza, a Mayan temple which has 365 steps one for each day of the year. Mexico celebrates Descubrimiento de America which honors the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, similar to America’s Columbus Day.

I love these books. As this is my four review of the series. I highly recommend these books for any family and classroom!

All the “If you were me and lived in…” titles are available on Amazon for $9.99