The Dark Queens: A gripping tale of power, ambition and murderous rivalry in early medieval France
A vivid double biography of two fearless early medieval queens. 'Brings the Merovingian empire to thrilling, bewildering, horrifying life' Helen Castor 'Restores two half-forgotten and much-mythologized queens to their proper place in medieval history' Dan Jones 'Fredegund and Brunhild have finally found a worthy champion' Literary Review Brunhild was a Visigothic princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave.
And yet - in sixth-century Merovingian France, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport - these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms for decades, changing the face of Europe. After Brunhild's and Fredegund's deaths, however, their stories were rewritten, their names consigned to slander and legend. From the tangled primary evidence of Merovingian sources, award-winning writer Shelley Puhak weaves a gripping and intricate tale, its characters driven by ambition, lust and jealousy to acts of treachery and murderous violence.
The Dark Queens resurrects these two women in all their complexity, painting a richly detailed portrait of a shadowy era and dispelling some of the stubbornest myths about female power.
ISBN: 9781801109178
We process orders daily, Monday to Friday.
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Delivery Option |
Delivery Time |
Price |
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Collect instore (Leeds Museum Shop) |
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FREE |
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UK Standard |
3 - 5 Working days |
£3.95 |
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48 Hour Express |
2 Working days | £10.00 (£12.50 with Age Check) |
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Next Day |
Next working day |
£12.00 |
| International | Shipping costs will be calculated at checkout based on destination and weight.**** Express Delivery is not available on international orders. |
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Please note that it is the customer's responsibility to ensure that there is someone available at the delivery address to accept the parcel. Any parcels that are undelivered, due to nobody being available at the delivery address or incorrect address being provided, or subsequently uncollected from pick-up location, will be returned to sender. We will automatically issue a refund for all products once they have been received back at the museum, however, the cost paid for shipping is non-refundable.
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****Please be advised that you are responsible for any import duty that may be charged on delivery of your order. If you are unsure, we advise you to check with your own customs and excise department before placing an order.