Con la muerte de Carlos IV se extingue la dinastía de los Capetos. El ascenso de los Valois al trono francés desatará la guerra de los Cien Años... La semilla del descomunal enfrentamiento ha caído en la tierra fértil de las rivalidades económicas, las ambiciones personales, los embrollos jurídicos y los resentimientos históricos. Fatalidades colectivas y trágicos actos individuales se suceden.

Xcellent series, not the best one ( )

In this novel the throne passes (is stolen) from the House of Capet to the House of Valois and the curse of the Knights Templar upon the House of Capet comes to end. The curse was that all of the Capetian kings would die before the age of 35, and they did. (Which wasn't too far of a stretch in Medieval Times.) This book could have concluded the series, as far as I'm concerned because everything and everybody that we have read about in the last 6 books were tied up historically in a neat little box. I've read that book 7 was written 17 years after book 6, as an after thought. Not sure I want to read it, but I must! 433 pages ( )

This is the sixth in the series of Accursed Kings novels set in 14th century France (the Lily) against the backdrop of an unstable monarchy and war with England (the Lion). This is in particular the story of French noble Robert of Artois and his attempts to regain his territory; first in alliance with Philip VI, the first Valois king, who takes the throne once the main branch of the Capetian dynasty has died out, after King Charles IV's widow gives birth to a posthumous daughter; and secondly, in alliance with King Edward III of England, encouraging him to pursue his claim as the legitimate king of France as the son of Isabella the She-Wolf, sister of the last Capetian kings. So the stage is set for what later historians called the Hundred Years War. This is great historical fiction about a fascinating period, but the author has a tendency to overdump historical information, telling rather than showing the course of events through the narrative. This book contains an overlong epilogue about the later life of the Italian man who has featured earlier in these novels, and who in these stories is in fact actually the dead baby king John I, which is historically fascinating, but hangs rather at the end and doesn't feel like a true part of the novel. ( )

Le Lis et le lion

Charles le Bel est mort à son tour sans laisser d’héritier mâle. Edouard d’Angleterre réclame le trône et la couronne pour lui par sa mère, dernière proche parenté du roi décédé.

Robert d’Artois soutient son cousin Philippe, fils de feu Charles de Valois, qui monte sur le trône. Ce dernier fait de son beau-frère, un pair de France et son principal conseiller. Cependant, Robert ne désespère pas de retrouver l’Artois et de se venger de sa tante Mahaut. Il produit de faux documents et séduit la dame de parage de la duchesse d’Artois. Il réussit à faire empoisonner sa tante mais la supercherie des faux est découverte.

Du sommet du royaume, Robert bascule dans la traitrise et la félonie aux yeux de la Couronne. Il part en exil et convainc son cousin, le roi d’Angleterre, de réclamer son dû en faisant respecter son bon droit et récupérer la Couronne de France.

Cet avant dernier tome de la saga des Rois maudits raconte par le menu la série d’évènements précédent le déclenchement d’un conflit qui va durer plus de cent ans. ( )