Blood, Fire and Gold

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

In sixteenth-century Europe, two women came to hold all the power, against all the odds. They were Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici.

One a Virgin Queen who ruled her kingdom alone, and the other a clandestine leader who used her children to shape the dynasties of Europe, much has been written about these iconic women. But nothing has been said of their complicated relationship: thirty years of friendship, competition and conflict that changed the face of Europe.

This is a story of two remarkable visionaries: a story of blood, fire and gold. It is also a tale of ceaseless calculation, of love and rivalry, of war and wisdom - and of female power in a male world. Shining new light on their legendary kingdoms Blood, Fire and Gold provides a new way of looking at two of history's most powerful women, and how they shaped each other as profoundly as they shaped the course of history. Drawing on their letters and brand new research, Estelle Paranque writes an entirely new chapter in the well-worn story of the sixteenth century.

'A stunning portrayal of two of the most powerful women in European history' Tracy Borman

'Exciting and compelling, packed full of tantalising details of diplomacy and court life, Paranque succeeds both in bringing history to life, but also in putting flesh on the bones of these two extraordinary women and rival queens' Kate Mosse

'Bursting with fresh perspectives, this is a vibrant retelling of a story you thought you knew' Dan Snow

© Estelle Paranque 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Critics Review

  • Exciting and compelling, packed full of tantalising details of diplomacy and court life, Paranque succeeds both in bringing history to life, but also in putting flesh on the bones of these two extraordinary women and rival queens.

    Kate Mosse

  • A stunning portrayal of two of the most powerful women in European history. In another life, Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici might have been friends. But politics, religion and a bitter personal rivalry set them on a collision course that would dominate Anglo-French relations for three decades. A fresh, engaging and impeccably researched narrative that brings the characters of both queens vividly to life. Not to be missed.

    Tracy Borman

  • Excellently told, this thrilling, lyrical story of two extraordinarily powerful women offers the missing piece in our understanding of Tudor England and Renaissance France.

    Suzannah Lipscomb

  • Bursting with fresh perspectives, this is a vibrant retelling of a story you thought you knew

    Dan Snow

  • Blood, Fire and Gold is a treasure house of historical detail that transports readers back to a time when court intrigue was quite literally a matter of life and death-especially for the women thrust into its dark heart. Spellbinding in its scope; cinematic in its rendering. Estelle Paranque is the perfect guide to this world, and an exciting, new voice in narrative history.

    Lindsey Fitzharris

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