Engrossing and richly told, Siegel brings us a story of two kings destined to war but bound by love. Extrapolating from vague references to their relationship, the possibility of a sexual attraction blossoms into what might have been the greatest love story ever recounted. While doubtless unlikely, it is still hauntingly beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

I know nothing about English history, so I am totally fine with this completely fictionalized & tweaked historical book.
You feel for the characters Philip & Richard's lives & roles unfold in this book and how duty always comes before wants & love. Their relationship was fast but sweet, and I adored the friendship in the marriage between Philip & Isabella.
It was a fast, quick read & I enjoyed how we were a bit realistic that lgbtq+ people existed in different eras.


The authors notably give the vibe they were saying, "Listen, this is fanfiction. My words, my story & I made these historical characters my one" I respect that!

Philip, the newly-crowned King of France, and Richard, the Duke of Aquitane and a Prince of England, were born to be enemies, inheriting the birthright of antagonism and war between their two countries. But when they finally meet in person, enemies is not the term that springs to mind. Trapped within the circumstances of their royalty, Philip and Richard pursue each other across countries, battlefields, and lines of loyalty – it’s a disaster waiting to happen, but unequivocally a beautiful love story.

This book is just so gorgeously written. Siegel’s prose sweeps you off your feet from the get-go, bringing you along as Philip and Richard find and fight and lose and cling to each other over the years. It took me a couple of chapters to fully grasp their circumstances, but once their complicated family trees became more clear, that was it, I was fully-immersed in the incredibly detailed and clear alt-history world this novel creates.

Philip and Richard’s banter is exquisite. The political intrigue aspect of the story is convoluted and messy and surprising in a way that only politics can be. That, combined with the royals’ forbidden romance, is complication upon complication that somehow never fully falls apart. The love story was a bit quick to get to “love” but I was so invested in these characters as real people that it was only a passing bother rather than a bigger distraction.

I highly recommend for any readers who love historical romance, court politics, and [SPOILER] a happily-ever-after when usually there would be tragedy.

Content warning: war, violence, death, grief, childbirth, anxiety, parental abuse (mentioned, brief)

This is not historical fiction in the typical sense, and the author's notes at the beginning and end make that clear. This is an historically-set LGBTQ, fade-to-black epic romance, inspired by rumors of a relationship between soon-to-be-King Richard of England and King Philip II of France. I'm not well versed in this era of history, but I took the author at her word that she's taken liberties with history and read it with that in mind.

What worked for me: the pacing was good, it kept me turning pages, I wanted to know what would happen with the politics and palace intrigue; it was an interesting "what if" to contemplate (a forbidden romance between rivals influencing the politics of the Middle Ages).

What didn't work so well: it was a bit too insta-love, especially given the circumstances; the dual POV wasn't differentiated enough; the ending didn't match the set up (and I won't say any more than that).

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC, in exchange for this honest review.

This book was such a pleasant surprise! I would characterize this as an epic romance. I was swept away by the love story and, until the very last page, wasn’t certain how it would end. It’s the ultimate forbidden romance. The king of France and the future king of England are destined to be bitter enemies…Except they fall in love and the rest is (false) history!

I think the author did a great job of weaving this plot over time and through wars and feuds and betrayals. Richard and Philip both have quite the dysfunctional familial relationships but that added to the plot intrigue. This book just really had it all.

I had read some early reviews that mentioned struggling with the historical inaccuracy but the author was very upfront about that so I expected it and it did nothing to detract from this beautiful story. And maybe it didn’t bother me because I know only the barest about English history so I was able to dive in without worrying about the actual background of these characters.

I highly recommend this. So happy that I found this jewel of a book.

This book has absolutely stunning writing and a cast of voicey, interesting characters to match. With distinct narration styles between the dual POV, it’s easy to get swept up in the alternate history and swoony romance. I found the ending to be a little anti-climactic. The set-up heavily foreshadows a tragedy—possibly a mutual tragedy—but the sparks of the beginning fizzle somewhat in the final act. I respect the author’s decision to angle toward a “happy for now” conclusion rather than commit to a tragedy, but when a reader’s expectations are so thoroughly built up only to not be delivered on, it makes for a frustrating experience. Additionally, if the promise of a tragedy is created in the first act, an author choosing not to see that tragedy through ought to take better care to ensure the characters go through SOMETHING that changes them irrevocably—where the tragedy then becomes a loss or sacrifice of the old self. I so badly wanted to see these characters change because of the circumstances and choices they’ve endured. Instead… they’re a bit softer, a bit wiser in the end, but I didn’t walk away from the book feeling as though either experienced any kind of loss.

I LOVED this book, it's my favorite read of 2023 so far! I will definitely be buying it once it is released. Fans of The Song of Achilles will love this one, especially if they're looking for a happier ending.

I was a little nervous about starting this book. Historical fiction can be stiff and boring, and MLM romances can be fetishistic and voyeuristic. But I'm extremely happy to say that this book was executed marvelously! Philip and Richard's relationship is very lovely and sweet, it has plenty of natural build up, and their chemistry is great. I also LOVED the ending, it was exactly what I had hoped for! Although this book functions well enough as a stand-alone, I would also love to see a sequel!

My only substantial complaint is this: it’s obvious that this book is not historically accurate and it doesn’t try to be. That’s great! But I think the story would have functioned much better with entirely fictional kings instead of trying to be Richard I and Philip II. There’s no compelling reason for the characters to be these specific kings, and in fact it takes away from the story. Both Philip and Richard were terrible people in real life, and this book doesn’t touch on any of that. But it’s hard to look past. So if you could look at these as entirely original characters, and not the brutal Crusaders they were in reality, then I think it would have avoided the questionable connotations and been much more enjoyable.

Also, regarding Philip and Isabella’s relationship: I really liked it at first as there was no drama between them over Philip’s sexuality. Isabella was very loving and accepting. I loved their friendship in the first half, though I liked it a little less when they started trying for a baby. It’s not entirely clear how old Isabella is at that point (maybe 18?) but the age gap is weird. Historically accurate, yes, but if the author is going to change other things for the sake of the story then I wish this had been changed too.

I was so excited for this book. Mainly because two of my favorite books that I read last year were A Taste of Gold and Iron and A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, which both follow a very similar formula to Solomon's Crown. They are all focused on some type of royalty and were mostly politically driven (plus a queer romance). These types of books are some of my favorites, so it was no surprise to me that I absolutely LOVED Solomon's Crown.

Philip is destined to become King of France. He has no real desire to rule, minus a sense of duty and love for his country, Richard, on the other hand, has never felt such duty. He is content with the Duchy gifted to him from his mother, but everything changes after tragedy strikes, forcing Richard into the role of heir to England. Philip and Richard have an instant attraction, but everything and everyone is set on keeping them apart (including King Philip himself). This book is full of longing, romance, heartbreak, and betrayal, but it has many moments of sweetness as well. One of my favorite parts of this book (outside of the romance of course) was Richard's relationship with his wife, Isabella. I loved their friendship and love for one another, and how important they were to each other, despite strenuous circumstances.

Solomon's Crown was an incredible read. The writing was beautiful; I found myself highlighting and bookmaking so many parts of this book. I could see myself potentially going back for a re-read of this story in the future. I cannot recommend it enough!

A fantastical retelling of the real Phillip the Second and Richard the First.

Richard is headstrong and strong in body and itches constantly for conflict.

Phillip is more delicate in body but just as strong in spirit and mind.

When the two meet they’re something special. Something that takes years to spark and catch.

This is a heck of a beautiful slow burn with lots of family drama and politics thrown in.

This book was SO beautiful, wow I really loved this! It's all about the YEARNING and this book really delivered. I can't wait to read what Natasha writes next!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Solomon’s Crown has a great premise, exploring the rumors around Richard the Lionheart and Philip II of France’s alleged relationship, elevating it into an epic romance amid the dramatic medieval politics and family feuds. I didn’t know a ton about many of the historical figures involved prior to picking up the book, aside from some of the backstory with Eleanor of Aquitaine, Louis VII, and Henry II, but that was enough for me to grasp what was going on. And I imagine, given how Natasha Siegel openly admits to playing fast-and-loose with historical record, the less you know about the specifics, the more you’ll be able to enjoy the ride, as was the case for me.
Richard and Philip are both compelling characters, and I enjoyed exploring the complex politics between them and among their families from their perspectives. The issues of their parents are still in recent memory, and they’re also dealing with both personal and interpersonal issues within their own families: Richard has sided with his imprisoned mother against his father, and Philip has recently taken the throne after his father’s death.
Despite the conflicts that surround them and the doubts they have about their relationship, I love that Philip and Richard’s relationship is ultimately affirming and super sweet. It’s a slow burn, and not without its bumps in the road, but I love that it’s truly a romance, in spite of what you’d expect, given the people involved and the time period concerned.
This is such a beautiful book, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in alternate historical fiction.

Philip II of France always knew he would inherit the crown from his father; however, when his father cedes the throne to him before his death, he finds himself in a position he wasn’t expecting, especially as politics around France continue to shift and change. His father lost great tracts of land during his reign and Philip is determined to get many of them back. Meanwhile, Richard, the Duke of Aquitaine, now oversees some of the land that Philip covets. Richard is hot-headed and ambitious, but the one thing he has never coveted is the throne. History has different plans for him, and when his brother Harry dies, Richard finds himself heir to a crown he doesn’t want. Additionally, his father refuses to officially anoint Richard his heir until he surrenders Aquitaine to his younger brother. Setting up a war across the continent, Richard and Philip find themselves working together on many occasions and their relationship begins to shift and change.

As a reader, I went into the novel relatively blind to the historical context and facts. While I have studied the time period and historical figures, it was so many years ago that I hardly remember any details. However, Natasha Siegel does provide a note at the beginning of the novel, detailing the various ways that time has been altered, collapsed, and rewritten to allow the story to take place. In many ways, not knowing the history may provide more enjoyment. Otherwise, eagle-eyed readers may be too busy noting inaccuracies rather than following the plot.

I thought this novel was fine and worked well as a story. At times, I found myself swept into the intrigue. However, despite the positive attributes, there were some clunky moments where the writing itself took me out of the narrative. For example, there was a lot of telling rather than showing, particularly at the beginning of the novel, but it also cropped up at various points, especially when Siegel was trying to span several years in a few pages. Moments that worked were when scenes were built and recollections or additional details were added in with a purpose and for context.

The chapters also switch back and forth from Philip’s and Richard’s points of view. To be honest, many times their voices were indistinguishable. At times, I had to go back a few pages until I found one of their names to remember whose chapter I was reading. And that’s not to say that Siegel didn’t work to distinguish them as characters. Philip was often portrayed as anxious and driven by the fact that he didn’t want to be deemed weak like his father. Richard was more impulsive and hot-headed. But their internal monologues were hard to tell apart.

Finally, there was a lot of politicking, like A LOT. The type of political maneuvers described in the novel are not generally ones that hold my interest for an extended period of time. This may be more of a “it’s not you, it’s me” critique.

Overall, I did enjoy this novel; however, as noted above, there were a few ways I thought the reading experience could have been improved.

An interesting historical romance.
An LGBTQ+ take on rival kings in the 12th century. I enjoyed the characters and the romantic tension caused by their positions both politically and societally. The author touches on the fact that although this is fiction, she did build on actual events. A great "what if" historical romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for my ARC!

Solomon’s Crown was 5/5 for me!

I have so much to say. First and foremost, this book is incredibly unique. It is a queer, alternate history of two medieval kings, Richard the Lionheart and Philip Augustus. I really loved the historical aspects of this book. It was fascinating looking into the actual history of these two men and the various other characters to see the reality of their lives. I’ve seen a lot of comparisons drawn to The Song of Achilles and think that’s accurate with the type of novel both of these books are.

Secondly, I have to mention how incredible the writing is. It’s so beautiful and lyrical. The English major inside of me absolutely adored it! I swear I highlighted half of this book, because of how beautiful and poignant it was.

I loved the romance!!! Both Philip and Richard are complex, intricately woven characters, who are flawed and utterly human, despite their titles and power. I just adored them, especially Richard. The pining was immaculate! I also love that the conflict of the novel did not rely on the nature of their relationship and instead was centered on alliances, betrayal, and war.

I 10/10 recommend this book!

I really wanted to like this but it was bit too historic for me! I love historical fiction, and I love romance, and I love queer romance, but this just didn't do it for me.

Solomon’s Ceown by Natasha Siegel is an alternate history fiction story that dives into the complex relationship of Richard the Lionheart & King Phillip of France.

This story is overflowing with political intrigue, palpable tension, royal affairs & undeniable chemistry.

The two eventual kings are obvious opposing rivals with different hopes & necessities of their countries, but is their alluring personal gravitation stronger than that?! Can love truly conquer all?! Read this book to find out!

I adored the relationship between Richard & Isabella. Now, the relationship of Phillip & Richard is the epic kind that has to overcome so many obstacles that will enraptured the reader as it did me. The romance sections were obviously my favorite but I know the politics were crucial to tell this story:

With the historical war background, this is outside my usual realm of genres & it reminded me that it’s important to try new things because you can discover lovely reads there.

To all my historical romance fans, I recommend checking out Solomon’s Crown!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.


Trigger Warnings : This book mentions &/or contains animal hunting, animal death, violence, death, murder & gore.

Historical fiction that's queer and loosely based on history is my favorite kind of historical fiction. Overall, I enjoyed this romance, but I felt it didn't grip me completely.

3/3.5 stars rounded up.

Richard of Aquitaine is forever quarreling with his brothers and father, constantly at war and scheming to increase his power and protect his beloved Aquitaine. Philip II of France is trying hard to live past the expectations his father and his people have for him, trying to regain that which was lost under his father's weak leadership and rebuild France into a political and geographic power. But when these two young men meet, one already king and one destined to become king of a rival nation, they find in the other an attraction that they cannot deny, even when they know that they should for the good of their respective lands.

I am always excited to find historical fiction that is NOT about WWII, especially if it happens to be medieval historical fiction, so I was ready to like this one, even knowing that it departs from historical fact in some pretty significant ways. I found myself going down Wikipedia rabbit holes while reading in order to get a grasp of the reality of these two men, even while knowing the book isn't trying to be historically accurate - I wanted to get a grasp of the reality of these two men's lives while also being happily carried away by Siegel's love story. Sometimes I am disappointed by historical fiction when it is not accurate, but in this case I was glad to go along where the author led and reimagine these two as men in love who also happened to be powerful political actors making decisions for their countries and futures influenced by their feelings for one another. I appreciated that Siegel ended things where she did, not going into the later years of their relationship and lives where things were bound to unravel, given their competing interests. Instead, she let Philip and Richard have their literal moment in the sun. I hope to see more from Siegel in the future, especially if she chooses to write more historical fiction.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Solomon's Crown early in exchange for an honest review.

First, don’t go into this expecting historical fiction. The author includes a helpful note that says it is “loosely based” on history, in that you’ll recognize historical characters and places, but that it’s a romance. At first, I wondered why the author didn’t just write a work that was completely original, but then I realized that doing this allowed the author to focus on the characters and the development of their relationship rather than trying to establish the parameters of a fictional world. Not everyone is going to be okay with this, so do not read this for the history.

The characters were decently written. Phillip and Richard were entirely different people in their personalities and how they thought about things, so having the dual POV was fascinating not only for that reason, but also because it gave a little insight into the two different kingdoms and their politics. Isabella was by far my favorite character though, and the best written one as well. While this work follows Phillip and Richard for many years, I didn’t see much growth or change in them during the book, which was disappointing. I also would have liked a little more buildup leading to their relationship and some more tension incorporated. I did however enjoy their relationship and how sweet it was, as well as how well the two of them worked together despite their drastic differences. Their relationship, their internal dialogues, and the issues they ran into did get a bit repetitive though.

This was a cute, sweet romance that I ended up enjoying even though it was lacking in a few areas. I liked the author’s writing style and I look forward to seeing what else she publishes. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this work, which will be published 14 March 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Natasha Siegel's debut historical fiction novel, Solomon's Crown, reimagines history where King Philip II of France and Richard, Duke of Aquitaine, have far more than rumors to their alleged relationship. Siegel acknowledges a bit (read as: a lot) of fast and loose play with historical events, though she is certainly well researched in her telling.

Tonally reminiscent of The Song of Achilles, where Achilles and Patroclus are inevitable, Richard and Philip are impossible. Siegel establishes a political landscape where Richard and Philip should be forever at odds and must constantly make the decision to choose one another again and again. The development of the relationship between them and the constant pressure of Philip's throne and Richard's family makes for the slowest of burns. The world is in constant motion around them and they can only find peace in each other.

Ordinarily, I might be frustrated with the inaccuracies and the liberties taken, but Siegel wrote the absolute crap out of the character development. Much as Richard and Philip could set politics aside for their love, I was so invested in their relationship that any errors or changes made by the author seemed not to matter.

This book is quiet, quotable, and is deeply felt. Now I just have to wait for the prettiest edition to buy for myself and to force my friends to read it on release.