⭐️=3.25 | 😘=3.5 | 🤬=3 | ⚔️=3.75 | 15/16+

thoughts: first 66% was very very good but I zoned out for the rest? like it’s totally on me, but the last third or so was not as compelling as the first two thirds. or maybe I’m just tired.

Overall, "Young Queens" is a compelling and illuminating portrait of three Renaissance women who defied the conventions of their time and left an indelible mark on history. Chang's engaging narrative style, meticulous research, and deep appreciation for her subjects make this book a captivating read for anyone interested in the lives of powerful women and the dynamics of power in the Renaissance era.

This book was incredibly interesting. I feel like I learned a lot even though I feel like this space in the book world can be pretty saturated. I loved it.

I read this about half and half between ebook and audiobook, and both were fantastic. Olivia Dowd’s narration brought a lot of warmth and emotion to the book without being over the top (something I find especially important in non-fiction).

Mary Stuart has long held the public’s attention and Catherine de Medici is rising in popularity as Reign and The Serpent Queen have put her in the spotlight again. However, Elisabeth de Valois is not as well known as her mother and sister-in-law, and I am very happy to see her brought to the forefront in this joint biography. Redmond Chang highlights the similarities and differences between these three women and although all three occupied very different positions as queen, they had far more in common than it might seem

I will admit, I am one of those people that cannot stop reading about Mary, Queen of Scots. However, I learned quite a bit about her in this book, and much more about Catherine and Elisabeth. (I am always a fan of taking a new lens to a familiar subject, like a joint biography, because something new will always rise to the surface.)

I have to say, I’m particularly impressed with Redmond Chang’s pacing; she covers several decades across many countries and it does not feel rushed or slow anywhere. Although I love academic biographies, I find that they can often get lost in the weeds, but Redmond Chang completely avoids this.

This is a detailed and intricately woven history of the three famous women: Catherine de Medici, Elisabeth de Valois and Mary, Queen of Scots. Told in chapters alternating the histories of these women, it also brings to light how their relationships worked as Mary was Catherine's daughter-in-law and Elisabeth's sister-in-law and the relationships they maintained later in life when France was no longer at the center of their lives. It's interesting and intriguing to see how interconnected they were and how the socio-politics of the time influenced how they acted with each other.

This non-fiction read is phenomenal! Every time I picked up "Young Queens", I was whisked back in time, and learned so much about Catherine de' Medici, Elisabeth de Valois, and Mary Queen of Scots, and about the time in which they lived as well.

I can only imagine the amount of research that Lead Redmond Chang must have done for this novel, and I felt completely immersed in history throughout the book.

This book brilliantly weaves the lives of these three women together; showing their struggles, joys, and so much more. Furthermore, the author shows their similarities in some ways, and differences in others, and I truly found this biography difficult to put down.

If you enjoy non-fiction books about Royalty, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC of this biography. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

An interesting concept for a book!
A joint study of Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, her daughter Elisabeth de Valois, Queen of Spain, and her daughter-in-law, Mary Queen of Scots which sheds light also on the histories of France, Spain, Scotland and England in the sixteenth century.
On the whole, it is presented chronologically, so that the first part is Catherine's story, followed by the privileged childhoods of Elisabeth and Mary, who grew up together in the French royal nursery. Leah Redmond Chang clearly demonstrates the strength of character of Catherine de Medici, who found her 'thing' as Queen Mother after many years playing second-best to her husband's mistress Diane de Poitiers. Mary and Elisabeth both show deference and love to Catherine de Medici as the maternal figure in both their lives. Clearly, that love is not always reciprocated from Catherine to Mary, who seems to have seen her daughter-in-law as a rival and may have resented the fact she was a queen-regnant where Catherine was merely queen consort. This jealousy would mean that France was no longer a welcome home for Mary once her husband Francis, King of France, was dead. One does wonder if Mary's fortunes may have fared differently if she'd had the support from Catherine that she's had from Catherine's husband, Henry II of France.
As to Elisabeth de Valois, one cannot fail to feel sorry for the young girl, sent to the Spanish court to marry King Philip, but expected always to act in France's - and her mother's - interests, even to the detriment of Spain.
Leah Redmond Chang has understood the complex relationships between the three women and presents their stories, both individually and in conjunction with each other. It is a tad confusing, at times, when the author steps out of the timeline in order to go back and explain a previous event and I was a tad surprised that the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre was not presented as part of Catherine de Medici's story, and only appeared in the epilogue. Strange.
Otherwise, however, it was an excellent analysis of the three women and the complex politics involved in their stories.
I would definitely recommend it.

Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power by Leah Redmond Chang is such a fabulous nonfiction historical book that really intertwines the lives (and deaths) of three fascinating, intimidating and inspiring Queens.

This book takes us on a journey to discover the hidden depths of these three illustrious women and weaves their lives together in such a way that it shows us the wonderful historical accounts of three Queens: Catherine de’ Medici (Queen of France), her daughter, Elisabeth de Valois (Queen of Spain), and her daughter-in-law, Mary Stewart, (Queen of Scots). Each Queen is amazing in her own right, but still quite similar nevertheless. Each wielded position and power to their advantage, yet had to navigate (some did so much better than others), the obstacles, constraints, duties, and expectations (personally and professionally) that were thrown into their paths.

The author did a fantastic job presenting each Queen and also creating a context that helped bring them all together for us, the reader. I really loved learning the more depth insight into Catherine of Valois and Catherine d'Médici. Such a fantastic read and I definitely recommend it to lovers of historical non-fiction, especially those that enjoy the 16th century.

An excellent read. The three renaissance women referred to in the title are Catherine de Medici, her daughter Elizabeth de Valois and daughter-in-law Mary Queen of Scots. The book follows their lives, from childhood to marriage and death. A fair bit of history of France, Spain, Scotland and England as well and the religious wars. There’s a lot of depth but reads very easily. I really enjoyed it.

Leah Redmond Chang brings the lives of Catherine de Medici, Mary Queen of Scots, and Elisabeth of France and Spain to life in this amazing triple biography. Focusing on their lives separately and in conversation with each other, Redmond Chang has brought the lives of three powerful queens to the forefront of late sixteenth century politics. Split over several parts, the book begins with Catherine de Medici before switching to her daughter and daughter-in-law’s lives and political concerns, though there is a point, both in history and in this book, that focuses on the overlapping lives of all three women in the sixteenth century. Placing politics, religion, language, and culture at the center of this triple biography, Redmond Chang emphasizes the scope, scale, and stakes of the late sixteenth century for France, Spain, and Scotland through her contextualizing information. She explores the emotions, motivations, and decisions of these three powerful queens and the outcomes and consequences of their reigns for their kingdoms and sixteenth century geopolitics. Redmond Chang’s biography places three fascinating and powerful queens in the center of the historical narrative, granting them the focus and historical discourse that they deserve for their contributions and significance to sixteenth century politics.

Wonderful book!! I loved reading about these fantastic parts and their impact on history and their world. If you are a fan of this time period or women's history this is a book for you!

Young Queens is one of the best history books that I've read in a long time. Leah Redmond Chang does an excellent job of weaving together the stories of the young Catherine de Medici, Mary Stuart, and Elisabeth Valois, showing how each paid the price for the power she held in increasingly tragic ways. Her use of primary documents is excellent, particularly the letters written by each of these women to their relations. Chang perfectly straddles the line of professional history (with copious, very helpful footnotes that are put together very well) and engaging storyteller, never letting her emotional narration go over the line into over-dramatization. I highly recommend this book whether you don't know much about these women, or you're a fan looking to learn more.

A wonderfully written and gripping read that covers three powerful women in Europe during the Renaissance: Catherine de Medici; Mary, Queen of Scotts; Elisabeth de Valois. They have a very intertwined tale from beginning to end, and Chang conveys that superbly. Through letters between the three as well as with others, she has a well-detailed tragic story with telling components many have missed. Catherine is the power behind two men sequentially on the French throne, Elisabeth (Catherine's daughter) becomes the young Queen of Spain, and Mary becomes the Queen of Scotland at 9 days, grows up in Catherine's household, and becomes her daughter-in-law. We are witness to the complicated personal relations and political and religious ties and conflicts We see women who wield tremendous power and try to bend others to their will, but are used as transactional wares between leaders and countries during peace and war.

Truly remarkable portraits of three women who held power in very different ways during the 16th century. Full of fascinating details that help bring these long gone Queens to life. The successes, the losses, the loves, the political games and the religious upheaval that they all had to navigate are explored in great detail, but with an eye towards storytelling. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the 16th century history.

Thanks so much to FSG & NetGalley for this wonderful ARC.

Young Queens tells the history of strong female monarchs during the Renaissance period. The book talks about how three queens, Catherine de' Medici, Elisabeth de Valois, and Mary, Queen of Scots, lived through all the changes in Eastern Europe as empires expanded and ideas of nationalism began to rise. Their stories, starting with Catherine de' Medici are intertwined, and together, learned that to rule as a queen was to wage a constant war against the deeply entrenched misogyny of their time. This audiobook was narrated by Olivia Dowd.

In a world and time period dominated by men, I was in complete awe by the power and resilience these women practiced in order to attain power of their own rights. I really enjoyed how the book tells a narrative that really exemplifies the strength each Queens had throughout their lives. The narrative was written as a story which made it more engaging. I was learning about history and yet, it felt like I was reading a novel. The author, Olivia Dowd, narrated with such enthusiasm and energy that she was able to just grab my attention and made me want to keep listening.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Leah Redmond Chang, and Macmillian publishing for allowing me the chance to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest book review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
While Catherine de Medici and Mary, Queen of Scots have acquired somewhat famous, even infamous, reputations in their own right, their relationship with each other and how it impacted their respective relationships with power as Queens isn’t as discussed, despite the fact that their lives were intertwined, with Mary marrying Catherine’s eldest son, Francis II. And it’s even more interesting when Catherine’s daughter Elisabeth is also thrown in the mix, given how she also played her own role on the political stage, and she and Mary were not only onetime sisters-in-law, but had the potential to be related by marriage again due to Elisabeth’s marriage to the twice-widowed Philip II and Mary at one time entertaining the prospect of marrying Philip’s son, Don Carlos. And the three women also form such a stark contrast to one another, with Catherine thriving as Queen consort and later Queen Regent in spite of the mixed legacy she would leave behind, Mary’s messy decisions in her personal life costing her the Scottish throne, and Elisabeth dying in childbirth tragically in her early twenties.
On the whole, it’s an incredibly accessible read, giving the reader and researcher alike a nice background of the three women and their intertwined fates, and I’d recommend it to anyone who looking for history books about the Renaissance, especially about the women of the period.

Young Queens by Leah Redmond Chang is a fascinating and beautifully braided story of the lives of three queens “as complex and flawed human beings, their potential co-existing alongside their faults and frailties.”

“Young Queens follows the interlaced lives of Catherine, Elisabeth and Mary over the course of two decades. Telling their stories as one reveals patterns about women and power that we may miss or discount when assessing any of them in isolation.”

I chose this book as my most recent read due to my interest in verifying the accuracy of some of my favorite TV series like Reign (2013–2017), Mary Queen of Scots (2018), and The Serpent Queen (2022). After reading Young Queens, all of these works will require a rewatch.

This book is so fascinating and fun (if you're a history nerd like me)! I found it every bit as delightful as the elaborate films and series! It’s not easy to write nonfiction that includes well chosen details and paints such a rich picture of history but is also thoroughly entertaining with gorgeous prose and flow. This book, a glass of wine, and a hammock in my backyard made for the perfect summer reading experience.

Whatever aspect of these queens lives is of most intrigue and interest for you personally, it’s in this book. From the perils of travel via carriage to new lands, the complicated issue of trust amongst royals, the gross ignorance of the times of the human body and its functions, the author deftly sorts through details large and small and presents a captivating look at these brave and bold young queens from all angles.

I found it interesting how mental health wasn’t even considered in the 1500s. The behaviors and emotional issues that would have been the result of oppressive patriarchy and the trauma of bodies and lives being currency with very little daily autonomy would be so great, but were often written off as laziness, bad habits, or a symptoms of a physical ailment.

One example of this is an observation of Elizabeth, at age 14, after her marriage to the 34 year old King Phillip, “There were other signs of disorder, hints that Elisabeth’s daily habits were less than healthful. Sometimes Catherine found Elisabeth self-indulgent, ready to ‘take to her bed as soon as she felt the least bit ill’. She neglected to exercise. She had a particular fondness for meat and a bad habit of snacking too much, which Catherine believed brought on the dreaded vomiting. Others in Elisabeth’s circle also noticed these bad habits.”

With limited tools and knowledge, people relied heavily on folk medicine and religion for support. “In the sixteenth century, people believed in the four humours, the medical doctrine preaching that the health of a person depended on the proper balance of four liquids coursing through the body: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. A mild predominance of any one liquid determined temperament. A person dominated by blood, for example, might be ‘sanguine’ or cheerful. A person tending towards bile might anger easily. A more severe disequilibrium among the humours, however, was the basis of disease.”

What a trip reading Young Queens! I am in awe of the author. I imagined her in libraries, pouring over letters and texts, fully immersed into the lives of these women. This is truly one of my favorite nonfiction reads in a long time. I would definitely recommend to fans of historical nonfiction, Catherine de' Medici (my favorite), Mary Queens of Scots, and Elizabeth of Valois! My favorite genre is generally fantasy, and this world of queens and kings truly satisfies that craving too.

I thank Netgalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Publishing for an uncorrected proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I originally heard about this book from several historians that I follow on Instagram and podcast formats. When this book was discussed on Not Just the Tudors I knew I wanted to read this book. Having finished it the best way I can describe this book is it is a Black Forest Cake for history lovers. Redmond Chang's research throughout this book is decadent and immense and how she examines the sources and paints a portrait of the women behind these sources is so refreshing.

The central narrative of this book is the life of Catherine de Medici. In part because Catherine is the link between Elisabeth de Valois and Mary, Queen of Scots, but also because she lived the longest. Although I have read books focused on Catherine in the past Redmond Chang's work paints a vivid, multilayered picture of Catherine as a woman, wife, mother, and Queen. Often it feels as though Catherine's story is segmented into one of those roles so a clear picture of her never emerges. However, the author's evaluations of Catherine's political motives and her emotional attachment to her children made this historical narrative of Catherine all the more dynamic.

My absolute favourite part of the book was the discussion of Elisabeth. I knew of her existence before reading this book as being a fan of history during this period she does make fleeting appearances, but finding a source that focuses specifically on Elisabeth de Valois is difficult to come by. The way that Redmond Chang was able to describe Elisabeth's life in Spain and the balancing act she attempted to maintain as a Queen of Spain and a daughter of France was truly breathtaking. As with Catherine, the use of Elisabeth's letters brought her to life. They also highlight the formidable role that she played in the dynamics of Franco-Spanish relations at the time. I was also entertained by Redmond Chang's speculation on how Catherine may have responded to some of Elisabeth's letters concerning diplomatic policy. Their mother-daughter relationship was well-highlighted throughout the book.

I did enjoy the discussion of Mary, Queen of Scots. I feel that Redmond Chang brought a refreshing perspective to Mary's story. Like with Catherine, I often feel there is also a dichotomy when portraying Mary, sinner or saint, perpetrator or victim. I appreciated how the author balanced a varied perspective of Mary's behaviours without attempting to psychologically examine her at a distance. Redmond Chang managed to give Mary both agency and vulnerability. I also think that the heart of the narrative in this book explains why Mary chose to go to England rather than France. By highlighting the political dynamics in each country and the perception of Darnley's murder and the Bothwell marriage in the Catholic countries of Spain and France it put events into an entirely new perspective for me.

In addition to providing a fresh perspective on three Queens at the heart of European politics in the middle of the 16th century, Redmond Chang's work is just so well written you feel as if you are watching a history documentary rather than reading a work of non-fiction. I think my only complaint with this book was that it was very hard to follow the timeline of events. For instance, in one chapter a family member is dead or a baby has been born when in the next chapter this event hasn't happened yet. Given the amount of information throughout the book though I was willing to overlook this.

Although the focus is on Catherine, Elisabeth, and Mary the author provides vivid detail of political events encircling these women's lives. The sheer amount of research conducted for this book alone makes this book important, but the way that Redmond Chang brings these Queens to life again makes it worthy of every award. Highly recommend. If you love monarchy, female power narratives, and reading accounts of historical figures in their own words this is a must-read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Confinement, Miscarriage, Blood, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Infertility, Child death, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Vomit, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Incest and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape

I learned so much from this and was really impressed with the amount of information.Even some biographies I've read pertaining to these women couldn't have competed with how well thought out, written and researched this was.Also,the author definitely peaked my interest in Elizabeth de Valois and I will most likely be looking for more on her life.Highly recommend

'You cannot flee or avoid your destiny'.

One court produced three queen consorts, one sovereign queen, and one queen mother during the Renaissance period in Europe. These three queens fought for their position, their religion, respect, and authority. Catherine de Medici, her daughter Elisabeth de Valois and her daughter-in-law Mary Stuart all lived together in the French court before Elisabeth married Philip II, King of Spain and Mary Stuart returned to her sovereign land, Scotland. For each, though their fates all differed, the way in which they wielded their power and waded through the political and religious quagmire was shared. Catherine could be seen as the 'puppet master' but she's also shown to be desperate to ensure both her and her family's position. Elisabeth was sent to be a peace-maker between France and Spain but, in spite of having her marriage arranged for political gain, she seemed to not only eventually find a backbone, she also ingratiated herself with her new subjects. Mary Stuart was raised in the French court to be the future queen consort. Instead, at 18 years old, she was a barren widow who needed to go back to her kingdom of Scotland. Though their gender already counted against them, it in no way made them a less integral part of these royal dynasties.

Leah Redmond Chang has woven together the fabric of these women's lives, using diverse primary and secondary sources, to deliver a cohesive and readable book that gives insight into not only how they were raised, but how, in turn, that psyche may have affected their decision-making and rule. Any speculation by Chang is well qualified for validity. 'Young Queens' is an illuminating, accessible, insight into these women of the Renaissance and the price they paid for the power they inherited. I highly recommend it to history aficionados.