I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. This was a good read. I highly recommend it for history buffs. The author did a great job with the research!

I won't lie. Most of my knowledge about Mary, Queen of Scots, and her mother in law, Catherine de’ Medici, come from the terribly inaccurate Reign. You may remember Kenna, a walking Free People ad.

So while Mary and Catherine's stories weren't new to me, I was quite surprised by Elisabeth de Valois's existence. Her story should've interested me the most, as it was newest to me, but it didn't. I thought Mary's would, but as I am marginally familiar with her at this point, it got repetitive.

I didn't think I would fall so deeply into Catherine's story, but I may seek to know more about her. A rich Italian commoner, she went on to become queen consort of France, and the mother of kings and queens besides.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books

This book is definitely good for everyone who is unfamiliar with the history surrounding these three women!
It was so refreshing that Elisabeth had such a big part in the book, as she often comes short and forgotten.
Sometimes, facts were repeated a lot and
I wished for more analysis surrounding the three queens feelings in vulnerable moments of their lives.
Overall though, very informative and the writing style kept me interested (which sometimes gets a bit dull with nonfiction).

⭐️=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.