Medici. Queens of France

The epic of the renowned family celebrated through the ages, revealing the fates of two great Italian queens of France — Catherine and Maria Medici. This is a story of power and intrigue, of the struggle for a place in the sun and the price paid for influence at the French court.
At the center of the narrative are the dramatic pages of European history during the Renaissance and early modern period. In the third book, «Furious Catherine», the action unfolds in France in 1536: the reader is immersed in the tense atmosphere of courtly machinations, where Catherine Medici, a childless foreigner and the wife of the heir to the throne, is forced to confront suspicions, humiliations, and the pressure of her surroundings. Important prophecies of Nostradamus play a significant role in the heroine's fate, to whom she turns in hopes of achieving motherhood and strengthening her position. The plot covers key historical events, including religious wars and the tragic St. Bartholomew's Night, showing how personal tragedies intertwine with the fate of an entire country.
The fourth book, «The Last Chapter», transports the reader to Paris in 1601 and tells the story of Maria Medici — the wife of Henry IV of Bourbon. Against the backdrop of political conspiracies, blackmail, and the struggle for power, the complex fate of the queen unfolds, who ultimately becomes regent for her son Louis. A special narrative thread is her alliance with Cardinal Richelieu and her warm relationship with the artist Peter Paul Rubens — these episodes add depth and emotional color to the narrative.
The novels of Sturukula are characterized by a combination of an exciting plot with a reliable historical foundation: they bring to life the realities of France in the 16th–17th centuries — from luxurious palace chambers to dark dungeons, from battlefields to humble villages. The reader becomes a witness to large-scale events — the siege of La Rochelle, riots, executions, secret meetings, and treacherous conspiracies. The vivid images of Catherine and Maria Medici, their strength of spirit, political intuition, and complex human experiences make the saga particularly captivating..
The edition in the series «The Big Book. Historical Novel» features a classic design, and the quality translation and well-developed characters allow one to fully feel the spirit of the time.