I was zipping along merrily through this book, enjoying the journey but still feeling that neither Time & Chance nor Devil's Brood were quite as gripping as Maude's story in When Christ and His Saints Slept, when suddenly I realised - and I'm not sure when it happened - that I had become very deeply invested in Henry's story. Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II were a delightful couple to read about. "Delightful" in the sense that their fiery personalities, lust for one another and for power, their stubbornness and their ambitions, all made for a very tumultuous marriage. It was as full of heartache as it was full of passion. Eleanor was especially interesting, and I found myself more on her side than Henry's during the previous book and earlier chapters of this one. I could feel her fury and frustration when her beloved Aquitaine came under her husband's control and she was given little say in its future. I am very interested in stories about strong women fighting back against the constraints placed upon them, which is also why I enjoyed reading about Empress Maude so much. But as this book sped along, I found my heart hurting so much for Henry.The final chapters of this book were devastating, even though I knew it had to happen because it already had happened— almost a thousand years ago. For all his faults, Henry really did deserve better.Now let's see if I can ever forgive Richard by reading Lionheart.Facebook | Instagram