Solomon’s Crown

As a queer author and someone with half a degree in medieval history, when I saw the announcement of Natasha Siegel’s debut historical fiction, I immediately knew that I needed to read Solomon’s Crown as soon as I could. I had amazingly high hopes for this book from the description—a retelling of the relationship between the newly-crowned King Philip of France and Richard, Duke of Aquitaine, later to be the King of England. While in dispute by historians, some have taken the fact that the two men were reported to have been “sleeping in the same bed” to be evidence of a queer relationship. Siegel reimagines the story of Philip and Richard as one of fear and loathing and love, and uses her versions of these historical figures to tell a timeless story.

As a reader, I was drawn to the book’s premise and setting, but fully enraptured by its careful exploration of the ways in which duty and devotion can lead to heart-wrenching conflicts. Philip, in particular, deals with anxiety about what his position as King of France, and Richard’s future ascension to the throne, means for their nascent relationship. He worries about whether to give in to the growing love he shares with Richard and risk one day finding himself on the opposite side of a battlefield, or protect himself from that future pain by refusing to acknowledge the feelings between them. This is just one notable element of a story full of complex, believable, fully alive characters. (A special mention goes to Isabella, Philip’s wife, whose gentle acceptance of her husband’s sexuality—and urging for him to embrace happiness—brought me at many points to tears.)

As Siegel writes in her author’s note, this is not a historically accurate novel, but in reading it, I felt as though it were. The background of twelfth-century Europe is vividly and beautifully rendered, from sweeping descriptions of the cities of London and Paris and the castles that Philip and Richard haunt, to the smallest details of the flora and fauna they encounter (a sprig of rosemary and an elm tree are described and utilized to outstanding effect). The descriptions of war and battle were tense and gritty, and the tension of the plot continues to build until the book becomes unputdownable. The writing is unbearably gorgeous, stark at some points and achingly descriptive at others, with line after line that I will remember for years to come.

As a reader, I felt as though a part of me will remain buried with this book, as Richard dreaded his heart would be separated from his body when he died. But in this case, I am so glad to have left a part of myself with this story, because it is worth dwelling on—and with—for a lifetime. I am crossing my fingers for a sequel, and am greatly looking forward to anything else that Siegel will publish in the future.

Find It: GoodReads | Bookshop | Amazon |

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Laura R. Samotin is an author of fantasy grounded in Jewish myth, mysticism, and her Eastern European Jewish heritage. Her debut novel, THE SINS ON THEIR BONES, will be released by Random House CA in Summer 2024. When she’s not writing, she is using her PhD in political science to do research, and a full-time cat servant.