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    Reign of Madness
    Reign of Madness
    Reign of Madness
    Audiobook13 hours

    Reign of Madness

    Written by Lynn Cullen

    Narrated by Susan Lyons

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The acclaimed author behind the historical fiction gem The Creation of Eve, Lynn Cullen penned this gripping tale of love and madness, royal intrigue, and marital betrayal set during Spain's Golden Age. Upon the death of Queen Isabella, Juana of Castile ascends to the Spanish throne. But her reign is fraught with danger as her husband, Philippe the Handsome, and her father, King Ferdinand II, both vie for the crown and control of a vast empire.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateSep 16, 2011
    ISBN9781461846918
    Reign of Madness
    Author

    Lynn Cullen

    Lynn Cullen camped in Harriman State Park when visiting New York City as a thirteen-year-old. Like Harris, she braced herself for embarrassment: "I felt like a neon sign was flashing over our ancient canvas car carrier: Tourists! Tourists!" Lynn Cullen grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

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    Reviews for Reign of Madness

    4/5

    37 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I did not know much about Juana of Castile before reading this book but I now know that I want to know more.This tale of yet another young woman in history sold to a man she did not know for political reasons is unbelievably sad. While a work of fiction the story is based on what fact has come down through history.Juana was the third daughter of the very famous Ferdinand and Isabella. She was not expected to ever ascend to the throne of "the Spains" but as a royal daughter she was sent to Austria to marry the Duke of Burgundy, known as Philippe the Handsome. He does seem to care for her as much as he can care for anyone other than himself but he is a vain, power hungry man. When Juana, through the tragic deaths of her brother, sister and mother ends up becoming Queen of Spain he in cahoots with her father has her locked up for close to 50 years. The men in her life, the men who were supposed to love her and support her stole her power and created the myth that she was crazy.Ms. Cullen creates a fictional reason why Juana allowed this to occur since no one knows the true reason. The book fascinated me. I was drawn in from the beginning and I fell in love with this poor young woman. I feel so very sorry for what she had to endure and for what history has done to her. The beginning of the book details Juana's life as a child in her parent's court. She meets Christopher Columbus and becomes infatuated with his son Diego. She is eventually told of her marriage to the Duke of Burgundy and embarks on her way to meet and marry him but is shocked at the ways of his court and people. She finds a way to adapt so as to keep him happy since a man at that time owned his wife and could do anything to and with her. There is much foreshadowing early in the tale.Ms. Cullen's writing style is easy to read and draws you in to the era. History is finite so it is a good author that can breathe such life into old myths and create a reason to reconsider what has come through time.
    • 5/5
      It's five stars for a couple of reasons: the fleshing out of characters based on contemporary accounts is masterful; and once again, Lynn Cullen manages to bring an otherwise unknown woman to life. And yet, for the subject matter, it is a sad and tragic life.Juana of Castile was an older sister to Catherine of Aragon, and the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. She was raised to be a princess and is willing to marry he-whom-her-parents-wanted, which she does with great enthusiasm when that time comes. The prince she marries is Phillippe the Good, Duc of Burgundy who starts as a caring, lustful husband and later becomes her jailer. While the term "gas lighting" has only recently come into vogue, that is exactly what Phillippe does to her, and does to her subjects. Juana becomes Queen of parts of Spain due to older siblings' deaths, but Phillippe's machinations, along with those of her great aunt-in-law, the Dowager Margeret of England, create an environment where she turns over these titles to him. Whether she meant to, whether she wanted to, is one of the puzzles that this book delves into. Also explained are several instances that Phillippe uses to cast doubt about her sanity to her subjects and to her father; Ferdinand also has a hand in seizing her titles. The worst part about reading this book is where it ends up: Juana spends more than 50 years imprisoned by her husband, father, and eldest son. For no crime other than just being. It gives her story a poignancy that is hard to resolve when reading the masterful characterization of this bright, beautiful young girl who, like Marie Antoinette, never inherited the spine? strength of character? that her mother wielded against her enemies.
    • 4/5
      Juana of Castile, also known as “Juana the Mad”, was the daughter of Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. With two older siblings, she never thought she’d have a chance to be queen. She was married to Philippe of Flanders, who was lower ranked than she was. Initially in love with Philippe, things turned sour after a while, as Philippe dallied with other women, and began to treat Juana badly. When Juana did inherit her mother’s crown in Casile, Philippe managed to take her power from her.The book started when Juana was young and living with her parents and siblings. It continued to follow her and Philippe’s relationship and travels between the Spains and Flanders. I found the beginning of the book a bit slow. It also jumped over time a bit. But, I thought it really picked up about the time Juana realized what a cad Philippe was. The author fictionalized a reason why Juana may have ultimately wanted to stay out of the limelight and not be queen, which was somewhat entertaining. In any case, I found the additional information about Christopher Columbus interesting, as I haven’t read much about him (though I did know his explorations were funded by Isabel and Ferdinand). The author did have a note at the end, separating out fact from fiction, which is always nice. It was particularly interesting to note what really happened with Beatriz, who was Juana’s closest lady.
    • 3/5
      I will admit this book had me fooled. I judged this based on the brief description I read and the cover. I must be grabbed in the first five minutes or I tend to put books down. Well this book did not grab me. However it was sent to me to review so I muddled through it.Overall this was well written. The author takes the time to explain the circumstance behind the happenings. After I got through the first few chapters I was hooked. I am glad I took the time to read this finally.
    • 4/5
      Juana of Castile is just a girl in the court of her illustrious parents, Isabel and Fernando, rulers of the Spanish Empire, when she gets the news that she is to marry Phillipe the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy. This means traveling to a country very different from her own to live with a man she’s never met, a situation that troubles her. When she’s received in Phillipe’s court, brave Juana is hopeful that life with her doting and handsome husband will be all she hopes it can be. And for awhile, it is. Phillipe is loving and attentive, and despite some minor flaws, treats his new wife with tenderness and love. But soon Juana is noticing that Phillipe has an eye for the ladies and would much rather spend his time hunting then with her and the royal heirs. But still Juana is patient with her husband, until the day when plans are made to transfer the power of the Spanish throne to her with Phillipe acting only as king consort. This seems to quietly enrage Phillipe, and soon he is on a campaign to smear Juana's name and reputation. When he plants rumors that she’s gone mad and locks her away, Juana is confused and saddened but doesn’t know how best to quash this threat. Soon Juana is alone and friendless with rumors of her madness spread far and wide. Will Phillipe succeed in taking the crown of Spain for himself and making everyone truly believe that Juana is mad? Or will someone or something help Juana overcome this disaster that seems to be shaping her future? In this breathtaking and provocative new novel by Lynne Cullen, the doors are thrown open to the past and the story of Juana the Mad is re-imagined with a fresh perspective that might be closer to the truth than anyone has ever realized.I’ve got to hand it to Lynne Cullen. This is the second book of hers that has just blown my socks off. Last year, I read and loved The Creation of Eve, and was impressed with Cullen’s fluid writing and gift for story creation. While it’s no secret that I adore historical fiction, there are some specimens that are better than others, and Cullen’s books seem to have that undefinable sprinkling of magic that make my eyes want to rove slowly and languorously over the pages. In her fictional treatment of the infamous Juana the Mad, Cullen gives us an inexpressibly human character who is caught in one of the most bizarre and terrifying situations ever to be imagined. And though the truth may be stranger than fiction, as Cullen mentions in her end notes, this book certainly captures the perplexing situation that Juana of Castille found herself in.While at times I thought Juana was a little naive, when I stopped to examine the situation a little more fully, I realized that it wasn’t really naivety that kept Juana at a disadvantage with Phillipe. it was more that she had a forgiving and optimistic heart, and that she wished to create a situation that was more peaceable not only for herself, but for her family and subjects. And I came to see then than Juana was very brave, though perhaps a little foolhardy, when dealing with her husband who turned like a chameleon from attentive and loving to domineering and controlling. It was such a complete reversal that I could see why Juana was stunned and confused by him. Where at first Phillipe didn’t seem to care about becoming acting regent for Spain, his interest suddenly sharpened and began to overwhelm all the other aspects of his personality. When Phillipe begins to do the unthinkable to Juana, there is little power the woman can assert as she has been virtually isolated in this foreign land.A good portion of this book also examined the relationship between Fernando and Isabel as seen through the eyes of their middle daughter, Juana. Because of Isabel’s formidable personality as regent, Juana was never able to become close to her mother, and was never able to learn about her to any satisfactory degree. Fernando, though seemingly content, was portrayed as feeling somewhat emasculated by his strong wife whose subjects often called her King Isabel. In later chapters, Fernando is also responsible for keeping Juana’s crown from her, and one wonders if this was due to the rumors that Phillipe spread about the realm or if it was his own ambition that was in play. It was sad to realize that Juana was beset by traitors from all sides, and although she felt content to relinquish her power at times, it was clearly wrong for others to try to usurp it. It angered me to see her disregarded and treated as a joke or a nonentity, and though she was tractable, it was hard not to feel that there was a degree of weakness to Juana’s actions. But truth be told, there really weren’t many options open to her.In this examination of Juana’s life, I came to see that the power plays between monarchs and their courts could not only be dangerous but also deceptive and controversial. In the end notes, Cullen speaks about a trip to Spain where the old myths about Mad Queen Juana are seriously offensive to some of the natives. It’s in this kernel of revelation that the story in Reign of Madness really begins to pepper its readers about the accuracy of the history we’ve all been taught and believe. Cullen rounds out her tale with guest appearances from Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus) and other famous regents and religious men of the time. The effect is one of total encapsulation of the time period, and brings Juana and her life into fulsomely colorful relief, rendered with an expert’s hand at sussing out conspiracy, plots and revenge.I loved this look into the life of a woman that I knew so little about, and I thought Cullen did a wonderful job of creating a vivid representation of what might have actually happened in the life of Mad Queen Juana. Cullen has once again exceeded my expectations and delivered a flawless historical fiction novel that I fully savored and appreciated. It was a wonderful book that is sure to have its share of admirers. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      I did not know much about Juana of Castile before reading this book but I now know that I want to know more.This tale of yet another young woman in history sold to a man she did not know for political reasons is unbelievably sad. While a work of fiction the story is based on what fact has come down through history.Juana was the third daughter of the very famous Ferdinand and Isabella. She was not expected to ever ascend to the throne of "the Spains" but as a royal daughter she was sent to Austria to marry the Duke of Burgundy, known as Philippe the Handsome. He does seem to care for her as much as he can care for anyone other than himself but he is a vain, power hungry man. When Juana, through the tragic deaths of her brother, sister and mother ends up becoming Queen of Spain he in cahoots with her father has her locked up for close to 50 years. The men in her life, the men who were supposed to love her and support her stole her power and created the myth that she was crazy.Ms. Cullen creates a fictional reason why Juana allowed this to occur since no one knows the true reason. The book fascinated me. I was drawn in from the beginning and I fell in love with this poor young woman. I feel so very sorry for what she had to endure and for what history has done to her. The beginning of the book details Juana's life as a child in her parent's court. She meets Christopher Columbus and becomes infatuated with his son Diego. She is eventually told of her marriage to the Duke of Burgundy and embarks on her way to meet and marry him but is shocked at the ways of his court and people. She finds a way to adapt so as to keep him happy since a man at that time owned his wife and could do anything to and with her. There is much foreshadowing early in the tale.Ms. Cullen's writing style is easy to read and draws you in to the era. History is finite so it is a good author that can breathe such life into old myths and create a reason to reconsider what has come through time.
    • 4/5
      Juana of Castile is a young girl at the Spanish court secure in the fact she will never inherit the crown and also secure in her parent’s marriage and love for one another. When her world view is suddenly shattered, her romantic ideals disappear --- especially those of marriage and her parent’s marriage specifically --- and it leaves her with a more pragmatic view of life. She now understands that love and marriage are not one in the same and she beings to see all the more clearly where her life will lead and what it will be like. When Juana’s marriage to Philip I, the Duke of Burgundy, is announced she makes her way to a foreign country with little preparation and an even smaller hope of finding happiness in her marriage and maybe even in her life.Juana and Philip’s first meeting is odd and while it’s not the most reassuring start, it’s not as bad as Juana imagined. The first few years of their marriage are full of lust, if not necessarily love, and the two young and naive rulers stumble toward a future she never imagined --- the crown of Spain. With every relationship in her life eroding --- her mother’s silence, her husband’s strange behavior, and courtiers deserting her --- Juana struggles to control her jealous feelings for her husband as well as awful thoughts toward a mother who has grown cold. Her children become her only happiness and Philip becomes tortuous holding her at arm’s length, taunting her, playing with her emotions, and doing all he can to make Juana doubt herself.Philip’s plans to steal the Spanish crown become clear to Juana all too late. When she finally beings to fathom his cruelness, both physically and mentally, her reaction is long overdue. Unfortunately, he has convinced too many of her perceived incompetence and Juana can do nothing to dispel the rumors or fight back. Everyone now sees her as a lovesick, heartbroken, and mad woman incapable of caring for herself and certainly not the Spanish empire.Juana does not start out as a particularly sympathetic character. She’s dropped, at a young age, all the pretentions of happiness knowing with clarity that her life is not truly her own. It’s because of this attitude you expect her to see Philip for what he is --- a childish man who believes he can take all he wants without consequences. His attitude and cruelty toward her are evident rather early on in the marriage but she becomes wrapped up in trying to keep Philip happy that she overlooks clear warnings from family and friends. What I found most astonishing was her own inability to use the strong women present in her life, preferring to placate her husband to keep his rather unpredictable behavior on an even keel. I wanted to shake her. I wanted her to open her eyes and take control of her life in some way.Having read another of Cullen’s book, The Creation of Eve, I knew to expect interesting female characters. Even if in this case that female character wasn’t as strong as I would have liked. But this may be a case of me trying to apply my modern view of things to a historically based story. Juana is a smart person but sadly understands what’s happening in her life all too late to change anything. You do feel for her and even at times when I was frustrated with how poorly she was dealing with her husband, I couldn’t walk away. I needed to know how her story would end and what she would do.Cullen deftly mixes fact and fiction creating a portrait of a woman marked as mad but with a husband who fits the description better. It’s told very effectively, eliciting strong emotions and in the process telling a wonderful story.