BLOOD, FIRE & GOLD is an enjoyable read that examines the relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici. There are periods of history that demand more exploration, and this is certainly one of them. Estelle Paranque sets the scene with a brief historical runup to the period. Included in this framework is the Catholic/Protestant battle, Italian wars, patriarchy, territorial claims, alliances, and royal succession and legitimacy. Readers can imagine these as balls that 16th-century monarchs must juggle.

Catherine de Medici, the Orphan of Florence, is from one of Europe’s most powerful families. She was by no means insignificant, regardless of her loss of family. The niece of Pope Leo X, she became another piece on the chessboard of European diplomacy. Her marriage --- like so many other children --- would be used to build alliances across the continent. For the humble teen, her family name and Florentine heritage made her a valued commodity, particularly to the future King of France, Henry (not to be confused with the English Henry). As Queen, Regent and ultimately mother of the King, Catherine would remain one of the most influential voices in France for almost 40 years.

"Ultimately, BLOOD, FIRE & GOLD is a finely researched and organized treatise on two of the period's most powerful women.... Both Catherine and Elizabeth come alive, and their personalities reveal their humanity."

Elizabeth I was born into a different world, where radical change threatened her very life. Her parents were King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, the Catholic monarchs of England. By the time she was one, they were well on their way to becoming the Protestant monarchs of England. But just two years later, her mother was executed for high treason. Elizabeth also had a half-sister, Mary. Born to Henry and Catherine of Aragon, Princess Mary was Catholic and a threat. For most of her life, Elizabeth would fight to maintain her legitimacy, her right to succession and her religion. Each and every choice she would make needs to be seen through this lens to make sense of her.

Bouncing back and forth between the lives of Catherine and Elizabeth, readers are treated to a great deal of history, particularly second-tier information that helps answer why things actually happen. For instance, while fervently Catholic, Catherine offered her daughter to the Protestant King of Navarre. She was walking a fine line between personal faith and the stability of the realm amidst the wars of religion. The same is true for Elizabeth, who had to decide on the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (not to be confused with her half-sister). On the one hand, Mary, Queen of Scots had threatened the life of Elizabeth and had been implicated in numerous plots against her. On the other hand, she was a divinely anointed Queen. To execute such a person would go against the Divine Right of Kings doctrine and her own legitimacy.

I thought that Paranque showed a persistent and pervasive bias toward Elizabeth to the detriment of Catherine. Elizabeth will win the struggle with Catherine. She will do it through the dint of her intellect and lack of remorse. We can be told this. We can be told that Elizabeth is a better liar than Catherine. Instead we are asked to believe that perhaps Elizabeth might actually marry a French king, or that the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots left Elizabeth “seemingly dumbfounded” and was due to “exhaustion and panic,” not her perfectly honed instinct for survival.

It’s a big world, and the book does a good job of introducing the outside influences without going off into the weeds. Paranque expertly reminds us of the gravitational pull of Spain on our protagonists without bogging the story down with too much detail. Similarly, we are made aware of the dangerous line of succession that Henry VIII leaves behind, but only as it affects Elizabeth.

Ultimately, BLOOD, FIRE & GOLD is a finely researched and organized treatise on two of the period's most powerful women. More importantly, readers will leave with a sense that they know and understand the person behind the power. Both Catherine and Elizabeth come alive, and their personalities reveal their humanity.