The Iron King

Written by Maurice Druon

Narrated by Peter Joyce

‘This is the original game of thrones’ George R.R. Martin

From the publishers that brought you A Game of Thrones comes the series that inspired George R.R. Martin’s epic work.

France became a great nation under Philip the Fair – but it was a greatness achieved at the expense of her people, for his was a reign characterised by violence, the scandalous adulteries of his daughters-in-law, and the triumph of royal authority.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jan 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9780007508761

Maurice Druon

Maurice Druon was a French resistance hero, a Knight of the British Empire and a holder of the Grand Croix de la Légion d'Honneur. He was also a member of the Académie Française and a celebrated novelist, best known for his series of seven historical novels under the title of The Accursed Kings, which were twice adapted for television. A passionate Anglophile, he was a great expert on all things English, including its medieval history, which provides great inspiration for the series.

Reviews for The Iron King

[Roman Mc · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Why is it unavailable in the us ? Other books in the series are available though

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great period novel about Philip IV (Philip the Fair) of France during his reign 1284-1305. The Church played a great role during this time period as the papacy was "moved" to Avignon. Philip persecuted and burned at the stake Jews and the Knights Templar, because he owed them millions of dollars that he could never repay them. He also had three very dishonest daughters-in-laws who were confined to dungeons after committing adultery for the remainder of their lives. This book has been touted as the first "Game of Thrones", but since I'm not familiar with the Game of Thrones, I am unable to address that. The only "trouble" I encountered in the book were long phrases or sentences in French that I could not translate in context and had to look up, which made for choppy reading. I also would have liked a genealogical tree. For those two reasons, 4 stars instead of 5. There are 7 books in this series and I will read the next one

[James Oz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book great narration. It reminded me of ASOIAF. Recommended.

[kassilem · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book took me a very very long time to get through, which is partly why I rated the book so low. I believe most of this problem stemmed from the writing. I looks as if the original was written in French and then translated by someone unnamed. Unfortunately the translation is not very good. The language is very awkward and inconsistent. I unfortunately could not get passed it, and it mostly ruined the book for me. It was too distracting. The characters also seemed to lack character development with is usually a high like on my list. And lastly, the blurb about the book being the “original Game of Thrones” really mislead me. They are not as alike as it makes you believe. I loved the Game of Thrones series. This one fell flat for me. Perhaps I would be able to pick this book up at another time and have the language not bother me as much as it did this time around. As it stands however, I did not enjoy plowing through this one.

[BKA1776 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it ! I can't wait for the next one .

[ellenekstrom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this series when I was in my teens and I was thrilled that it was being re-released by Harper Collins. The prose is still fresh in my mind, though dated, given that it was first published in 1956. The characters of course are legendary. Truth be told, this series, in addition to Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" hooked me on the medieval period in history. In fact, when the Cardinals met in conclave last week, I was reminded of Druon's account of the conclave in Avignon when Philippe le Bel's son, Philippe the Long walled up the entrances to the chapel and kept the Cardinals walled in until they came to a decision! The Iron King is the first of the seven part series, and begins with Philippe le Bel's suppression of the Templars and the aftermath of the so-called 'curse' Jacques deMolay pronounced on the King and his heirs before his death at the stake. Misfortune did fall on the shoulders of the king and those who succeeded him. This handsome king had his hands full not only with building up the Kingdom of France and keeping the French under his heel, but with his own household and the infamous scandal of the Tower of Nesle. His daughters-in-law took lovers, cuckholded their royal husbands and you may guess what happens to them. The first book also gives us a glimpse at Philippe's daughter Isabella, queen to England's Edward II and her interesting life.This is a quick and engrossing story and you will not be disappointed if you love medieval history as much as I do.I received an ARC of this book and I was a bit annoyed by the marketing device of "THE ORIGINAL GAME OF THRONES!" but if it will bring Mr. Druon's work more readers, so be it. I'm sure I'm not the only one who enjoyed the ARC, as when I received in the mail, the package had been opened and it looked like someone had already ready it! Fortunately, I've pre-ordered a copy for my e-readers and won't have to worry about fingerprints and stains on those copies.

[Calisto Atriano · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good book. The issue I had was that the audio cut out more than 10 times for about 15 seconds each because the file is bad. That’s like having random pages ripped out of the book. Very annoying. Otherwise it would have received 5 stars.

[madnessabides · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When GRRM tells me to read a book I generally give that book a serious look - he isn’t some grand prophet of my reading tastes, but he does throw out a good read for me from time to time. Fortunately, The Iron King was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Historical Fiction can be pretty hit or miss with me - it really makes no difference whether I know the history of a given a book or not, it just must be a good read... The Iron King is that! I knew very little of the historical events of this novel going in, but that made little difference in the end. I look forward to the future books of this series being re-released and reading more from Maurice Druon.

[wishanem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Herein are political machinations, violence, and scandals, but also the everyday concerns of Medieval life such as the weather and crop yields. The pace is a bit uneven as a result of the dense details which contextualize the exciting bits. But that excitement! Right away there's frustrated romance, bitter intrigue, and the dramatic monologue of a man facing execution.

When it moves forward the story is being driven by the large cast of characters, who in spite of being historical figures are often larger-than-life. The dialogue in this series is like that of a stage play, more fraught and less naturalistic than typical modern novels. I thought that worked, but it is a big change from the typical modern novel.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in 14th Century French politics.

[cecrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Philip IV of France is putting an end to the Templars, in a bid to grasp their fortune for the crown, and he gets his lineage cursed in the process. Given the preponderance of Templars in fiction, I was happy that they don't long hold the stage. The story quickly progresses to illicit affairs among the princesses in line for the throne, and the subsequent fallout. It offers some closure but leaves several balls in the air for the rest of the series to untangle.This is written in the style of my favourite historical fiction, steering close to the actual record. Druon explores the thoughts and feelings of real people who experienced these events, embellishing only where it serves to fill in the blanks. Occasionally his narrator's voice offers comment, speaking from a perspective 700 years in the future, but for the most part he stands back and merely portrays. There are some fantastic end notes well worth reading, that I wish more fiction authors playing with the past would trouble themselves to include. It's a far cry from fantasy fiction like Game of Thrones, an often cited comparison, but the influence of this 1950s work on George Martin is clear in large and small ways: nobility caught up in earthly pleasures, people in high positions making grim and dramatic falls, the recitation of enemies' names. It hasn't nearly the breadth of that saga, despite the huge number of names who appear, and only a small measure of the atmosphere. If you appreciate the history it's teaching you, you won't mind those shortcomings.

[jschoolcraft-258245 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you go into this thinking it's "The Game of Thrones" you'll be disappointed.

[ecw0647 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Accursed Kings series is probably Druon's most popular work and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Perhaps my expectations were low. I like historical fiction with a strong basis of accurate historical information and a grounding in detailed cultural and quotidian activities of people. The Iron King, first in the series, held my interest.The series consists of seven novels that concern the French Kings of the 14th century. It begins with the burning at the stake of the remaining Templars by Philip the Fair. As if his reign wasn't already beset with enough scandal and intrigue, with his dying breath, the Grand Master of the Templars visits a curse on Philip and those associated with his reign including the Pope to the thirteenth generation. Nogaret, the King's counselor is the first to die suffocating from poisoned candles, followed by Clement and then Philip himself of a cerebral hemorrhage. In the meantime, the equerry lovers of Philip's sons' wives (Louis of Navarre will soon succeed Philip as King of France) are entrapped by Isabelle, Philipp's daughter and Queen of England. The two are horribly executed by the King who then dies while on a hunt. The wives are sent off in exile to play a prominent role in the next book. It's all good fun.Now on to The Strangled Queen, second in the series.

[brilliantglow · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Overall, I felt this was okay. The writing was kind of boring, I'm not sure if it's the translator or if it was originally boring. I did end up not quite finishing this book however, and will be giving away my copy.

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book took a little time to get into, especially as all the characters were introduced. However as we approached the second third of the book I was totally hooked and needed to find out what happened next. Clearly this book has set it up well for others that will follow in the series. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing this series soon. I certainly recommend it to people who enjoy good quality historical fiction.

[joanne53 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The series of books that George RR Martain used as his inspiration for Game Of Thrones. Written in 1956, it is the story of the French King Philip Capet, or the Fair,with his impossibly inadequate children and the intrigue and corruption of the French Court in the 14th century. Unlike Game of Thrones , it is based on a true story, so no dragons.

[viking2917_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

George R. R. Martin called this "the original game of thrones", and that's apt. Interesting to read the beginnings of the 100 years war from the French perspective, rather than the English one, as I usually do.

[janerawoof · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

No, I did NOT decide to read this because of George R.R. Martin; I was not enamored of his GoT! I wanted a sense of medieval France [most medieval historical fiction novels seem to be set in England and this was something unusual. And, I thought to pick up a little French history along the way.] The characters were absolutely unloveable: from Philip the Fair down to his dysfunctional family and courtiers. Everyone is absolutely selfish, hedonistic, manipulative, cruel, and some are even amoral. The story does draw you in to the political machinations of that period; I can't say how much the author exaggerated them and the absolute evil of his characters. The burning at the stake of the Templar Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, and his curse were absolutely chilling. The adulteries of the daughters-in-law and their lovers led to an inevitable, horrible conclusion. Part towards the end where the curse was beginning to be fulfilled was eerie. The parts about the Lombard bankers was boring.

[rdwhitenack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Got the idea to read this book from looking at George RR Martin's influence for Game of Thrones. Said he wrote this book with this series in mind. Martin had to throw in sci-fi/fantasy elements to GOT to throw people off the scent of being a derivative work; there are so many similar incidences. In fact, while reading many of the characters in the book I visualized as being the characters from GOT. If you are a fan of that show, which I am, you will like these books. I have not read the GOT series, and I would but I typically do not enjoy a book that is the basis for a movie or show I've already seen.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book in The Accursed Kings series of French historical novels written in the 1950s by noted Academie francaise member Maurice Druon, and cited by George R R Martin as one of his inspirations for his fantasy series beginning with A Game of Thrones. It is set in the high Medieval period at the close of the reign of King Philip IV the Fair, the King who suppressed the Templars and whose daughter Isabella married and probably murdered the English King Edward II and later supported the claim of her son Edward III to the throne of France. This novel covers very dramatic events - the burning at the stake of the Templar leader Jacques de Molay, the serial adultery of the King's daughters-in-law, hideous executions, poisonings and betrayals. Unlike Game of Thrones, it's all real history, though; history being more my cup of tea than fantasy, I expect I'll be reading the second book in this series, The Strangled Queen, before I read A Clash of Kings (Druon's novels are much shorter also!). Great stuff.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A promising opening to a series. Set in fourteen-century France, The Iron King is set in the final months of Philip the Fair's reign, as Templar knights are executed, adulterous princesses prosecuted, plots hatched, and schemes unravel. Knowing something of French and English history during this period, I think this series has great potential, especially as it follows the French and English monarchs as they move toward the Hundred Years' War.

[wickedmick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great first book. I look forward to reading the rest in the series.

[lucy3107_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this, but it may not be for everyone - it was originally written in the 1950s and it is a translation, so stylistically it is different from contemporary historical fiction.

[kaydern_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is quite a work of art! I enjoyed the language, the historical setting, and the detail put into creating realistic characters. However I didn't feel a lot of urgency to finish the series, so while I'm interested in finding out how it ends, I'm not motivated enough to hunt down the next book yet.I enjoy a good historical fiction, and this book didn't disappoint. I learned a lot about French history. Prior to reading this book I was vaguely aware that the French were a major world power during medieval times, but while reading I learned a lot more about how France maintained and used it’s power. I don't know what 14th century French sounds like so I won't pretend to know this, but the language of the book itself (and to some extent the character's conversational language) was suitably alien to this 21st century English speaker. It was fun!The characters were also well-written, but I didn't find any one character stood out to me. The characterization felt strangely distant. I felt more like I was reading a plaque at a museum that said “Isabella was undoubtedly incensed at the King’s infidelity,” instead of the reactions of a human. This could be the fault historical nature of the book or the way it was translated, but it still irked me.Since everyone else is doing it, here’s my take on this being “the original game of thrones”. Yes, it’s dark fiction set in medieval (or pseudo medieval) times. Yes, a lot of time is given over to creating a complete image of the time period by venturing into the lives of people who aren’t straight-up royalty. However the treatment of the time period is vastly different; Druon’s book looks back fondly into history to piece together an entertaining and engaging story. Martin on the other hand write a fun story sure, but he wants us to look critically at the violence, grime and horror present during this period of history instead of putting it on some silly pedestal.

[ashleighandjeremiah · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I suspect that I am not alone in choosing this book on the basis of George Martin's glowing endorsement. That said, I have not been a big fan of historical fiction, so I began this book with some trepidation and a fair bit of skepticism. By the end of the first chapter I knew that this would be my kind of book. The prose is surprisingly fluid for translation, and the notes were always pleasant though as a historian of a different era I suspect that they were at times somewhat lacking in nuance. By the end Druon had a new fan. Perhaps the best endorsement I can give is this: Though I received Book 1 for free as an ARC, I will happily be parting with cash for the rest of the series.

[goth_marionette · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I finished this a few weeks ago and forgot to review it. Then went to my library for a new book to read and grabbed this one knowing it was on my list. Unfortunately that means this book was not memorable. After reading the first page I realized that I had already finished it. The chargers were decently written but the writing overall was not the strongest. I suppose it does say something that in the review copy they don't even have the title of the book on the front cover. Not a bad read but not memorable.

[raistlinsshadow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Overall, I'm a fan of historical fiction, of medieval and Renaissance time periods, of France, and of stories about nobility, so I was expecting to like this book a lot more than I did. It relies heavily on political intrigue, which I suppose is to be expected, but not really what I was expecting from "The original Game of Thrones". That's not to say that it was a bad book, just that I had gotten my hopes up a little too high and the blurb was a little misleading.This book felt a little disjointed in its plot—suddenly new plot points would come up and others wouldn't be referred to again. Characters would come in and go out at random and with very little connection to one another, and I'm still not completely clear on a lot of their relationships to one another.Unfortunately, it's easy to tell that this is a translated edition. While I do believe it's important to stay true to the work that's being translated, it's also important to not have a literal, word-for-word translation that sacrifices clarity. The translator only seemed to get into the swing of the novel and of the author's writing style a hundred pages in, and fell out again toward the end of the book. The sentence structures that are fine in French may not be as comprehensible as they are in English!Some of the word choice, too, was a little bizarre. "Chap(s)" and "Tallyho" are not what I'd expect out of French-speaking mouths, particularly not in the early 14th century. It makes me think of the flaw of period (American?) TV shows—this takes place in Europe a long time ago, so everyone needs an English accent, no matter where they're from!The tough thing about this book is that when it's good, it's very, very good. I found the intrigue, well, intriguing, and I would have liked to have more development of virtually every character—but I guess that's why this is the first in a series. It wasn't a difficult book to read by any stretch, but some of the writing style was remarkably distracting, even during the parts that were keeping me on tenterhooks.

[mary6508 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Looking at the cover of the book, which says this is the original "Game of Thrones," I expected something more than the story this book presents. I was looking for all the drama, adventure, excitement that I got from G.R.R. Martin's series. All these are present in The Iron King, but really toned down. This book was more of a history than an adventure novel. Once I realized that, I was able to enjoy it, although it can't compare with "Thrones", if that's what you're looking for. Thank you LT, for my Early Reviewer copy.

[thelostentwife · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love good historic fiction and, when I saw that George R.R. Martin endorsed The Iron King, I figured I'd be in for a good ride. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.I don't know why exactly this story fell short for me. There are several things I can think of that are just small things that got to me, but it is quite possible that all those small things just added up to me not enjoying myself while reading this book.The first thing was the language. It may have been a translation issue (this was originally written in French), but the story did not flow at all. Sentences were stiff and awkward at times. The transitions did not flow, at all. Moments that were just wrought with angst and horrible scenes that begged for tears, were not just written clinically, but almost glossed over as well. Having just read Geoffrey of Monmouth's The History of the Kings of Britain this semester, I can say that I've read some difficult British history that could run circles around the story in this book.The second thing I had a hard time with is the jumping from one story to the next. I understand that there were a lot of things that led to the 100 years war. Afterall, what war didn't start as a result of many little things leading up to a big act? But in a relatively short (340ish pages) book, it's nearly impossible to cover each thing in a manner that gives credit to where it is due. As a result, as I was bandied back and forth between characters, I felt the story was incredibly rushed.Finally, the story itself. The first two things quite possibly affected how I interpreted the story, but it just didn't seem interesting enough to be put down in anything other than a history book. The most exciting moment in the book was during the execution of two men, and even that was only given a cursory paragraph. I'm not bloodthirsty, don't get me wrong, but I was hoping for a bit of drama to make me want to keep picking up the book.Overall, I'd say give this one a pass. Pick up Geoffrey of Monmouth's book, or something by Sharon Kay Penman if you are looking for a bulky, but still interesting historical read. And if you are hoping this will give you your Game of Thrones fix while you wait for the next episode/book, let me just apologize in advance. I wish someone had warned me.

[karlstar_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a historical fiction novel, set in 14th Century France during the reign of Philip the Fair. As historical fiction goes, it is quite interesting as that was a quite busy period in French history. I am not a student of French history so I do not know how closely it follows real history. The author adds some fantasy elements and a bit of mystery to try and spice things up, but I didn't find the book to be very lively. There is quite a bit going on, but it still seemed to be flat and not inspiring.

[willowcove · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a well-written and informative book. I did enjoy it, but can it be compared to the "Song of Ice and Fire" series? Most definitely not. It lacks the fantastic, the strong emotion, and the gripping tale. I feel that the mention of Martin's books within this book's description does more harm than good as it can be a bit misleading to the potential reader. I would definitely recommend "Iron King" but only to those readers who are more inclined to pick up a history book vs. a book of court intrigue and fantasy. Good, but not great.