The Lily and the Lion

By: Maurice Druon

Narrated by: Peter Joyce

“This is the original Game of Thrones.” George R.R. Martin.

The royal house of France has fallen. Charles IV is dead, fulfilling the curse of the Templars once and for all. This leaves the path to the throne open for Robert of Artois to place his cousin, Philippe of Valois, upon it. Having committed fraud, perjury and murder in the name of the new king, Robert expects to receive a title and his full reward.

But the days of betrayal are far from over and Robert is banished to England. In the land of France’s enemies vengeance sparks fresh conflict as King Edward III and his new ally prepare for war. As swords are sharpened the lion wakes and a pretender threatens France once more …

Critic reviews

‘Iron kings and strangled queens, battles and betrayals, lies and lust, the curse of the Templars, the doom of a great dynasty – and all of it (well, most of it) straight from the pages of history, and believe me, the Starks and the Lannisters have nothing on the Capets and Plantagenets. Whether you are a history buff or a fantasy fan, Druon's epic will keep you turning pages. This was the original game of thrones’
GEORGE R.R. MARTIN

‘Blood-curdling tale of intrigue, murder, corruption and sexual passion’
SUNDAY TIMES

‘Barbaric, sensual, teeming with life, based in wide reading and sound scholarship…among the best historical novels’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

Outstanding series!!

I’m so sad that the series is coming to an end!! Superb writing, deep research and great education for us, the readers/listeners, and such a talented narrator!!

The Last Pages of the Story

As with the other books this is fully engrossing and fascinating. The non-fictional characters led extremely interesting lives which as GRRM seems to have realized were much more intriguing than fiction might essay. The narrator is very good.

All Good Things...

Despite being the sixth book of seven, The Lily and The Lion is the true conclusion to the series. The ending was perfect- perfect for the series and perfect for the character who dies in it's last moments. It even has an epilogue. Everything is tied up so well here that book seven, written twenty years later in a different style and not near as good, is almost not canon for me.

There were as many if not more good moments here as in the prior books. The best scenes in this series are usually the ones where people treat each other horribly. However, while there is indeed much misery here, I think two of the best passages in the book were the friendship moments involving Robert of Artois. Besides the ever-interesting death scenes, there is an interesting portrayal of medieval document forgery, as well as the scene where Beatrice explains her odd life philosophy.

Amazing story based on France’s history

The reader was excellent! The story, the continuation of regal history and it’s failure to care for its citizen’s welfare but to serve greed, revenge, and power to insatiable kings and nobility.