The second in the trilogy
This is a story full of drama. It is full of descriptive writing which adds to the narrative.
Looking forward to the final instalment

History is brought to life in this second instalment of the She-Wolf trilogy from Carol McGrath. As in the first read, the historical elements are extensively researched and add so much colour to the story. I loved Olwen’s story and felt that she deserved the main character role rather than Eleanor of Castile. Eleanor is portrayed as such a cold and unemotional queen yet her love for Edward is undeniable and unrelenting- a fascinating woman.

After the death of her child whilst she is held prisoner by her father-in-law's enemies Eleanor of Castile is determined never to be in the same situation again. When her husband Edward ascends to the throne Eleanor becomes a power in the country but she struggles to conceive a male heir. Going on crusade with Edward Eleanor is exposed to danger but is strong enough to get through this and the wars for Wales until she finally has a strong son.
As ever with McGrath's writings this is a a detailed and well-researched piece of historical biography wrapped up in a gentle medieval romance. Eleanor was Edward I's well beloved wife and here her story is juxtaposed with the fictional character of Olwen to compare and contrast the lives of the royals and the gentlefolk. It's not a demanding book but is very enjoyable.

The second in the she-wolves trilogy and a beautiful depiction of Eleanor of Castile.

McGrath tells the story of Eleanor from Princess to Queen of Edward I and her success as a property holder.

Eleanor led an exceptional life, separated from her husband during the Second Baron's War, went on Crusade and gave birth to approximately sixteen children!

Following her accession to Queen, Eleanor built up an impressive property portfolio including the beautiful Leeds Castle in Kent which I long to visit. McGrath uses her meticulous research to show Eleanor was not a usual Queen by medieval standards, she was highly educated, loved gardens and accompanied her husband as often as she could.

McGrath introduces fictional characters, a herbalist Lady Olwen, apothecary Guillaume and Sir Eugene to add depth to Eleanor's story and I really liked their characters and the narrative they brought to the story of living in the thirteenth-century. It was wonderful to read about the plants introduced by Eleanor from Spain and how gardens became a popular feature for nobility.

Edward I is known for his castle buildings across Wales and it was intriguing to read how this came about, even though this is a work of fiction it's also clearly the result of much research. The story of Edward and Eleanor could very much be told as a fictional love story but they did indeed clearly love each other, evident in Eleanor's refusal to be away from him and Edwards instructions for the building of Eleanor's crosses which end at Charing Cross.

McGrath provides an authors note detailing which parts are based on fiction and a great reading list for those interested in reading more which I'll certainly be doing. Eleanor of Castile is a fascinating individual and I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest.

I am looking forward to the next instalment of the series.

Carol McGrath's latest series The She-Wolves continues with the story of Eleanor of Castille, wife of Prince Edward (later to become Edward I of England). Married when Eleanor was barely a teenager, their relationship grew into one of great love, though their early years together were marred by the death of children in infancy, and the time Eleanor spent as a hostage, held in impoverished circumstances with barely enough money for food, by Simon de Montfort during the Baron's Rebellion.

From these inauspicious beginnings, Carol McGrath shows us a woman growing in determination, power and love for her husband. Vowing never to suffer such trauma again, she resolves that whenever feasible she will stay by Edward's side, rather than safely home in the royal nursery, accompanying him on campaigns against the rebels, then further afield on Crusade. At the same time she sets about accumulating lands and wealth to protect herself against future hardship.

Intertwined with Eleanor's story is that of (totally fictional) Olwen, her herbalist. The two come together to create gardens of herbs and flowers, of healing and relaxation, for Eleanor's new manor houses and the castles Edward builds as part of his campaign against the Welsh.

Throughout there's a wealth of historical detail, sprinkled unobtrusively to not mar the progression of the story, but underpinning it, giving it a real feel for the world of Eleanor and Olwen.

The Damask Rose is the latest novel in the acclaimed She-Wolves trilogy. Each novel tells the story of a thirteenth century queen of England, and this time it’s the story of Eleanor of Castile, the wife of Prince Edward, who later becomes Edward I.

At the start of the novel, Henry III is still King of England. It was a pleasure to meet Henry again, having got to know him during the course of The Silken Rose, the first of the trilogy. External forces are threatening in the form of The Barons’ War, with the barons led by the ambitious Simon de Montfort and Red Gilbert de Clare, who takes Henry and Eleanor prisoner, setting her on the path to relative poverty. Red Gilbert will figure increasingly in the novel, the objects of his allegiance changing.

During Eleanor’s period of imprisonment, she bewails her impoverished situation. Soon after that, she starts amassing property to secure her future. Some time later, she and Edward embark upon a lengthy crusade to the Holy Land, including an attempt to retake Acre, which involves much hardship and threats to their life. The numerous battles they wage at home and abroad leave them in a financially weak state, and again astute Eleanor turns to the acquisition of property as a bulwark against the unknowns in the future. When Henry III dies, they return to England and take up their royal heritage.

In addition to being seen as canny in her acquisitions, Eleanor is seen by the reader as a mother who gives birth to a number of children in an attempt to produce an heir to the throne, the majority of whom die at a young age. She shows little interest in her children, and uses the expectation that they’ll die young to justify her lack of maternal interest. It’s only when the children become teenagers that she takes any notice of them, and much of her interest in them revolves around whom they’ll marry.

Another central character, a balance to Eleanor, and a more sympathetic character than Eleanor, is Olwen, a herbalist and lover of flowers. Olwen is a fictional character, who, apart from becoming Eleanor’s friend, is asked by her to be her spy. The link between Eleanor and Olwen is their shared love of gardens, and Olwen is employed to construct a garden in many of the properties acquired by Eleanor, which involves some lovely descriptions of flowers and shrubs. While Eleanor loves Edward, Olwen is first attracted to Eugene, and then to a fellow plant-lover and herbalist, Guillaume, her love interests being furthered by Eleanor.

This is a period that Carol McGrath knows well, and the book is brought to life by the many fascinating period details, which grow from McGrath’s meticulous research. The novel, which continues in what's become the McGrath tradition of shedding a light on. the way that women lived in the medieval period, is highly recommended for lovers of well researched historical fiction.

My thanks to NetGalley and to Headline Accent for an advance copy of the novel.

We meet Eleanor of Castille, wife of Prince Edward – the future king of England, as she is taken hostage by Gilbert de Clare, lord of Gloucester. It is the perilous time of the Second Barons’ War against King Henry III. The leader of the pack, Simon de Montfort, controls most of the country and holds the king and his supporters checkmated. Separated from her beloved husband, Eleanor is forced into penury and swears revenge. This is a dynamic and tense introduction to the heroine of Carol McGrath’s biopic novel, The Damask Rose.

The story of her life unfolds in dramatic episodes that defined her and Edward’s rule: the defeat of the barons, his coronation, a crusade and retaking of Acre, an attempted assassination and a whole array of political and diplomatic machinations on the domestic and international front. The main players of the era, such as the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, enter the scene. The settings extend beyond the shores of Britain and into France and Italy. European socio-economic dynamics form the backdrop to Eleanor’s story.

McGrath is sympathetic towards Eleanor, but that doesn’t prevent her from being honest about who she was: a smart and tough businesswoman who accumulated an extensive property portfolio and handled it with cunning expertise. She was also a mother who wasn’t motherly, but then again the mortality rate of newborn and young children didn’t allow much room to form emotional attachments, at least not until her children were older.

There is another heroine of this story, Olwen. She is a humble herbalist and Eleanor’s companion, confidante and on occasion even her spy. Her loyalty to her mistress is unsurpassed, but she also has her own story which flows in parallel to Eleanor’s but somewhat more idly and with greater intimacy. After all, Olwen doesn’t hold the weight of a whole kingdom on her shoulders.

The Damask Rose is written in beautifully stylised prose. I found myself fully immersed in the language and in Eleanor’s tumultuous life punctuated with many dramatic climaxes. The period detail and descriptions are totally absorbing. McGrath created a sense of immediacy with her heroine and took me on a journey of discovery that will stay with me for a while yet.

This is the second book in Carol McGrath’s She-Wolves trilogy, telling the story of three medieval queens of England who have all been given the label ‘she-wolf’ at various times. I enjoyed the first novel, The Silken Rose, about Henry III’s wife, Eleanor of Provence, so I was looking forward to this one, which moves on to Eleanor of Castile, the first wife of Edward I.

I’ve read other books set during Edward I’s reign, so presumably I’ve come across Eleanor of Castile before, but I mustn’t have been paying attention as I couldn’t have told you much about her before reading The Damask Rose (except that she was commemorated by the Eleanor Crosses which were erected in several English towns in her memory). It’s always good when you can learn something new from historical fiction and in this case, almost the entire story was new to me.

The novel begins in 1264 when Henry III is still alive and on the throne of England, but only just – he and his son, Prince Edward, have been captured by the forces of Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Lewes. Edward’s wife, Lady Eleanor, is at Windsor Castle awaiting news of her husband when Gilbert de Clare, one of de Montfort’s supporters, arrives to try to force her to relinquish the castle. This traumatic incident instils in Eleanor a lifelong hatred of de Clare as well as a determination that she will never put herself in such a vulnerable position again. Once the threat of Simon de Montfort has been removed at the Battle of Evesham, Edward and Eleanor travel to the Holy Land on crusade. It is during this journey that they learn of the death of Henry III and return to England to take their place as king and queen.

I enjoyed learning more about Eleanor, but although I don’t think she deserved to be described as a ‘she-wolf’ (the term seems to have mainly referred to her unpopular methods of acquiring land and properties, which were seen as greedy and ruthless), she’s not a character I liked or managed to warm to either. It seems that the real Eleanor was also accused of being ‘unmaternal’, which McGrath suggests could be due to the fact that she lost so many children she was afraid to get too close to the ones who survived, but it still irritated me that Eleanor complained constantly about her childrens’ relationships with other adults while at the same time saying she was far too busy to spend time with them herself.

Part of the novel is written from the perspective of Olwen, a herbalist whom Eleanor introduces into the royal household to provide advice on plants and healing. Olwen is a fictional character but her story complements Eleanor’s very well; in fact, I think I preferred her sections of the book as I found her much easier to like and I enjoyed the different point of view she brings to the novel. I cared about Olwen and wanted her to be happy, whereas I felt that some parts of Eleanor’s story, particularly towards the end, became too factual, too concerned with just describing things that had happened rather than providing any real emotional depth.

The third book in the series is going to be about Isabella of France; I am much more familiar with Isabella than with the previous two queens and I think she will be a fascinating subject to bring the trilogy to an end!

Probably 3 ½ stars really. First novel I have read about this queen, Eleanor of Castile and I have been reading this sort of historical fiction since Jean Plaidy in the 70s. Very enjoyable but I did always think it was Eleanor who sucked out the poison. Hope that is not a plot spoiler for anyone! Many works of art depict this scene. I shall definitely go back to 'The Silken Rose' about the dreaded mother-in-law and look forward to the final book of this trilogy. Thanks to Netgalley.

The Damask Rose opens with a pageant of historical personages, setting the scene for this complex story of the relentless battle for control between Prince Edward, soon to be Edward I, and his power-seeking barons. Simon de Montfort and ‘Red’ Gilbert de Clare, previously featured in The Silken Rose, the first book in the She-Wolves trilogy, return as either enemies or untrustworthy friends to the monarchy during the course of The Damask Rose.

After being held hostage during the Baron’s Rebellion, Edward’s wife, hot-tempered Eleanor of Castile, is determined never to be vulnerable again. Intent on producing a viable heir for the monarchy, many of her children die young and she becomes emotionally distanced from them until they are fully grown. Ruthlessly ambitious, Eleanor is determined to increase her wealth by amassing property and is deserving of the title of a She-Wolf queen.

Olwen, herbalist and plantswoman, provides a good foil to Eleanor. Down-to-earth, she provides medicines and oversees the planting of Eleanor’s castles and manor houses gardens. There are many descriptions of beautiful gardens full of perfumed flowers and herbs.

The Medieval era is clearly a period the author knows well and the story is told in a series of colourful vignettes bursting with fascinating details. The Court is continually on the move. The reader is swept away on a crusade to the Holy Land and partakes in a medieval Christmas, peeps into a herbalist’s stillroom, watches banquets and hunts and attends Edward’s coronation.

Despite Edward and Eleanor’s financial difficulties caused by endless battles to maintain their position and the vast cost of organising a crusade, they build special kitchens to produce the Coronation feast of sides of beef, roasted peacocks, pikes, salmon pies and rich sauces of spices and cream. During the feast, Alexander King of Scotland, rides into the banqueting hall with a hundred knights on their horses. Chaos ensued when he shouted, ‘Catch a horse and he’s yours!’

Eleanor is a faithful wife to Edward and accompanies him on his travels. On her final journey, she is supported by her trusted friend Olwen, who treats her painful illness with herbal medicines. Eleanor left behind a legacy of Paradise gardens and a thriving property empire.

The Damask Rose is perfect for lovers of medieval history, full of the sights, sounds and smells of medieval Britain.

A captivating and immersive read with insightful glimpses into the familial and marital relationships that impacted on Eleanor life. I didn't know much about her at all so I found it very interesting. .
Everyone has heard of Edward Longshanks and his treatment of the Welsh and Scots. I think Carol Macgrath has done an amazing job of humanizing him in this book.iHe had a loving, if volatile at times,relationship with his wife and had a mutual devotion towards his mother.
What an amazingly strong character Eleanor was, married while a child and having her first child miscarry at such an early age. Losing so many children must have been heart breaking for her, it's easy to relate to her character and her feelings are understandable in a lot of instances throughout the storyline.
The research that went into the book was very obvious. I thoroughly recommend this to readers who enjoy Anne O'Brien and Alison Weir.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine


I've not read this author before but thoroughly enjoyed this

If you enjoy historical fiction, you can't really go wrong with this

Looking forward to reading more from this author

The Damask Rose of the title is Eleanor, wife of Lord Edward, to become Edward I, and the same woman who inspired the deeply romantic Eleanor crosses, tall, slender, elegant monuments erected at point that her body rested as her widower carried her home from Lincoln to Westminster.

We meet Eleanor as she's forced to give up Windsor castle to the rebellious earl, Gilbert de Clare, right hand man of Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester. She resists but the letter from her husband's father, King Henry III, can't be gainsaid, for all he was in captivity and under the power of de Montfort.

Another of Carol McGrath's romantic and yet historically authentic novels, filled with details of the era and the passion that drives Ms McGrath for history and writing. This isn't her core historical period, and I think she needs to read up on some of the detail, the use of 'Plantagenet' and the timing of dinner back then, among other things, but it doesn't really spoil her story. Always a treat to read.

After being held hostage during the Baron's Rebellion in 1266, Eleanor of Castile the child bride of the future King Edward of England vows to seek revenge on those that have wronged her family. Never again will she allow herself to be vulnerable and she will go one to be a woman ahead of her time in terms of her business acumen.
Olwen is a herbalist. a low born woman that Eleanor befriends thanks to their shared love of gardens and knowing that it is dangerous to be without friends in a strange land Eleanor keeps Olwen close at hand.
The lives of these two women are entwined from then on and while the book mainly concentrates on Eleanor, Olwen is always there in the background.
The writing is just beautiful. It grabs you on the first page and doesn't let go until the last.
I loved this book and would highly recommend.

Damask Rose is the second book in Carol McGrath’s The Rose Trilogy – although it can be read as a standalone – and brings to life the story of a notable woman from history, Eleanor of Castile.

I have studied this time period at University but have never read historical fiction covering the events, so it was refreshing to have the story told from a female perspective.

It is full of betrayal, ambition, war, love and romance, and provides insight into the involvement of females in the major events of the period – passing message, holding castles and recruiting on behalf of their husbands.

The author has a wonderful way of bringing in detail and the descriptions of the herbs, gardens and clothing allow you to really imagine that you are there and part of the events. Unfortunately, the story does seem to move a little quickly through key events, glossing over rebellions, plots and the death of children with not much emotion or feeling from the characters.

Some of the writing can be repetitive in places – repeated emphasis that Eleanor is not maternal and an overuse of she-wolf in respect of Eleanor’s actions and personality. There are also randomly name-dropped characters from the time period who then play no part in the events of the story, almost like they are part of a storyline which was removed.

I did enjoy Olwen’s perspective, however, and she provided a gentler, more ordinary voice to contrast the Queen.

Overall, I thought Damask Rose was a very interesting read; however, not as much of a page-turner as my usual go-to Philippa Gregory stories.