Blood, Fire and Gold

''A story told with verve and passion'' The Times, Book of the Week

''An alternative and engaging biography...accessible and unpretentious'' The Telegraph

''A stunning portrayal of two of the most powerful women in European history'' Tracy Borman

''Exciting and compelling, packed full of tantalising details of diplomacy and court life, Paranque succeeds both in bringing history to life, but also in putting flesh on the bones of these two extraordinary women and rival queens'' Kate Mosse

''A smart and stylish portrait of two of Europe''s most remarkable rulers, a compelling profile of female power and - that rarest of things - a truly original book about the Tudor period'' Jessie Childs

In sixteenth-century Europe, two women came to hold all the power, against all the odds. They were Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici.

One a Virgin Queen who ruled her kingdom alone, and the other a clandestine leade