The Follies of the King deals with the reign of Edward II, who inherited his father's looks, but is as unlike him as possible in any other way.Preferring the company of men to that of women and the merry sides of life to the matters of the state from an early age, Edward II marries Isabella, a beautiful daughter of Philip IV of France, but neglects her in favour of his lovers Piers Gaveston and Hugh le Despenser.
Utterly humiliated, Isabella bids her time, comforted only by the admiration of her people while she plots vengeance, counting on people's ever-growing dissatisfaction with their king and their hate for his male friends.
Yet, when Isabella finally manages to enact her revenge, in the end I couldn't help but feel sorry for Edward. Deposed and imprisoned, he finally recognises the mistakes he made by turning a blind eye to the world around him, admitting he was an unworthy king not made for ruling, before he meets a horribly cruel tragic end.
The Follies of the King is a suspenseful story, full of twists and intrigue and has thus definitely kept my interest in reading the rest of the saga. I will take a break from it for a while, but I am already looking forward to reading the next instalment, dealing with the reign of Edward III.
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