Doomed Queens by Kris Waldherr tells the stories of various, often times, little known queens who have suffered terrible fates due to their exalted status. Many died quite young or had their lives shortened by those closest to them. Some were noble while others seemingly deserved their fates. Ms. Waldherr's is able to portray these tragic lives in a light that makes them seem important to the reader. Despite the gravity of the topic the author is able to add humor through the "cautionary morals" at the end of each queen's tale. Still the specter of death is never far, represented by the skeletons that constantly shadow these royal women. The book is richly illustrated with images of the doomed queens, some actual portraits while others are a breathtaking representation of what the author thinks they would have looked like. The book is only 172 pages but included into these pages are quizzes that test your knowledge of these royal ladies. All in all Doomed Queens is a quick, but insightful read that will definitely encourage the reader to further look into the lives of these unfortunates. I know it certainly made me do some research of my own.
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