The War Within Me
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley June 17, 2025
Author Tracy Ryan
Distributor: Transit Lounge
ISBN: 978-1-923023-39-0
Publisher: Transit Longe
Release Date: June 2025
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The second novel in the Queens of Navarre trilogy, The War Within Me from Tracy Ryan continues with Princess Jeanne d’Albret a woman who is determined, purposeful and intelligent. She is a twice born royal, her father the King of Navarre, her Uncle the King of France.
Sickly as a child she is wed at an early age to William of Jülich-Cleves-Berge, in a political move to strengthen alliances. This marriage in name only, was annulled in 1545. She was later married to Antoine of Bourbon in 1548, a handsome man who she loved to desperation. Together they ruled Navarre after the death of Jeanne’s father in 1555.
Their life together became embattled as Antoine was forever absent fighting one battle or another, a man who was of the Catholic faith, and eventually a man who could not be trusted as he spread his alliance thin, courting whoever he felt could better achieve his ends.
In The War Within Me Tracy Ryan as captured in great detail the turbulence of the times of Jeanne’s rule, the influence of her mother, Margaret of Angouleme respected and revered through Navarre and France, who desired to move into the Protestant faith but found she was unable to sever the ties to the Catholic religion. Jeanne as a young woman accepted the Protestant faith, becoming a true and faithful believer until her death.
Moving through the pages of history Ryan has created a work that while based on the few documents that have survived the turbulent times of Jeanne’s life and rule, illustrate that Jeanne was a woman who committed to her life course with courage and conviction.
Determined to try and achieve the freedom to choose your faith, she took on the might of the Catholic Church and the French Court, thankfully not living to see the horror that took place in 1572, when France ordered the slaughter of the Huguenots which was then retaliated.
Beautifully written and detailed this return to the turbulent times of history is most enlightening. It is a time in history which had profound influence on religion throughout France and Spain.
The third book in the series, To Share His Fortune follows the life of Princess Margot, wife of Jeanne’s son Henri, one of her two surviving children, as she takes up the role of Queen of Navarre.