I combined books 6 and 7 into one post as they are books 3 and 4 of Maurice Druon's Accursed Kings series, The Poisoned Crown and The Royal Succession.

The Poisoned Crown picks up where the Strangled Queen stops off; Louis X is now free to marry Clemence of Hungary and shore up succession, since his daughter, poor little Jeanne, could now be considered a bastard.

This book picks up more on how horrible a King Louis is; he's not terribly bright, he has a horrid temper and he gives in to pretty much any request made by his powerful, strong-willed uncle, Charles of Valois. Louis launches an incredibly ill-fated campaign against the province of Flanders, and what he had hoped would be a war that would leave him in good standing, did nothing but further his reputation as a weak king.

We meet sweet Clemence who, at first, is pious and greatful at her lot in life, to be Queen of France, but she quickly sees her new husband is definitely not a great king like she was hoping him to be.

Our tragic, young Lombard, Guccio, becomes a favourite of the Queen when he escorts her to France, and he nearly dies because he is showing off, and so he cannot immediately be reconciled with his secret, pregnant wife, Marie, who's family has basically disowned her for marrying the Italian, and who has been sent to a convent to bear her 'sinful' child.

And the formidable Mahaut, takes it upon herself to put a king on the throne that she can deal with, namely her son-in-law, Louis' younger brother Phillipe. The Game of Thrones starts in earnest.

To me, The Royal Succession felt the most SoIaFish so far. I can definitely see some inspiration here for GRRM. The election of a new Pope through some tricks definitely put me in mind of a certain election towards the end of Storm of Swords. Plus the succession here IS a mess. Louis X without a male heir. His wife, Clemence is pregnant, but of course, they don't know if she carries a boy. Even just selecting a Regent for the kingdom in the meantime calls for great expediture of bribes and political manuevring, till at last, Phillipe, Louis's brother, comes out as Regent. Louis son, Jean I is born, but that goes horribly wrong, and then there are swapped babies and lovers torn assunder and more murder and rebellion and even though Phillipe is crowned at the end of this book, one doesn't feel like the good guy has won. Which is often a feeling GRRM gives you too.

And now, I wait for the next volume to be released. Which is also very GRRM-like.