Books in The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Dastardly Dames series

The first reigning Queen of England, Mary Tudor believed fervently that Catholicism should be the religion of the land, leading her to burn at the stake hundreds of Protestants. Was she just a ruler of her times, or did she deserve the name, Bloody Mary?Gorgeous illustrations and an intelligent, evocative story bring to life a real dastardly dame who, fueled by her faith, created a religious firestorm.

The richest, most powerful woman in the world, Cleopatra ruled the East and tamed the West. With both cunning and charm, she beguiled two of the most famous men in history, entwining Egypt’s destiny with Rome’s. Many believed she was as sly as a serpent. Or was she just smart?Gorgeous illustrations and an intelligent, evocative story bring to life a real dastardly dame who, despite her schemes, lost everything—including her beloved homeland.

Queen of France, Catherine de' Medici would do anything to keep her family in power, including using poison and black magic. A nation-wide killing spree during her rule earned her the name, The Black Queen. But was she really that bad?Gorgeous illustrations and an intelligent, evocative story bring to life a real dastardly dame who fought to keep her children in power, but ended up blackening their names instead.

Ambitious Roman empress Agrippina murdered and married her way to the throne—and to being declared a goddess. She made many enemies, including her own son. But was she really all that atrocious?Gorgeous illustrations and an intelligent, evocative story bring to life a real dastardly dame whose lust for power lost her the love of her people, and eventually, her life.

The young, pretty queen who is remembered for supposedly uttering, “Let them eat cake,” Marie Antoinette had fun and spent money on beautiful things, while her people starved. But was she as heartless as everyone believed?Gorgeous illustrations and an intelligent, evocative story bring to life a real dastardly dame whose extravagance incited a revolution.

The last empress of China, Cixi fought ruthlessly to isolate her country from the West, while cloistered inside her lavish Forbidden City, ignoring the needs of her people. But was the Dragon Empress evil or just out-of-touch?Gorgeous illustrations and an intelligent, evocative story bring to life a real dastardly dame whose ignorance brought a centuries-old dynasty crashing down, ending the imperial system that had ruled China for millennia.

Njinga, the Warrior Queen, fought fiercely to keep her people from slavery. Yet she engaged in slave trading herself, performed human sacrifices and--some believed--even murdered her nephew, feasting on his heart. Was Njinga a terrifying tyrant or a freedom fighter?Gorgeous illustrations and a smart, evocative story bring to life a dastardly dame who did whatever it took to win and protect her kingdom.