Conquest by David Field (The Medieval Saga Series Book One)

 

Publication Date: 

March 4, 2022

Length:

288 pages

Summary:

The first book in a great series, Conquest sat in my Kindle awhile as I read books six and seven first. This one just didn't interest me as much but now that I have finally finished it I'm so glad I did. I really had no working knowledge of the Norman Conquest before the date 1066 and how it was the beginning of the England we know today. But William the Conqueror and his defeat of the Saxon way of life wasn't something I cared much about. With his usual, practical yet entertaining way, Field has managed to make me not only care but now want to seek out more about this turbulent time period.

Will Riveracre, son of the local miller in the village of Sandlake, wants only to marry a nice girl and live his life quietly and peacefully. Although his family is not the most well off in the area, they are content with their lot in life, beholden to the local nobility, or Thegn, who rely on the villagers to supply their way of life at the local Manor.  Accustomed to years of tradition and societal hierarchy, everyone generally accepts their place and with little working knowledge of political machinations outside of their immediate surroundings, cannot imagine things any other way.

Unaware of the brewing threats around them to the North, South, and across the English Channel, the Riveracres and the other villagers are naively of the opinion that as long as they have their men on the ready to defend the current Saxon King Harold Godwineson against any overt threat that could materialize, life will go on as it always has. Suddenly overnight though it seems that they are under attack from Viking Harald Hardrada of Norway and William of Normandy, both who claim to have a right to rule England themselves. Will and Selwyn Astenmede, the Thegn's son, are eventually embroiled in the fighting, both unsure of who to back as the outcome of which warrior will come out on top is so uncertain. Choosing the wrong side will have deadly consequences for the defeated. 

Throughout the next year the young men will manage to carve out personal lives with wives and children, while fighting for their way of life. As the battles tear apart the villages and towns caught in the middle, Will and Selwyn try to defend their families, maintain loyalty to their people, but also placate the wrath of William the Conqueror as he tears through the land, showing no mercy to anyone who doesn't bow to his authority. It will be up to Will to eventually convince the people that they must accept their conquest or die fighting it. This doesn't make him popular, but keeps him alive at great cost to himself and his old way of life. 

My Thoughts: 

Normally I prefer not to have fictional characters in these types of stories but Will and Selwyn were interesting and colorful enough that they fit in seamlessly into the storyline. It made me much more sympathetic to the local, terrorized people and how jarring it must have been when all the fighting and plundering of their way of life began. I had no idea how ruthless William of Normandy was either. I grew to really dislike him a lot and although he probably was doing what many other warriors have done who came before him, I found Field's portrayal of him to be one of a fearsome fighter alternating with an almost petulant, child like man who pouts when he doesn't get the immediate respect he feels he deserves. He is completely unforgiving to the Saxon people who don't want him there and scorns anything to do with their way of life.

Field is good at giving battle descriptions without veering off too much into super detailed facts which moves the story along. These books are great at giving one a snapshot of the facts, timeline, and personalities involved but leave enough so that you can pick and choose which subject or person you want to know more about and then go get more on that one area from another source. He also includes such interesting side stories I'd never heard about. There is a mysterious priest, hiding a great secret, a mistress, Edith Swan Neck, who was a real person with a famous shrine to the Virgin Mary, and people at court with William who factor into the fictional cast of characters. Another great read and I'm looking forward to the next book, Traitor's Arrow, which will tell the story of Henry I, son of William the Conqueror and his own rise the the throne.

The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters (Cadfael Chronicles Book 5)

 

Publication Date: 

January 1, 1996

Length:

217 pages

Summary:

Brother Cadfael, resident herbalist of Shrewsbury Abbey is helping to prepare for an upcoming wedding to be held there. Nobleman Baron Huon de Domville and Lady Iveta de Massard are hardly a young couple in love though. The groom is many decades older and is unattractive and harsh. The bride, innocent and used for an advantageous match between families, is desperate and dreading her future life. In love with another, Joscelin Lucy, a squire of Domville's, she hopes something will save her from her fate. 

As the time draws near, it seems her wish is granted when Domville is found strangled in the woods, apparently headed to an unknown destination, suspiciously alone and not in the company of any of his servants. Lucy, who was previously accused of theft by his employer when Domville suspected a romantic entanglement with Iveta, is accused of murdering Domville to save himself and goes on the run to avoid the gallows. 

Aided by his friends Simon and Guy, he is able to remain free for a time and is taken in by the Saint Giles leper colony, disguised in a location that no one, not even the Sheriff's men want to go. Biding his time while trying to figure out what to do, Lucy becomes attached to a mysterious leper and a young boy, Bran, who give him hope and compassion. 

Meanwhile, Brother Cadfael is on the case and investigating the mysterious death of Domville, not  willing to believe Lucy is guilty. His sleuthing leads him to mysterious plants, a previously unknown hunting lodge, and another woman in the mix. He has precious little time to figure out how these things all tie together if he is to save Lucy. 

My Thoughts: 

The story was well written as always in Peters's eloquent style, with lots of description and at least a few vocabulary words I had to look up. That makes her stories top notch as cozy mysteries go and Cadfael is always entertaining. There wasn't a whole lot of twists and turns until the last two chapters but they more than made up for the slower pace. Iveta's evil Aunt and Uncle are convincing villains, using her for their gain and Domville is given a back story that I didn't see coming. 

I had wanted to read this particular Cadfael mystery for awhile simply because the title intrigued me. I am reading the stories in order but really wanted to get to this one. While I enjoyed the mystery and ending a lot, I was a bit disappointed that Peters didn't include a little more history and insight into the actual disease of leprosy and the colony in the story. I realize the focus is on the crime and solving it but I thought she could have included more about the time and treatment of the disease then. 

I will continue with these mysteries as they are set in a time period I love, The Anarchy between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda. Shrewsbury is a great setting for the story and Cadfael is a solid character, always getting his man (or woman) in the end.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Abandoned Queen by Austin Hernon (Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy Book Two)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Abandoned Queen by Austin Hernon. I purchased book one and intend to read it this year. Books two and three are out in 2024 and this is the second in the trilogy. At first I saw it as a romance type book but then I read the sample of book one and it was actually a pretty good start as a historical fiction book. The author is an older gentleman who has written another series about William the Conqueror's son, Richard. 

I hope you have found something you can't wait for on this Wednesday!

February 2, 2024

Historical Fiction

Description courtesy of Amazon books

Berengaria follows her king into the deadly heart of the Crusade…

1191

Having married Richard the Lionheart, Berengaria of Navarre is now preparing herself for the turbulent life of a queen.

Though he has not yet secured an heir, Richard is determined not to settle down until he has recaptured Jerusalem from the Saracen forces. Vowing to stay by his side for as long as possible, Berengaria accompanies him on the perilous voyage to the Holy Land.

Caught up in battle plans, Richard has barely a moment to spare for his new bride. And after witnessing a sea battle and a deadly siege in Akko, Berengaria is left disturbed by the king’s ruthlessness.

Surrounded by misery and bloodshed, the young queen begins to understand the true cost of war. And as Richard becomes ever more consumed by his ambitions, she starts to wonder whether their marriage will ever have a chance to flourish…

Will Richard survive his brutal Crusade? Will he and Berengaria return to England in triumph?

Or will the horrors of war tear their marriage apart?

The Abandoned Queen is the second historical novel in The Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy: Early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

The King's Commoner: The rise and fall of Cardinal Wolsey by David Field (The Tudor Saga Series Book Two)

 

Publication Date: 

July 24, 2019

Length:

271 pages

This is the second book in Field's Tudor series and although I have purchased the first one about Henry VII, I wanted to read this one first because I didn't know a lot about the story of Thomas Wolsey. 

Summary:

The story begins when Thomas is very young and becoming painfully aware of his place in society. Born in 1473, he is the son of a common butcher of modest means, ridiculed by the upper classes who attend mass with him and are jealous of his cleverness and academic wit. This becomes more apparent as Wolsey grows into manhood, completing his degree in divinity at the young age of fifteen and uses his skills and connections to work his way to becoming chaplain for the Archbishop of Canterbury. He soon finds himself in the service of King Henry VII who appoints him royal chaplain. When his son, Henry VIII becomes king, Wolsey is firmly entrenched as a valuable asset to the Tudor ruler and uses it to his great advantage, steering events in his favor while maintaining the needed reverence due to the King. 

Because Henry VIII is still young and impressionable, he finds himself relying heavily on Wolsey's guidance and affirmation. In the beginning, Thomas is able to amass great wealth and power by making himself invaluable to the King. As time passes though, he finds Henry is growing into his own as a man and ruler and it starts to become more difficult to manipulate things in his direction. Henry grows increasingly more set in his ways and through a series of events with France and Spain, he and Wolsey begin to have conflicts that bleed into their previously trusting relationship. When the King decides to rid himself of Queen Katherine and marry Anne Boleyn, Thomas is expected to deliver the annulment necessary to make this happen. He cannot. And he finds himself in real danger from Henry's wrath. 

My Thoughts: 

I love that Field's books include real people presented in an authentic way so that I feel like I'm getting to know them and their thoughts, not just reading historical events. In this book though it caused me to be conflicted about the main focus because halfway through I really started to dislike Wolsey both as a man and as a religious figure. This is probably exactly what was intended and shows Field's capability as a writer. Unlike Simon de Montfort in The Conscience of a King, Wolsey does not come off as a sympathetic figure at all. We see him begin with promise, incredibly smart, talented, and impressive at a young age.  As he grows more entrenched in royal favor and wealth he comes across as scheming and cynical. It makes it hard to feel badly for him when Henry turns on him.

I can't recommend these books enough if you need a good, solid, chronological timeline of English history. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Field's books as I'm really hoping for a series of books that take place surrounding events from de Montfort through the Tudor years. The three Edwards and Bolingbroke would be wonderful as they seem to be under represented in the historical fiction world. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Justice For the Cardinal, all about Thomas Cromwell and his devotion to Wolsey, his mentor, and the events after this book and Wolsey's downfall.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones (Book Two Essex Dogs Trilogy)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones. This is book two in his Essex Dogs Trilogy. I am looking for good historical fiction about the Hundred Years War between England and France and finding it difficult to come across. I am not a huge fan of books that are based solely on the battles of a certain time period but with this subject that is to be expected. Dan Jones is the author of many great books and his research is always solid and reliable. This might be one to try. I hope you have found a book you can't wait to read this week!

January 30, 2024

Medieval Historical Fiction/War Fiction

Description courtesy of Amazon books

The epic sequel to Essex Dogs, continuing the New York Times bestselling historian's trilogy of novels following the fortunes of ten ordinary soldiers during the Hundred Years' War.

1347. Bruised and bloodied by an epic battle at Crécy, six soldiers known as the Essex Dogs pick through the wreckage of the fighting—and their own lives.
 
Now a new siege is beginning, and the Dogs are sent to attack the soaring walls of Calais. King Edward has vowed no Englishman will leave France ‘til this city falls. To get home, they must survive a merciless winter in a lawless camp deadlier than any battlefield.
 
Obsessed with tracking down the vanished Captain, Loveday struggles to control his own men. Romford is haunted by the reappearance of a horrific figure from his past. And Scotsman is spiraling into a pit of drink, violence, and self-pity.
 
The Dogs are being torn apart—but this war is far from over. It won't be long before they lose more of their own.
 
From a vast siege camp built outside Calais' walls, to the pirate ships patrolling the harbor, and into the dark corners of oligarchs' houses, where the deals that shape—and end—lives are made, this captivating and darkly comic story brings the fourteenth century vividly to life.

The Road To Runnymede by David Field (The Medieval Saga Series Book 6)

 

Publication Date: 

January 16, 2023

Length: 

215 pages

This is the second David Field book I've read this year and he is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. His books have that perfect balance I love between straight, dry history facts and overly romantic fiction in too many modern historical fiction books today. And while I am happy his books are so inexpensive to buy and free to read with Kindle Unlimited, I'm starting to think he is selling himself short and needs to charge more! 

Summary:

This is the sixth book in his seven part series about the Norman conquest through the reign of Henry III and his son Prince Edward, who eventually becomes Edward I. I reviewed book seven last month, The Conscience of a King, which was about Simon de Montfort. I decided to back up and read about King John, who I honestly know little about, having run across very few historical fiction books devoted to just him and his reign. The book incorporates a fictional character, Hugh, Earl of Flint, to guide the narrative and shows his service to John along with the real person of Ranulf, Earl of Chester. The two cousins endure many hardships and abuse as they try to carry out King John's demands and also care for their much neglected families, who suffer loneliness and worry for their men who are usually far away from home and involved in the next brutal battle. 

When the story begins, Richard the Lionheart is still alive and ruling as well as taking advice from his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine and it seems as if there is no reason to believe this world of strong leadership will not go on for some time. Hugh, having been on crusade with Richard, is happy and content serving his King who he respects deeply and holds in much esteem. When Richard dies young and unexpectedly, Hugh's world drastically changes with the ascension of his younger brother John to the throne of England. 

John and Richard are as different as is possible and Hugh learns quickly that taking advice and self-restraint are not qualities the new leader possesses. Seeing everyone as a possible threat, John seems to work overtime to alienate even his most loyal supporters of which Hugh and Ranulf try to be. As the barons of the day are overtaxed, over committed to endless wars across the channel in France, and treated with disdain at every turn, things become perilous for Hugh as he tries to support John, while seeing the writing on the wall of a coming showdown between the King and his subjects. 

My Thoughts:

Throughout the story of the facts of John's reign, the attempts to restore his lands in France, and his interaction with the Welsh and Scots, is the side story of Hugh and his wife Edwina and their children. Geoffrey, Hugh's son, who will also factor in the next book, is anxious to prove himself and learn the art of being a squire, then a knight in the King's service. He is sent at the age of fifteen to train on the Earl of Chester's estate and bears witness to the brutality of the day in situations beyond his control. The personal stories of Hugh's family members serve to keep the story from becoming too dry and give the reader someone to root for. 

As I read this book I realized that it is a great place to start if you have very little knowledge of the time period. But it is also a great recap of events that are easily forgotten. I found myself wishing I'd read it before tackling some of Sharon Kay Penman's work because Field's books are much shorter and to the point, at only 250-300 pages each. You will not get the detailed, intricate backgrounds of each character or the exhaustive research in Penman's novels, but you will definitely come away with sound information and understand the why, who, and what behind the chosen subject. 

Field has done his homework and he even adds some things I hadn't read about before. His description of the storm which led to the loss of the crown jewels at the end of story was superb and he explains things so effortlessly that even the Great Charter (Magna Carta) was made interesting, something I'd always been a bit bored by. He did a wonderful job of making me understand how John went from being totally in control to being forced to agree, albeit with his fingers crossed, to demands from barons who dared to defy him. 

I love that Field didn't start writing and publishing until he retired from his work as a lawyer. I think to become an author in your 70's is amazing! I am pretty sure I read he'd written a lot before then but hadn't published his work until later. He is doing a great service by giving us these books about English and Australian history, written in an entertaining, readable style for all. I will definitely be reading more. I'd like to start the new year with his book about Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, The King's Commoner, because I don't know much about that story. 

The Stolen Crown by Carol McGrath

 

Publication Date: May 18, 2023

Length: 434 pages

As someone who came late to the game in studying the period of The Anarchy between Stephen and Matilda, I am always excited to get my hands on any books set during that time. It is fascinating and exciting and a great backdrop for historical fiction. This author seems to be very popular right now and the gorgeous covers of her books really catch the eye and make you want to try them.

The story begins in 1127 at Windsor Castle. Matilda, or Maud, as she is called, former Empress of Germany, has been called home to England by her father, the current King Henry I, to take up her rightful place as heir to the throne. Having been widowed in Germany and no longer wife of the Emperor there, being female she is at the mercy of her father who insists on making her the one to inherit the crown upon his death. The barons and clergy are not thrilled, but with Maud's brother William, the only legitimate male heir having drowned years before, Maud is all that is left. They swear allegiance to her in front of Henry but this is short lived upon his death. 

Maud is also painfully betrothed to the immature Geoffrey of Anjou and the two are like oil and water. Geoffrey is several years her junior and Maud is used to the adulation and honor due an Empress from her years spent in Germany, while Geoffrey is completely uninterested in both his older wife and in taking up duties in England. He is much more wedded to France, specifically his home territory and in acquiring Normandy and its surrounding lands. 

The basic story of the Anarchy period is related chronologically from the years of Henry's death to the crowning of his grandson, Henry II. We witness the chaos of Maud's fight to regain her title and crown from her cousin Stephen, who has the support and backing of much of the nobility who see a male ruler as the only real solution. All the major players are here: Maud's confidante and trustworthy brother, Robert of Gloucester, sheriff Miles of Gloucester, and Brian Fitz Count, one of the nobility and supporter of Maud. The major battles and skirmishes, Lincoln, Oxford are recounted, as well as Maud's escape into the wintry night to Wallingford. 

We are also introduced to fictional character, the loyal Alice, and her knight love interest, Sir Jacques, who serve as the way McGrath inserts the goings on of the more common folk and their attachment to the nobles and royals in the time period. Alice and her family are entertainers, puppeteers who are loyal to Maud and her side of the fight for the crown.

I started out really enjoying this book. And then about halfway through I started to lose interest. I pushed through to the end but found myself trying to figure out why I wasn't as excited to read it as it unfolded. After reading some reviews by others on Goodreads I finally realized the answer. There just wasn't the character development I wanted and one reviewer described the writing as "wooden." Sometimes it vacillated between sounding like a history book recalling facts and details, and then would try to switch to a more romantic style. It just didn't work for me. I will not say it is not worth reading but I didn't come away learning a lot of new information about the period and I also didn't really care about any of the characters involved, fictional or real. All the information was there but it just didn't flow or have that personal touch the way good historical fiction should.

Will I read another book by this author? Yes, I would like to try one of the books in her Rose trilogy. I am wondering if I read about a subject I don't know a lot about I might enjoy it better. Possibly because I've read so much on the Anarchy period in much greater detail, this book just recapped things I already knew and I skimmed through it for that reason. I rarely shut out an author after one book as I like to see if another works better. This book is a great fit for someone who is just learning about this subject and needs the background information told in an entertaining style. McGrath clearly has that knowledge and her research is solid.  It is good to know what you do learn from it is based on proven, historical facts. That is my number one reason for reading and loving historical fiction.

The Conscience of a King by David Field (The Medieval Saga Series Book 6)

 

Publication Date: March 31, 2023

Length: 276 pages

I have purchased books one, six, and seven in this series as they have gone on sale. They sat in my Kindle for awhile and I decided to read the last book in the series first. This was because it is about Simon de Montfort and there are so few historical fiction books about him. 

Simon de Montfort begins his young life watching his parents' quest to conquer the religious Cathars in the Albigensian Crusades in southern France. His father is killed in 1218 while fighting and Simon and his brother Amaury are left as heirs to a family title that must be fought for after it is stolen and given to a distant cousin by a vengeful King John. Amaury agrees to relinquish all rights to the earldom, being the older brother and first in line to inherit any lands, if Simon gives up all rights to the family lands in France. When Simon travels to England to regain his title, Earl of Leicester, he becomes a close ally for a time of King Henry III. He spends countless time and energy proving himself as a military leader and strategist, convincing Henry of his loyalty and rightful place as part of the English nobility.

As a frequent member of the court, Simon witnesses Henry's ability to be swayed by whomever is in his current circle. Henry's wife, Eleanor of Provence and her foreign relatives, often influence him in negative ways, wanting lands, money and titles of their own. Henry's mother, Isabella, who has married into another influential family, the de Lusignans of France, also vie for special privileges and the result is a bitter revolt of the barons and native English nobility who see their rightful inheritances being squandered by those without the authority to do so. 

When Simon marries and begins a family with Henry's sister Eleanor, the stakes increase and the couple work to navigate the tricky political world they are thrust into. When the King and Simon have a serious disagreement and falling out over money owed, the de Montforts flee to France, living as exiles. As things become more tense in England between the barons and Henry, Simon is eventually to return, fighting against Henry and his son Edward, with a showdown of epic proportions.  

This book stuck to the facts of Simon's life as a history book would, only adding a few fictional characters. It is not a long book but packs a lot into the pages. We witness Simon growing both physically and emotionally as well as spiritually and as he moves from young, idealistic boy to military leader, husband, and father, he gains respect from those around him and devotion from those he has saved from a life of poverty and misery. 

Field does a great job of simplifying what is a complicated period, with the Barons' Wars, the foreign influences at court, and the reasons behind the discontent in the nations of England and France. Using a fictional girl, Merle, who is given to Simon as a concubine, whom he never treats as one, the author allows us to glimpse the compassionate part of de Montfort, when he treats her well and cares for her when he doesn't have to.

I have always found this period and subject to be a bit on the dry side, as it is hard to keep up with the political machinations going on but I understood things so much better after reading this book. The significance of de Montfort's attempts at reforms with the provisions of Oxford is not easy for the casual reader and I wish I'd read this one first before Falls the Shadow, by Sharon Penman because I think I might have kept things straight a bit more in her much longer, involved novel. 

I intend to read the other books in this series as well as his Tudor and Maritime ones focusing on Sir Francis Drake. If you are looking to better understand the period of the Norman Conquest through the reign of Henry III, I highly recommend these books in the Medieval Saga Series. 

Noteworthy News #1: The Missing Princes Project

 

I have been wanting a place to post things I've come across that might not fall into the book review or book accumulation category. This might be an author I heard on a podcast, a book advertised online that is already out but I haven't read yet, or just an article that covers a topic related to history or books that looked interesting. So this is my first blog entry titled, "Noteworthy News." If I hear or read something noteworthy that I want to share I'll do it here. Likely it will involve history or mysteries as that is what I love the most!

I have been listening to the podcast Gone Medieval with various guests that centers around, of course, all things Medieval. Yesterday's episode was titled, "Princes in the Tower: New Evidence Revealed" and Philippa Langley was interviewed about her years of research and subsequent book on the subject. I was fascinated to learn that she was the driving force behind the search and eventual discovery of Richard III's body and that this set off a desire for her to prove whether or not he was involved in the death of his nephews. Many people think Richard was unfairly targeted by men of his time and by Shakespeare and made into the villain in this story without the goods to back it up. The Tudor version of him as the evil Uncle has stayed with him for centuries. 

In her interview for the podcast she explains how she spent four years just putting together a timeline of events and trying to determine if there was any reason to believe the princes had died in Richard's care. She talked about the enormous amount of research she compiled and how overwhelming it all was to keep track of. Her book, published just today, November 17th, details the hunt for the truth. It is called The Princes in the Tower: Solving History's Greatest Cold Case. She worked with police to find out how they conduct cold case investigations, and spent hours reading archival material related to the story. It was called, "The Missing Princes Project" and is the first attempt to use forensic science to really dig into the facts. 

I found all of this so interesting and informative and while I may not get a chance soon to add this to my TBR pile, the podcast interview summed it up enough to give me an idea of the contents of the book. It is obviously a well researched new theory behind a very old unsolved mystery. There were some unique documents uncovered that I won't give away here but either go listen to the podcast episode or read the book and you will be surprised at what was uncovered. 

 

Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman (Plantagenet Novels Book 4)

 

Publication Date: October 4, 2011

Length: 624 pages

I looked back at my Amazon purchases to see when I actually bought this book. It was March of 2022. I couldn't believe it because I started it the week it arrived. It has taken me a year and a half to read every page and it was worth the time. When I finished it, I felt as if I had lived through every moment of the third crusade along with Richard, Berengaria (his wife and queen), and Joanna (his sister and former Queen of Sicily). It is a masterpiece of storytelling and research. 

The first half of the book the main subjects are making their way across Europe to the Holy Land; not necessarily together. We see Joanna, widowed and desperate in Sicily as her former husband's scheming cousin Tancred tries to seize the throne and takes her prisoner in Palermo. She is rescued by Richard as he is traveling to Jerusalem on his crusade to retake the holy city. He frees his sister while subduing Tancred and regaining Joanna's dowry. It is a glimpse into the character and bravery of Richard to come as he stops to exert time and energy into the situation, never doubting his ability to create events to unfold according to his plans. 

Joanna and Richard are eventually joined by their mother Eleanor of Aquitaine (whom Joanna has not seen in decades) and Richard's new betrothed, Berengaria of Navarre. Richard, Joanna, and Berengaria continue on their journey to Jerusalem and Eleanor returns to England to deal with brother John and his scheming back home. The journey across the sea to Acre is hardly uneventful as Richard manages to conquer the island of Cyprus along the way, marrying Berengaria there before continuing on their way. 

Also traveling to the middle east is Phillip II of France and their whole relationship is one of necessity and dysfunction. Jealousy, greed, and eventually bitterness become the heart of their interactions and as things unfold along the way, the two men and their entourages are embroiled constantly with infighting and suspicion. Neither leader wants to concede power or prestige to the other and their inability to work together to defeat Saladin will be the undoing of the carefully laid plans to retake Jerusalem. 

The second half of the novel focuses on what happens after the arrival of the Crusaders in Acre and their many battles, setbacks, victories, and perilous attempts to accomplish their goals. It feels like Richard and Phillip are always one foot forward, two steps back with success and failure. Other major players getting in the way include Hugh III of Burgundy, who always seems to be opposed to whatever Richard decides, the irritating Guy of Lusignan, and Conrad of Montferrat, whom Richard must unwillingly work with in order to secure the Holy Land after he eventually has to leave to return to his place as King of England. At every turn, Richard skillfully works to lead his soldiers, showing no fear, and that he will be right alongside them in the trenches, along with striving to maintain diplomacy between the Crusader leaders and the Muslim factions with whom he often has a cordial relationship. It is a lot for one man to shoulder.

Interspersed between the chapters with Richard as the focus, we see the relationship between Joanna, Berengaria, Richard, and other minor characters. These are nice breaks of quiet domesticity because the intense fighting and political discussions are frequent and require much concentration to follow. I especially loved getting to know the person of Henry II of Champagne, Richard's nephew, who strives to keep the peace between those around him and stay loyal to those he believes in. 

This book is incredibly dense with material. There are vivid descriptions of the major battles, the landscape, and the cultures found in Sicily, Cyprus, Tyre, and Acre. Even the first half of the book had me intrigued to find out more about Sicily. I thought I'd be bored by the fact that we don't even arrive in the middle east until halfway through the book, but the battle to conquer Cyprus is so wonderfully told I found myself a bit sad when they finally leave the island. 

There is a definite bias Penman displays towards Richard in that she clearly feels he is usually making the correct decisions for those around him. One comes away with the feeling that Richard is stubborn, but thwarted by others, rather than sometimes wrong. She does do a good job of showcasing his inability to be an attentive husband and in that area the reader can't help but side with Berengaria, who is portrayed as loving, sweet, and desperate for a child with Richard. It is this that makes him appear a bit cold and unfeeling with his often one sided obsession with his mission, rarely considering how it all will take a toll on his wife and sister Joanna, who is also often waiting around to see what they will have to endure next. 

What really got to the heart of the novel for me though were the last few chapters in which Richard makes a last push at the Battle of Jaffa. The account Penman gives of Richard leading his men and pushing them on despite the odds against them is breathtaking. I could see it all in my mind, could feel the courage and loyalty between him and his soldiers and afterwards I truly understood why he is called Richard the Lionheart. Normally I do not enjoy long, drawn out battle descriptions but this book was superb in this area. She was able to capture everything that makes it an epic: suspense, fear, and victory in the hearts of the men fighting whether they win or lose. That is what makes this book a true gem. I am looking forward to reading A King's Ransom, and seeing how Richard deals with his harrowing journey back to England and his mother Eleanor's fight to save him and his throne from the clutches of his brother John and Phillip of France. 

The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick

 

Publication Date:  April 18, 2023

Length: 512 pages

This is the first Chadwick novel I've read and reviewed. I have skimmed the beginning of a couple of her William Marshal books but never got around to reading them. I know they are very popular and come highly recommended by my fellow blogger friends. Nesta of Wales is definitely what I'd call an obscure topic so I wanted to try this book. Also, it is Chadwick's latest so I knew it would be one others might not have gotten around to reading yet. 

The story begins in Wales in the year 1093. Young Nesta, a Princess of the territory of Deheubarth, daughter of King Rhys ap Tewdwr, is in the stables seeing to the new colt recently birthed. Her father is off on a mission to see the hated Normans, encroaching into Welsh territory and expected home any day now. When he arrives, carried on his horse, killed in battle, Nesta's world changes forever. She and her mother, along with her brother, who is now the four year old heir to the kingdom are forced to run for the coast and only her brother Gruffyed makes it to a waiting ship to be taken off to safety in Ireland. Nesta and her mother are kidnapped by the Norman warriors, separated, and taken into the custody of foreign strangers in a foreign land, their world turned upside down. 

When Nesta begins her captivity she is treated well by the ladies of the house who encourage her to accept her fate and to try to learn the language and culture of her surroundings. Eventually, she catches the eye of Henry, brother to the King, who takes her as his latest conquest. Although he is not abusive, he is harsh and demanding and Nesta grows to hate him as she realizes she is a pawn in the game of the powerful. When William Rufus dies and Henry becomes King, her world improves when she gives birth to his illegitimate son and Henry at least provides for them in a decent manner. Throughout the years of uncertainty and separation from her family, Nesta learns to rely on herself and the circle of women she is forced to live with, also concubines of Henry who bear him many children. 

Just when she is ready to give up on another life, Nesta receives news that she is to be married off to a man who will care for her and her child and hopefully take her back to Wales, where she will be among her people. 

Alongside Nesta's story is Gerald's. He is a Norman, fighting with Henry and his men but with an affinity for the Welsh people, as he has been installed there as Castellan of Pembroke Castle, in Deheubarth. He is both loyal to his King while also feeling tied to the land he is overseeing. As he ponders his future, Gerald finds a way to have all he wishes for when he makes a bold move to approach King Henry and ask him to fulfill his wish for a family and security. 

The subject matter in this book was fascinating and I found myself researching the back stories of the main characters. Although Chadwick clearly did a lot of research for this one, she admits some of the story had to be filled in with fiction because there is just not enough on Nesta and Gerald in the record to know everything. I thought she did a great job of sticking to the facts while adding her own personal touches. I learned a lot about the time period and Wales too which I really enjoyed.

The downside of the book for me was that it started to feel more like a romance novel about halfway through. I also started to grow tired of Nesta and her complaining, even after she is given a new start. To be clear, she is traumatized and assaulted by Henry at a very young age and no doubt this influences her dark outlook on things, but some of the choices she makes are hard to reconcile with the life she is presented with. I preferred the history and adventure at the beginning and wish Chadwick had stuck to more of that than letting the story devolve into too much emotion and drama between the main characters. It just became tedious after awhile. 

I still enjoyed the book and recommend it but it didn't have the feel of a Penman or Weir historical novel. I guess I need to try one of her Marshal books as I hear such great things about them.

A King Ensnared: A Historical Novel of Scotland (The Stewart Chronicles Book One) by J.R. Tomlin

 

Publication Date: November 16, 2013

Length: 288 pages

As I wrote on Sunday in my Stacking the Shelves post, I have seen Tomlin's books everywhere for years. I have had her Black Douglas series in my Kindle for a very long time. For some reason I just never was very interested in trying them. Probably because I've been immersed in the Crusades and the Plantagenets this time period in Scottish history just wasn't something I wanted to delve into. But looking for something different I decided to give this book a try. 

Young James Stewart is heartbroken at the death of his older brother, David Stewart, starved to death in a dungeon by his evil Uncle, the Duke of Albany who is plotting to seize power for himself. King Robert III is dying and in order to save James the decision is made to remove him from his scheming relatives' grasp. Before he can be taken to safety in France, he is captured at sea by pirates who take him to London where he is imprisoned by King Henry IV.  

Although he is deeply unhappy about his situation, James is nonetheless treated somewhat well by the King who resolves to educate him and treat him with some dignity. James grows to accept that he will probably not be let out anytime soon and as the years pass he tries to do the best he can with his frustrating circumstances. He trains as a knight, writes poetry, falls in love, and longs for Scotland and his birthright. When Henry IV dies and his merciless son Henry V becomes King, James finds himself often balancing a tightrope of demanding the respect he feels he deserves as Scottish royalty, while trying to hang on and not incur the wrath of the English monarch. He feels if he can be patient and focused enough, he might just find his way back to his homeland and all that awaits him there.

I learned a lot about this area of history that I didn't already know. I had read about James and his poetry but didn't really know all the background of his imprisonment and his interaction with both Henry IV and V. You really became fond of James due to his loyalty to his duty and his unwillingness to cave when faced with multiple attempts by the English to renounce his crown and be set free. James is very clear that he desperately longs for that freedom but will not be bought cheaply at the expense of his country. I thought he showed a lot of bravery and courage for his young age and know I couldn't fare as well as he did.

The book was just okay though. It had enough positives for me to recommend it if you are interested in the Stewarts and their early back story. And the author does a good job of describing life in the time and place she sets the story in. There is enough here for those who like battles as well as personal stories and like I stated above, you do become somewhat attached to James and his suffering. Unfortunately though it did become a bit slow and dragged as it went on. I found myself skimming towards the end. I know the next couple of books in the series deal more with life after his imprisonment and as he becomes King of Scotland so they might be better. There were too many battles and fighting for my taste too here but if you like that sort of detail it might be your thing. I'm not sure when I'll read the next one but the nice thing is they are fairly short, easy reads so you can pick it up and follow it without the need for deep concentration. Overall, a good, solid, well researched history story with a personal connection to the main character. 

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Kingmaker's Women by Julia A. Hickey

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa  at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring The Kingmaker's Women by Julia A. Hickey. I am drawn like a magnet to anything Wars of the Roses and the daughters of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, are never a boring topic. This book focuses on Warwick's wife, Anne Beauchamp, and her daughters, Isabel and Anne Neville, exclusively and delves into whether or not they were pawns in their father's war games or women who used their own wiles to exert influence over their situation. It looks fascinating. Happy Wednesday reading everyone!

August 30, 2023 (The publisher may have changed the date according to Amazon)

History/Middle Ages History

Description courtesy of Net Galley

They were supposed to be pious, fruitful and submissive. The wealthiest women in the kingdom, Anne Beauchamp and her daughters were at the heart of bitter inheritance disputes. Well educated and extravagant, they lived in style and splendour but were forced to navigate their lives around the unpredictable clashes of the Cousins’ War. Were they pawns or did they exert an influence of their own?

The twists and turns of Fate as well as the dynastic ambitions of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick saw Isabel married without royal permission to the Yorkist heir presumptive, George Duke of Clarence. Anne Neville was married to Edward of Lancaster, the only son of King Henry VI when her father turned his coat. One or the other was destined to become queen. Even so, the Countess of Warwick, heiress to one of the richest titles in England, could not avoid being declared legally dead so that her sons-in-law could take control of her titles and estates.

Tragic Isabel, beloved by her husband, would experience the dangers of childbirth and on her death, her midwife was accused of witchcraft and murder. Her children both faced a traitor’s death because of their Plantagenet blood. Anne Neville became the wife of Richard, Duke of Gloucester having survived a forced march, widowhood and the ambitions of Isabel’s husband. When Gloucester took the throne as Richard III, she would become Shakespeare’s tragic queen. The women behind the myth suffered misfortune and loss but fulfilled their domestic duties in the brutal world they inhabited and fought by the means available to them for what they believed to be rightfully their own.

The lives of Countess Anne and her daughters have much to say about marriage, childbirth and survival of aristocratic women in the fifteenth century.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen by Joanna Arman

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I'm featuring Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen by Joanna Arman. I have always loved reading about the reigns of Henry I and II but it is hard to find anything on the wife of Henry I. Much has been covered about their daughter, the Empress Matilda, but not so much about her mother, also named Matilda. I am glad to see this subject given a whole book and hope it is informative and interesting. 

*I'm not finding it anywhere for sale in the United States yet but hopefully it won't be long.

Happy Reading!

June 30, 2023

History

Description courtesy of NetGalley

The wife of King Henry I and the mother of the Empress Maud is a woman and a Queen forgotten to history. She is frequently conflated with her daughter or her mother-in-law. She was born the daughter of the King of Scotland and an Anglo-Saxon princess. Her name was Edith, but her name was changed to Matilda at the time of her marriage.

The Queen who united the line of William the Conqueror with the House of Wessex lived during an age marked by transition and turbulence. She married Henry in the first year of the 12th century and for the eighteen years of her rule aided him in reforming the administrative and legal system due to her knowledge of languages and legal tradition. Together she and her husband founded a series of churches and arranged a marriage for their daughter to the Holy Roman Emperor. Matilda was a woman of letters to corresponded with Kings, Popes, and prelates, and was respected by them all.

Matilda’s greatest legacy was continuity: she united two dynasties and gave the Angevin Kings the legitimacy they needed so much. It was through her that the Empress Matilda and Henry II were able to claim the throne. She was the progenitor of the Plantagenet Kings, but the war and conflict which followed the death of her son William led to a negative stereotyping by Medieval Chroniclers. Although they saw her as pious, they said she was a runaway nun and her marriage to Henry was cursed.

This book provides a much-needed re-evaluation of Edith/Matilda’s role and place in the history of the Queens of England.