Medieval Challenge

CREDO - by Melvyn Bragg

2009-02-25T03:26:00.003Z

My last book read for the challenge and it was a struggle. Skipped quite a lot of pages, maybe because I was not in the right frame of mind at the time.
The story was very heavy on the religious theme which I felt could have been softened a bit.
Maybe down the track I could try again.

Briefly the story is part historical and family saga. A young Irish princess, Bega, defies your father, as she does not want to marry her chosen husband. Her actions and choices set off a chain of events.

I had bought this book many years ago and was looking forward to reading it, mainly as it covers early Irish history etc. Oh well, there is always another time.

End of Challenge

2009-02-09T10:23:00.002Z

Hi everyone
Well the challenge has now 'officially' finished. Congratulations to all of you who completed your set reading / watching.
You can still post here until the end of the month if you're still reading - I'll stop the postings on the 31st.
Hope you all had fun - I did - and I've some great recommendations from you all too.
With very best wishes - happy reading
Lynda ;0)

The Fool's Tale by Nicole Galland

2009-02-07T22:30:00.002Z

The year 1198. All of Wales is in turmoil.

King Maelgwyn ap Cadwallon, known to his people as Noble, is struggling to protect his small kingdom from treacherous Welsh princes and Roger Mortimer, an ambitious English baron who murdered Noble's father years earlier. Desperate to secure a peace treaty, the king grimly agrees to a political marriage with Isabel Mortimer, Roger's niece.

Isabel, not yet twenty, is confounded by the intimacy and informality of the Welsh court which to her foreign eyes looks barbaric and backward. As determined and wilful as she is naive, she eventually earns the respect and affection of her husband and his subjects - with the notable exception of Gwirion, the king's oldest and oddesst friend, who has a particular, private reason to hate Mortimers.

Gwirion's rascally tricks and diversion are expected - and relished - by all at Cymaron Castle. But a disastrous prank played during the royal wedding ignites a volatile competition between queen and confidant for the king's affection, with unexpected consequences.

As Mortimer makes it apparent that he has no intention of honouring the peace treaty, the bond between Noble and Isabel grows strained. And when Gwirion and Isabel's mutual animosity is abruptly transformed, Noble finds himself as threatened by those he loves best as by the enemies who menace his crown.

A masterful debut novel by a gifted storyteller, The Fool's Tale combines vivid historical fiction, compelling political intrigue, and passionate romance to create an intimate drama of three individuals bound - and undone - by love and loyalty.

A brief look at my archives will tell you a few things. One is that I love Historical Fiction. Doesn't really matter what the setting is, although British history is one of my favourites. Ever since reading Sharon Kay Penman's excellent Welsh trilogy, the idea of reading more about Welsh history has been very attractive to me. I also am partial to a good Historical romance, so this book should have worked for me on a number of levels.

Did you notice I said should? Unfortunately it didn't work for me at all. At over half way through I have given up, and have my first DNF for the year. Given that I have only had one book that I couldn't finish reading since I began blogging over 3 years ago, you would be right in thinking that this is something that I don't normally do, but I just couldn't go on!

The first thing that didn't work for me was the fact that this is supposedly Welsh history, but then a quick look at the author's note reveals that King Maelgwyn ap Cadwallon really died the year before this book was set, Isabel Mortimer and her brother never existed, which means that all the dramatic points that I read (war councils and battles) cannot have happened. Oh, and that "Gwirion is not only fictional, but historically improbably, as the Welsh court had no known position corresponding to the concept of a European fool or jester." Yes, the laws and rituals described were based on historical fact, so it's not completely without basis but there's not much there.

The second thing that didn't work for me is the characters. Noble, who very much does not live up to his name, Gwirion and Isabel are all unlikeable.In the first half of the book, what we had is a King who had wed in a strategic alliance, but who continued to bed anyone that he wanted to, whenever he wanted to, with little consideration for his wife. Gwirion's pranks were not only not funny, they were downright dangerous, and when Noble pranks back it is almost to the point of killing the man who is supposed to be his best friend. Isabel is cool and distant, and when she does lose the heir that is so needed, it is in such a way that is just not likely to occur.

At the point where I have given up, Gwirion, who has hated Isabel vehemently since she has arrived, has just seen her with her hair down, and suddenly there is a strong attraction between them. Because I always take a peak at the end of the book, I have a fair idea of what happenes next and I know how it ends, and again, just don't see how it is likely that that could possibly happen when you have a king and queen involved. By the way, there are only a couple of times over the years where reading the ending of a book did really, really spoil for the reader, and this is one of those times.

The author is a screenwriter, and I don't know if part of the idea was to try and sex up historical fiction, and to make the plot as dramatic as possible, but it didn't work for me. I have in the past borrowed other books by this author and never managed to read them. I am still interested in reading The Fourth Crusade for example, but it will be a while before I will be ready to give her another go.

Rating: DNF

The Yorkist Age - Paul Murray Kendall

2009-02-07T11:15:00.005Z

My last review for this challenge is about a non fiction book and so naturally different from my other reviews.

Paul Murray Kendall's The Yorkist Age is a very interesting book about the daily life during the Wars of The Roses - that is in fact its subtitle. I may not be the ideal book to read in one sitting but being filled with interesting historical facts, many of them quite fun, it is the ideal book to have at hand whenever you want to know more about this period. It's a valuable research tool but it's also something to savour now and then.

The prologue is an introduction to the period and the main body of work is divided in three parts focusing on The Mayor (the municipality and its government), Other Important People (the different levels of society from the King to the merchants and pirates) and the Household (from estate management to marriage and the place of women and children in society. It ends with an epilogue devoted to the Wars of the Roses.

Highly recommended to those who want to know more about the Yorkist Age.

Thank you for a great challenge!! :-)

Shields of Pride by Elizabeth Chadwick

2009-02-07T11:01:00.003Z

The year is 1173. King Henry's efforts to crush his rebellious sons ignite bloody border skirmishes throughout the land. Yet it is a time of triumph for mercenary Josceline de Gael, bastard son of the king's most trusted ally. Victorious on the battlefield, de Gael suffers sweet defeat when his heart is conquered by the lovely Linnet de Montsorrel. But their love will find its greatest challenge as the torments of jealousy, suspicion, pride - and an enemy from beyond the grave - threaten all they hold dear.

Josceline de Gael is the bastard son of William de Rocher, the Ironheart. His father's wife and half-brothers never forgave him the circunstances of his birth and he finally leaves home for several years.While returning to his father's house, he meets the unpleasant and jealous Gilles Montsorrel and his wife Linnet. After the accidental death of Gilles, Joscelin is chosen to protect his wife and son. But even if Linnet and Gilles start slowly trusting each other and eventually marry, some hidden secrets could change their relationship forever…

I have to confess that my favorite character is Joscelin. He is truly a wonderful, honest and strong man. There's some shades of gray here and there which makes him even more charismatic and the way he treats Linnet and her son is truly heartwarming.

Linnet is more difficult to like but her flaws only make her more human. A battered wife, used and abused at her husband's hands, she doesn't trust men. Her secret creates some difficult moments with Joscelin but it's impossible to blame her for her past actions. I couldn't help feeling frustrated by her situation as a rich widow and mother of an heir. Just free from a monster and immediately forced to marry, unable to choose her husband or even take any decision for her future.

Shields of Pride is one of the earliest works of Elizabeth Chadwick and even if not her best, it's still a magnificent weaved story. I've read some of the author's other books like Shadows and Strongholds, The Love Knot or The Champion and every one of them is a delight, even the Hunt trilogy (it's what I call The Wild Hunt, The Running Vixen and The Leopard Unleashed) which is slightly different from her more recent works (they tend more towards the historical romance). For those who are really into this historical period, do not miss Elizabeth Chadwick's books!

Grade: 4/5

The Marsh King's Daughter - Elizabeth Chadwick

2009-02-07T10:38:00.007Z

ENGLAND 1216: DISSATISFACTION WITH KING JOHN HAS BRED A CIVIL WAR WHICH
THREATENS THE SOCIAL ORDER. Unwanted and unloved, rebellious Miriel Weaver is
forced to a convent by her violent stepfather. Her plan to escape from the harsh
life of a novice nun crystallises with the arrival of recuperating soldier of
fortune Nicholas de Caen. Miriel sees in his pride and self-sufficiency a
kindred spirit and, once he is well enough to leave, a way out. The two part in
Nottingham on bad terms which are to blight both their lives. When they meet
again by chance, they agree to call a truce -- but the truce becomes first
friendship and then a dangerous passion. Almost too late, Nicholas and Miriel
realise that the chain of events triggered by their first meeting could now
ensure they never know the pleasure of living ...

It seems with every new Elizabeth Chadwick book I read I become more of a fangirl of her work. Like in previous books what really draws me in are the characters she creates and their complexity. How they become real to us.

Unlike other books this story does not deal with the nobility. It deals with the common people, traders and particularly weavers, and I really enjoyed knowing something about that trade.

Elizabeth Chadwick beautifully combines history and fiction. In this case she starts out with a real event - the disappearence of the royal treasure during King John's reign - and she plays around with what might have happened to it. This however is not the main subject of the book but more of a pretext to start the action.

Miriel is a young girl, who has been confined to a convent by her family, when she meets Nicholas de Caen. He is brought to the convent after being found unconscious on the road and when he eventually leaves Miriel decides to follow.

Their fate will be closely connected to King John's lost treasure and if as young people they showed great promise when they meet again they are strong and ready to deal with the feelings that had been brewing since their first meeting. Things are not easy though as life has made them walk different paths and will lead them to difficult decisions. Nicholas and Miriel's story makes for a compelling read and I simply could not stop till I reached the last page.

Grade: 5/5

Women in Early Medieval Europe 400 - 1100 by Lisa M Bitel

2009-02-06T18:28:00.001Z

This was my third book read for the Medieval Challenge, and the second of the non-fiction books I have read about this time period. Actually, the other non-fiction book I read discussed the true medieval time period, 1040-ish to the 1500's, and this book obviously covered an earlier time period, 400 to 1100. But as they focused on different topics, there would not have been much overlap anyway.
I have to say that I loved this book. I have not read a history book that I enjoyed so much in a long time. Women in Early Medieval Europe could easily be used as a textbook for a class on either early medieval history or women's studies. It is an extensively researched and well notated book that focuses solely on women, and their impact on the history of this time period, as well as the time period's impact on them. Bitel does an excellent job of finding the stories about women from the little that is said about them. She points out that the histories written during this time period are by men, and women are only discussed if they are somehow connected to the male main characters, as mothers or wives. The only women that merit real attention are those that either break the rules set for them by society, or who are especially pious and noble, and therefore used by the historians as examples of what women should or should not be.
In addition to the histories written during these time periods, Bitel examines records of laws and accounts, often finding evidence of women when it is not explicitly stated. And of course we know that women existed, because people continued to procreate and extend their reach over the land. Bitel discusses the reasons for why women were included or left out of records to great extent. This is a fascinating book both on the level of women's history and early european history.
Women in Early Medieval Europe is part of the Cambridge Medieval Textbook series. For anyone interested in good non-fiction about this time period, I would recommend checking out any books in this series.

Fortune like the Moon by Alys Clare.

2009-01-30T21:08:00.006Z

Fortune like the Moon by Alys Clare.
This novel is set in the reign of Richard the Lionheart. When a body of a young nun is found quite near her abbey and a local monastery, the two congregations are witness to a serial of lies and deceipt.The King's emissary Josse d' Aquin is sent to the area to solve the murder , only to be confronted by another body. Josse finds an ally in the Abbess of the Hawkenlye Abbey and between them the murders are solved , but not before the local land owners are involved in the investigation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will look for more from this author.
This is my third and last book in the Medieval Challenge. Thankyou for hosting it.

Medieval Britain: The Age of Chivalry by Lloyd and Jennifer Laing

2009-01-29T18:44:00.002Z

This is my second post for this challenge (I despair of finishing my other books before the end!), and it is the first non-fiction book I have read about the medieval time period.
Medieval Britain: The Age of Chivalry is laid out like a text book, and covers the time period from the Norman Conquest in the 1000's to the 1500's. Each chapter focuses on a different area of Medieval life, focusing on Britain, but also giving details about Europe at points. The chapter headings are Society; Castles; The Countryside; The Church; Towns; Trade and Communications; Science and Technology, Superstition and Medicine; Leisure and Fashion; and Intellectual and Artistic Endeavor. This gives you an idea of what information this text has to offer.
Although the information given in this book is interesting, I found it to be too broad of an overview for what I was hoping. This book is definitely a good starting point for someone looking to read more about medieval times. I will have to explore further for a book that delves more deeply into this time period, however.

No Dark Place - Joan Wolf

2009-01-28T09:57:00.001Z

In the turbulent realm of Norman England, a young man discovers that his identity is the link to an incredible mystery….

Bereft at the loss of his adoptive father, the Sheriff of Lincoln, Hugh Corbaille is unprepared for a further shock from a visiting knight. Hugh may actually be the sold child of the Earl of Wiltshire, mysteriously abducted thirteen years before onthe day the nobleman was murdered. With no memory of his early years, Hugh begins to believe he may be the missing heir and sets off to find his past.

The journey, however, is far from easy - or safe. Finding himself caught in a web of death and intrigue, and surrounded by a court of scheming strangers, Hugh must turn to the mother he has never known and a supportive young woman to piece together the truth. A cold-blooded killer stands between Hugh and the answers he seeks, answers that may prove his birth - and his death.

Wolf was a familiar name to me as a writer of historical romance and traditional regencies. I was quite surprised when I discovered that she had also written two medieval mysteries and after reading them I can only say that it is a pity that she did not write more.

Set in 12th century England, No Dark Place is the story of Hugh Corbaille and the mysteries that surround him. When the story opens Hugh, the adopted son of the Sheriff of Lincoln has just lost his father and is “recognized” by a visiting man, Nigel Haslin, as the possible son of the Earl of Wiltshire who has disappeared has a child.

The unusually controlled Hugh is still having trouble dealing with his grief and at first refuses to acknowledge that possibility but eventually he decides to investigate as he is both feeling the need to escape the memories of his dead parents and the desire to know if he is really Hugh de Leon. What is known is that fourteen years earlier Roger de Leon, the powerful Earl of Wiltshire, was murdered in his chapel and his young son disappeared never to be seen again. Hugh was found starving and cold in the streets of Lincoln and has no memory of what happened before he joined the Corbaille household.

In Nigel Haslin’s household Hugh meets his daughter Cristen, a sixteen year old girl, who is already a known herbalist and with whom he feels instantly at ease. Hugh and Cristen’s relationship will slowly develop throughout the book, never overshadowing the mystery but showing us a new side to Hugh who seems very much in control of himself except when he is with Cristen.

Nigel’s plan is to “show” Hugh to his uncle and see what comes of it. They all meet in a tournament and Hugh’s physical appearance immediately calls the attention of several people. Besides the mystery of who Hugh really is there’s also the mystery of who killed Roger de Leon and some believe his brother and successor maybe have been behind it. To his natural desire to know who he is Hugh adds something of political strategy, the Earl of Wiltshire is a powerful ally of king Stephen and Hugh knows that if sworn to Mathilda’s side he would be immediately recognised by her and the rightful heir of the earldom.

It was interesting to have this outlook of the time’s political intrigues but what really made the book for me where the characters and the mystery surrounding them. Not only Hugh and Cristen but the whole set of secondary characters make this a really interesting story.

Grade: 4.5/5

This is my extra review to replace The Dark Rose

The Ties that Bound and Growing up in Medieval London - Barbara Hanawalt

2009-01-26T15:41:00.004Z

These are the first two books of my challenge. Although this is my first posting (and I just recently joined the challenge), I love history and historical fiction and have already read a number of books during the challenge period.

I strongly recommend both of these books by Barbara Hanawalt to anyone interested in learning more about the everyday life of everyday people in medieval England. The Ties that Bound looks at the lives of medieval peasants, while Growing up in Medieval London reviews aspects of life surrounding childhood and adolescence. Although both books are straight history, they read very easily. . . not quite like novels. . .but close.

One of the most interesting aspects of these books -- especially The Ties that Bound -- is Dr. Hanawalt's use of sources. Getting good information about "ordinary" people of this time period is especially challenging since these people just weren't considered worthy of being written about. So info tends to be very scarce, and when it exists, the writer generally has a clear bias. Hanawalt gets around this by using coroners' accounts as her major source. . . her theory being these accounts set down what people actually said and so give a good and generally unedited insight into their lives. In my opinion, Hanawalt is very successful here. . . and the books were all the more interesting to me since I have been reading a series of mysteries in which the main character is a medieval coroner.

The Dark Rose - Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

2009-01-24T02:31:00.000Z

The marriage of Eleanor Courteney and Robert Morland heralded the founding of the great Morland dynasty. Now Paul, their great grandson is caught up in the conflict of kings and sees, while his niece Nanette, as maid-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn, becomes caught up in intrigue at court.

The Dark Rose starts as the story of Eleanor Courtenay Morland´s great grandson Paul. Although I did like The Founding, the first book in the Morland Saga, I wasn’t overly impressed with Eleanor. She seemed a cold woman, determined to succeed in her goals and ready to sacrifice family to achieve them.

I was a bit worried because Paul Morland doesn’t seem overly sympathetic in the beginning either. However I think she managed to convey his complex personality and how most of his actions were rooted on fears and insecurities. Those are feelings that he manages to conquer with age and he becomes a much more interesting person.
One mustn’t think that he is the main character of this story though. As in the first book the author manages to create a strong female character and it’s through her eyes that we witness the main events of that period. Nanette Morland will, as a child, be raised with Katherine Parr and as a young adult be the companion of Anne Boleyn following her from her time as a Lady in Waiting to her final days as queen.

The private story of the Morland family with the jealousies between brothers and half brothers, the alliances sealed with marriages and their worries with religion, social reform, and the political events and how they affect their business mingles beautifully with the bigger picture that is Henry VIII’s court with its political intrigues and religious changes.

I quite like this view of history from a minor, fictional character point of view. I was a bit worried regarding her portrayal of Anne Boleyn since I’ve read a few books about her lately and some authors seem to go a bit overboard in her descriptions but in the end I think it was a well balanced portrayal with a few minor details I would prefer not to have had included.

I also like the fact that she has strong women as characters and from what I’ve read online there are more to come in future books of the series.

Grade: 4/5

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2009-01-20T01:11:00.000Z

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The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart

2009-01-19T01:53:00.003Z

The third book of the Merlin Trilogy.

There is such a wealth of great reading and writing in this series, that it was sad to come to the end of the book.

The final part tells of Arthur's reign and how succeeds in pushing back the Saxon's.
We are told of his marriages (the first to Gueneva, who dies in childbirth; then along comes Guinevere).
This marriage is childless, and because of Arthur's frequent absences, Guinevere falls in love with Bedwyr(who we know as Lancelot).
Merlin also features strongly, and he is captivated by Nimue, who becomes his young apprentice, and is really out to learn as much as she can of magic and sorcery.
A bout of sickness leaves Merlin almost to the point of death, and everyone, including Nimue, believes that he has died, even to having his cave closed up.
But he recovers, and it takes some time for his strength to return, whereupon he sends word to Arthur.

Mordred, Arthur's son from his liason with Morgause (his half sister) comes to Court, and so ends this story's tale.

The trilogy is a good read for lovers of the early days of Britain and Arthurian legends.
Have just discovered another book which relates to the Merlin trilogy (The Wicked Day)and will try and get this to read as well.

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

2009-01-16T12:23:00.003Z

"In medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered. The crimes are immediately blamed on the town's Jewish community, taken as evidence that Jews sacrifice Christian children in blasphemous ceremonies. To save them from the rioting mob, the king places the Cambridge Jews under his protection and hides them in a castle fortress. King Henry II is no friend of the Jews - or anyone, really - but he is invested in their fate. Without the taxes received from Jewish merchants, his treasuries would go bankrupt. Hoping scientific investigation will exonerate the Jews, Henry calls on his cousin the King of Sicily - whose subjects include the best medical experts in Europe - and asks for his finest "master of the art of death," an early version of the medical examiner. The Italian doctor chosen for the task is a young prodigy from the University of Salerno. But her name is Adelia - the king has been sent a mistress of the art of death.

Adelia and her companions - Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor - travel to England to unravel the mystery of the Cambridge murders, which turn out to be the work of a serial killer, most likely one who has been on Crusade with the king. In a backward and superstitious country like England, Adelia must conceal her true identity as a doctor in order to avoid accusations of witchcraft. Along the way, she is assisted by Sir Rowley Picot, one of the king's tax collectors, a man with a personal stake in the investigation. Rowley may be a needed friend, or the fiend for whom they are searching. As Adelia's investigation takes her into Cambridge's shadowy river paths and behind the closed doors of its churches and nunneries, the hunt intensifies and the killer prepares to strike again."

A boy is found murdered on the bottom of the river, those who saw the body say he was crucified, there's a witness who swears she saw him hanging from a cross at a prominent Jew's house, while a wedding was taking place. It's the Easter season and rumour has it that Jews sacrifice Christian children in their celebration rituals, so of course the village people turn against the Jews, and after murdering the couple at whose house the body was seen, they force the rest of them to take shelter at Cambridge's castle.

A year has passed and three other children go missing, despite the fact that the Jews are still locked up in the castle, the village people still believe they're the guilty party, some even say they have grown wings and fly out over the castle walls to abduct the children. Henry II is not at all pleased over these events, not because he has any personal friends among the Jews but because most of his taxes come from them, and now that they're locked up, there's no incoming taxes and he has to feed them all, on top of that. So he decides to hire someone to investigate the murders and if possible, help clear the name of the Jews.

Adelia Aguilar is a mistress of the art of death, something of a coroner in the 12th century, she's a woman doctor, something that is common in Salerno where she comes from but is totally unheard of in Cambridge, if her true identity was found she'd probably be labelled as a witch. Not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves while investigating the crimes, Adelia and her companions, Simon Menahem and Mansur, try to pass as doctor Mansur and his assistants, as a man doctor wasn't uncommon in those days, if though rare.

They arrive in town among a group of pilgrims that come from a visit to St. Thomas Beckett, we find out later that these people are the main suspects for the crimes, one of them is our gruesome serial killer. The only problem is to find out which one of them has a heart carved in ice!

This book grabs you from the start, the plot is extremely well weaved, the historical background if not entirely accurate is still believable and interesting and the characters are one of the best I've seen lately, especially Adelia with her strong character, her wry humour and clever repartees, she made me laugh out loud in certain scenes, I still remember the conversation between her and prior Geoffrey before a very "delicate" operation. The author manages to write fluidly, there was never a dull moment in the story, no matter what she was describing. And the ending was perfect, it's a little sadistic but the "mosquito" deserved it, and Adelia got her happy ending, maybe not a conventional one but you wouldn't expect anything else from a woman like her.

Be warned that there are a couple of very graphical scenes, so if you're faint of heart, this is probably not the book for you. But everyone else that enjoys a good mystery, be sure to pick this one up, and it's only the start of a series. Oh joy! ;-)

Rating: 4.5/5

The Needle In The Blood - Sarah Bower

2009-01-14T19:44:00.001Z

January 1067. Charismatic bishop Odo of Bayeux decides to commission a wall hanging, on a scale never seen before, to celebrate his role in the conquest of Britain by his brother, William, Duke of Normandy. What he cannot anticipate is how utterly this will change his life - even more than the invasion itself.

His life becomes entangled with the women who embroider his hanging, especially Gytha - handmaiden to the fallen Saxon queen and his sworn enemy. But against their intentions they fall helplessly in love; in doing so Odo comes into conflict with his king and his God and Gytha with Odo's enemies, who mistrust her hold over such a powerful man. Friends and family become enemies, enemies become lovers; nothing in life or in the hanging is what it seems.

Although I overall enjoyed my reading of Needle In The Blood when I started it I was hoping for a book on the Bayeux Tapestry and now that I've finished it it feels the tapestry was just a small part of this story. In that sense I was a bit disappointed. It's not even a story about the weavers but more the story of one weaver - Gytha - and her love story with Bishop Odo.

Gytha is one of the handmaidens to Harold Godwinson's steadfast wife - Edith Swan Neck - and she goes with her mistress to reclaim is body for burial. The fate of the Saxon women is not a happy one and for a while Gytha resorts to being a prostitute so that she can survive.

Her life changes when Bishop Odo decides to commission a tapestry to register the story of his brother William the Conqueror's victory over Harold Godwinson, he charges his sister Agatha, a nun, of organising the work and Gytha is one of the women selected to embroider the tapestry.

Bower does a good job in bringing this secondary cast to life, but the one that truly stands out is Gytha. She manages to catch Odo's eye and they fall in love starting a relationship in which the power alternates between them and if at first their idyll has a dreamy feel things soon get complicated because Gytha is a Saxon. The blurb in the cover of the book is very accurate – a tale of sex, lies and embroidery...

I must say it took me a while to get into the story and I even abandoned it at some point and picked it up months later so it's not exactly a page turner but I thought Bower was good at conveying the medieval feel and it's quite refreshing to read a story set immediately after the 1066 conquest.

Grade: 3/5

The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters.

2009-01-13T17:58:00.005Z

Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Book Review -------- Medieval Challenge

The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters.
This was the second book in my Medieval Challenge.
No.X11 in the Cadfael Chronicles, this was an excellent murder mystery. I have read a few Cadfael stories before and always find them interesting.
This story takes place at Christmas 1141 AD when a new priest is presented by the Abbot , this priest will make his home at the Holy Cross(also known as the Foregate).His character is stern and he lacks humility and as such does not warm to the people of the area. When he is found drowned , most of these people could be accused of his murder , including the new young priest who assists Brother Cadfael in his work.
As usual Cadfael displays his investigative talents in the form of the study of fauna and flora.
A very good book, not long at 252 pages. A real page turner.
Posted by zetor at 09:41
Labels: Book Review - Medieval Challenge.

THE HOLLOW HILLS by Mary Stewart

2009-01-11T08:55:00.002Z

This is the second book in the Merlin Trilogy.
the story now follows with the growing up of Arthur; how Merlin is led to the sword (Caliburn - which ws later romanticised to Excalibur) and Arthur being crowned The High King of England.
We are led into the boyhood years of Arthur, from his very erly time in Brittany, and then into the household of Ector, a trusted lord of Uther of Pendragon.
Merlin now proceeds to teach Arthur all of the things that will help me in his destiny.
You appreciate the depth of feeling and research that hs gone into this book - the historical angle is also interesting, with the early years of Britain.
Very compulsive reading.

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

2009-01-07T18:20:00.003Z

This is the first book that I have read and reviewed for this challenge (finally!). I am participating in this challenge at the Royalty level, and my goal is to read from each category: modern medieval fiction, medieval non-fiction, and classic texts. In addition to this book I will also be reading Medieval Britain: The Age of Chivalry, Pillars of the Earth, The Canterbury Tales, Le Morte D'Arthur, and one other non-fiction book that I have yet to choose.
To begin this review, I have to say that I am a big Geraldine Brooks fan, this being the only novel by her that I had not previously read. Unfortunately, this is not her best book.
Year of Wonders takes place in the 1600's, in a tiny mining village in England. The narrator is Anna, a young woman who has lived through the year, and helped to bury more than half the people in this town. Her lodger was the first person to die of the Plague, which takes her children and many others as well, eventually. In an effort to confine the disease, the town decides to cut itself off, allowing no one in or out, and receiving help from the neighboring towns only when that help can be left at a distance. Their efforts keep the disease from spreading any further, yet perhaps causes more deaths in their own village.
The heroic efforts of this small village come at a great cost. This book is definitely more violent than I had expected. Some of it is simply the violence of the time: witch trials, punishments for theft. Some of it seems unnecessary, however, although I understand that Brooks was trying to convey the madness that some of the villagers struggled with in their grief. The book is wonderfully well researched, which makes for a story that feels true. It is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the Plague, or in this time period, but it it not easy to read about what these people went through. Life was hard enough in the Medieval Period without the Plague.

'Mistress of the Art of Death' by Ariana Franklin

2009-01-07T17:59:00.007Z

Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Book Review -------- Medieval Challenge

This is my first book in the Medieval Challenge.
'Mistress of the Art of Death', by Ariana Franklin.

I found it a little hard to get into at first but after the first 50+ pages I was hooked and couldn't put it down.
Set in Cambridge in 1170 it follows Adelia Aguilar , a doctor, in her quest to find the murderer of children. These children were killed in a hideous manner and in searching for their murderer she uncovers a cavern of evil.
The killings are portrayed in a graphic way, and the people of Cambridge stunned by the brutality.
A great read. Ariana Franklin is a new author to me but not for long as I am on the lookout for her subsequent novels. Graded 5 out of 5.
Posted by zetor at 09:37 0 comments
Labels: Book Review------ Medieval Challenge.

A Tapestry of Dreams - Roberta Gellis

2009-01-07T07:30:00.000Z

THEIRS WAS AN AGE OF PASSION AND PAGEANTRY
The lovely Lady Audris, whose delicate fingers weave fables of the future unto her tapestries, whose special gifts and radiant beauty set her apart in an enchanted age. And the knight they call Hugh Licorne. In service to his king ... a hero in an age of heroes ... a princely suitor for Lady Audris -- even though she cannot have him. Against all odds, they dare to search for love ... the lady who has sworn not to marry ... and the knight who has vowed to win her heart…

Tapestry of Dreams is the prequel to Fires of Winter. I happened to read that one first and was then curious to know more about Hugh and Audris who show up as secondary characters.

Set during the Stephen and Matilda wars and especially during the Scottish invasions of 1137 and 1138 about which there’s an author’s note the story begins by introducing Jernaeve, a place between Scotland and England where Audris lives under her uncle’s protection and from time to time receiving the visits of her half brother Bruno. On one of his visits he is accompanied by his friend Hugh Licorne. Hugh is an orphan who doesn’t know is parents. Both young men feel deeply the fact that they have neither riches nor land to call their own.

Audris is somewhat different from other heroines of the time, she is sheltered yes but her main occupation is weaving tapestries and she has none of those feminine gifts like cooking, healing or ordering the keep. Since Hugh is introduced as a friend of her beloved brother there’s immediate warmth is their relationship. What I really liked in how their relationship is portrayed, how open and honest they are with their feelings. Hugh is a warrior but is also capable of gentleness and tender feelings for the woman he loves; Audris is passionate and headstrong in her desire for him. I also liked how Gellis made their sexuality such a natural and joyous part of their union, it seemed right.

There’s war going on and soon the mystery of who Hugh really is and the result of their union makes them leave Jernaeve. I thought the first half of the book was a bit slow but towards the middle it definitely picks up the pace not only in their relationship but also in the background story. Gellis successfully blends story with history and mystery to provide us with an interesting and entertaining historical romance.

Grade: 4/5

THE CRYSTAL CAVE by Mary STEWART

2009-01-06T00:23:00.002Z

I have read many books over the years (theme being Merlin, King Arthur etc.), and it has been many years since I remember this book. On revisiting the story , I must say that the author has created a wonderful tale.
Merlin is growing up (the illegimate son of Niniane, and it turns out, Ambrosius). He only realises who his father is, after fleeing from his home,at a young age, following the death of his grandfather, the King (and Niniane's father).
Merlin is taken into Ambrosius's kingdom and his powers are becoming evident. Apart from this, he learns many skills - medicine, engineering, but is not a fighter.
This story closes with Uther Pendragon and Ygraine - Merlin having a vision that a child will be born out of Uther & Ygraines night of passion - the boy Arthur.

Having recently read the series "Daughters of Tintagel"by Fay Sampson, which follows the same theme - would say this is a better version - First Class.

Medieval Christmas

2008-12-15T10:34:00.004Z

'
Medieval artist Giotto's Christmas scene in the Capella degli Scrovegni, Padova, Italy.

2008-12-15T05:11:00.001Z

Death Comes As Epiphany - Sharan Newman

2008-12-09T06:36:00.001Z

A medievalist breathes life and vigour into the scholastic debates and religious controversies of 12th-century France in this entrancing mystery debut. Catherine LeVendeur, a young novice and scholar at the Convent of the Paraclete, is sent by the Abbess Heloise on a perilous mission to find out who is trying to destroy the reputation of the convent and, through it, that of the abbess's onetime lover and patron, theologian Peter Abelard. A Psalter created at the convent and given as a gift to the powerful abbot Suger of Saint-Denis is later rumoured to contain heretical statements in its accompanying commentaries. Catherine, in the role of a disgraced novice, must find the book and copy the disputed passages to determine if they are forgeries. Further complicating her search, Saint-Denis's master stonemason, Garnulf, is murdered, a crime which may be tied to the sinister hermit Aleran and the rebuilding of the splendid Abbey of Saint-Denis. Re-entering worldly life, the young novice must face both her sometimes disapproving family and her attraction to Garnulf's mysterious apprentice, Edgar.

There were several things attractive to me in this book, it’s a medieval, it’s a mystery and it features Abelard and Heloise as secondary characters. I was looking forward to see how Newman would develop the story and I wasn’t disappointed.
Catherine Levendeur is a young novice at the Convent of the Paraclete, she isn’t as humble and well behaved as she could be but she believes she has a true vocation as the convent is the only place where she can pursue her studies. The convent seems to be under attack though and the Abbess Heloise asks Catherine to go back home to investigate who is trying to close them down. We get a glimpse of her life in the convent and, after she goes home, of the everyday life in the middle ages, the relationship with god and the divine... Newman doesn’t shy away from showing the good and bad parts of medieval living, not to mention the prejudices against women and other religions. In her quest to discover who falsified a Psalter from the convent Catherine has the help of Edgar, a young man who worked in the construction of the new abbey and has a few secrets to hide. Her relationship with him is interesting and full of tension; both seem a bit unaware at first of what is going on with them.
It’s obvious that Newman has a strong medieval background and can make the story and the characters come alive like no one. While a woman of her time Catherine knows the choices she can make and doesn’t hesitate to change the course of her life and go in search of her happiness even against her family’s wishes. Abelard and Heloise are not a big part of the story but what we get was enough for me to be interested and the setting of medieval France sounded like a breath of fresh air after so many books set in England (not that those are bad of course). Now I’m very interested in knowing what more life has in store for Catherine.

Grade: 4.5/5

THE LANTERN BEARERS by Rosemary Sutcliff

2008-12-08T10:33:00.003Z

Whenever you read a story written by this author, you know that you will be transported back to the historical period and be able to visualise the events.
This book is set in the period of the last days of the Romans in Britain, and the character,Aquila, a young Roman Officer,has his loyalty challenged (by himself). Does he set said with the Legion or stay in Britain and return to his father and sister.
His decision to remain, leads to his capture by the Saxons, who kill his father and abduct his sister, Flavia. He is held as a Thrall by the Saxons for a few years, and eventually meets up with his sister, who is now married to one of the Saxon chiefs, and has a child.
Flavia helps him escape and he finds his way across the country, and joins with Ambrosius, who wants to unite Britain.
So we are swept along with the events taking place in this era.

Cruel as the Grave ~ Sharon Kay Penman

2008-12-05T16:51:00.002Z

Justin de Quincy is back again in the 2nd book of this medieval series. Justin is called upon by a friend to solve the murder of a 15-year old Welsh girl Melangell who was killed in the church graveyard. The accused are two brothers who seem to be hiding something are not helpful in solving the mystery of this young girl. The father also seems to be hiding something. Again Justin has his work cut out for him to find a killer and the reason why.

It is April 1193 and Justin is summoned back to court by Eleanor of Aquitaine while Richard the Lionheart sets in a German prison his younger brother John seizes Windsor Castle and the Queen ask Justin to undertake a dangerous mission by asking him to mediate a truce with John. Also, Justin discovers that Claudine de Loudun is with child and she wants to abort the child with special herbs, not sure what to do Justin confides in the Queen, which upsets Claudine. The Queen arranges for Claudine to leave and have the child and home found for the child.

I do not read many mystery's, but the clues that Justin was able to discover and how he unraveled those clues were interesting. Although, not a terrible read was not as good as the first book and I was not impressed with the discovery of the killer. Many of the same characters return in this book, which I enjoyed.

The Queen's Man ~ Sharon Kay Penman

2008-12-05T16:49:00.002Z

1st Book of the Justin de Quincy Series

New author for me and I am pleased to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story. This is the first book in a series that begins in 1192 with the main character Justin de Quincy who grew up as an orphan and was taught by a high ranking bishop who paid for his education, housing etc. During his search for his mother he discovers the bishop is his father.

Justin sets out to find his fate in the world, when he stumbles upon an ambush where he witnesses a murder. As the goldsmith lies dying he ask Justin to deliver a message to Queen Eleanor. Once he delivers the letter the Queen becomes worried her son King Richard the Lionheart has been missing for a couple of months and her youngest son John is plotting to take over the throne.

Queen Eleanor is impressed with Justin and asks him to identify the killer(s). He gladly accepts the task. Justin returns to the town of the goldsmith to begin his investigation, here he discovers some interesting characters. Who can he really trust?

The book is well written nice quick read, very little romance, nice plot and some twists. I am looking forward to reading the remaining 3 books in the series

~Melanie's List~

2008-12-05T16:40:00.002Z

I am going for *Royalty* the books I plan to read (or have read)
1. The Queen's Man by Sharon Kay Penman (9/17/08)
2. Cruel As the Grave by Sharon Kay Penman (10/14/08)
3. Dragon's Lair by Sharon Kay Penman (11/30/08)
4. Prince of Darkness by Sharon Kay Penman
5. The Falcons of Montabard or A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick
6. Undecided

Great challenge.

HERSELF by Fay Sampson

2008-12-02T07:49:00.003Z

This is the last book in the series - Daughter of Tintagel

I have to confess to skipping through the pages.
Disappointed in the way this last tale unfolded as it was excerpts from the old history tales, interwoven into the story (as told by Morgan).
Lost the gist of the story line and it seemed to be a rehash of parts from the previous books.
I wonder whether my disappointment stems from the tales we have been fed over the years about Arthur and Merlyn, and also Morgan, which fantasised and glorified these namesakes.

Alex's List

2008-12-01T08:05:00.004Z

I completely forgot to post my list here but I already started the challenge.:)

After many hesitations I decided to go for Royalty:

- Maid Marian by Elsa Watson
- Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
- Shields of Pride by Elizabeth Chadwick
- Company of Liars by Karen Maitland
- Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph and Frances Gies
- The Illuminator by Brenda Rickman Vantrease

Thanks for organizing this challenge!

House of Shadows (Medieval Murderers Group 3) by The Medieval Murderers

2008-11-30T20:03:00.002Z

House of Shadows (Medieval Murderers Group 3) by The Medieval Murderers

Amazon UK synopsis:
'Bermondsey Priory, 1114. A young chaplain succumbs to the temptations of the flesh - and suffers a gruesome punishment. From that moment, the monastery is cursed and over the next five hundred years murder and treachery abound within its hallowed walls. A beautiful young bride found dead two days before her wedding. A ghostly figure that warns of impending doom. A plot to deposes King Edward II. Mad monks and errant priests ...even the poet Chaucer finds himself drawn into the dark deeds and violent death which pervade this unhappy place. '

5 Medieval mystery stories, between 1114 and 1163, set in the mysterious Bermonsey Priory on the outskirts of London.
Writers Susanna Gregory, Michael Jecks, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, and Philip Gooden, each spin a tale centring on the abbey and the curse that is said to haunt it.
At the end the true nature of the curse is revealed.

A good selection of mystery stories, the book also gives you a taste of each writers styles.

TALIESIN'S TELLING by Fay Sampson

2008-11-30T07:43:00.003Z

this is Book 4 of the Daughter of Tintagel series.

Taliesin is appointed as Chief Bard to King Urien - Morgan's husband, and he is captured in her spell, like many other people.
This story brings out even more, the bitter conflict between Morgan and Arthur, and all is not as it seems in the marriage of Arthur and Gwenhyvar.
The narration of the tale is by Taliesin, and I am finding this method a bit disjointed at times.
You would need to read the other stories in sequence to be able to determine how each of the players fit into the overall story.

Relics by Pip Vaughan-Hughes

2008-11-25T20:55:00.003Z

Relics by Pip Vaughan-Hughes

Set in the 13th Century, the novel centres around the main character Brother Petroc, a novice monk from Balcester. Unwittingly he is duped into stealing a relic and is framed for a murder he doesn't commit, ending up on the run from the authorities and the real murderer.
Fleeing for his life he runs to his former mentor a Brother librarian who directs him to the the enigmatic Captain de Montalhac and his crew of pirates, who sail him away from immanent danger.
The novel then spins a tale of relic hunters, conspiracies and a Greek princess.......

Although this novel has had good reviews I was disappointed with it.
It started off well but once it got aboard ship and the princess was introduced it became a little too fanciful for me.

Black Smith's Telling by Fay SAMPSON

2008-11-25T05:25:00.003Z

Book 3 of the Daughters of Tintagel series and this story tells of Teilo Smith - another person who becomes beholden to Morgan - poor Teilo, he used to be a powerful (Black)Smith and master of the old ways. But he is drawn to Morgan and in the process loses his wife, due to her being accidently poisoned. He had made a potion to give to someone else, and his wife has touched the bowls. His daughter leaves home and Morgan then places a spell on him , so that he has to live the rest of his wife, dressed as a woman and carrying out women's roles.
Morgan's sisters" - Elaine and Morgawse are also dangerous and want revenge on Arthur.

We read also of Arthur's rise in power - but where is Merlyn. No doubt we will be told in the following books.

I have always had a fascination with Arthurian tales, and am enjoying these books.

The Death Maze by Ariana Franklin

2008-11-12T19:03:00.003Z

The Death Maze by Ariana Franklin

published as The Serpents Tale in the USA - see Marg's review here

Thanks to Marg I hunted out this book from my local library.
I loved it ....just as I loved the first book Mistress of the Art of Death
Well written characters, lots of history, great women's roles.

Recommended.

Ana O.'s Medieval List

2008-11-12T11:06:00.002Z

I too am aiming for Royalty and my choices are:

- The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman
- The Time of Singing by Elizabeth Chadwick
- Shield of Three Lions by Pamela Kaufman
- The Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
- Masques of Gold by Roberta Gellis
- Hood by Stephen Lawhead

Thanks for having me here! :-)

My Reading List for The Challenge

2008-11-12T09:42:00.003Z

I'm aiming for Royalty so I selected 6 books to read:

Elizabeth Chadwick - The Marsh King's Daughter

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles - The Dark Rose

Paul M. Kendall - Yorkist Age, Daily Life During The Wars of The Roses

Sarah Bower - The Needle in The Blood

Roberta Gellis - A Tapestry of Dreams

Sharan Newman - Death Comes as Epiphany

Hopefully I'll be able to sneak one or two more...

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

2008-11-06T01:57:00.001Z

An extraordinary debut novel of love that survives the fires of hell and transcends the boundaries of time

The narrator of The Gargoyle is a very contemporary cynic, physically beautiful and sexually adept, who dwells in the moral vacuum that is modern life. As the book opens, he is driving along a dark road when he is distracted by what seems to be a flight of arrows. He crashes into a ravine and suffers horrible burns over much of his body. As he recovers in a burn ward, undergoing the tortures of the damned, he awaits the day when he can leave the hospital and commit carefully planned suicide—for he is now a monster in appearance as well as in soul.

A beautiful and compelling, but clearly unhinged, sculptress of gargoyles by the name of Marianne Engel appears at the foot of his bed and insists that they were once lovers in medieval Germany. In her telling, he was a badly injured mercenary and she was a nun and scribe in the famed monastery of Engelthal who nursed him back to health. As she spins their tale in Scheherazade fashion and relates equally mesmerizing stories of deathless love in Japan, Iceland, Italy, and England, he finds himself drawn back to life—and, finally, in love. He is released into Marianne's care and takes up residence in her huge stone house. But all is not well. For one thing, the pull of his past sins becomes ever more powerful as the morphine he is prescribed becomes ever more addictive. For another, Marianne receives word from God that she has only twenty-seven sculptures left to complete—and her time on earth will be finished.

Already an international literary sensation, the Gargoyle is anInferno for our time. It will have you believing in the impossible.

I don't actually tend to take much notice of holidays, and that is even more true when it is a holiday that we don't actually celebrate here. It was therefore a bit of a surprise to find myself reading not one but two books that are perfect Halloween reads. The first is a short story collection called Many Bloody Returns featuring vampires and birthdays stories from lots of different writers, and the other was this book.

From the very early pages, it is clear that our main character is one that most people would not want to befriend. Ironically enough, prior to his accident he was, physically at least, someone that would be considered very attractive - young, wealthy, attractive. After a terrible childhood, he drifts into a world filled with pornography and drugs, until he is driven as opposed to drifting in this world. After his accident, his is no longer physically attractive because of his terrible scarring, an irony that is not lost on him or anyone else.

This isn't a book for the faint of heart. The first few pages are nothing but graphic, as our main character, who remains nameless throughout the whole novel, has a terrible car crash.
We meet him a few seconds before as he drives along a cliff top road, influenced by drugs and alcohol. We ride in the car as it rolls down the hillside, as the flames engulfs, as he is rescued and taken to hospital and as he realises the full extent of his terrible injuries. I started reading this book on the train, and I was actually wincing at some of the parts, particularly where he talked about what happened to one of his feet.

And yet despite the gruesomeness of the descriptions, the writing is multi layered with moments of macabre comedy, beautiful tenderness, and incredible depth. The writing is not perfect - there are moments when tenses slip - but it is definitely compelling.

When our burns victim meets Marianne Engel, he is caught up in the whirlwind of energy that she brings with her, almost manic at times. He does not know her, but she is insistent that they have known each other for hundreds of years and she proceeds throughout the rest of the book to tell him their story. She also tells other stories, of ultimate love stories set in Iceland, Japan and England through the years. The story she tells is completely fantastical, and whilst there is some evidence to suggest that people are right to question Marianne's mental stability, our main character finds himself becoming less suicidal, less emotionally restricted and more open to new friendships around him due to her influence.

This book has so many layers - it is definitely a love story, there are fantasy elements, particularly in the latter stages of the book, it is a historical essay on the production of books in medieval abbeys, and a tribute to Dante's Inferno with side trips into mysticism and other historical detail. In lesser hands this could have become tangled and we could have been left with an unsatisfactory mess. Luckily for the reader, Davidson is skilled, and instead we end up with an infinitely readable, complicated and beautiful novel. A strong love story bound in fascinating detail.

Love is an action you must repeat ceaselessly.

This is a very assured debut novel. I can't wait to see what Andrew Davidson comes up with next.

The Time of Singing by Elizabeth Chadwick

2008-11-05T10:03:00.000Z

One woman forced to make a heartbreaking sacrifice...

When Roger Bigod, heir to the powerful earldom of Norfolk, arrives at court in 1177 to settle a bitter inheritance dispute with his half-brothers, he encounters Ida de Tosney, young mistress to King Henry II. A victim of Henry's seduction and the mother of his son, Ida is attracted to Roger and sees in him a chance of lasting security beyond the fickle dazzle of her current life; but in deciding to marry Roger, she is forced to make a choice.

As Roger's importance as a mainstay of the Angevin government grows, it puts an increasing strain on his marriage. Ida is deeply unhappy with the life she has to live in his absence and grieving for her losses. Against a volatile political background the gulf between them threatens to widen beyond crossing, especially when so many bridges have already been burned.

With so many new books coming out all the time, there are lots of authors that I am pleased to hear have new releases coming up, and then there are the authors that I am genuinely excited about new books from. Among the latter category is British author Elizabeth Chadwick. A quick look through my archives at any of the reviews for her books will confirm just how much I really enjoy them. Luckily for me, she once again has not let her readers down with this excellent novel about the life of a medieval couple trying to walk the narrow path between serving those troublesome Plantagenets and their own happiness.

Our main characters are Ida de Rosnay and Roger Bigod. Whilst still a very young woman, Ida makes her debut at court as one of King Henry II's wards, and very quickly catches his eye for much more earthly reasons. Whilst Ida is aware that it is a great honour to be the King's mistress, she is also aware that she is now damaged goods in terms of the marriage market, even though Henry has promised to look after her, especially once she gives birth to his son.

Enter Roger Bigod, a man who is in the middle of a fight for his inheritance and therefore has to do everything that he can to stay on the good side of Henry, so feeling an attraction to the king's mistress is probably not a great place to be! Like so many of Elizabeth Chadwick's other leading men, Roger is a man of honour, determined to do what is right. In fact, one of those other leading men, William Marshal, is one of Roger's friends and allies. It was interesting to see some of the events that were covered in William's books from an outside point of view. Anyway, back to Roger. What makes him unusual compared to so many of his contemporaries is his treatment of women. There are no dalliances with the court ladies, noble or otherwise, and he never loses sight of what his goals are. He has a determination that comes from knowing what it is that he wants, and doing everything he can to get it.

For Roger and Ida the chance to be together is a chance at happiness despite the odds, but it comes at a terrible price - one that continues to be paid by Ida year upon year. As Roger is called to perform task after task for the Plantagenet kings, always hoping that this time will be enough to have his full inheritance restored to him. There is always a chance, however, that spending all his time and energy in the fight for his entitlements that Roger may well lose something far more important to him.

What this author is really good at is balance. Whilst her books are definitely historical fiction of the highest order, there is an underlying romance as well. There is some sex in her books, but she knows how much detail to give and how much to leave up to the reader's imagination!

With lots of detail and colour, Chadwick knows how to bring the past to life vividly, but doesn't let the detail get in the way of a really good story. She also manages to include something new to me in all of her books! In this case, it was about jousting in the middle of the River Thames. If I was younger and fitter, a man (oh and alive in the 1100s), then river jousting sounds like a lot of fun!

If you haven't yet, read Chadwick, add her to your TBR list. Her books may be difficult to track down in the US, it is well worth the effort of getting them from either Amazon Canada or The Book Depository.

So, the only question left to ask really is when is the next book out?

The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin

2008-11-02T08:43:00.000Z

In twelfth-century England, one remarkable woman is trained to uncover the final secrets of the dead.

Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonising death by poison - and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.

Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter. But Henry's summons can not be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of Saint Albans, who is also her baby's father.

Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home, a tower within a walled maze - a strange and sinister place from the outside, where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Rosamund's rival: Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken to the nunnery in Godstow, where Eleanor is holed up for the winter with her band of mercenaries.

Isolated and trapped inside the nunnery by the snow and cold, Adelia watchs as dead bodies begin piling up. The murders are somehow connected with Rosamund's demise. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war.

It's fair to say that I really enjoy the work of British author Diana Norman, whether we are talking about the straight historical novels that she publishes under that name, or the historical mysteries that she has started to write under the pen name of Ariana Franklin.

With the character of Adelia Aguilar, we have a character who can take us to the heart of a medieval murder, in the same way that we can see when we watch TV series like CSI. She has been specially trained in the medical schools of Italy to investigate the hows and whys of peoples deaths. In the previous book in the series (Mistress of the Art of Death), Adelia found herself in King Henry II's England, and with this book she is summoned again by the king himself to investigate and see whether his beloved mistress, Rosamund Clifford, may have been murdered, even though she lives in a tower in the middle of a barely accessible maze.

What complicates the investigation this time is that Adelia not only has to look after her own safety, and the safety of her friends, but also that of her daughter. She is being accompanied during her investigation Rowley Picot, a man of many masks - the King's trusted fixer, Bishop, Adelia's ex lover, and father of her child.

For me, one of the strongest parts of this novel was when all the characters were snowed in together for a good length of time. With everyone eager to impress Queen Eleanor who has unexpectedly arrived, and who is looking to start an uprising against her husband for her own reasons, life in a small community is difficult enough, let alone when you are trying to investigate a crime, and keep the Queen happy at the same time.

There is less of the investigation aspect used in this novel, and more interaction with the other characters, most of them have more than one agenda. As the body count grows, Adelia must protect her people, untangle the complicated relationships, and find the murderers of a several people.

I know that there are people who have read the first novel for whom the relationship with Rowley didn't really work, but it really doesn't bother me. I like that there is a chance for Adelia to be loved for the strong and intelligent woman that she is, even if it is a love that has to be constrained by time, distance and circumstance. It probably helps that I like Rowley a lot.

Overall, another fun read, from a fine historical author. I look forward to reading Grave Goods, the third book in the series, which is due to be released in March 2009. It is probably worth mentioning that this book has also been released under a different title in some countries - Death Maze.

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

2008-10-27T16:32:00.002Z

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

The story takes place in Medieval Cambridge, where several children have been taken and brutally killed. The local Jews have been blamed and take refuge inside the towns castle.
King Henry calls on the King of Sicily to send one of his investigators to try and solve the mystery, along with a renowned doctor. Only this doctor is a woman and the Mistress of the Art of Death.
Together these two, along with her Saracen man servant and King Henry's 'fixer', uncover who the brutal killer is, but not before endangering all their lives

.A well researched and well written mystery.
Loved it.
I'm hoping for further novels.

TIMELINE by Michael Crichton

2008-10-27T01:38:00.003Z

The story starts in the opening of the 21st century, when a man is found wandering in the Californian desert, totally disorientated. The couple who find the man take him to the hospital, where he dies.
But the doctor is puzzled after doing an MRI scan and we discover that the deam man, Traub, had been employed by ITC - a big company working on quantam physics.
In short, the company has been testing equipment to return people back into history.

We are then moved to a historical excavation in France, around the Dordogne River. The dig is being funded by ITC. When the Professor in charge is ordered back to the States for a meeting with the Company Chairman, the tale gets interesting, especially when the Professor makes a trip back in time and gets stranded. The place is where he has been working with a team of other archeologists. Other members of the team are then "asked" to to back and locate the Professor.

This was an interesting read - taking in the conflicts that were being waged at the time (1400's) and we are told how the Middle Ages were not a Dark part of history, but a time when many advancements were being made.

The students are an interesting mix of personalities and they have to cope with life as it was in that era.

The Name of the Rose (Vintage Classics) by Umberto Eco

2008-10-25T22:28:00.002+01:00

The Name of the Rose (Vintage Classics) by Umberto Eco

Amazon Synopsis:
'The year is 1327. Franciscans in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. He collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and digs into the eerie labyrinth of the abbey where extraordinary things are happening under the cover of night. A spectacular popular and critical success, "The Name of the Rose" is not only a narrative of a murder investigation but an astonishing chronicle of the Middle Ages. '

I loved this novel.
I'd seen the film years ago, but it just doesn't do the book justice.
You learn so much about the middle ages and monastic society.
Brother William is a wonderful character too.
Recommended

WHITE NUN'S TELLING by Fay Sampson

2008-10-20T03:47:00.004+01:00

This is Book 2 in the sequence - Daughter of Tintagel

I had to wait a while for this book, as my local library did not have a copy.
And I like to read the books in order as well.

This story follows on with the tale of Morgan, who has been banished to Tintagel, after she tried to kill her brother, Arthur.
The nuns at Tintagel are to look after her and see to her education, but if she leaves Tintagel, she will be killed. This order is by Uther Pendragon, her stepfather.
We are brought into the story by Luned, a nun, and herself a bit of an outcast. Morgan is given into her care and shares Luned's small cell for nigh on 8 years.
Luned is not strong minded and cannot control the determined ways of Morgan, who gives the impression of being on a path to destruction.
Given the setting in Cornwall and the era, the old ways are still practised, though Christianity is evident.
Morgan's old nurse Gwennol Far Sight keeps in contact and introduces Morgan into the old ceremonies.
Luned must follow Morgan everywhere and witnesses the events, and also is dragged into one of them. The result being that she becomes pregnant (she is very ignorant of her body and does not know of this, until she gives birth).
By then she has lost the respect of the other nuns, and is sent away from the convent and makes her way to Bossiney, the former home of Morgan.
Gwnnol Far Sight then proceeds to instruct Lunel into the old ways.

The character of Morgan is one of uttr deviousness, and taking control of others.
Hatred of her family breeds these feelings.

The story concludes with Morgan being married and I am keen to read the next book in the series.

The First Princess of Wales

2008-09-29T23:00:00.002+01:00

When the lovely and high-spirited Joan of Kent is sent to this politically charged court, she is woefully unprepared for the underhanded maneuverings of her peers. Determined to increase the breadth of his rule, the king will use any means necessary to gain control of France—including manipulating his own son, Edward, Prince of Wales. Joan plots to become involved with the prince to scandalize the royal family, for she has learned they engineered her father’s downfall and death. But what begins as a calculated strategy soon—to Joan’s surprise—grows into love. When Joan learns that Edward returns her feelings, she is soon fighting her own, for how can she love the man that ruined her family? And, if she does, what will be the cost?My thoughts: Karen Harper's Story of Joan of Kent was an ok read at sometimes the book seemed to drag on and I didnt feel that I was really being entertained at all.It wasn't one of my favorites but I may hold on to the book and reread it in the future to see if my views change.

The Other Queen By Philippa Gregory

2008-09-29T22:57:00.002+01:00

The long awaited story of Mary Queen of scots by Philippa Gregory has arrived but it left alot of things desired. Gregory chose to tell the story of the capture of Mary Queen of Scots using the Three first person views. Bess of Hardwick and Her husband The Earl of Shrewsbury and The Queen of Scotland. With only three or four pages dedicated to each character it was really hard to become engaged in the story. The characters were flat to me they didn't have any real personalities I felt like I was reading notes that they left behind. I was really disappointed in this book i expected more of "bang" for the end of the Tudor series but this was a complete disaster for any Philippa Gregory fan.

Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton

2008-09-22T11:04:00.006+01:00

Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton

I loved this book ... I'm a huge fan of traditional epic tales, and Crichton's reworking of Beowulf didn't fail to impress.

'Written' by Ibn Fadlan, emissary of a Caliph, it tells the tale of his journey with a group of Northmen / Norsemen who return home when summoned by Rothgar to help defeat the Wendol who keep terrorising villages.
The leader Buliwyf (Beowulf) and his men faced the fierce hairy savage wendol (Grendel), their snake haired mother who lives in a cave, and the fire serpent (the wendols with torches snaking down the hillside).
Fierce battles, Viking lifestyle, an Arab emissary, and monsters galore, make for a brilliant tale. It even has footnotes, commentary and an appendix...all fictional though.

Crichton cleverly weaves the actual tales of Ahmed ibn Fadhlan and the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, into this brilliantly constructed story.
At the end Crichton explains why he wrote the tale, his love of Beowulf and his reading of some of Ahmed ibn Fadhlan tales in college.

A lovely book.
Read it or at least see the film the 13th Warrior which is based on this. The film weaves in all three monsters which Beowulf faces in the poem ... Grendel (the wendol), the mother and the dragon (fire serpent).

Read 22/9/08

THE TAINTED RELIC

2008-09-22T03:10:00.003+01:00

Sorry about the first post - hit the wrong key!!

This book features various authors:
Michael Jecks
Susanna Gregory
Bernard Knight
Ian Morson
Philip Gooden
Simon Beaufort

The prologue is by Simon Beaufort, and then the other authors follow on with the theme of the story. I particularly enjoyed this aspect: (I recently joined a writing group, and we have just completed an exercise along the same lines).

July 1100 Jerusalem is the setting - the Holy City has been ransacked by the Crusader armies, and amidst the chaos, an English Knight named Geoffrey Mappestone is entrusted with a valuable religious relic - a fragment of the true cross, allegedly stained with the Blood of Christ. And the relic is said to be cursed - anyone who touches it will meet with an untimely end as soon as it leaves their possession.

Several decades later the Cross turns up, and Bernard Knight's character Crowner John joins the story.
Next stage is in Oxford 1269, Ian Morson's sleuth William Falconer is the person investigating a spate of deaths.
1323 sees Sir Baldwin (author Michael Jecks) with the solving of 5 deaths.
30 years later, Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael have their parts to play, and finally the relic is now in London, and Philip Gooden's character Nick Revill features.

The stories are well written and you would think that the same author has penned the book - good characters all the way through.

All of the authors(historical mystery writers) are members of the Crime Writers Association and this has been a great collaboration.

Trisha

THE TAINTED RELIC (The Medieval Murderers)

2008-09-22T03:09:00.001+01:00

Medieval Women: A Social History of Women in England 450-1500 (Women In History) by Henrietta Leyser

2008-09-15T19:33:00.005+01:00

Medieval Women: A Social History of Women in England 450-1500 (Women In History) by Henrietta Leyser

Excellent book - covering women's lives over 1000 years.The book starts with the Anglo- Saxons and proceeds to the later Middle Ages.
There are chapters on archeology, law, sex, marriage, motherhood, widowhood, monasticism etc. Throughout you get a real sense of women's lives and the challenges they faced.
Women from all walks of life are described..from peasant to royalty. Their changing economic and legal status is investigated, as well as their day to day lives.
At the end the appendix even includes primary sources including laws, poems and even a 13th century gynaecological handbook!
This book is not only interesting to those interested in women's history, but also gives a good background to those who read medieval romances etc.
Recommended.

2008-09-11T13:53:00.004+01:00

WISE WOMAN'S TELLING by Fay Sampson

2008-09-11T11:28:00.005+01:00

I am off the mark, and have read one of the books from my list.
Wise Woman's Telling is the first in the Daughter of Tintagel series and I am looking forward to the other books.

The story tells of Uther Pendragon, who with the aid of the Cornish warlord Gorlois, united the scattered kingdoms to defeat the invading Saxons. To celebrate the victory, he summons his chieftains, and their ladies, to a feast in London.

What happens at this feast, changes the lives of Gorlois and his family = Uther Pendragon falls in love with Ygerne - Gorlois's wife, and nothing will stand in his way.
Ygerne's 3 daughters get involved in the clash, but the youngest Morgan, who idolises her father Gorlois, is hearbroken when he is killed, and does not trust Merlyn.

Eventhough the story is told by the old nurse Gwennol, you don't feel distracted throughout the story, and I am eager to read the next part - White Nun's Telling.

Uther Pendragon marries Ygerne, and a child Arthur is born, but is appears that Uther has promised the boy to Merlyn and this is where the story ends, with Merlyn taking Arthur.

Trisha

MY READING LIST FOR THE CHALLENGE

2008-08-28T02:04:00.002+01:00

Firstly, I have had a lot of enjoyment perusing the novels from the lists on the site, and had a hard time choosing. So I decided that if I could get the books from my local library and select from my own bookshelves, it would solve the problem.

Here are my chosen books and I will elect for the ROYALTY

Timeline by Michael Crichton
Credo - Melvyn Bragg
The Merlin Trilogy - Mary Stewart
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliff
Daughter of Tintgel Series - Wise Woman Telling
White Nun's Telling
Black Smith's Telling
Taliesin's Telling
Herself
The Tainted Relic - Simon Beaufort, Bernard Knight etc.

I have had Credo on my bookshelf for sometime, so this has given me the impetus to read the story.

No doubt when I finish reading all of the above, I may be tempted to try some more.

Challenge update

2008-08-19T20:24:00.004+01:00

Taking on board some comments by readers ...I've changed the Challenge criteria to make it more accessible to more people.

You can now choose whether to read 3 (Serf), 5 (Gentry) or 6 (Royalty) texts for the challenge, choosing your own combination of modern novels, plays, classic texts, non-fiction ...or just choosing one type. You can even include watching a Medieval based film as one of your choices.

Hope this encourages more readers to particpate...

Nuns: A History of Convent Life by Silvia Evangelisti

2008-08-16T11:55:00.001+01:00

Nuns: A History of Convent Life by Silvia Evangelisti

Interesting book about convent life between 1450 -1700.
The book investigates why women chose to become nuns, their lives in convents before and after they were secluded, as well as opportunities for nuns within the convents.
There are chapters on nun's writing (very interesting), music, theatre and art.

Nectar from A Stone by Jane Guill

2008-08-16T11:51:00.003+01:00

Nectar from A Stone by Jane Guill

Set in Medieval times, this story takes place in North Wales.

It has all the elements of a good tale: murder, a bad marriage, political intrigue, romance, etc.

I found the book enjoyable as I live near the the area in which the novel is set - The Conwy Valley. A lot of local legends and local history are interwoven in the story , and you get a picture of live in Medieval Wales.
Ultimately a nice easy read and romantic tale.

Lynda's List

2008-08-03T18:25:00.015+01:00

I'm going for Royalty

* My 6 Medieval texts are:
1 The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
2. Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton,
3. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
4. Nectar from a Stone by Jane Guill 15/8/08
5. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (in Old English)
6. Dantes' Divine Comedy

I'm also going to read
Medieval Women: A Social History of Women in England 450-1500 (Women In History) by Henrietta Leyser.
and
Nuns: A history of convent life 1450-1700

Medieval Challenge

2008-08-01T21:01:00.022+01:00

REVISED

The challenge runs between 8th August 2008 and 8th February 2009.
You therefore have 6 months to complete this challenge.
You can join anytime.

There are three levels to choose from for the challenge
You choose which level you want to do.
Crossovers with other challenges allowed / encouraged.
Choose from modern Medieval novels, classic texts, plays or non-fiction books ... you can even watch a Medieval based film as one of your choices!

1: Serf
* 'Read' 3 Medieval texts

2. Gentry
* 'Read' 5 Medieval texts

3. Royalty
* 'Read' 6 Medieval texts

Of course you can read as much as you like during the challenge!

To join the challenge
Email me and leave your name and blog address (if you have one) and email address (will not be published) at: holisticknitter (at) uk2 (dot) net
You will then receive an email inviting you to join the challenge and post your aims / reviews here on this blog.

What is Medieval
In the UK the Medieval period is generally thought of between the succession of the English king Edward the Confessor in 1042 to the end of Edward III reign in 1377. However for the purpose of this challenge the European historical period from the 5th to the 16th century (400–1500) can be used - commonly known as the Middle Ages.

Books and Films

Classic Medieval Literature
These could include: Chaucer's Canterbury tales, Medieval Mystery Plays, The Mabinogion, Beowulf, Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Dante's Divine Comedy, etc.
More information here and here

Modern Medieval Novels
These include novels by Ellis Peters, Sharon Kay Penman, Anita Mills, Thomas B. Costain, Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose and many more.
A good link to a list of novels set in Medieval times is here
Arthurian novel list here
Medieval mystery novel list here

Non-fiction books on Medieval times / authors
These can be biographies of authors such as Chaucer, or books about the Medieval period.
Some examples include:
Medieval Women: A Social History of Women in England 450-1500 (Women In History) by Henrietta Leyser Women's Lives in Medieval Europe by Emilie Amt
Women and Writing in Early Europe by Carolyne Larrington
Medieval Britain: A Very Short Introduction by John Gillingham and Ralph A. Griffiths
Castle: A History of Buildings That Shaped Medieval Britain by Marc Morris
Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir
Isabella: She-Wolf of France, Queen of England by Alison Weir
Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England (Paperback) by Alison Weir
Life in a Medieval Village by Frances Gies and Joseph Gies
The Oxford History of Medieval Europe by George Holmes
Terry Jones' Medieval Lives by Terry Jones and Alan Ereira

Films set in Medieval Times
There are lots of films set in Medieval times.
Just a few of my favourite are: Beoulf and Grendle; 13th Warrior; A Knight's Tale; Monty Python an the Holy Grail; the Name of The Rose; Timeline;

Here are a few links to Medieval Times
Inside the Medieval Mind (BBC series).
Take the BBC Medieval quiz here
Guide To Medieval Britain (Channel 4 series)
Medieval Women Rulers
Medieval English Kings