Tag: medieval

Review: Dark Triumph

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Dark TriumphRobin LaFevers, Dark Triumph

This installment of the His Fair Assassin trilogy features Sybella, a novice of the convent of St. Mortain whose troubled past has driven her to the edge of madness. Chafing under the convent’s restrictions, Sybella is eager to receive her first assignment…until she learns that she’ll be staying in the household of the traitor D’Albret, who is waging war against the rightful duchess of Brittany. Not only is D’Albret faithless and cruel, but he also happens to be Sybella’s own father, the man who has made her entire life miserable. Sybella’s only hope is that the convent will allow her to kill him, but her actual orders are very different: She must rescue the Beast of Waroch, a skilled knight who is vital to the duchess’ cause, from D’Albret’s dungeons. As Sybella and the Beast engineer their escape, they begin to develop a strong bond. But will they reach the duchess in time to inform her of D’Albret’s latest treachery?

This book is very hard to summarize, mostly because it’s the second book in a series, and it definitely does not stand alone. The action essentially begins where the first book left off, and most of the major players have already been introduced. So if the premise of this book sounds interesting to you, I would definitely go back and read Grave Mercy first! If you’ve already read and enjoyed it, you’ll like this one too. As with the first book, there’s a nice mix of action, political maneuvering, and romance. I liked Sybella’s character but wished that the Beast had been fleshed out more; for this reason, I wasn’t totally captivated by the love story. The overarching plot of the duchess vs. D’Albret continues to be interesting, and I look forward to seeing what happens in the third book. I also want to learn more about the convent and its role in the political turmoil; there is definitely more going on there than meets the eye! As you can tell, I’m invested in the world of this series, and I highly recommend it to fans of YA and historical fantasy.

Review: Time and Chance

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Time and ChanceSharon Kay Penman, Time and Chance

This novel, the sequel to When Christ and His Saints Slept, continues the story of Henry II after his accession to the throne of England. Henry and his new wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, seemingly have a charmed life, with all the power and riches they could desire. But their great ambitions come with great costs: Henry is constantly on the battlefield defending his holdings in France and skirmishing for power in Wales, while Eleanor is forced to the sidelines and must undergo the rigors of repeated childbirth. The book tells the story of their tempestuous marriage but also examines another important relationship in Henry’s life — his friendship with his chancellor (and later Archbishop of Canterbury), Thomas Becket.

I read When Christ and His Saints Slept a few years ago, but this book contains enough reminders of past events that I was able to follow along without a problem. Overall I enjoyed this novelization of the birth of the Plantagenet dynasty; it’s what I would term an intelligent romp. Penman does her research, but she also manages to write page-turners that are filled with action, scandal, and intrigue. The parts that focused on Henry’s deteriorating relationship with Thomas Becket were both interesting and frustrating to me. Even though I knew how their argument would end, I found myself hoping against hope that they’d be able to communicate with each other and work things out! As for Henry and Eleanor, I think their story in this book will pale in comparison to the events of the sequel, when their children are all grown up. I will be reading Devil’s Brood this summer, and I’m looking forward to it!

Review: Conquest

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Juliet Barker, Conquest: The English Kingdom of France 1417-1450

The title of this nonfiction work is pretty self-explanatory: Barker narrates the progress of the Hundred Years’ War starting shortly after Henry V’s victory at Agincourt. She describes the major battles and sieges in meticulous detail, while also painting a picture of the broader diplomatic situation between England and France. The book depicts the major players during this phase of the Hundred Years’ War, including Henry V of England; the Duke of Bedford, Henry’s brother and the chief military leader in France; Charles VII of France; the Duke of Burgundy, whose relationship with the English informed much of the course of the war; and Joan of Arc. Ultimately, Barker analyzes the course of events and offers an explanation for why England eventually lost its claim to the crown of France.

Honestly, this is a book you’re only going to like if you’re already interested in the subject matter. Personally I’ve always been fascinated by the Middle Ages; I’d also previously read Juliet Barker’s Agincourt, so in some ways I was the ideal audience for this book. Barker is a good writer, and this book appears meticulously researched. The book is told more from the British perspective than the French; I wouldn’t necessarily call it a pro-British bias, but there is definitely more time spent on England than on France, perhaps because of the availability of sources. I will say that I struggled at some points because of the repetitive nature of events (“then X castle was besieged and taken by the English, and then the French got mad and took it back,” etc.). But I would definitely recommend this book as a source for anyone studying the period. For someone with less knowledge of or interest in the late Middle Ages, I’d recommend Agincourt instead.

Review: Son of the Shadows

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Son of the Shadows by Juliet MarillierJuliet Marillier, Son of the Shadows

Warning: SPOILERS for Daughter of the Forest.

Liadan, the youngest daughter of Sorcha and Red, loves her home at Sevenwaters and wants nothing more than to remain there with her beloved family. However, it seems the Fair Folk have another destiny in store for her. While paying a visit to a sick farmer, Liadan is kidnapped by a group of mercenary soldiers and forced to use her healing skills on their behalf. Terrified to be held captive by these intimidating warriors, Liadan nevertheless does her best to heal the wounded man. Her quiet determination soon wins the men’s respect, but she frequently finds herself at odds with their leader, a man tattooed with menacing symbols and thus referred to as the Painted Man. The arguments between Liadan and the Painted Man eventually transform into a grudging respect and then something more, but outside pressures continually conspire to drive them apart.

I read the first Sevenwaters book, Daughter of the Forest, a few years ago and absolutely loved it. Soon afterward, I acquired the next two books in the series, but for some reason I never got around to reading them. Now I can say that Son of the Shadows is an excellent read, though not a very quick one. There’s so much lush language and description that the book moves fairly slowly.  While I got a little impatient with the pervasive mystical elements (telepathic communications, mysterious prophecies, etc.), they definitely help to create the full-bodied world of the series. I was also annoyed by the Big Secret involving Liadan’s sister Niamh, which was predictable and should have been revealed a lot sooner than it was. However, I really enjoyed the story of Liadan and the Painted Man, and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next installment of the series, Child of the Prophecy.

P.S. Question time: is this the worst cover ever? It’s definitely one of the worst I’ve seen!