...of princes, kings and grudges

-

The Outlaw Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

Richard, Coeur de Lion, an enigma. A man who was king and yet left his kingdom to corrupt and power hungry lords, beggaring his country for the sake of the crusades. Why is not the question. It does however provide the background for this story. It places Prince John, his foibles and his policies, his governing of England whilst Richard is away, and when he later becomes king, firmly in the limelight.
A teenage altercation with Prince John, shown as an arrogant, womanizing, drunken, spoilt whelp who held grudges long and deeply sets the path that Fulke FitzWarin will tread. Growing into a man of the same elk, John further fans this antipathy between them when as king he denies Fulke justice in the matter of his birthright holding, Whittington. Fulke refuses to pay homage to John and is declared an outlaw.  By now an accomplished commander and knight, Fulke proceeds to harass John at every chance. Fulke becomes the thorn in John's side.
With this background, fiction expounds on fact. Elizabeth Chadwick  has taken a story hidden in the mists of time and revealed it to our present eyes via what is essentially the love story between Fulke FitzWarin and Maude le Vavasour, the wife of Lord Theobald Walter. Both characters are impressive and fully elicit our sympathies.
When Fulke's mentor and friend Walter dies, they marry at dying his behest, both to thwart John and keep Maude safe. Fulke had been Theobald's squire. There had always been  strong attraction between the two, kept strictly in control out of deference, love and duty towards Theobald. 
Around their life's story rages the battles for kingdoms between John and his principalities in France and Wales. The fight for the charter of liberties, a code of conduct (Magna Carta) becomes an important part of this background. 
As Fulke explains to Maude,  'It means that never again will [a ruler] withhold land from a man on a royal whim. Never again will a woman be constrained to marry against her will, or an heir pay more than he should Ro inherit his father's lands.'
Bringing history alive is a wonderful skill and Elizabeth Chadwick has it in spades.
A thoroughly enjoyable medieval historical novel--empathetic and interesting.

A NetGalley ARC

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Things aren’t as they seem!

-
Image
A Murderous Tryst  (Beatrice Hyde-Care Mystery #11) by Lynn Messina    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Oh my! Bea certainly has a lot to contend with. Bea’s rattled! The Duke has been missing from their bed for a night. When a distraught Bea come downstairs the next morning she finds her beloved husband Damien clasped in the arms of a glamorous female. A female who turns out to be Kesgrave’s first mistress, Mrs. Penelope Taylor! What?! Of course Bea’s heart sinks and she falls back on her painful memories of Aunt Vera’s responses to such a situation. Bea is both shaken and traumatised, but determined not to show it.  It seems Penny has been accused of murder. Actually  Penny’s desperately trying to avoid Newgate.    As a former mistress Penny does the unthinkable thing in society’s eyes. She asks for help from Bea. Bea’s response is just as shocking. She says yes. Kesgrave is as usual inscrutable. Of course this is the beginning of a harebrained chase, complications between Bea  and Amien,  and an investiga
Read more

Women in war—Internment by the Japanese 1942-45.

-
Image
Sisters Under the Rising Sun  by Heather Morris    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fitting tribute to the women interred by the Japanese in Indonesia and Malaya during 1942 until liberation in 1945. Amongst the internees are a group of Australian Army nurses who were not given recognition by the Japanese as members of the armed forces and therefore not prisoners of war according to the Conventions of war.  Sister Vivian Bullwinkle is the only survivor of the massacre of a group of soldiers and nurses on Radji Beach, Bangka Island near Sumatra  in 1942, after the sinking of  HMS Vyner Brooke. There are a number of civilian prisoners in the camps like Norah Chambers and her sister Ena.  Combined, the story of these women interred under terrible conditions, their struggles and achievements are monumental.  Their gifts to their fellows beyond speech. Music plays an important part in uplifting the prisoners’ spirits. It’s truly a privilege to read about their plight, their vows to each other, and their braver
Read more

A wonderful cat and mouse game!

-
Image
Lady Eleanor's Seventh Suitor (The Sutherlands #1)   by Anna Bradley If ever a woman was caught in the cross hairs of a deadly game, even as the reason for its very being is a deep mystery,  that is  Eleanor Sutherland. If ever a man stalked his prey so efficiently then that hunter is  Camden West. From the very beginning I was caught up in the manoeuvre that Cam had instigated against  Eleanor using her sister Charlotte. The lengths he is prepared to go to punish her are puzzling. What he punishing her for is even more so. Is it just because she appears cold and unfeeling? Lady Frost is the name Eleanor has been given. Bets are placed on her at White's. She has her own page! As the story develops we and Cam discover that he has badly underestimated and misjudged Ellie. As she turns the tables on him things look hopeful but always Ellie is taken by surprise by yet another layer that is added to the equation. It isn't until the end that we start to see the truth
Read more