Book Review: The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick

The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
Book 1 in Eleanor of Aquitaine Trilogy
ARC, eBook, 497 pages
Sourcebooks Landmark
July 1, 2014
★★★★ ½☆

Genre: Historical fiction

Source: Received for review via Netgalley

“Eleanor of Aquitaine is a 12th century icon who has fascinated readers for 800 years. But the real Eleanor remains elusive.
This stunning novel introduces an Eleanor that all other writers have missed. Based on the most up-to-date research, it is the first novel to show Eleanor beginning her married life at 13.
Overflowing with scandal, passion, triumph and tragedy, Eleanor's legendary story begins when her beloved father dies in the summer of 1137, and she is made to marry the young prince Louis of France. A week after the marriage she becomes a queen and her life will change beyond recognition . . .”

The Summer Queen is the first in a planned trilogy by Elizabeth Chadwick featuring Eleanor (or Alienor) of Aquitaine. This novel focuses on her younger years, time as Queen of France while married to King Louis, and the earliest years of her marriage to Henry, Duke of Normandy. I have read a novel or two that also focus primarily on this time period, however, Chadwick brings a new interpretation and life to Alienor.

As Chadwick chooses to call her main character by Alienor, I will here too. For me, it helped to separate this character from the one I have read in other novels, so it allowed for a fresh interpretation. Alienor was strong, crafty, and determined to make the best out of bad situations. Anyone who could put up with the man that King Louis became deserves just a little bit of credit. This part of her life is a prime example of sometimes money/fame/being queen isn’t everything if all the other parts of your life are miserable.

I think that Chadwick did a fantastic job of presenting Alienor in a realistic light. There are a great many myths and stories that surround her and Chadwick makes choices, filling in the historical blanks, that make the most sense with her interpretation of the historical record. At no point did Alienor feel out of place or stepping beyond her role, as some authors have made her do. She was a real woman living and breathing in her time.

Speaking of living and breathing, the world that these characters live in utterly came to life within the pages. One of Chadwick’s strengths is that she brings the historical world that we will never experience to life in a way that is relatable to us in the modern day.

While the William Marshal novels will also be my Chadwick novels of choice, I have faith that the Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy will be right up there, because The Summer Queen was a great start!

Author Elizabeth Chadwick also has written many other books, too many to list really. Here is the complete list.  You can visit Chadwick’s website or one of her blogs for additional information about the books.

For another take on The Summer Queen, check out this music list compiled by the author.

My reviews of other books by this author:

• A Place Beyond Courage
• For the Kings Favor
• Shadows and Strongholds
• The Greatest Knight
• The Scarlet Lion
• To Defy a King
• The Lady of the English

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Burton Book Review
• History and Other Thoughts

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Shadows and Strongholds by Elizabeth Chadwick

Shadows and Strongholds by Elizabeth Chadwick
ARC, E-book (Kindle), 544 pages
Sourcebooks Landmark
March 5, 2013
★★★★½☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received for review consideration from publisher

“A medieval tale of pride and strife, of coming-of-age in a world where chivalry is a luxury seldom afforded, especially by men of power.

England, 1148---ten-year-old Brunin FitzWarin is an awkward misfit in his own family. A quiet child, he is tormented by his brothers and loathed by his powerful and autocratic grandmother. In an attempt to encourage Brunin’s development, his father sends him to be fostered in the household of Joscelin de Dinan, Lord of Ludlow. Here Brunin will learn knightly arts, but before he can succeed, he must overcome the deep-seated doubts that hold him back.

Hawise, the youngest daughter of Lord Joscelin, soon forms a strong friendship with Brunin. Family loyalties mean that her father, with the young Brunin as his squire, must aid Prince Henry of Anjou in his battle with King Stephen for the English crown. Meanwhile, Ludlow itself comes under threat from Joscelin’s rival, Gilbert de Lacy. As the war for the crown rages, and de Lacy becomes more assertive in his claims for Ludlow, Brunin and Hawise are drawn into each other’s arms.

Now Brunin must defeat the shadows of his childhood and put to use all that he has learned. As the pressure on Ludlow intensifies and a new Welsh threat emerges against his own family’s lands, Brunin must confront the future head on, or fail on all counts....”

This was my first real foray into Chadwick’s back list – I previously read, A Place Beyond Courage and For the King’s Favor however they were a part of the William Marshall saga and thus felt like one coherent series. While the story is set amongst the civil war between Matilda and Stephen and then the early years of Henry I, the story is much more about the family life with the de Dinans and FitzWarins. There is something of three generational stories within the narrative – you have Brunin’s grandmother, Jocelin and Sybilla (de Dinan) and Fulk and Eve (FitzWarin), and then Brunin and Hawise. Each has its own set of challenges and personalities.

One strength of this novel is the growth and development of characters. At the start of the story Brunin is a sort of wimpy boy who has been constantly put down by his grandmother, father and brothers. By the end of the novel he has had to face many dramatic upheavals in his life and truly becomes a man who will fight for his family and their cause. The same can really be said for Hawise. She starts off as a little “tomboy” – not really interested in sewing with the women but would rather ride her horse and climb and be where she shouldn’t. While she is faced with the responsibilities of the family and her home, she grows into a strong woman of her time. These changes just don’t happen suddenly and unexpectedly, but you see the characters encounter forks in the road and make decisions that will affect their futures.

I am interested in seeing how Lords of the White Castle or (The Outlaw Knight as it will be re-released in the USA in September) will play out as it was originally written first, but is the continuation of the story from Shadows and Strongholds. On a random side note – I think it is interesting that the British covers of both of these books had females on the covers, but the USA releases have men on the covers.

Author Elizabeth Chadwick also has written many books, the other book that is connected to this one although also stands alone is Lords of the White Castle (aka The Outlaw Knight). You can visit Chadwick’s website or blog for additional information about the book. If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book (click the link and then scroll down a little bit)?

My reviews of other books by this author:

• A Place Beyond Courage
• The Greatest Knight
• The Scarlet Lion
• For the King’s Favor
• To Defy a King
• Lady of the English
• The Summer Queen

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Girl Lost in a Book
• Dear Author

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick

A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick
Book 1 in the William Marshall series
ARC, Kindle E-book, 512 pages
Sourcebooks Landmark
September 1, 2012
★★★★☆ 
 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received from publisher through Netgalley for review

“The early twelfth century is a time for ambitious men to prosper, and royal servant John FitzGilbert is one of them. But when the old king dies and his successor is appointed, John faces a terrible choice: he must join the rival faction-his enemies- or risk losing everything. His new wife helps him carry his burden, but his final choice will seal not only her fate, but those of his young children.

As the fight for England's crown enters a new phase, John may be forced to make a terrible sacrifice...”

Ever since I first picked up The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick I have been entranced with the Marshal family – be it William, Mahelt, or now, John Marshal. I had heard from many other readers who had read the previously released UK version of this novel that this was a wonderful read and it certainly did not disappoint.

John Marshal is always known for the “hammers and anvil” speech that he gave to King Stephen at Newbury Castle – and this incident leads people to believe him to be a harsh, uncaring, man. Chadwick’s Marshal is much more of a compassionate man who had to have the courage to make the tough, right decisions. Chadwick builds a person that we can believe in and understand that his decision to leave his son, William, with the King was not one that was made lightly.

We meet John Marshal’s two wives in this novel, Aline and Sybilla, and these two women could not have been more different. Aline was a more quiet, reserved, deeply religious woman, while Sybilla was more passionate, outgoing, and a great hostess. I have to say that I couldn’t wait to see Aline leave the scene, not only because she was not compatible at all with John, but because she was so boring. I kept thinking “get with the program and do your duties!” Sybilla was much more interesting to read about because she knew what her responsibilities were and was a great helpmate to John.

My favorite scenes were those that did not involve John or Aline or Sybilla – but little William. Of course I enjoyed reading about him in The Greatest Knight and the other novels, but these small scenes allowed the reader to get to know where he got some of his ways from and give us a little preview of the future William Marshal.

As with all of her novels, Chadwick really knows how to create some great drama. I have to say, without giving anything away, that the scenes at Wherwell Abbey were fantastic. Each chapter pulls you immediately into the next chapter and it is truly an “unputdownable” read.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

You can also watch the book trailer below:

Reviews of this book by other bloggers: 

• Yankee Romance Reviewers
• Devourer of Books

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Elizabeth Chadwick:

Elizabeth Chadwick has written many wonderful novels, among those in the William Marshall series are:

The Greatest Knight (Book 2)
[My Review]

The Scarlet Lion (Book 3)
[My Review]

For the King's Favor (Book 4)
AKA - A Time for Singing
[My Review]

To Defy a King (Book 5)
[My Review]

You can find a complete list of Chadwick novels here.

I have also reviewed the following other novels by Elizabeth Chadwick:

• Shadows and Strongholds

• The Lady of the English

• The Summer Queen

Find Elizabeth Chadwick: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Copyright © 2012 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

ARC, Paperback, 544 pages

Sourcebooks Landmark

September 1, 2011

★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received from publisher for review

Matilda, daughter of Henry I, knows that there are those who will not accept her as England’s queen when her father dies. But the men who support her rival Stephen do not know the iron will that drives her. 

Adeliza, Henry’s widowed queen and Matilda’s stepmother, is now married to a warrior who fights to keep Matilda off the throne. But Adeliza, born with a strength that can sustain her through heartrending pain, knows that the crown belongs to a woman this time.

In the anarchy, in a world where a man’s word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda? How long can Matilda fight for the throne that she has struggled so bitterly to win?

Lady of the English might be more aptly named Ladies of the English as this story is just as much about the widowed queen Adeliza as it is about the rightful queen Matilda. We are privy to their respective worlds as Matilda struggles to fight for that which should be hers by right. We see Adeliza struggle between how she wants to help Matilda and how she must do as her husband wants. Matilda must fight against her cousin Stephen and his supporters to take back England for her and her heirs.

A shocker for me about this book by Elizabeth Chadwick is that it didn’t immediately suck me right into the lives of the characters. I felt that the beginning of the novel was more slow and wading – you didn’t just jump right in. As the novel progressed I began to connect with Adeliza and very much enjoyed her story. Toward the end I even cried as her story came to a close – Chadwick was at her best in pulling the heartstrings and manipulating the reader’s emotions. But, while I liked Adeliza, I just could not get into Matilda. I felt like she was cold and distant to the reader – and even though that was sort of how she presented herself to the world, I just couldn’t connect with her enough to care if she won back her crown or not. I kept looking forward to the next Adeliza passage.

This was my first book by this author that wasn’t in some way related to the Bigod or Marshall families – and I didn’t love it quite as much as those.

I have to say that Chadwick excels in the details. Every moment in the world felt real, as if you were breathing in the same air as the characters. You get it all – sights, sounds, tastes, smells. The minor or sideline characters were very well developed and I came to care for many of them as well. You really get to see the young Henry II and can believe how he grew up to become the great king who would eventually marry Eleanor of Aquitaine.

So overall this book was sort of hit and miss for me. Not my favorite Chadwick read by a long shot, but still a very good book overall.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

You can also watch the book trailer below.

 

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Medieval Bookworm
• Mrs. Q Book Addict

Buy the Book Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia 

Also by Elizabeth Chadwick

Elizabeth Chadwick has written many novels, a selection of those include:

A Place Beyond Courage
[My Review]

The Greatest Knight
[My Review]

The Scarlet Lion
[My Review]

For the King’s Favor
AKA: A Time For Singing
[My Review]

To Defy A King
[My Review]

Shadows and Strongholds
[My Review]

The Summer Queen
[My Review]

You can find a complete list of Chadwick novels here.

Find Elizabeth Chadwick: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook



 
Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick

To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick
Book 5 in the William Marshall series & Book 2 in the Bigod series

ARC, Paperback, 544 pages

Sourcebooks Landmark

March 1, 2011

★★★★★

Genre: Medieval Historical Fiction

Source: Received from publisher for review

The adored and spirited daughter of England’s greatest knight, Mahelt Marshal lives a privileged life. But when her beloved father falls foul of the volatile and dangerous King John, her world is shattered. The king takes her brothers hostage and Mahelt’s planned marriage to Hugh Bigod, son of the Earl of Norfolk, takes place sooner than she expected. Mahelt and Hugh come to care for each other deeply, but Hugh’s strict father clashes with the rebellious Mahelt. When more harsh demands from King John threaten to tear the couple’s lives apart, Mahelt finds herself facing her worst fears alone, not knowing if she—or her marriage—will survive. 

A brilliant story of a vibrant woman in a tyrant’s world, To Defy a King is another impeccably researched masterpiece from a beloved author.

After reading four of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books I don’t think that there is anything she can do wrong in writing this genre. The characters are wonderful – fleshed out, individual, not stereotypical and graceful. The blend of action scenes and emotional scenes are well balanced. You come away from each of these books wanting more!

To Defy a King is no exception to the above. Even though most of the characters and many of the major events have been present in some way in several of her other books, Elizabeth Chadwick has a way of making them feel fresh and new each time. This is a wonderful quality because you still feel like the characters are familiar but you are getting a new take on them and their world. A perfect case in point – my feelings toward Roger Bigod are very different in To Defy a King than in For the King’s Favor. In King’s Favor, I loved Roger – I thought his romance with Ida was sweet and he was determined to preserve what was his. In To Defy a King I found that his character frustrated me because he seemed to have lost part of what I had loved about him – his connection with his wife. I also loved getting to see more of the Marshall brood – still from an insider perspective, from Mehelt, but she becomes a little of an estranged insider. It was also wonderful to see more of William Longspee – I enjoyed getting to see him grow up in King’s Favor and now we get to see more of his interaction with his half-brothers and how he grows into a man.

Elizabeth Chadwick really knows how to make believable relationships between her characters. I really loved watching the development of the relationship between Mehelt and Hugh. She was a very young girl when they first met and he was several years older. Seeing what they think of each other as time goes on was interesting. The way their relationship unfolds felt so true - even in regard to modern relationships, although we don’t get married quite so young. There is love, passion, frustration, anger, forgiveness, and acceptance.

The author is phenomenal at creating vivid scenes for the reader. When you are reading you will be completely swallowed up by the world and feel that you are right there too. The smells, sounds and visual stimuli are front and center in her writing.

I don’t think I can put in writing how much I enjoy reading these books. These characters are not just people created in an imagination; they feel like flesh and blood.  This book is now my second favorite of the 4 - but I don't think anything will top The Greatest Knight for me.  I’m not sure what the next USA release will be, I think Lady of the English comes out in September, but regardless of what it is I can’t wait to read it!

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

You can also watch the book trailer below.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers: 

• Bookworm’s Dinner
• The Burton Book Review

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Elizabeth Chadwick

Elizabeth Chadwick has written many wonderful novels, among those in the William Marshall and Bigod series’ are:

A Place Beyond Courage (Marshall Book 1)
[My Review]


The Greatest Knight (Marshall Book 2)
[My Review]

The Scarlet Lion (Marshall Book 3)
[My Review]

For the King’s Favor (Marshall Book 4; Bigod Book 1)
AKA. A Time For Singing
[My Review]

My reviews of other Chadwick novels:

• Shadows and Strongholds
• The Lady of the English
• The Summer Queen

Find Elizabeth Chadwick: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blogs


 
Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court 

Elizabeth Chadwick Bundle Alert!

If you haven't had the chance to devour Elizabeth Chadwick's The Greatest Knight, The Scarlet Lion or For the King's Favor this may be an awesome deal for you (if you are an e-book reader). In honor of their upcoming release of To Defy a King, Sourcebooks is releasing this awesome book bundle. So if you have been waiting to get these books, the wait is over! Check out the details below!

***ELIZABETH CHADWICK BUNDLE INFORMATION***

Get ready for Elizabeth Chadwick’s highly anticipated new release…

If you haven’t read Elizabeth Chadwick yet – here is your chance. With her new release, To Defy A King, quickly approaching, Sourcebooks has developed the ultimate eBook bundle.

Hailed by the Times of London as “an author who makes historical fiction come gloriously alive,” Elizabeth Chadwick is a gifted storyteller who captures the passion, deceit, honor, and heartbreak of Medieval England like none other.

Now, get three books from historical fiction powerhouse Elizabeth Chadwick at one low price. This bundle includes The Greatest Knight, The Scarlet Lion, and For the King’s Favor, each on their own a shining example of a novelist at the peak of her powers. Taken collectively, you’ll witness an era you won’t want to leave.

Elizabeth Chadwick Bundle: The Greatest Knight, The Scarlet Lion, and For the King’s Favor
Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN 13: 9781402261343
ISBN 10: 1402261349
DLP $35.99 U.S.
epub format (PDF also available)
3 books in one bundle; 1680 pages
November 2010

I have linked my reviews above to each of the books if you need some recommendations!




Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: For the King’s Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick

For the King’s Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick

AKA – The Time of Singing (UK version)
Book 4 in the William Marshall Series

ARC, Paperback, 544 pages

Sourcebooks Landmark

August 5, 2010

★★★★★

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received from Publisher for Review

When Roger Bigod arrives at King Henry II’s court to settle a bitter inheritance dispute, he becomes enchanted with Ida de Tosney, young mistress to the powerful king. A victim of Henry’s seduction and the mother of his son, Ida sees in Roger a chance to begin a new life. But Ida pays an agonizing price when she leaves the king, and as Roger’s importance grows and he gains and earldom, their marriage comes under increasing strain. Based on the true story of a royal mistress and the young lord she chose to marry, For the King’s Favor is Elizabeth Chadwick at her best.”

This was another awesome read for me and another fantastic book by Elizabeth Chadwick.

Prior to this, the only other Chadwick books that I have read are The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion – both about William Marshall and his family. For the King’s Favor went right along with these previous two in a way. This book is about Ida de Tosney and Roger Bigod, who were friends with the Marshall’s and would also marry one of their children to one of the Marshall’s children. This was a great next book for me because it built on the stories that I already knew and followed the historical events that I was previously exposed to, but I had the opportunity to look at from a different perspective. It was great to see William Marshall pop in from time to time or hear Roger talk about things that were happening to William that I had see in depth in the previous books. It was like visiting an old friend that I had sorely missed since March when I read The Scarlet Lion.

I really enjoyed the way this story was constructed – you would bounce back and forth between Roger’s story and Ida’s story – especially before they were married. You would get to see Ida’s life at Henry II’s court and then Roger trying to save the lands that were his from his thieving step-mother and step-brothers. After they were married the stories unified some but there were times when they were apart and you would again get to see the different sides to the story. One of the most intriguing characters for me in this story was actually young William Longspee, son of Ida and Henry. There were a few times when he would get to tell his story and it was fascinating to see how he saw the world. He mostly learned about his mother through the stories of others, so it was interesting to see how the opinions of people can really shape how someone sees you. I also really liked the dynamic that grew between him and Roger. There is one scene toward the end of the book that really brings most of the characters of the story together that I found was just an awesome culmination (but I won’t give it away – when you read it you will know exactly what I’m talking about).

I loved this book for all the same reasons that I enjoyed The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion. It is actually really hard for me to differentiate how I feel about these books – but I loved them all!

I can’t wait to read her other books that tie into the Marshall-Bigod stories – A Place Beyond Courage (UK release - about William Marshall’s father) and To Defy a King (about William’s daughter, Mahelt, and Roger’s son, Hugh).

You can read an excerpt from this book (well, actually from the printing of The Time For Singing, but it's virtually the same).  Also, below is the book trailer:

 

 

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Rundpinne
• Devourer of Books

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barenes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Elizabeth Chadwick:

Elizabeth Chadwick has written many wonderful novels, among those in the William Marshall series are:

A Place Beyond Courage (Book 1)
[My Review]

The Greatest Knight (Book 2)
[My Review]

The Scarlet Lion (Book 3)
[My Review]

To Defy a King (Book 5)
[My Review]

You can find a complete list of Chadwick novels here.

I have also reviewed the following other novels by Elizabeth Chadwick:

• Shadows and Strongholds
• Lady of the English
• The Summer Queen

Find Elizabeth Chadwick: Website | Blog | Twitter |Facebook

 

 

 

Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick

The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick

Book 3 in the William Marshall series

ARC, Paperback, 576 pages

Sourcebooks Landmark

March 1, 2010

★★★★☆

Genre: Medieval Historical Fiction

Source: Received from Sourcebooks for Review as a part of HFBRT March event

The Legend of the Greatest Knight Lives On

William Marshal’s skill with sword and loyalty to his word have earned him the company of kings, the lands of a magnate, and the hand of Isabelle de Clare, one of England’s wealthiest heiresses. But he is thrust back into the chaos of court when King Richard dies. Vindictive King John clashes with William, claims the family lands for the Crown—and takes two of the Marshal sons hostage. The conflict between obeying his king and rebelling over the royal injustices threatens the very heart of William and Isabelle’s family. Fiercely intelligent and courageous, fearing for the man and marriage that light her life, Isabelle plunges with her husband down a precarious path that will lead William to more power than he ever expected.

The Scarlet Lion picks up shortly after The Greatest Knight leaves off. I would HIGHLY recommend that you read The Greatest Knight first! I am so glad that I found time to squeeze The Greatest Knight in. If you don’t, you will lose out on so much back-story that makes you really care about the characters and you learn the motives for many of the things that occur in this story. I have heard several people make this complaint, so I wanted to warn you right off of the top.

The Scarlet Lion takes place mostly in Ireland and England. I had not read anything set in Ireland, so it was very interesting to see some of this Irish history. For much of the story, William and Isabelle are in different countries and you see them living separate lives. When they are together, it is for a very short period of time and usually revolves around the marriage bed. One of the things that I miss from the previous book is the unity between William and Isabelle. They were able to build off of each other and make each other stronger – here there is more conflict. I really did find myself enjoying two of their children – John and Mahelt. I’m excited that Mahelt will be featured in an upcoming book, To Defy a King.

While I LOVED The Greatest Knight (you can find my review here), I didn’t enjoy The Scarlet Lion quite as much. I still really enjoyed it, but it was lacking the action and tourney excitement of the previous. This story was more character driven and less action driven – so it was a little slow going at times. One of the strengths of Chadwick’s writing is her ability to make you feel for the characters. As the story came toward the end I found myself in going back and forth between being choked up and crying – definitely a hanky novel!

Overall, an enjoyable Chadwick read and I can’t wait to get my hands on some more. For those of you who read this book first and found it hard to get into, do yourself a favor and pick up The Greatest Knight, you won’t regret it!

Read an excerpt here of The Scarlet Lion.

 

Here is a book trailer that I found -

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Historically Obsessed
• Devourer of Books
  

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Elizabeth Chadwick:

Elizabeth Chadwick has written many wonderful novels, among those in the William Marshall series are:

 

A Place Beyond Courage (Book 1)

[My Review]

 

The Greatest Knight (Book 2)

[My Review]

 

For the King's Favor (Book 4)
AKA - A Time For Singing
[My Review]

To Defy A King (Book 5)

[My Review]

You can find a complete list of Chadwick novels here.

I have also reviewed the following other novels by Elizabeth Chadwick:

• Shadows and Strongholds

• The Lady of the English

• The Summer Queen

Find Elizabeth Chadwick: Website | Blog | Twitter |Facebook

Other HFBRT events today:

Origins and Ten Commandments of Medieval Knighthood at All Things Royal

 

Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court

Why I Write About William Marshal - Guest Post by Elizabeth Chadwick

Today is the kick-off day of the HFBRT March event featuring The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick. On this first day, I have the honor of hosting this amazing author on my blog with a great guest post. Hope you all enjoy her post as much as I did!

Why I Write About William Marshall

Guest Post by Elizabeth Chadwick, Author of 

The Scarlet Lion

My interest in the Medieval period began when I was eight years old and living in Scotland. At that time, the method of teaching was to write the lesson down on the blackboard and everyone copy the words into exercise books. But this particular year, the teacher, Mrs Robinson had a different way of doing things. Sure, we still had to copy from the blackboard, but as a reward, at the end of the lesson, the dressing up box came out. Mrs Robinson would choose pupils to be historical characters from the work we’d just written and we would act out little stage plays at the front of the classroom, clad in our toy crowns and cloaks. I loved this part of the lesson, especially when I was selected to be one of the actors. As it happened, the medieval period fell into Mrs Robinson’s tutorial year and when we moved on, it was to a different era and back to the blackboard with no more fun and games. So, I owe the first seeds of my love affair with the Middle Ages to Mrs Robinson because she fixed it in my mind.

The next staging post was a TV programme that aired when I was fifteen. It was called Desert Crusader and starred Thibaud, a gorgeous French knight in flowing white robes, who had adventures in the Holy Land in the twelfth century. I fell hard for him and was inspired to write my own story about the crusader lands. You can read the full tale here on my blog and see just why I fell in love! I was so impressed that I was inspired to begin writing a novel (still in my drawer unpublished!). It was at this stage that I was bitten by the bug and realised I wanted to write historical fiction for a living. Since I knew nothing about the Middles Ages or the Middle East at that time, I began researching because I wanted my story to feel as real as possible. The more I researched, the more interested and then fascinated I became and the more I wanted to make this period of history my home. Decades later I’m still addicted to the research and the more I do the more I realise how little I actually know – and the more I want to find out!

My interest in William Marshal was piqued while I was writing a novel titled The Champion where I came across William as the greatest jouster of his day. As I continued to write about the twelfth and early thirteenth century, his name kept cropping up and I realised that if I had the confidence to move from imaginary protagonists into telling stories about people who actually lived, William would be a fantastic subject for a novel. I dipped my toe in the water by writing about a Medieval outlaw called Fulke FitzWarin who was a contemporary of William Marshal. Lords of the White Castle was the result – a novel that was short listed for the UK’s best Romantic Novel of the Year Award. This gave me the confidence to forge ahead and continue writing about real protagonists. William was a man of such strength and integrity that he would have been great whenever he lived. He crammed so much into an amazing life that Hollywood couldn’t make it up. He was nearly hanged as a child when he was taken hostage. He saved the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was a champion jouster and much in demand as a battle commander. Indeed, he was the only man ever to unhorse Richard the Lionheart. He travelled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East before returning to serve the Angevin kings and marry a great heiress, twenty years his junior.

In between begetting and raising ten children, he was responsible in part for the drafting of Magna Carta and after King John died, he became regent of England and managed to set an ailing country back on its feet. He always kept his word – and he loved his wife. That he should have been forgotten by history is a deep oversight in my estimation. His story is not only fantastic in terms of a subject to write about from my viewpoint, but I think it also deserves to be known. We’re short of heroes today with William’s kind of integrity.

Thanks so much Elizabeth for taking the time to write this great post. It has been great having you here.  You can visit Elizabeth at her website for more information about her and her works.

Other HFBRT events today:

Book Review by Arleigh at Historical-Fiction.com

Special Edition Sundays Art: Edmund Leighton by Lizzy at Historically Obsessed

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