LoveReading Says
This is the second part in William Marshall’s story following Greatest Knight but you need not have read the first to enjoy it. The author has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year award four times. Sadly she has never won but she certainly deserves to. She specialises in mediaeval historical novels and they are glorious. This one takes us into the reign of John, a time of conflict and rebellion portrayed through the lives of a powerful family. Great stuff.
Similar this month: None but try Philippa Gregory.
Comparison: Posie Graeme-Evans, Reay Tannahill, Sharon Penman.
Sarah Broadhurst
Find This Book In
The Scarlet Lion Synopsis
Following early beginnings as a knight in the English royal household and a champion of the tourneys, William Marshal's prowess and loyalty have been rewarded by the hand in marriage of Isabelle de Clare, heiress to great estates in England, Normandy and Ireland. Now a powerful magnate, William has weathered the difficult years of King Richard's absence on crusade and is currently serving him on campaign in Normandy while Isabelle governs their estates.
All the stability William and Isabelle have enjoyed with their young and growing family comes crashing down as Richard dies and his brother John becomes King. Rebellion is stirring throughout the Angevin domains and although John has created William Earl of Pembroke, the friction between the two men leads William and Isabelle to distance themselves in Ireland. The situation escalates, with John holding their sons as hostages and seizing their English lands. The conflict between remaining loyal and rebelling over injustices committed, threatens to tear apart William and Isabelle's marriage and their family…
About This Edition
Elizabeth Chadwick Press Reviews
' …a page-turning story. A period of history that was a dull monochrome to me at school burst into colour within its pages and now I fully understand the importance of the Magna Carta, why John was deemed a 'bad' king and how people lived and loved during his reign. Can one ask for more in any historical novel?' - Sally Zigmond, Historical Novels Review
'Chadwick's mediaeval world becomes a vibrant place where historical figures live and breathe the events that shaped the modern world' - Lancashire Evening Post
About Elizabeth Chadwick
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Chadwick has written over 20 historical novels sold in 18 languages. Her first novel, The Wild Hunt, won a Betty Trask Award, and The Scarlet Lion was nominated as one of the Top Ten landmark historical novelists of the decade by Historical Novel Society founder Richard Lee. Elizabeth’s nineteenth novel, To Defy a King, won the RNA Historical Novel Prize in 2011. Her latest novels showcase meticulous research into one of medieval history’s most fascinating female figures, brought gloriously to life in this trilogy.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was queen consort of both France and England during her lifetime, as well as being one of the period’s most powerful, wealthy and influential women. The Summer Queen, the first in Chadwick’s compelling series, brings her earliest years to life with sensitivity and evocative detail, coupled with the most up-to-date research. The Winter Crown follows the scandal, politics, sex, triumphs and tragedies of Eleanor’s relationship with King Henry II. The Autumn Throne, published on 1st September 2016, the third novel of the trilogy, brings Eleanor’s epic story to a fitting and exultant close.
Visit her website at www.elizabethchadwick.com
Author photo © Charlie Hopkinson
More About Elizabeth Chadwick
