Stuff we need….

Brilliant, simple, and affordable.  Three of our favorite things.

Yes, we realize that despite our impressive collection of bookmarks that we still tend to use a napkin or an airline boarding pass to mark our page, but that doesn’t stop A Reader’s Respite from coveting a little Tiffany’s.

The Closest Thing to Time Travel….

A Reader’s Respite wants our own time-machine.  We want one so badly that we sent our blog secretary out to the garage to build us one, but he claimed it wasn’t in his contract (we have a contract?) and pulled a face that precluded any further discussion on the matter:

So we reached for the next best thing to an actual time machine: the newest Elizabeth Chadwick release here in the U.S. (and winner of the latest RNA’s Best Historical Novel Award), To Defy a King, and we were most definitely not disappointed.

Almost no other historical fiction author can transport their readers to another time like Chadwick.  Sights, sounds, smells, and emotions place the reader smack where Chadwick wants them: in this case, early 13th century England where big, bad King John (oh yes, he of Robin Hood fame) reigns supreme.

While King John is busy making his subject’s lives miserable Mahelt Marshal, the strong-willed daughter of the Earl of Pembroke, is busy trying to make a go of her politically-arranged marriage to the Hugh Bigod, the eldest son of the Earl of Norfolk, while keeping her family safe from King John’s evil eye.

If the names Marshal and Bigod sound familiar to you, you’re not alone. While not officially part of a series, To Defy a King is the cumulative result of her previously well-received novels.  The story of Mahelt’s father, William Marshal, was told in The Greatest Knight and it’s follow up, The Scarlet Lion (selected as one of the top ten historical novels of the decade by The Historical Novel Society).  The story of Hugh’s parents, Roger and Ida, was told in The Time of Singing.

As in each of her previous novels, in To Defy a King you’ll find a magical blend of history, romance and adventure with nary an insipid heroine in sight. 

Thoughtful and smart, you can’t go wrong with an Elizabeth Chadwick historical novel.

Bloggy Block

 

A Reader’s Respite has been suffering from a wicked case of the dreaded bloggy block.  Bloggy block is even worse than writer’s block because at least an author can put forth a veritable fountain of brilliance.  Bloggy writers are lucky to put forth a decent review a few times a week and for some of us, even that doesn’t come easy.

*sigh*

What do YOU do to beat bloggy block?  C’mon, you can share your secrets with us….we promise not to tell.

Having Trouble Keeping Track of Your English Monarchs?

Consider, then, this little mnemonic and you'll never forget who's who in English history again.....

William the Conqueror long did reign,
William, his son, by an arrow was slain;
Henry the First was a scholar bright;
Stephen was king without any right.
Henry the Second, Plantagenet's scion;
Richard the First was as brave as a lion;
John, though a tyrant, the Charter signed;
Henry the Third had a weakly mind.
Edward the First conquered Cambria dales;
Edward the Second was born Prince of Wales;
Edward the Third humbled France in its pride;
Richard the Second in prison died.
Henry the Fourth for himself took the crown;
Henry the Fifth pulled the French king down;
Henry the Sixth lost his father's gains.
Edward of York laid hold of the reins;
Edward the Fifth was killed with his brother;
Richard the Third soon made way for another.
Henry the Seventh was frugal of means;
Henry the Eighth had a great many queens.
Edward the Sixth reformation began;
Cruel Queen Mary prevented the plan.
Wise and profound were Elizabeth's aims.
England and Scotland were joined by King James.
Charles found the people a cruel corrector;
Oliver Cromwell was called Lord Protector;
Charles the Second was hid in an oak,
James the Second took Popery's yoke.
William and Mary were offered the throne,
Anne succeeded and reigned alone.
George the First from Hanover came;
George the Second kept up the name;
George the Third was loved in the land,
George the Fourth was pompous and grand,
William the Fourth had no heir of his own,
So Queen Victoria ascended the throne.
When good Queen Victoria's long reign was o'er
Edward the Seventh the English crown wore;
George the Fifth rules the vast realm of England today
And "God Save the King!" all his subjects' hearts say.

Have fun historical fiction buffs!

How to Make Sense of the Norman Invasion

The Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings

The Norman invasion of England in 1066 AD was a pivotal moment that changed history forever.  We’ve all heard of many of the players: King Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror, and so on and so forth.  But making sense of all the people involved and the convoluted events that led up to the invasion that led to England becoming, well, England as we know it, is a tall order even for the more astute history buff.

William the Conqueror.  Now there’s a sexy beard.

That’s why we have author Helen Hollick.  Her two-book series of historical fiction not only makes sense of the Battle of Hastings and the events that led up to it, but does so in a fantabulous way.

The first book The Forever Queen, originally published in the UK but re-released for American readers courtesy of Sourcebooks, tells the little known story of Emma, the woman who was twice over Queen of England.

        Ethelred     versus          Cnut               

now be honest, you’d think Cnut pretty hot ,too, if you’d been forced to share Ethie’s bed for all those years

Now here’s a fascinating gal.  Married off to one of the most worthless kings England has ever known, Ethelred the Unready (now there’s a moniker only a mother could love), Emma turns around and marries the Viking invader Cnut who plundered/ravaged/pillaged his way through England and became it’s next king.  Guess that’s one way to retain your crown. 

Hollick’s follow-up novel, I Am the Chosen King, picks up where The Forever Queen left off (although interesting factoid: the books were originally written in reverse order).  Emma’s weak-willed son Edward the Confessor is on the throne and the powerful, bickering Godwin family practically rules England.

Edward the Confessor…he looks like a party looking for a place to happen, doesn’t he?

When ol’ Eddie dies without an heir (revisionist history tried to tell us Eddie was so pious he couldn’t bring himself to do the dirty and produce an heir with his queen, but c’mon…..you do the math here), all hell breaks loose.  Harold, the most sensible of the bickering Godwinson brothers steps up to fill the void and, kingmaking being what it was back then in England, finds himself elected as the new King of England.

History doesn’t leave us any portraits of King Harold.  This is how we picture him (insert gratuitous Viggo Mortensen photo)

Of course, you know that doesn’t last for long because we all know what happened in 1066 AD.
The genius of Hollick’s writing is her rare ability to combine accurate historical fact with damned good storytelling.  Not only does she make sense of the myriad of Saxons, Welsh, Danish and Normans running amok, she manages to create characters that are memorable and sympathetic.  And don’t be making the assumption that these books are overflowing with medieval battle scenes….there’s plenty of love, treachery, tragedy and family sagas to go around.
If you’ve ever been interested in learning more about the Norman invasion of 1066, do yourself a favor and get your hands on these books.  They really are a stunning feat of historical fiction.

And if you’d really like to round out your education, grab a copy of David Howarth’s  1066: The Year of the Conquest, a superb non-fiction look at the Battle of Hastings

The Fine Print:
Copies of Helen Hollick novels provided by Sourcebooks
Copy of David Howarth book from personal library