Book Review: I Am The Chosen King by Helen Hollick

In this beautifully crafted tale, Harold Godwinesson, the last Saxon King of England, is a respected, quick witted man both vulnerable and strong, honorable and loving -- and yet, in the end, only human. After the political turmoil and battles leading up to 1066, we all know William the Conquerer takes England. But Helen Hollick will have readers at the edge of their seats, hoping that just this once, for Harold, the story will have a different ending.

Synopsis courtesy of chapters.indigo.ca

My Review

5 Stars

Helen Hollick's sublime novel I Am The Chosen King brings England in the years immediately leading up to the Norman Conquest vividly to life.  It commences where Hollick's earlier pre-Conquest  novel, The Forever Queen, left off.  Harold Godwinesson, the English monarch best known for his defeat by William the Conqueror during the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is the primary subject of I Am The Chosen King.  The novel also features William, Duke of Normandy, and England's King Edward, who is better known today as Edward the Confessor. 

I Am the Chosen King contains all of the necessary elements which, to me, make a great work of historical fiction.  The author has done a masterful job of creating a strong sense of time and place, bringing the era alive for the reader and making them feel part of the action.  The historical detail is impressive and is evidence of the significant amount of research that went into crafting this novel.   While too much detail can serve to bog a novel down and detract from a story, in I Am The Chosen King the level of detail is just right.  As a result, the historical detail enhances the story and the reader's ability to connect with it.   Hollick paints a sympathetic portrait of Harold Godwinesson, a man not raised to the throne from birth, but who must accept it after the death of King Edward to ensure the peace and stability of England.   Hollick's William the Conqueror is a vain man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, which includes a throne he has no right to claim, while King Edward is shown to be a man ill suited to wear a crown.   

When facts are known, accuracy in historical fiction is important to me as a reader.   While Hollick does take some liberties in I Am the Chosen King, they are relatively minor and undertaken for the sake of the story.   Historical accuracy, however, does not trump my desire for a well told and interesting story.  I need both to be satisfied with a historical novel and this book delivers.   I was drawn into Harold's world right from the opening pages, never once becoming bored or wishing the story would end.   While the ultimate outcome of the battle between Harold and William of Normandy's is well-known, I couldn't help but hope that, this time around, things had turned out a little differently.  

I Am The Chosen King is recommended to readers of historical fiction who enjoy epic historical novels.   This book reminded me of Sharon Kay Penman's great historical novels, so fans of Penman should definitely check this one out.  

Note: The novel comes from my own personal collection.

Book Review: Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

Synopsis courtesy of Chapters.indigo.ca

Based on fascinating history, a never-before-told story from critically acclaimed Elizabeth Chadwick.  Royal wives and royal widows, Queen Adeliza and her stepdaughter Empress Matilda are the only two women to be titled "Lady of the English," a title that does not come cheap. Adeliza, widowed queen and peacemaker, is married to a warrior who supports Stephen, grandson of the Conqueror. Matilda, daughter of the last king and a fierce fighter, is determined to win her inheritance against all odds and despite all men, including Stephen. Both are women who, in their different ways, will stand and fight for what they know is right. But for Matilda, pride comes before a fall. And for Adeliza, even the deepest love is no proof against fate. 

 My Review

4 Stars  

In Lady of the English, author Elizabeth Chadwick transports readers to one of the most tumultuous periods in English history, the mid-twelfth century.   This is the story of Empress Matilda, named as heir to her father, England's King Henry I, yet who is denied her throne when her cousin Stephen seizes it upon Henry's death.  This action sparks a bitter and long-lasting civil war as Matilda fights to oust Stephen from the throne that by rights should be hers.   The novel is also the story of Queen Adeliza, widow of Henry I, who struggles to find her place after her husband's death and is ultimately rewarded by finding love and having a family of her own.   Her happiness, however, is tempered by her desire to show loyalty to her husband, a staunch ally of the King, while seeking to retain her relationship with her stepdaughter Matilda, who is battling the King for the throne.   Despite these challenges, Adeliza maintains the diplomacy and grace that made her such a well-liked queen.  

A strength of Chadwick's writing is her vivid descriptions that are rich in historical detail.  In Lady of the English Chadwick has once again crafted a novel with a strong sense of time and place.  While the historical detail is impressive, the greatest strength of this novel rests with Chadwick's characterizations, especially that of Empress Matilda.  Chadwick's Matilda is a strong and determined woman who isn't afraid of fighting for what is rightfully hers.   Nevertheless, Matilda is not a woman without faults and her failings made her, at times, her own worst enemy and are one of the reasons she never did win the throne from Stephen.   Chadwick's depiction of Empress Matilda is one of the best I've read.

Despite being over 500 pages in length, I did feel the novel could have been longer without bogging the story down.   While not necessary to the progression of the story, I would have liked to have read more from the perspective of Matilda's enemies in order to better understand why they denied her claim to the throne and supported a man who was clearly an ineffective monarch.   I also would have liked to have seen more of Robert of Gloucester, Matilda's illegitimate half-brother and one of her staunchest supporters.   However, even without with this additional detail the novel is still an entertaining and informative read. 

Overall, Lady of the English is another great novel from Elizabeth Chadwick, one fans of historical are sure to enjoy.  


Note: This novel comes from my own personal collection.

Book Review: Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Synopsis from Chapters.Indigo.ca:

When WWI breaks out, Maisie Dobbs is shipped to the front as a nurse. After the War, she sets up on her own as a private investigator. But her very first assignment soon reveals a much deeper, darker web of secrets, which will force her to revisit the horrors of the Great War and the love she left behind.

My Review

4 Stars

Jacqueline Winspears' Maisie Dobbs is the first book in a series of mystery novels featuring the title character.    The story begins in the year 1929, with Maisie opening her own detective agency in London, England.    It is not long before Maisie has her first case, that of following the wife of one of her clients to determine where the wife is spending her time.   The case itself isn't all that mysterious and is easily solved, yet it brings back memories of Maisie's time as a nurse during WWI and of the love she lost during the Great War.  It also raises questions about a secretive convalescence home for badly disfigured veterans known as The Retreat.  

Once her client's case is solved, the novel takes the reader back in time and follows Maisie's early life up until the closing days of WWI.   There is no mystery involved in this part of the novel, yet it provides much needed background on, and insight into, the heroine.   The novel then shifts back to 1929, as Maisie begins to look into the mysteries surrounding The Retreat.   This is the focus of the novel until the end. 

Overall, I enjoyed Maisie Dobbs.  Winspear has a beautiful way with words and has vividly drawn both her main and supporting characters.   While I didn't find the story itself all that mysterious, I was drawn into it nevertheless.   For me, one of the novel's greatest strengths lies in how Winspear was able to capture the essence of post-WWI England, and of the generation of men and women whose lives were forever impacted by the Great War.   Maisie Dobbs is a strong young woman, but her life and outlook, as well as those of the people around her, was eternally changed by the war, a fact that comes  across clearly in the novel.   In fact, whether it was the intent of the author or not, I thought the mystery component of the novel took a backseat to the experiences of WWI and of the physical and emotional scars it left on those who lived through it.  For this reason this is a novel that has stayed with me long after I finished reading the last page.

I definitely recommend Maisie Dobbs and look forward to reading the other novels in this series.

Book Review: Outlaw by Angus Donald

Synopsis from Chapters.indigo.ca

When he's caught stealing, young Alan Dale is forced to leave his family and go to live with a notorious band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest. Their leader is the infamous Robin Hood. A tough, bloodthirsty warrior, Robin is more feared than any man in the county. And he becomes a mentor for Alan; with his fellow outlaws, Robin teaches Alan how to fight - and how to win. But Robin is a ruthless man - and although he is Alan's protector, if Alan displeases him, he could also just as easily become his murderer...From bloody battles to riotous feast days to marauding packs of wolves, Outlaw is a gripping, action-packed historical thriller that delves deep into the fascinating legend of Robin Hood.

My Review 

4 Stars 

Angus Donald's Outlaw, the first novel in a series about Robin Hood, is quite unlike any novel I've read featuring one of histories most enduring legends.  Dark, gritty and violent are not words that usually come to mind when one thinks of the Robin Hood legend but, in the Sherwood Forest of Outlaw, each of these words provides an apt description of Robin Hood himself, as well as of the world in which he lived and thrived.   While many of the characters familiar to fans of the legend are featured in this novel - it is narrated by Alan Dale - they are definitely not the band of merry men usually associated with the legend.   Robin Hood himself is characterized as a ruthless man, one who cares very little about justice or giving back to the poor.   Instead, this Robin is more intent on exacting revenge - often in a violent fashion - on those he perceives to have done him and his band of fellow outlaws harm.  While I found the Robin Hood of Outlaw difficult to like and even harder to respect, the traits given to him by Donald make it easy to understand why he was leader of the Sherwood outlaws. 

Overall, I  enjoyed this novel.  While I found certain scenes a little too violent for my tastes, they did serve to give the book a more authentic feel.  The late 12th century was not an easy time for idealists,  life was tough for those less fortunate and the penalties for breaking the King's law were harsh, especially when applied by ruthless, self-serving men such as the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.  I would expect any man who wished to survive life as an outlaw would need to be a cutthroat to do so, caring little for gallantry or chivalry when his, and perhaps his family's, life was on the line.   As Outlaw clearly conveys, life could be extremely violent in the 12th century for those living outside of the law.   My main criticism of the novel concerns the relationship between Robin and Marie-Anne of Locksley, which I thought was poorly developed and hard to accept given Robin's personality.   It was difficult for me to believe that a noblewoman of Marie-Anne's stature would fall in love with a man as ruthless as Robin.   It is my hope that Donald introduces the reader to a more human side of Robin in the next installment of the series.   

I recommend this book to historical fiction fans, although I do so with a word of caution.   This novel is at times violent.   Readers who are bothered by violence might be better off staying away from this book.  
 

Book Review: Exit the Actress by Priya Parmar

Synopsis from Chapters.indigo.ca

While selling oranges in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, sweet and sprightly Ellen "Nell" Gwyn impresses the theater's proprietors with a wit and sparkle that belie her youth and poverty. She quickly earns a place in the company, narrowly avoiding the life of prostitution to which her sister has already succumbed. As her roles evolve from supporting to starring, the scope of her life broadens as well. Soon Ellen is dressed in the finest fashions, charming the theatrical, literary, and royal luminaries of Restoration England. Ellen grows up on the stage, experiencing first love and heartbreak and eventually becoming the mistress of Charles II. Despite his reputation as a libertine, Ellen wholly captures his heart-and he hers-but even the most powerful love isn't enough to stave off the gossip and bitter court politics that accompany a royal romance. Telling the story through a collection of vibrant seventeenth-century voices ranging from Ellen's diary to playbills, letters, gossip columns, and home remedies, Priya Parmar brings to life the story of an endearing and delightful heroine.

My Review

4 Stars

Exit the Actress, Priya Parmar's debut novel, is a delightful story of Nell Gywn,  an orange girl turned actress turned royal mistress.   Told through the lens of Nell's diary entries, gossip broadsheets, Privy Council memos and private letters between members of England's royal family - particularly those between King Charles II and his sister, Henriette-Anne 'Minette' - Parmar has painted a vibrant portrait of life in Restoration England.     

The greatest strength of this novel is the wonderful cast of characters the author has brought to life, whether they be figures central to the story or supporting ones.   Parmar's Nell Gwyn is a woman with whom readers would wish to be friends,  making it easy to see how Nell came to be loved by both her audiences and her monarch.   While Charles II is perhaps best remembered by history for his many mistresses and illegitimate children, Parmar has characterized him as a monarch who also cared deeply about his country and subjects.   In addition to Nell and Charles, the novel is supported by a strong cast of secondary characters from the theatre and the royal court, characters who add both humour and drama to the story.   

Although I love English history, the Restoration has never been a period of particular interest to me.   Parmar's novel has changed this.   This novel was smart, funny and above all entertaining.   I look forward to hearing more from Priya Parmar.   

Exit the Actress is definitely worth a read. 

Book Review: The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick

Synopsis from Chapters.indigo.ca

What kind of woman becomes the wife of two kings, and the mother of two more?

Saxon England, 1002. Not only is Æthelred a failure as King, but his young bride, Emma of Normandy, soon discovers he is even worse as a husband. When the Danish Vikings, led by Swein Forkbeard and his son, Cnut, cause a maelstrom of chaos, Emma, as Queen, must take control if the Kingdom-and her crown-are to be salvaged. Smarter than history remembers, and stronger than the foreign invaders who threaten England's shores, Emma risks everything on a gamble that could either fulfill her ambitions and dreams or destroy her completely.

Emma, the Queen of Saxon England, comes to life through the exquisite writing of Helen Hollick, who shows in this epic tale how one of the most compelling and vivid heroines in English history stood tall through a turbulent fifty-year reign of proud determination, tragic despair, and triumph over treachery.

My Review

4 Stars

In The Forever Queen, novelist Helen Hollick brings to life a period in history not often explored by  novelists -- pre-Conquest England.   Starting in the early 11th century, this novel spans approximately forty years and covers the reign of four English kings - Ethelred (the Unready), Edmund Ironside, Cnut and Harthacnut - and one queen - Emma, whose reign lasts almost the entirety of the book and gives it its title.

Although I have rated this novel four out of five stars, I did so with some misgivings.   One of the strengths of the novel was Hollick's ability to create a strong sense of time and place.   She accomplished this through use of descriptive prose, prose that leaves the reader feeling as if they are experiencing the story first hand rather than through the pages of a book.  Nevertheless, on several occasions I felt the descriptions were overdone, detracting from the story and bogging the book down. I also thought the flow of the novel, especially in the early chapters, was jarring at times and, as a result, I occasionally needed to revisit sentences or even entire paragraphs to ensure I was following the story accurately.    Lastly, while I'm a fan of big, epic works of historical fiction, at over 600 pages I thought The Forever Queen was too long, as there were many scenes which provided little or no value to the progression of the story.    

You may ask why, when I seem to have several issues with this novel,  did I rate it so highly?  Simple really.   Whatever my issues with the writing style, the history conveyed in this novel was absolutely fascinating and kept me reading.   This was the first historical novel I'd read set in England on the eve of the Conquest and it is evident that Hollick did her historical homework.  This novel taught me a lot about a period in history I previously knew little about and managed to do so in an entertaining manner.     In the case of my overall rating of The Forever Queen, the historical detail of this novel was simply so vivid that it overshadowed my issues with writing style and length. 

The story started in The Forever Queen continues in its sequel, I Am the Chosen King.

Recommended for anyone interesting in learning about English history right before the Norman Conquest.