$4.99Even though this is the second book in the Welsh Princes Trilogy, it is more about King Henry III and Simon de Montfort, who is also married to Henry's youngest sister, Eleanor (called Nell in this book). It isn't long before Simon, along with everyone else, figures out that Henry may have been born a King but should never have been one. Henry is loyal to family, and this is sometimes to his detriment, especially when he favors his wife's relatives and his half-brother's over his barons, not to mention his inability to his word. As time goes by, Simon has had enough, but always does his best to be fair to Henry until he realized that Henry doesn't know the meaning of the word fair. Simon champions the rights of the common people, and is sometimes called the founder of Parliament. The Royal family continues to grow, and while they are close in many ways, they can't all agree on how the country should be ruled. Civil War takes on a new meaning book and story in time.The Welsh Princes try to divide and conquer, and even though they are the sons and grandsons of Llewelyn the Great, they are no match for Henry and his armies, especially when they are fighting each other, another case of family at war.Penman does such a magnificent job of keeping me glued to my seat and turning the pages, and yet not wanting to read them too quickly because I knew it didn't have a happy ending. It couldn't.I haven't been able to find much on Henry even though he ruled for so long, and so I was very pleased to find this book because not only is the author entertaining, it is clear she does tremendous research, as well as bringing all of these people to life. You care about them, some more than others, and like Simon (at least for me, you remain split.I look forward to reading the last book of this trilogy although I won't be in any hurry to read it because I don't want these stories to end. Fortunately I have found some other books about Simon de Montfort that I hope will shed more light on Henry, Eleanor, Edward, Richard, and everyone else.
Another great book about the Welsh Princes! To my surprise, I found I liked this book as much as Here be Dragons. As usual, Sharon Kay Penman does a wonderful job bringing medieval England to life. I love her portrayals of the relationships between the characters. She brings a lot of depth to her characters without sacrificing historical authenticity.One of the things I always like about her books is how well she portrays romantic relationships. Hers are among the few books I've found that have descriptions of marriages which are actually realistic. (It may that I've read too much chick-lit).One thing to point out about this book is that it's more about Simon de Montfort than it is about the Welsh princes. I knew this when I started the book and I thought this would bother me; but, as it turns out, it was a very interesting story. I had read brief passages about Simon de Montfort in Edward Rutherfurd's Sarum and found them rather boring, so I was a bit skeptical about this book's ability to make it interesting, but it really worked! That's why I'm still giving it 5 stars even though I still don't really understand how the story of Simon de Montfort really connects with the Welsh princes. Simon and Llewelyn ap Gruffydd were allies and fought together against King Henry III, but apart from that, their paths don't seem to be too connected, at least not in this book.Apparently the third book deals more with the story of Wales. In the afterword to this book, Ms. Penman mentions that she had originally planned to write the stories of Simon de Montfort and the Welsh Princes in one novel, but it became too long so she split them up. So, hopefully the third novel will make it clear how everything ties back with the original story of Wales.Overall, a wonderful read. A definite recommendation to any historical fiction fans.
What do You think about Falls The Shadow (1989)?
I started this book immediately after finishing the first in the trilogy, Here Be Dragons. It took me longer to read this one due to a schedule that didn't allow much time for pleasure reading, but that didn't diminish the power of Ms. Penman's narrative. As in Here Be Dragons, Ms. Penman delivers all one could ask for in a work of historical fiction -- an accurate accounting of historical events, amazing insight into the hearts and minds of her characters, and scenes that draw you in so completely they will bring you to your knees. Here Be Dragons broke my heart several times, but Falls the Shadow contains what may be the most affecting and heartbreaking battlefield scene ever written. I will not soon forget it. Cannot recommend this series highly enough! For anyone who wants to lose themselves in a book -- you will truly be transported to another time and place and, if you're like me, you'll never want to leave.
—Pam
Um, why have I never heard of Simon de Montfort before reading this book? I've done a bit of my own research since I started reading this and I can't believe that I somehow managed never to hear about him in all the history classes I took, even in college! WTF, education system? I liked Penman's depiction of him--he was honorable and firm in his political beliefs, but he was also probably a real pain in the ass at times. The stubbornness, arrogance, etc are all traits that made him more real to
—Kristen
OK... I am loving this author and this Welsh Trilogy. Book Two starts up where the Here Be Dragons ends and completes the story of Llewelyn, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Joanna. The story then picks up with Llewelyn's sons and grandsons and their conflicts and turmoil as rulers of Wales. That story line runs parallel with the story of Simon de Montfort's rise to power. Simon is a French Nobleman who marries Eleanor (Nell) sister of King Henry III of England. Nell is also the Lady Joanna's half sister. Simon de Montfort ends up mounting a civil war against Henry III.About half way through the book I felt like the author had abandoned the tale of the Rulers of Wales and focused solely on de Montfort. According to the author that is exactly what happened because the story of Simon de Montfort was so compelling that the Rulers of Wales took a back seat to be picked up again in Book 3. I hope so. I love the Welsh storyline. That said I also REALLY liked Simon de Montfort and his family. I think Penman should have just focused on them rather than drop the Welsh like a hot potato half way through. It was a little jarring.This book had less of a love story...although the marriage of Simon and Nell was a wonderful story of a devoted marriage...but the focus of this book was more on the battles and intrigues of war, politics and the religious ideology of the time. I loved Simon de Montfort and the de Montfort sons and their relationship with and devotion to their father. This book had a completely different feel from book one but I definitely enjoyed it. I can't wait to read book three. This is wonderful historical fiction!!My rating: Better than good but not quite excellent due to the storyline switch but still a fantastic read.
—Kristin
