I have just been reading this book *again*. I think it must be for something like the fifth time. First of all, let me say that JMR is one of my all-time favourite writers, so I may be biased in her favour, but anyway...This is one of a series of three (you should really start with A Vision of Light) but can be read as a stand-alone if you don't mind picking up the back story as you go along. The era is the reign of Edward III, 14th Century. It is a hard book to describe. First of all, it has God and Jesus Christ among the characters, which is quite unusual. But it manages to be deeply spiritual without being in any way po-faced. In many ways it's a comedy - not the sort that has you rolling off your chair, but the sort that often makes you grin quietly to yourself at the author's wonderful understanding of humanity and its weaknesses. Yet at the same time this book (in particular) has its dark moments where evil has to be faced down. Real evil too - the character in question is more than just 'bad', considerably worse even than King Henry VII. Yeah, I love this book, and this series, and I hope the Real God is pretty similar to JMR's God. There are one or two historical errors - the most grievous of which is that the Inquisition, quite often mentioned in these pages, *never* existed in England. But they are relatively trivial and do not spoil the story, even for a pedant like me.Highly recommended!
After enjoying the first book in the trilogy back in January I decided to pick up the second one. This continues with the adventures of Margaret of Ashbury, after she is forced into marriage with a minor member of nobility. She happens to love her husband but could do without her husband’s father and brother and their extremely dirty unkempt tiny castle. Naturally she isn’t too happy when they drag her husband off to war in France and return without him. Without her husband, Margaret’s fortune is vulnerable to her in laws so she sets off for France to find her husband who rather unfortunately is being held prisoner by a rather corrupt (morally and physically) member of the French aristocracy. Her resourceful friends from the first book in the series join her once again in her adventures. And in the background is the Green Lion, a secret chemical formula that will enable people to create gold. I enjoyed this book but not as much as the first book in the series. It has a very different feel and it’s a big change of pace. Never the less I immediately started in with the third book in the series...
Very enjoyable novel that offers something for everyone - a medieval adventure, a sweet, realistic romance (no hot and heavy Harlequin-style scenes), and a touch of fairy-tale magic. Even the thread of spirituality that ran throughout the book was compelling to this agnostic reader. Coincidentally, I read Eat, Pray, Love right after this one, and it was remarkable how similarly the ideas of God and love are presented by both authors. This is my first Margaret of Ashbury novel, and I'm looking forward to reading the other two.
—Karen
Unlike many works of historical fiction, including some of Riley’s own, In Pursuit of the Green Lion is neither too dense nor too detailed. In fact, it was a fun read and is my favorite out of her works so far, solely because of some very humorous and well-developed characters. The battle of the sexes is a constant issue throughout, which was both comical but frustrating. It was gratifying to watch Margaret subvert these views as the clever heroine of the story. At the same time, she is still accepting of her position and is, in this sense, a woman that is both ahead of, and a product of her times.
—Raya
Sometime in the 1990s I read Merkle Riley's A Vision of Light, which was about Margaret of Ashbury, a 14th century English woman of great intelligence, wit, and spirit. She also hears the Voice of God and has the ability to work miraculous healings. In Pursuit of the Green Lion is the sequel.Margaret is now married to Gilbert de Vilers, member of the minor nobility who had been living as a cleric and scholar. His family turns out to be a very difficult bunch, of the arrogant and demanding sort. Gilbert becomes chronicler for the Duke of Lancaster and as such must accompany him on campaign in France. Gilbert is taken hostage and falls into the hands of a very evil, sadistic count. Margaret travels to rescue him, accompanied by her old friends Mother Hilde, a midwife, and Brother Malachi, an alchemist.The story is very good, full of adventure and humor. However, it's really the character of Margaret that makes this book (and its predecessor) so enjoyable to read. Margaret hear God and can perform healing miracles (which cause her to glow during the process), but she is not some otherworldly saint. She is wholly down-to-earth and able to deal competently with the world.
—Carol
