Last week saw commemorations in Scotland for the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, which witnessed the defeat of the forces of the English King, Edward II by the army of the Scottish King, Robert the Bruce, in 1314. This battle for Scottish independence was the culmination of a long fight which had started during the reign of Edward I, who ever after is known by the sobriquet the ‘Hammer of the Scots’ and made infamous for his brutal execution of the noble warrior, William Wallace.Kingdom of Shadows takes the story of the tragic Isobel of Buchan whose support of Robert the Bruce put her in defiance of both her husband and the English King. The disaster of her life is well documented, although perhaps the reason behind her actions is less known. What Barbara Erskine has done is to add flesh to the story and has produced an unforgettable heroine and a tragedy of epic proportions. The time slip story, which uses as its focus the C20 story of Claire Royland and her fiercely ambitious husband, mirrors that of Isobel, who trapped in the C13 uses Claire as the medium through which her story is told. The transition between time frames is seamless and whilst for me the C13 story became more compelling, there is no doubt that the situation which develops between Claire and her husband, is no less forceful as the conflict between Isobel and her husband.The novel was originally published in 1988, and I remember reading Kingdom of Shadows for the first time in the early 1990s. The story is beautifully told, rich in historic detail and alive with mystery and intrigue. Isobel’s final punishment by a malicious and ill favoured King is stark and brutal, and yet in the hands of this talented writer, Isobel’s human fragility, combined with her strength of spirit truly comes alive. And as the final tragedy of the story is revealed, the mists of time shimmer and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as Isobel's ghostly figure tells you that for her the story is never finished and that as long as Kingdom of Shadows remains in print she will be heard time and time again.
Full Review:http://ibeeeg.blogspot.com/2009/07/ki...Kingdom of Shadows captured my attention right from the start. The concept of two women's lives being intermingled even while one lives in present time and the other lives in the late 1200's - early 1300's was very intriguing.Clare is our modern-day heroine. She has a family connection with Isobel. Through this connection, Clare can visualize, experience Isobel's life.Isobel is a woman of importance. She is Lady Buchan and is said that she was the mistress of Robert the Bruce. History does tell that Isobel of Fife did go against her husband, she did crown Robert Bruce as King and she was captured. History also tells of how Isobel was imprisoned. What history is unclear about is the love affair between Isobel and Robert Bruce. From what I have read via the internet and the book, A History of Scotland, I have decided that there probably was not a love affair between the two. However, Kingdom of Shadows was written from the perspective that there was a love between Isobel and Robert Bruce. This story is told through the "real" dreams that Clare has. It is told through Clare's connection with Isobel.While we read the story of Isobel we are also reading the life struggle of Clare as she tries to gain a solid base in her life. She was married young and has not had to ever rely on herself alone. Clare is very much manipulated by her husband. When, finally, Clare does take a stand against her husband, Paul then turns dirty, mean and malicious towards his wife.Overall, Kingdom of Shadows is a good historical fiction read as the other historical aspects, from what I can gather, are correct. This time in Scotland was very much laden with turmoil.Rating: 3.5/5 stars
What do You think about Kingdom Of Shadows (2004)?
This book is extremely well written and made me fall in love with the history of Scotland.Barbara Erskine's classic bestseller, the successor to Lady of Hay, at last available as a HarperCollins paperback.In a childless and unhappy marriage, Clare Royland is rich and beautiful – but lonely. And fueling her feelings of isolation is a strange, growing fascination with an ancestress from the distant past. Troubled by haunting inexplicable dreams that terrify – but also powerfully compel – her, Clare is forced to look back through the centuries for answers.In 1306, Scotland is at war. Isobel, Countess of Buchan, faces fear and the prospect of untimely death as the fighting surrounds her. But passionate and headstrong, her trials escalate when she is persecuted for her part in crowning Robert the Bruce, her lover.Duncairn, Isobel's home and Clare's beloved heritage, becomes a battleground for passions that span the centuries. As husband Paul's recklessness threatens their security, Clare must fight to save Duncairn, and to save herself from the powers of Isobel
—Dawn
I really enjoyed this book not least as I live in the area the book concentrates on and have many of the names featured in my own family so maybe its my own family history!!It switches between 14C Scotland and the wars between England and Scotland and contempory Scotland where an ancestor of Countess Isobel relives her life through dreams and meditations. Although fictionalised the account of ancient Scotland reads well and is very believable. The modern day Clare can be very annoying at times and comes across as a spoilt little rich girl but its hard not to get involved in her story and will her to suceed.I wasn't comfortable with her use of yoga and medication techniques to 'summon' Isobel but this story does show how dangerous they can be.
— Northern Light
(3.5) Basic Erskine regression story. Kingdom of Shadows is a parallel tale of Clare Royland in the 1980's and Isobel Buchan in Scotland at the time of Robert The Bruce in the latter 13th and early 14th century. Clare is married to stock broker Paul Royland who gambled with insider trading and lost and needs to sell Clare's Scottish Castle Duncairn to raise desperately needed funds. Unhappy in her marriage, Clare turns to yoga and meditation and she begins to see visions of the past as Isobel Buchan of Scotland relives her past through Clare. The retelling of Isobel's life in Scotland, an unhappy marriage and her ultimate affair with Robert the Bruce and capture by Edward I and imprisonment in one of those infamous cages on the castle wall is interwoven with that of the present day Clare whose husband intrigues to have her proven insane so that he can lay claim to her property. Erskine does point out in her notes at the end of the book that Isobel, her crowning of Robert at Scone and capitivy are historical fact, but the affair with Robert is merely supposition by the author. I did find the story entertaining enough and it kept me reading, but this is definitely not one of Erskine's best -- that would be Child of the Phoenix or Hiding from the Light. While I enjoyed the story set in the 13/14C, I really didn't particularly care for Isobel, she was a little too self centered for me and as for Clare -- likeable enough but bordering on TSTL for putting up with that pompous pig of a husband and not seeing him for what he really was. If you're an Erskine fan and can get your hands on a copy somewhat cheaply go for it, but don't go out of your way either. 3.5 stars.
—Misfit
