What do You think about The Scarlet Lion (2006)?
Regular readers of this blog are sure to know about my literary love for Elizabeth Chadwick novels. So, it was with great delight that I settled in to read about the next chapter in William Marshall’s life, in The Scarlet Lion. The Scarlet Lion covers the latter half of William’s life, where he is once again thrust into a role he would rather not play, but where his sense of honor and duty compel him to act. When King Richard I dies William is one of the first to pledge his loyalty to the new king, John. But John doesn’t have any liking for William and makes sure he knows it. William has to walk a very thin line with John and his infamous Angevin temper.Meanwhile at home, Isabelle is continually in the birthing chamber as their brood expands to 10. Yet, she is aching to go back to her homeland of Ireland and to reclaim her de Clare family inheritance. This issue will serve as a point on contention and even rift in their otherwise tight marriage. And those aren’t the only lands that the Marshalls are fighting for. As William has lands in both Normandy and England, he is in between a rock and a hard place when King Philip of France asks William to pay homage to him for his land in France, which would mean that William would have to fight for the French if there were ever a war between the two countries. Needless to say, King John doesn’t much like this and if there was ever a king you should not piss off, it would be King John. We’ve all heard of the Angevin temper, but John takes it to a whole other level – he is just plain evil and there were many times I wanted to jump through the pages and just throttle him. I was kinda hoping EC would throw in a scene where Isabelle would lay him out flat with one punch!While not as action packed as The Greatest Knight, unless you count all the action on the marriage bed and then the birthing chamber, it is none the less engrossing and entertaining. William and Isabelle are great fun to read about and I am so glad that I had the chance to know about their lives.Brilliantly weaving a strong plot line, historical accuracy, depth of character and dialogue filled with intelligence and wit, is why Elizabeth Chadwick novels is one of the very best of historical fiction authors.
—Amy
The Scarlet Lion picks up shortly after The Greatest Knight leaves off. I would HIGHLY recommend that you read The Greatest Knight first! I am so glad that I found time to squeeze The Greatest Knight in. If you don’t, you will lose out on so much back-story that makes you really care about the characters and you learn the motives for many of the things that occur in this story. I have heard several people make this complaint, so I wanted to warn you right off of the top. The Scarlet Lion takes place mostly in Ireland and England. I had not read anything set in Ireland, so it was very interesting to see some of this Irish history. For much of the story, William and Isabelle are in different countries and you see them living separate lives. When they are together, it is for a very short period of time and usually revolves around the marriage bed. One of the things that I miss from the previous book is the unity between William and Isabelle. They were able to build off of each other and make each other stronger – here there is more conflict. I really did find myself enjoying two of their children – John and Mahelt. I’m excited that Mahelt will be featured in an upcoming book, To Defy a King.While I LOVED The Greatest Knight (you can find my review here), I didn’t enjoy The Scarlet Lion quite as much. I still really enjoyed it, but it was lacking the action and tourney excitement of the previous. This story was more character driven and less action driven – so it was a little slow going at times. One of the strengths of Chadwick’s writing is her ability to make you feel for the characters. As the story came toward the end I found myself in going back and forth between being choked up and crying – definitely a hanky novel!Overall, an enjoyable Chadwick read and I can’t wait to get my hands on some more. For those of you who read this book first and found it hard to get into, do yourself a favor and pick up The Greatest Knight, you won’t regret it and everything will make more sense!This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
—Heather
The Scarlet Lion, sequel to The Greatest Knight, follows William Marshal and his family now that he is married and a noble landowner rather than just an honorable knight navigating the shark-infested waters of Medieval politics. The political skills he learned as a knight come in handy, but his own life is no longer the only one at stake, and family fortunes change as quickly as kings in this time period.This book deserves a 5 star rating. It's amazingly written historical fiction - well-researched, accurate as far as what is known about the people and time, and well-imagined as to what is not known. At the same time, it's written in a way that makes me care about the people and what happens to them. I had my heart in my throat with fear for William and his family, and loathed King John for his jealous vindictiveness. He really made my blood boil. And since the story had to stick to history (and I didn't know how it was going to end), I was more afraid for William than I would have been if it was strictly fiction. Imaginations are often not as cruel as reality can be, and I often feared the worst. So I'm rating this 5 stars even though I can't say I enjoyed it. My ratings are usually based on my enjoyment while reading, but this one is in a different category - it is so well written that any emotional discomfort I experienced pales beside my awe at the way Chadwick brought the people and time alive enough to make me feel so terrified for them. It was a great book, but I was relieved when it released me. History is a scary thing to resurrect, especially the brutal Middle Ages. I can handle the violence of battles where the greatest fear is merely a bloody death, but the political knives being stabbed into the hearts of our heroes and heroines are not for the faint at heart. And yet somehow I know I'll be back for more of Chadwick's works, willingly letting myself be run through the wringer again. They're that good.(Review updated 7/29/2014)
—Allison
