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An Earthly Knight
A cloud has descended over the household of Lady Jeanette Avenel.
The year is 1162. Sixteen-year-old Jenny has always enjoyed her freedom as second daughter of a Norman nobleman in Teviotdale, Scotland. But when Jenny's sister, Isabel, disgraces the family by running away with a dangerous suitor, Jenny is thrust reluctantly into the role of elder daughter. While Jenny worries about her sister's future, her father's attention turns keenly toward Jenny, and finding her a worthy suitor.
When Jenny is chosen as a potential bride for William de Warenne, brother of the king of Scotland and heir to the crown, redemption of her family's name seems within reach. Amid formal banquets and jousting tournaments, she struggles to impress the aloof Earl William. At the same time, however, she finds herself drawn to Tam Lin, a mysterious young man. Rumored to have been kidnapped by fairies, Tam harbors a dark secret from his past that threatens everyone close to him . . . including Jenny.
Glimmering with exquisite detail, Janet McNaughton's beautifully woven story transports readers to a magical medieval world where one young woman navigates the forceful tides of tradition and the ancient power of fairies to define her own destiny.
The year is 1162. Sixteen-year-old Jenny has always enjoyed her freedom as second daughter of a Norman nobleman in Teviotdale, Scotland. But when Jenny's sister, Isabel, disgraces the family by running away with a dangerous suitor, Jenny is thrust reluctantly into the role of elder daughter. While Jenny worries about her sister's future, her father's attention turns keenly toward Jenny, and finding her a worthy suitor.
When Jenny is chosen as a potential bride for William de Warenne, brother of the king of Scotland and heir to the crown, redemption of her family's name seems within reach. Amid formal banquets and jousting tournaments, she struggles to impress the aloof Earl William. At the same time, however, she finds herself drawn to Tam Lin, a mysterious young man. Rumored to have been kidnapped by fairies, Tam harbors a dark secret from his past that threatens everyone close to him . . . including Jenny.
Glimmering with exquisite detail, Janet McNaughton's beautifully woven story transports readers to a magical medieval world where one young woman navigates the forceful tides of tradition and the ancient power of fairies to define her own destiny.
343 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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About the author
Janet McNaughton
23 books51 followersJanet McNaughton is the multi-award-winning author of many books, including The Secret Under My Skin, An Earthly Knight and her most recent novel, Dragon Seer, which was shortlisted for the prestigious TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, as well as both the CLA Young Adult Book Award and the Book of the Year for Children Award. McNaughton lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland, with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
June 10, 2010
An Earthly Knight is Janet McNaughton's retelling of the old Scottish ballad of Tam Lin, the mortal chosen by the faerie queen to be her payment to hell. McNaughton's version is set in 12th-century Scotland, where her heroine, Jenny, is the daughter of a baron and the sister of disgraced Isabel, who ran off with a knight. (In an interesting twist, Isabel turns out to be the heroine of a different ballad, which I didn't recognize until she tells her story to Jenny late in the book.)
Readers who aren't very familiar with the ballad would most likely enjoy An Earthly Knight. The Scottish setting is interesting and well-done, though occasionally too heavy on historical details, and the heroine is likeably spunky. For me, though, the plot didn't have much interest or suspense -- it's a fairly straight retelling of the ballad, with very little faerie presence (and what on earth is the point of "Tam Lin" with not much faerie in it?). The faerie queen doesn't appear until near the end, and with the faeries being so played down, the threat to Tam Lin doesn't feel very real.
I've read books which did much more original things with this ballad -- among them Pamela Dean's Tam Lin and Diana Wynne Jones's Fire and Hemlock, both of which I would recommend over this for readers interested in the Tam Lin ballad.
Readers who aren't very familiar with the ballad would most likely enjoy An Earthly Knight. The Scottish setting is interesting and well-done, though occasionally too heavy on historical details, and the heroine is likeably spunky. For me, though, the plot didn't have much interest or suspense -- it's a fairly straight retelling of the ballad, with very little faerie presence (and what on earth is the point of "Tam Lin" with not much faerie in it?). The faerie queen doesn't appear until near the end, and with the faeries being so played down, the threat to Tam Lin doesn't feel very real.
I've read books which did much more original things with this ballad -- among them Pamela Dean's Tam Lin and Diana Wynne Jones's Fire and Hemlock, both of which I would recommend over this for readers interested in the Tam Lin ballad.
March 26, 2016
This was another reread, basically to match The Perilous Gard, since they’re both Tam Lin themed. This one is a mite more traditional, and sticks pretty close to the ballad, rather than being based on the situation the ballad lays out and then growing in other directions. The interesting thing is that it brings in another ballad, one I’m less familiar with: ‘Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight‘. That and the medieval, historical setting ground the fairytale elements very well and make the whole thing feel more solid.
Unlike with The Perilous Gard, I didn’t love it much more this time than last, but all the same I did appreciate the cleverness more, I think. Because I knew it was there, I was watching and waiting for it, picking up on every hint.
Altogether, it’s a very satisfying story, though it doesn’t take many liberties with the story of Tam Lin — it only embroiders it, bringing in historical figures and contemporary politics. If you know the ballad, you know more or less how the story goes; unlike with The Perilous Gard, there’s no real wondering about how exactly things will come out. Still, the historical details make it more emotional, and the payoff more satisfying, I think.
Originally posted here.
Unlike with The Perilous Gard, I didn’t love it much more this time than last, but all the same I did appreciate the cleverness more, I think. Because I knew it was there, I was watching and waiting for it, picking up on every hint.
Altogether, it’s a very satisfying story, though it doesn’t take many liberties with the story of Tam Lin — it only embroiders it, bringing in historical figures and contemporary politics. If you know the ballad, you know more or less how the story goes; unlike with The Perilous Gard, there’s no real wondering about how exactly things will come out. Still, the historical details make it more emotional, and the payoff more satisfying, I think.
Originally posted here.
June 30, 2009
I went through a phase a few years ago where I sought out every retelling of the Tam Lin story that I could get my hands on. So the title An Earthly Knight was instantly familiar to me, and I knew I needed to read this book. I was especially intrigued by the author's choice to return the story to its original setting, medieval Scotland.
Unfortunately, the historical aspect falls a little flat. McNaughton has a tendency to get a bit infodump-y. I wasn't familiar with the politics of that time and place, and so I appreciated being brought up to speed, but there has to have been a more deft way of doing it than having one character expounding history to another character who already knew that history.
I also wasn't thrilled with the romance. Tam Lin was too Generically Nice, and his rival, Earl William, was too one-dimensionally nasty. If Tam Lin needed a foil, I'd have preferred either a bad man who was charming on the surface, or an honorable man that Jeanette simply had no feelings for.
As for the supernatural, it feels a little tacked on, and it might have worked better if it had been either emphasized more or omitted entirely. (Tam Lin without the supernatural--that could be intriguing. What if Jeanette had thought he was fae-touched, only to learn he was *just* the dispossessed heir to Carter Hall...) As it stands, that aspect comes almost out of nowhere and seems rushed.
What did work was the coming-of-age aspect of the tale. Jeanette begins as a free-spirited teenage girl, and as she is pushed into a social-climbing role, she allows herself to be swept up into snobbish and selfish attitudes for a time. I didn't like her much during the middle of the book. After several events that make her question this new outlook on life, Jeanette begins to find her old self again, albeit a more mature version of that self. In the end, on some level, she's not so much choosing between William and Tam Lin, but between the person she is when she's with William and the person she is when she's with Tam Lin. I did find that aspect interesting.
Unfortunately, the historical aspect falls a little flat. McNaughton has a tendency to get a bit infodump-y. I wasn't familiar with the politics of that time and place, and so I appreciated being brought up to speed, but there has to have been a more deft way of doing it than having one character expounding history to another character who already knew that history.
I also wasn't thrilled with the romance. Tam Lin was too Generically Nice, and his rival, Earl William, was too one-dimensionally nasty. If Tam Lin needed a foil, I'd have preferred either a bad man who was charming on the surface, or an honorable man that Jeanette simply had no feelings for.
As for the supernatural, it feels a little tacked on, and it might have worked better if it had been either emphasized more or omitted entirely. (Tam Lin without the supernatural--that could be intriguing. What if Jeanette had thought he was fae-touched, only to learn he was *just* the dispossessed heir to Carter Hall...) As it stands, that aspect comes almost out of nowhere and seems rushed.
What did work was the coming-of-age aspect of the tale. Jeanette begins as a free-spirited teenage girl, and as she is pushed into a social-climbing role, she allows herself to be swept up into snobbish and selfish attitudes for a time. I didn't like her much during the middle of the book. After several events that make her question this new outlook on life, Jeanette begins to find her old self again, albeit a more mature version of that self. In the end, on some level, she's not so much choosing between William and Tam Lin, but between the person she is when she's with William and the person she is when she's with Tam Lin. I did find that aspect interesting.
January 12, 2010
I have a bit of a stand-off-ish relationship with Janet McNaughton. On the one hand, I usually enjoy reading her books- and on the other, I think I discovered them about two years too late. So I ALMOST buy into the story, but not quite.
I fully admit that this is one of my weirder failings. I can watch or read something that's totally outside of my demographic and enjoy it (tinkerbell movie anyone?) but if it's just outside, I'll twiddle my fingers and glare angrily at the story instead of just enjoying it. Sigh, it's a hard life I lead.
^_^
ANYHOW. The story. Sixteen-year-old Jennie lives in Scotland in the twelfth century. Her older sister has recently disgraced the family in some scandal that isn't immediately apparent, so Jenny- the younger daughter- is suddenly fresh meat in the marriage market. She's catch of the day, in fact, and ends up being paraded around in front of Prince William, who is the likely heir to the throne despite being the younger son, since the king has sworn to be celibate. Everyone keeps warning her obliquely about the Prince and his reputation with teh wenches, and then encouraging her to marry him in the next breath. Drama...
However! Jennie has her own secrets, which are primarily centred around the mysterious young man who is camping out in her tocher, Carter Hall. Tam Lin by name, he has a dark past. *dramatic music* A Dark Past Which Will Soon Be Entwined With Her Own Future, and that of their child...
Yes, you read that right. Tam Lin knocks her up. *nods* Basically, their relationship follows this pattern
1.) Tam Lin finds her in the woods, defenceless, and does not kidnap or rape her. (Point Tam!)
2.) They meet again and make magic eyes at eachother
3.) He poaches catches her a hare and some salmon (on her father's land,) and cooks it for her.
4.) He gives her a dress which then turns out to be made of cobwebs and leaves, and is glamourized to make everyone fall in love with her.
5.) He knocks her up. (To be fair, she kinda jumped him and wouldn't let go. I had to read that scene three times until I was sure what had just happened. It was weird.)
6.) He tells her to go enter a convent, he couldn't ask her to save him from his bondage to the queen of the fairies, who is apparently a cougar with a mean streak. I COULN'T ASK YOU TO SAVE ME FROM THE QUEEN WHO IS JEALOUS THAT I LOVE YOU MORE THAN HER.
And she does rescue him. I'm not going to say HOW she does, because if you've read anything Tam Lin related you already know how, and if you haven't, I wouldn't want to spoil your lol whut? moment.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm not really a Tam Lin fan. I mean, he's okay, he's just. Weird Romance. Weird Glamourizing. Weird all around. (And then he refuses to marry her until he can provide for her? Which is like, a year after the baby is born? THIS IS THE TWELFTH CENTURY. MAKE A HONEST WOMAN OUT OF THE GIRL WHO SAVED YOUR SOUL . Ahem.) I do like Jenny though. Her trying to fumble through court intrigues and everything spiralling out past her control felt real, and she was a likeable character. I very much liked Jennie' sister Isobel, who, it turns out, killed the man who was going to kill her, and then married a harper. Go Isobel! I liked most of the minor characters, including her Brother Eudo.
As with Dragon Seer, I wouldn't be too concerned to see my little sisters reading it
I fully admit that this is one of my weirder failings. I can watch or read something that's totally outside of my demographic and enjoy it (tinkerbell movie anyone?) but if it's just outside, I'll twiddle my fingers and glare angrily at the story instead of just enjoying it. Sigh, it's a hard life I lead.
^_^
ANYHOW. The story. Sixteen-year-old Jennie lives in Scotland in the twelfth century. Her older sister has recently disgraced the family in some scandal that isn't immediately apparent, so Jenny- the younger daughter- is suddenly fresh meat in the marriage market. She's catch of the day, in fact, and ends up being paraded around in front of Prince William, who is the likely heir to the throne despite being the younger son, since the king has sworn to be celibate. Everyone keeps warning her obliquely about the Prince and his reputation with teh wenches, and then encouraging her to marry him in the next breath. Drama...
However! Jennie has her own secrets, which are primarily centred around the mysterious young man who is camping out in her tocher, Carter Hall. Tam Lin by name, he has a dark past. *dramatic music* A Dark Past Which Will Soon Be Entwined With Her Own Future, and that of their child...
Yes, you read that right. Tam Lin knocks her up. *nods* Basically, their relationship follows this pattern
1.) Tam Lin finds her in the woods, defenceless, and does not kidnap or rape her. (Point Tam!)
2.) They meet again and make magic eyes at eachother
3.) He poaches catches her a hare and some salmon (on her father's land,) and cooks it for her.
4.) He gives her a dress which then turns out to be made of cobwebs and leaves, and is glamourized to make everyone fall in love with her.
5.) He knocks her up. (To be fair, she kinda jumped him and wouldn't let go. I had to read that scene three times until I was sure what had just happened. It was weird.)
6.) He tells her to go enter a convent, he couldn't ask her to save him from his bondage to the queen of the fairies, who is apparently a cougar with a mean streak. I COULN'T ASK YOU TO SAVE ME FROM THE QUEEN WHO IS JEALOUS THAT I LOVE YOU MORE THAN HER.
Jennie: Wait, you're the Queen's Lover?
Tam: Look at it from my perspective! I was fourteen! I didn't know what I was doing! Now I do, if you know what I mean and I think that you do.*wink wink nudge nudge*
Jennie: But I thought I was special!
Tam: You ARE special, honey! Sex ain't love, and I didn't know what love was till we, uh, talked. Talked, that's right. What about that rescuing me?
And she does rescue him. I'm not going to say HOW she does, because if you've read anything Tam Lin related you already know how, and if you haven't, I wouldn't want to spoil your lol whut? moment.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm not really a Tam Lin fan. I mean, he's okay, he's just. Weird Romance. Weird Glamourizing. Weird all around. (And then he refuses to marry her until he can provide for her? Which is like, a year after the baby is born? THIS IS THE TWELFTH CENTURY. MAKE A HONEST WOMAN OUT OF THE GIRL WHO SAVED YOUR SOUL . Ahem.) I do like Jenny though. Her trying to fumble through court intrigues and everything spiralling out past her control felt real, and she was a likeable character. I very much liked Jennie' sister Isobel, who, it turns out, killed the man who was going to kill her, and then married a harper. Go Isobel! I liked most of the minor characters, including her Brother Eudo.
(After Jennie has called off her engagment to William at the alter, because she's pregnant.)
Eudo: "Well, you got out of that Betrothal in the worst way possible, but I'm glad you did."
As with Dragon Seer, I wouldn't be too concerned to see my little sisters reading it
July 10, 2015
I have had this book sitting on my bookshelves for so long, and yesterday I finally picked it up and read it. It was OK, I suppose, but I felt it lacked any kind of depth. - The romance, for instance, is unconvincing beyond belief; Jenny and Tam Lin meet briefly three times before they avow passionate love for each other, but I still wasn't feeling it. Jenny's falling pregnant out of wedlock to a 'madman' whilst her betrothal to the King of Scotland's brother is being arranged doesn't really seem to bother anybody much, and the 'battle' for Tam Lin between the Faerie Queen and Jenny is anticlimactic, and over in about three sentences. - Actually, I find that with most of the Tam Lin retellings; the struggle never seems hard enough.
I will also add, that although I am no medieval scholar, there were a couple of what I saw as historical inaccuracies (but I stand to be corrected!):
- Breakfast is mentioned on at least three occasions, but the idea of having a meal to start the day didn't come into being until the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries, and this book is set in the twelfth.
- Halloween is called Halloween, but surely it would still have been called 'All Hallow's Eve' then? Hmm...
Anyway, if you're looking for a Tam Lin retelling, I'd recommend The Perilous Gard or Winter Rose rather than this.
I will also add, that although I am no medieval scholar, there were a couple of what I saw as historical inaccuracies (but I stand to be corrected!):
- Breakfast is mentioned on at least three occasions, but the idea of having a meal to start the day didn't come into being until the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries, and this book is set in the twelfth.
- Halloween is called Halloween, but surely it would still have been called 'All Hallow's Eve' then? Hmm...
Anyway, if you're looking for a Tam Lin retelling, I'd recommend The Perilous Gard or Winter Rose rather than this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2011
An Earthly Knight is based both on the story of Tam Lin, and on the aftermath of the story in a ballad (or, well, a group of ballads) called 'Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight'. It's interesting how it weaves those two stories together, and also pulls in the threads of historical fiction. I don't know how accurate the historical fiction aspect of it is, given that it's totally not my area of history, but it seemed reasonably believable for the period, and it didn't feel like it was too info-dumpy -- except perhaps when it came to the part about jousting. If I want to read about the ins and outs of jousting, I'd be reading Sir Thomas Malory or suchlike.
Anyway, I enjoyed the story quite a lot. I read it in three chunks, interspersed with a mission that's frustrating me on Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood -- I'd happily have read it in one go, if I hadn't been trying to get full synchronisation on that damn mission (Hell On Wheels, if anyone's curious -- one of Leonardo's war machine missions). It wasn't the most in depth version in the world, but it was very easy to read, and the characters were, if not exactly all fully fleshed out, at least believable. Jenny in particular, given her conflicted feelings and her tendency to act out. She seemed like a spoiled brat at times, which, well, she kind of was.
It did seem to resolve very easily. The first two hundred pages felt like set-up, and then the last sixty pages hardly seemed enough to resolve everything. They did, at least reasonably well, but I felt like it came too easily, somehow...
Still, glad to read it -- although I don't think I'd reread it.
Anyway, I enjoyed the story quite a lot. I read it in three chunks, interspersed with a mission that's frustrating me on Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood -- I'd happily have read it in one go, if I hadn't been trying to get full synchronisation on that damn mission (Hell On Wheels, if anyone's curious -- one of Leonardo's war machine missions). It wasn't the most in depth version in the world, but it was very easy to read, and the characters were, if not exactly all fully fleshed out, at least believable. Jenny in particular, given her conflicted feelings and her tendency to act out. She seemed like a spoiled brat at times, which, well, she kind of was.
It did seem to resolve very easily. The first two hundred pages felt like set-up, and then the last sixty pages hardly seemed enough to resolve everything. They did, at least reasonably well, but I felt like it came too easily, somehow...
Still, glad to read it -- although I don't think I'd reread it.
February 21, 2013
At this point I have a pretty good understanding of what types of books I'll tend to like or dislike. I went into reading An Earthly Knight with the expectation that I'd enjoy it, and I was right. I love a good historical fiction, and I love retellings, especially when said retellings are faithful to the original tale. While I like seeing how authors can put a different spin on a well-known story, at the same time I become frustrated when I feel like authors have taken too many liberties. I approach retellings with a mixed desire for a comforting, easy to anticipate read, and a curiosity about how an author has crafted the story to make it his/her own version. I am happy to say that I felt Janet McNaughton's version is both a faithful retelling and a well-told work of historical fiction.
I really enjoyed the focus on the dynamics of Jenny's family relationships. At the beginning of the novel, Jenny has recently found that all of her family's hopes and dreams now rest on her shoulders. Her brother Eudo is being raised as a knight by another noble family, but their family does not have the vast amounts of wealth or history necessary to be an established part of the upper-class. That's where Isabel, Jenny's older sister, was supposed to come into the picture. If she married well, then the Avenel family would establish another foothold in their quest for power and prestige. After running off with a traveling knight, however, Isabel's reputation is ruined and Jenny has now become the family's most valuable asset.
It is through this new lens of Jenny as the hope of the family that readers can really examine the relationships she has with her family members. Valuable Avenel family asset, younger sister in need protection, younger sister who must support her older sister - Jenny balances all of these roles and then some. Her relationship with her father comes off as a little strained, but it is understandable given the historical setting. While her father obviously cares about his daughter, he is also very much concerned with how she can help their family through marriage. Jenny and Eudo do not have enough interactions to really get a grasp on their relationship. But all other relationships pale in comparison to the one between Jenny and Isabel. After all that she has endured (little of which Jenny or the readers actually know), Isabel is pretty damaged. She's lost a sort of vibrancy and spark for life, refusing even to sing as she once did. The only place she is fit for now is the convent, but that cannot happen until she confesses her sins, which Isabel refuses to do. The relationship between Jenny and Isabel, as Jenny attempts to coax Isabel back to life and help her realize that there are still things worth living for, is wonderful and heartfelt.
McNaughton has also made both Jenny and Isabel the heroines of their own retold ballads, with Jenny as Janet from "Tam Lin" and Isabel as Isabel from "Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight." I definitely want to have the chance to read the second ballad soon!
As with the ballad itself, Jenny and Tam Lin's relationship does seem to be an example of insta-love. Jenny only travels to Carterhaugh a few times and has brief conversations with Tam. Yet both of them (Jenny in particular) are able to sacrifice stability and their reputations for the love that quickly forms between them. While there's nothing wrong with their relationship, I found myself pairing Jenny with Tam Lin because I knew I was supposed to. And, I suppose, because Jenny's suitor William is clearly not right for her. I do think Jenny and Tam have the potential for a strong relationship, and hints of that are shown after they decide to ignore conventions and become intimate with one another. I just wish there was more focus in the book on the development in their relationship. Jenny goes from abstract curiosity/indignation over Tam's occupation of her tocher, to gratitude, to hurt, to love far too quickly, in my opinion.
An Earthly Knight reads like a very well-researched story. McNaughton is able to convincingly integrate several more recent Scottish ballads into the world of twelfth-century Scotland. The little details are what really make this story come alive.
With that in mind, how do I think An Earthly Knight fared? I consider it to be one of my favorite "Tam Lin" retellings. McNaughton's version remains pretty faithful to its origins. By using the core events that make a tale a "Tam Lin" retelling as a foundation, McNaughton is able to expand and detail a potential world for her Tam Lin and Janet. I also think that it simply works as a solid piece of historical fiction for those who do not necessarily care about the story's origins.
I really enjoyed the focus on the dynamics of Jenny's family relationships. At the beginning of the novel, Jenny has recently found that all of her family's hopes and dreams now rest on her shoulders. Her brother Eudo is being raised as a knight by another noble family, but their family does not have the vast amounts of wealth or history necessary to be an established part of the upper-class. That's where Isabel, Jenny's older sister, was supposed to come into the picture. If she married well, then the Avenel family would establish another foothold in their quest for power and prestige. After running off with a traveling knight, however, Isabel's reputation is ruined and Jenny has now become the family's most valuable asset.
It is through this new lens of Jenny as the hope of the family that readers can really examine the relationships she has with her family members. Valuable Avenel family asset, younger sister in need protection, younger sister who must support her older sister - Jenny balances all of these roles and then some. Her relationship with her father comes off as a little strained, but it is understandable given the historical setting. While her father obviously cares about his daughter, he is also very much concerned with how she can help their family through marriage. Jenny and Eudo do not have enough interactions to really get a grasp on their relationship. But all other relationships pale in comparison to the one between Jenny and Isabel. After all that she has endured (little of which Jenny or the readers actually know), Isabel is pretty damaged. She's lost a sort of vibrancy and spark for life, refusing even to sing as she once did. The only place she is fit for now is the convent, but that cannot happen until she confesses her sins, which Isabel refuses to do. The relationship between Jenny and Isabel, as Jenny attempts to coax Isabel back to life and help her realize that there are still things worth living for, is wonderful and heartfelt.
McNaughton has also made both Jenny and Isabel the heroines of their own retold ballads, with Jenny as Janet from "Tam Lin" and Isabel as Isabel from "Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight." I definitely want to have the chance to read the second ballad soon!
As with the ballad itself, Jenny and Tam Lin's relationship does seem to be an example of insta-love. Jenny only travels to Carterhaugh a few times and has brief conversations with Tam. Yet both of them (Jenny in particular) are able to sacrifice stability and their reputations for the love that quickly forms between them. While there's nothing wrong with their relationship, I found myself pairing Jenny with Tam Lin because I knew I was supposed to. And, I suppose, because Jenny's suitor William is clearly not right for her. I do think Jenny and Tam have the potential for a strong relationship, and hints of that are shown after they decide to ignore conventions and become intimate with one another. I just wish there was more focus in the book on the development in their relationship. Jenny goes from abstract curiosity/indignation over Tam's occupation of her tocher, to gratitude, to hurt, to love far too quickly, in my opinion.
An Earthly Knight reads like a very well-researched story. McNaughton is able to convincingly integrate several more recent Scottish ballads into the world of twelfth-century Scotland. The little details are what really make this story come alive.
With that in mind, how do I think An Earthly Knight fared? I consider it to be one of my favorite "Tam Lin" retellings. McNaughton's version remains pretty faithful to its origins. By using the core events that make a tale a "Tam Lin" retelling as a foundation, McNaughton is able to expand and detail a potential world for her Tam Lin and Janet. I also think that it simply works as a solid piece of historical fiction for those who do not necessarily care about the story's origins.
September 12, 2010
I picked this book up because of the cover and the title, and when I read the inside flap, it seemed like it would be a great book to read.
Turns out, it was. It was a little heavy on historical facts, but since I enjoy learning about 12th-century life in England, that was fine with me. I had never even heard of the "Tam Lin" ballad, so I certainly had no idea what the plot line of the book was going to be. I read other reviews of people who were disappointed that the plot line stuck so closely to the "Tam Lin" ballad because then there were no surprises for them, but that obviously wasn't a problem for me. :)
Jenny was very believable, with her mood swings and putting on airs when she thought she was going to be the sister-in-law to the king, and eventually growing up enough to realize that no matter who she married, she shouldn't be a brat. I also thought her self-centerdness (where, time after time, she didn't pay any attention to what her sister Isabel was thinking or wanting) very believable. Not a good trait, but a very believable trait.
I only gave four stars because to garner five stars, a book has to make me forget who I am and where I am at while I'm reading it. I have to forget that I have math homework, and that the laundry needs to be changed - the story I'm reading should drop me into a world so real, I never want to leave it. This book never reached that level of captivation for me. I enjoyed it, but I didn't fall madly in love with it.
Turns out, it was. It was a little heavy on historical facts, but since I enjoy learning about 12th-century life in England, that was fine with me. I had never even heard of the "Tam Lin" ballad, so I certainly had no idea what the plot line of the book was going to be. I read other reviews of people who were disappointed that the plot line stuck so closely to the "Tam Lin" ballad because then there were no surprises for them, but that obviously wasn't a problem for me. :)
Jenny was very believable, with her mood swings and putting on airs when she thought she was going to be the sister-in-law to the king, and eventually growing up enough to realize that no matter who she married, she shouldn't be a brat. I also thought her self-centerdness (where, time after time, she didn't pay any attention to what her sister Isabel was thinking or wanting) very believable. Not a good trait, but a very believable trait.
I only gave four stars because to garner five stars, a book has to make me forget who I am and where I am at while I'm reading it. I have to forget that I have math homework, and that the laundry needs to be changed - the story I'm reading should drop me into a world so real, I never want to leave it. This book never reached that level of captivation for me. I enjoyed it, but I didn't fall madly in love with it.
July 14, 2007
Ultimately disappointing fantasy about a teenage girl in the middle ages. I found it troubling that the main character acted with such little regard for her reputation, since her sister was "dishonored." Also included a maddening plot twist.
July 20, 2016
So the thing about writing a Tam Lin story is that if you stick exactly to the ballad's plot, you end up with an unrealistic book with one-dimensional characters, insta-love, and then, bam! A baby!
And the Earl William stuff was so over the top and so unnecessary.
Oh well.
And the Earl William stuff was so over the top and so unnecessary.
Oh well.
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November 12, 2023A blend of two folk ballads (accomplished here by making their respective heroines sisters) which seems to do exactly what it intends to do. In all fairness, I think I prefer recordings of the original ballads.
July 11, 2019
I loved everything except the romance. The romance was insta but the rest of the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding and especially the writing were amazing.
April 24, 2020
I honestly did not finish this! It was so slow and weird and the writing was just not good! I probably won't pick it up again.
September 19, 2017
This book is what introduced me to and made me fall in love with the story of Tam Lin. It also captured my imagination as a preteen (back when it first came out around 2003), and made me want to one day write my own retelling of Tam Lin.
That said, even as a teen I noticed there were some major problems with it.
One, despite Jeanette supposedly being sixteen, she doesn't really think or act like a sixteen-year-old. I'm pretty sure I read this when I was fourteen, and nothing about the way Jeanette thought or reasoned rang true. You could argue that it's medieval Scotland, and the responsibilities placed on young people would make them grow up faster, yadda yadda yadda. It just seemed really painful to me the the book was written by an adult, with an adult's take on the world.
Second, her romance with Tam Lin lacked any kind of chemistry. They just kind of meet, talk to each other a few times, and then declare they're madly in love with each other. Again, I felt the book really missed the "falling in love" part of falling in love, especially for a supposed sixteen-year-old. No butterflies in the stomach, no burning cheeks, no embarrassed laughs, no self-consciousness or trying to look your best in front of your crush; no missing the other person when they're away, no feeling elated when they're around. It just kind of felt like they were in love because they said they were in love. It didn't ring true.
Third, while I think the historical fiction part of the novel is its greatest strength, it can also be a tad inconsistent. For example, the plot kicks off when Jeanette's older sister runs off and disgraces the family, so her father suddenly bears the weight of finding a good match down on Jeanette, pressuring her to find an advantageous marriage to save the whole family from ruin.
SPOILER:
And then not only does she get pregnant out-of-wedlock, but she announces it to the entire king's court, ruining her own and her family's reputation forever. And despite the entire novel stressing how a ruined lady is a ruined family... she suffers no consequences for it. Everyone just kind of shrugs and goes, "Oh, well then you won't marry him." And the matter is dropped. She isn't shamed, she isn't banished from society, and her dad isn't all that mad despite how she screwed him over even worse than her sister did. After a whole novel of him pushing her to make up for her sister's mistake, he doesn't even to care all that much when Jeanette screws up worse than her sister.
That's not to say I'm against a medieval story about a girl getting knocked up, yet getting forgiven by her father and being able to obtain a happy ending despite it. It's just this doesn't follow the rules of the universe Janet McNaughton herself set up. You can't keep stressing that a ruined woman in this time would make a ruined family, and then have her announce it to everyone at the king's court and then have everyone just shrug and accept it. Even in the Ballad of Tam Lin it's only the people of her father's house who notice she's showing signs of pregnancy. Not only do they show considerably more consternation there than here, but there they have reason not to overreact about it since, if word got out beyond her father's castle, they'd ALL go down with her. Here, the entire king's court are not beholden to her, so they have no reason to just shrug and look the other away when she has a baby bump.
END SPOILER:
For what it is, the book is a decent bit of historical fiction and a solid introduction to the story of Tam Lin.
But all the aforementioned problems with it - Jeanette not being a convincing 16-year-old, Jeanette and Tam Lin's romance lacking chemistry, and the rules of the historical fiction being inconsistent, I have to knock two stars off it.
That said, even as a teen I noticed there were some major problems with it.
One, despite Jeanette supposedly being sixteen, she doesn't really think or act like a sixteen-year-old. I'm pretty sure I read this when I was fourteen, and nothing about the way Jeanette thought or reasoned rang true. You could argue that it's medieval Scotland, and the responsibilities placed on young people would make them grow up faster, yadda yadda yadda. It just seemed really painful to me the the book was written by an adult, with an adult's take on the world.
Second, her romance with Tam Lin lacked any kind of chemistry. They just kind of meet, talk to each other a few times, and then declare they're madly in love with each other. Again, I felt the book really missed the "falling in love" part of falling in love, especially for a supposed sixteen-year-old. No butterflies in the stomach, no burning cheeks, no embarrassed laughs, no self-consciousness or trying to look your best in front of your crush; no missing the other person when they're away, no feeling elated when they're around. It just kind of felt like they were in love because they said they were in love. It didn't ring true.
Third, while I think the historical fiction part of the novel is its greatest strength, it can also be a tad inconsistent. For example, the plot kicks off when Jeanette's older sister runs off and disgraces the family, so her father suddenly bears the weight of finding a good match down on Jeanette, pressuring her to find an advantageous marriage to save the whole family from ruin.
SPOILER:
And then not only does she get pregnant out-of-wedlock, but she announces it to the entire king's court, ruining her own and her family's reputation forever. And despite the entire novel stressing how a ruined lady is a ruined family... she suffers no consequences for it. Everyone just kind of shrugs and goes, "Oh, well then you won't marry him." And the matter is dropped. She isn't shamed, she isn't banished from society, and her dad isn't all that mad despite how she screwed him over even worse than her sister did. After a whole novel of him pushing her to make up for her sister's mistake, he doesn't even to care all that much when Jeanette screws up worse than her sister.
That's not to say I'm against a medieval story about a girl getting knocked up, yet getting forgiven by her father and being able to obtain a happy ending despite it. It's just this doesn't follow the rules of the universe Janet McNaughton herself set up. You can't keep stressing that a ruined woman in this time would make a ruined family, and then have her announce it to everyone at the king's court and then have everyone just shrug and accept it. Even in the Ballad of Tam Lin it's only the people of her father's house who notice she's showing signs of pregnancy. Not only do they show considerably more consternation there than here, but there they have reason not to overreact about it since, if word got out beyond her father's castle, they'd ALL go down with her. Here, the entire king's court are not beholden to her, so they have no reason to just shrug and look the other away when she has a baby bump.
END SPOILER:
For what it is, the book is a decent bit of historical fiction and a solid introduction to the story of Tam Lin.
But all the aforementioned problems with it - Jeanette not being a convincing 16-year-old, Jeanette and Tam Lin's romance lacking chemistry, and the rules of the historical fiction being inconsistent, I have to knock two stars off it.
April 7, 2024
I picked this book up at my local library because I usually love middle ages/historical fiction/fantasy books. I'd never read- or even heard of- the ballad of Tam-Lin, so I can't speak for how closely this book follows the original story.
PROS: This book was about knights, the middle ages, Scotland, and faeries, so those were all things originally going for it :)
I liked the main character, Jenny in the beginning of the book, but not at all during the middle, and while she improved at the end, I still didn't like her very much. There were other more endearing characters, including Jenny's brother, and Cospatric. Tam-Lin is also gentle, intelligent, and mostly likable.
CONS:
Jenny is dishonest throughout the book, especially during the middle. She knows exactly what she is doing.
Besides all the above, the ending of the book seems rushed. It didn't make enough sense, and I wished it was a little clearer. The author spent so much time leading up to this part, she could have spent more time actually writing it.
SUMMARY: I had hoped I would like this book, but there were too many things wrong with it. That seems to be the general takeaway from this book, that it doesn't matter what you DO, only what you FEEL. As long as you do what FEELS good, what you DO isn't really wrong. Even if it involves cheating, lying, hurting people, and putting others in danger. Jenny lies, is hurtful toward others, and But that's all okay, because she is trying to get what she wants. That's what really matters, right? (Just to clarify, NO, that is NOT right. But in this book, there are no repercussions for Jenny. Everything works out perfectly.)
PROS: This book was about knights, the middle ages, Scotland, and faeries, so those were all things originally going for it :)
I liked the main character, Jenny in the beginning of the book, but not at all during the middle, and while she improved at the end, I still didn't like her very much. There were other more endearing characters, including Jenny's brother, and Cospatric. Tam-Lin is also gentle, intelligent, and mostly likable.
CONS:
Jenny is dishonest throughout the book, especially during the middle. She knows exactly what she is doing.
Besides all the above, the ending of the book seems rushed. It didn't make enough sense, and I wished it was a little clearer. The author spent so much time leading up to this part, she could have spent more time actually writing it.
SUMMARY: I had hoped I would like this book, but there were too many things wrong with it. That seems to be the general takeaway from this book, that it doesn't matter what you DO, only what you FEEL. As long as you do what FEELS good, what you DO isn't really wrong. Even if it involves cheating, lying, hurting people, and putting others in danger. Jenny lies, is hurtful toward others, and But that's all okay, because she is trying to get what she wants. That's what really matters, right? (Just to clarify, NO, that is NOT right. But in this book, there are no repercussions for Jenny. Everything works out perfectly.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2009
I found this hard to get into at first but battled on and ended up really enjoying it. The plot wasn't particularly complex and the final showdown with the fairy queen was a bit anticlimactic, but the characters were well-rounded and believable and I liked the relationship between Jenny and Tam Lin.
Although I did think it a little odd that Jenny was so bent on sleeping with Tam the minute they discovered their mutual feelings for each other. Tam wanted to wait, but no, Jenny was determined - despite having just watched her sister Isabel being shamed and disgraced, stripped of her title and practically banished to a nunnery, not to mention emotionally destroyed, for doing the same sort of thing. True, Isabel's situation was a bit different, but Jenny didn't find that out until later.
Although I did think it a little odd that Jenny was so bent on sleeping with Tam the minute they discovered their mutual feelings for each other. Tam wanted to wait, but no, Jenny was determined - despite having just watched her sister Isabel being shamed and disgraced, stripped of her title and practically banished to a nunnery, not to mention emotionally destroyed, for doing the same sort of thing. True, Isabel's situation was a bit different, but Jenny didn't find that out until later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2023
This book was pretty good and it kept to the original ballad about Tam Lin pretty well. I could have done without a lot of the description of girly things such as dresses, bemoaning fated marriages and the like. Though it might just have bothered me because I have not read a book with a female protagonist for a long time. Other than that, the book was well-written and I enjoyed it.
March 24, 2009
This was one of those YA reads that was compelling enough to hold an adult chick's interest. I really like the melding of the medieval period with a hint of olde magic. It's a sweet love story with an ending you can see coming by a mile, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
March 24, 2009
Based on the Scottish legend of Tam Lin. Loved it.
July 14, 2017
Amazing book. Beautiful, magical, kept me wishing I had been born in another time.
March 3, 2018
Great beginning but then there was no character development which left the story lacking.
March 4, 2019
An Earthly Knight is the story of Lady Jeanette Avenel. Set in 12th century Scotland, Vicomte Avenel attempts to marry off his daughter to the Earl William, a prudish man who thinks only of himself. However, she falls in love with Tam Lin, a gentleman who has been taken by fairies. In this story, the protagonist, Jenny suffers through challenges as she tries to follow her heart.
I feel that McNaughton has done a good job recreating the ballads Tam Lin and Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight. It is historically accurate in its description, although I wouldn’t recommend it for learning purposes, because there is very little information about the Middle Ages. Besides the fairies, of course, everything is correct, but I believe more could be done to enhance the educational value of it.
I enjoyed the plot of the book, although it started off very slow. For the most part, it was easy to put down the book and stop reading it. I loved the description in natural settings including Carter Hall, the woodland, and their journeys on horseback. A factor I disliked was the over usage of words by the author, often in times that didn’t need description. For example, within a single conversation, the protagonist may have blushed 6 times.
It was a quick and easy read; a good way to pass time. The vocabulary was not challenging, besides certain titles for monarchs or those of religious worth. Out of ten, I’d give it a 7 1/2.
I feel that McNaughton has done a good job recreating the ballads Tam Lin and Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight. It is historically accurate in its description, although I wouldn’t recommend it for learning purposes, because there is very little information about the Middle Ages. Besides the fairies, of course, everything is correct, but I believe more could be done to enhance the educational value of it.
I enjoyed the plot of the book, although it started off very slow. For the most part, it was easy to put down the book and stop reading it. I loved the description in natural settings including Carter Hall, the woodland, and their journeys on horseback. A factor I disliked was the over usage of words by the author, often in times that didn’t need description. For example, within a single conversation, the protagonist may have blushed 6 times.
It was a quick and easy read; a good way to pass time. The vocabulary was not challenging, besides certain titles for monarchs or those of religious worth. Out of ten, I’d give it a 7 1/2.
February 4, 2021
This is an interesting Tam Lin in that it kicks off almost tongue-in-cheek adhering to the original ballad (e.g. Janet's father really does barge into his daughter's rooms bellowing I FORBID YOU TWO GIRLS TO GO TO CARTER HALL....TAM LIN'S HANGING AROUND THERE - I laughed), then spends a chunk of time going off in its own direction, to the point where I was like "oh, are we doing a whole new thing now?", and then....wham last 30% is straight back to the ballad, beat-by-beat.
I liked Jeanette, Isabel being the protagonist of her own side ballad was fun, Tam Lin himself was...fine. Didn't make much of an impression.
I liked Jeanette, Isabel being the protagonist of her own side ballad was fun, Tam Lin himself was...fine. Didn't make much of an impression.
August 22, 2018
Part fairy tale, part medieval fantasy, this book is based on the Scottish ballad "Tam Lin". The ballad is one of my favorites so the title "An Earthly Knight" caught my eye as it's a line from the poem. There was a little more history and a little less magic in McNaughton's retelling which initially put me off. Weaving in historical context is important and I enjoy it, but I'd rather have both the history and the magic!
I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy fairy tales and fantasies featuring strong women.
I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy fairy tales and fantasies featuring strong women.
November 28, 2021
Like The Perilous Gard, An Earthly Knight is a Tam Lin retelling featuring two sisters in a historical fantasy setting. And while I love The Perilous Gard, this book does not live up to expectations.
After his sister falls into disgrace, Jenny is thrust into the spotlight and encouraged to find a wealthy husband. And who better than the king's own brother? But there is another man she comes to know, young Tam Lin, who folks say is not quite right...
Overall, this is a very straightforward retelling for those who know the story well (no spoilers for those who don't). There are no twists, but there are an awful lot of storylines shoved in purely for lengthening the book - and alas, most are left unresolved (was there any reason for Adele's character?). Though Scotland was an interesting setting, there were way too many historical details info-dumped instead of being brought up in a natural way.
As for the characters, they are mostly flat - I liked Jenny at first, but although I understand it was for character reasons, she grew so irritating in the middle. Tam Lin was also just a magical pixie dream boy, who Jenny only meets about 3 times before deciding she is absolutely in love with him. Considering this is based on a romantic ballad, one would have thought there'd be more build up in the relationship, but unfortunately there was not.
Overall, this is has been the most disappointing Tam Lin retelling for me.
After his sister falls into disgrace, Jenny is thrust into the spotlight and encouraged to find a wealthy husband. And who better than the king's own brother? But there is another man she comes to know, young Tam Lin, who folks say is not quite right...
Overall, this is a very straightforward retelling for those who know the story well (no spoilers for those who don't). There are no twists, but there are an awful lot of storylines shoved in purely for lengthening the book - and alas, most are left unresolved (was there any reason for Adele's character?). Though Scotland was an interesting setting, there were way too many historical details info-dumped instead of being brought up in a natural way.
As for the characters, they are mostly flat - I liked Jenny at first, but although I understand it was for character reasons, she grew so irritating in the middle. Tam Lin was also just a magical pixie dream boy, who Jenny only meets about 3 times before deciding she is absolutely in love with him. Considering this is based on a romantic ballad, one would have thought there'd be more build up in the relationship, but unfortunately there was not.
Overall, this is has been the most disappointing Tam Lin retelling for me.
Read
January 7, 2025Another adaptation of The Ballad of Tam Lin (I need to start a bookshelf for these). The historical details of 12th century Scotland are very nicely done, though the story takes its time getting around to the events of the ballad.
June 4, 2020
This is really 3.5 but when the overriding thought after finishing a book is 'huh, okay, and I am glad I knocked off one of my many to read books' then 3 stars it is!
September 26, 2020
She's too naive for me. And the random shouting bothered me.
December 28, 2022
A tale of two sisters, their coming of age, and after acts of bravery, their finding true love in unexpected ways. Oh, and there are fairies as real as you and I.
April 2, 2023
Wouldn’t read again
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