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An Earthly Knight

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 873 ratings · 76 reviews

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 worr...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published February 15th 2005 by Harper Teen (first published March 2nd 2004)

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May 12, 2011 Josie rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of the Tam Lin story

Recommended to Josie by: Amazon Listmania

Shelves: historical, young-adult, books-i-own, swap

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 see...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Christey Foster rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 10, 2011 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy

This is probably 3.5 stars for me. The story was well-told and very well-researched, set in a fascinating historical setting about which I knew very little. I've always loved the Tam Lin ballad, and I enjoyed the characters and explanations McNaughton invented to flesh out the tale. However, my biggest beef with the book was that McNaughton's writing often seemed overly simplistic and lacked enough description to make me "feel" the story. Here's one example:

She told herself that the things flash

...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Hava rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: teenage girls who love medieval England

Shelves: children-ya-book, fiction-book

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 t...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Margaret rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-and-ya-fiction, fantasy-and-science-fiction, from-library, mythology-and-fairy-tales, tam-lin

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 ar...more

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Jan 09, 2009 Lara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-ya

2009 January 9 (view spoiler)...more

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Jun 30, 2009 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more 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.(less)

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May 17, 2012 Vanessa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Tam Lin spielt im mittelalterlichen Schottland. Hier suchen nocht die Eltern und die Abstammungslinien aus, wen man heiratet. Und nachdem Jennys geliebte Halbschwester die Ehre der Familie beschmutzt hat, nimmt Jenny ihren Platz als Hausherrin ein. Doch die sechszehnjährige Jenny ist nicht wie gewöhnliche Mädchen, sie reitet gerne im Wald, glaubt an Elfen und an die wahre Liebe. Im Wald trifft sie den überaus guttausehenden und besonders netten Jungen Tam Lin kennen. Gerüchte besagen das dies...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: legend_mythology, medieval

The author uses plenty of historically accurate words and terms in this book, such as "tocher" & "wee folk". But what annoys me is that she refers to "Halloween" as "Halloween", not "All Hallows Eve" which would be the correct historical term. (And she has a Ph.D. in folklore to boot.)
In addition I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the second half went downhill in chapter seventeen. The couple share some cheesy love talk which results with Jenny's selfish night with Tam Lin. I could of...more

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Jan 12, 2010 Jasmine rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 e...more

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Jul 14, 2007 Elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: already-read

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.

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Feb 20, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tales-and-fables, historical-fiction

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 appr...more 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. (less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Katherina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would give this book 3.5 stars. It was good but kind of confusing at the beginning(or I was really tired!) It was based on two ballads and the story was wonderful. The morals on the other hand bugged me. Part of that comes with the time period, but a high standing official of the church telling a father to beat his daughters did not stand well with me. There were also lots of religious terms and people that I did not understand and were not explained well. It was still very good and I liked Ta...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Jessie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this book in one day. I found the first 3/4 of the book such a perfect young adult historical fiction. I haven't read any books from this time period, so some of the descriptions were a little bit difficult. But I liked the love story and learning about the people. However, I deplored the last part of the book. I should have guess there would be magic and fairies. I am not a fan at all of the "unreal". But the part that made me the most mad is what the main character does that changes the...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: based-on-myth-saga-etc, fantasy, historical-fiction-alternatehistory

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 -...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Bookseller Cate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is at least my fourth time through this book and my third review of it. I've loved the story of Tam Lin (from an old Scottish ballad) since I was a little girl. I read it (with the "salacious" bits removed) in a book of fairy tales. At the time, all I knew what that the girl saved the boy, and there were gorgeously scary fairies.

I've read other retellings of Tam Lin, but I think this one will always be my favourite. Even after four readings, there are phrases and descriptions that make me c...more

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Feb 28, 2010 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy

Sixteen-year-old Lady Jeanette Avenel, called Jenny, is the younger daughter of a minor Norman nobleman. Because of this, she has enjoyed relative freedom while growing up on her family's estate in Scotland. But now that her sister has been disgraced, everything has changed. Suddenly, Jenny finds herself thrust into the role usually belonging to the eldest daughter, and is chosen as a potential bride for William de Warenne, the king's younger brother and heir. In spite of her upbringing, however...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Owl's Nest Bookstore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fledglings

- Slow beginning, but the beginning provided "good building blocks".
- Enjoyed from appearance of Tam Lin.
- Excellent retelling of "Tam Lin" and "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight".
- Enjoyed incorporation of historical figures and fiction.
- Enjoyed the bookending of both folkloric tales.
- McNaughton conveyed so much with so few words.
- The woods came to life in her description.
- McNaugton paints picture with broad strokes.

Votes averaged to 8.62 out of 10

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Oct 10, 2009 Tasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Tasha by: Marsjon

Fun read with an ending that can be tied up with a nice pink ribbon. Yes, I do prefer unambiguous endings. This is another fairytale...I love this genre! The story is set in the borderlands between England and Scotland, a place I love. I'm always partial to books with Scottish characters or locations after having lived in Edinburgh. It's a story of arranged marriages, faeries, knights and uncomfortable realities of 16th (?) century. It's a quick, fast read!

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Jul 24, 2010 Dreia rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young people

Recommended to Dreia by: Google

Better than the book 'Tam Lin' by Pamela Dean, which is also a treatment of the Scottish ballad.

I failed to be completely captivated, but I think the main issue with it is that I'm a 36 year old trying to read young adult fiction. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it twenty years ago. :)

Also, the main character is a total cliche... the plucky rebellious teenage girl who's somehow more "liberated" than most women of her time...

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May 17, 2013 Lisanicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

To this day An Earthly Knight is still one of my favourite stories. When I was younger the tie between a love story and history book really drew me in.
Even rereading this novel as an adult I can still appreciate the patience and detail Janet McNaughton put into the novel to tell the story of a brave lass who came to age in a world of men and ballads.

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May 29, 2009 Marleah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, sci-fi-fantasy, fairy-tale

I am not very familiar with the fairy tale of Tam Lin. It will be interesting to see how this author tells this fairy tale re-telling.

I liked it and after reading it I do vaguely remember this fairy tale. When Jenny finally saves Tam Lin it seemed a little rushed and not as climatic as I felt it should have been. I would give it 3.5 stars.

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Jan 30, 2009 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 14, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read a book by this author before (To Dance at the Palacis Royale) and really enjoyed it, so I visited her website to see if she had any other books. This one caught my attention by the description. I love fantasy books and this sounded amazing.

This is based on the ballad of Tam Lin, which I love, and Lady Isobel and the Elf Knight.

The plot was amazing, with twists and turns, I was always wondering what was going to happen. I couldn’t put it down until and I was finished and then I still didn...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Marika rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I love this book with a passion. When I first picked it up all my friends were recomending it, so I desided to give it a try. After I finished it(in 1 day), I went on the net to see If I could find any other books about Tam Lin and the ones I have found don't even come close to "Earthly Knight".

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Jun 14, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Throughout most of the book, I kept thinking to myself, where have I heard that name before? So it wasn't until the end that I realized that it was based on the ballad of Tam Lin, which made the ending more of a surprise than it would have been. I liked the details of Middle Age life.

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Nov 20, 2011 Hazel West rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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.

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Mar 18, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was actually the first book I read about Tam Lin, I never knew there were many retellings of Tam Lin and the faerie queene until after I finished the book. It was very interesting and one of my fave books when I was in high school.

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Feb 17, 2012 Linda Katzman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-stuff

Although jenny has always had her freedom, when her sister shames herself and the family by running off with a dangerous suitor, Jenny has to step in and try to take her place. Jenny tries her best to impress the king’s brother when she is chosen as a potential bride for him. Although it is exciting to attend the courtly functions, she is more interested in the mysterious Tam Lin, rumored to have been kidnapped by the fairies at a young age. He is living in the abandoned property that was to be...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is another good book from my middle school years that I loved and still really enjoy re-reading. There is just something about this type of story that I just can't get away from.

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About Janet McNaughton

Janet 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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