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Feb 02, 2009

Kristin rated it:

OK... I am loving this author and this Welsh Trilogy. Book Two starts up where the Here Be Dragons ends and completes the story of Llewelyn, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Joanna. The story then picks up with Llewelyn's sons and grandsons and their conflicts and turmoil as rulers of Wales. That story line runs parallel with the story of Simon de Montfort's rise to power. Simon is a French Nobleman who marries Eleanor (Nell) sister of King Henry III of England. Nell is also the Lady Joanna's h More...

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Apr 24, 2010

Richard rated it:

Falls The Shadow is the story of Simon de Montfort. Though I have read fairly widely in English history, it has been undisciplined and spotty. In fact, most of what I have learned about the 13th Century has come from Sharon Kay Penman---so I cannot say much about the accuracy of her characterization.

Still, a novel is not a history book and I must say that her characterization of de Montfort, his wife and Edward Long Shanks, the Prince about to be king was vivid, compelling and no More...

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Nov 17, 2011

Shannon rated it:

With the exception of a few authors, I've found most Historical fiction to be too factual and not dramatic enough. In cases where the drama was heavy, the facts are off (i.e. look at BRAVEHEART; great film but missing some Historical points, like the fact that the princess was about 7 or 8 at the time). Anyway, I know my standards are high but that's the way it is and that's why I'm very glad I've found Penman.
This tale centers around the power struggle between Earl Simon de Montfort, a tr More...

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Apr 05, 2011

Emma rated it:

I'll admit from the start that I read Falls the Shadow soon after The Sunne in Splendour; this book, while not bad, suffered by comparison. Besides, I can't read too much of one author too quickly without becoming annoyed by her quirks. That said, Falls the Shadow was something of a disappointment.

First the good. As always with Penman's books, I learned a lot. I knew little about the time period and this book brought it to life. The major players are excellently drawn: Henry III, Si More...

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Jul 16, 2010

Amanda rated it:

In "Falls the Shadow" Penman continues her trilogy of the turbulent times in Wales and England through the troubled thirteenth century.

We meet again characters introduced in a peripheral fashion in "Here Be Dragons" - the grandson of Llewelyn Fawr, also called Llewelyn; the sister of both Joanna and Henry III of England, Eleanor often called Nell; and Elen, daughter of Llewelyn Fawr and Joanna.

This tale takes us back to just before the death of Joanna - a More...

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Aug 11, 2011

Helen rated it:

A re-read, first read this as a teenager. In fact, I suspect Mum thinks she owns the copy I have. Kind of the middle of a trilogy, but they stand alone pretty well. Follows the life & times of 2 amazing men, Simon de Montfort & Llewelyn ap Gruffyd, grandson of Llewelyn the great. The characters are all clearly defined and brought to dazzling life, their strengths and weaknesses laid bare. The conflict between Simon and the King over his leadership (or lack of it). It is so clearly depicted that More...

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Feb 19, 2009

Sidhe1 rated it:

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

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Jun 17, 2008

Dora rated it:

I think Sharon K. Penman is the best historical fiction writer. I cannot imagine the amount of time she spends on research. She does not falter in historical facts, she does her homework well. Yet her books flow easily, are extremely well written and interesting. The characetrs are real, human and so is the medival world that she writes about.

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Aug 21, 2009

Mary rated it:

I am so excited! I finished HERE BE DRAGONS months ago and was hungry for more Sharon Kay Penman but didn't have any $$$. Now working on fun Kansas / Mennonite hist.-fiction project and have a little $$ so found FALLS THE SHADOW on eBaY for cheap AND IT GOT HERE TODAY and now I won't get anything else done all afternoon....
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LATER... One does not read a Penman book in one sitting... which just adds to the joy. One has both the anticipation and the actual pleasure of More...

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Jul 28, 2011

Mirah rated it:

I think my mistake was reading this immediately after Here Be Dragons. I loved HBD but I found myself getting bogged down about half way through Falls the Shadow. I was very interested in the beginning of FTS but then I felt the battles, back and forth between England and France, broken promises, and family disputes got a bit old. Penman's writing style was up to par but I just had a difficult time wading through the second half of the book. I felt engaged again in the last few chapters whic More...

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Nov 25, 2009

Marita rated it:

This book really struck a cord with me. It is a continuation of the historical tale of Wales/England/France story 1231-1267. Simon de Montford must have been a remarkable individual. Penman did such a wonderful job on making the plight of the common people belivable and heartfelt. I cried in several places. :) Highlights for me were descriptions of sickneses and how would it be to try deal with them and the plight of the jews. I have to admit, I was not fully aware that other rulers than Hitler More...

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Feb 04, 2011

Cheri rated it:

I read this as a follow-up to my beloved Here Be Dragons (as there are few Sharon Kay Penman novels that you can get on Kindle ;( ). Even though I adored Simon de Montfort, I could not get into this book. I put it aside numerous times. I barely made it to the end, and I think it was because most of the characters are dreadful people. The king is wishy-washy, there is little time in the book spent in Wales, the sons of nearly every character are morally bankrupt, and the wives of everyone (except More...

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Dec 17, 2011

Shannon rated it:

I just love how Sharon Kay Penman is able to bring real historical characters to life and envision what their personal lives and exchanges between them would've been like. She can make a great (and educational!) story out of it. I did like Here Be Dragons more than Falls the Shadow because in Falls the Shadow a huge chunk of the middle of the book is relentless Second Baron's War with no changes of pace or concentration. (Or maybe it just felt that way because I read it so quickly?) I kept f More...

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Sep 22, 2010

Kelly rated it:

I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as all the others, but I did enjoy it. I was a little upset because it wasn't so much about the Welsh Princes as I had hoped. I have to admit that I new nothing about any of the characters in the book. I think the character of Simon de Montfort is extroadinary. He really was the first person to try to limit the powers of the Kings of England, and he almost succeeded. I think the only thing he misjudged was the common people of England. Yes, the Provis More...

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Oct 30, 2009

Pam rated it:

I started this book immediately after finishing the first in the trilogy, Here Be Dragons. It took me longer to read this one due to a schedule that didn't allow much time for pleasure reading, but that didn't diminish the power of Ms. Penman's narrative. As in Here Be Dragons, Ms. Penman delivers all one could ask for in a work of historical fiction -- an accurate accounting of historical events, amazing insight into the hearts and minds of her characters, and scenes that draw you in so compl More...

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Sep 22, 2011

Helen rated it:

I can't praise Sharon Kay Penman highly enough! As regards her work, it almost doesn't feel like reading a novel but rather a transportation into another long ago world - I feel like I'm there in the background of every scene watching characters interact and events unfold. This world she creates is so real, solid and deep; it's three dimensional. Her novels are 'meaty'!! 'Falls the Shadow', the story of rebellious Earl, Simon de Montfort, is no different. It is rich in detail, beautifully writte More...

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Mar 28, 2011

Karen rated it:

If Sharon Kay Penman were a history teacher, there would be no grumbling about boring history lessons. She beautifully and vividly brings the people and times to life and creates suspense and interest in the politics of the thirteenth century.

This is a story of two different historical characters from the 13th century: Llywelyn ap Gryffydd , Prince of Wales and Simon de Montfort. Both of these men craved power and political connections; however they were very different people.
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May 30, 2010

Carol rated it:

I've read two of Penman's other books: Here Be Dragons and The Sunne in Splendor, both of which I enjoyed greatly. In fact, it was the former that gave me my fascination with Wales and is probably the reason I went there for my honeymoon, since the book was as much the story of a marriage as anything else. Falls the Shadow continues more or less where Here Be Dragons left off, at least historically. However, Falls the Shadow is less involved with Wales, following instead Simon de Montfort and hi More...

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Feb 09, 2009

Lauren rated it:

Sharon Kay Penman seemed undecided about what book she wanted to write in Falls the Shadow. As part of the Welsh trilogy, Wales was a bit player for much of the novel, largely the second half. In the first half of the novel, we see the deaths of Llewellyn Fawr and Princss Joanna of Wales. We also see the struggle for power between Llewellyn and Joanna's son Davydd and his brother Gruffydd for control of Wales and ultimately Gruffydd's son Llewellyn (Llello). Simulataneously, Penman weaves in More...

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May 12, 2009

Meagan rated it:

4.5 Stars. I love Penman's style of writing and plan on eventually reading all of her books. I was reading this and no. 2 in the Outlander series at the same time and Falls the Shadow definitely has more of a historical feel about it compared to Gabaldon's style which is heavier on the fiction and romance.

Falls the Shadow is the sequel to Here Be Dragons, which happens to be one of my favorite books. Where Dragons dealt more with Wales, Shadow still incorporated the Welsh into More...

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Jun 02, 2009

Suze rated it:

I get so involved with books that are part of a series (meaning the characters or their progeny are detailed throughout the series) that I truly hate to see them end. It's like saying goodbye to friends! Luckily, there's one more book to read in this trilogy.

I have learned so much about English kings and their constant battle with the Welsh (and each other) in the middle ages. Penman's attention to historical details is amazing and I most certainly appriciate it. I love books that te More...

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Feb 06, 2009

Mandy rated it:

Falls the Shadow is only slightly less brilliant than it's prequel, Here Be Dragons. Penman's attention to detail and historical accuracy is such a pleasure to read. Her characters are so vivid that they seem to live and breath right next to you. The writing is so beautiful that at times it reads like poetry. This is a book that I couldn't stop thinking about. It's fast paced and engaging, thought provoking and tear-jerking, swoon-worthy and heart breaking. I can't say enough good things a More...

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Mar 11, 2009

Lori rated it:

Although I loved "Sunne in Splendour" more, this was a fantastic book. The table of books I EXPECTED to read are sitting alone on a table while I run to the library and get the next in this series.

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Sep 27, 2010

Jackbird2 rated it:

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

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Sep 10, 2011

Caroline rated it:

This is the second in Sharon Penman's Wales trilogy, although this one deals more with England and the Second Barons' War between Simon de Montfort and Henry III than it does with Llewelyn and Wales.

Again, I love this book. Simon is one of my historical heroes, the father of parliamentary democracy, and it always makes me sad when I get the end of the book and his death at the Battle of Evesham. I always dread it coming, even though, you know, it happened 700-odd years ago!

Sh More...

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Jan 13, 2011

Linda is currently reading it

awesome book, well worth the 600 plus pages. Sharon does so well with a combination of gritty war and passion of politics and sex, nothing too soap operish at all because the main focus of the struggle of democracy in its middle age infancy is never lost. The hero, Simon de Montfort, sure was a mix of passion hot temper, a devoted family man, and oh yeah, he betrayed his own king - too bad he lost his life but his quest for democracy was not dead. We have much to thank him for today.

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Jan 06, 2012

F. added it

This is the second of the Welsh Princes Series. It is the story of one of England’s worst kings, King Henry III, and Simon de Montford, a Frenchman who became an Earl and married the King’s sister. Montfort is a principled and noble man of great courage. He almost epitomizes the legends of the chivalrous knight in shining armor while the king is portrayed as a weak, spoiled child prone to temper tantrums. With the fate of the entire country at stake, these two men will match wits and arms.

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May 07, 2009

Michal rated it:

I can't remember the last time that I read a 600 page book so quickly. I was engrossed from chapter 1, as the characters were carried over from "Here Be Dragons," the first in the trilogy. Fabulous historical fiction, this book is exciting, heartbreaking, and artfully illustrates many of the issues facing 13th century England and Wales. I finished last night and am picking up book 3 at the library today.

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Jan 24, 2009

Lydia rated it:

I liked the first book a bit more simply because Llewelyn and Joanna's relationship seemed more intimately connected to the reader, whereas Simon and Nell's relationship in this book didn't have the same roots. Still, the last half of the book redeemed itself and I found myself crying repeatedly as I read about historic events.

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Feb 11, 2012

Terri rated it:

I read this trilogy, so I am just going to comment on all three, here. I love the writing of Sharon Kay Penman, she truly brings her characters to life. After reading these books, I had to search them all on the internet and see if I could find any other bits of info. So interesting. Definate read if you are into this kind of reading!

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