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Oct 20, 2011

Cassy rated it:

I used to have a rule: You will read at least fifty pages before you decide to quit a book.

Then a few years ago, I vowed to completely finish every book I start. The unintended consequence of this stricter policy is that my “currently-reading” shelf exploded. I am up to thirteen books – most of which I lost interest in a few months (or even a year) ago, but feel pressure to pick back up. Honestly, looking at that shelf fills me with dread.

Just when I was considering reve More...

14 comments like (20 people liked it)

May 09, 2008

Lucy rated it:

I love to read other people's favorite books. Amy M. recommended this to me, although I don't think she described it as her favorite. Just a book she had read a long time ago that she remembered loving. Having never even heard of it before, I pulled out my super reading powers and gave it a whirl.

First, this is NOT an easy read. The edition I checked out contained more than 700 thin pages of small print. Second, it's historical fiction about a time in history I had no prior knowledge More...

1 comment like (18 people liked it)

Jan 03, 2009

Kristin rated it:

How refreshing it was to read this book after the dreadful The Virgin's Lover. Here is well-written, wonderful, historical fiction at it's best!! Sharon Kay Penman is a fantastic author and she took me to a time and place that I haven't read much about...13th Century Wales.

The book tells the story of Llewelyn, the Prince of North Wales, and his rise to power and fame as Llewelyn the Great and his great love, Joanna, the illegitimate daughter of King John. In the quest for Wales Llewe More...

1 comment like (6 people liked it)

Jun 16, 2008

Annalisa rated it:

Although it took me 3 weeks to read this novel, I actually really enjoyed it. Unlike other historical fiction that seemed more fantasy that truth, I had a hard time pulling apart what was fiction and what was fact translated into dialogue. I believed these characters, that Penman selected personalities that were the obvious choice and the scenes could have very easily taken place.

Despite a time period anchored and defined by war, Penman does a good job of giving you a few snippets o More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 14, 2007

Anneliese added it

It has taken me a month to read all 700 pages. I haven't taken that long to read a book since The Lord of the Rings trilogy. At first I wasn't really impressed with it. It wasn't getting to the romance quick enough for me and it was a little confusing to remember all of the characters. It also was a little disturbing to have older men marrying very young women. Most of them were still girls. Eventually, I wrapped my mind around it. My friend Jill told me the romance between Llewelyn and Joanna w More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 30, 2011

Rio (Lynne) rated it:

This book was so packed with years of information where do I begin with a review?
First all of I was excited when the book came in the mail and it was a version I had not seen. I loved the cover and the fact that it was the imported paperback. I know this has nothing to do with the writing, but I'm a sucker for a nice cover.
When you read this book, you need a quiet corner with no distractions. You need to be able to emerge yourself into Penman's saga to enjoy it to it's fullest. Th More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 06, 2009

Barbara rated it:

Let's just say I lost sleep to keep reading this page-turner of a historical novel. Set in England, Wales, and France, and starring the aristocracy and royal families of the late 1100's and early 1200's. The main story line surrounds Joanna, a daughter of John I of England. Most of us remember him as Robin Hood's nemesis... Robin supported John's brother Richard Lionheart. But old Robin's not in this tale. It's told from a wholly different viewpoint.

A co-worker recommended this More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Jan 15, 2009

Mandy rated it:

I can't say enough good things about this book.
Sharon Kay Penman is absolutely amazing. The characters in Here be Dragons live and breath like I would never have thought possible for people that died almost 800 years ago. Almost all of the major characters are factually based, and Penman says that she also cast her secondary characters from real-life molds. Maintaining historical accuracy in how these people thought, spoke and lived makes their vivid reality even more amazing. There are More...

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2008

Smokey rated it:

Here be Dragons is a novel based on the events and important figures of Wales, England, Scotland, and France from ~1180 - 1240AD. This telling of the reign of King John of England and the ascendancy of Prince Llewellyn of Wales (and his political marriage to John's illegitimate daughter) winds its way through many pivotal events in history, including the signing of the Magna Charta, and the loss of English holdings in northeastern France to King Phillip. The book even touches on the crusade of R More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 04, 2010

Shelbi rated it:

Surprisingly enough, I was able to find this (semi) rare book in my scant city library, and it was completely worth it.

At first, I had a real problem 28 year old men marrying 12/14 year olds, but after I got over it, I became completely engrossed in the book. I love being able to make English connections and this swashbuckling novel is no exception. It features King Richard the Lionheart and his "cowardly" brother King John. The more I read about John Plantagenet, the more More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

May 28, 2009

Ikonopeiston rated it:

I did not like this as well as "Sunne" mainly because of its incoherence. There is a lack of focus which seems to rise out of the material itself. The story wanders back and forth with neither side earning my allegiance. I did not like Joanna at all. She is a bit of a liar and a fool, not a proper follower to Eleanor of Aquitaine. I fear I am not really all that fond of great love stories and do not believe in happy ever after. I am sorry for this; I had looked forward to other More...

11 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 01, 2009

Alisonleonard1 rated it:

LOVE this author- Just discovered her- She is a truly amazing historical fiction writer. If you like stories of the English/Normal/Wales/French drama of the 13th and 14th century and even some centuries before and after, she is a great find.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 05, 2009

Kathryn rated it:

Wow. What a book!
To be honest, this book took me about a month to plod through. The difficult names and interweaving of families made the characters a bit difficult to keep straight, and the 700 paged tiny typed aspect didn't help. That being said, this is truly a beautiful book written about 1300 England and Wales. The book carefully balances historical fact with compelling plot points without tying the book to boring battles or bogging it down in overly graphic romance. The last 200 More...

5 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 21, 2009

Heidi rated it:

This book is not for those who are looking for a bit of light reading. It's a tome, but a really good one. And although it is categorized as historical romance, it's not one of those fluffy, "damsel in distress is rescued by the big, husky pirate/cowboy/warrior" novels. It's steeped in real history. Most of the characters were real people. Most of the key events really happened. And the two principle characters were believed to have truly shared a passionate, enduring romance. S More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 21, 2012

Camie rated it:

First off, it took me six months to finish Here Be Dragons. You read me right. It feels decievingly light, small enough to fit in a handbag. Although it couldn't be construed as a "light" read—all you have to do is flip through to realize that it's quite substantial—this book reads heavy.

Penman chronicles the lives of Llewelyn the Great of Wales and King John of England. These two leaders connect themselves through the marriage of John's illegitamite daughter, Joanna, to the More...

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Nov 17, 2011

Shannon rated it:

Most medieval fiction, other than Follet's PILLARS OF THE EARTH, fell short of my expectations so I never went out of my way to read much in the genre. But then, a few different people recommended Penman, I tried her out and she's now on my list of authors worthy of reading!
Here are some good reasons to read Penman:

(1) EVOCATIVE IMAGERY: the words flow with apparent ease, opening the reader's mind to a new world; you can see this mentioned in some of the more popular reviews be More...

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Apr 06, 2011

Emma rated it:

I usually shy away from historical fiction starring real people, finding that such books are often dry--that, or widely derided for inaccuracy. This is one of those rare books that is neither, that is thoroughly researched but never reads like biography; the characters and their inner lives and relationships are fleshed out in a way that would make any novelist proud.

Here Be Dragons spans 51 years of Welsh and English history (from 1183 to 1234), focusing on the lives of three main More...

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Jan 05, 2011

Karen rated it:

This is a great story that really pulls you into the 12th and 13th century Wales. There are a lot of characters in the beginning of this book, but keep reading and they will all cross paths. There is a lot of political upheaval, intrigue, deception and fighting in and among royal families of modern day Wales, England and France. The country lines were not that defined in those days and there were constant battles to keep possession of castles and the lands they controlled.

The four ma More...

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Jul 16, 2010

Amanda rated it:

This work is a sweeping historical epic concerning Llewelyn Fawr - the first self-proclaimed Prince of Wales - and his enduring love affair with Joanna, the illegitimate daughter of John, King of England. The book covers the period between 1183 and 1234, and deals in both micro and macro events. We see the world not only in terms of the major historical events that shaped that period of time but also from the point of view of characters in terms of their own relationships.

The character More...

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Nov 12, 2009

Margaret rated it:

Here Be Dragons is the first in Sharon Kay Penman's Wales trilogy, which follows the ruling families of Wales in the thirteenth century, a turbulent era for the small country on the borders of England, as their princes fought to protect Welsh independence from the encroaching English. Llewelyn ap Iorwerth makes an uneasy truce with King John of England by agreeing to marry John's illegitimate daughter Joanna, who is initially reluctant to marry Llewelyn and go to a land of which she knows nothin More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 14, 2009

Kevin rated it:

This book was ridiculously good. I picked it up because every review I saw was gushy and I wanted to be able to stick it to all the believers, but now I find that I'm joining their ranks. I'm not someone who loves historical fiction -- or at least I thought I wasn't -- but maybe I am because I enjoyed this from the first to the last. It's an absorbing account of the lives of Llewelyn and Joanna -- he perhaps the greatest of the Welsh princes and she an extraordinary woman who ruled by his sid More...

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Aug 01, 2009

Mary rated it:

It isn't easy to keep track of English royalty, but reading good historical fiction helps a lot. For example, I learned, and will probably even remember, that bad King John (called LACKLAND, because he managed to lose most of the English territories in France) wasn't THOROUGHLY bad, and that he was the brother of Richard the Lion-Hearted, who was probably gay, who didn't speak English, and who spent most of his time either fighting wars or raising money for them; and that their mother, Eleanor o More...

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Aug 10, 2009

Zoe rated it:

This is hands down my favorite book. Ever.

It is multi-layered. On the one hand it's about the power struggle between England and Wales in the 1200s. On the other hand it's about the relationship between Joanna (illegitimate daughter of King John) and Llewelyn (prince of Wales).

I have never read a book with better characterization. The people are real and complex. There isn't a bad guy, per se, and that adds to the reality. You can always see the situations through every More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 04, 2010

Andrea rated it:

This is one of my all time favorites. It is the first in Sharon Kay Penman's trilogy of the 12th and 13th century Welsh princes known as Llewelyn The Great and his grandson, Llewelyn ap Gruffydd or Llewelyn The Last who united their people to fight for independence from English rule. Ms. Penman's meticulous historical research and her ability to make the reader feel they are in the room listening to history unfold is just addictive. I have always been an Anglophile, but knew nothing of Welsh More...

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Nov 02, 2009

Autumn rated it:

If you are looking for a light-hearted beach read, this book is not for you. If, however, you need something to occupy you during a voyage to the Andromeda Galaxy and back, this is a perfect fit.

I consider myself to be a fast and comprehensive reader, but even I found myself back-tracking, double-checking names and dates, sometimes floating mid-paragraph not sure in what setting the scene I was reading was taking place. This is a book for serious-minded buffs of English/Norman/We More...

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May 11, 2009

Raya rated it:

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

1 comment like

Mar 21, 2011

Ashley rated it:

Okay, I was a very diligent reader for the first 200 pages or so. I was thoroughly intrigued in the story of Richard and Prince John and Llewellyn. But then the romantic story entered, and I couldn't help myself! I loved, loved, loved, reading about Llewellyn and Joanna!!! And I couldn't get enough of it! I found myself skimming ahead just to find out when I would see them again in the book, but then I would start reading those parts! And then I had to be firm with myself and force myself to r More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 19, 2009

Lori rated it:

As a fan of historical fiction and the "Outlander" series in particular, I had high hopes for this book. The title jumped out at me in the library and I snagged it without really reading the fly leaf.

I loved it. I lost a lot of much-needed sleep reading "just one more chapter" and was entertained and educated at the same time. I had a little trouble with the Welsh (can I please buy a vowel???) and am usually irritated with books where my reading is clumsy becau More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 10, 2010

Ruth rated it:

Wow! This book is exceptional as far as historical fiction goes. It brings brought to life the struggle of a young woman living in a foreign land, caught between her love for two men that are at war with each other: her husband and her father. One a great man, a Welsh hero; the other a much despised ruler, cruel and merciless to those who stand against him.

I loved reading about the notorious King John from the perspective of a much loved daughter. We hear about his atrocities but More...

3 comments like

Dec 29, 2010

Barbara rated it:

This really was a great book. I loved learning about life in the 13th century and the differences between Wales and England. I couldn't believe that the neverending wars were such commonplace and matter of fact. So many things about their way of life intrigued me. The different laws between Wales and England, the way they viewed women, marriage, society, betrayal, etc. My heart went through some serious highs and lows with these fabulous characters. I woke up thinking about them. I cried with th More...

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