Sign in with Facebook
Chris's Reviews > The Greatest Knight
The Greatest Knight (William Marshal, #2)
by Elizabeth Chadwick (Goodreads Author)
by Elizabeth Chadwick (Goodreads Author)
Chris's review
bookshelves: lit-english, kindle-freebie, historical-fiction-med-ren
Mar 11, 11
bookshelves: lit-english, kindle-freebie, historical-fiction-med-ren
Read from March 08 to 11, 2011 — I own a copy
I owe Chadwick an apolgy. I've been aware of her for a while, mostly though GRFs but I have been somewhat wary of picking up her books. This is not due to distrust on the part of my GRFs reviews, but more with knowledge that my tolerance of romantic fiction is, currently, very, very, very, very low. And some of the covers of Chadwick's books look a bit too romancy I'm the same way with Urban Fantasy. You know what's it like, you've been burnt by false book advertising before, and you know you're going to be burnt again.
Well, for a day Amazon offer this free for the Kindle(as well asFor the King's Favor), and I couldn't beat the price.
After reading this book, I'm glad I picked up King's Favor, and in fact, brought To Defy a King for kindle (it was on sale for under $4).
This was a good book. Yes, it has romance in it, but it is historic fiction first. So none of that "OMG myrapist husband is such a virile lay that I'll overlook the whole rape issue because after all, women are just begging for it".
I HATE novels that use that. I'm not done with the whole censorship thing, I thinnk burning books is evil, but honestly if any books should be burned it's those.
This isn't one of those. In many ways, it is a good character study of William Marshall (played by John Hurt in the latest Robin Hood) and who served four kings in his life time. This book chronicles his early years, focusing more on his raise to power.
His romantic lead isn't introduced until the second half of the book. Isabelle de Clare is not your weak willed ninny. She is just as interesting a character as her husband. They are team.
There is plently of swording fighting and jousting (but did anyone besides me miss the detailed story of Eleanor and her broods' rebellion). I suppose William seems to much of a saint (honestly, I just want to get the later books just to see how Chadwick handles the whole Niccola de Hay issue).
Good historical fiction reading.
Well, for a day Amazon offer this free for the Kindle(as well asFor the King's Favor), and I couldn't beat the price.
After reading this book, I'm glad I picked up King's Favor, and in fact, brought To Defy a King for kindle (it was on sale for under $4).
This was a good book. Yes, it has romance in it, but it is historic fiction first. So none of that "OMG my
I HATE novels that use that. I'm not done with the whole censorship thing, I thinnk burning books is evil, but honestly if any books should be burned it's those.
This isn't one of those. In many ways, it is a good character study of William Marshall (played by John Hurt in the latest Robin Hood) and who served four kings in his life time. This book chronicles his early years, focusing more on his raise to power.
His romantic lead isn't introduced until the second half of the book. Isabelle de Clare is not your weak willed ninny. She is just as interesting a character as her husband. They are team.
There is plently of swording fighting and jousting (but did anyone besides me miss the detailed story of Eleanor and her broods' rebellion). I suppose William seems to much of a saint (honestly, I just want to get the later books just to see how Chadwick handles the whole Niccola de Hay issue).
Good historical fiction reading.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read The Greatest Knight.
sign in »
Comments (showing 1-7 of 7) (7 new)
date
newest »
newest »
Part of the trouble with Marshall is that I don't think there is a lot of documentation readily available, aside from the commissioned biography by his family and so it's pretty necessary to fill in some of the blanks with hocus pocus if you're writing historical fiction. Researching the 12th century only gets you so far.
Most what we know about Marshall comes from the Lay (the tale, song, saga) that Chadwicke mentions in the back of this book. Terry Jones, for instance, who is a pretty relible historian refers to it in his Medieval Lives.As for Hocus Pocus, I think it depends upon the type. I remember once seeing a book about King Arthur and Guinevere. It was remained. After reading the back, I could see why. It was suppose to be the true story, which the author knew because she was Guinevere in a past life. (Really? then she should have known Lancelot was a French add on). (And not to dismiss past life belief, but how come people are always famous in their past lives?)
A series that I enjoyed where William Marshal plays a recurring part, is in the Crowner John mysteries by Bernard Knight. This is in his later years where he's putting out fires in Ireland and trying to control rebellion backed by Prince John.
Chadwick believes something not far from that - she has a friend who can "see back into the past". There's a blog post on her website where she and this "Akashic Record Consultant" interview John Marshal, William's father. Literally.The Bernard Knight mysteries sound interesting, Anita. I'll have to check them out. I've enjoyed William Marshal's part in Sharon Kay Penman's novels about Henry & Eleanor, and I've read Georges Duby's book about him.
Then I read an interview of the author, where she disclosed that one of her research techniques is... well, I'll be polite and say it's hocus pocus. I've since been reluctant to pick up another of her books.
It's fiction, so why do I care if the author credits her imagination or believes that her inspiration comes from the hocus pocus? But when I read historical fiction, where the author has a reputation for being reasonably historically accurate, it bothers me that she's so gullible.
I should really stop reading those interviews and just enjoy the work for what it is. Like with movies, where you have to ignore the fact that half the people on the screen are Scientologists. :)