This novel is based on the true life story of William Marshal, who served at least four kings--three of whom were the sons of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. While William is a Dudley-Do-Right Knight with altogether too few flaws and a stoicism that keeps him at an arm's length from the reader, he's not without his charm. His story is so full of twists and turns, one might feel tempted to accuse the author of making it up out of whole cloth, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. The characters are interesting, even if it's still difficult to wrap one's head around a royal family that gets together at Christmas time, but goes to war with each other in the off seasons. The dialog in this book isn't quite "Lion in Winter" but it was almost always enjoyable and sometimes brilliant.

As for the author, I envy her talent--and her restraint. The temptation to sensationalize some of the salacious details of William's life must have been a siren song, but she seems to prize understatement. For some, that might make this book a dull chronicle of someone's life, but I set aside my love of melodrama and found it quite enjoyable.

I learned quite a bit about this period of history in a pleasant way, which is the highest praise I can give. I'll be looking for the next books in the series, since William is remarkably long-lived given the danger of his life and times, and seems to have his thumb in everything.