The Lionheart's Bride: An enthralling Medieval adventure

by Austin Hernon

A new page-turning Medieval saga awaits! Perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, Robyn Young, Alison Weir and Anthony Riches.

Will Berengaria capture her king’s heart…?

1191

Eleanor of Aquitaine sets her sights on Berengaria, Princess of Navarre as a potential bride for her son, Richard the Lionheart.

Richard is determined to make his mark crusading, and might not return, so Eleanor is keen to see an heir on the way to stop his feckless younger brother John from inheriting the kingdom.

Richard is not averse to his mother’s plans for the succession, but his priority lies in fulfilling his reputation as an indomitable warrior.

Berengaria is charmed by the prospect of travelling to a distant land to marry a handsome king of a distant land but she finds she has to accompany Eleanor in a race across Europe to catch her elusive bridegroom.

War on land, storms at sea, and the risk of alienating a conniving Pope go only some way to preparing Berengaria for life with the crusading Lionheart.

Will Richard’s blood-fuelled ambition be compatible with the husband Berengaria dreams of? Can she make her mark under Eleanor’s wing?

Or will she find her new life to be a lot more than she bargained for…?

The Lionheart’s Bride is the first historical novel in The Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy. Early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

THE BERENGARIA OF NAVARRE MEDIEVAL TRILOGY
BOOK The Lionheart’s Bride
BOOK The Abandoned Queen

Genres: Medieval, Historical Fiction

222 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2023

About the author

I was born in turbulent times, hence I suppose that the state of the world, not having altered much in my lifetime, should be considered 'normal'. So I very much get on with it.

I have had a mostly military life, joining the Sea Cadets at fifteen, then progressing into the Royal Marine Reserve until I joined the regular Army at aged twenty. There I remained until I retired twenty three years later, wiser and creaking somewhat, but well travelled.

After that I managed transport networks for British Telecom and The Post Office before retiring for the last time - until now, that is; who needs retirement anyway, it usually ends in death and I'm not ready yet.

Reviews

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited to read this book because Queen Berengaria is not a person who is written about very often. Unfortunately this book just missed the mark. It primarily focused on her long and very tedious journey to meet up with Richard for her marriage. The problem is that it just wasn't all that eventful and thus makes for lackluster reading. There is a second book to be published in February and perhaps this book should have been shorter and combined with the next one which hopefully will be better. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read The Lionheart's Bride as I enjoy reading about lesser known historical figures, especially women like Berengaria of Navarre, the wife of Richard the Lionheart of England. But I couldn't get past the writing. It was very conversational and more like a travel diary than an historical adventure or romance. Some historic facts were there but there was no depth to the story, you could have substituted any names for Berengaria and Eleanor of Aquitaine and it wouldn't have changed the plot that much.

[Maddy McGlynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1191, Princess Berengaria embarks on a journey across the world to meet and wed Richard the Lionheart. The only problem is, Richard has already embarked on his crusade and she has to catch up.

Having read the book over just three days, safe to say I quite enjoyed this one. It’s a lighter read than I initially expected, but it is an entertaining piece of historical fiction set in one of my favourite eras.

Despite having a difficult name to pronounce (blame history, not the author), Berengaria is immediately established as a strong, sarcastic and humorous woman who takes everything in her stride. She’s likeable and identifiable and I enjoyed reading her story told through her eyes. She’s supported with a wide range of characters, from the fearsome Eleanor of Acquitaine, Princess Joan (Eleanor’s daughter), her maids and various priests, lords and earls.

The plot is fast-paced from the start, with every chapter introducing a new place like the island of Cyprus, Pisa, or the towering walls of Carcassone. The plot helps set the novel as a journey and shows the reality of travelling across the world in Medieval times, without planes, trains or cars. There are battles of wit and steel, ship storms and strong women clashing. There are also calmer moments throughout; such as relaxation in the baths, travelling and waiting for the next leg of the journey.

The Lionheart’s Bride is definitely driven by action and pace rather than description. The author tends to use generic terms such as “food” and “gowns” rather than go into a lot of detail. This would have brought the period into focus more strongly, akin to other historical fiction works. However, the author still managed to immerse the reader into the past.

Whilst this wasn’t a stand-out novel for me, it was very enjoyable and palatable. There were great characters, a wealth of settings, and an interesting plot.

The Abandoned Bride, which continues Berengaria’s story, is out in February 2024 and I’m keeping an eye out.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was released on Kindle Unlimited today but for some reason, Goodreads is only listing the paperback version. Oh well.

I enjoyed this but I was already familiar with all of the major players and I'm fond of Medieval history. It's quite a long journey overland from Navarre to the tip of Italy with Berengaria and Eleanor of Aquitaine. On a good day on horses with wagons, they were lucky to progress 20-25 miles so this is a slow trip and not much happens. The pace picks up considerably when Berengaria reaches Cyprus where she marries Richard the Lionhearted. I had wondered if this author would address the issue of Richard's sexuality and he did. As always, I question why in the world Berengaria went through with this marriage but I didn't get an answer...perhaps in the sequel. If you're a fan of this period, I think you'll enjoy this newest, well-researched book.

[Jane Blanco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was delighted at last to find a trilogy about the life of one of the most overlooked queens of the Plantagenet era, as most authors only write about her in a single book, or simply mention her in passing. She is an interesting character - intelligent, well-educated and not just ambitious for power and money. She also had a long life as a widow following Richard the Lionheart's death, about which there is very little documented information.
This trilogy has started very well, and I'm looking forward to part 2 in the Holy Land on the 3rd Crusade!

[Vicky Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading historical takes on real people and events, so I had high hopes for The Lionheart's Bride. While the story follows what we know of the historical events, I didn't feel that the characters were real or even very likable. I would give the author another try, but maybe not more about Berengaria and Richard.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short historical fiction novel follows Berengaria of Navarre’s journey to meet her betrothed, King Richard I of England, who is on crusade. Following her journey from Navarre across France, the papal states and duchies of Italy, and the island kingdoms of Sicily and Cyprus, readers follow Berengaria’s journey with her imposing future mother-in-law, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Dowager Queen of England. Along the journey, Berengaria watches relationships build and international politics play out, all while she prepares herself to be a queen of England and the wife of a crusader. Of course, things are not as simple as she hoped, and the actual journey, as well as her personal journey, are going to be more challenging than they appeared. While this novel is fairly short, Hernon does a masterful job of introducing the key historical figures and events, as well as their relationship to Berengaria, over the course of the novel. Hernon’s characters are dynamic and personable, and he brings the multifaceted aspects of complicated characters like Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard I to the front of the characters’ personality. The Lionheart’s Bride is a strong start to a historical fiction series about Berengaria of Navarre, a forgotten queen consort of England and a powerful, fascinating historical woman in her own right.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for the advance copy.