Sunrise in the West

Brothers of Gwynedd #1

by Joe Shakarchi

Poetry by San Francisco, CA poet Joe Shakarchi Music and poetry CD included in attached pocket in back cover.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Medieval, Fantasy, 13th Century, Historical Romance

55 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Terri]

When I am reading a Edith Pargeter book you best not interrupt me. Don't ring me, don't text me, don't tap me on the shoulder, don't ask me if I want coffee and a biscuit.
It isn't that I would get violent with you, or swear at you or throw your biscuit across the room, but there is a very good chance that I will not answer your phone call, read your text, respond to your soft tap or give you an answer on that coffee. You must forgive me, in advance, for I will be so thoroughly absorbed in the book that I may not even know you are there. I need time with these Pargeter novels.They take some work and I always need good solid reading sessions when I start them, because brief reading sessions do not allow me the time to absorb what is going on.

So, just quietly put the coffee and biscuit on the table next to me and let us assume that at some stage I may notice them.

One of my favourite historical fiction books is A Bloody Field By Shrewsbury, also by this author, who is better known for writing the Brother Cadfael series under the name Ellis Peters. I don't have much time for the Cadfael series, but when it comes to her non-mystery historical fiction novels I have all the time in the world.

It is the writing really. There is something so priceless about the writing techniques this author uses. They are special and, in my opinion, beyond compare. Of course, I acknowledge there are historical fiction authors currently writing that are very skilful, with a style all their own, it is just that Pargeter is unique in a way that has no modern comparison.
I don't think the technique is without its faults though. For me, sometimes she bogs down in the methodical nature of her writing style and forgets that she still has to write something that will captivate an audience. I also don't like the way 'And' is used to begin sentences in every other sentence. I am a fan of using 'And' to start a sentence myself, but I feel Edith Pargeter goes a little too far with it. Using it too frequently.

The Sunrise in the West story is a luscious and elegant journey through the fairly unexplored medieval politics of thirteenth century Wales. It is the first novel in the well respected collection of four books, the others being The Dragon at Noonday, The Hounds of Sunset and Afterglow and Nightfall, all of which, thankfully, I own and treasure in one volume called Brothers of Gwynedd. I haven't read them all as I write this review, but I soon hope to and the reviews will pop up here on Goodreads as I go.

The book is not for the fainthearted. This is no sanguineous pulp fiction extravaganza or action adventure sprint race. Nor is it an uncomplicated read or light novel for someone who doesn't like to be challenged. Edith Pargeter will indeed challenge you if you try her books. There is no doubt of that. She will challenge you on how you think historical fiction should read and even, more importantly, she will challenge you to slow the heck down when you do read.
Unless you are ready for a slow, literary degustation menu, you will never stick with this book and you probably won't appreciate what you are reading. If you like speed reading and want to read as many books as you can in a month, I do not recommend this one for you. I think you will be incompatible with the writing style. It is not good for reading styles that involve a rush to turn the next page.
You are welcome to prove me wrong though.

While this book, as the first in the series of four, may not always be the greatest read you will ever partake in, it will surely be an eye opener for you. And any non-speedreading self respecting fans of historical fiction or medieval novels should make sure they get to it.
Reading books like these will remind you of how historical fiction should be written....with magnificent languishing prose, a rich comprehension of a dialogue that is untainted by modern phrases and words, depth of character and culture, with historical settings thick with local knowledge and meticulous research. And let us not forget, with an eloquence and class that I once thought had been left behind in the Classics.

4 stars out of 5.

[Edward Gwynne]

DNF for me... I think I'm in a bad mood...

[Kathy]

Edith Pargeter did a fine job of introducing the lives of the Welch princes of old and their blood connections to English kings, but I have decided not to pursue books 2, 3 & 4. I found the trilogy written by Sharon Kay Penman to be more enjoyable reading. Pargeter preceded Penman by more than a decade and used phrasing to represent the time period authentically, I presume, but it is a difficult book to read. In preparation for reading this book I was able to spend some time at the Chicago Art Institute studying medieval pieces. I have been away from my favorite genre of historical fiction for some time, so I wanted to prepare my mind. I loved my time spent at the museum but not so much the reading of this book.

In plain English we have a couple boys born on the same day, one a prince (Llewelyn) and one illegitimate (Samson), our narrator.
In contrast, one average sentence from the book:
"Howbeit the great prince, Llewlyn, Welsh though he was and felt to the marrow of his bones, had England to contend with, and so did contend to good purpose all his life long, and knew that only by setting up a claim of absolute legitimacy, by whatever standard, could he hope to ensure his heir a quiet passage into possession of his right, and Wales a self-life secure from enmity of England."
Library Loan

[Michaela]

Not always easy to read, esp. when English is not your first language and/or you´re not familiar with Welsh history/politics, but otherwise well written and a good story.

[Gill]

I am so glad I managed to arrange to swap the two from this quartet I had managed to mooch with another BookMoocher who had the other two! I am reading them in successsion so she can read the last three too.

The books carry me along with the movement and history of the story and the interest I have developed in the characters. There is a genealogical table at the front which is useful. We Welsh are a bit repetitive with our names! However I would have liked to see it a little more spread out to make it more clearly readable, and I constantly look for the non-existent maps! This is the history of the country in which I have settled unfolding through a narrative which makes it immediate and brings it to life. The places are largely familiar to me, and a map or two would help many readers visualise the action more readily.

I'd also be delighted to see the quartet feature in the education of Welsh children, particularly those whose grasp of the Welsh language is insufficient to read more source material. The history of Wales at this time still reverberates today.

Next time I visit the beautiful arched ruin of Strata Florida I shall imagine that first assembly of a United Wales!

[Heather]

This is history. Adventures. Betrayals. Battles. Uniting Wales under a single Prince of Wales. And love. There are Details ap Details to read through, although the writing is very good and has some real pearls. I didn’t allow my lack of Welsh geography to get in the way, or I would have indeed been lost!

[Lori]

Having read Sharon Kay Penman's magnificent Welsh trilogy, I was so excited to find Edith Pargeter's Brothers of Gwynedd series. I made it through the first book, and did enjoy the story, but the writing style was such that I didn't really enjoy READING it. I did try to read the second book, but made it only about halfway through before I put it down. Perhaps, I will attempt the last three novels in the series over a school break or summer when I have the time and energy to expend on a more complex writing style, because I did like the story very much.

[Tracey]

Quite a dense read with a lot to learn about Wales at the time and the history and politics. This is my second read so I got into it pretty quickly but I do recommend doing some research around what you are reading to get the most out of the story.

A very interesting time and the major players are also very interesting. If you have read this first book of the quartet you will find the others much less heavy going.

[Natalia]

It's an interesting book, clearly very well-researched. Unfortunately, it seems to follow the mold of all Welsh, Irish, and Scottish historical dramas: Fight your brother, fight the English, fight your brother, fight the English, over and over.

It's a long and dense book, slow moving, but it's full of rich detail, if you happen to have a particular interest in historical Wales. It isn't really my thing, but I still enjoyed the book quite a bit. And it was interesting if only for all the political machinations.

[Audrey]

Enjoyed this book about Llewellyn First Prince of all Wales and his brothers Owen, David and Rhodri. The book is narrated by Samson Llewellyn's secretary and whilst we get a lot of introspection about Samson, his life and some about Llewellyn's campaigns, we don't learn much about Llewellyn the man, except his burning ambition to unite Wales and hold it against the English. In saying this, this is still an interesting, well plotted and excellently written book, clearly dealing with all the politics of the time. Recommended for welsh history lovers like me.

[Chris]

Absolutely love Edith Pargeter!!! In these books, does anybody else think of a lovely, sunny place in the Shrewsbury cemetery where Cadfael`s remains must rest?

[Laura Andersen]

Embarked upon a third or fourth re-read of The Brothers of Gwynedd Quartet, of which this is book one. The life of Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, the last true Prince of Wales. These are the books that began my Welsh obsession decades ago and as I’m working on my Walsh historical fantasy these are excellent inspiration. Also—Edith Pargeter is also Ellis Peters, of the Brother Cadfael series.

[Mary-Jean Harris]

Excellent book! It is reminiscent of the Merlin series by Mary Stewart (the time period, writing style, and point of view character). It is also based on the historical Welsh wars for independence, which I knew nothing about so found that interesting too.

[Marie Burton]

Can't say I enjoyed this one. At all. Can't say I finished it either.

There are four titles within the new Sourcebooks release on Edith Pargeter's The Brothers of Gwynedd, and Sourcebooks is promoting it with a Summer Reading Group between bloggers and any virtual visitors that would like to join in. I would love to converse with other readers and tell us what they thought of the series. The first book, The Sunrise in the West, is what this review will focus on, and the Blog Chat Night for this first part of the quartet is scheduled for May 24th at 7:00pm EST hosted by Amy of Passages of the Past. Please join us there!

The story opens as Samson introduces himself to us, as he is the narrator of the story. He gives us details about his life and his relationships to the brothers of Gwynedd and who they are in relation to Wales. Although what seems to be a very dramatic story, the part about the brothers is slow going. The family chart is helpful because the elders were not fitting into the story properly through Samson's explanations of the heirarchy of Wales. Eventually the elder Gwynedd "fathers" pass away and we left with the four sons of whom the book is focused on. Owen is the eldest, but he is raised in England under King Henry's grace, and is therefore not seen as a true Welshman to the lords there. Llewellyn is the second son who fled England to stay in Wales. These two elder brothers come to arms against each other in regards to the partitioning of land and Owen seems just plain jealous that Llewellyn is more Welsh than he is.

Brothers against brothers, and England against Wales is what the story is about. I would have preferred more theatrics and less factual information, as this is full of so many details that I felt bogged down with each page and it was not a pleasure for me. The writing felt stiff and dry, but it is highly possible that I am in the minority here since I have heard only good things about this series. I did enjoy it when it became more personal, and the relationships that the narrator, Samson, had with those around him were what saved the story for me. Otherwise, I would have given up at page 20. Instead I gave up about page 88 of 186 pages of the ARC of the new release. Those readers who have true desire to learn more about Wales and their struggles in the thirteenth century may find this tome to be a delight. The next book is rumored to flow better with improved characterizations, and the series as a whole seems to be a popular read for those who have particular interest in Wales.

See you at the Chat Night #1 at Passages to The Past on May 24 at 7:00 pm EST

[Dylan Siebert]

Edith Pargeter writes good men. Last year I picked up 'A Bloody Field By Shrewsbury' and enjoyed it thoroughly, mostly because of the moving depiction of her historical knight-hero, Sir Henry Percy. This tale was much the same, only in this case the man in question is Llewellyn ap Griffith, the twenty-eight-year-old who united Wales into one princedom in the thirteenth century to fend off the grasping English king and his armies.

I don't like medieval stories that dwell on grime and gore and political intrigue, as if those were the only things going on back in the day. I like medieval stories where men and women live lives in which loyalty, virtue, and trustworthiness are matters of life and death, as of course they were. Pargeter's books never descend to the level of 'politics'; they focus on the trials and labours of 'the good man': one who's hard to find, of course, but who, once found, is able to draw out the best in those around him and build something greater and nobler. In this case, a free and united Wales, able to repulse invaders and cherish the green hills and craggy mountains of home.

She also writes excellent battle scenes, in which the archers and pikemen get equal billing with the mounted knights. And excellent romances that fit with the tenor of the times. I look forward to the next three books in this series.

[Luisa Jones]

Beautifully written in a very formal style to reflect the medieval period, this book is also impeccably researched. Sunrise in the West conveys a real sense of the time period and the ebb and flow of conflict between Wales and England, and between local princelings within Wales. I wish some of the names had not been anglicised, and I haven’t formed such an emotional attachment to them as I did to Sharon Penman’s depiction of the same princes, but apart from this I would have to say this is an admirable historical novel. A minor issue is the lack of a map: even though I’m Welsh, I struggled to place some of the smaller towns and villages. A map could have helped to show how remarkable Llywelyn’s achievements were, especially the extent of his campaigns and travels considering they were all on horseback. I’ll remember that next time it takes me the better part of a day to travel to Anglesey via the A470.

[Jonathan]

This book is the first of four books, collectively called the The Brothers of Gwynedd, covering the period of Llewellyn Fawr’s children and grandchildren as they lost their country to English rule. Since the history of this period and these people is well known, the author needs to invent other characters and events to flesh out a good story, which she does. The main character Samson becomes secretary to Llewellyn Fawr’s grandson Llewellyn as he struggles to unite the Welsh in resisting English power. At the end of this book Wales remains strong and independent, but a reader hoping for a happy ending for the family and the country might as well look forward to the safe arrival of the Titanic in New York in 1912. I am looking forward to reading the remaining books for the stories of the characters and to learn some history, despite knowing the end of the dream of independence seven and half centuries ago.

[Plio Cas]

Edith Pargeter, an alias of Ellis Peters, is an author very good at vivid historical fiction. I find her less good here than expected: there’s a lot of impenetrable historical detail, over-large cast of characters and rather simplified. Good characters are very good, fairly unbelievably forgiving and seeking to believe the best in those around despite clear evidence to the contrary. She is not showing the subtlety of which she is capable compared to a Cadfael novel.

It may be just absent in the Kindle edition that I read, but where are the family trees, the lists of characters, the maps that would help a general reader get a clear sense of medieval Wales? Not an easy read when you have to keep your own notes or constantly refer to a manor history book to follow the plot.

[Megan Rasmussen]

I was left asking myself a lot of questions: how do we perpetuate inherited cycles of violence? What does it mean to adapt to the times? Who do we consider a brother? And, most importantly, is this a healthy, affectionate male friendship or is this gay as hell?

Edith Pargeter consistently delivers the most human, well-researched, intelligent medieval fiction imaginable. This book was full of politics, intrigue, warfare, and all so well paced and pulled along by wonderfully fleshed-out characters!

4.5 stars, mostly for the lack of women. The women there are excellent but there should be a LOT more of them.

[Molly Sinderbrand]

I very much enjoy the history (though why the Normans were speaking English I don’t understand), but the main character/narrator doesn’t really do it for me. The love story felt a bit forced as well. I read it because it was supposed to be better than Sharon Kay Penman, but I’m not sure. Hard to say if it better captures the zeitgeist of the time, but the narrative is not as engaging.
That said, I loved the richness of the description, especially all the places they go. I live in Welsh Valley (PA), so many of the place names are very familiar.

[Shannon]

I enjoyed the first half or so of this book but it started to really drag eventually and I had to force myself to finish it. It's just too dense for me to properly enjoy. I would say it might be the age of the novel but I'm reading Les Miserables for the first time and it's way less dense than this, despite being a century older. I'm not sure if the author was going for a particular theme with that kind of writing (presumably because the book is told from the POV of a thirteenth century Welshman) but it didn't really work for me.

[Millstone]

Very much in the same style as Mary Stewart's telling of Arthur's story, minus the overt magical elements introduced by Merlin. 700 years on, the Celts are still resisting invasion from the east, although the Anglo Saxons have suffered their own defeat in the interim. Everything is very formal and too polite to be real, but if you're prepared to put that aside, an excellent story about a little mined period: an easy introduction to the characters and events of the time.

[Alison]

I have read Sharon Penman’s trilogy - I wept through all three books, for the characters and for Wales.
Pargeter’s quartet is a different animal. It starts with the grandsons of Llewelyn Fawr and concentrates mostly on the trials of Wales through these men. Not much romance in there unlike Penman. That doesn’t make it any less powerful or compelling - I’m just weeping less.
I love these older historical novels - the writing is richer, the sense of being there that much closer.

[Jacob]

DNF——long, boring, dry. I genuinely don’t understand how people strive through Pargeter’s writing. There are some nice moments here, but on the whole she writes as a somewhat disinterested party. The characters seem rather wooden and not all that relatable and I didn’t really find myself caring much at all about them.

[Shannon]

Beautifully evocative of time and place but nothing really happens. I liked it enough to keep reading - we will see if it is simply a case of setting the stage for the rest of the series.

[Dean]

great book!!! I have the quartet with all 4 novels in the series. This is going to be a great series about ancient Wales and England!!!

[Mike]

Very good historical fiction. Excellent characters and story. I have learned a lot about Wales in the Middle Ages from this book that I never knew. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

[Deann Underwood]

Old style English was disconcerting. Very “wordy”. Not enough action to keep me interested. Obviously there is more to the story in the next volume.

[Doug Wood]

Historical fiction of the first order.

[Marilyn Saul]

I very much enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Wales and struggled through the Welsh pronunciations, so I'd better continue the series before I forget them all.