From the author's website... "Two very different women are linked by destiny and the struggle for the English crown. Matilda, daughter of Henry I, returns to England when her husband, the Emperor of Germany, dies. Her father promises her that she will succeed him, but at the same time marginalises her by marrying her to Geoffrey, the adolescent count of Anjou, more than ten years her junior. Despite her nightmare second marriage, Matilda remains unbowed and when her father dies, she is determined to win back her crown from her cousin Stephen who has usurped it. Adeliza, Henry's widowed queen and Matilda's stepmother, has become a good friend. Having been widowed, she now now marries William D'Albini, one of Stephen’s staunchest supporters. Both Adeliza and Matilda are strong in their own way, and prepared to stand firm for what they know is right. But in a world where a man's word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda, the rightful queen? And for Matilda pride comes before a fall ...What price for a crown? What does it cost to be 'Lady of the English'?"
One of the best things about book blogs is discovering new authors. A lot of bloggers were saying wonderful things about Elizabeth Chadwick's novels. I was lucky to find one of her older books as a free ebook and I was hooked.
The writing is actually so good that I've read passages out loud to whoever was nearby. No, I'm not some crazy lady in the park... I read to my family. I think you get an even greater appreciation for quality writing by hearing it out loud.
Ms. Chadwick has taken on a challenge, in my opinion, that can make or break an author... writing a fictional account of actual people. I have read enough historical fiction to know that, sometimes, I need to suspend my disbelief. Sometimes, though, I want to truly believe that what I'm reading is real. Lady of the English pulled me in with its descriptive narrative and dialogue that was true to the characters who spoke it.
~~Thanks to Sourcebooks for providing a copy of Lady of The English in exchange for my review.~~
Posts
1 comment:
Glad you enjoyed it. I've been a huge Chadwick fan since I first discovered her about five years ago. I've read the entire backlist and now have to wait impatiently for the next one.
Post a Comment