Published circa 1975
Norman Trilogy series, book 2
Summary:
"The death of the Conqueror left three sons to inherit his power and his wealth. Normandy for Robert, England for Rufus and for Henry, the youngest, five thousand pounds of silver.....The three were natural rivals. The feckless Robert lost his Norman dukedom in an orgy of impulsive extravagance. Red-haired Rufus scandalized the court with his perverse sexuality and contempt for the church...And Henry - cleverest of all - awaited his chance to fulfill his father's prophecy and assume the mantle of The Lion of Justice."
I loved the first book in this Norman series (The Bastard King) so I was naturally totally looking forward to this group read of the next installment. I was disappointed from beginning to end, sad to say.
Did I have high expectations? Perhaps. Somehow this book should have been at least as good as the first, as this one deals with Matilda (once known as Edith) and her husband King Henry I. Set against such an intriguing backdrop of England's struggle for power against Normandy, France and the Pope, there was a lot going on. The King's arrival at the throne in itself was a wonder.
I was bored throughout specifically because I felt Jean Plaidy, historical fiction extraordinaire, should have been able to do better. But what she presented was amateurish, childlike, and totally subpar writing, that I wouldn't ever recommend this one. The Bastard King was good, this one was a waste of almost two weeks of my free time, do I dare attempt book three?
But, I am in the minority I think .. Except for my read along participants.. Check out other reviews: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0449243184
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