A veritable ogre on the battlefield, de Gael is conquered by a woman, the lovely Linnet de Montsorrel. Josceline is the son of Henry's most trusted ally. Henry is becoming more and more frustrated and at every turn he is opposed by some of the most powerful men in the land.īut for one man Josceline de Gael, a mercenary, it is a time of triumph. The year of our Lord 1173 and King Henry's latest attempts to crush his rebellious sons ignite bloody skirmishes throughout the land. It would be fair to say that it is a historical romance, but I feel that it will be equally enjoyable by both men and women. Much of Elizabeth Chadwick's research is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, this is an early medieval re-enactment society. This book definitely goes on the short shelf of books that manages to successfully combine a romantic sensibility and some semblance of real history.

While the political background is important, the real driving force in this case is the dynamics set in force by Joscelin's father decades before. She knows that her husband is destroying her son's inheritance in futherance of his plans. She suspects her husband is plotting treason. Married at 13 to a brutal Lord, Linnet had one son she cherished and tried to protect from her husband's brutality. On his way home he encountered Linnet and her husband. Now he has returned home briefly before beginning employment with the Justiciar of England, who ruled while King Henry II was in France. Since then he had taken service where it was available and when it wasn't available he had rode the tourney circuit. Seven years later he had returned as the captain of his own troupe. He had run away from home to fight as a mercenary at the age of 15.

Because his father has legitimate heirs, Joscelin had few prospects.

His mother died during his childhood and took his father's heart with her to the grave. The details, from the ditch running down the center of the stables to the trouble getting a hauberk (essentially a metal pullover) off a wounded man, all contribute to the feeling of reality. This is probably one of the reasons that this book has such a great period feel. Inside the back cover of my copy of this book there is a picture of the author engaging in a historical re-enactment of a Viking encampment.

Shields of pride elizabeth chadwick