Historical
fiction reviews by
Sarah L. Nesbeitt - originally published in the Historical Novels
Review (Issue 19).
All reviews on this page ©2002 Sarah L. Nesbeitt. All rights
reserved.
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MOTHER OF KINGS
Poul Anderson, Tor, 2001, $27.95 (£17.47), 444pp, hb, ISBN 0-312-87448-0
Gunnhild, the daughter of a Norse chieftain, learns the ways of power
early in life. Taught the art of spellcasting from a Finnish witch, she
fuels her ambitions by marrying Eirik Blood-Axe, the favored son of
Norway’s king, a lusty man who lives up to his nickname. She bears Eirik
nine children, all equally ambitious, though not equally clever. Eirik and
Gunnhild briefly become King and Queen of England, but in this cruel and
dangerous era, rivalries abound, and no one who seizes power can ever hope
to hold it for long.
Anderson’s depiction of the brutal Viking Age rings true. But the story
is also poetic, stark, and saga-like, with names and relationships rolling
off the page as if from a scroll, and at these times one can easily become
lost. Comparisons have been made with The Mists of Avalon, but
Gunnhild is too ruthless to be another Morgaine, and Mother of Kings
is more historical than mystical (or fantastical).
In addition, Gunnhild’s role is almost obscured in favor of that
of her sons and their bloodthirsty exploits.
Still, this is a dense but fulfilling story worth the read for
those interested in the Viking era.
AN UNCOMMON ENEMY
Michelle Black, Forge, 2001, $26.95/C$37.95 (£16.85), 398pp, hb, ISBN
0-765-30103-2
In November 1868, General Custer penned a letter to his wife in which he
mentioned the arrival of a white woman, presumably an Indian captive, in
his camp. In Black’s
version, the woman is Eden Murdoch, forcibly taken into custody when
Custer’s frontier army attacks a Cheyenne village. But Eden, who had
found happiness with her Cheyenne family, did not want to be rescued. To
white society, where all natives are deemed savages, Eden is an
embarrassment.
Among
the few willing to hear Eden’s story is Brad Randall, Custer’s young
aide-de-camp. Although Custer
wants to use her as an example to justify violence against the Indians,
she will do anything to prevent this from happening. Captain Randall,
sworn to Custer but fascinated by Eden, finds his loyalties torn.
This
is a fast-moving, ambitious western that successfully takes on a number of
complex issues. Its characters refuse to be pigeonholed into stereotypes,
and good and evil are found in equal measure on both sides. There is
romance, too, but in this as in all else, the novel is anything but
predictable. The author’s message is presented with both strength and
compassion. Why haven’t I heard of Michelle Black before now? After
finishing An Uncommon Enemy, I went out and purchased her earlier
novels.
THE GOOD MEN: A Novel of Heresy
Charmaine Craig, Riverhead, 2002, $24.95/C$35.99 (£15.60),
389pp, hb, ISBN 1-57322-197-X
In 1320, the Inquisition asked Grazida Lizier, a young widow from
Montaillou, France, to testify as to her views of God and Satan, as well
as her adulterous, incestuous relationship with the village priest. From
her testimony, as well as other primary and secondary sources, the author
-- fascinated by Grazida’s disarmingly honest approach to life and sin
-- has crafted a thoughtful, impressively detailed story.
Montaillou was the last stronghold of the Cathar heresy, a perversion of
Catholicism in which the soul is considered pure, but the physical world
inherently evil. The village’s spiritual leader, Pierre Clergue, himself
has Cathar sympathies, and his religious ambivalence and sexual
proclivities cause the Inquisition to focus on Montaillou.
Pierre’s first love is for his brother’s discarded mistress,
but his unrequited passion for her is later fulfilled through his
relationship with Grazida, her illegitimate granddaughter.
Craig
concentrates on the villagers’ interpersonal relationships and spiritual
lives rather than their trials by the Inquisition, as if she cares too
much about her characters to see them suffer unduly.
The novel is simply and directly told, for its subject needs no
melodrama to carry its message further.
I recommend it highly.
SCHEHERAZADE
Anthony O’Neill, Hodder Headline, 2002, £10.99,
608pp, pb, ISBN0747268681
Baghdad, 806 AD. Twenty
years ago, the young Scheherazade saved her life by regaling the cruel
King Shahriyar with her fantastic, exotic tales for a thousand and one
nights. Now the ruling pair
of the Indian kingdom of Astrifahn, Scheherazade and her ageing husband
are invited by the Caliph of Baghdad to pay a long-awaited visit to the
land she had celebrated through her stories. However, an ancient poem has
prophesied Scheherazade’s abduction from the city, as well as her
eventual return by seven rescuers -- only one of whom is predicted to
survive.
The prophecy holds true. The group sent by the Caliph to free the
storyteller is a motley band comprised of seven unlikely heroes. Unused to
the harsh conditions of the desert and its hidden dangers, one by one they
lose their lives. As in the
Agatha Christie classic, we begin to wonder who the final survivor will
be. In the meantime, suspense
builds as the still-beautiful Scheherazade holds her captors at bay, with
ever-increasing difficulty.
The
characters are wonderfully drawn, particularly the rescuers, among whom
are several sailors, a former slave, and a mysterious ascetic. Their
language is coarse, bawdy, and completely true to form. For the historical
setting alone, the author deserves points for uniqueness and creativity.
Two minor complaints, however. Despite the title, the main focus of the
story is on the rescue and not on Scheherazade herself, who remains an
enigma throughout. I also found part of the ending to be a cop-out, for it
is not completely believable. Still,
the novel moves quickly despite its length and, in all, is well worth the
read.
TIME AND CHANCE
Sharon Kay Penman, Putnam, 2002, $27.95/$39.99 (£17.99*),
528pp, hb, ISBN 0-399-14785-3
A new Penman novel is always cause for celebration. To many, her story
will be familiar, but Penman has the gift of presenting it as if we had
never read it before.
Here in
full color are the trio who brought life to the early medieval world.
Henry Plantagenet, the vigorous young king, whose political and religious
differences with Thomas Becket cause insurmountable problems. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the beautiful, strong-willed heiress
whose transformation from Henry’s beloved queen to his bitter former
confidante progresses in an entirely believable manner. And Becket, the
king’s chancellor and boon companion turned man of God, whose
inexplicable and sudden devotion to the church sets him against many,
Henry most of all.
Another
fine creation is Ranulf, half-brother to the Empress Maude, who finds his
loyalties torn between England and Wales. Ranulf’s fictional nature is
almost disappointing, so clearly does he leap from the page. My sympathy
for both Eleanor and her rival Rosamund Clifford speaks to Penman’s
mastery of character development. She
also eschews the traditional “turbulent priest” scene in favor of one
that is more historically plausible.
So well
does Penman integrate her assiduous research into her tale that we have no
doubt that this is the way it must have been. I was left waiting
impatiently for the next volume in the trilogy, The Devil’s Brood,
which hopefully will not be long in coming.
FRENCH LEAVE
Sheri Cobb South, PrinnyWorld, 2001, $14.95 (£9.34), 229pp, tpb, ISBN
0-9668005-4-0
Lisette Colling, escaping from a French convent to avoid a forced
marriage, literally runs into an unexpected savior: the dissolute sixth
earl of Waverly. In exchange
for his returning her to her English grandfather’s estate, she will
reward him sufficiently to pay off his numerous gambling debts.
Lisette’s grandfather has passed away, however, and a coach accident
forces them into the company of the happily married Brundys, a couple whom
Waverly unfortunately knows all too well.
To save Lisette’s reputation, Waverly offers her a marriage of
convenience.
The historical atmosphere of 1820s England is beautifully rendered,
and the characters’ language and mannerisms are witty and charming.
However, the plot relies heavily on coincidental meetings, and the
growing attraction between the too naïve Lisette and the experienced Lord
Waverly seems forced. Several scenes of great potential, which could have
shown their developing romance firsthand, are related only in retrospect.
Instead, I found myself wanting to read more about the Brundys. The
subplots featuring this couple, whose romance was detailed in the
author’s earlier novels, sparkle with humor and the true affection they
feel for each other.
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