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english_lady03's review against another edition
4.0
Personally, I found it quite a welcome change to discover a book written by an American set during the Hundred Year War which was not anti-English. A pleasant surprise, as I tend to steer clear of books set in this period written by Americans generally, as they tend to not only be biased, but also present a hideously stereotyped view of the English and others, and an inaccurate and oversimplified view of events.
I Serve was not in this mould, it was critical of my country folk at times and sometimes perhaps a little uncritical of the French, but generally presented a balanced and detailed representation of the period. Replete with realistic battle scenes, romance, and the life experiences of a young man at arms the service of his lord.
The style appeared to be emulating the works of Victorian authors such as Howard Pyle, with more pseudo-archaic language towards the end of the book, and a rather narrative style of recounting the major events. This may not be according to everyone’s taste, as it was very much ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ but as the work covered and long and complex period, it was in some way necessary.
Many Americans know about Joan of Arc, but perhaps not so many are familiar with England’s great King Edward III, and his famous son Edward, the Black Prince of Wales. Rosanne Lortz book brings these figures and their compatriots to life with a host of colourful characters in a world of knights, tournaments, chivalry, villains and warfare. A world of changing certainties in which the Protagonist, Sit John Potenhale (who was a real person) questions the morality and honour of knighthood, and the worthiness of high position in the wake of the Black Death.
The bibliography in the back of the novel attests to the level of research and author's belief in the importance of reading primary sources. So the book is largely accurate- though I did notice one or two errors-like the comparison of the whipped backs of the flagellants
to the stripes of a skunk, a species indigenous to the Americas which the average 14th century Englishman would have had no idea about the appearance of.
The characters seemed to be very much ‘of their time’ which is, in my view a good thing, but could raise issues for others. Namely, they do believe in revering Relics and praying to Mary. This used to be a real issue for me, however I now accept that is a reflection of the time, without condoning it. For others it may still be an issue which they may find off-putting.
With skilful use of contemporary ideas, introduced by one Geoffroi de Charny, and French knight who wrote a book on knighthood the rights and wrongs of the vocation are explored, and the possibility of just war being compatible with Christian ideals. Did being a knight mean a man could not be saved, as Potenhale feared? The solution raised is both touching and relevant.
There did seem to be a tinge of skepticism, perhaps even bordering on ridicule of those who believed the plague to be the judgement of God. In fact, many people in England believed the Black Death to a judgement, not just a few isolated fanatics or those driven mad by their affliction as seemed to be portrayed.
Overall, I Serve is recommended, although those who are not used the writing style, or who already dislike it may have some issues.
I Serve was not in this mould, it was critical of my country folk at times and sometimes perhaps a little uncritical of the French, but generally presented a balanced and detailed representation of the period. Replete with realistic battle scenes, romance, and the life experiences of a young man at arms the service of his lord.
The style appeared to be emulating the works of Victorian authors such as Howard Pyle, with more pseudo-archaic language towards the end of the book, and a rather narrative style of recounting the major events. This may not be according to everyone’s taste, as it was very much ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ but as the work covered and long and complex period, it was in some way necessary.
Many Americans know about Joan of Arc, but perhaps not so many are familiar with England’s great King Edward III, and his famous son Edward, the Black Prince of Wales. Rosanne Lortz book brings these figures and their compatriots to life with a host of colourful characters in a world of knights, tournaments, chivalry, villains and warfare. A world of changing certainties in which the Protagonist, Sit John Potenhale (who was a real person) questions the morality and honour of knighthood, and the worthiness of high position in the wake of the Black Death.
The bibliography in the back of the novel attests to the level of research and author's belief in the importance of reading primary sources. So the book is largely accurate- though I did notice one or two errors-like the comparison of the whipped backs of the flagellants
to the stripes of a skunk, a species indigenous to the Americas which the average 14th century Englishman would have had no idea about the appearance of.
The characters seemed to be very much ‘of their time’ which is, in my view a good thing, but could raise issues for others. Namely, they do believe in revering Relics and praying to Mary. This used to be a real issue for me, however I now accept that is a reflection of the time, without condoning it. For others it may still be an issue which they may find off-putting.
With skilful use of contemporary ideas, introduced by one Geoffroi de Charny, and French knight who wrote a book on knighthood the rights and wrongs of the vocation are explored, and the possibility of just war being compatible with Christian ideals. Did being a knight mean a man could not be saved, as Potenhale feared? The solution raised is both touching and relevant.
There did seem to be a tinge of skepticism, perhaps even bordering on ridicule of those who believed the plague to be the judgement of God. In fact, many people in England believed the Black Death to a judgement, not just a few isolated fanatics or those driven mad by their affliction as seemed to be portrayed.
Overall, I Serve is recommended, although those who are not used the writing style, or who already dislike it may have some issues.
prof_pelon's review against another edition
5.0
Great book about the Black Prince and England during the time of Edward the Third. I found myself really enjoying the story and the history and learning things about a period I was previously unaware of. People who are fans of the movie "A Knights Tale" (with Heath Ledger) will really enjoy this book set around the same time period and get a kick out of recognizing names of characters from both. I also enjoyed that it was a historical fiction (complete with love story) that did not get lewd... so many of the great historical fiction writers get bogged down in sex scenes and i appreciated that there was none of that is I Serve.
blackngoldgirlsbookspot's review against another edition
4.0
As a historian I love to read fiction that has strong historical basis and I Serve is definitely one of those novels. While American history is my forte and I don't know a lot about European history, I Serve was a very interesting and entertaining read. I really appreciated the bibliography in the back of the book too for the researcher in me who likes to look things up!
This author seems to know her stuff! Not only is the book rich in detail it also has a bit of romance, faith and incredible battle scenes! While reading I Serve I felt as if I were immersed in the French country side or participating in a joust or right in the thick of the Black Plague (ewww). This is really a great book for readers of historical fiction, I hope you enjoy it if you decide to check it out!
*I was provided a review copy of this novel by the author's husband, David Spears.*
This author seems to know her stuff! Not only is the book rich in detail it also has a bit of romance, faith and incredible battle scenes! While reading I Serve I felt as if I were immersed in the French country side or participating in a joust or right in the thick of the Black Plague (ewww). This is really a great book for readers of historical fiction, I hope you enjoy it if you decide to check it out!
*I was provided a review copy of this novel by the author's husband, David Spears.*
lisa_setepenre's review
4.0
Despite its title and subtitle, Roseanne E. Lortz’s novel, I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince, does not take as its central character Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales during the reign of his father, Edward III, but a man in his service: Sir John Potenhale, a lowborn man who rises to prominence during the early years of the Hundred Years War.
I have to admit to being somewhat anxious about reading this novel. I was interested in it because I’m fascinated by the Black Prince, but deterred by the label of “Christian fiction” (so very not much my thing) I’d seen given by both positive and negative reviewers. But, hey, I got a free two-month trial of Kindle Unlimited so I didn’t have to part with money to read it.
And, honestly, right now? I’m considering buying myself a copy because I enjoyed it that much.
Since the “Christian fiction” label was a big deterrent for me, I’ll address that first. I wouldn’t necessarily use that label. There are religious elements in this story, but it’s not the driving force of the novel, I rarely felt the author was trying to sell me Christianity or a message and as the novel is set in England and France in the Middle Ages, the fact that the characters are religious is true to life.
In my (inexpert) opinion, I Serve is more of a novel in line with the old chivalric romance style of stories. There’s a sense of adventure in the campaigns Potenhale goes on, an overarching plot about Potenhale’s love for Margery, one of Joan of Kent’s ladies, and the Black Prince’s love for Joan of Kent, while also a focus on what it means to be a knight. In fact, after reading a couple of military historical novels, I really appreciated that Lortz made the conflict between England and France more complex in a way that reflects the ideals of chivalric code – there were moments of mutual respect between both sides of the conflict based on ideas of honourable conduct.
I enjoyed Lortz’s characterisations – I found Potenhale a good protagonist and despite being an outsider perspective, the narrative didn’t bend to push him to be front and centre in events, but still gave him enough to do that he didn’t feel like a strict observer. Lortz’s Edward III is memorable and I fell desperately in love with her take on the Black Prince.
The writing is solid, the language clear but also tending towards a more historical tone – a few words jumped out at me as feeling a bit hokey (e.g. “methinks”) but it wasn’t enough to seriously detract. The novel is framed as Potenhale talking to widow of Geoffroi de Charny, a French knight, and thus the bulk of novel is the first person POV of Potenhale and his voice feels authentic. However, I found it jarring when he’d make the rare aside to Charny’s widow, drawing me away from his story and world, and I wished that we could have stayed with his perspective throughout the concluding chapter.
In terms of historical accuracy, I admit that I’m not too knowledgeable of Edward III’s reign, so there may be things I doubtlessly missed. There a few small goofs – maps as we understand them did not exist yet, titles like “your majesty” and “your highness” were not yet introduced in England and it is doubtful indeed that Joan of Kent’s garter falling off inspired the Order of the Garter per the tradition.
The biggest historical goof is Lortz’s handling of Joan of Kent’s bigamous marriages. In I Serve, Joan does not actually commit bigamy – she is about to be wed to William Montague when her first husband, Thomas Holland, interrupts the ceremony to claim her as his bride, though he admits that they hadn’t consummated their marriage. Historically, however, Joan had been married to Montague for some time when Holland claimed her as his bride and both Holland and Joan claimed that their marriage had been immediately consummated – an unconsummated marriage could be annulled easily and this is particularly notable because Lortz’s Joan doesn’t wish to be married to Holland at all. I can’t quite puzzle out why this change was made – maybe it prevents Joan’s tangled marital life from being too drawn out in a narrative where she’s not the focus? Or maybe it makes the narrative more palatable by bypassing the issue of a 12 year old marrying and having sex with a 24 year old man. I quite enjoyed Lortz’s interpretation of Joan’s relationship with Holland, as it’s quite different from the usual love story. Joan is not happy with him, is remorseful, ashamed and filled with dread over it.
I would have dearly loved an author’s note in which Lortz explained the choices she made and the historical basis of the characters. I did wonder if Potenhale was a real figure from history – a quick Google suggests he is a fictional invention.
All up, I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel and quite enjoyed it.
I have to admit to being somewhat anxious about reading this novel. I was interested in it because I’m fascinated by the Black Prince, but deterred by the label of “Christian fiction” (so very not much my thing) I’d seen given by both positive and negative reviewers. But, hey, I got a free two-month trial of Kindle Unlimited so I didn’t have to part with money to read it.
And, honestly, right now? I’m considering buying myself a copy because I enjoyed it that much.
Since the “Christian fiction” label was a big deterrent for me, I’ll address that first. I wouldn’t necessarily use that label. There are religious elements in this story, but it’s not the driving force of the novel, I rarely felt the author was trying to sell me Christianity or a message and as the novel is set in England and France in the Middle Ages, the fact that the characters are religious is true to life.
In my (inexpert) opinion, I Serve is more of a novel in line with the old chivalric romance style of stories. There’s a sense of adventure in the campaigns Potenhale goes on, an overarching plot about Potenhale’s love for Margery, one of Joan of Kent’s ladies, and the Black Prince’s love for Joan of Kent, while also a focus on what it means to be a knight. In fact, after reading a couple of military historical novels, I really appreciated that Lortz made the conflict between England and France more complex in a way that reflects the ideals of chivalric code – there were moments of mutual respect between both sides of the conflict based on ideas of honourable conduct.
I enjoyed Lortz’s characterisations – I found Potenhale a good protagonist and despite being an outsider perspective, the narrative didn’t bend to push him to be front and centre in events, but still gave him enough to do that he didn’t feel like a strict observer. Lortz’s Edward III is memorable and I fell desperately in love with her take on the Black Prince.
The writing is solid, the language clear but also tending towards a more historical tone – a few words jumped out at me as feeling a bit hokey (e.g. “methinks”) but it wasn’t enough to seriously detract. The novel is framed as Potenhale talking to widow of Geoffroi de Charny, a French knight, and thus the bulk of novel is the first person POV of Potenhale and his voice feels authentic. However, I found it jarring when he’d make the rare aside to Charny’s widow, drawing me away from his story and world, and I wished that we could have stayed with his perspective throughout the concluding chapter.
In terms of historical accuracy, I admit that I’m not too knowledgeable of Edward III’s reign, so there may be things I doubtlessly missed. There a few small goofs – maps as we understand them did not exist yet, titles like “your majesty” and “your highness” were not yet introduced in England and it is doubtful indeed that Joan of Kent’s garter falling off inspired the Order of the Garter per the tradition.
The biggest historical goof is Lortz’s handling of Joan of Kent’s bigamous marriages. In I Serve, Joan does not actually commit bigamy – she is about to be wed to William Montague when her first husband, Thomas Holland, interrupts the ceremony to claim her as his bride, though he admits that they hadn’t consummated their marriage. Historically, however, Joan had been married to Montague for some time when Holland claimed her as his bride and both Holland and Joan claimed that their marriage had been immediately consummated – an unconsummated marriage could be annulled easily and this is particularly notable because Lortz’s Joan doesn’t wish to be married to Holland at all. I can’t quite puzzle out why this change was made – maybe it prevents Joan’s tangled marital life from being too drawn out in a narrative where she’s not the focus? Or maybe it makes the narrative more palatable by bypassing the issue of a 12 year old marrying and having sex with a 24 year old man. I quite enjoyed Lortz’s interpretation of Joan’s relationship with Holland, as it’s quite different from the usual love story. Joan is not happy with him, is remorseful, ashamed and filled with dread over it.
I would have dearly loved an author’s note in which Lortz explained the choices she made and the historical basis of the characters. I did wonder if Potenhale was a real figure from history – a quick Google suggests he is a fictional invention.
All up, I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel and quite enjoyed it.
shanijeanius's review
4.0
I thought this was a good novel about a timeframe I'm fairly familiar with, and showed me some aspects of the history I was not already versant with, such as the code of chivalry by Geoffroi de Charny. I liked the story and thought the plot was believable. A little too intellectual to be a beach book or a sick day book but I enjoyed it on the level I expected to enjoy it.
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