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antithesis90's review against another edition
4.0
I debated between rating the book a 3 or a 4 and landed on 4 simply because it did hold my interest and I found it a good read. The characters were engaging and it opened up an area of history I haven't spent much time in (excepting Penman's Welsh novels).
The reason I was debating a 3 is that it felt very long and, particularly for a historical novel that is less rooted in the historical as novel, it didn't need to be; it wasn't covering historical events that took years to march through but rather had peaks and troughs that felt silly at times and were boring at others. At several points I considered putting it aside to start something a bit more brisk and fun but ultimately did not, as I was engaged in the story, so that's another point in its favor.
However, as the author herself notes, this is not to be taken as a Welsh history so read it rather as a story of three people (and their peripheral characters) set against the Welsh landscape in a politically troublesome time.
The reason I was debating a 3 is that it felt very long and, particularly for a historical novel that is less rooted in the historical as novel, it didn't need to be; it wasn't covering historical events that took years to march through but rather had peaks and troughs that felt silly at times and were boring at others. At several points I considered putting it aside to start something a bit more brisk and fun but ultimately did not, as I was engaged in the story, so that's another point in its favor.
However, as the author herself notes, this is not to be taken as a Welsh history so read it rather as a story of three people (and their peripheral characters) set against the Welsh landscape in a politically troublesome time.
theclumsybookworm's review against another edition
4.0
This was an enjoyable read. It sometimes bordered too much on romance for my taste, but it managed to save itself with the intriguing relationship between the three main characters. Not that I don't enjoy a romance now and then, but I detest romance novels masquerading as historical fiction. The ending is really what bumped it up from three to four stars for me, I was worried it was all going to be tied up into a nice little bow and was pleasantly surprised.
jmazzone's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
fairislemeadow's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first book I recommend to anyone looking for historical fiction. Set in 12th century Wales, a mercurial king is wed to a young English woman. Then their already rocky marriage is threatened by the king's bosom friend and "fool" Gwirion. The queen, Isabel, must decide whether her loyalties lie in her increasingly unstable husband and his kingdom, or to Gwirion and her own heart. This sounds more romance-y than it really is, and it's chock-full of interesting history, violence, and character studies. The relationship between King Noble and Gwirion is just as fascinating as the romantic relationships.
r_lynn13's review against another edition
4.0
Such a different voice to this historical fiction plus set off in far off Wales, a true treat.
papaya6's review against another edition
3.0
This was okay, but I probably won't read anything else from this author again. There are other better historical fiction novels out there.
mimima's review against another edition
1.0
If I were feeling charitable, I'd give this one and a half stars, but I was so tired of the unrelenting and unnecessary cruelty and sloppy history, I stopped at one. If I wasn't stuck on an airplane with this book, I would have given up.
jmeston's review against another edition
Quite entertaining but my library copy won't lay flat for mealtime reading. Horrors. I'll have to try again another time.
jenijo's review against another edition
1.0
I really just did not like this book. The only reason I finished it was because I had bought it.
bibliostorian's review against another edition
3.0
My roommate read this before me, and when she handed it to me she said, "After you read this, I want to know who your favorite character is." Hers was the king; mine was the fool -- and when we handed it to a friend, hers was the queen. Each of us chose a different character, though all three of us tend to have similar tastes. Many interesting discussions were had once we'd all read it!
The author chose to set this novel in medieval Wales, thus giving all her characters names that made discussing them afterwards even more hilarious (I'm pretty sure we each had different ways of pronouncing each name). I wasn't struck by any glaring problems with the setting or style; the book was an easy read stylistically, and for that I commend the author.
There was a point near the end of the book where the plot twists came to a head and it became clear to me: this will not end well. And boy, did Galland deliver. It was definitely a thrill to read!
The author chose to set this novel in medieval Wales, thus giving all her characters names that made discussing them afterwards even more hilarious (I'm pretty sure we each had different ways of pronouncing each name). I wasn't struck by any glaring problems with the setting or style; the book was an easy read stylistically, and for that I commend the author.
There was a point near the end of the book where the plot twists came to a head and it became clear to me: this will not end well. And boy, did Galland deliver. It was definitely a thrill to read!