Joscelin De Gael is an illegitimate son in an age when this matters. He is the eldest but his father has 3 legitimate, younger, sons, so Joscelin must make his own way with his wits and his sword. The year is 1173 and the sons of Henry II and their followers bring war to England as they strive to take the throne.
Elizabeth Chadwick is a scholar of this period of English history and her grasp of the social structure of England at this time is admirable. In this novel, she constructs the story of the succession to a wealthy Norman household in middle England, with the backdrop of the war of succession to King Henry II. The two tales are cleverly interwoven and the period feel is well developed.
I've read many historical novels and have a reasonable eye for detail. Elizabeth Chadwick is excellent in this regard. Perhaps, however, I've read too many historical novels because I felt as though there was nothing new here to pique my interest. If you're new to the genre, this is an excellent place to start but if, like me, you love history, you'll find nothing innovative here.
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