The Marsh King's Daughter by Elizabeth Chadwick

[amyb]

Well done! Another sensational book from Elizabeth Chadwick!! Like another reviewer of this book, I too had to stay up way past my bedtime to finish this – too hard to put down!

In my last review for The French Revolution series by Jean Plaidy I mentioned that I just didn’t feel the emotional connection with the characters, but not so with The Marsh King’s Daughter! The heroine, Miriel, is a woman after my own heart. She is a strong, intelligent and passionate woman who fights for what she wants in life. The more people try to beat her down the more she will fight back.

The love story between Nicholas and Miriel is deliciously sweet and the love scenes will leave you needing a cigarette after reading!

I love the way a good novel brings you right into the action and into the feelings and emotions of the characters. I felt a wide range of emotions during my reading experience…from pity to love to trying to resist the urge to jump through the pages and rip a guy’s head off! That’s the beauty of Elizabeth Chadwick! Thanks EC!

Overall: 5/5


Song: Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

[Leyland]

MKD is my favorite EC novel primarily because Miriel's circumstances force her strong will to 'work with what she's got', and exactly within the context of her times. She is a survivor and I just love that she takes advantage of opportunities involving marriage without going to the 'dark side', in a manner of speaking, while pursuing her considerable commercial talents and reaping the financial rewards.

Otherwise I guess she'd have been a pro at running a very large convent. Miriel just seems born to manage. She may think she needs the purloined treasure to succeed in her ambitions, but she truly has the wit and resource within to reach her goals. This girl is no pushover.

I also love the many plot changes in this story. Nicholas' interwoven presence in Miriel's life is so well done. A twisty path to probably-happy-ever-after is always so much fun for romantic characters.

Lastly, EC's descriptions of King John's treasure getting lost in the marsh is one of my all time favorite scenes. I'm in the moment with those characters every time I read it. I'd love to visit the site one day.

[Misfit]

I enjoyed this one as well, but then I love all of EC's books. It was a nice change having no lords and ladies and I'm with Leyland, I loved the bit about the treasure in the quicksand.

[Libby]

I stayed up far too late to finish this. The twists and turns of the plot line were compelling and the characters completely real, making me love, hate, cry and hope by turns. there was very evocative descriptions too and I like the way that two true anecdotes - the loss of King John's treasure and a runaway nun - provided the basis for such an enthralling story. I also learnt a lot about medieval shipping!

[Misfit]

I stayed up far too late to finish this.

1 AM for me :):o

[LCW]

I loved this novel too! But I do have a question...and I'll probably sound really dumb here...where does the name come from. From the story I just don't get it. Was King John the Marsh King? If so, the heroine wasn't his daughter. Was it the stepfather?? Help, lol! It's been bugging me since I read it last year.

[EC2]

Sorry, been out and about today and supposed to be working, so not around much!

Thanks for the kind words folks. To say that MKD is all my dad's fault. We went on holiday to the Wash area when I was about 11. I was sitting on the beach, digging in the sand with my little brother when dad remarked with a twinkle that if I was lucky, I might come across King John's buried treasure. Well, that set me off. I spent the rest of the holiday digging holes all over the beach and searching! Of course the place is now likely miles inland if anything is ever going to turn up. But the idea remained with me. What would have happened if someone had found the treasure back then? What would they have done with it? You can hardly go and flog something like a crown on the medieval black market without being noticed! So, a few decades down the line, I chose to explore the idea.
LCW - the title. It was inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen Fairy tale of that title which is partly about a woman being pinned down in a bog - i.e. disempowered. That was how I felt about Miriel at the start. She was having her life taken away; various people were pinning her down, and in an area renowned for bogs and quicksands. Also it's a reference to the Empress's crown itself. A female symbol of power, lost in the marsh - perhaps still there. Who Knows? Bottom line. It's a reference to Miriel pinned down, it's a reference to the crown, and it's a catchy evocative title. The latter was a consideration, but it was the Andersen fairy tale that happened to dovetail with the ideas started by my dad back on that beach near Hunstanton.

[LCW]

I see! Thanks for the explanation, EC. The reasons for all of the other titles of your novels have been easy ot see but this one had me puzzled. Very interesting! I've never heard of that fairy tale so now I'm goona have to go look it up!

[KaysK9s]

I loved this book too (as with all EC novels I've read), but I just had to comment for one reason in particular! EC, was the character Robert actually based on my ex-husband?? :eek: You nailed the traits of a sociopath perfectly! Even before you started to reveal the dark side of Robert, all of the clues were there (charming, possessive, etc) . I have to praise you on that - I spotted Robert for what he was at the start of their relationship (once he gave her the puppy I was urging her to start running!) . Having been a victim of a sociopath, I am always on the lookout - but I didn't expect to spot one in a medieval novel! Great job on that character.

It was a wonderful read, and of course I felt I a special bond to Miriel. Unfortunately though, I'm still waiting for my Nicholas to show up!! =)

[annis]

Thanks for the info about the inspiration for the story and title, EC. I've always had a soft spot for MKD, which I read when it first came out, and i've often recommended it to other readers. It was the second EC title I came across- a few years before that I'd read "Children of Destiny" (since retitled "Daughter of the Grail") which had also impressed me.

It's a bit surprising that more novels haven't beem written about the dramatic loss of King John's treasure (http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/PlaceinHistory/content/41KingJohn.aspx). There are all sorts of theories about what happened to it and who might have found it. It's kind of fun though to think of it it still lying about waiting to be discovered some day.

[EC2]

KaysK9s - Robert was all my own invention :p But I guess authors have to know the type and all sorts of types if they're going to populate the books! Glad you enjoyed the novel.
Annis - I would indeed think there's a lot of mileage to be made out of the story of that treasure - also as a modern day thriller or adventure story, or a timeslip. It could be the start of a great film script too. The possibilities are endless. Strange that no one has ever really explored such a goldmine for fiction.
If the treasure did go down, then Empress Matilda's crown is definitely in with it. It disappeared at about that time. Of course the more mundane answer is that a lot of it survived the Wellstream disaster only to be looted at John's death, or to be used to pay his mercenaries, but it would take someone very hardened and not superstitious to deconstruct a crown, and it's hardly something you can sell on without questions being asked.... so perhaps somewhere, under all that silt and mud, it's still waiting....

[annis]

Posted by EC
it would take someone very hardened and not superstitious to deconstruct a crown

I'm sure that I've read somewhere that a golden crown was rumored to have been discovered at the Sutton Hoo site in Elizabethan times and melted down for the gold. The Elizabethans were a pragmatic lot when it came to loot, but it would be tragic if a true story.

[zsigandr]

I too enjoyed this book immensely and am looking forward to reading other novels by EC.

I was wondering about the title myself - thanks EC for explaining and it does reflect Miriel's unfortunate (and probably many other women's) situation in life during this era.

[Lady Macbeth]

This was my first EC novel. A colleague and fellow history buff told me she'd bought a few of her novels a couple of weekends ago and was wildly enthusiastic and I saw this in the library and picked it up not really knowing what to expect. I adored it of course - how has it taken me so long to discover these novels?

It pretty much takes place in the area I currently live in - the site of St Catherine's priory is literally just down the hill from me although I'm not sure if this is the one thought of in the novel? Thanks for the explanation about the title - I did wonder if there would be some revelation about Miriel's father to explain it but am glad to know now.

I loved Nicholas - who wouldn't? In my mind's eye, he was played by the delectable Henry Cavill.;)

[Tanzanite]

I finished this earlier today and enjoyed it very much. I really liked Miriel and admired her strength and character. And Nicholas - sigh.... (although EC's William Marshall is still at the top of the list)!