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Mary Lide

annis
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Mary Lide

Post by annis » Thu March 4th, 2010, 11:02 pm

I recently read Mary Lide's "Ann of Cambray", a novel set during the English Anarchy period-- historical fiction with romance, rather than historical romance, if you know what I mean.

I was checking out other titles by her and have a mystery which I hope someone can solve.

Does anyone know if Mary Lide’s “Royal Quest” and her “Hawks of Sedgemont” are one and the same book?

Synopsis for “Royal Quest” says
“--an exquisite story set in medieval times, in which the three young heirs of the House of Sedgemont are caught in the intrigues of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.”

For “Hawks of Sedgemont”
'Ambition, hate, revenge, the dark side of this world, are woven here, and honour, love, loyalty, their counterpart. These are the things I speak of, and of deeds, great and ignoble, and of the men, ignoble and great, who achieved them.'
Lord Raoul and Lady Ann Sedgemont live on the war-torn border between England and Wales. Their allegiance is pledged to Henry II, though Raoul and Ann have a bitter grievance against the ruler. But their sons Robert, and particularly the impetuous, red-haired Hue, long to serve the royal family.
And Olwen, their bronze-haired, brown-eyed, beautiful daughter, is torn by her love for Taliesin of Afron, a dashing Celtic prince who is Henry II's sworn enemy. Will the political intrigues of the royal court divide the family forever? Can Olwen fulfil a love as pure as the morning dew in a land wounded and scarred by a mighty battle, a country where Lord and nobleman are perpetually embroiled in terrible conflict? “

Btw, I earlier noted her novel about William the Conqueror's early years and marriage to Matilda, ("Fortune's Knave"), but have since discovered that under the name Mary Lomer she also wrote a novel about William's father, Duke Robert of Normandy and his relationship with Wm's mother, Herleve. It's called "Robert of Normandy"

*Edit "Hawks of Sedgemont" is clearly a sequel to "Ann of Cambray" -- Raoul and Ann are the main characters in that novel.
Last edited by annis on Thu March 4th, 2010, 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Ariadne
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Post by Ariadne » Thu March 4th, 2010, 11:27 pm

I enjoyed the Ann of Cambray series when I read it, some time ago. The first book was marketed in the US as a romance, and it has a very romancey cover, though the models resembled the characters for a change, and I actually rather liked it!

I'm pretty sure that Royal Quest and Hawks of Sedgemont are the same book. And I'm also pretty sure that I discovered this after buying the latter by mistake and realizing that it wasn't book 4 in the series but a duplicate of book 3. Gifts of the Queen is the immediate sequel to Ann of Cambray, and the next book deals with her children. My copies are around here, somewhere... I think I know what shelf they're on, though, and will go look for them shortly!

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Post by annis » Thu March 4th, 2010, 11:56 pm

Thanks, Ariadne. I couldn't find a synopsis at all for "Gifts of the Queen"I], so would have just assumed that "Hawks of Sedgemont" was the immediate sequel. Finding out about these older books can be really frustrating! Is there a fourth book, or is it a trilogy?

"Ann of Cambray" was quite romantic, I guess, but more in an HF way than a bodice-ripper one :)

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Post by Ariadne » Fri March 5th, 2010, 12:31 am

Well, hmph, it wasn't where I thought it'd be. Looking through my shelves just made me think about all the books I haven't read yet and should! :) From what I remember, though, Gifts of the Queen covered how Ann and Raoul got caught up in the rivalry between Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II, and how Eleanor persuades them to take her side over his. It's a trilogy. I agree, Annis, they're not bodice-ripper material!

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Post by annis » Fri March 5th, 2010, 12:53 am

Thanks, that's very helpful. Where do you keep all these books of yours ? :)

I liked the cover on my copy of "Ann of Cambray" - not sure if it's the same as yours, but it does have a genuine period feel about it.

Image

Edit - How funny - just discovered a much tackier cover version among Tanzanite's cheesy covers!
http://tanzanitesbookcovers.blogspot.co ... mance.html
Last edited by annis on Fri March 5th, 2010, 1:09 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Post by Misfit » Fri March 5th, 2010, 1:07 am

historical fiction with romance, rather than historical romance, if you know what I mean.
I know exactly what you mean and I love finding those as well. BTW, do you have an ISBN #? I'd love to put the cover up on Goodreads. They show these two editions, http://www.goodreads.com/work/editions/1138785

Plus a book blurb if that's not pushing it.
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Ariadne
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Post by Ariadne » Fri March 5th, 2010, 1:13 am

[quote=""annis""]Thanks, that's very helpful. Where do you keep all these books of yours ? :)

I liked the cover on my copy of "Ann of Cambray" - not sure if it's the same as yours, but it does have a genuine period feel about it.
[/quote]

Heh. I have a large walk-out basement with bookshelves on every inch of wall space :D Well, except in the bathroom...

And that tacky cover's the one I have. It's one of the rare clinch covers that I don't mind, even though it's not really a romance. Of course I'm a sucker for historical fonts, so that helps a lot! The one for Gifts on Tanzanite's page, though, is dreadful. That's the one I own too.

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Post by annis » Fri March 5th, 2010, 2:13 am

Misfit, I've peered all around my copy but can't find an ISBN, however it's definitely the 1985 Sphere edition.

This is the blurb on the back of the book:

“The Lady Ann was born in a fateful year—Henry the first king of that name, had died with no son to succeed him and England had plunged headlong into civil war, with the crown as the victors prize. The unreast had sprad deep into hat unhappy land, even as far as her beloved Cambray, from whose stone walls her father’s men had many times ridden to quell the wild borderlands of the Welsh Marches. Now, with her home in other hands and her own future entrusted to her partisan overlord, it was time for the name of Ann of Cambray to blaze like a beacon though those dark days of twelfth century England.
This is her chronicle.”

This is my own summary:

Daughter of Sir Falk of Cambray and the Welsh princess he married, red-haired Lady Ann has both the passionate Celtic temperament and the second sight. Born in 1135, the year Henry 1 died leaving no male heir, Ann’s life will be shaped by the vicious struggle between Empress Matilda and King Stephen for possession of the English Crown. As bitter civil war reaches even into the Welsh Marches, Ann’s future becomes tied to that of her overlord and guardian, the handsome, infuriating Earl Raoul of Sedgemont--
Last edited by annis on Fri March 5th, 2010, 2:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Misfit » Fri March 5th, 2010, 2:26 am

Thanks Annis, I'll get it up shortly.
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Post by Misfit » Fri March 5th, 2010, 2:48 am

I got covers for both issues up thanks to Tanzanite as well. Love that blog.

I found six titles in my library's catalog:

The sea scape
The legacy of Tregaran
Command of the King
Tregaran
Isobelle
A royal quest

Any suggestions on one to try?
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

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