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The Time of Singing by Elilzabeth Chadwick

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LCW
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Post by LCW » Sun October 12th, 2008, 6:20 pm

I ordered my copy what seems like ages ago and it's still not here! But I guess it doesn't matter too much since I still have quite a few EC here that I haven't gotten to yet. So I've got lots of "new" Chadwick books to read! :)
Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them. --Arnold Lobel

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diamondlil
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Post by diamondlil » Tue October 21st, 2008, 8:08 am

Here's my review of this book:


With so many new books coming out all the time, there are lots of authors that I am pleased to hear have new releases coming up, and then there are the authors that I am genuinely excited about new books from. Among the latter category is British author Elizabeth Chadwick. A quick look through my archives at any of the reviews for her books will confirm just how much I really enjoy them. Luckily for me, she once again has not let her readers down with this excellent novel about the life of a medieval couple trying to walk the narrow path between serving those troublesome Plantagenets and their own happiness.

Our main characters are Ida de Rosnay and Roger Bigod. Whilst still a very young woman, Ida makes her debut at court as one of King Henry II's wards, and very quickly catches his eye for much more earthly reasons. Whilst Ida is aware that it is a great honour to be the King's mistress, she is also aware that she is now damaged goods in terms of the marriage market, even though Henry has promised to look after her, especially once she gives birth to his son.

Enter Roger Bigod, a man who is in the middle of a fight for his inheritance and therefore has to do everything that he can to stay on the good side of Henry, so feeling an attraction to the king's mistress is probably not a great place to be! Like so many of Elizabeth Chadwick's other leading men, Roger is a man of honour, determined to do what is right. In fact, one of those other leading men, William Marshal, is one of Roger's friends and allies. It was interesting to see some of the events that were covered in William's books from an outside point of view. Anyway, back to Roger. What makes him unusual compared to so many of his contemporaries is his treatment of women. There are no dalliances with the court ladies, noble or otherwise, and he never loses sight of what his goals are. He has a determination that comes from knowing what it is that he wants, and doing everything he can to get it.

For Roger and Ida the chance to be together is a chance at happiness despite the odds, but it comes at a terrible price - one that continues to be paid by Ida year upon year. As Roger is called to perform task after task for the Plantagenet kings, always hoping that this time will be enough to have his full inheritance restored to him. There is always a chance, however, that spending all his time and energy in the fight for his entitlements that Roger may well lose something far more important to him.

What this author is really good at is balance. Whilst her books are definitely historical fiction of the highest order, there is an underlying romance as well. There is some sex in her books, but she knows how much detail to give and how much to leave up to the reader's imagination!

With lots of detail and colour, Chadwick knows how to bring the past to life vividly, but doesn't let the detail get in the way of a really good story. She also manages to include something new to me in all of her books! In this case, it was about jousting in the middle of the River Thames. If I was younger and fitter, a man (oh and alive in the 1100s), then river jousting sounds like a lot of fun!

If you haven't yet, read Chadwick, add her to your TBR list. Her books may be difficult to track down in the US, it is well worth the effort of getting them from either Amazon Canada or The Book Depository.

So, the only question left to ask really is when is the next book out?
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There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

Edith Wharton

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Tue October 21st, 2008, 11:14 am

Thanks for the lovely review Diamondlil!
I also think your definition of my past writing and where I am now is spot on!

Re Roger being a bit different to the other guys of his day. Other than basing his personality on the Akashic Records research, what backed it up for me and made it interesting to explore (especially after John Marshal's goings on!) was professor Crouch's remark in his biography about William Marshal that we tend to 'underestimate the extent to which a willing celibacy could be a feature of lay life in the Middle Ages.' So the guys who had mistresses and bastards and enjoyed their sexuality on a regular basis weren't the whole story.
I'd love to see a water joust. I still can't quite get my head round why everyone who tried it didn't fall in, but being as I based the scene on an eye-witness report, I'll take his word for it!
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal

www.elizabethchadwick.com

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Alaric
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Post by Alaric » Tue October 21st, 2008, 12:58 pm

I probably won't get to it by the end of the year (isn't it scary that's only 10 weeks away?) but I really ought to read one of EC's books next year, given the great views. Probably the William Marshal ones. Are they bloke-friendly?

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Tue October 21st, 2008, 1:08 pm

[quote=""Alaric""]I probably won't get to it by the end of the year (isn't it scary that's only 10 weeks away?) but I really ought to read one of EC's books next year, given the great views. Probably the William Marshal ones. Are they bloke-friendly?[/quote]

I would say the Marshal books are bloke friendly Alaric. The earlier ones are perhaps just a tad more female oriented because they are more romance orientated. When asked I usually say that I'm like Bernard Cornwell in reverse. His core readership are blokes but with a strong outer ring of female readers (self included in that). My core readership are generally women but with a strong outer ring of male readers. In fact I've just had a male reader letter in today re The Greatest Knight. It's not appropriate I think to post it here, but I'll PM you with it so you can see what another bloke thinks.
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal

www.elizabethchadwick.com

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Leyland
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Post by Leyland » Tue October 21st, 2008, 1:23 pm

Wonderfully helpful review, Diamondlil! I've already received TSOS from The Book Depository and am waiting for a full day very soon to devote to reading it straight through. I'm certain that if I begin reading it in the evening, I'll be up all night reading - and may possibly be getting too old at this point to face the next day. ;)
We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams ~ Arthur O'Shaughnessy, Ode

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Tue October 21st, 2008, 1:32 pm

[quote=""Alaric""]I probably won't get to it by the end of the year (isn't it scary that's only 10 weeks away?) but I really ought to read one of EC's books next year, given the great views. Probably the William Marshal ones. Are they bloke-friendly?[/quote]

I would say yes on these, also A Place Beyond Courage and maybe Falcons of Montabard. Sabin's a hottie but he's a manly guy as well :)

Excellent review Diamondlil.

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LCW
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Post by LCW » Tue October 21st, 2008, 5:43 pm

I haven't decided if I should start on this book or not. The last EC novel I read was The Champion and I loved it!! I have quite a few EC novels here that I haven't read yet so I'm trying to decide if I should jump into the new one or read her older work first. Decisions, decisions!!
Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them. --Arnold Lobel

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Tue October 21st, 2008, 5:52 pm

[quote=""1lila1""]I haven't decided if I should start on this book or not. The last EC novel I read was The Champion and I loved it!! I have quite a few EC novels here that I haven't read yet so I'm trying to decide if I should jump into the new one or read her older work first. Decisions, decisions!![/quote]

Write the names down on a piece of paper and draw one? :D :o :p

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Carine
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Currently reading: Jonkvrouw - Jean-Claude Van Ryckeghem
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Post by Carine » Wed October 22nd, 2008, 6:16 am

I'm going to wait until it's out in paperback. I have all her other books in paperback aswell and I also still have quite a few that I haven't read yet, so ...

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