The Greatest Knight/The Scarlet Lion

[M'lady]

William Marshall is my favourite Elizabeth Chadwick character and led me to research the real man. Is it possible to fall in love with someone who lived 800 years ago? I was so sad at the end of Scarlet Lion but then I read A Place Beyond Courage and he was a boy again!

But my gosh he had a lot of children! A new chapter, a new pregnancy, hats off to Isabelle de Clare I think.

[EC2]

William Marshall is my favourite Elizabeth Chadwick character and led me to research the real man. Is it possible to fall in love with someone who lived 800 years ago? I was so sad at the end of Scarlet Lion but then I read A Place Beyond Courage and he was a boy again!

But my gosh he had a lot of children! A new chapter, a new pregnancy, hats off to Isabelle de Clare I think.

Thanks M'lady
Re pregnancies. She didn't have it as bad as Maude de Braose who copped for 16! Fitting all the children into novels and keeping track of them can be a nightmare. The Medieval mindset didn't go in for contraception as the default, although I know couples did wangle their way round it. William was a man of balance. 5 boys, 5 girls

[Madeleine]

William Marshall is my favourite Elizabeth Chadwick character and led me to research the real man. Is it possible to fall in love with someone who lived 800 years ago? I was so sad at the end of Scarlet Lion but then I read A Place Beyond Courage and he was a boy again!

But my gosh he had a lot of children! A new chapter, a new pregnancy, hats off to Isabelle de Clare I think.

Yes, to both William and John Marshal!

[M'lady]

Thanks M'lady
Re pregnancies. She didn't have it as bad as Maude de Braose who copped for 16! Fitting all the children into novels and keeping track of them can be a nightmare. The Medieval mindset didn't go in for contraception as the default, although I know couples did wangle their way round it. William was a man of balance. 5 boys, 5 girls

You're welcome, your books really make me feel what the past was like. I recently read about a Queen in the 1700s who had 17 and 16 died, imagine how awful that must have been. William Marshal's lucky he had so many apparently healthy. I love it when the characters have loads of children in your books though, I don't know why lol.

I sent you an email before and didn't get a reply.

[EC2]

You're welcome, your books really make me feel what the past was like. I recently read about a Queen in the 1700s who had 17 and 16 died, imagine how awful that must have been. William Marshal's lucky he had so many apparently healthy. I love it when the characters have loads of children in your books though, I don't know why lol.

I sent you an email before and didn't get a reply.

I'm sometimes a bit behind on e-mails if the workload swamps me, but usually I get around to them in the fullness of time. Sometimes e-mails don't make it through though. I'm having trouble with a few missing ones at the moment, so it might be that as well. Apologies anyway, whatever the reason - it wasn't intentional!

[M'lady]

lol it's ok thanks! I can imagine how many you get.

[Rissa]

I read The greatest Knight nearly three years ago (German translation) and I loved it. It's definitely on my personal top 20 list, maybe even in top 10!
I haven't come around to get Scarlet Lion yet, but it's near the top of my wishlist.

[Ely]

I realise that I am very late to this particular party, but I am now half way through The Greatest Knight, and I am really enjoying it. As they say "better late than never"

[nona]

Ive read the Greatest Knight twice and reading this thread i think i shall again shortly.

[Saxon1974]

I just finished "The Greatest Knight". Quite an enjoyable read but there was one aspect I didn't love. I realize that I am probably going to get flamed for posting anything like that

This is merely my opinion though as all readers like different things.

Things I did like:

-I really enjoy Chadwick's easy reading style and ability to draw me into the medieval world and this book was no different in this area.

-I really enjoyed learning about this remarkable man and couldn't believe he was honorable enough to stick to his guns for loyalty as he did.

-I realize his life is so full of details that writing a novel about him couldn't be easy and I thought Chadwick did a very nice job of this with having to span large gaps of time between some chapters. It felt pretty seamless.

-Thought she did a very nice job portraying the English royal family and they seemed consistent with every thing I have read about them.

-Seem very historically accurate (As much as I know about the subject)

The one aspect that I didnt love:

I felt like the book had WAY to much about his familial life with his wife\concubine and the royal court political discussions. It felt like this was 80% of the book. Now I realize he really was a big part of English court politics of the time but it really felt like there were pages and pages and pages of it. I am a male reader however and I realize that my interest is more in his tourney and military career. I don't dislike familial details but would have just liked a bit less of it. I would have liked the book better if it was closer to 50/50.

There were many times in the book where I felt like the book was building up to an interesting castle siege and then I turn the page and he is back with his wife and tells her how the siege went in a few sentences after the fact. I felt like the book had a good start with the battle at Drincourt and some early tourney's but it felt like he really quickly become this great tourney champion without really showing us why he was so good. Same thing with his military skills.

Anyway, I hope I don't offend by posting my opinion as that's all it is...an opinion.

I have read quite a few of Chadwick's books and really enjoy them even though some tend to vere too far into the romance category.

Cheers and keep them coming Ms. Chadwick! (Although I wish there were less Romancy covers for the newer ones)