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The Love Knot by Elizabeth Chadwick

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Telynor
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The Love Knot by Elizabeth Chadwick

Post by Telynor » Sun November 2nd, 2008, 10:29 pm

Continuing on my endevours to read all of Elizabeth Chadwick's novels this year, the October selection was The Love Knot. Set during the years of the Civil War between Stephan and Matilda, rival claimants for the English crown, what had once been a thriving, peaceful land is quickly disintegrating into chaos. Now there are roving bands of mercenaries and troops, wandering the land and laying waste to any small manors or lands, and leaving misery behind.

For one knight, Sir Oliver Pascal, newly returned from making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, it's a heartbreaking return. In a ruined estate, he finds a woman who has been badly abused and dying from miscarriage. Worst still, he knows her - she was Amice, the sister of his wife, and the mother of one of Old King Henry's many illegitimate children. Dying, she begs him to take her son Richard to one of the few noblemen still loyal to the Old King's daughter, Matilda. Saddened, Oliver agrees to take the boy, along with Richard's nurse, the lovely Catrin.

Catrin has seen her own measure of misery. She was left widowed and alone when her husband drowned in an accident. A fortunate encounter with Amice has given her a home for a time, but now this is gone, knowing that young Richard won't be needing her once he enters a noble household. She doesn't have many choices open to her, without a wealthy family or husband to help. When the small party reaches the port city of Bristol, they are all welcomed into the household of Earl Robert. Sir Oliver will return to his duties as one of the Earl's knights, Richard will train to be a warrior, and Catrin becomes one of the Countess's waiting women. It?s stability for now, but Catrin soon finds the closed up world of the women not to her liking, filled mostly with backbiting and gossip.

But all of that will change for her when she meets Ethel. Ethel is the local midwife, an aging woman with plenty of good common sense, and a vast knowledge of herbal medicine. She and Catrin soon become friends, and Catrin starts to learn to be a midwife, and quickly becomes a very good one. Too, a budding romance is quickly growing between her and Sir Oliver, even though she knows that he is a landless knight and unlikely to provide her with a life of wealth or ease. And Oliver has seen plenty of heartache in his life, especially when his beloved wife Emma died in childbirth, a memory that sent him off to seek oblivion in war, and now is fearful that love will be just as disappointing as before. But the pair do learn to trust one another, and tentatively agree to marry just as Oliver is about to leave for battle on behalf of Empress Matilda.

But the story is about to take a dreadful turn that will test Oliver and Catrin's love for each other. Oliver turns up missing after a battle, and Catrin sets off to find him, determined to ransom him and bring him back with her. What she didn't count on was finding out that her husband - the one that she had thought had drowned - is very much alive, and not about to let her leave him, dangling a devilish deal in front of her that will put her convictions and loyalty to the test?

One of the things that I like so much about Elizabeth Chadwick's writing is that not only can she create a believable world for her characters, but also make those characters be people whom you can actually care about. In the hands of a lesser writer, Oliver would have been a two-dimensional sort, think of Tom Cruise in armor, say, and Catrin would have had some sort of psychic ability to let her 'heal' people without benefit of actual knowledge. Instead, thankfully, Ms. Chadwick makes them very human, with all of the emotional baggage that entails. Both of them are people who have doubts - just look at Oliver's fears of losing a woman he loves to the dangers of pregnancy and birth - or at Catrin's having to choose between two men that she does care about, with all of the moral dilemmas that it brings.

And that's another fine point with Ms. Chadwick's style that I enjoy very much. Usually in most historical novels, especially those where the relationship is the central point of the story, religion is either ignored, or the reader is treated to some sort of 'hidden' forbidden variety of paganism. This tends to be really rife when a character is a healer of some sort, with every sort of half-baked idea of modern witchcraft pasted on top for good measure. But Ms. Chadwick is smart enough not to insult her readers with this sort of twaddle. She manages to get inside of her character's heads, and keeps them firmly in the time and place that they inhabit.

Finally, her stories are terrific blends of historical figures that actually lived, fictional characters that feel like real people, and all sorts of little details about medieval life and lore. Her knowledge of the times feels right, and she knows what happens when and skillfully blends it into her stories. Despite the cover, don't be mistaken that these are those historical romances that get churned out regularly - these are straight up historical novels, with enough action and adventure with a healthy dollop of romance to keep anyone entertained.

Unfortunately, there isn't an American publisher yet for Ms. Chadwick's novels, so for those readers who want to get their hands on her work, it's necessary to either check the local library and hope that they can get a copy through interlibrary loan, find a used copy on-line, or get a new copy through a British bookseller. I happily recommend The Book Depository at http://www.bookdepository.co.uk as a very good overseas book dealer, they will ship for free anywhere in the world if you order directly through their on-line site.

A very solid four star read.
Last edited by Telynor on Sun November 2nd, 2008, 10:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Spitfire
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Post by Spitfire » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 1:15 am

Thanks for the great review, Telynor! I have only read one of Chadwick's novels so far "Greatest Knight" and it really left a deep impression on me. I am looking foreward to reading more from her, I just may have to do the same as you and create a Chadwick Reading Schedule for the year!
Only the pure of heart can make good soup. - Beethoven

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 1:17 am

Excellent review. I loved Oliver and Caitlin and could never figure out the reviewer (or two) on Amazon who carped on about the Wicca thing. I never picked up on that from this book.

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LCW
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Post by LCW » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 4:34 am

This is one of my favorite Chadwick's! I loved it! Great review!!
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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Telynor
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Post by Telynor » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 5:17 am

[quote=""Spitfire""]Thanks for the great review, Telynor! I have only read one of Chadwick's novels so far "Greatest Knight" and it really left a deep impression on me. I am looking foreward to reading more from her, I just may have to do the same as you and create a Chadwick Reading Schedule for the year![/quote]

I'm only letting myself have one EC a month, so I can keep from overdosing on her work, and ruining it for myself. I've had that happen with other authors, and I certainly don't want it to happen here. ;)

One of the things I've really gotten to enjoy about her work is that there are consequences to people's actions, and that she's brave enough to let people make mistakes. That is a very telling sign of a good writer, who doesn't let her characters slide into the 'too perfect to be real' cliche.

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Melisende
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Post by Melisende » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 12:16 pm

In good company:

Catherine Darby wrote a novel set in 14thC England - "The Love Knot"

Vanessa Alexander wrote a novel about the love story of Joan of Acre, daughter of Edward I, and Ralph de Monthermer - "The Love Knot"
"For my part, I adhere to the maxim of antiquity: The throne is a glorious sepulchre."

Women of History

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 3:55 pm

Thanks for the review Telynor!
The Love Knot was actually a reworked version of what should have been the fourth book that started with The Wild Hunt. Unfortunately dire times in historical fiction in the UK and the demise of Robert Maxwell meant that I had to do some swift rethinking, so I changed various things around and used those early chapters to work The Love Knot.
As to publication in the USA. Next year, The Greatest Knight is heading Stateside, also Lords of the White Castle. We finally agreed the fine points of the contract last week. If they're successful, the publisher wants to roll out the rest. They're going to be in both paperback and electronic format.
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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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 4:07 pm

Good news, EC and hope to see them sell well and more added to the US list.

So, if TLK was originally part of the Ravenstow books, who would the main characters have been?

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 4:29 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]
So, if TLK was originally part of the Ravenstow books, who would the main characters have been?[/quote]

Let me see if I can remember :o
Amice who died at the beginning was Olwen from The Leopard Unleashed
Her son Richard, would have been Renard's son.
Oliver would have been Renard's brother, William.
I'd set up the scenario with those names, but then, as I say, it all went to hell in a handcart after the demise of Robert Maxwell and the mid 90's crash of historical fiction. I revived it following on from The Conquest and The Champion and used those original first chapters with changed names and little tweaks.
I knew it was still a good story line, and a good case for waste not, want not.
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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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Mon November 3rd, 2008, 4:48 pm

Thanks, I think I like the book just as it is :)

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