Helpful Score: 5
Reading a Chadwick book is a dangerous proposition if one has any time-sensitive responsibilities -- because the reader just cannot help getting lost somewhere in the Middle Ages. In To Defy a King, Chadwick transports us to King John's reign, focusing on Mahelt, the beloved daughter of the renowned William Marshal (with whom we fell in love in The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion).
We first meet her in 1204 as a 10-year-old loudly protesting the unfairness of not being able to play a knight in her older brothers' game because she is a girl. We then follow her through the next fourteen years, during which we see more and more evidence of her independence, her spirit, and her determination. When William falls out with King John (not surprising given John's mercurial, paranoid nature) and decides to head to his lands in Ireland, he first arranges 12-year-old Mahelt's marriage to Hugh Bigod, the Earl of Norfolk's heir. Mahelt and Hugh come to love one another, despite the Earl's pointed disapproval of Mahelt's seemingly rebellious behavior and her determination to remain loyal to her Marshal family, a loyalty often at odds with the interests of the Bigod family.
Living as a noble under King John, a king we love to hate, is not easy. John takes Mahelt's brothers as hostages, pursues Mahelt (who deliciously puts him in his place at one point), and threatens her marriage and family. To further complicate matters, Hugh's half-brother, William Longespée, is also King John's half-brother -- the relationship between Hugh and William is fraught with underlying tensions. But Mahelt (and Hugh) persevere.
As usual, Chadwick brings the Middle Ages alive with vibrant characters, a compelling story, and vivid historical details. Just be sure to clear your calendar beforehand.
We first meet her in 1204 as a 10-year-old loudly protesting the unfairness of not being able to play a knight in her older brothers' game because she is a girl. We then follow her through the next fourteen years, during which we see more and more evidence of her independence, her spirit, and her determination. When William falls out with King John (not surprising given John's mercurial, paranoid nature) and decides to head to his lands in Ireland, he first arranges 12-year-old Mahelt's marriage to Hugh Bigod, the Earl of Norfolk's heir. Mahelt and Hugh come to love one another, despite the Earl's pointed disapproval of Mahelt's seemingly rebellious behavior and her determination to remain loyal to her Marshal family, a loyalty often at odds with the interests of the Bigod family.
Living as a noble under King John, a king we love to hate, is not easy. John takes Mahelt's brothers as hostages, pursues Mahelt (who deliciously puts him in his place at one point), and threatens her marriage and family. To further complicate matters, Hugh's half-brother, William Longespée, is also King John's half-brother -- the relationship between Hugh and William is fraught with underlying tensions. But Mahelt (and Hugh) persevere.
As usual, Chadwick brings the Middle Ages alive with vibrant characters, a compelling story, and vivid historical details. Just be sure to clear your calendar beforehand.
Helpful Score: 2
Outstanding. When you finish the book you feel like you know Hugh and Mahelt personally, and have a good understand of King John's politics. Chadwick makes you forget how young are main characters are and weaves a beautiful story around them. Here writing style is elegant.
Helpful Score: 2
Traveling the English and French countrysides with King John is perilous at best yet somehow Mahelt's brothers and father, her husband, Hugh, and the king manage to coexist in this dangerous world. When Mahelt went to the Bigood household to become Hugh's wife, she found she was no longer the cherished firstborn whose every wish seemed to be her father's command. Spirited, lovely, and determined she eventually establishes peace between her husband's father and herself, growing to love her husband deeply. Meanwhile, the king murders those who oppose him, takes hostages from families he distrusts including Mahelt's brothers, and covets the wives of his subjects. Public support gradually erodes until one nobleman after another become disenchanted with his broken promises and philandering. What will happen to Mahelt and her loved ones in this tempestuous era? A fine novel written by a most talented and creative author. Read it and see for yourself. Furthermore, the author's comments at the close indicate that there may be another novel with Mahelt as the heroine.
