Deb B. (bookzealot) reviewed on
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.
