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Read The Scarlet Lion (2006)

The Scarlet Lion (2006)

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Rating
4.24 of 5 Votes: 3
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ISBN
0316728314 (ISBN13: 9780316728317)
Language
English
Publisher
little, brown & company

The Scarlet Lion (2006) - Plot & Excerpts

4.5 stars I'm trying out a new review format from Jen @ Jenny Loves To Read1.) Reasons you chose this bookI'm a huge fan of Elizabeth Chadwick's work and The Greatest Knight was one of my favourite reads in 2008. The Scarlet Lion follows on from it and I'm happy to say it lived up to my expectations. William Marshall otherwise known as the flower of chivalry, really was The Greatest Knight. His honour, courage, and integrity are well documented and not commonplace in a time of great scheming, dishonour and fickle allegiance. I couldn't wait to learn more about this fascinating man.Since I've purchased all of Elizabeth Chadwick's novels and congratulated myself on how pretty they look on my bookshelf I thought I should read a few more rather than just admire the covers!2.) Reasons you liked or disliked this bookThe Scarlet Lion picks up more or less were The Greatest Knight finishes and follows William Marshall's life from 1197 to his death in 1219. Much of the novel is devoted to William and Isabelle's life, the birth of their 10 children, their mutual love and respect for each other, their struggles, joys and sorrows. I loved the romance and focus on family and while battle scenes are less detailed than in The Greatest Knight, political intrigue and scheming are still paramount. For a man who served 4 kings, was elected by his peers as Regent of England, William navigated through dangerous times with intelligence, courage, patience and integrity, he kept his head under the treacherous reign of King John and reached the grand age of 75 ... impressive! On his deathbed he fulfilled the vow he had made while on crusade and was invested into the order of the Knights Templar. His effigy can still be seen at Temple Church in London, where he's interred. I really enjoyed learning more about Isabelle de Clare, she's loving, intelligent, compassionate, a woman of admirable character and very much William's equal and partner in life. A refreshing change to read of in a time when women are not often heard let alone valued.Elizabeth Chadwick manages to stay true to historical detail while weaving a captivating tale. Sated with knowledge but inspired to learn more is what I truly love about historical fiction like this. 3.) Reasons you are recommending this book A seamless blend of fact and fiction. Elizabeth Chadwick's superb writing style, depth of character portrayal, clear descriptive prose, and attention to detail make this a delight to read. I would recommend it to Elizabeth Chadwick fans and lovers of historical fiction. I do recommend you read The Greatest Knight first, it makes The Scarlet Lion a clearer and easier read. See the full review on my blog The Eclectic Reader

Last year I read the Greatest Knight, I liked it very much but somehow I was not compelled to pick up its sequel right away. Now I was looking through Elizabeth Chadwick's books trying to decide what to read for the E in the ABC Challenge and The Scarlet Lion seemed like the perfect choice.If The Greatest Knight focused solely on William Marshall, The Scarlet Lion devotes great attention to his wife and his children. I loved it how the characters are brought to life, their problems and worries, the political decisions of trying to survive during the reign of King John. William Marshall was one of the most powerful men in medieval England and, through, his wife Isabelle; he also had considerable power in Ireland. With this story the author shows us how difficult it was to achieve and maintain that power, especially as Marshall’s achievements truly were outstanding in any age. If William comes alive has the consummate courtier, who knows that sometimes it is better to wait and ignore some of the indignities and humiliations to come out the victor; it is Isabelle Marshall that reveals herself has the true soul of the family, caring for her children and her husband while maintaining a keen eye on the political events.Together they have to face seeing their oldest sons being made hostage by King John, war in their Irish lands and the constant political games of distrust and betrayal of a king who trusted no one and liked to break those who surrounded him.The book covers the years from 1197 to William's death in 1219. In a period as politically complicated as this one was Elizabeth Chadwick truly has the gift of making it all seem very simple. My one complaint is that I was expecting to hear more about the Magna Carta but it is a small one considering what the author has achieved in explaining the period. Now I can't wait for William and Isabelle's daughter Mahelt's story. And while I wait for it I may just have to start reading about Ida and Roger Bigod. It seems I can’t get enough of these characters and I would happily continue reading about the Marshall family and their allies in future books. But somehow I don’t think we will be seeing them in many more books as none of the Marshall sons had children and the properties and wealth ended up being divided between the daughter’s husbands.Grade: 5/5

What do You think about The Scarlet Lion (2006)?

Regular readers of this blog are sure to know about my literary love for Elizabeth Chadwick novels. So, it was with great delight that I settled in to read about the next chapter in William Marshall’s life, in The Scarlet Lion. The Scarlet Lion covers the latter half of William’s life, where he is once again thrust into a role he would rather not play, but where his sense of honor and duty compel him to act. When King Richard I dies William is one of the first to pledge his loyalty to the new king, John. But John doesn’t have any liking for William and makes sure he knows it. William has to walk a very thin line with John and his infamous Angevin temper.Meanwhile at home, Isabelle is continually in the birthing chamber as their brood expands to 10. Yet, she is aching to go back to her homeland of Ireland and to reclaim her de Clare family inheritance. This issue will serve as a point on contention and even rift in their otherwise tight marriage. And those aren’t the only lands that the Marshalls are fighting for. As William has lands in both Normandy and England, he is in between a rock and a hard place when King Philip of France asks William to pay homage to him for his land in France, which would mean that William would have to fight for the French if there were ever a war between the two countries. Needless to say, King John doesn’t much like this and if there was ever a king you should not piss off, it would be King John. We’ve all heard of the Angevin temper, but John takes it to a whole other level – he is just plain evil and there were many times I wanted to jump through the pages and just throttle him. I was kinda hoping EC would throw in a scene where Isabelle would lay him out flat with one punch!While not as action packed as The Greatest Knight, unless you count all the action on the marriage bed and then the birthing chamber, it is none the less engrossing and entertaining. William and Isabelle are great fun to read about and I am so glad that I had the chance to know about their lives.Brilliantly weaving a strong plot line, historical accuracy, depth of character and dialogue filled with intelligence and wit, is why Elizabeth Chadwick novels is one of the very best of historical fiction authors.
—Amy

The Scarlet Lion picks up shortly after The Greatest Knight leaves off. I would HIGHLY recommend that you read The Greatest Knight first! I am so glad that I found time to squeeze The Greatest Knight in. If you don’t, you will lose out on so much back-story that makes you really care about the characters and you learn the motives for many of the things that occur in this story. I have heard several people make this complaint, so I wanted to warn you right off of the top. The Scarlet Lion takes place mostly in Ireland and England. I had not read anything set in Ireland, so it was very interesting to see some of this Irish history. For much of the story, William and Isabelle are in different countries and you see them living separate lives. When they are together, it is for a very short period of time and usually revolves around the marriage bed. One of the things that I miss from the previous book is the unity between William and Isabelle. They were able to build off of each other and make each other stronger – here there is more conflict. I really did find myself enjoying two of their children – John and Mahelt. I’m excited that Mahelt will be featured in an upcoming book, To Defy a King.While I LOVED The Greatest Knight (you can find my review here), I didn’t enjoy The Scarlet Lion quite as much. I still really enjoyed it, but it was lacking the action and tourney excitement of the previous. This story was more character driven and less action driven – so it was a little slow going at times. One of the strengths of Chadwick’s writing is her ability to make you feel for the characters. As the story came toward the end I found myself in going back and forth between being choked up and crying – definitely a hanky novel!Overall, an enjoyable Chadwick read and I can’t wait to get my hands on some more. For those of you who read this book first and found it hard to get into, do yourself a favor and pick up The Greatest Knight, you won’t regret it and everything will make more sense!This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
—Heather

The Scarlet Lion, sequel to The Greatest Knight, follows William Marshal and his family now that he is married and a noble landowner rather than just an honorable knight navigating the shark-infested waters of Medieval politics. The political skills he learned as a knight come in handy, but his own life is no longer the only one at stake, and family fortunes change as quickly as kings in this time period.This book deserves a 5 star rating. It's amazingly written historical fiction - well-researched, accurate as far as what is known about the people and time, and well-imagined as to what is not known. At the same time, it's written in a way that makes me care about the people and what happens to them. I had my heart in my throat with fear for William and his family, and loathed King John for his jealous vindictiveness. He really made my blood boil. And since the story had to stick to history (and I didn't know how it was going to end), I was more afraid for William than I would have been if it was strictly fiction. Imaginations are often not as cruel as reality can be, and I often feared the worst. So I'm rating this 5 stars even though I can't say I enjoyed it. My ratings are usually based on my enjoyment while reading, but this one is in a different category - it is so well written that any emotional discomfort I experienced pales beside my awe at the way Chadwick brought the people and time alive enough to make me feel so terrified for them. It was a great book, but I was relieved when it released me. History is a scary thing to resurrect, especially the brutal Middle Ages. I can handle the violence of battles where the greatest fear is merely a bloody death, but the political knives being stabbed into the hearts of our heroes and heroines are not for the faint at heart. And yet somehow I know I'll be back for more of Chadwick's works, willingly letting myself be run through the wringer again. They're that good.(Review updated 7/29/2014)
—Allison

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