More romance than historical but I liked it. ( )

(8/10) This is EC's first novel and I am so glad I took the time to go back and read it. As a huge fan of her later novels I was not disappointed to read this.

It kicks off a trilogy of books based in the Welsh Marches, each book focusing on a different member of the same family. I loved this as I could follow favourite characters through all 3 books.

It is a great introduction to how EC incorporates historical fact with her fiction, you can really picture the scene and understand the characters reasoning.

Her first two romantic leads, Guyon and Judith, are a joy to get to know and follow as their relationship develops amidst some turbulent times.

For anyone looking for an introduction to EC this is a great place to start (chronologically as well as thematically). While her later books are still my favourite just for their amazing detail and quality, I have yet to read a book of hers I did not like. ( )

This was my very first Elizabeth Chadwick book and it is far and away my favorite of hers. I've read about four others of hers and none have been able to touch this one. (I've also noticed that my first book by an author always seems to remain my favorite by that author...hmmm, I wonder if there's something to that?).
Anyway, not only is this my favorite Chadwick, but this is one of my all time favorite romances. And that says a lot as I read a lot of romance! :) ( )

probably more romance than history here...but that's fine by me :D

An okay book - not a waste of time. The heroine was a bit too flawed for my taste. Has a formulaic romantic plot - which is not necessarily bad -- when life is unpredictable sometimes it's nice to escape into something familiar. And formulas work for a reason -- because they're satisfying. ( )

Guyon, Lord of Ledworth, is told by the king that he will be marrying. His future wife, Judith of Ravenstow, is a child and he's none too happy with the arrangement which will make him an Earl and a pawn to keep an evil treacherous man from clutching more land and power.

Guyon is loathe to leave the mistress he's been with for a number of years but they both know it can go no further with his impending marriage. Reluctantly, they part and he finds himself married to a willful and terrified Judith, who having been traumatized by her father's beatings and brutality, is scared of him and what he might do to her. She is a skilled healer and capable of running a strict household but innocent and helpless when it comes to her husband. Guyon treats her with nothing but kindness and the two become less tense around each other. The war deposits several tragedies at their feet and Guyon and Judith grow closer and find a true love that neither thought was possible.

I've been wanting to read The Greatest Knight by Chadwick but my library doesn't have it. I found this one on the shelf and was pleasantly surprised by it. I was a bit annoyed by Judith --- who while headstrong and competent, she's also young and inexperienced. She doesn't want Guyon to herself but she also wants no one else to have him. Guyon, on the other hand, is quite likable and the relationship between the two becomes more tolerable by the middle of the book.

Chadwick does a great job with characters, even the ones you don't like. They are all very genuine and the story, while nothing new --- war over land, drunken lords, raping, pillaging, etc. --- it feels different and slightly exciting. I'm going to be picking up more of her books in the future. ( )