Tag: medieval england

What’s Ashley Reading?: Shadow on the Crown

Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell

First line: She made a circuit of the clearing among the oaks, three times round and three times back, whispering spells of protection.

Summary: When Emma of Normandy is sent as the bride to the king of England it is with the hope that she will create an alliance between the two nations against the Viking lord, Swein Forkbeard. Upon meeting her husband, Aethelred, there is mistrust and anger from the king, his elder sons and their nobles. With enemies all around, Emma knows that the only thing that will secure her future is a son. As Emma builds support around her, she allows her heart to be given to someone other than her husband putting her in danger of her life and her crown.

My Thoughts: The time of the Anglo-Saxons is a period I have heard or read little about. After starting this I want to know so much more but unfortunately it is during the era that used to be known as the Dark Ages. There is little written record or much archeology available to study from the 600 years of the Saxons in England. Historians have to rely on the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the little information available to us and the few hoards found, including the one at Sutton Hoo.

Sutton Hoo helmet at the
British Museum

Emma and the life in Anglo-Saxon England fascinated me from the very beginning. Life was much less glamorous and a lot more dangerous. Threats from invaders, disease and deprivation are very real possibilities for many of the people of the realm. And women particularly were not treated well. I felt that the author did a great job bringing the terror of a Viking invasion to the page. There is the ever present threat but little knowledge of when or where they will strike. The chaos that is reigned down upon the people is something that is impossible to imagine today. Fear of death, rape and slavery were everyday worries for the people of England at this time.

As I read I was constantly referencing Wikipedia for the relationships and line of succession at this time. I have learned much through the reading of Bracewell’s first novel in the trilogy. Shadow on the Crown only covers the first several years of Emma’s marriage with two more books to follow. Having looked into the history I have a vague idea of where the story is headed but I cannot wait to see how the author weaves the story together. I am excited to see how Emma becomes the strong queen she is destined to be!

What’s Ashley Reading?: Queens of the Conquest

Queens of the Conquest by Alison Weir

First line: Imagine a land centuries before industrialization, a rural, green land of vast royal forests and open fields, wild moorlands and undrained marshlands, with scattered villages overshadowed by towering castles, and small, bustling walled towns.

Summary: In the first of a four book set, Alison Weir looks at the lives of the first five queens of England after the Norman conquest: Matilda of Flanders, Matilda of Scotland, Adeliza of Louvain, Matilda of Boulogne and the Empress Matilda. Each woman made their mark on the early part of English history through their good works, descendants and political maneuvers.

My Thoughts: I love to read nonfiction and biographies most of all. They tell so much about a person’s life but also about the time period. And this one was particularly fascinating. These women lived almost one thousand years ago but we know quite a lot about who they were, where they were at certain times and what they did. Some of the queens even left behind letters, their personal seals and elaborate tombs for historians and lovers of history to see.

I was not very familiar with these early queens so I learned a lot from reading Weir’s book. The fact that 4 of the 5 queens were named Matilda made the reading a little bit confusing but the author tried to make sure she differentiated between them either with their titles or other names they went my such as Maud. Life during these years was very hard and life was short but these women accomplished a lot during their time. And that so many of them spent such a short amount of time in England is shocking. They helped rule over several duchies in France and had to split their times between each country.

If you are looking for a great insight into medieval England then I would highly recommend picking this book up. It is a big book and very dense but filled with lots of information and several pictures are included in the middle too.

FYI: The next book, Queens of the Crusades, will be out on February 23, 2021.