Devil's Brood - A Novel

Zusatztext “[Sharon Kay] Penman does a remarkable job of depicting passionate! dramatic characters and the perilous times in which they live. For those who like their historical fiction as complex and tightly woven as a medieval tapestry! this book cannot fail to please.”— Library Journal! starred review “Teeming with characters and authentic period detail! the novel is part splendid pageant and part history lecture.”— Booklist “Penman writes about the medieval world and its people with vigor! compassion and clarity.”— San Francisco Chronicle “A story so immediate and real that you’ll feel like you’ve lived it.”— Historical Novels Review Informationen zum Autor Sharon Kay Penman Klappentext A.D. 1172. Henry II's three eldest sons conspire against him and align themselves with his greatest enemy, King Louis of France, but it's Eleanor of Aquitaine's involvement in the plot to overthrow her husband that proves to be the harshest betrayal. As a royal family collapses and a marriage ends in all but name, the clash between these two strong-willed and passionate souls will have far-reaching and devastating consequences throughout Christendom. Devil's Brood , a breathtaking and sweeping epic of a family at its breaking point, shows how two monumental figures once bound by all-consuming love became the bitterest of adversaries. Prologue  He would be remembered long after his death, one of those rare men recognized as great even by those who hated him.He was a king at twenty-one, wed to a woman as legendary as Helen of Troy, ruler of an empire that stretched from the Scots border to the Mediterranean Sea, King of England, Lord of Ireland and Wales, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Anjou, Touraine, and Maine, liege lord of Brittany. But in God’s Year 1171, Henry Fitz Empress, second of that name to rule England since the Conquest, was more concerned with the judgment of the Church than History’s verdict.   When the Archbishop of Canterbury was slain in his own cathedral by men who believed they were acting on the king’s behalf, their bloodied swords might well have dealt Henry a mortal blow, too. All of Christendom was enraged by Thomas Becket’s murder and few were willing to heed Henry’s impassioned denials of blame. His continental lands were laid under Interdict and his multitude of enemies were emboldened, like wolves on the trail of wounded prey. The beleaguered king chose to make a strategic retreat, and in October, he sailed for Ireland. There he soon established his lordship over the feuding Irish kings and secured oaths of fealty from the Irish bishops. The winter was so stormy that Ireland truly seemed to be at the western edge of the world, the turbulent Irish Sea insulating Henry from the continuing outcry over the archbishop’s death.   But in the spring, the winds abated and contact was established once more with the outside world. Henry learned that papal legates had arrived in Normandy. And he was warned that his restless eldest son was once more chafing at the bit. In accordance with continental custom, he had been crowned in his father’s lifetime. But the young king was dissatisfied with his lot in life, having the trappings of shared kingship but none of the power, and Henry’s agents were reporting that Hal was brooding about his plight, listening to the wrong men. Henry Fitz Empress decided it was time to go home.    Chapter One April 1172   Dyved, South Wales   Soon after leaving haverford, they were ambushed by the fog. Ranulf had long ago learned that Welsh weather gave no fair warning, honored no flags of truce, and scorned all rules of warfare. But even he was taken aback by the suddenness of the assault. Rounding a bend in the road, they found themselves riding into oblivion. The sky was blotted out, the earth disappearing under their horses...

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Sharon Kay Penman
• Editore: Ballantine
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 28.07.2009
• EAN: 9780345396730
• ISBN: 978-0-345-39673-0
• Pagine: 768
• Dimensioni: 139 mm x 208 mm x 42 mm
• Categoria: Narrativa > Romanzi