It was OK. A re-telling of Robin Hood. I have read other books by Jennifer Roberson and liked them. The others were fantasy, this was a departure fromIt was OK. A re-telling of Robin Hood. I have read other books by Jennifer Roberson and liked them. The others were fantasy, this was a departure from that with some history woven in....more
She's a really great author. I really admire her work. But I wasn't that interested in this and I kept putting it down. It is a novel that is based onShe's a really great author. I really admire her work. But I wasn't that interested in this and I kept putting it down. It is a novel that is based on some historical events, but she made up this plot based upon the mystery of Richard the Lionheart's lost ransom, which she solves through her characters. I kept waiting for Llywelyn, the rightful prince of Wales to come in and save the day. I won't give the plot away, but, there were some glimpses of this, I just wished there had been more because that was the interesting part of the story. ...more
this was a fun stroll through the dark ages of ancient history. there were times when i had to skim a lot of pages, the story could have been weeded othis was a fun stroll through the dark ages of ancient history. there were times when i had to skim a lot of pages, the story could have been weeded out of a lot of irrelevant bits. but i love how she brings history to life; reading about the early kings of England, the times of Edgar, Edward and Ethelred are so seldom described in such detail that this was great fun for a history buff like me. i also liked the Viking parts, but some of it was almost silly as she describes Lief Erikson and Erik the Red in this way that was hard to believe even as a historical fiction account as she attempts to get into their heads and portray their motivations. in any case, it was fun to visit history through someone who did do her homework. not as good as her Katherine novel, unfortunately, which will always be one of my all time favorites. ...more
An idealistic view of a future in a Utopian society. It was refreshing to read about William Morris' political ideas, which were very radical both forAn idealistic view of a future in a Utopian society. It was refreshing to read about William Morris' political ideas, which were very radical both for his times and would still be considered such today. There is something touching about his naivete. But sadly tragic. It reminded me of dialogues of Plato at times and often I wished that the narrator could allow us to believe he never had to accept the reality and lived the Utopian dream instead. I would have liked to have known such a world through his eyes. This, for me, had made William Morris' visual art even more beautiful; I like it even more now....more