A wonderful novel with an excellent narrator!

If you love historical novels by Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory, you'll LOVE this novel by Elizabeth Chadwick. It's the first I've read so far and I am addicted! I immediately purchased the second title in the series. It's a wonderfully written novel with captivating characters. It never gets boring, since Chadwick has a talent for giving the reader insight into the emotions of the protagonists without drawing it out too long. The novel is thoroughly researched and she doesn't take too much liberty with historical inaccuracies. The narrator has a beautiful, strong and feminine voice who manages to underline the characters and moods.
I recommend it highly!

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Lehrreich und unterhaltsam

Lehrreich und unterhaltsam. Ich werde mir gleich den nächsten Teil herunterladen. Die Sprecherin hat eine sehr angenehme Stimme.

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Großer Stoff auf niedrigem Niveau

Nicht so richtig mein Fall. Habe das Buch wegen des hochinteressanten Themas gekauft, nämlich der Biografie von Eleanore von Aquitanien. Aus diesem Stoff hätte man große Unterhaltung machen können - hat man aber nicht. Die Handlung bleibt seicht und die Charaktere flach. Im Wesentlichen geht es ständig darum, wer mit wem ins Betts steigt und wie und wer wem einen männlichen Erben zur Welt bringt oder auch nicht. Die Sprecherin ist mittelprächtig, die ständig falsche Aussprache der französischen Namen, Orte und Begriffe peinlich. Schade, werde die nächsten Teile nicht mehr hören.

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A sitcom beamed into in the Middle Ages

Why Elizabeth Chadwick is renowned for her historical fiction is a puzzle to me. The historical side of this book makes up for 5%. The rest is emotions and dialogues that would fit in a 20th century sitcom and be boring even there. With absolute certainty Eleonor of Aquitaine never, ever spoke to her father as she is depicted here. Have you ever read/listened to Georgette Heyer? Remember all the strange expressions, the unaccustomed vocabulary, the surprising reflections of her protagonists? And we are talking 19th century here. Don’t you agree there should be at least a similar difference between those 12th century people and us?
I have similar problems with the overflowing emotions of everyone mentioned. And yet people do not come alive as individual characters. Eleonor is 13 years old at the beginning of this book but she comes across neither as a very young girl nor as a noblewoman raised to become a queen. Chadwick is supposed to have done a lot of research but one general outline of Eleonor’s life must have yielded all the information used here.
Minette Walters who became known for her crime fiction has done a much better job with her latest two books about the Black Death. Not to mention Hillary Mantel's masterpieces.
If only there was a warning in the description of books like this one: Beware trivial pursuit! I would know to stay away and safe time, money and anger.
Those of you who, like me, want to know more about history should probably not go for Elizabeth Chadwick. If, on the other hand, you don’t mind facts and enjoy a rosy romance, then she might entertain you, which, after all, has its merits, too.

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