ARA Review by Chaotic_Reading of The Girl of Many Crowns
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Chaotic_Reading
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ARA Review by Chaotic_Reading of The Girl of Many Crowns
[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, The Girl of Many Crowns.]
The following is a review for The Girl of Many Crowns. The book follows the story of Princess Judith of Wessex and what happened to her throughout her life, starting around the age of 12, and continuing onward through her 20s.
One thing I like about historical fiction is the way the author is able to manipulate facts of actual events and add to them. The author themselves admits to adding Baldwin to events where there is no mention of him being, but I think it helps build a better idea of what may have happened for the reader. Morris did a fantastic job of adding some fascinating people and scenes to help add depth and flesh out written history where the daily life is still a bit of a mystery. I also tend to forget just how much political strife and tension there was during this time. There was always some sort of internal war, plus the constant badgering of the outside world. No wonder there was so much bargaining for political marriage.
Some of the names of places and people were a little hard to read, but this was the 800’s we are dealing with, on the verge of middle to modern English, so I understand the complexity of using such names. Given that, it was fun to see the names of those people and places that are still talked about today, such as Francia (France), King Aethulwulf, and Bjorn Ironside. It was also fun to see and read about places I have been myself, and try to picture Judith walking down the same halls, stairs, and rooms that I have been in. History (and fiction) are fascinating!
The writing was a little dry, but I found that it fit with other stories from that time period, so I give it a pass. Because of that, along with the interesting mix of fact versus fiction, and the multiple points of view overall, I have given this book 4 out of 5 stars.
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View The Girl of Many Crowns on Bookshelves
The following is a review for The Girl of Many Crowns. The book follows the story of Princess Judith of Wessex and what happened to her throughout her life, starting around the age of 12, and continuing onward through her 20s.
One thing I like about historical fiction is the way the author is able to manipulate facts of actual events and add to them. The author themselves admits to adding Baldwin to events where there is no mention of him being, but I think it helps build a better idea of what may have happened for the reader. Morris did a fantastic job of adding some fascinating people and scenes to help add depth and flesh out written history where the daily life is still a bit of a mystery. I also tend to forget just how much political strife and tension there was during this time. There was always some sort of internal war, plus the constant badgering of the outside world. No wonder there was so much bargaining for political marriage.
Some of the names of places and people were a little hard to read, but this was the 800’s we are dealing with, on the verge of middle to modern English, so I understand the complexity of using such names. Given that, it was fun to see the names of those people and places that are still talked about today, such as Francia (France), King Aethulwulf, and Bjorn Ironside. It was also fun to see and read about places I have been myself, and try to picture Judith walking down the same halls, stairs, and rooms that I have been in. History (and fiction) are fascinating!
The writing was a little dry, but I found that it fit with other stories from that time period, so I give it a pass. Because of that, along with the interesting mix of fact versus fiction, and the multiple points of view overall, I have given this book 4 out of 5 stars.
***
View The Girl of Many Crowns on Bookshelves
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D. H. Morris
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Thanks for your thoughtful review of The Girl of Many Crowns. As an author I also struggled a bit with the 9th-century names. Unfortunately, we can't change the names of historic characters. You are so right when you say that marriage for political purposes was an essential tool that kings used to maintain their power. That is why Judith's rebellion became a big enough deal for historians to find scandalous. If her younger brothers had also resisted the intense pressure to end their clandestine marriages, it would have dealt a big blow to the tradition of royal children's mates being chosen for them. It's amazing how long that tradition has continued. Prince Charles (now King Charles) would not have married Dianna Spencer and the Princess of Japan would not have had to leave Japan and her royal duties if they had been allowed to choose their own spouses!
