Gaveston

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but too long
Review: Hunt's novel concerns the life of Edward II of England and his love affair with Piers Gaveston. Young Piers is from the low nobility of France and joins with Edward I is routing the French from Gascony. He hopes to gain lands and glory that way. The King send Piers to England to attend the adolescent heir to the throne, Edward. Edward falls immediately in love and there begins a fiery relationship that covers 12 years of falls outs, reunions, condemnations and sadness. Edward II himself does fare all that well in history, although that is not part of this novel.

The book is a little too long. Once can sense what is coming halfway through and the last half is somewhat torturous. Hunt keeps on writing about birds and peasants as though the reader is not aware of what is happening. One has the temptation in the last 75 pages to skim. For the most part, however, it is an interesting and entertaining historical novel.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but too long
Review: Hunt's novel concerns the life of Edward II of England and his love affair with Piers Gaveston. Young Piers is from the low nobility of France and joins with Edward I is routing the French from Gascony. He hopes to gain lands and glory that way. The King send Piers to England to attend the adolescent heir to the throne, Edward. Edward falls immediately in love and there begins a fiery relationship that covers 12 years of falls outs, reunions, condemnations and sadness. Edward II himself does fare all that well in history, although that is not part of this novel.

The book is a little too long. Once can sense what is coming halfway through and the last half is somewhat torturous. Hunt keeps on writing about birds and peasants as though the reader is not aware of what is happening. One has the temptation in the last 75 pages to skim. For the most part, however, it is an interesting and entertaining historical novel.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting History is Hard to Capture in a Fictional Book.
Review: I love the story. Always wanted a fictional account of this affair that didn't borrow heavily from Marlow. My main flaw is that I was never drawn into the story. I really never care about the characters. In this sense, the characters were too historical and not fictional enough. It is difficult to write an engaging fictional account about the people of an interesting historical event. Although Hunt does this better than most people, I still felt like I was reading a great history book rather great fictional novel.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting History is Hard to Capture in a Fictional Book.
Review: I love the story. Always wanted a fictional account of this affair that didn't borrow heavily from Marlow. My main flaw is that I was never drawn into the story. I really never care about the characters. In this sense, the characters were too historical and not fictional enough. It is difficult to write an engaging fictional account about the people of an interesting historical event. Although Hunt does this better than most people, I still felt like I was reading a great history book rather great fictional novel.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Historical Fiction
Review: Possibly Chris Hunt's best novel. A moving and believable fictionalized account of the relationship between King Edward II and Piers Gaveston. The author's careful attention to detail transports the reader into Medieval Britain, and his masterful handling of the events of Edward's life makes it difficult to leave. I read this book in all of two days. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Pornography - let's call this book what it is.
Review: This book is not published by Heretic - it's published by the Gay Men's Press. That certainly is not something that would have prevented me from buying the book. I totally understood the subject matter to be the homosexual lover of King Edward II of England. However, this author has taken the book beyond historical fiction, beyond romance and has created a book filled with child molestation, child pornography and graphic homosexual pornography. The book is mis-represented on the web site by the media house and I have complained to Amazon. Misrepresenting the publisher is only the tip of the iceberg on this book. Buyer beware - this book is filled with one graphic sexual encounter after another - none of which are necessary for the underlying story. The author could have taken an interesting subject - homosexuality at a time when that was a crime punishable by being burnt at the stake - and created a wonderful historical fiction - even a romance. Instead he has created a disgusting, worthless piece of pronographic filth and then allowed his media house to describe it to you as something otherwise so he can sell books. I would give this NO stars if that were an option. As it is - it's trash.