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Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly flat
Review: Every now and then, I purchase a novel through amazon.com that I would never have bought in a bricks-and-mortar store. A perusal of a few paragraphs would have been enough to warrant a quick return to the shelves. Historical novels require a sense of time and place, as well as a cast of compelling characters. For a wonderfully deft portrayal of this turbulent chapter of British history, try Ellis Peter's Cadfael mysteries, or Sharon Penman's treatment of the Empress Matilda, also widely known as Empress Maude. The "forgotten queen" was a complex, contradictory, and utterly fascinating woman, living an extraordinary life during extraordinary times. Unfortunately, little of this comes through here. The epic conflict between Matilda and her cousin Stephen is reduced to soap opera. Try as I might, I couldn't help envisioning Matilda as she might have been played by Joan Collins. It stands to reason that books about warrior queens should deal with warfare. The complex political and social issues of civil war, never mind actual combat, were absent. Atmosphere was provided by an overuse of "Mayhap," and repeated references to kirtles. The writing style did not serve the subject well. The book is full of syntactic clunkers such as "The silence grew heavy as the three of them fell silent." Plodding dialogue made for slow going, and often was little more than thinnly veiled narrative. Witness the following exchange: "Is not Westminster Abbey most beautiful during the season of our Savior's birth?" "Yes, and more so since it is the coronation of Prince Henry, henceforth to be known as Henry the Second, King of England." "Is not his queen, Eleanor of Aquitance, most beautiful?" This, from two women, intimately acquainted women, who were actually witnessing the coronation. Through the book, the reader is instructed by the characters in what comes off as a converted history lecture -- and not a soul-deep conversation, at that. The writing style, particularly the dialogue, brought to mind a historical play recently presented by my son's sixth grade class. This book's nomination by Romantic Times Magazine surprised me. I have seen far more compelling and convincing historical romances in Harlequin's historical romance line. The book warranted two stars for its subject and its stated objective. Reviving the history of famous, forgotten women is a worthy goal. The author should be commended for this choice, and for the effort she made in researching the story. I really wanted to like this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Discerning historical fiction fans should stay away!
Review: I am an avid reader of historical fiction and I picked up this book with high hopes since it concerns one of my favorite historical persons, Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England, and rightful heir to the throne which was stolen by her cousin Stephen. I could only make it a couple of chapters into this book before I threw it aside in disgust. A skimming of the remaining chapters did not give me incentive to carefully read anymore, though I truly wanted to like this book. The writing is immature and absolutely horrid--it reads like a would-be drama that comes off as a comedy. I was ready for a new spin on this worthy tale but the writing was stilted and overdone. Anyone with a sense of British history would be mortified at the way in which Matilda's character is abused in this book. While there may be a slim historical base for some of the author's events, they are poorly told and overly dramatized. With such a wealth of truly outstanding historical fiction available, it would be a shame for anyone to waste his time on this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Not to shabby
Review: This is not a bad attempt for a first novel. I am quite disappointed in the confusion between Maud and Matildia, but such is the way with mind candy fiction. Historians stay away. This book promises and fulfills a good read about a powerful women in a forgotten time. Enjoy it for what it is.
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