Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing---not as good as her other books
Review: Sharon Penman has written some of the best historical fiction out there. Unfortunately, this book isn't up to her usually high standard. The book is a sequel to When Christ and His Saints Slept and deals with Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (always a great subject for historical fiction). Penman does a good job of bringing her characters to life but somehow the plot doesn't really work and, much to my surprise, I had a difficult time finishing this book. One of the greatest weaknesses of the book was her focus on her own fictional characters, Ranulf (Henry's uncle) and his blind Welsh wife, Rhiannon. Ranulf's story of divided loyalties (is he Welsh or Norman?) should make for a great story but Penman never manages to create and maintain this tension. In fact, Ranulf and Rhiannon's story became less interesting to me as I read on in the book. The book would have been more interesting (at least to me!) if she had focused on Eleanor and Henry---and their incredible relationship. Even if she had focused solely on Henry's political ambitions and struggles the book would have been a better read. Buy this if you are a serious Penman fan but otherwise give it a miss and read her other books instead (esp. The Sunne in Splendor).
Rating: 
Summary: I hope another book is coming on Henry and Eleanor!!!
Review: SKP is back! This book was just wonderful! I hope she continues the story to its ending.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth your Time
Review: The long-awaited book in the Plantagenet series contains several storylines: Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine's marriage, Henry's relationship with the martyred Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, and the beginnings of the English struggle to bring Wales under English rule.
Previous books by Penman have handled intersecting storylines skillfully. I found the characterizations of Henry and Eleanor very credible. The Welsh king, Owain Gwynedd and his son Hywel are seen more through Ranulf (a fictional character who is Henry's uncle) than through their own thoughts and actions, although they explain their reasons for acting as they do. Thomas Becket remains a mystery. We are not told his reasons for taking the stand he does against Henry, his King and formerly, his closest friend. Even his fellow bishops do not understand why Thomas is so inflexible in his resistance to Henry's demands. Neither do we. Penman's only attempt at explaining him comes in the form of a comment by another character that Becket reminds him of a chameleon, a lizard which can change its color to match its surroundings. This doesn't explain to me why Becket would put not only himself, but his family and followers, on a path to exile and severe hardship. We are not shown why Becket was able to hold his adherents' loyalty--there must have been some strong charisma, perhaps some example of piety which held them.
I found Henry the most well-defined, human character in the book. Eleanor is a close second. Ranulf and his wife, fictional characters, receive too much print for my taste, although he helps with the Welsh conflict storyline.
I found Penman's storytelling compelling and it held my attention, but I wasn't as pleased with the characterizations and intersecting storylines as I have been with previous books. I'm glad I bought the book and it certainly sparked my interest in a time with which I am unfamiliar. It also provides a link between her "When Christ and His Saints Slept" and her Welsh trilogy; I understand she plans to continue the story of Henry, Eleanor, and their sons in her next book.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the wait!
Review: The way this fine author consistently brings her characters so vibrantly to life never ceases to amaze me and this novel is certainly no exception! Penman's depiction of (in my opinion) one of history's most dynamic duos, Henry the Second and his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was so compelling that at times I felt as though I could almost reach out and touch them. I also found her depiction of the engimatic Thomas Becket and the conflicts which arose between him and his king to be the most in-depth of any other historical fiction novel I've ever read to date ... and the only one that's given me any real insight into this 'driven' man who seemed, before all was said and done, to practically beg to be martyred. After finishing this novel, I perused W. L. Warren's non-fictional account of Becket in his book titled "Henry II' and it only reinforced my feelings in this regard.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I expected.
Review: This book seemed to move in fits and starts. Some parts were really good and some parts were a little drab. I thumbed through several parts, especially if they included that annoying fictional character, Ranulf. Also, whether one wishes to see Ranulf as a literary device to relate a perspective or as a conscience of sorts it does not change the fact that this character is one dimentional, flat and boring. I didn't think the clash between Henry II and Thomas a' Becket was explained very well and Eleanors personality in this book was very different from other books I have read about her. This was definitly better than When Christ and His Saints Slept but still not as good as most of Ms. Penmans other books.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as I expected.
Review: This book seemed to move in fits and starts. Some parts were really good and some parts were a little drab. I thumbed through several parts, especially if they included that annoying fictional character, Ranulf. I didn't think the clash between Henry II and Thomas a' Becket was explained very well and Eleanors personality in this book was very different from other books I have read about her. It also seemed as if the book just comes to an end abruptly. This was definitly better than When Christ and His Saints Slept but still not as good as most of Ms. Penmans other books.
Rating:
Summary: Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Well met!
Review: This historical novel picks up where Penman's "When Christ and his Saints Slept" left off. Henry II finally obtains his crown and then chooses the former Queen of France, Eleanor of Aquitaine, to be his wife. She is many years his senior, but a great beauty with brains and passion. The beginning of this book details their relationship and births of their children and Henry's early relationship with his chancellor, the infamous Thomas Becket.
The mistake Henry makes is pushing Thomas Becket into becoming the "Archbishop of Canterbury." Henry doesn't listen to the advice given to him by Eleanor and others and later lives to regret it. Becket, formerly a worldly man, becomes a man possessed of religious power and fevor, and what he considers himself to be, a true defender of the church. However, he butts heads with Henry on several occasions, seemingly in a deliberately bellicose fashion. Henry and others begin to take offense and wonder what kind of monster Henry has created. Becket almost seems as though he thinks he is the king and abuses his power and basically puts himself in constant jeopardy considering Henry's famed temper. After all, you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you, but this is exactly what Becket accomplishes. Meanwhile, while Henry is constantly being aggravaged by Becket, he takes a mistress, Rosamund Clifford, a nobleman's daughter, and finds comfort in her caring, unassuming ways. This is the beginning of the end for his marriage to Eleanor though. Eleanor really does not understand his infatuation with her and is publically embarrassed and privately devastated. The tale weaves on with constant mistrust between all three of the major characters. Incredible, continuing saga of the Plantagenet dynasty! A must read for those who love medieval historical fiction!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read!!!
Review: This is a typical Sharon Kay Penman book: well written, entertaining--and difficult to put down. I just wish she would write another in the Justin de Quincy series.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a sunne in splendour
Review: This sequel to the saga of the early English kingdom is a disapointing effort to recreate the excellent and precise descriptions of people and country of previous novels. One can only assume that writing superficial, light mystery novels has not been productive for the authors narrative: the preference for short, swift dialogue has not done any good. We are deprived in this case of the rich insights into events and personal thoughts. Perlman has lost ground in the realm of historical novelists. I fear she will have to regain quite a few followers after this disapointing effort.
Rating:
Summary: --History in the hands of a great author--
Review: TIME AND CHANCE follows the book WHEN CHRIST AND HIS SAINTS SLEPT. As the story continues, Henry II of England and his wife, Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine have a large family of eight children and share a very turbulent life. This is a fascinating story of two amazing people who have, over the centuries, sparked the interest of historians. Henry, a warrior king, spent months and sometimes years away from his wife and family. His eventual betrayal of his wife and the breaking of the bond that formerly tied the couple together lead them to distrust each other. This couple who began their marriage with hope and a shared bond for the future found themselves at odds with their marriage. They were also in disagreement over the fate of their sons. The king's best friend, Thomas a Becket is also a large part of the story. Thomas was Henry's first Chancellor and later he became the Archbishop of Canterbury. The author made a statement at the end of the book saying that "the bitter quarrel between Henry II and Thomas a Becket is possibly the best documented episode of the Middle Ages." I totally enjoyed this book and loved the fact that the author tells a great story and even made some explanations about the times when she didn't keep to the known facts.
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