Time and Chance

Rating:
Summary: Almost like being there!
Review: Time and Chance is another of Sharon Kay Penman's marvelously well researched and beautifully executed historical novels. It has everything: intrigue, passion, well drawn characters, everything! All these and it's based on fact. Never has history been as alive as this!

Rating:
Summary: PART TWO OF HENRY II
Review: TIME AND CHANCE picks up where WHEN CHRIST AND HIS SAINTS SLEPT off. In the second novel, we follow Henry II who was but a boy as his mother, Maude, fought for the throne. In the end, Maude and her opponent tired each other out for almost twenty years, agreeing to leave the throne to her son. Henry's rise looked promising as he had a distinguished battle record and married the beautiful and clever Eleanor of Aquitaine, making him the wealthiest man in Europe.

But, Henry's future rule proved to not be so lacking in turbulence. One of his first challenges dealt in trying to conquer Wales which only resulted in many dead and lost time.

Things proved better on the mainland where unruly French vassals tried to break away. True to his past, Henry spent a great deal of time in the saddle brusing his unruly vassals.

During this time, Eleanor was having child after child, yet beginning to resent Henry b/c he was ignoring her advice and spending less and less time with her.

Overall, the main challenge to Henry was the Thomas Beckett affair, which resulted in a showdown between the Church and Henry's rule. As many History buffs know, Henry prevailed at first but suffered later when Beckett was slain by vassals to Henry. A good part of this novel covers the actual Historical meetings, conversations and friendship erosion of Henry and Beckett.

I would put this below WHEN CHRIST AND HIS SAINTS SLEPT, as well as SUNNE IN THE SPLENDOUR. It is definitely better than the mystery trilogy she did on the side for fun, but most likely a notch below the Welsh trilogy.

Rating:
Summary: PART TWO OF HENRY II
Review: TIME AND CHANCE picks up where WHEN CHRIST AND HIS SAINTS SLEPT off. In the second novel, we follow Henry II who was but a boy as his mother, Maude, fought for the throne. In the end, Maude and her opponent tired each other out for almost twenty years, agreeing to leave the throne to her son. Henry's rise looked promising as he had a distinguished battle record and married the beautiful and clever Eleanor of Aquitaine, making him the wealthiest man in Europe.

But, Henry's future rule proved to not be so lacking in turbulence. One of his first challenges dealt in trying to conquer Wales which only resulted in many dead and lost time.

Things proved better on the mainland where unruly French vassals tried to break away. True to his past, Henry spent a great deal of time in the saddle brusing his unruly vassals.

During this time, Eleanor was having child after child, yet beginning to resent Henry b/c he was ignoring her advice and spending less and less time with her.

Overall, the main challenge to Henry was the Thomas Beckett affair, which resulted in a showdown between the Church and Henry's rule. As many History buffs know, Henry prevailed at first but suffered later when Beckett was slain by vassals to Henry. A good part of this novel covers the actual Historical meetings, conversations and friendship erosion of Henry and Beckett.

I would put this below WHEN CHRIST AND HIS SAINTS SLEPT, as well as SUNNE IN THE SPLENDOUR. It is definitely better than the mystery trilogy she did on the side for fun, but most likely a notch below the Welsh trilogy.

Rating:
Summary: Take your pick
Review: Time and Chance, Love and Hate, Friends and Enemies, Lovers and Strangers any of these could well be the title for Sharon Kay Penman's second installment of the saga of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane. Penman transports the reader to the years of 1156 to 1171. During this time we witness Henry's growth from a young daring king to a seasoned middle age king who is politically savvy.

As Henry grows he wrestles with issues of kingship and humanity. Henry journeys through Wales, England and France in an effort to keep peace and maintain unity throughout the kingdom. We learn how he balances the many interests of various people in his realm.

During this time of crucial political dealings Henry is also faced with changing relationships among friends and family. Thomas Becket is Henry's trusted friend and Chancellor who Henry trusts with many decisions and responsibilities. Because of the depth of their friendship Henry advocates that Becket become the Archbishop of Canterbury. This is the famous and classic tale of friendship's failure and the bitter seeds that follow. It has been made a legend and retold ever since.

As Henry changes and grows so does his love and caring for his wife Eleanor. Henry and Eleanor of Aquitane's love began as a sparkling flame. Penman invites the reader to observe the changes and stresses that transformed this fire. Penman is extremely adept in translating romances of old into modern feeling and understanding.

Penman skillfully introduces characters who the reader quickly begins to care about. In this book as with When Christ and his Saints Slept we continue to follow Henry's uncle Rhanulf and his blind wife Rhiannon. Rhanulf's story continues to interest as he attempts to balance his loyalty to his nephew and his loyalty to Wales his adopted home land.

If you have read When Christ and His Saints Slept you cannot pass by Time and Chance. Penman continues as one of the primary authors who have the ability to bring the middle ages to life. Reading her is like entering a time machine.

Rating:
Summary: 4 Stars????
Review: Why anyone would give this work 4 stars is beyond me. Especially when they didn't even like the book and found it boring? I agree, it's tedious and unfortunately wasn't worth the read which is why I give it ONE star. Try some of her other works, they are worth the time and effort.

Rating:
Summary: A little off the pace, but still good
Review: With "Time and Chance", Sharon Kay Penman comes back to her roost as a entertaining historical novelist. This book, the second in a planned trilogy concerning the lives and rule of Henry II of England and his consort Eleanor of Aquitaine, starts off pretty much where its predecessor, "When Christ And His Saints Slept" left off, with the twenty-one-year-old Henry firmly on the throne of England. Penman, as usual, deftly steers the reader through fifteen years, the centerpiece being the conflict between Henry and his chancellor turned Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket. As other reviewers have noted, Penman has always had the gift of making the predictable suspenseful, and that's extremely hard to do in a context where an author knows the majority of her audience is familiar with the territory she's traversing. I will, however, disagree with the assessment of her treatment of Becket. Certainly any book dealing with Henry II has to cover Becket, but Penman has always made her royalty and relatives of royalty the main characters, and the point of view will always be from those characters. Henry is shown as not knowing Becket very well, and Penman simply puts the reader in Henry's position.

Not that "Time and Chance" is perfect, however. Penman is developing the romance novelist habit of using dialogue as an historical lecture, which is annoying. Also, the fictional characters of Ranulf Fitz Roy and his family (including the straight-outta-Harlequin-named wife Rhiannon) is another ploy used by lesser historical novelists for a "ooh, just look where I happened to be!" overview of history, although to be fair Penman doesn't have Ranulf showing up at every major event. "Time and Chance" is not Penman's strongest work, but she's still one of the best when it comes to making medieval history fascinating, readable, and human.

Rating:
Summary: A little off the pace, but still good
Review: With "Time and Chance", Sharon Kay Penman comes back to her roost as a entertaining historical novelist. This book, the second in a planned trilogy concerning the lives and rule of Henry II of England and his consort Eleanor of Aquitaine, starts off pretty much where its predecessor, "When Christ And His Saints Slept" left off, with the twenty-one-year-old Henry firmly on the throne of England. Penman, as usual, deftly steers the reader through fifteen years, the centerpiece being the conflict between Henry and his chancellor turned Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket. As other reviewers have noted, Penman has always had the gift of making the predictable suspenseful, and that's extremely hard to do in a context where an author knows the majority of her audience is familiar with the territory she's traversing. I will, however, disagree with the assessment of her treatment of Becket. Certainly any book dealing with Henry II has to cover Becket, but Penman has always made her royalty and relatives of royalty the main characters, and the point of view will always be from those characters. Henry is shown as not knowing Becket very well, and Penman simply puts the reader in Henry's position.

Not that "Time and Chance" is perfect, however. Penman is developing the romance novelist habit of using dialogue as an historical lecture, which is annoying. Also, the fictional characters of Ranulf Fitz Roy and his family (including the straight-outta-Harlequin-named wife Rhiannon) is another ploy used by lesser historical novelists for a "ooh, just look where I happened to be!" overview of history, although to be fair Penman doesn't have Ranulf showing up at every major event. "Time and Chance" is not Penman's strongest work, but she's still one of the best when it comes to making medieval history fascinating, readable, and human.