The Amethyst Crown

Rating:
Summary: A deeply moving, realistic saga!! Brilliant!!
Review: As a writer and lover of Historical Romances, I am sadden to see the flood of books out where the only 'historical' in historical romance is they ride horses instead of drive Jeeps, the women wear long gowns, and there is some vague mention of a King on a throne. There are so very few moving historical sagas. I have seen a trend in 'modernising' heroines to please today's reader - which is fine to a point. But the imaginative writer can keep heroines pleasing to today's more independent woman, and yet give a her a believability within historical accuracy of the period.

Maggie Davis aka Katherine Deauxville is one of the best at TRUE historical romances. She is rich in detail, well researched in history, and can give you a headstrong woman, fighting to make her life the best she can, and yet do it within the confines of reality. The Middle Ages was a very harsh time, it was often rough on women and their rights. But to see a writer walk the fine tightrope of creating a truly strong female character and still maintain period accuracy you should read Amethyst Crown.

It is the third in her medieval trilogy, (Blood Red Roses, Golden Daggers and Amethyst Crown in that order) and possibly the best of the three. Hard to say really, because all three are superior works. These are the kind of deeply involving, very moving historical romances that give you unforgettable characters.

Rich in history, Amethyst Crown follows the life of the granddaughter of the hero and heroine of Blood Red Roses. Constance is a great heiress, the Countess of Morliax, a pawn to King Henry. She was 14 when she was wed to a man in his 40's as a reward for loyalty. She was 17 when he wed her to a very brutal man, part of a truce with an enemy . And a third time, she was wed at 19 to a young man who died in war. Now, she has bought her freedom for three years, supposedly, but she soon fears the King plans to make a fourth match for her.

She is returning to Morlaix for a wedding (Daggers of Gold opened with everyone going back to Morlaix because of a wedding as well - her aunt's). This time it is the wedding of her younger sister. At the wedding, she is shown a witch and a madman and told she must take them with her so they can be tried later. After the wedding, on the trail home, they stop for the night and there is a terrible storm. The madman is set free, but before he goes to slips into Constance's tent and makes love to her. Constance is shocked; widowed three times, twice a mother, she had found the act boring, at best. The madman - who is no madman, but hiding his identity - sets her aflame. But she never expects to see him again.

At Yuletide, she is shocked to see him at the Christmas revels. He comes before King Henry dressed as a Fool. He later sees a troops of foreign soldier looking for him, and knows he must leave the town...but first he must see Constance. She realises she loves him, but knows, bottom line is it can never work out for them.

Her half brother kidnaps her in a plot of seize part of her earldom, tries to marry her to another, but she is rescued Cedred the Madman. After a long journey to save her people from the clutches of her half brother, she so wants to go with Cedred, but knows she has a duty to her children and the many people that depend upon her.

The tale is longer than the standards of today's books, but it is totally involving. You are moved deeply by this woman's struggles in a time when woman had little power, and what they did have could be seized or given away as reward or payment due at a King's whim. Yet through it all, Constance's is a tower of strength, a logical woman, yet a passionate woman.

She is a woman you will long remember, years after the book is put down.

I just reread this book for the first time in years, so I could write a good review - being shocked to see no one had reviewed this yet. I intended to skim it just so it was fresh in my mind. I found I could not 'skim it'. Once again, I was pulled in Constance's world, enthralled by the power of her passion, her devotion, her reason and her triumphs and tragedies.

Kudos, Maggie aka Katherine, for creativing a truly wonderful tale of a REAL medieval woman!!