Alinor

Despite the cover, Alinor does not wield a sword during this story. She does however wield base practicality, political craftiness, leadership charisma, a mothering instinct, and of course, womanly charms. Roberta's research into the lifestyles of the times allows for a vividly detailed setting that provided several "oh, so that's how they used to do it" revelations for me without beating me over the head with it. The writing itself is masterful with realistic love, subplots galore,deep character development, and main characters that I admire. That last is my criteria for enjoying a book. By the way, even though the featured review gives away too much of the story... there is a lot left to be discovered and enjoyed.

This year I've been busy rediscovering a classic historical romance series that was first published back in the 1970's and early 1980's. Now under the Harlequin Signature Select publishers, the books are being reprinted, with additional notes and tidbits from the author, Roberta Gellis. Alinor, the third book in the series, begins in the year 1206, about fourteen years or so after the events in Roselynde. England's King Richard has died, and so has his mother, Queen Alinor. Now the youngest of the Angevin brood has become King -- John. Alinor, the lady of Roselynde, knows that her life and lands are in danger once the king discovers that her beloved husband, Simon Lemagne, has died. To save herself, and especially the lives of her two children, Joanna and Adam, she knows that she has to remarry, and soon. It's not a prospect that she is looking forward to. To complicate matters further, an old friend is returning to Roselynde -- Simon's former squire, Ian Vipont. Ian, who is much the same age as Alinor, adores Simon's children, and when word comes that King John is planning a particularly unpleasant match for Alinor, Ian decides that he must protect her and the children, even if it means that he must marry her, even though she may not love him at all. As for Alinor, still mourning the death of a husband who was thirty years her senior, reuniting with Ian means that she finds herself overcome with both an emotional and physical attraction. Cautiously, and with a great deal of mutual misunderstanding, the couple agree to marry, even knowing that it will cause them both a great deal of grief at the hands of King John and his henchmen. How the pair work out their differences, and manage to survive a very dangerous time in English history is what makes this novel work. I found myself very caught up in Alinor and Ian's story, along with those of the children, and Ian's squires, Owain and Geoffrey. These are characters that the reader can empathize with, and despite a few problems, the setting and situations are very believable. Along the way, the reader is treated to scenes of a medieval marriage, a very vivid boar hunt, sieges and medieval warfare, and a plot and storyline that has real substance to it. Roberta Gellis is one of those few writers that I consistantly enjoy, who can make a historical setting live and breathe, and while the research does take liberties here and there, I can forgive her. What I have really enjoyed is that she's not afraid to weave in actual historical personages into the story -- here we not only see King John, but his half-brother, William Longsword; William Marshal and his wife Isobel and Lord Llewelyn of the Welsh and his wife, Joan. All of these people will play important parts in the novel, but Gellis has great talent to make them behave as actual people do, and makes the story all that more real. Too, problems are not solved in an instant, which also makes the story believable -- it takes quite a while for Alino

I have now completed the first two novels in Roberta Gellis' "Roselynde Chronicles," and am beginning book three. Warning!! It is difficult to put these books down, and continuous reading, especially in the evening, can cause insomnia! Ms. Gellis, along with Sharon Kay Penman, are the long reigning monarchs of historical fiction. Gellis' work is golden - her plots riveting, the research meticulous, and her writing elegant. "Alinor" begins at Roselynde Keep, England, in 1206 AD, seven years into the reign of King John (Lackland). Alinor's story actually starts in Book One, "Roselynde," but you do not have to read the first book to enjoy this one. Alinor Devaux Lemagne is widowed at 29 years old. She had married her much older and beloved ward, Simon Lemagne, after finally obtaining King Richard's permission. They have two children, Joanna, age 9, and Adam, age 7. Like Queen Alinor of Aquitaine, whom she is named for, Alinor of Roselynde is a fiercely independent, well-educated, courageous chatelaine of vast landholdings. She had been trained since childhood to rule, and her vassals and serfs obey her with respect. When she and Simon married, her independence was not curtailed. This was a most unusual situation for women in medieval times, where their position was largely ornamental, when they were not breeding. Simon's squire of old, Ian de Vipont, is now a seasoned warrior, and a landed Knight and Lord. He has known Alinor since she was a girl of seventeen, and has always loved her, in a pure and courtly manner. Now Ian visits Roselynde to mourn Simon, pay his respects, and persuade the widow to marry him. He wants to protect Alinor and the children, especially since King John has no love for her. Ian fears that she will either be forced to marry a scoundrel who will abuse her and the children, or that John will take her land for the Crown. He does not need to work hard to convince Alinor. She is practical and understands his reasoning. He adores the children. And he is also an incredibly handsome and noble man. A wedding is held at Roselynde, with many of the aristocracy in attendance, including three bishops and John's illegitimate half-brother. Although Alinor deeply loved her first husband, he was much older and at times was like the father she never had. Her own parents died when she was a baby. Now she has a chance to make a life, filled with love, with a husband her own age. John is outraged at the marriage, even though he had given permission to Ian to wed whom he pleased, after serving the Crown well in the wars with France. The King had indeed plotted to hurt Alinor and take her holdings. Now he plans a greater revenge...on both newlyweds and their children. England was a country with severe problems during this period in history. John had received a kingdon deep in debt, owing to King Richard's Crusade, the ransom paid to free him from prison, his lavish spending, and his lack of concern for England. Richard's continent holdings, o

Alinor is perhaps the best medieval historical I have ever read. In no other book have I met characters who have been so real that they have almost walked off the page and into my room. The jousting scene is a true masterpiece. Her hero, tall dark and handsome could have been a stereotype in less skilled hands, but she turns him into a wonderfully rounded character, complete with human flaws. I'm still in love with him more than twenty years after reading the novel! Alinor too is superbly characterised. I love the way she gets the better of King John. Roberta Gellis's grasp of Medieval politics is masterly, as is the way she brings them to life so that a reader can understand them without feeling they are being lectured at. I write historical fiction myself under the pen name Elizabeth Chadwick - see The Conquest, The Champion, The Love knot. I am aware of owing a tremendous debt to Roberta Gellis for showing me the way. I wish she was more prolific. I'd buy every one!!

I began with Bond of BLOOD and Knight's Honor and quickly whizzed through the Roslynde Chronicles.It is wonderful to see a strong sexy woman in a position of power in an interesting age.I wonder if anyone picked up that Ranulf of Sleaford and the Lady Catherine were the grandparents of Alinor of Roselynde. I've been haunting the bookstores for another set, hard bound preferably but even paperback as my copies are falling apart. Roberta, keep on writing!!!!