The Leopa Unleashed

Generally speaking I love Elizabeth Chadwick novels. She's one of the best authors at combining romance and real historical detail and facts into a compelling novel. So when I found out a few months ago that I hadn't read her first three books I decided I had to read them. However in reading them I discovered that Chadwick had greatly matured as a writer since her early novels. I enjoyed her first book,The Wild Hunt but didn't like The Running Vixen at all. So I didn't have very high expectations of "The Leopard Unleashed" especially after reading some of the reviews. But I really enjoyed this book. It is by far the best of the Ravenstow trilogy and really measures up to some of her later books also. In "The Leopard Unleashed" Renard, the heir of Guy and Judith of Ravenstow comes home from the crusades with a welsh dancing girl mistress to find his father dying and his arranged marriage has come happen. Eleanor, who he had been engaged to since she was a child, is finally old enough to marry. You can imagine what happens next. Sexual tension, unhappy marriages that change over time, a mistress out for herself and England's civil war in the middle. The historical context in this book is what makes it so good although I did find the romance that gradually blooms between Renard and Eleanor to be very sweet and compelling. While this isn't the best of Chadwick's books (for me that's still THE CONQUEST) it's definitely worth reading. Four stars.

The book opens as Guyan and Judith's oldest son and heir Renard is on crusade, that being the most expeditious method of his avoiding the civil war raging between King Stephen and Empress Mathilda. Renard involves himself with a beautiful exotic dancer, Olwen, and when the summons arrives for Renard to return home to his ailing father, she manipulates Renard into taking her along with him. Once home, Renard must marry the much younger Eleanor, who he was betrothed to ten years prior. Of course, Renard's mother Judith is none too pleased with having Olwen in her household, and eventually Eleanor finds out and this knowledge causes friction in her new marriage. Renard always believed Eleanor to be an adoring devoted mouse of a girl, and is soon surprised at the depth of her intelligence and business acumen and finds her to be a strong wife and helpmate. Renard and Eleanor begin their marriage amidst the backdrop of England's Civil War, as the Barons waiver between taking sides with Stephen or Mathilda, the evil and deceitful Earl of Chester with an ax to grind with Renard and the manipulations of Olwen. This is the second time I've read this book, the first being two years ago before I had read much of the author's later works. It was very interesting to revisit her earlier books and see the contrast between them and how the author has grown. While I find this book a great improvement over The Wild Hunt and The Running Vixen(the first two books in this trilogy), I still did not find the effortless sense of time travel she shows in her later works, as she seamlessly blends the sights, sounds smells, clothing of the medieval period into her stories. Four stars.

Much of Elizabeth Chadwick's research is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, this is an early medieval re-enactment society. It would be fair to say that it is a historical romance, but I feel that it will be equally enjoyable by both men and women. The Leopard unleashed in the third book in what has turned out to be a trilogy and follows on from The Wild Hunt and The Running Vixen. The author continues her tale of Ravenstow, a medieval Welsh estate. Renard, Lord of the estate and Crusader knight returns from Antioch, but he does not return alone. He brings with him a mistress, Olwen, a beautiful but untrustworthy dancing girl. Renard has returned home because of his father's ill health and imminent death. Also there is tension locally caused by the dispute over the succession to England's throne. He must also think about his arranged marriage to a nearby heiress. Though he is preoccupied with the political battles going on around him, Renard is pleasantly surprised by his new wife and soon becomes disenchanted with Olwen, his mistress. But her scheming poses danger not only to his marriage, but everything he owns.

This is the conclusion of the Ravenstow trilogy of which The Wild Hunt and The Running Vixen began. The book picks up where The Running Vixen left off several years later. Renard FitzGuyon is about to become the practicing heir to Ravenstow. However, first he must marry Eleanor whom he has been betrothed to since she was a child. Renard leaves Antioch to go home but a cunning and beautiful tavern dancer named Olwen, whom he has become entangled with, has decided that Reneard will not go home without her. The plot takes many twists and turns that leave the reader breathlessly turning the pages! Meanwhile, all of this takes place as the Civil War in England continues between Mathilda and Stephen and the Welsh raid the Marches. Renard's enemy the Earl of Chester also provides dangerous excitement between Renard and himself.A truly capitivating read! Be sure to read the above mentioned novels first to really appreciate the complex storyline. This book as well as the others are out-of-print, but are well worth finding!

This book gives you an interesting look at what it must have been like to live in the Middle Ages.