Reckoning

Actually, I had to put it down several times. The grief is unbelievable. Ms. Penman has an incredible talent for creating relationships that you believe and cherish. I can not think of better way to understand this period then through these books. Beware: This author will take you away to her world.

"The Reckoning" is the last novel in Sharon Kay Penman's medieval trilogy of 13th century England, Wales and their larger than life leaders. Ms. Penman succeeds brilliantly in bringing these men and women, and the causes they fought for, to life in these books. She is a remarkably gifted writer. Her impeccable historical research, attention to detail and superb storytelling ability make her novels consistently excellent. "The Reckoning" is one of her best efforts, preceded by "Here Be Dragons," and "Falls The Shadow." Each of these wonderful historical novels stands on its own, however, and while it is an extraordinary experience to read each book in the order it was written, one does not have to do so to appreciate the history, the characters or the period.Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, husband of Henry III's sister and the aunt of King Edward I, was one of the most powerful men in England. He was a warrior, great leader and politician who despised Henry III for his incompetence and the favoritism he displayed for the foreigners in his court. Henry was bankrupting England and estranging the peerage. Ahead of his time, Simon also espoused the idea that the common man deserved a voice in government. England was in the midst of civil war as factions split between Henry and his son and heir Edward. When Edward realized that de Montfort's reforms would limit his power and the Divine Right of Kings, he turned against him and in the bloody battle of Evesham, defeated him, with horrifying consequences for the entire de Montfort family. During this same period there was terrible unrest in Wales, including civil war. Charismatic Llewelyn Farr, Prince of Northern Wales had fought to unite his country's nobility and provide a strong front against the English. His grandson, Lwellyn ap Gruffyd, became Llewelyn's heir and inherited the staunch commitment to keep Wales united. The Welsh leader was a cousin to both the English King and the de Montfort family and was betrothed to marry Simon de Montfort's daughter, Ellen. When de Monfort lost all at Evesham, Welsh politics changed. As Wales sought to consolidate its position and prevent being absorbed into a greater England, the new Prince's brothers were determined to wage war against him to gain power of their own and sacrificed Welsh independence in the process.This is a complex and tragic saga of historic characters, politics, intrigues, betrayals, bloody battles and wars, romance, lust, power struggles, princesses held captive, revenge and forgiveness. Yet once begun, this extraordinary epic is almost impossible to put down. Ms. Penman portrays Wales, its people, culture and landscape vividly with glorious detail. It is fascinating to become involved with the characters and realize how linked they are by ties of blood - common ancestry. Not only is Welsh history tied to that of England's, but the royal families are linked as are their descendants. Ms. Penman joins the histories and characters of these

"The Reckoning" is really a tale of revenge. The last in Sharon Kay Penman's "Welsh Trilogy" (or "Welsh Tragedy"; take your pick), it concerns Edward II's conquest of Wales and the end of the Montfort family. And in Penman's perfect, profound prose, it etches the portrait of Edward in acid. Great he might have been to his peers, but here he is shown as a larger-than-life bully, intolerant, expedient in regards to his own wishes, and cruel.You can tell where Penman's sympathies lie. Llewellyn, grandson of Llewellyn Fawr, fights to keep the English yoke off Wales, only to find himself tripped up time and again by betrayal--from his brother Daffyd, a charming liar who could probably talk his way out of Hell; from other Welsh lords; from Edward himself, who denies him his bride, Ellen Montfort, until he's certain that he's brought Llewellyn to heel. Ellen, perhaps the only Montfort who has a truly happy life, does indeed marry Llewellyn, and their marriage is the only weak part of this story--it has the feel of "Llewellyn and Joanna Redux." Only Ellen is not half as enchanting as Joanna. She does come close to being just as infuriating.Penman's pace is at its fastest in "The Reckoning." Small wonder. The tragedies and defeats pile up until the climax, and the outcry at the end of the world as the Welsh know it is heartbreaking. Llewellyn is not the man his grandfather was, but he is heroic in the face of certain defeat. Determined not to go down without a fight, driven by a love of his people and homeland, Llewellyn is a character to cheer and to mourn for.Daffyd, on the other hand, is a man you'd like to strangle, the sweet-tongued bastard who seems to slip past punishment no matter how much he deserves it. And yet his marriage to Elizabeth, Edward's ward, is an amusing surprise. He too shows his worth in the end, finding his own strength in the shadow of death. This is how "Braveheart" should have ended.As for Edward . . . after finishing "The Reckoning," I went to see "Braveheart" and cheered when Isabelle whispered to the old man that his line would die with his feckless son. Now if Mel Gibson had had the ghosts of the Welsh royal family show up to watch the old goat die, I'd have been perfectly pleased with the movie.This book doesn't just pluck at your heartstrings. It rips them out and stomps on your heart for good measure. This is easily the best book Penman has written yet.