The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt is the first medieval novel written by Elizabeth Chadwick. It chronicles the life of Guyon, a young man who is forced to accept the hand in marriage of Judith, daughter of one of the most ruthless and evil and cruel men, in exchange for the lands that belong to him by birth. Begrudgingly he accepts the conditions imposed by his sovereign, and as he tries to make a 'bad' situation 'good', he discovers things about his new wife and her past that could well prevent them from ever achieving happiness. The closer they become, however, the more that seems to stand between them, and they both will need to learn some powerful lessons before ever achieving true happiness and love. Will they be able to get through the dark times ahead? Read and find out for yourself, no spoilers here. My description has most definately not done this book justice, however this is so far my favourite novel of Elizabeth's. I read on her website that her first novels were primarily concerned with romance- and though that is true, I did not find that the love story detracted from the historical facts, nor did it affect the storyline in any negative way. Elizabeth has a way with words, and you will find yourself immersed in this wonderful book, and before long you will find yourself sadly putting the book down, depressed that this wonderful journey had to end... But have no fear! There was a sequel, which chronicles the life of Guyon's daughter called the Running Vixen-- so it doesn't truly end. :) Enjoy this book- it is fantastic, a book that will easily toy with your emotions till you feel absolutely exhausted with happiness and contentment- and you will not regret it! 5 million stars.

Continuing on my adventures with British author Elizabeth Chadwick, January's pick was her first novel, The Wild Hunt. Usually, I don't expect much out of a first novel, knowing that they're usually not that good, or that they're going to be that brief flash in the pan, and the author rapidly sinks into mediocrity afterwards. But every now and then, an author makes that big leap, and just keeps getting better. Alas, that doesn't happen too often. Fortunately, Ms. Chadwick is among the latter. Set during the turn of the twelfth century, The Wild Hunt opens in a dramatic fashion. Guyon, a young knight, finds out that he has been ordered to marry a young heiress, Judith of Ravenstow. If he doesn't marry her, the king will give the girl's lands to someone else, and Guyon will fall very far from the king's favour -- a necessity in the rough years following the Norman Conquest. For Guyon, to have such a rich holding for himself is a lifelong dream, a means of establishing power for himself, far away from the serpentine politics of the royal court -- and especially the sexual attentions of the king, William Rufus. As for his bride, Judith is little more than a child, only sixteen when she marries Guyon, and she is terrified of the physical aspects of marriage. But then, the only example of a marriage that she has experienced is that of her parents -- and her father was a very brutal man, beating his wife and daughter whenever the whim took him. Adversity builds strength, and despite her young age, Judith is determined to stand up to her new husband, and not be a weakling. Marriage turns out to be a surprise for both Guyon and Judith, with a very rough start for them both, never have met each other before their wedding day. What with the Welsh raiding over the border, and Judith's uncle Robert de Belleme determined to make mischief, it's almost too much to handle for the young couple. Judith however fears the worst, especially when she discovers that her husband had a Welsh mistress by the name of Rhosyn, and that she is pregnant. Even before the marriage settles, there are some rough patches to overcome and a mutual distrust between the partners. Can they possibly find a middle ground before their enemies overtake them? Some elements of the novel I really enjoyed, such as Guyon's dog and Judith's cat, not to mention that Ms. Chadwick has a very good sense of how life was lived in the medieval period. That is one of her strong points and she can create a very vivid sense of 'being there' in her storytelling. Another strong point is her use of historical people and places, without making them overly romantic or sentimentalized. My only real complaint with this one is that Guyon and Judith are nearly too perfect, but fortunately, Ms. Chadwick doesn't fall too far into that trap, and I found myself actually liking the pair of them by the end of the book. While this novel does fall into the category of a historical romance, there is plenty of histo

Much of Elizabeth Chadwick's research is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, this is an early medieval re-enactment society. This is her first novel. 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 Story takes place in the feudal domains of Norman Lords occupying lands in Wales during the reign of William Rufus. Elizabeth Chadwick has the ability to bring to life the everyday happening of an occupied Wales and the occupying Norman's are brought vividly to life. These were hard and cruel times when life was cheap and women were thought of as little better than brood mares whose only role in life was to provide an heir for their husband's. Since writing this book, Elizabeth Chadwick has become a successful and much read author. Her writing style has dare I say it become much earthier and are all the better for it. Women still make up a large part of her writings and why not, they are just as interesting, if not more so than the men.

I agree with the second customer reviewer. Pay no attention to Kirkus Review. It almost sounds as if they read an entirely different novel. This is the story of Judith and Guyon of Ravenstow & Ledworth. She was given into marriage with Guyon before even meeting him. Her image of marriage is not a pretty one. She imagines it to be like her mother's, full of violence. Her "father" is half-brother to the infamous Lord Robert de Belleme. Judith, for several months to a year is filled with distrust for her new husband, Guy, even though he has yet to exercise his "full martial rights." As time goes on, however, she learns to trust him in nearly everything. However, there is a secret that even she does not suspect about herself, but others, including Guy, do. In addition, Guy suffers a personal tragedy and surprisingly Judith, is empathetic about it. The characters in this novel are complex, compassionate, realistic human beings. The story is fast-paced and never dull. The details of what life must have been like during William Rufus' and Henry I's reign are wild, sometimes brutal, but always interesting. If you want to read a medieval book that does not disappoint, then this one is for you. Beware, however, the modicum of sex that does appear in this title is neither gratitious nor vulgar, it is appropriate to the storyline. It is out-of-print, but it can and should be found and read! Also, be sure to read the rest in this trilogy, "The Running Vixen," and "The Leopard Unleashed." "King of the Wood" is also an excellent novel by Valerie Anand that uses William Rufus' reign as a backdrop.

I have read This book about eight times and I almost know it by heart. The book is so alive and real, when you read about Judith and Guyons lifes it feals just like you are there together with them. It's not possible to discribe everything that happens in the book, you get to follow the two main characters, Judith and Guyons, lifes together. From the day that they are married and a few years further. It's a realy good book and it is hard to put it down before you have read every word in it. I highly recomend it!