From the back cover:
John, Duke of Bedford, grew to manhood fighting for his father, King Henry IV of England, on the wild and lawless Northern Marches. He was a prince of the royal blood, loyal, strong, and the greatest ally that his brother – the future Henry V – was to have. Filled with the clash of bitter rivalries and deadly power struggles, this is Georgette Heyer’s last and most ambitious novel, bringing to life a character and a period she found irresistibly attractive.
I really wanted to like this novel. I went into it expecting to like it. I have really enjoyed the other works that I’ve read by Georgette Heyer and as you all know, I love historical fiction. I just could not love this book, though, much as I tried.
First there is the language. Heyer appears to have really tried to write this novel in the language of the fifteenth century. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work the way she intended. Instead, it feels stilted and unfamiliar, even to one who has spent hours trying to figure out what fifteenth century people meant when they used all these words that have fallen out of the language or when they used words which don’t mean what they now mean. I think the fifty to seventy-five years in between my work and this book make a difference because these are unquestionably proper words, but I was unfamiliar with them and they make the book a slow, slow read.
If a reader of this book has no knowledge of the history or people involved, it will constitute even more of a struggle. Even though I have a fairly comprehensive knowledge of Henry IV’s reign, I had to refer to the family tree several times and even wished I’d taken notes so I could keep track of the various names used to refer to one person. This is the first instance that I’ve wished for a character list, which I’ve seen in a few fantasy novels, just so I could remember who people were.
Those two problems combined with the fact that this book has no real plot and is merely a meandering through history, which isn’t even complete, made this book a slow one for me. In the end, I didn’t see the point. I didn’t find it enjoyable and I wasn’t searching for a resolution to a story because I knew there wasn’t one. I think that if someone was extremely interested in the reign of Henry IV’s reign and wanted to read this alongside some comprehensive history over a lengthy period of time, it would work better. It is historically accurate to the best of my knowledge, but I guess this just goes to show that it also takes a well told story for a compelling work of historical fiction. I wish Heyer had applied her considerable talents, so clearly on display in her Regencies, to this novel as well. I would recommend those instead.
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When I get around to picking out my first Heyer, I’ll keep this review in mind and start with something else.
Beth F’s last blog post..Thursday Tea (June 25): The Rossetti Letter by Christi Phillips
It’s interesting that so many people love her Regencies, but are not so fond of her more historical books. I’ve only read one of her historicals (The Conqueror) and liked it, but it didn’t keep me as involved as, say, Cotillion.
Leezlie
Lezlie’s last blog post..MADONNA OF THE SEVEN HILLS
I haven’t read anything by Heyer yet, but with all the reviews I’ve seen recently, I can’t wait! I’ll make sure not to begin with this one then. Great review!
Kay’s last blog post..Filling the Shelf – 1
Sorry this one was a stinker for you.
Kathy’s last blog post..Review: Love Walked In
I’ve got a fair grasp of the history of Henry IV, but I’m more familiar with his son, Henry V. Wow, no plot and difficult language. I feel for ya! I know they can’t all be winners, but there’s something extra-painful when it’s a book you were looking forward to that lets you down. Better luck with the next one
The Kool-Aid Mom’s last blog post..BTT ~ The Best Place After the Womb!
I didn’t even know Heyer wrote books that take place in time periods outside of the Regency. Hopefully the book I picked up by her will be better than this one.
heidenkind’s last blog post..An Indecent Proposition
That’s disappointing. I think I’ll definitely start of with her Regencies, when it comes time to give Heyer a go.
Memory’s last blog post..100. The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
Thank you, thank you, thank you for being up front about how this one compares to some of her others. I have wanted to read Heyer, because she gets such great reviews. My fear would be that I’d get a slow, less engaging read and wonder what everyone was raving about. This is good to know. I have the Grand Sophy, which I’ve heard is good, so I’ll stick with that one for now!
Becky’s last blog post..Rejuvenate & Renew Challenge Update: 6/22 to 6/28
Umm wow.. it’s like deja vu all over again. I can’t agree more!
You managed to be straight to the point and I couldn’t stop complaining though. Very Good job!
Marie Burton’s last blog post..Booking Through Thursday – Unique Sorting
I read My Lord John years and years ago, and there were some parts of it I remember quite liking, but it’s true, the book is “incomplete”. That’s because, as I understand (if I’m remembering correctly), My Lord John was one of the last books Heyer was working on before she died and she never lived to complete it. It might have turned out to be quite a more polished book if she’d lived to revise and redraft. Now we’ll never know.
Joyce DiPastena’s last blog post..Introducing…Illuminations of the Heart
Yeah, she did die before she finished it. This is a pretty good example of why I’m on the fence about publishing unfinished work just because an author was famous. I don’t think Heyer would be particularly pleased with it at this stage.
Based on your review, I don’t think I would enjoy this book very much. I think I will stick to the more favorably reviewed Heyer novels instead. Thanks for your honest thoughts on this one.
Zibilee’s last blog post..Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal by Julie Metz – 352 pgs