With a line up like that, what's not to like?

I have to say, author Elizabeth Chadwick has managed to become one of my favourite-ever writers of historical fiction. In To Defy a King, the follow up novel to The Time of Singing, she has once again managed to come up with an enthralling story with real people, real events and makes it work.

This time, the story is centered on the life of Mahelt Marshal, the eldest daughter of William Marshal, the Earl of Pembroke, and his wife Isabelle de Clare. Dark haired, with a promise of being as beautiful as her mother some day, Mahelt is more of a tomboy than a proper young miss. She gets into scrapes with her brothers, and is secure in her knowledge of her parents' love and security for her. But she also knows that some day she will have to marry and become a lady of standing -- a day that she hopes is far away.

But this is the thirteenth century, and for a young girl, marriage or at least betrothal is sooner rather than later. By the time she's ten, Mahelt finds herself engaged to Hugh Bigod, the heir of the Earl of Norfolk. And married within a few years, Mahelt is sent to Framlingham to live with her new husband and his family. But what with the marriage not being consummated at once, she and Hugh find themselves in an awkward state.

For Hugh is more than a decade older than Mahelt, and as she grows up into a lovely -- and very beddable -- young woman, he finds that he's also falling in love with his wife. It's a tricky situation, especially when Mahelt is trying to conform to what is expected of her, and makes a very rash decision when it comes to her family.

For this is the time of King John, where the king trusts no one and one of his tactics is to take the children and kin of his nobles hostage. He is also, to put it bluntly, not a very nice person. Anger is seething just under the surface, waiting for the right touch to bring civil war back to England...

Goodness, this was a roller coaster ride of emotions to read this book. I found it to be filled with remarkable characters, plenty of details on both daily life and the politics of the time, and a romance that hit all of the right notes. Mahelt may be young and impetuous when we first meet her, but she's no dummy either -- she learns from her mistakes, and how to be diplomatic with people. She also learns the very hard way to deal with her in-laws, Roger Bigod and Ida de Tosney, both of whom are very different than the usual sort of in-laws to be found in historical fiction. Ida, especially, I found very likable and interesting to read about, being that she accepts Mahelt and gently tries to help her fit in -- a very different sort than the stereotype of the nasty mother-in-law that keeps littering fiction. She's sensitive, and honest, and a delight to read about.

Then there's Roger, who is stern, and wrapped up in the business and details of running his estate. The relationship between himself and Mahelt isn't nearly as smooth as either of them could wish for. At first I was rather angry at his character, but as more of the story revealed itself, I could begin to understand as to why he was behaving as he does.

Finally, there is Mahelt and Hugh, both of whom are complex people and people who I could understand and sympathize with. While most of the story is told from Mahelt's point-of-view, there are some scenes with Hugh that are very revealing. I enjoyed seeing the new take on William Longespee, Ida's son from her relationship with King Henry II, and his behaviour. He's very different here than most historical fiction pictures him, and whooo, it's intense.

That same intensity spills over into several key scenes in the book, among them the incident involving King John and the Welsh hostages at Nottingham castle. Several authors have used this piece of history in their books, and so, I knew what was coming, but this time, I was undone by what happened. There is something very immediate about Ms. Chadwick's writing style, where I could easily envision what was occurring and could 'see' what was happening. Not very many authors can pull that off well, and Ms. Chadwick has honed her skills to where she can know right where to punch her readers. Indeed, a great deal of this book is filled with scenes like this -- be warned that you'll probably need your handkerchiefs or the box of Kleenex handy for those last hundred pages of the story. Best of all, she can create these scenes without over sentimentalizing them or making them seem overdone or cheap -- and that is where an author earns their chops as far as I am concerned.

To Defy a King is a knockout of a book, and fits in well with the other books that Ms. Chadwick has written about the Marshal family. While this one can be read on its own, I do suggest reading The Time of Singing which is about Ida de Tosney and Roger Bigod first, as it helps to explain some of the relationships that have gone on before.

For American readers, most of these books are available online from British booksellers, but Elizabeth Chadwick's novels are gradually being published on this side of the Atlantic. Both The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion are in bookstores now, and The Time of Singing is to be published in trade paperback by Sourcebooks in September 2010 as For the King's Favor.

Once again, this book gets a five star rating as a cracking good story, and a big thumbs up from me. Happily recommended.

Novels by Elizabeth Chadwick:
The Wild Hunt
The Running Vixen
The Leopard Unleashed -- reprint due 2010
Daughters of the Grail
Shields of Pride
The Conquest
The Champion
The Love Knot
The Marsh King's Daughter
Lords of the White Castle
The Winter Mantle
The Falcons of Montabard
Shadows and Strongholds
The Greatest Knight
The Scarlet Lion
A Place Beyond Courage
The Time of Singing/For the King's Favor
To Defy a King -- you are here

Many thanks to the Books CL Dramastef for adding this title to the database for me. Thank you Stef and the other CL's for your hard work.

To Defy a King
Elizabeth Chadwick
2010; Sphere/Little, Brown & Company, Inc.
ISBN 978-1-54744-236-9

Recommended: Yes