Customer Reviews

Alinor (The Roselynde Chronicles: Book Two)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alinor is perhaps the best medieval historical I have ever read. In no other book have I met characters who have been so real that they have almost walked off the page and into my room. The jousting scene is a true masterpiece. Her hero, tall dark and handsome could have been a stereotype in less skilled hands, but she turns him into a wonderfully rounded character, complete with human flaws. I'm still in love with him more than twenty years after reading the novel! Alinor too is superbly characterised. I love the way she gets the better of King John. Roberta Gellis's grasp of Medieval politics is masterly, as is the way she brings them to life so that a reader can understand them without feeling they are being lectured at. I write historical fiction myself under the pen name Elizabeth Chadwick - see The Conquest, The Champion, The Love knot. I am aware of owing a tremendous debt to Roberta Gellis for showing me the way. I wish she was more prolific. I'd buy every one!!

This year I've been busy rediscovering a classic historical romance series that was first published back in the 1970's and early 1980's. Now under the Harlequin Signature Select publishers, the books are being reprinted, with additional notes and tidbits from the author, Roberta Gellis.

Alinor, the third book in the series, begins in the year 1206, about fourteen years or so after the events in Roselynde. England's King Richard has died, and so has his mother, Queen Alinor. Now the youngest of the Angevin brood has become King -- John. Alinor, the lady of Roselynde, knows that her life and lands are in danger once the king discovers that her beloved husband, Simon Lemagne, has died. To save herself, and especially the lives of her two children, Joanna and Adam, she knows that she has to remarry, and soon. It's not a prospect that she is looking forward to.

To complicate matters further, an old friend is returning to Roselynde -- Simon's former squire, Ian Vipont. Ian, who is much the same age as Alinor, adores Simon's children, and when word comes that King John is planning a particularly unpleasant match for Alinor, Ian decides that he must protect her and the children, even if it means that he must marry her, even though she may not love him at all.

As for Alinor, still mourning the death of a husband who was thirty years her senior, reuniting with Ian means that she finds herself overcome with both an emotional and physical attraction. Cautiously, and with a great deal of mutual misunderstanding, the couple agree to marry, even knowing that it will cause them both a great deal of grief at the hands of King John and his henchmen.

How the pair work out their differences, and manage to survive a very dangerous time in English history is what makes this novel work. I found myself very caught up in Alinor and Ian's story, along with those of the children, and Ian's squires, Owain and Geoffrey. These are characters that the reader can empathize with, and despite a few problems, the setting and situations are very believable.

Along the way, the reader is treated to scenes of a medieval marriage, a very vivid boar hunt, sieges and medieval warfare, and a plot and storyline that has real substance to it. Roberta Gellis is one of those few writers that I consistantly enjoy, who can make a historical setting live and breathe, and while the research does take liberties here and there, I can forgive her. What I have really enjoyed is that she's not afraid to weave in actual historical personages into the story -- here we not only see King John, but his half-brother, William Longsword; William Marshal and his wife Isobel and Lord Llewelyn of the Welsh and his wife, Joan. All of these people will play important parts in the novel, but Gellis has great talent to make them behave as actual people do, and makes the story all that more real. Too, problems are not solved in an instant, which also makes the story believable -- it takes quite a while for Alinor and Ian to work out their differences.

Now for the tricky part of the novel. Gellis is not at all shy in showing that the real middle ages were not the pretty, romanticized view that most have. There is a great deal of violence, some of it directed at women and children which most authors have abandoned in recent years for not being that politically correct. However, it was a factor in the time, and while it did make me a bit queasy in spots, it was at least not gratutitous. I would caution sensitive readers to take care in reading this one, as the violence and sex does get graphic.

My other big problem is with the way that Gellis handles the character of King John. Yes, he has been vilified as one of history's most evil kings, but she paints him here as a sadistic monster. While some of his actions were certainly horrible -- his involvement with the death of his nephew, Arthur certainly is questionable -- I have a hard time believing that he was this repellent. Most of what is known of John has been written by religious chroniclers who glorified Richard Lionheart (who wasn't that much of a king) and treated John as barely human. However, looking at what he actually did creates a very different portrait of the man -- for a more sympathetic picture, I would recommend Sharon Kay Penman's novel, Here Be Dragons which takes a much more careful view; if you enjoy the characters in this one, Penman's novel has many of them appearing in Dragons.

In these reprint editions, additional features are tucked away in the back of the book. This time around we get an author's note, wherein she explains some of the liberties that she took with history; a glossary of medieval words and expressions, and an excerpt from the next book in the series, Joanna which is due to be reprinted in December 2006. Alas, there isn't any medieval recipes in this one, something that I hope will appear in the next book.

All in all, despite the flaws, this was a very enjoyable read, and gets a very solid recommendation from me. Four and a half stars, rounded up to five.

Despite the cover, Alinor does not wield a sword during this story. She does however wield base practicality, political craftiness, leadership charisma, a mothering instinct, and of course, womanly charms.

Roberta's research into the lifestyles of the times allows for a vividly detailed setting that provided several "oh, so that's how they used to do it" revelations for me without beating me over the head with it.

The writing itself is masterful with realistic love, subplots galore,deep character development, and main characters that I admire. That last is my criteria for enjoying a book.

By the way, even though the featured review gives away too much of the story... there is a lot left to be discovered and enjoyed.

I have now completed the first two novels in Roberta Gellis' "Roselynde Chronicles," and am beginning book three. Warning!! It is difficult to put these books down, and continuous reading, especially in the evening, can cause insomnia! Ms. Gellis, along with Sharon Kay Penman, are the long reigning monarchs of historical fiction. Gellis' work is golden - her plots riveting, the research meticulous, and her writing elegant.

"Alinor" begins at Roselynde Keep, England, in 1206 AD, seven years into the reign of King John (Lackland). Alinor's story actually starts in Book One, "Roselynde," but you do not have to read the first book to enjoy this one. Alinor Devaux Lemagne is widowed at 29 years old. She had married her much older and beloved ward, Simon Lemagne, after finally obtaining King Richard's permission. They have two children, Joanna, age 9, and Adam, age 7. Like Queen Alinor of Aquitaine, whom she is named for, Alinor of Roselynde is a fiercely independent, well-educated, courageous chatelaine of vast landholdings. She had been trained since childhood to rule, and her vassals and serfs obey her with respect. When she and Simon married, her independence was not curtailed. This was a most unusual situation for women in medieval times, where their position was largely ornamental, when they were not breeding.

Simon's squire of old, Ian de Vipont, is now a seasoned warrior, and a landed Knight and Lord. He has known Alinor since she was a girl of seventeen, and has always loved her, in a pure and courtly manner. Now Ian visits Roselynde to mourn Simon, pay his respects, and persuade the widow to marry him. He wants to protect Alinor and the children, especially since King John has no love for her. Ian fears that she will either be forced to marry a scoundrel who will abuse her and the children, or that John will take her land for the Crown. He does not need to work hard to convince Alinor. She is practical and understands his reasoning. He adores the children. And he is also an incredibly handsome and noble man. A wedding is held at Roselynde, with many of the aristocracy in attendance, including three bishops and John's illegitimate half-brother. Although Alinor deeply loved her first husband, he was much older and at times was like the father she never had. Her own parents died when she was a baby. Now she has a chance to make a life, filled with love, with a husband her own age.

John is outraged at the marriage, even though he had given permission to Ian to wed whom he pleased, after serving the Crown well in the wars with France. The King had indeed plotted to hurt Alinor and take her holdings. Now he plans a greater revenge...on both newlyweds and their children.

England was a country with severe problems during this period in history. John had received a kingdon deep in debt, owing to King Richard's Crusade, the ransom paid to free him from prison, his lavish spending, and his lack of concern for England. Richard's continent holdings, of Normandy, Anjou, Poitiers, etc., were his priority. John had greatly increased the taxes which, along with his nefarious political and personal intrigues, earned him the enmity of his barons. The taxes and poor crops had impoverished and bankrupted small farmers, many villeins and some of the lesser squirearchy. Many had been forced from their homes, destitute. Some joined gangs of lawless reavors, (like the legendary Robin Hood). There was much unrest and violence in the land, not to mention problems with France, Ireland and Wales.

The novel is filled with pageantry and wonderful historic detail, including a tournament where Ian is named the King's champion. The events that occur during this tourney, are like a separate mystery within the novel. The suspense is thrilling, and the love story is so realistic. This is an extraordinary novel which I highly recommend.

JANA

This is book two of "The Roselynde Chronicles" and is, by far, one of the best. I have all 6 in this series, and each one stands on its own merits. In "Alinor", we return to the story of Alinor of Roselynde, who is now widowed and about to be pounced upon by her arch-foe King John. Saved by her dead husband's former squire (who you will remember from book 1), this book tells a true love story of two souls who endure everything and only at the end discover they love each other. It is an exciting read, as the time frame always is. The detail is exacting, the storyline easy to follow. We meet new characters, who will show up in future books of the series, and discover what happened to old characters from book 1 of the series. All in all, a most satisfying read.

I began with Bond of BLOOD and Knight's Honor and quickly whizzed through the Roslynde Chronicles.It is wonderful to see a strong sexy woman in a position of power in an interesting age.I wonder if anyone picked up that Ranulf of Sleaford and the Lady Catherine were the grandparents of Alinor of Roselynde. I've been haunting the bookstores for another set, hard bound preferably but even paperback as my copies are falling apart. Roberta, keep on writing!!!!

This is the second novel in the Roselynde series by Roberta Gellis. If you are a fan of historical fiction don't let the fact that this book was published by Harlequin scare you off. This is a well written work of historical fiction.

If you haven't already read 'Roselynde' this review may have *.*.*.*SpOiLeRs*.*.*.

Gellis reunites us with the headstrong Lady Alinor Lemange, recently widowed by the passing of her husband Simon. Alone Lady Alinor finds herself once again vulnerable to the avaricious motivations of King John. She soon marries Lord Ian de Vipont only to find that the king has turned his animosity toward their union.

Gellis does an excellent job of creating battle scenes with sometimes crude but realistic details. She has painted a frightening picture of a greedy and powerful king and an interesting and taut story surrounding Alinor and Ian.

I like the inclusion of the author's note where she explains that she made King John the villain of her story though he is not viewed that way by historians. I also liked the glossary of medieval terms.

This is not an historical fiction where the author uses the known record of events and inserts motivations and dialog. Gellis creates fictional characters and inserts them into history while using artistic license with her characterizations of historical figures. If you dislike that type of historical fiction you may want to choose something else.

I love the details of the boar hunt, Alinor's wedding and the preparations required, the battles during the tournament and the siege at one of Alinor's keeps. I enjoyed the characters Gellis created, I especially enjoyed the relationship between Ian and his squire Geoffrey. The romance between Alinor and Ian was a little bit stretched at points but I liked the characters and the writing so much that I didn't let it bother me.

I would recommend this to readers who like lots of medieval details and a healthy dose of fiction in their historical fiction. I will be reading the next in the series.

Book 2 in The Roselynde Chronicles opens about 4 months after the death of the fictional Simon Lemagne (Roselynde), Alinor's late husband, who was a knight in service to Richard I. Richard has died. King John now sits on the throne and he has a bone to pick with Alinor.

Gellis portrays King John as a petty, mean-spirited leader, who suffered from frequent bouts of lethargy (probably depression). While this representation probably is accurate on the whole, I think John was more competent -- and his connivances more successful -- than he appears in this story.

Simon's former squire, Ian de Vipont, arrives at Roselynde with the two-fold mission of marrying Alinor for love and saving her from King John, who he suspects will take revenge on her now that Simon is no longer around to protect her.

The story follows a typical historical romance formula in that a man and woman find each other attractive, and perhaps even fall a little bit in love with one another. But circumstances and poor communication conspire to tear them apart. How they find their way toward a happy ending is the sum of the story.

The rich historical background, however, sets Alinor apart from the typical historical romance. The portrayal of the times - especially the medieval attitudes by and about women - feels right. In addition to King John, historical figures such as Isobel, wife to William Marshal, and Llywelyn the Last (Welsh king) make appearances that fit well into the story line.

Recommended to fans of historical fiction, who enjoy a romantic sub-theme. Fans of today's historical romances may be disappointed by the tame and infrequent love scenes.

Roberta Gellis has no peer in writing historical fiction. I would have enough frequent flier miles to go to the moon if all the time travel I have done in her work would count. She makes the time and situation seem normal, the characters real. Many medieval romances have heroines that are seriously out of place. Her woman are believably medieval. They are probably a little exceptional but still possible. I care about every character that she introduces. They seem like people not characters.

The Roselynde Chronicles :

Roselynde- Alinor- Joanna- Gilliane- Rhiannon- Sybelle *Desiree

* takes place between Roselynde and Alinor.

Alinor more than any of the heroines is a force to be reckoned with. All of the books are vibrant and textured. Not to be missed. Read.

Roberta Gellis is probably one of the best authors I have ever read; her facts and logistics and history seem to be fairly close to actual and her tale-telling is unsurpassed, in my opinion. Since I enjoy reading everything from military history to fictional best sellers, feel I am qualified to give this analysis. All of her books have been just wonderful, but this series is the best and should be read in order, since they do reference back to the previous. I'm glad I waited for #2 before reading the rest!! END