The Angel and the Sword [Paperback]

Cecelia Holland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2001

In the dark and bloody days of the Ninth Century, a courageous young woman took the guise of a gallant warrior to preserve the precious legacy of the past, and protect her people from destruction. Here is a bold retelling of one of Europe's greatest sagas, by one of the world's most acclaimed historical novelists.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The prolific Holland (Jerusalem; Valley of the Kings, etc.), a commanding voice in the historical fiction genre, succeeds once again in illuminating a darkly glorious piece of the past, in this epic tale of warrior princesses and avenging angels set in ninth-century medieval Europe. Fluidly written and energetically paced, the story opens on Queen Ingunn's deathbed. The monarch's final wish is for her only child, Ragny, as the last remaining descendant of the line of Roderick, to claim her rightful position and become the new queen of Spain. King Markold, the queen's estranged husband and Ragny's disreputable father, plans to marry his daughter and claim the throne. Strong-willed Ragny escapes Markold and is pursued by Markold's sergeant, Seffrid. She convinces Seffrid to become her ally, cuts off her hair and escapes to Francia. Disguised as a man, Ragny, now known as Roderick, possesses the strength of a true warrior. And she has a secretDshe is protected by her guardian angel. With flashing sword, Ragny/Roderick saves a group of monks and the handsome Frankish knight, Leovild, from bandits; in return they take the fearless maiden and Seffrid to meet the king of Francia, Charles the Bald. A bloody medieval duel caps this tale of epic battles and heavenly light. Little distinguishes it from similar sagas, but Holland consistently satisfies her readers, and the book should prove a surefire, if fleeting, antidote to winter doldrums.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Holland refashions the venerable French legend of Roderick the Beardless into a fantastical medieval adventure. Threatened by her brutal father after the death of her beloved mother, Princess Ragny is forced to flee her small Spanish kingdom in disguise. As Ragny and her devoted manservant journey northward into a bitterly divided France, she transforms herself into Roderick, a bold and fearless knight capable of performing miracles on the battlefield. After Roderick comes to the attention and the assistance of the beleaguered Charles the Bald, the king of France insists that the celebrated young warrior marry his daughter. Despite her almost mystical powers, Ragny/Roderick experiences a gamut of all too human emotions as she herself falls deeply in love with Leovild, one of the king's most loyal and trusted commanders. When her true identity is exposed and she is sentenced to burn at the stake, only a severely wounded Leovild can save her from certain death. A potent blend of action, suspense, romance, and history. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (November 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312868898
• ISBN-13: 978-0312868895
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,546,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical tale, November 10, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Angel and the Sword (Hardcover)

Late in the ninth century, Charlemagne's Holy Roman Empire appears heading for extinction. Not only are the Vikings and other barbarians at the gates of Paris, the great monarch's descendent battle with each other. Hope seems futile, as it appears to be days before the empire bites the dust.

While the empire reels, Queen Ingunn of Spain lies dying. She wants her daughter to inherit the throne, but her spouse King Markold has other plans for his child. Markold contrives to marry Ragny. Forced to flee, Ragny wears the disguise of a man and soon earns a deserved reputation as the warrior-savior Roderick. However, will the female soldier in conjunction with the man she loves prove to be enough to save Paris and the reign of Charles the Bald?

THE ANGEL AND THE SWORD is a well-written, exciting epic tale. The story line is fast-paced, filled with action, and loaded with authentic tidbits to give the plot a Medieval feel to it. Ragny is a great heroine and the support cast adds depth to her character. Although Cecilia Holland's basic theme has been used in many novels and movies, she keeps her subject fresh with a powerful writing talent that is sure to gain her many new historical novel readers.

Harriet Klausner

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No ripped bodices here!, January 25, 2001

By 

Stephen Richmond "Librarian/Teacher/Reader an... (Newton, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Angel and the Sword (Hardcover)

The Angel and the Sword by Cecilia Holland

Amid the bodice-ripping, puerile, and ultimately unsatisfying dreck that passes itself off as historical fiction, there are a small handful of intelligent and literate novelists in the genre, such as Cecilia Holland. The present book takes the popular medieval concept of the maiden warrior and deftly splices a riveting and raucous tale from the French legend of Roderick the Beardless. This marvelous interlacing of fiction, legend, and history is a hallmark of Holland's work and of great historical fiction itself. The author is also an amazingly adroit wordsmith with her customary clever turns of phrase. In the first few pages, she, not for the last time either, refers to a major villain of the piece as "a gross clod of human earth," --- such an incisive, yet witty way of expressing a crude and popular sentiment. There is so much to love and enjoy in this book; even those who do not particularly like the genre could readily learn to do so.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Tale of Knights, Kings, & Justice Stolen/Regained!, August 27, 2004

By 

Lori L. Lake "Author of Like Lovers Do, Buyer... (Portland, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Angel and the Sword (Paperback)

In the middle of the 9th century, a young girl lives in the royal castle in medieval Europe with her mother, the queen, and her dastardly father, Markold. The throne must pass through Queen Ingunn of Roderick's bloodline. Because she has had no sons, her only child, Ragny, is the last descendant of the line. "Queen Ingunn had made a mistake, and paid for it all her life, but now, with her life gone, she saw a way to make amends" (p. 1). The queen lies on her deathbed. Her last wish in order to make amends is to see her estranged daughter-and to proclaim Ragny rightful heir to the throne as the new queen of Spain. Unfortunately, it is not to be for Markold holds sway over the soldiers and servants of the household. Though Markold does not keep Ingunn from giving Ragny a key piece of information, before the queen dies, he does prevent the proclamation of a new queen. Instead, he intends to marry Ragny, his daughter, and force her to bear a son of the Roderick line.

Ragny is young, slender, almost boyish. She hasn't fully bloomed to womanhood, and already she is facing dilemmas of the worst kind. She cannot stay with Markold and claim her rightful place and to flee is a risky proposition, but she chooses the latter course. With the king's men hot on her trail, she begins a journey to Francia disguised as a young man named Roderick the Beardless. Little does she realize at first that she has allies her foes cannot even imagine. Despite her youth and inexperience, within Ragny beats the heart of a champion, a lover, and a just person, capable of inspiring others so long as she is attired as a man. What will happen if she drops the disguise?

I read the first few pages of this historical drama/romance in the bookstore, was utterly hooked on this epic tale, and could hardly wait to get home and read more about this warrior princess with strange powers on her side. The twists and turns the story takes kept me reading long into the night. The cast of characters-priests, the French king, the Viking invaders, Frankish knights, and Seffrid, the sergeant charged by Markold to track down Ragny-are all well-drawn as are the battles and conflicts. Ragny's journey, both external and internal, was illuminated with grace and power by an author clearly comfortable with bringing history to life. I loved this book! I'd have paid a lot closer attention to medieval history in college if it had been this mesmerizing. Highly recommended to anyone who loves a tale well told about knights and kings, lost princesses, and justice stolen and regained. ~Lori L. Lake, author of lesbian fiction and freelance reviewer for Midwest Book Review, Golden Crown Literary Society's "The Crown," The Independent Gay Writer, and Just About Write.com.