The Conquest [Paperback]

Elizabeth Chadwick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2001

Grieving over the deaths of her husband and infant son, Saxon widow Ailith finds solace with Norman warrior Rolf de Brize, but her new happiness is threatened by the arrival of Rolf's Norman wife and daughter and the knowledge that Rolf had been responsible for the deaths of her beloved brothers at the Battle of Hastings."

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The year is 1066 when Norman womanizer Rolf de Brize saves the life of a Saxon woman, Ailith, who tries to kill herself after losing both her husband and her child following the Normans' invasion of England. Installed as chatelaine of Rolf's English estate, Ailith resolves to remain chaste, but her determination is sorely tried by Rolf, who is already married and has a child. These are not simply modern characters dressed in medieval garb but very clearly men and women of their time, and their fascinating story is completely involving and believable. Chadwick (The Wild Hunt, St. Martin's, 1991) is a prize-winning historical novelist who does not romanticize what was often a dangerous and brutal time, particularly for women. Intelligent, enjoyable, and entertaining, this novel will be appreciated by readers of Sharan Newman's medieval mysteries (e.g., Strong as Death, LJ 8/96).?Elizabeth Mary Mellett, Brookline P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

A young Saxon woman suffers the harsh consequences of the Norman invasion of England in this epic melodrama. After both her husband and brothers suffer violent deaths at the hands of the conquerors, Ailith temporarily loses her wits and attempts to take her own life. Thwarted by Rolf de Brize, a lusty, sympathetic Norman, Ailith agrees to assume the position of chatelaine of his English estate. Though she bears his child and spends many contented years as his mistress, she reluctantly realizes that the fundamental gulf that separates them is too wide to sufficiently bridge. When she discovers that Rolf has betrayed her both physically and spiritually, Ailith flees, bequeathing her young daughter a bitter legacy of love and loss. Historical romance on a grand scale. Margaret Flanagan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 458 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312300247
• ISBN-13: 978-0312300241
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,761,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth Chadwick is a best selling, award winning author of historical fiction. A born storyteller, her first novel The Wild Hunt won a Betty Trask Award in 1990. She has been four times shortlisted for the RNA Award in the UK for the best mainstream romantic novel. Her book The Scarlet Lion was selected as one of the top ten works of historical fiction of the decade by Richard Lee, founder of The Historical Novel Society.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Norman Conquest, Elizabeth Chadwick Style!, July 11, 2002

By 

Kimberly Gelderman (Spring Lake, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Conquest (Hardcover)

Another exceptional historical from Elizabeth Chadwick! The writing paints a picture of medieval England in the time of William the Conqueror that makes you feel as if you are truly there. The story starts out with Ailith, a Saxon wife who suddenly finds herself a widow after her husband attends William's coronation. Her two beloved brothers have already been slain in the Battle of Hastings defending their country and King Harold. Additionally, to make matters worse, she has lost her feeble baby son to the grave.

With sweeping descriptions of the battlefield to domestic life in medieval England, relationships ebb and flow, with Ailith finding herself alone except for the newly met Norman neighbors. She reluctantly agrees to nurse their son as the Norman Felice is too weakened by childbirth. She then becomes Norman Rolf de Brize's chatelaine at his English estate, after having met him previously, and eventually becomes his mistress and bears him a daughter. Meanwhile, Rolf already has a wife and daughter in Normandy. Their love endures many twists and turns but cannot survive what Ailith considers the ultimate betrayal. Their child Julitta, after having been a cherished and indulged daughter, is taken away from it all and her love for Benedict, her mother's Norman friend's son, is fraught with many trials and barely endured hardships.

All in all, this book is a page turner that I found difficult, at best, to put down. It grabs your attention and holds it throughout the entire story. If you haven't read anything by Elizabeth Chadwick you are missing out on some great medieval historical reading! Do yourself a favor and read this and all of Elizabeth Chadwick's books! You won't be sorry!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More historical romance than historic fiction, April 10, 2009

By 

ash (Phoenix) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Conquest Pb (Paperback)

I am a big fan of Eliz Chadwick, esp Marsh King's Daughter, The Greatest Knight, and Shadows and Strongholds. She has a way making history come alive; I really feel as if I am there, with characters and places as real and present. I was less than happy however with this one. I am not a big fan of romances in general, so perhaps my disappointment is more about me than about the book. I thought the ending was filled with way too many coincidences, and predictable ones at that. The writing is excellent, and the characters very well drawn out. Another reviewer mentioned the pagan aspects of the time, and I loved that part of the book. But there was passing mention of historic events and personages. Once I realized it was going to be that way, I decided to keep on reading, because she is a wonderful writer. But I must warn others that this is really a historic romance. If that is ok, read on and enjoy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RI-VE-TING medieval historical!, June 14, 2008

By 

CoffeeGurl - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The Conquest (Paperback)

England, 1065-1088. Ailith, a young married Saxon woman, had no idea how much her life would change when William, the Duke of Normandy, conquers England. At first, she meets her Norman neighbors, Aubert and Felice de Remy, and befriends them. But neither she nor her husband knows that Aubert is William's spy. Then when the war begins and William becomes the new king, tragedy befalls Ailith. Her newborn baby dies, followed by her husband, and her world falls apart. She wants to end her life, but Rolf de Brize, a handsome and womanizing warrior and buyer/breeder of warhorses, stops her. He is attracted to the voluptuous blonde and wants her at all cost, which is why he saves her from the unwanted advances of a sleazy suitor and offers her a job at his new English estate. She keeps her distance, but he will have her, and he won't let a small matter like his marriage to a noble lady stop him from having the woman he has desired the most...

Years later, past mistakes and tragedies fall on young and spirited Julitta. Having grown up working as a maid at a bathhouse (brothel) with her mother, she has known a great deal of hardships. When she finds her way back to her father and stepfamily, Julitta is also reacquainted with Benedict de Remy, her childhood love. Benedict had been betrothed to Gisele, Rolf's legitimate daughter, when he was still a child and he has to fulfill his contractual obligations. But his feelings for Julitta grow as he spends more time with her. Julitta will learn about star-crossed love, growing up a woman and the unfairness of an arranged marriage before she even turns fifteen.

Wow. That is all I can say about this book. So many people have praised Elizabeth Chadwick and how wonderful her medieval-set novels are. They said that she knew her medieval history, and that she makes the time period come alive. They also say that you are transported to the time period and see the scenes in your head as though it were a film. Well, it is true. I read one of her novels once. I think it was Lords of the White Castle, and thought it was wonderful. But that was years ago and I forgot about this author for a while. The Conquest is a beautiful historical read. It has a great backdrop of the Norman Conquest, but it also tells a wonderful and bittersweet story with lots of romance, adventure, tragedy and intrigue. You will love these characters. Ailith is a tragic heroine that I will remember for a long time, and Rolf, though flawed and at times insufferable, is also a great character. The story of Ailith and Rolf enthralled me more than Julitta and Benedict's, but only because it is so sad. I cannot recommend The Conquest enough. I will definitely read Chadwick's other novels, even if they have to be shipped from the UK.