Customer Reviews

Dragon's Lair: A Medieval Mystery

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a huge fan of Sharon Penman and she has once again given us a finely crafted story of life in the time of Eleanor and Aquitaine, Richard the Lion Heart, and of course, our ficticious hero Justin de Quincy. This story revolves around a true incident - Eleanor's frantic quest to raise an enormous ranson to secure the freedom of her favoured son Richard, but of course there are the little side stories that allow for the most fun, and this is where Justin comes in. He is asked to travel to the border of Wales, and so solve the whereabouts of a portion of the ranson payment. Along the way he encounters many characters who aren't what they seem, for good or bad, and of course solves the mystery. Don't be fooled - this is an elegant and complex mystery, and one not easily figured out.

Along the way we encounter other characters that Penman fans will be familiar with from her other fantastic Welsh tales, butof course in a different time, and somewhat different place, and this makes the story all the more detailed.

If I have one very small criticism, it is that the book assumes that you have been with Justin since he first appeared in the equally fine "The Queen's Man", and that you are familiar with his life and loves, paternity and other lifetime issues. I am, as would all devoted Sharon Penman fans, but for others who are new to her work through this book, it may be a little distracting. Similarly however, as a fan I would probably find all the re-intoductions somewhat tedious, so I appreciate that this is a fine line when writing a story in a series. But it is a very small criticism, and in no way detracts from the mastery of her writing, her meticulous attention to historical research and retelling, and the ability to spin a mighty good mystery.

This, the third installment in Sharon Kay Penman's mystery series featuring her intrepid sleuth Justin de Quincy, is sure to delight new and old readers, and should read well even as a standalone. In this novel Justin is despatched by his employer, Eleanor of Aquitaine, into the wilds of medieval Wales to solve the mystery of a vanished 'king's ransom' in wool bales. This may not sound exciting but Penman is a master storyteller and weaves an engaging adventure. At the same time, while Justin is separated from his love interest and friends for the majority of the action, there are interesting shifts in his relationship with his father which foster the development of this endearing lead character, and while not perhaps as strong as CRUEL AS THE GRAVE, DRAGON'S LAIR is a worthy addition to de Quincy's adventures.

Fans of Penman's historical fiction who, like myself, find the mystery format not essentially to their taste will likely enjoy DRAGON'S LAIR more than previous de Quincy novels because it takes Justin firmly into the territory covered by Penman's first Plantagenet novel, the classic HERE BE DRAGONS. At times passages from HBD are inserted almost verbatim into DRAGON'S LAIR, but this is managed relatively seamlessly, though Penman employs distinctly different writing styles for her mysteries and historical novels. The treatment of one of her greatest heroes, Llewelyn ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd evokes the best of both these styles. The elevated and slightly archaised 'history' language evokes the Llewelyn so carefully characterised in HBD, while the more down-to-earth and distinctly humorous style of her 'mystery' gives Llewelyn a chance to shine as the high-spirited and light-hearted man the weightier concerns of HBD rarely permitted him to be.

Sharon Kay Penman's "Queen's Man" series of historical mysteries is starting to rival her other, longer novels of a more pure "historical fiction" bent. It's no surprise -- her historical mysteries demonstrate better research and command of the period than many "pure" historical novels.

"Dragon's Lair" again features Penman's fictional hero, Justin de Quincy, bastard son of the bishop of Chester. Justin is educated, resourceful, clever, and, as he admits, lucky. As a result, he's the perfect choice to serve Queen Eleanor. Beset by a tide of troubles in her later life, Eleanor in 1193 is trying to ransom her beloved son, King Richard, currently held captive in Germany. While the call has gone out across the realm for the ransom to be compiled, many less-than-loyal subjects desire to keep the ransom for themselves. The leading candidate for betrayal comes from within the royal family, as Eleanor's son John has no desire to see Richard return from confinement.

And so it is no great surprise when a valuable shipment of coin and luxurious wool (worth its weight in gold) goes missing en route from Wales. Eleanor immediately dispatches Justin to this remote, wild kingdom, charged with recovering the lost ransom. Justin soon finds himself in Welsh intrigues as wild and tangled as the Welsh countryside, and there's more than a wee spot of murder afoot, too.

Along the way, Penman feasts the reader on a host of precise details that evoke the time period, but does so in a highly readable fashion. We also delight in learning more about Justin, including meeting some players from his misspent youth.

An entertaining mystery (very realistic in its details) populated by a vivid cast of characters, "Dragon's Lair" keeps you guessing from page to page. A very enjoyable read!

I am a longtime Penman fan, having devoured her two historical fiction trilogies. Her late foray into mystery fiction is wonderful! I insist that ALL the fiction I read be historically believable, and Ms. Penman fits the bill in every way. The history is accurate, and the fictional story is elegantly woven into the period setting. I await the next installment eagerly.

Ms Penman has really developed the character Justin de Quincy beautifully over the three books. This one, however, ranks as my favorite of the three. In this book, Justin visits Wales in an effort to find the stolen ransom that had been earmarked to aid in the release of King Richard. She kept me guessing till the end and she also introduced a couple of new characters, Molly and Bennet who I immediately responded to and hope to find again in the next book. The relationship between Justin and his father continues to develop very interesting new twists and Claudine makes another appearance which -though brief- has me eager for the next book as well. If you like mysteries or if you like history- this book is a fun adventure into both.

On his way home from the crusades, Richard the Lion-Hearted was kidnapped and held for ransom by the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich for one hundred thousand silver marks. While King Richard I is languishing in an Austrian prison, his mother Eleanor of Aquitane is bankrupting the country trying to gather up the ransom from every class and guild including the church. When word reaches her that the ransom collected by the Welsh Prince Davydd ab Owain was stolen, she dispatches her man Justin de Quincy to recover the ransom.

When he arrives at Davydd's court, the prince tells him that the outlaw Llewelyn ab Iorwerth was responsible for the theft. He expects Justin to ask the Earl of Chester to bring troops into Wales to capture the outlaw and what is left of the ransom. It doesn't take Justin long to realize that Llewelyn, who is battling Davydd for crown, is a pawn in Davydd's quest to stay in power. He discovers Flemish sailors who were supposedly hired by an English lord stole the ransom. Justin has to find the English Lord if he intends to gain control of the stolen ransom though betrayal and murder follow in his footsteps.

Nobody writes a better medieval historical then Sharon Kay Penman and her latest historical mystery shows that meticulous research. Medieval England and Wales come alive as historical trivia is generously sprinkled throughout the story line. The protagonist is truly THE QUEEN'S MAN as he diligently works for the crown while facing down ghosts from his own past. DRAGON'S LAIR opens up new worlds to its audience one that they will want to revisit when Ms. Penman produces the next book in this addicting series.

Harriet Klausner

Sharon Penman's series about Justin de Quincy, the Queen's Man for Eleanor of Aquitaine, is both highly readable and historically accurate. The reader is treated to an interesting plot involving a king's ransom stolen in Wales, as well as the development of the de Quincy character.

I enjoyed reading about Wales and the politics of the region at the time. I also thought the secondary characters were interesting and believable. I have enjoyed other books by this author and will continue to follow this series.

This writer manages to absorb the reader in the historical period and brings to light kings, queens and those who serve them as well as the social history. In addition she tells a fast paced and complex tale, full of action and characters that ring true across eight hundred years. She hasn't been bogged down by the conventional wisdom about the time and its people (Richard - good, John - bad) instead we see them as the complex and often confounded people that they were. She shows us the struggle across the Welsh marches, the beauty of Wales and the strength of its people.

She has given us a protagonist with a wonderful mixture of strengths and failings. Justin de Quincey is maturing nicely in this series. I'm looking forward to reading more about his exploits.

King Richard, caught while on his way back from the Holy Land, has been imprisoned by Henry VI, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor. Prince John, Richard's hated brother (and the same Prince John from the Robin Hood stories) is plotting with the French king to make sure that Richard doesn't leave prison alive.

Henry sets the ransom at an impossible 150,000 marks (perhaps five times the annual income for the English Crown under Richard), and the Dowager Queen Eleanor has set about raising the ransom. In Wales, a sizable portion of that ransom has gone missing, and she sends Justin de Quincy into Wales to find it.

Davydd ab Owain, Prince of Wales, suspects his nephew, Llewellyn ab Iorweth, who would later grow to be one of the greatest of all Welsh princes. He is married to Emma of Anjou, the highborn half-sister of Richard's and John's father - and Eleanor's deceased husband - King Henry. Davydd is incensed when Justin approaches the problem logically, wanting to inspect the site the ransom was to have been stolen from, conducting interviews, etc.

While not as intricately plotted as the next book in the series, Prince of Darkness, this nevertheless is a fantastic read, especially if you've read and enjoyed Penman's historical fiction, and amongst those, namely Here be Dragons.

Sharon Kay Penman is definitely on my list of favorite authors. Her historical novels, especially Here Be Dragons and When Christ and His Saints Slept, really grabbed me and would not let go!

That said, her mysteries are a lot of fun. I'm not a huge mystery buff, but hers seem to be quite well-plotted and the action is tense. Keep the interest throughout. This one, Dragon's Lair, is perhaps my favorite of hers and I heartily recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the medieval period. No one has brought the thirteenth century to life for me like Sharon Kay Penman. She really is a master, with all those wonderful details (so stunningly accurate!) and those characters that come alive and become cherished friends!

The characters in Dragon's Lair are wonderful, all her usual verve, if you will. Justin De Quincy is one of her most endearing creations. I have noted that sometimes her completely fictional characters seem to be somewhat weaker than those based on actual personages, but Justin is an exception. He goes against her sweeter heroes, like Hugh from The Reckoning or Ranulf Fitzroy, and evidences a great deal of most intriguing depth and temper, too. We get some more on his childhood in this book, which is fun and Justin's interactions with his esteemed father are especially good. I look forward to seeing more in her next one! Another great character is John Platagenet and I'm sure that anyone who has read Here Be Dragons will agree with me. He is one of my all time favorite baddest of the bad but still so cool book characters!

Other fans of her earlier books will likely be ecstatic to see Llewelyn, Rhys (but where was Catrin?) and Ednevyd. Llewelyn is really a great character and he must have been so fun to write! This new perspective on him was just a blast! An earlier review mentioned that this book was his first clash with John, and I guess that's true! What a rivalry those two will develop!

As far as plot goes, I found it fun, but just a little predictable. Perhaps that's because I'm so familiar with Ms. Penman's world. But it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book in the least. Here's how it went.

It's 1193 and Richard the Lionheart has been abducted on his way home from the Holy Land. His mother, the formidable, indomitable Eleanor of Acquitaine throws all her considerable resources behind an effort to see him free. Her son John, cunning malcontent that he is, has been conspiring with the King of France to see that Richard remains as far from home as possible and the throne remains empty.

A valuable shipment of goods intended to contribute to the ransom has gone astray in the mists of Wales. Who can Eleanor trust to see them safely retrieved? Why, Justin De Quincy, of course. Justin gallops off to Wales, where he encounters Prince Davydd and his rival nephew Llewelyn (cheers!). Through many personal trials and political intrigues, Justin must again solve the mystery and save the day. Can he do it?

Just your basic good stuff. I enjoyed it very much and, as I said, I think anyone interested in medieval times will too. It was a good fix while pining away over her next historical novel about Eleanor and Henry! This was definitely a fun fun read! I heartily recommend!