Customer Reviews

Fortune's Knave: The Making of William the Conqueror : A Novel

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...but unfortunately Lide's managed to do it. Known to history as William the Conqueror, this book covers William's life before his conquest of England. When his father dies unexpectedly whilst returning from pilgrimage to the Holy Land, an illegitimate William inherits the Duchy of Normandy. Beset on all sides from rival claimants, he is forced into hiding when an attempt is made on his life. The rest of the book details his efforts to raise forces to regain his duchy, as well as his relationship and marriage to Matilda of Flanders.

*yawn*

There is nothing worse than an author who takes a fascinating bit of history and makes it dull as dirt and I only managed to finish this by skimming a great deal. William, known as a formidable and ruthless warrior comes off more like a limp wet noodle in this one, and while I'm not generally a fan of highly detailed battle scenes these were just tedious. As for his relationship with Matilda? No, we don't really know much about that but there were sure a couple of WTF moments for me. Sneaking out and meeting up with William in the stables? Her attendant leaves her alone to pray in the chapel and William's able to get her off to a side room and they engage in some very heavy petting when they aren't even betrothed?

Oh that's right - I'm supposed to remember it's all just FICTION and look the other way. Not. I still expect a good story and one that keeps me entertained while being educated at the same time, and this book most definitely does not do that. Perhaps I'm forever spoiled by Helen Hollick's Harold the King and Valerie Anand's Gildenford trilogy, but Lide's William just bored me to tears. Not recommended.

Fortune's Knave begins when William of Normandy is 8 years old. The bastard son of Duke Robert and his peasant lover, William is adored by the Duke's men and is growing up a bit oblivious to the turmoil surrounding his very existance. His father leaves on a quest to the Holy Land and intends to return and marry his lover to make William the legitimate heir to the duchy. When Robert dies, William and his amazingly intellegent and strong-willed mother begin a quest of their own - to keep William alive to succeed his father as Duke of Normandy.
The book begins fairly well, but the true excitement begins when William first flees for his life - to live among the peasants and wait for the time to make his survival known.
As William grows you are introduced to a cast of characters vying for the dukedom...pay attention to the family tree generously provided by the author - it will help you sort out the similar names and claims. You will also meet Matilda of Flanders - an interesting character herself. William certainly had a way of attaching himself to amazing women.
I knew going in that the book was only about the making of a conqueror - and it does leave you far short of the entire tale of William's life and conquests. For further reading on this topic, I highly recommend the trilogy by Valerie Anand - beginning with Gildenford and ending with the Disputed Crown.

I thought this was one of the best books I've ever read. Good storytelling, exiting plotline and well-developed characters. I would highly recommend it, as I already have recommended it to my mom, sister and aunt.

I read a previous 1992 edition from Headline Books which had a very high number of typographical errors, which annoys me when I'm immersed in the story. Hopefully those circa 50 typos were spotted and corrected for this 1993 edition from another publishing house.

This book made me think of superhero movies like Superman (Spiderman, Batman, etc.) which set the stage for the hero's superpowers. Really, the favorite part of this kind of movie for me is when the hero first becomes aware of his powers. This depiction of William the Conqueror in Mary Lide's novel is much the same! William, bastard son of the Norman Duke who falls to illness in the Crusades, is left to fend for himself. His mother and associated kinfolk still lend somewhat of a hand, but with all the others vying for the Dukedom of Normandy the poor boy is hard pressed to even stay alive! The plucky hero soon meets the girl to become his own Lois Lane in the person of the young noblewoman Matilda of Flanders. From a meeting as children in which she tends to his knife wound, to their next encounter as surly teenagers, the plot for a volatile romance is set in place. Rendezvous' in a stable and a church mix hostility with seduction as the now mighty and mail-clad William woos the petite but self-assured Matilda in his own peculiar (and cinematographically striking) way.

My only objection, strangely enough, is that towards the end of book William's military exploits do seem to verge on the superhuman. In particular, an encounter involving the wielding of battleaxes comes off as nothing short of ridiculous! Otherwise, I like this book very much!

it is a bit boring at first but towards the middle the book seems more interesting as William grow up. I am not a historian and the numerous names isd really hard to follow!