Green Branch (The Heaven Tree Trilogy) [Paperback]

Edith Pargeter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1993 | Series: The Heaven Tree Trilogy

Young Harry Talvace, the son of Ralf Isambard's master-builder who raised the great church of Parfois and was put to death by his jealous patron, has grown up at the court of Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales. Deep in his heart he nurses a desire for vengence, and when Harry become innocently involved in the tragedy which strikes Llewelyn's marriage he sets out to avenge his father's death. Alone he makes his way to Parfois to challenge Isambard. But enmity can prove as complex as love, Harry discovers, as in his turn he falls under the spell of the old warrior.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The study of hatred is skilful, there is much action and the contemporary conversational style is beautifully done' STANDARD 'A remarkably fine historical novel' BOOKS AND BOOKMEN '...skilful blending of history...Very well told indeed' MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

About the Author

Edith Pargeter was a distinguished author of historical fiction. Her work includes the BROTHERS OF GWYNED quartet and the HEAVEN TREE trilogy. Under the pseudonym Ellis Peters she wrote twenty bestselling medieaval whodunnits featuring Brother Cadfael as the sleuthing monk. She lived in Shropshire until her death in October 1995.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Warner Books (March 31, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0751504742
• ISBN-13: 978-0751504743
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,031,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book #1 in The Heaven Tree Trilogy, May 31, 2008

By 

Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Heaven Tree (The heaven tree trilogy) (Paperback)

The Heaven Tree takes place on the Welsh Marches in the 13C as the nobly born Harry Talvace and his foster brother Adam are accused of poaching one of the king's deer. The lower born Adam's punishment is too severe to be born and both boys make good their escape. They eventually make their way to Paris where Harry hones his craft as a master mason and artist. While in Paris, the boys make acquaintance with the courtesan Benedetta (who loves Harry, but her love is not returned) and the Lord of Parfois, Ralf Isambard. Isambard hires Harry to build him a great cathedral at Parfois along the Welsh Marches, and he takes Benedetta along with him as mistress and is unaware that Harry is the one who she will love forever.

The middle of the book slows down a bit as the author details Harry's daily life as he builds the cathedral and his marriage to the long lost Gilleis. However, the story does pick up around page 300 or so as a young Welsh hostage who is allegedly a natural born son of Prince Llewellyn is threatened with hanging by Isambard at King John's orders. Harry makes a desperate choice to save the boy that has dire consequences for himself, his wife and Benedetta, although Harry returns to his commitment to complete the cathedral despite the sentence of a traitor's death hanging over him.

While this novel may be a bit too slow paced for some readers, the last 100 or so pages completely make up for the slower pace at the start as the author brings Harry, Gilleis and Benedetta full circle in a desperate race to escape the revenge minded Isambard and bring Harry's son and Gilleis to safety in Wales. Pargeter's beautiful prose and writing style is one to sit back and slowly savor like a fine red wine or chocolate (or both!!). I am very much looking forward to starting book #2 in the trilogy, The Green Branch. Five stars.