Customer Reviews

London in Chains: An English Civil War Novel

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

London in Chains was excellent historical fiction, about an era I was not familiar with. The main character was lively and forceful, and the reader really gets a feeling of what the historical era (rebellion during the era of Oliver Cromwell) was like. Personally I enjoy historical fiction that features interesting characters that I care about, and this book more than achieved that level of involvement.

It's 1647 and the "first" Civil War between King and Parliament is over - and London is seething with politics and seditious printers. After an attack on the family farm by soldiers Lucy Wentnor has lost both her dowry and her innocence, and her father brings her to London to live with her uncle Thomas and his parsimonious wife Agnes. Agnes intends to use Lucy as an unpaid servant in the household, but our independent miss manages to find herself a job assisting a printer - and when he is thrown in jail she takes over the operation herself along with the inherent dangers that come with operating an illegal press. Soon caught up in the political agendas of the varying factions (King, Parliament, Covenanters, Cromwell) as well as torn between the two men who lover her, Lucy dances a fine line to keep herself out of prison and independence intact.

While certainly not the be-all to end-all novels that deal with this period, I did like the fact that it focused on a very narrow window (between the two major phases of the wars) as well as how the author used Lucy's involvement in the printing business to make some of the various political parties easier to understand. This is a very short novel at just over 200 pages and doesn't get as in-depth with the characters as I would normally prefer in a book. I enjoyed Lucy's story, but I didn't find myself sitting on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next either. If you are interested in this period and already have some knowledge going in I would recommend this but for those new to the period I'd recommend starting elsewhere, either Pamela Belle's Wintercombe series or the The Moon in the Water trilogy.

I just finished reading this book, and although it starts off a bit slow, it is an excellent read. I am American but have British roots, and was amazed at how little I knew about this period in English history. I now feel like a big hole in my knowledge has been filled by reading Gillian's book. It has a bit of everything, intrique, wit, romance, action, good plotting, and great characters. Although some might think it a book more for women, any guy would enjoy it too. Its history as easily consumed as a fine wine! Thanks Gillian. Keep them coming!

I'm a fan of Bradshaw's historical novels, and although this one is not up to her usual standard, it's still enjoyable. The characters are likable, the plot satisfying, but the details of the political struggles never really become clear to me. The ending seems a bit rushed, as she hurries to tie up loose ends. Still, even though some things are foggy, this is a period I didn't know much about, and I learned something as well as being entertained.

The English Civil War is an evocative period in English history, it possesses all the high drama rancorous politics and family divisions beloved by writers and filmmakers for plot and characters. Due to this we've had a truck loads of the usual romances where in a dashing cavalier rescues a threatened (beautiful) heiress from a menacing and dour roundhead. Ho hum tedious predictable and boring. But not so with this novel Gillian Bradshaw has opted for the more interesting a realistic portrayal of a common English girl who suffers from the dread deeds and degradations of war and isn't dashingly rescued. However Lucy does take her life and future in her own hands and forges her own unique position in the ferment of Parliamentary London. I was extremely impressed with this story as it concentrates on the actions of common people after the First Civil War to gain a government in Parliament that will serve them and not its own interests. Lucy is an excellent witness to the tumult and division as she is caught up in the push to free John Lilburne arrested by Parliament for advocating suffrage for the common man. I commend this story to anyone looking for a good historical novel or who wants to gain an exceptional view of an exciting period. I can't wait to reading the second in this series.
Regards Gregory House
The author of the Liberties of London