4.0 out of 5 stars
A surprise lies within these pages...., October 12, 2011
This review is from: A Memory of Lions (Paperback)
Doesn't the cover look like a smarmy romance novel? Okay, this is SO NOT a romance novel. In fact, there is not one single sex scene to be found in this entire book. Rather, this is the story of a Norman family coming into the land given to them by William the Conqueror following the Battle of Hastings....heading north to take possession of a land that belonged to the Saxons before the Conquest. Once there, the Normans quickly find that this endeavor isn't nearly as easy as it seems.
When the conquering Normans try to impose their will on those who held the land before them, they find themselves in the middle of a blood-feud. Cultural misunderstandings, language barriers, and religious fervor prevent any kind of understanding between the two cultures and in this story, one family personifies the clash.
So in a way, this is a novel about revenge. But more important, it's about the clash of two completely different cultures: the Saxons of England and the Normans who conquered them in 1066.
It's a well-written, eloquent book with a smart plot and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the Norman invasion of 1066.
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