The Reckoning [Paperback]

Sharon Kay Penman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2009

“Penman’s characters are so shrewdly imagined, so full of resonant human feeling that they seem to breathe on the page.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Never forget, Llewelyn, that the world’s greatest fool is a Welshman who trusts an English king.”

His father’s words haunt Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales, who has been ruling uneasily over his fractious countrymen. Above all else, Llewelyn fears that his life and his own dream—of an independent, united Wales—might be lost to Edward I’s desire to expand his English empire.

Alive from the pages of history, this is the hauntingly beautiful and compelling tale of a game poised to play itself out to its bloody finale as English and Welsh cross swords in a reckoning that must mean disaster for one side or the other.

For anyone who has ever wanted to experience the rich tapestry of British history and lore, this bold and romantic adventure must be read.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- A captivating story about Edward I's takeover of Wales that reveals the harshness of 13th-century Great Britain. Historically accurate and well written, the book is superb, with research that is detailed and history that is thoroughly compelling. Penman brings to life the people of the day, placing the romance of Llewelyn, the Welsh prince, and his bride, Eleanor de Montford, at the heart of the story. Destiny denies Llewelyn and Eleanor a ``happily-ever-after ending,'' and condemns their relatives, including the children, to a lifetime of imprisonment by King Edward. As in her previous books, Penman reveals the times, the customs, and the people of Great Britain through intriguing characters and circumstances.
- Linda Vretos, West Springfield High School, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Spanning the period 1271-83 A.D., The Reckoning focuses on the Welsh uprisings and their prince, Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. The story begins five years after the killing of Simon de Montfort, whose story was related in Penman's Falls the Shadow ( LJ 7/88). The betrothal between Simon's 13-year-old daughter Ellen and Llewelyn, which had ended with her father's death, has been reinstated. Now, en route to meet her husband, Ellen is kidnapped by pirates acting at the behest of Edward I, who opposes his cousin's marriage to the warring Welsh lord. The scene shifts from Wales to the scattered de Montforts living in France and Italy and to Edward's court. The action involves religious and political intrigue, battles and plots. The players include well-researched historical personages and fictional characters. As with Penman's other historical novels, this one is both informative and enjoyable. Settings, events, and individuals are well drawn. Promised maps and genealogies will help sort out the geographical names and convoluted relationships. Recommended. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/91.
- Ellen Kaye Stoppel, Drake Univ. Law Lib., Des Moines
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312382472
• ISBN-13: 978-0312382476
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,238 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > History > Europe > Wales

More About the Author

I am an American of Irish-English-Welsh heritage, and I currently live in New Jersey, although many of my readers imagine I am happily dwelling upon a Welsh mountaintop--but no such luck. I was once a tax lawyer, which I looked upon as penance for my sins. Like most writers, I was born with a love of the written word, although I never expected to be able to support myself as a writer; when you read about starving artists in their garrets, most of them have starving writers as roommates. But I was very lucky and I have been blessed to make my living as a writer for the past twenty-seven years or so. All of my novels--eleven at last count--are set in the Middle Ages, and focus upon England's most colorful dynasty, the Plantagenets. It is almost as if they lived their dramatic and often wildly improbable lives with future historical novelists in mind, and I am very grateful to them--especially to the Angevins,Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine and their equally famous children, known to their contemporaries as the Devil's Brood.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

150 of 153 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concluding The Welsh Trilogy, August 11, 2002

By 

Richard R. Carlton (Ada, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Reckoning (Welsh Princes, No 3) (Paperback)

This is the final episode in Penman's Welsh Trilogy. It follows Here Be Dragons and Falls The Shadow, running from 1271-1283.

Penman emerged long ago as one of the best historical novelists and continues to solidify her reputation with each new release. Her special genius lies in the bright and shining historical detail that she can weave into both plot and dialog (she's a very good student of history and at times is absolutely brilliant in conveying to us the workings of medieval minds).

One of the great things about Penman (and this book showcases it well) is her plots are always complex (because the history of these times was quite convoluted). She does an excellent job of keeping it all straight for us as she leads us through the maze of characters. If you read the history of these times you quickly come to see what a great job she does in her design of the story.

I have no problem with Penman's romantic feelings about her heros. From Eleanor in the 1st trilogy to Joanna in Here Be Dragons to her raising the standard of Simon de Montfort as a visionary (but historically too early) icon of democracy, she does use them as a vehicle to carry forward a dynamic presentation of history....all in the best traditions of the historical novel.

Penman's true genius is the broad historical scope that is painted on top of the shimmering details of brief moments. It truely does feel as if you are living the story yourself, and it is this bringing us readers in as witnesses that stands as Penman's contribution to the art of the historical novel.

If you prefer to read in chronological order:
1101-1154 When Christ And His Saints Slept (Vol 1 of Trilogy)
1156-1171 Time And Space (Vol 2 of Trilogy)
12th Cent Devil's Brood (Vol 3 of Trilogy)- not yet released
1192-1193 The Queen's Man
1193 Cruel As The Grave
1183-1232 Here Be Dragons (Vol 1 of Welsh Trilogy)
1231-1267 Falls The Shadow (Vol 2 of Welsh Trilogy)
1271-1283 The Reckoning (Vol 3 of Welsh Trilogy)
1459-1492 The Sunne In Splendour

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary Historic Fiction By The Genre's Master Writer!, February 22, 2004

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Reckoning (Welsh Princes, No 3) (Paperback)

"The Reckoning" is the last novel in Sharon Kay Penman's medieval trilogy of 13th century England, Wales and their larger than life leaders. Ms. Penman succeeds brilliantly in bringing these men and women, and the causes they fought for, to life in these books. She is a remarkably gifted writer. Her impeccable historical research, attention to detail and superb storytelling ability make her novels consistently excellent. "The Reckoning" is one of her best efforts, preceded by "Here Be Dragons," and "Falls The Shadow." Each of these wonderful historical novels stands on its own, however, and while it is an extraordinary experience to read each book in the order it was written, one does not have to do so to appreciate the history, the characters or the period.

Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, husband of Henry III's sister and the aunt of King Edward I, was one of the most powerful men in England. He was a warrior, great leader and politician who despised Henry III for his incompetence and the favoritism he displayed for the foreigners in his court. Henry was bankrupting England and estranging the peerage. Ahead of his time, Simon also espoused the idea that the common man deserved a voice in government. England was in the midst of civil war as factions split between Henry and his son and heir Edward. When Edward realized that de Montfort's reforms would limit his power and the Divine Right of Kings, he turned against him and in the bloody battle of Evesham, defeated him, with horrifying consequences for the entire de Montfort family.

During this same period there was terrible unrest in Wales, including civil war. Charismatic Llewelyn Farr, Prince of Northern Wales had fought to unite his country's nobility and provide a strong front against the English. His grandson, Lwellyn ap Gruffyd, became Llewelyn's heir and inherited the staunch commitment to keep Wales united. The Welsh leader was a cousin to both the English King and the de Montfort family and was betrothed to marry Simon de Montfort's daughter, Ellen. When de Monfort lost all at Evesham, Welsh politics changed. As Wales sought to consolidate its position and prevent being absorbed into a greater England, the new Prince's brothers were determined to wage war against him to gain power of their own and sacrificed Welsh independence in the process.

This is a complex and tragic saga of historic characters, politics, intrigues, betrayals, bloody battles and wars, romance, lust, power struggles, princesses held captive, revenge and forgiveness. Yet once begun, this extraordinary epic is almost impossible to put down. Ms. Penman portrays Wales, its people, culture and landscape vividly with glorious detail. It is fascinating to become involved with the characters and realize how linked they are by ties of blood - common ancestry. Not only is Welsh history tied to that of England's, but the royal families are linked as are their descendants. Ms. Penman joins the histories and characters of these two countries to give the reader, not just a superb tale but a look at the bigger historical picture also.

This is truly one of the best historical novels I have ever read, and the trilogy by Ms. Penman is absolutely outstanding. She paints an unforgettable picture of medieval England and Wales and the characters who made history. I cannot recommend these books highly enough.
JANA

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a jewel for history buffs and romantics everywhere!, September 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Reckoning (Welsh Princes, No 3) (Paperback)

Pirates, politics, betrayal and redemption, Penman's final book in her Wales trilogy has all these things but above all it is one of the most beautiful, tragic, and haunting love stories I have ever read. As the Wales trilogy progresses, Penman's writing and character-development just keeps getting better until it culminates in "The Reckoning." At the center of the tale is Llewelyn, fated to be the last native Prince of Wales, who struggles against impossible-seeming odds to unite his countrymen, keep his wily brother Davydd under his thumb, evade the ire of the power-hungry Edward I of England, and to at last be united with his soul mate, the Lady Ellen, exiled daughter of the dead rebel, Simon de Montfort. Finally putting aside her somewhat annoying tendency to get bogged-down with her minor characters, Penman is at last able to concentrate solely on her main characters, and on the world they inhabit. In "Reckoning" Penman follows her characters all over the known world, bringing to life such places as the steaming Crusader fortresses of the Holy Land, a pirate ship on the high seas, soaring cathedrals and humble, ice-encrusted, haunted shrines, and, most of all, the haunting, sweeping, beautiful and, ultimately, doomed land of Gwynedd. Probably the most interesting and compelling character in this novel is Davydd, Llewelyn's charming younger brother who's concept of loyalty is...peculiar, to say the least. Forever straddling the fence, Davydd serves both as Llewelyn's foil and, ultimately, his truest ally. (His "soliloquey" while awaiting his fate at Edward's hands in the second to last chapter is just wrenching.) Of all the characters in the novel, he is the one most concerned with discovering himself and where his heart lies. If it were possible to feel empathy for Cain...Penman does this justice. Read this novel! But like the other two, make sure you stock up on kleenexes, first, because if this novel does not ultimately break your heart, there is something wrong with you, I think.