I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince [Kindle Edition]

Rosanne E. Lortz (Author)

Book Description

A TALE OF ARMS, OF DEATH, OF LOVE, AND OF HONOR

Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Hundred Years' War, I Serve chronicles the story of Sir John Potenhale. A young Englishman of lowly birth, Potenhale wins his way to knighthood on the fields of France. He enters the service of Edward, the Black Prince of Wales, and immerses himself in a stormy world of war, politics, and romantic intrigue.

While campaigning in France, Potenhale develops an interest in Margery, a spirited lady-in-waiting with a close-kept secret. He soon learns that Sir Thomas Holland, a crass and calculating baron, holds the key to unlock Margery’s mystery and possesses the power to overturn all of his hopes.

When the Black Death strikes Europe, however, Potenhale realizes that the fiercest enemy does not always appear in human form. Seeing the pestilence as a punishment for the sins of his generation, he questions his calling as a knight and considers entering the cloister. Margery or the monastery? Torn between losing his soul and losing the love of his life, he finds friendship with a French knight who might—just possibly—help him save both.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Rosanne E. Lortz wrote an intelligent and engaging tale based on real characters and events that made this reading journey one of the most exhilarating of this year. Historical fiction doesn't get much better than this. --Historical Tapestry

This...had it all from disguises, unsatisfied love, fights for honor, and most compelling of all the torments of a man's conscience. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something a bit off the mainstream. --Historically Obsessed

Well written, entertaining, and intriguing, I Serve is definitely an enjoyable and worthy read. --Historical Novel Society (Historical Novels Review Online: February, 2010)

Rosanne Lortz tells a wonderful tale.... Through vivid language and in-depth descriptions, she nudges the emotion and credibility out of the story, making the reader truly understand the difficulties of this turbulent era. --Historical Novel Review

Product Details

• File Size: 500 KB
• Print Length: 374 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0979214548
• Publisher: Anno Domini (June 6, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00332EWC4
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,146 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story, Great price February 2, 2010

By KindleQueen

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just finished it and I am really impressed with how well written and entertaining the book is. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good historical fiction type novel or just a good read in general. I am usually more into SciFi/Fantasy but I really got sucked into the book quickly and enjoyed it all the way through.
I really liked the ending and it wrapped the story up nicely. I am looking forward to more novels from this author.
At the price to entertainment ratio its hard not to justify buying it in my opinion.I have read books that cost me alot more and entertained me alot less. Well done!

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A well written book September 10, 2009

By Samuel D. Tooze

Format:Paperback

I Serve, with it's witty blend of action, suspense and romance made it a book that I really enjoyed. It was well written and engrossing enough that when I was on my lunch breaks at work reading it, I had a hard time putting in down when lunch was over (This problem was fixed by taking a 10 minute break later and at least trying to get to a good stopping point.)The historical accuracy of names, battles, cities and detail made it feel like you where almost there watching things happen. All in all it was a great read and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally enjoyed this book January 3, 2011

By Cynesige VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I enjoyed this breezy, fast-paced book immensely, and will tell you that it contains some of the most enjoyable medieval story-telling I've encountered in years. I highly recommend it. No fan of historical fiction, English history, or just good ole' fashioned story-telling will be anything short of delighted with this book.

The main plot is simple enough: one John Potenhale (a fictional character) starts off as a lowly squire, and pretty much fights, loves, struggles and perseveres as a Knight and participant in the early stages of the 14th-century Hundred Years' War, eventually becoming a close advisor to the Black Prince. In this book you'll find all of the battles, complicated romantic entanglements, intrigue, and politics that you'd expect from that time period. This is no fairy tale; there's a lot of blood, mud and misery. It was a cruel time in which life was truly nasty, brutish and short, and the book reflects that reality. The Black Plague plays a role in the book, but not as much as I expected given that a lot of the action takes place during the plague years. There is much emphasis on the battles between England and France, with a great deal of the action taking place on French battlefields. The warfare descriptions are detailed and compelling, but be sure to have Google Maps open while reading them. Interestingly, the entire novel is written in the first-person, as Potenhale relates the events of his life retrospectively to another character. I am not a fan of first-person storytelling, but it works well here. There is just enough archaic grammar and word-usage to remind you that you have been dropped into another time and place and to keep you on your toes for the Differentness of it all, without hitting you over the head with it; in fact, it was handled more smoothly than in, say, a Penman novel.

To me, the most interesting aspect of the book was the treatment of Knightly honor. Any novel of that time period is going to deal with honor, but I am often left feeling cold, like I don't really get why the characters talk about honor all the time while they're basically chopping people up on battlefields and plundering others' stuff and women. Honor - what it meant to the 14th century mind and how it impacted the lives of the nobility - is very central to the plot of the book. Toward the end, the notion of honor and self-sacrifice takes a super-interesting, unexpected turn, and becomes one of the most compelling few pages of historical fiction I've read in a long time.

It's such an easy, fun read that there's really no reason not to buy this book and read it immediately. Great stuff, and I will now actively be keeping an eye out for further work by this talented author.

PS You can't help but find it cool that one of the previous reviewers ended up married to the author. Now that is just cool.

More About the Author

Rosanne E. Lortz "Rose" is a medieval enthusiast, a book addict, a mom to two twin boys, and a native of Portland, Oregon. She graduated from New St. Andrews College in 2005 with a B. A. in Liberal Arts and Culture and worked as a high school teacher for several years teaching classes in English, history, literature, and music. She and her husband David Spears were blessed with twin boys, Adam and Oliver, in November of 2010, and "Boy Number Three" Marcus in January of 2012.

Rose's latest book, Road from the West: Book I of the Chronicles of Tancred, was released on September 2, 2011. She is currently at work on the next two titles in that series and enjoys immersing herself in the eleventh century world of the First Crusade. You can find more information about Rose and her writing at http://rosannelortz.blogspot.com.