Customer Reviews

The Wild Hunt

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

 

 

I agree with the second customer reviewer. Pay no attention to Kirkus Review. It almost sounds as if they read an entirely different novel.

This is the story of Judith and Guyon of Ravenstow & Ledworth. She was given into marriage with Guyon before even meeting him. Her image of marriage is not a pretty one. She imagines it to be like her mother's, full of violence. Her "father" is half-brother to the infamous Lord Robert de Belleme. Judith, for several months to a year is filled with distrust for her new husband, Guy, even though he has yet to exercise his "full martial rights." As time goes on, however, she learns to trust him in nearly everything.

However, there is a secret that even she does not suspect about herself, but others, including Guy, do. In addition, Guy suffers a personal tragedy and surprisingly Judith, is empathetic about it.

The characters in this novel are complex, compassionate, realistic human beings. The story is fast-paced and never dull. The details of what life must have been like during William Rufus' and Henry I's reign are wild, sometimes brutal, but always interesting. If you want to read a medieval book that does not disappoint, then this one is for you. Beware, however, the modicum of sex that does appear in this title is neither gratitious nor vulgar, it is appropriate to the storyline. It is out-of-print, but it can and should be found and read! Also, be sure to read the rest in this trilogy, "The Running Vixen," and "The Leopard Unleashed." "King of the Wood" is also an excellent novel by Valerie Anand that uses William Rufus' reign as a backdrop.

Continuing on my adventures with British author Elizabeth Chadwick, January's pick was her first novel, The Wild Hunt. Usually, I don't expect much out of a first novel, knowing that they're usually not that good, or that they're going to be that brief flash in the pan, and the author rapidly sinks into mediocrity afterwards. But every now and then, an author makes that big leap, and just keeps getting better. Alas, that doesn't happen too often.

Fortunately, Ms. Chadwick is among the latter.

Set during the turn of the twelfth century, The Wild Hunt opens in a dramatic fashion. Guyon, a young knight, finds out that he has been ordered to marry a young heiress, Judith of Ravenstow. If he doesn't marry her, the king will give the girl's lands to someone else, and Guyon will fall very far from the king's favour -- a necessity in the rough years following the Norman Conquest. For Guyon, to have such a rich holding for himself is a lifelong dream, a means of establishing power for himself, far away from the serpentine politics of the royal court -- and especially the sexual attentions of the king, William Rufus.

As for his bride, Judith is little more than a child, only sixteen when she marries Guyon, and she is terrified of the physical aspects of marriage. But then, the only example of a marriage that she has experienced is that of her parents -- and her father was a very brutal man, beating his wife and daughter whenever the whim took him. Adversity builds strength, and despite her young age, Judith is determined to stand up to her new husband, and not be a weakling.

Marriage turns out to be a surprise for both Guyon and Judith, with a very rough start for them both, never have met each other before their wedding day. What with the Welsh raiding over the border, and Judith's uncle Robert de Belleme determined to make mischief, it's almost too much to handle for the young couple. Judith however fears the worst, especially when she discovers that her husband had a Welsh mistress by the name of Rhosyn, and that she is pregnant. Even before the marriage settles, there are some rough patches to overcome and a mutual distrust between the partners. Can they possibly find a middle ground before their enemies overtake them?

Some elements of the novel I really enjoyed, such as Guyon's dog and Judith's cat, not to mention that Ms. Chadwick has a very good sense of how life was lived in the medieval period. That is one of her strong points and she can create a very vivid sense of 'being there' in her storytelling. Another strong point is her use of historical people and places, without making them overly romantic or sentimentalized. My only real complaint with this one is that Guyon and Judith are nearly too perfect, but fortunately, Ms. Chadwick doesn't fall too far into that trap, and I found myself actually liking the pair of them by the end of the book.

While this novel does fall into the category of a historical romance, there is plenty of history for the reader to enjoy as well. Nearly everyone besides Guyon and Judith and their families actually lived and breathed, and there is very little in the story that is fictional. There really was a Robert de Belleme in history, and he was just as terrible and feared as Ms. Chadwick makes him out to be. He was later on immortalized in opera as Robert le Diable -- Robert the Devil. So too is William Rufus and happily, Ms. Chadwick doesn't hold back on his character either -- the events of the New Forest really did happen that way, and it has remained one of the more interesting mysteries to come out of the middle ages.

Another touch that I liked here was the addition of the Welsh to the story. Yes, they were anything but romantic in the middle ages, and a constant thorn in the side of England's Marcher barons. One trap that many historical authors have fallen into is glorifying the underdog as it were, and have turned them into noble freedom fighters against Norman agression. That's somewhat true, considering that the English were trying to take over their lands, but they were equally bloodthirsty and ready for a fight if the odds were in their advantage.

An interesting sidenote is that this book won the Betty Trask award, given for first novels with a historical or traditional setting by authors under the age of thirty-five.

All in all, this earns a very solid four star rating from me. It's not quite as good as Ms. Chadwick's later novels, but compared to most of what gets passed off as historical these days, it's a very fine, very good read, and worth a reread or two. This is just the first novel in the Ravenstow trilogy with The Running Vixen and The Leopard Unleashed coming next. I don't know if these two books will be republished, but if they are anything like the first book, they'll be worth seeking out in the future.

Four stars. Recommended.

I have had this author recommended to me so many times and I wanted to read the series in order so I started with this one. This is my first Chadwick title. Another reviewer here wrote that Ms. Chadwick's inexperience shows in this early book and that her later works improve vastly.

The story is very good and beautifully worded to create stirring images that travel through danger, political intrigue and a love triangle that surprisingly has no villains. The characters are very realistic and well developed but I'm not very patient and REALLY wanted Judith to mature quicker. Guy was a great hero with brains to match his brawn.

It was a very good book and I understand that her later books get better and with the author's intelligence and use of the English language, I'm not surprised. If this book is a "rough draft" of her later works, I'll be sure to continue on and read more.

Even for its faults, it's definitely worth reading. I read it in one sitting and was smiling at the end.

Guyan, a Marcher Lord marries Judith of Ravenstow at the order of King William Rufus. They meet on their wedding day, and Guyan finds himself with a not fully matured 16 year old wife. Judith is skittish around her new husband as her now dead father was extremely abusive to both her and her mother. Not everyone is happy with the union, as some would prefer Judith married elsewhere and Guyan must guard his back against attempts on his life. As Guyan and Judith struggle with the treachery and intrigues of the courts of both William Rufus and his brother Henry, they manage to forge a strong and passionate marriage, and Judith grows into a strong willed woman and a force to be reckoned with.

This is the second time I've read this book, the first being two years ago before I had read much of the author's later works. It was very interesting to revisit one of her earlier books and see the contrast between them and how the author has grown. While a very well told tale, I did not find the effortless sense of time travel she shows in her later works, as she seamlessly blends the sights, sounds smells, clothing of the medieval period into her stories. I understand she will be rewriting this book in the coming year and would like to see how her current writing style might bring this story up to the five star quality of her later books.

"The Wild Hunt" is, as far as I know, the first novel that Elizabeth Chadwick wrote (or published at the least.) As much as I love this author I have to say the lack of experience shows in this book.

Like the vast majority of Chadwick's novels this is a romance inside of a historical fiction novel. The story here is of a son of a Welsh Marcher Barron (called so because their lands "march" with the borders of Wales) who is ordered by a slightly perverse (and as far as I know one of the at least three gay kings of England) to marry the heiress to great lands which are coveted by a very evil lord (her uncle.) Our lord (Guy) believes this ordered marriage to be tantamount to a death sentence because of the inevitable war he will have to fight with this uncle.

His bride, Judith, is no more thrilled then he. Her father was brutal and her only images of marriage are very bad ones. She's terrified of her new husband; even though he makes it clear he won't consummate the marriage until she is ready (and older than her young minded sixteen years.) Also Guy is still n love with his pregnant Welsh mistress, who refuses to live with him or under his protection.

So, political squabbling, sexual tension, family secrets and war ensue. Fairy typical Chadwick stuff really. The only difference is in the writing. This novel is nowhere near as polished and compelling as "The Conquest." It's still a good story, but there is so much emphasis on fighting and hunting that parts of it are downright boring. More romance would have been appreciated-most of Chadwick's books have really intense yearning involved with main characters and this did not, which removed a vital part of what makes her so good. But hey, practice makes perfect and Chadwick has since achieved that, so no worries.

So in the end, if you're devoted to Chadwick, read the book. If you're just hearing of her now, don't start with this book. Read "The Conquest" instead-it's a much better showpiece of the author's talents.

The Wild Hunt is the first medieval novel written by Elizabeth Chadwick. It chronicles the life of Guyon, a young man who is forced to accept the hand in marriage of Judith, daughter of one of the most ruthless and evil and cruel men, in exchange for the lands that belong to him by birth. Begrudgingly he accepts the conditions imposed by his sovereign, and as he tries to make a 'bad' situation 'good', he discovers things about his new wife and her past that could well prevent them from ever achieving happiness. The closer they become, however, the more that seems to stand between them, and they both will need to learn some powerful lessons before ever achieving true happiness and love. Will they be able to get through the dark times ahead? Read and find out for yourself, no spoilers here.

My description has most definately not done this book justice, however this is so far my favourite novel of Elizabeth's. I read on her website that her first novels were primarily concerned with romance- and though that is true, I did not find that the love story detracted from the historical facts, nor did it affect the storyline in any negative way. Elizabeth has a way with words, and you will find yourself immersed in this wonderful book, and before long you will find yourself sadly putting the book down, depressed that this wonderful journey had to end... But have no fear! There was a sequel, which chronicles the life of Guyon's daughter called the Running Vixen-- so it doesn't truly end. :)

Enjoy this book- it is fantastic, a book that will easily toy with your emotions till you feel absolutely exhausted with happiness and contentment- and you will not regret it!

5 million stars.

Much of Elizabeth Chadwick's research is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, this is an early medieval re-enactment society. This is her first novel. It would be fair to say that it is a historical romance, but I feel that it will be equally enjoyable by both men and women.

The Story takes place in the feudal domains of Norman Lords occupying lands in Wales during the reign of William Rufus. Elizabeth Chadwick has the ability to bring to life the everyday happening of an occupied Wales and the occupying Norman's are brought vividly to life. These were hard and cruel times when life was cheap and women were thought of as little better than brood mares whose only role in life was to provide an heir for their husband's.

Since writing this book, Elizabeth Chadwick has become a successful and much read author. Her writing style has dare I say it become much earthier and are all the better for it. Women still make up a large part of her writings and why not, they are just as interesting, if not more so than the men.

I have read This book about eight times and I almost know it by heart. The book is so alive and real, when you read about Judith and Guyons lifes it feals just like you are there together with them. It's not possible to discribe everything that happens in the book, you get to follow the two main characters, Judith and Guyons, lifes together. From the day that they are married and a few years further. It's a realy good book and it is hard to put it down before you have read every word in it. I highly recomend it!

The Wild Hunt was the first novel by English author Elizabeth Chadwick who has gone on to write many acclaimed historical novels most of which are not romances and not all of which are available in the US. This one is followed by two in the series: The Running Vixen and The Leopard Unleashed.

The Wild Hunt takes place in the Welsh Marches (in England on the border of Wales) and in London during 1098-1102. It tells the story of Guyon, lord of Ledworth, and eventually through marriage to Judith of Ravenstow, Earl of Ravenstow. He marries Judith when she is barely 16 and quite the child still. Because of the rich lands he gained, he also gained many enemies who were real people and some truly evil. The marriage is to Judith is not consummated for over a year. Before Judith, Guyon, one of William Rufus' knights and a young nobleman, had a Welsh mistress, Rhosyn, who carries his child. It seemed that Rhosyn loved him while he only cared for her. Once married to Judiith, while he does take his pleasure from others (at least one such liaison is specifically mentioned), he does not again sleep with Rhosyn, ostensibly so as not to hurt her more. Please. She did suffer.

Chadwick does a great job of integrating history into the story so that you get a real feel for the time period. I loved the character of Guyon. He is a strong and cunning warrior but has a real tender side that is most often seen with Rhosyn and his nieces. He is also patient with Judith's growing pains. Frankly, I never took to Judith, not even when she matured into a young woman who took on great responsibility of Ravenstow and their other estates. Instead, I liked Rhosyn and felt she really loved Guyon. When she and Guyon parted because he had to marry the King's choice, and her heart was broken, I really felt for her. And since her pain continued, my empathy for her continued as well. Judith's most familiar emotions were anger and jealousy which didn't make me overfond of her. Oh yes, she told Guyon she loved him but I just never felt she had the kind of love that Rhosyn had for Guyon. So I found that aspect of the story disappointing. I also felt that Chadwick, probably working into the great historical author she was to become, threw in a lot of names of the time I didn't remember or need to know. For these reasons while it's very well written, I'm giving it 4 stars.

I enjoyed this book, and i reccomend it to anyone that is fascinated by the middle ages. The story seems true to life (past) obviously!