Within the Fetterlock [Paperback]

Brian Wainwright (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 540 pages
• Publisher: Trivium Publishing LLC (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972209115
• ISBN-13: 978-0972209113
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #883,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Wainwright was born several years ago in Manchester, England. His ancestry is mainly English but there are Irish and Welsh lines in there as well.

He has long had a deep interest in history, particularly the middle ages. This may have something to do with being brought up on a TV/movie diet of Robin Hood, King Arthur, Ivanhoe, the Vikings, El Cid and so on, to say nothing of having many childhood holidays in Wales and spending hours climbing over the old castles.

His other passions (the ones he doesn't write about too often) include greyhounds, steam engines and real ale - the traditional English version of beer.

His current writing project is around Richard III, but when people ask him when it will be ready he tends to say 'when it's ready'. If he was accused of being a quick writer he would definitely be found 'not guilty'. There are several other projects lined up once Richard is out of the way. Some may even be about the middle ages...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes history come alive!, April 17, 2004

By 

Tamela Mccann "taminator40" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Within the Fetterlock (Paperback)

Within the Fetterlock by Brian Wainwright is one of the rarest of the rare--it takes history and breathes it into life. After a bit of a confusing start (the cast of characters could literally have numbered in the hundreds), I got my bearings and found myself swept into the lives of Constance Despenser and the courts of Richard II and Henry IV. Wainwright has captured the essence of real historical persons and made me care deeply about them. I had to take my time reading this book, not because it is in any way difficult, but because I needed to savor it. Wainwright, with his expert research, has woven a story that should be read, experienced, and digested by all who love historical fiction. This is one is highly recommended!

63 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sure to be a CLASSIC!, April 19, 2004

By 

W. Zollo ""the queen"" (MA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Within the Fetterlock (Paperback)

Within the Fetterlock is one of those rare novels that treats the reader with intelligence; it is both vivid and compelling. Wainwright takes us on a journey into the life of Constance of York, daughter of Edmund,Duke of York. Through her we witness the turbulence of emotions, the rife and pull of politics (as they were) that surrounded the reigns of Richard II and the blood and thunder of Harry of Bolingbroke's 'stolen crown' and the heated frigidity of emotions this event brings out in Constance and the numerous historical characters all written with three dimensional detail rarely seen.
The writing is tight, absorbing and heartfelt, nary is a word misplaced.
Wainwright lovingly caresses Constance's tale with deep consideration and painstaining detail.
Within the Fetterlock is destined to become a classic novel of serious and exquisite historical fiction.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A medieval tapestry of immense colour and life, April 22, 2005

By 

Wendy J. Dunn, author of Dear Heart, How Like... (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Within the Fetterlock (Paperback)

Within the Fetterlock is a true epic in the true sense of the word - an utterly satisfying historical family saga of the type very difficult to find nowadays. Set in the unsettled times of Richard II - a time when kin destroyed kin and planted seeds that one day became the War of the Roses, Within the Fetterlock tells the story of Constance, a very proud Plantagenet princess. Possessing a strong sense of right and wrong, blue blooded to her very core, yet also vulnerable, Constance holds her pride as a shield against an uncertain, dangerous world.

Constance is the only legitimate daughter of the Duke of York, Edmund of Langley, the fourth son of Edward III. Langley chose for his family the cognizance of a falcon confined within a fetterlock, indicating his recognition and acceptance of the constraints set upon his power, which meant his family should never inherit the throne. Langley, like his daughter, desires to be loyal to his nephew, Richard II. Unlike his daughter, future events, often set in motion by Langley's own ambitious and deceitful son, will force him to turn from his loyalty; he choses to support the complex Henry of Lancaster, another nephew and regarded by Langley almost like another son. A man who also loves Constance and knows he will never have her.

Wedded to Thomas Despenser when they both were small children, the story opens to show Constance and Thomas as young adults, very happily matched in their marriage, but Thomas is soon caught up in his brother-in-law's machinations for the throne, with Constance pulled along by the currents and out into deadly depths not of her own making.

Within the Fetterlock possesses a multi cast of characters, but unlike many books of this type, the author never bogs down story. It is a novel that keeps the reader fully engaged and turning pages to the very end. All the characters possess clear, distinct voices, drawn with the skill of a talented author who more than just knows his history. His obvious passion for this subject and certain grip on this time period brings it alive.

Constance is a glittering character I will long remember. Her story of survival amidst so much grief and loss is so symbolic of women of this time and class. Constance's story symbolises too how women of her class were often falcons held within the fetterlock of their patriarchal society.

As with all Wainwright's characters, from the first page, Constance becomes real and vivid. With her beloved husband, family and then, when widowed, her lover under threat, we feel her pain and despair, her desire to remain loyal no matter the cost and her anger when she perceives herself betrayed.

Brian Wainwright's prose weaves a densely wrought tapestry of immense colour and life, setting the reader deep within Medieval England. In a time when a King's court moved constantly around his dominion, we experience this long ago England in all its seasons, entering a place where kin are prepared to kill one another if it means winning a blood-drenched throne.