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A King Under Siege: Book One of The Plantagenet Legacy by [Mercedes Rochelle]

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Mercedes Rochelle

A King Under Siege: Book One of The Plantagenet Legacy Kindle Edition

by Mercedes Rochelle (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Book 1 of 3: The Plantagenet Legacy

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2019 B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree.

Richard II found himself under siege not once, but twice in his minority. Crowned king at age ten, he was only fourteen when the Peasants' Revolt terrorized London. But he proved himself every bit the Plantagenet successor, facing Wat Tyler and the rebels when all seemed lost. Alas, his triumph was short-lived, and for the next ten years he struggled to assert himself against his uncles and increasingly hostile nobles. Just like in the days of his great-grandfather Edward II, vengeful magnates strove to separate him from his friends and advisors, and even threatened to depose him if he refused to do their bidding. The Lords Appellant, as they came to be known, purged the royal household with the help of the Merciless Parliament. They murdered his closest allies, leaving the King alone and defenseless. He would never forget his humiliation at the hands of his subjects. Richard's inability to protect his adherents would haunt him for the rest of his life, and he vowed that next time, retribution would be his.

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313 pages
Language

English
Publication date

January 5, 2019
File size

4163 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"From small beginnings to disastrous ends, A King Under Siege: Book One of The Plantagenet Legacy by Mercedes Rochelle is the compelling account of the Peasant Revolt of 1381 and the following turbulent years of Richard II's early reign. What an utterly enthralling story A King Under Siege: Book One of The Plantagenet Legacy is. This is the story of a very tempestuous time in English history. Rochelle paints a vivid picture, not only of the peasantry and the hardship they faced but also the corruption and the dangers of court life in the reign of Richard II. These were treacherous times, and Rochelle has demonstrated this with her bold and an exceptionally riveting narrative.

The book is split into three parts, which gave the book a firm grounding of time and place. Part 1 explores the first major challenge in Richard II reign, which was the Peasant Revolt. Rochelle gives a scrupulously balanced account about the revolt. The story explores both sides of the argument, which I thought gave this book a wonderful depth and scope. Part 2 is aptly named "Resistance," and this section was very compelling as Richard tried to take control of his throne. Part 3, was perhaps the most moving and upsetting as those who thought themselves slighted took revenge upon the King. Rochelle has this tremendous eye for writing very emotional scenes that certainly made me shed a few tears. I thought it was masterfully written.

As I have already touched upon, I thought the portrayal of Richard II was a historical triumph. Richard grows from this unsure youth to a man who is facing a war from those who should be on his side. Forget the war with France, it is the war within parliament that Richard has to try to win. This story is rich in historical detail. It has so obviously been meticulously researched. I cannot but commend Rochelle for this exceptional work of scholarship. A King Under Siege: Book One of The Plantagenet Legacy is one of those books that once started is impossible to put down. This book is filled with non-stop action. There are enough plots and conspiracies to satisfy any lover of historical fiction. This is storytelling at its very best." Mary Anne Yarde from Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots blog

From the Author

Like many of us, I first learned of Richard II from Shakespeare. Even though I knewnothing about him, I was totally moved during the prison scene while hebemoaned the fate of kings--and I never recovered! But his story goes way beyondthe events of this play; in fact, Shakespeare only covered the last year ofRichard's life. He tells us nothing about what led up to the famous scenebetween Bolingbroke and Mowbray, where their trial by combat was interruptedand they were sent into exile. This was indeed the crisis that led to theking's downfall, but Richard's story is much more complicated than you wouldever think from watching the play.

First of all, did you realize that Henry of Bolingbroke was Richard's first cousin?The clues are all there but it's not easy to put them together. The old John ofGaunt ("This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England...") was the eldest of Richard's surviving uncles, and because Richard was childless he was next in line to the throne (debatable, but that's another story). Bolingbroke, Gaunt's eldest son, was next after him. This did not appeal to Richard; in fact, according to all reports, having Bolingbroke as his heir was anathema. Why? Events in A KING UNDER SIEGE, will give you a good idea. Richardand Henry were never friendly, but during the second crisis in Richard's reign,Bolingbroke was one of the Lords Appellant--the five barons who drove theMerciless Parliament to murder the king's loyal followers. So was ThomasMowbray; their involvement precipitated the trial by combat.

So you can see that Shakespeare's story had a lot more going on than could easilybe explained. Historians have left us more of a conundrum which may never be sorted out. Richard's 22-year reign can be divided into two parts: the 12 years of his minority and the ten years of his majority--each of which are brought to a tragic climax. Hence, it will taketwo books to cover his story. As you might guess, volume two is called THEKING'S RETRIBUTION.

Product details

ASIN : B07L9L85GK
Publisher : Sergeant Press (January 5, 2019)
Publication date : January 5, 2019
Language : English
File size : 4163 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 313 pages
Lending : Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #585,294 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #83 in Historical U.K. Biographies
- #618 in Biographical Literary Fiction
- #663 in History of Medieval Europe

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64 ratings

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Mark Schultz

So exciting and such a pleasure to read!

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2019

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What a great talent author Mercedes Rochelle has! She has taken some dusty, old bits of history and created a wonderful story! I was on the edge of my seat. Such a pleasure to read.
"A King Under Siege" reads just like a modern-day, political thriller. Plots and scheming abound in the castle and in many other centers of power. Intrusions by foreign governments and secret military actions occur frequently.
Exquisite scene-setting, intricate plotting, wonderful dialogue and realistic characters at so many levels. The extensive research Mercedes has done makes this story come alive!
I give A King Under Siege a score of 4.9 stars! The score would have been higher except for a small handful of spelling errors I found. The errors have been corrected, so your reading pleasure will be all the better.

2 people found this helpful

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Mary Rose

King Richard II

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2019

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Really enjoyed this book, not too much written about the life of Richard II, other than his part in the Wat Tyler rebellion, so it was interesting to learn more. Looking forward to the next in the Plantagenet series. Well defined characters, obviously carefully researched, and yet not lacking in drama and human interest. Well done!

3 people found this helpful

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Avid Reader

Great Historical Work

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2020

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I especially like historical works that are believable as well as entertaining. This one certainly meets these qualifications. I am looking forward to the following work. Research is amazing!

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Amazon Customer

good read

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2020

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Excellent reading. Historical accuracy is iffy

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Alex Meyer

Waiting for the next book

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2019

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Once I started reading this history lesson I did not want to stop very interesting . Thanks for all the great info and a great story.

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Guinevere Rose

Wonderful read

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2019

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Written beautifully ..and easy to read ..the author has a lovely way of talking and wording in her book ..very gifted author ..
She is great .
So easy to read and great energy in the wording and very intreasting

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Jypsy Lynn

A Succinct Account Of A Young King Richard II

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book courtesy of HFVBT and the author and was under no obligation to post a review.

A King Under Siege
Book One Of The Plantagenet Legacy
By: Mercedes Rochelle

*REVIEW* ☆☆☆☆
A King Under Siege is a book I recommend if, like me, your knowledge of 14th century England is a bit lacking. This is the story of King Richard II, second son of The Black Prince of Wales, who, crowned at age ten, never stood a chance to gain power against all of the grasping devious advisors surrounding him. Beginning in 1381 with The Peasant' s Revolt, we see Richard's attempts to rule fail time after time, and young Richard feels despairing and useless. He is a king in name only. Richard is in his minority, and as such, he doesn't control much. Matters of state are decided upon by others, advisors, and these men seek to undermine Richard at every opportunity, which they do quite successfully for a while. The time comes, however, when Richard meets the age of majority, and the tables are turned(this is more about the next book). The story is well researched and very succinct. I found it easy to understand and compelling. Historical fiction can be dry, but this book never felt that way. It read like a fictional narrative, when, in fact, it is a seamless account of fact and fiction that creates a clear and engaging portrait of a young King Richard II. I learned a great deal from this informative story, and I think historical fiction enthusiasts will enjoy this book.

2 people found this helpful

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Nurse_bookie

amazing HF read

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2020

Mercedes Rochelle gave history buffs and historical fiction lovers an amazing gift in this book!! Rochelle's writing was clear, well researched, and fun to follow. I was not that familiar with Richard II except that he was crowned King at a very young age, and had quite a reign full of revolts and hostility with his own family. To be faced with such adversity as the peasants' revolt at 14 years' old is quite a feat just following the Black Death and plague with a rebellion against the landowners. I enjoyed learning about the details of the negotiations and possibilities of what happened during the time. Medieval history is quite fascinating that is full of amazing characters each deserving a story of their own. Overall, I really enjoyed this page turner of a read full of intrigue and drama. I look forward to Book two to follow along Richard as he comes of age and potential retribution. I highly recommend this fascinating read.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

VEH Masters

Absorbing and well-researched historical fiction

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2021

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This is a masterly study of Richard II early years which has clearly been thoroughly researched.

Richard has a long minority controlled by his power-broking uncles and courtiers, who leave him, at a very young age, dealing with the Peasant’s Revolt unsupported. The endless challenges of bickering and backstabbing relatives, nobles and parliament, and the relentless intrigue and treachery, are all well-explored. And this with a backdrop of constant money troubles and a general sense that kings must love wars and hate peace – else they are not true men.

There are some lovely light touches too which show the depth of research – especially the fashion in pointy toed shoes brought with the young Queen’s coterie from Bohemia. Wonderful descriptions too: particularly enjoyed the one of London Bridge.

Overall one cannot help but empathise with Richard as he moves from idealistic youth, to recognising his temper does him no good, to pragmatic manoeuvring as he reaches his majority. Absorbing and well-researched historical fiction

Christopher Monk

Well researched. Great drama.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2020

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I don't read that many historical novels; I usually have my head stuck in academic titles because of my research. So it's wonderful to find a novelist who respects the need to do the hard slog of proper research herself but has the enviable gift of turning that into fast-paced drama. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read: I particularly loved the subtle use of historical cultural detail (including the allusions to Richard II's fondness for fine food, being that I'm writing about his cookery book, pictured on my photo), which is sometimes overdone by other writers. In Rochelle's hands these added to rather than subtracted from the realness of such infamous events as the Peasants' Revolt and the vindictive deeds of the Lords Appellant. Can't wait to read book 2. Highly recommended.

One person found this helpful

David-e

Fantastic read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2021

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Really enjoyed this. Fantastically told. I'm not a history buff, know nothing of this period, but this book enthused me to find out more about Richard ii and read more history. There are a lot of typos (did I spell that right?) and Rochelle would do well to get a better proof reader. It was annoying at times. But don't let that put you off. I'm diving straight into book 2 and I was pleased to discover Rochelle has written many other historical books. I've put them on my reading list :)

Christopher Ward

Decent enough I suppose

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 7, 2021

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Being a fan of Richard II I was looking forward to this but although decent enough I found it strangely unsatisfying. I just didn't like the author's style. For me there are far better historical novelists out there - Maurice Druon, Mathew Harrfy, Graham Brack, Jason Vail and of course Bernard Cornwell to name a few. It was all a bit thin and lacking maturity. But it was enjoyable although I doubt I shall read the sequel

Annie

Interesting period in history.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2021

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I enjoyed this book as I only knew a little of this period of history. There are quite s lot of characters to get your head around but I am looking forward to reading the next book to find out what happened to Richard.

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