Book Review
Dec. 11th, 2016 09:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariKing of the Wood
by Valerie Anand
This historical novel takes place during the reign of William II (Rufus) and concerns the power struggles between William and his two brothers as well as between William and various groups of both French and English noblemen. The multi-layered plot follows William, his brother Henry, the Scottish princess Edith who will eventually marry Henry, and a group of peasants and gentry centered around Knight Huntsman Ralph des Aix and his wife Sybil. Into this story Anand weaves a look at how pagan beliefs and fertility rites might have survived among the English peasantry of the late 11th century.
My favorite aspect of the novel was the way Anand brought both the real and invented characters to life. Henry, Rufus, and Ralph were each very complex and fascinating people whose motivations were always nuanced. I could have wished for a little more insight into Sybil's inner life and character development, and I did feel at times that the disparate threads of the plot could have hung together a little better. Nonetheless, King of the Wood was an interesting and at times compelling read.
by Valerie Anand
This historical novel takes place during the reign of William II (Rufus) and concerns the power struggles between William and his two brothers as well as between William and various groups of both French and English noblemen. The multi-layered plot follows William, his brother Henry, the Scottish princess Edith who will eventually marry Henry, and a group of peasants and gentry centered around Knight Huntsman Ralph des Aix and his wife Sybil. Into this story Anand weaves a look at how pagan beliefs and fertility rites might have survived among the English peasantry of the late 11th century.
My favorite aspect of the novel was the way Anand brought both the real and invented characters to life. Henry, Rufus, and Ralph were each very complex and fascinating people whose motivations were always nuanced. I could have wished for a little more insight into Sybil's inner life and character development, and I did feel at times that the disparate threads of the plot could have hung together a little better. Nonetheless, King of the Wood was an interesting and at times compelling read.
