FICTION

A King's Ransom

by Sharon Kay Penman
Marian Wood: Putnam. Mar. 2014. 704p. ISBN 9780399159220. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780698167179. F
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Still stinging from his failure to retake Jerusalem in the Third Crusade, King Richard I finds his pride further assailed in Penman's sequel to Lionheart when he is taken captive while en route back to England to defend his kingdom against enemies closer to home. Shifting alliances and behind-the-scenes manipulations constantly alter the playing field as Richard and his strong-willed mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, work to bring Richard home and to defeat his rivals, particularly his ambitious younger brother John and the bitter French king Philippe, who is jealous of Richard's charisma and battlefield prowess.
VERDICT Popular historical fiction novelist Penman (The Sunne in Splendour) again gives readers a well-researched and impressively detailed narrative displaying a strong commitment to historical accuracy and richly drawn, sympathetic characters. Penman has a rare gift for making the complicated political world of medieval Europe accessible to today's readers, and her many fans will be well rewarded by this latest offering.[See Prepub Alert, 8/12/13.]
Reviewed by Mara Bandy, Champaign P.L., IL , Feb 15, 2014
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