About the book:
A captivating story of a mother's love stretched to breaking and a knight determined to rebuild his life with the royal mistress, For the King's Favor is Elizabeth Chadwick at her best. Based on a true story never before told and impeccably researched, this is a testament to the power of sacrifice and the strength of love. When Roger Bigod, heir to the powerful earldom of Norfolk, arrives at court to settle an inheritance, he meets Ida de Tosney, young mistress to King Henry II. In Roger, Ida sees a chance for lasting love, but their decision to marry carries an agonizing price. It's a breathtaking novel of making choices, not giving up, and coping with the terrible shifting whims of the king.
My review:
I really, really enjoyed this story. The one drawback was that the review copy I received had translation issues between formats because there were numerous obvious typos in it that were distracting. The story was a bit too long as well. Regardless, I found it to be a very enjoyable read and I would recommend it to people who enjoy a good medieval romance. This author certainly knows how to deliver on that account.
Ms. Chadwick's writing style was thoroughly engrossing and I found myself living in the 1100s along with the characters. The deflowering of Ida by the king at such a young age and her subsequent service to him was realistically portrayed. I really grieved her situation. She was truly trapped and was such a sweet girl with a good heart. So when Roger Bigod came along and there was an obvious attraction between them, I was hoping and praying that she would be allowed to marry him.
Their relationship with exciting and I enjoyed experiencing their budding relationship along with them. Their marriage was intense and sweet at the same time. Their love for each other was powerful and real. I think the author's greatest strength was in her ability to develop powerful love relationships between characters. She also did an outstanding job with the setting and with showing inter-familial rivalries and the desire to possess land and power.
I agonized with Ida when she had to leave her oldest son behind and I grieved for her every time she reflected on the loss. I also rejoiced in her other children who were a comfort to her. I understood Roger's pain when he felt like he was in competition with the king even though he knew deep inside that he was not, and that she truly loved him, not Henry. It did make for some awesome chemistry and set up the sexual tension between them as husband and wife very well. This story was hot, but done in good taste. The romantic elements were strong but not overarching because the story was chock full of history and historical subplots that made for a well-rounded novel.
For the King's Favor was published by Sourcebooks and released in September 2010.
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1 comment:
I just finished this one and found it to be a very well researched and well written book. I thought the characters were believable and the author's ability to transport the reader to another time and place was amazing. I loved it.
Great review!
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