★★★★★ - Five Stars
Richard II was ten years old when he became King of England.
Ten.
At ten I was probably still being reminded to tidy my bedroom.
Richard got England.
This seems unfair on everybody involved.
A King Under Siege follows Richard through the early years of his reign, beginning with the Peasants' Revolt, when the fourteen-year-old king suddenly finds himself facing thousands of angry rebels while the adults around him prove remarkably short of useful ideas.
And this was the Richard II I wasn't expecting.
He's brave.
He's frightened.
He's clever.
He's incredibly stubborn.
And every so often he does something that made me think:
Richard. Please don't.
Richard does.
Of course he does.
What I particularly enjoyed was watching him slowly discover that being King of England and actually being allowed to rule England are apparently two entirely different things. Everyone has advice for him. His uncles have opinions. Parliament has opinions. His friends have opinions. Half the time Richard seems to be the last person anyone thinks should have an opinion, despite the inconvenient fact that he is wearing the crown.
Some of my favourite moments were actually the quieter ones with Anne of Bohemia. She sees the person underneath all that royal ceremony, and their relationship gives the story a warmth I wasn't expecting among quite so much medieval political backstabbing.
There are a lot of historical figures to keep track of, and occasionally I had to remind myself which earl was currently furious with which other earl.
Usually the answer was everyone.
But once the Lords Appellant enter the picture, things become increasingly uncomfortable for Richard, and I became completely caught up in watching the balance of power shift away from him.
By the final chapters I was desperate for him to find some way of taking control of his own reign.
And when that moment finally comes?
YES, RICHARD.
About time.
I finished A King Under Siege with a much better understanding of Richard II, but also with the uncomfortable feeling that this young man has learned some lessons he is unlikely to forget.
Which, considering I know what comes later, is slightly ominous.
Five stars.
And somebody please confiscate Thomas of Woodstock's opinions.
Born in St. Louis, MO, with a degree from University of Missouri, Mercedes Rochelle learned about living history as a re-enactor and has been enamored with historical fiction ever since. A move to New York to do research and two careers ensued, but writing fiction remains her primary vocation. She lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
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ReplyDeleteWonderful review! Thanks so much for taking me on.
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