A History of Royals discussion

A few of us were talking about doing a buddy read of this trilogy by Sharon.

I thought we could either start it in the latter half of April (Coinciding with the group read) or May. Then we could read a book a month, or just read straight through, or some other schedule if anyone has a better idea. I'm open.

Let me know if you are interested.

Hello Lyn, I am in! I wouldn't mind starting in April, but either way I will participate.

Sounds like fun, Sabrina. If we don't get any other takes, at least the two of us can do it. I would be happy to start around mid-April if you are up for that.

Just in case anyone isn't sure which books they are :)

1. When Christ and His Saints Slept
2. Time and Chance
3. Devil's Brood

OOOps, forgo to post, that. Thanks Jen. Must have been having a senior moment. :)

kinda tempted... I own and have read "When Christ..." years ago, so probably wouldn't want to re-read (I would if I had unlimited time, you understand!), but I'm certainly keen to read the other 2 before Lionheart comes out later in the year. I feel I've sadly neglected my SKP reading over the last ten or so years. So, theoretically I'm in.

We can let you know when we get to book two, Darkpool.

I'm all for it :) I've had this series on my TBR forever! Spring break will give me some time to read too (fingers crossed).

Great to have you join us, Tina. I think we are looking at starting in Mid April, or as soon as I get the first one from the library.

This is such an honor; thank you! I'll be happy to answer any questions, explain why a certain scene had me reaching for the vodka, etc. I was checking to see if Time and Chance had been added to the Nook store (it still hasn't...sigh) and I noticed that Barnes and Noble describes it as the "Eleanor of Aquiaine" trilogy. Henry would hate that!
Sharon

I read these a few years ago and would love to follow the discussions if you don't mind. Anxiously awaiting the release of Lionheart

Sharon - I am so glad that you will be around to answer questions. I am laughing about your comment about Henry. I'm sure he is rolling his eyes wherever he is.

Misfit - Glad to have you aboard for comments!

I, too, am anxiously awaiting Lionheart.

I keep going back and forth. Part of me really wants to read them again before Lionheart releases but my TBR pile at home is getting out of control.........

I'm tempted too... I own the first one. I'll have to see if I can find the time :)

Oh I am sooo in for this! I just ordered Devil's Brood a few days ago (already have the other two on my book case waiting). It'll be closer to the end of April for me but I'm a fast reader and will catch up no problem. I've only read The Sunne in Splendour but loved the book and the authors style and know she comes so highly recommended that I can't wait to dive into more of her work!

Come on, Jennifer, you know you want to......

Ladywallingford - I know what you mean. I have a HUGE TBR pile myself.

Thalia - So glad you are joining us. You do read quite quickly, so I am sure you will catch up in no time.

Mid-April will work for me. I received the book over the weekend.

I'm interested. I read the first one a while ago but wanted to do a re-read before starting the next two.

Great, welcome aboard, Laura.

I asked how to join on another thread, but if I had looked first I would have just come here. . .I think I'd like to join the read. What are the time frames for reading each book?

Melissa wrote: "I asked how to join on another thread, but if I had looked first I would have just come here. . .I think I'd like to join the read. What are the time frames for reading each book?"

We are beginning the first book mid-April, the second mid-May (if everyone is ready then) and the last mid-June? They are pretty hefty books. The first one is 768 pages.

I would love to read these. I will be out of the country for most of May, so my internet connection may be iffy, but if that is okay with folks, count me in!

It's cool with me. You can just catch up as you can. Welcome aboard!!

So I went to 4 different book stores and could only find Devil's Brood, what's up with that? I finally had to order the first 2 books today so I can start the read. Has anyone else had this problem or am I the only one who didn't already have the books?

I got the first one from my library, so it was not a problem for me. I haven't yet tried to find them in print.

I started with the first couple chapters and I'm happy to say that the first book starts with the Stephen/Maude fiasco. This is so exciting for me because I am familiar with it and I was afraid the story would jump right into a plot I know nothing about.

Melissa wrote: "Has anyone else had this problem or am I the only one who didn't already have the books?"

My problem is I prefer to read on Kindle and the 2nd two books are $19.99 each for an ebook! So I'll be reading the first book but not the second two. Yeah, I could just get the paperbacks but with books this long, they're so cumbersome to hold and carry around. Half the reason I got a Kindle is because it's easier on my hands.

Melissa wrote: "I started with the first couple chapters and I'm happy to say that the first book starts with the Stephen/Maude fiasco. This is so exciting for me because I am familiar with it and I was afraid the..."

Melissa - I haven't started yet, planning to start later this week, around Friday, but I am glad that it started well for you.

Robin wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Has anyone else had this problem or am I the only one who didn't already have the books?"

My problem is I prefer to read on Kindle and the 2nd two books are $19.99 each for an eboo..."

Sorry that you won't be joining us for the second two, Robin.

Robin, thank you for not blaming me for this! Writers have nothing to say, of course, about the pricing of their books, but someone once posted a bad Amazon review of Devil's Brood because he felt the book cost too much. I felt that was so unfair since it had nothing to so with the quality of the book and he could have vented without punishing me (and Henry and Eleanor) for something over which we had no control. As for me, I am still thankful Time and Chance is back on Kindle, for they pulled it for months and my agent had to keep after them to get it restored. The worst is in the UK, though, where only Devil's Brood is on Kindle because Penguin is feudig with Amazon and won't offer their books as Kindles. Why writers drink.

Yeah, I know the writers have no say in pricing, my frustration is entirely directed at publishers. Penguin in particular are an absolute PITA when it comes to ebooks. I don't know what their problem is. I'm hoping the prices come down eventually - in the mean time, I'm looking forward to the first book!

How frustrating for the authors, Sharon. I have to admit, thought, though I have both a nook, and kindle on my phone, the pricing and availability is one of the reasons that I won't switch totally to e-books. I have noticed lately that the prices of e-books seem to be rising and, in some cases, are even more than the print versions now. Makes me angry.

Sharon wrote: "Robin, thank you for not blaming me for this! Writers have nothing to say, of course, about the pricing of their books, but someone once posted a bad Amazon review of Devil's Brood because he felt..."

Oh don't get me started on that. The Kindle Kops are everywhere at Amazon with their protest reviews against the ebook prices. That gal who posted a low rated review on The Second Duchess got an earful of comments, but there was just no convincing her, or the others what they're doing is the wrong way. I know Follett's latest one got a lot of one stars protest reviews as well.

Ooooh! I'm severely tempted! I read the first two when they came about, but to my shame have not yet read Devil's Brood even though I bought it for Christmas ages ago... and what with Lionheart coming out soon I don't want to have TWO of Sharon's books on my shelves that I still haven't read...

Gah... but you see, I have so many unread books on my shelves that I've been trying as much as possible to read in chronological order and so far I'm only up to the flipping Trojan War!

Beth wrote: "Ooooh! I'm severely tempted! I read the first two when they came about, but to my shame have not yet read Devil's Brood even though I bought it for Christmas ages ago... and what with Lionheart com..."

You could check back in when we get to Devil's Brood, Beth. It probably won't be until June.

Misfit wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Robin, thank you for not blaming me for this! Writers have nothing to say, of course, about the pricing of their books, but someone once posted a bad Amazon review of Devil's Brood ..."

While I am not reticent about complaining about the price of books and e-books in particular, but I would never take it out on the author, or the book!

While I am not reticent about complaining about the price of books and e-books in particular, but I would never take it out on the author, or the book!

I couldn't agree more, it is so unfair. Besides, if you don't like the price then who is forcing you to buy and then complain about it? Geez.

Beth, Devil's Brood is awesome in so many ways but I just loved the dialog in this one. Is it too early to start the chant for Lionheart? Is. It. October. Yet?

I was going to ask Sharon when it was coming out. I couldn't remember. I know, October seems so far away.

Well, When Christ and Time and Chance are both on my "to re-read" list anyways... but I suppose I could jump in at Devil's Brood, that would be a plan.

Misfit, I'd gladly join you in that chant! :)

Lyn M wrote: "I was going to ask Sharon when it was coming out. I couldn't remember. I know, October seems so far away."

The goodreads page shows October as "expected" publication date.

Misfit is right (as usual!) We are publishing it in October, though I don't know the exact date yet. Amazon's October 5th is their best guess, or elese they were consulting a ouja board. Beth, I know what you mean about being overwhelmed with books. My TBR pile is looking alarmingly like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. And this is my first contact with the outside world in over 24 hours! I lost internet service and the Comcast tech just left. It is wonderful to have my lifeline back, even if it means I now have 150 unread e-mails to go through.
Thank you so much, Misfit, for the compliment about the dialogue in Devil's Brood. The wonderful thing about writing about the Angevins is that they were all rather snarky, and so the opportunities for sardonic sniping were very frequent.

Oooh, Sharon, is your internet back? Valerie told us all on the blog that you were having problems.

I am so overwhelmed with books though. What's happened is over the past ten years I've kept indulging myself whenever I picked up a book and liked the back cover (in the main, historical fiction and factual books), but because of school and then later university and all those day to day things, I didn't always have time to read them soon after I'd bought them. So, I now have a situation where my bookshelves are triple-stacked and full, with the rest of the books lying in piles all over my floors! I feel so bad about it, because I love reading, but I feel so behind with it all! I even want to re-read a lot of books that I read many years ago but didn't review at the time and I don't feel comfortable reviewing now without re-reading because they're no longer fresh in my mind (including your own books!). So... my goodness, overwhelmed is certainly the word!

On top of that, and you must feel the same Sharon, I'm constantly seeing books read by friends or recommended by authors blogs like yours, that I think "Ooooh, that sounds so interesting!" And then I think to myself "Dang it, NO! I CANNOT buy more books until I've read all the unread books I currently own!" But it's a wrench and I keep thinking to myself "Oh I so wish I could get that... but it'd just go on the bottom of that stack of books to read anyways! But I feel bad because I am really genuinely interested in that book and I might love it!". Lol... Definitely a bibliophile here.

The wonderful thing about writing about the Angevins is that they were all rather snarky, and so the opportunities for sardonic sniping were very frequent.

Yeah, and Richard was pretty good at it IIRC. I'll take stuff like that over fluff any day of the week :)

Miafit, there is no doubt Richard inherited Henry's sardonic sense of humor. One of my favorite Richard stories concerns one of his most hated enemies, the Bishop of Beauvais, who'd done all he could to sabotage Richard's leadership while they were in the Holy Land. He then spread the word all over Europe that Richard had sold out Christendom by making a peace with Saladin and accused him of hiring Assassins to murder Conrad of Montferrat. To top it off, he stopped by the court of the Holy Roman Emperor after Richard had been taken prisoner on his way home from the crusade and persuaded Heinrich to treat Richard harshly to break his spirit and make him willing to accept the outrageous terms they were demanding. Richard himself later said he'd been loaded down with so many chains that a horse wouldn't have been able to move, and he blamed Beauvais for this. So you can imagine how happy he was when Beauvais was captured during a skirmish with the French in 1197; Beavais was one of those fighting bishops, who'd earned himself an impressive battlefield "rep." When the pope protested Richard's imprisoning "a son of the Church," Richard sent the pope Beauvais's mail armor hauberk, with the note, "Here is your son's shirt." Can't you just see Henry doing that, too?
PS Beauvais was very lucky, for after Richard's death, John agreed to free him in return for a captured Norman bishop. If Richard hadn't been so reckless on that April evening before the walls of Chalus, I think we can safely say that Beauvais would not have seen the sun again.

Hi Sharon I love that story and can't wait to hear more. Looking forward to more of *your* Eleanor as well, which IMHO is the gold standard until EC's comes out.

EC is doing a trilogy about Eleanor, Misfit. She is trying to go with Alienor, too; I very much wanted to use her real name, but my editor vetoed it...sigh.
PS Thanks for the kind words about "my" Eleanor. She has managed to infiltrate five of my books so far, Dragons, the Devil's Brood trilogy, and now Lionheart. Plus the mysteries, of course, where she is in her Katharine Hepburn mode. I think EC is doing one about Eleanor's earlier life and Louis, then one about her life with Henry, and then the final one about her twilight years where she was able to exercise so much authority on Richard's behalf. If only Henry had been as willing to share power, their family history could have been so different. Not as much fun for historical novelists, though.

I heard about Chadwick's upcoming efforts too, and someone said that at last an author they trusted was taking a shot at doing Eleanor... It was all I could do to stop myself crying out in protest; "What?! You don't trust Sharon Penman?! Her Eleanor is spot on and close to pure genius perfection!!!"

Eleanor and I both thank you, Beth!
PS You can see I am really playing hookey today, too, for I am supposed to be laboring over the Lionheart galley proofs. But this is a lot more fun.

Not that EC isn't a great author I hasten to add and I do look forwards to seeing what she comes up with, but I didn't know how anyone could overlook your Eleanor! She's just got so much character and sass that I really feel like she's right there in front of me - you know how not every character feels like they would really exist in real life, but I felt like she really could, I felt like she could have existed off the page, and was as darn close to the real Eleanor as I could have imagined.

Beth wrote: "I heard about Chadwick's upcoming efforts too, and someone said that at last an author they trusted was taking a shot at doing Eleanor... It was all I could do to stop myself crying out in protest;..."

Beth, FYI most Chadwick fans I know are also fans of Sharon's books as well as *her* Eleanor. I doubt whoever said that was thinking along those lines, more along the lines of all those recent Eleanor books heavy on the fluff and light on the history.

I had enough of that with those two Alan Savage wrote on her.