Are we ready?

My pre-ordered copy arrived yesterday, so I'm ready!  I'll start tomorrow or the next day.

I'm about 175 pages in, so I'm ready!

I think what I always like about SKP, is that right off the bat her mastery of taking you there, and giving you someone to care about right off like little Alicia and her brother Arnaud.

OK -- I'm obviously not very good at these read-alongs because I'm already on the second half -- so now I have to go backwards in order to post in the right threads.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying this book. What most impresses me is SKP's ability to take convoluted and complicated political matters involving a large cast of characters and make them comprehensible to those of us who don't have advanced degrees in the Middle Ages.

I love how in a few words she gives you a sense of Richard's character. For example, when Joanna (his sister) is essentially made a hostage by Tancred who usurps the crown of Sicily after William dies, she snaps, "....You think I am utterly defenseless now that my lord husband and my father the English king are dead. That is a great mistake, and you will answer dearly for it."

   "I believe the Almighty will understand, my lady."

   ...."The Almighty may, but my brother, the Lionheart, will not."

I love that we first see Richard at the same time that Isabel (Will Marshal's wife) sees him for the first time. He rides into the castle bailey and "[as] he swung from the saddle into a circle of light cast by the flaming torches, Isabel squeezed her husband's arm. 'You were right, Will. Only a blind man would not know he was looking at a king.''

I love the relationships she portrays between Richard and Phillipe, Richard and Eleanor, Richard and Joanna.

And I love the humor: For example, Richard's brothers and the Bishop of Durham and [his chancellor] Longchamp are awaiting Richard in the castle solar. Richard tells Eleanor to come with him. Eleanor says, "Is that a jest?...Good Lord, Richard, you'd be hard pressed to find four men who loathe one another more....We're likely to find the solar knee-deep in blood."

   "I know. It will be even better than a bearbaiting."

   She eyed him dubiously.... "But who is the bear and who are the hounds?"

   "We'll soon find out," he said and opened the door.

Ahh -- there's just so much to like about this book.

(Edited to fix spacing issues.)

I think these are really good examples, of what I am finiding in the books.  Joanna is really able to talk to Richard like few others can.  Philip is a complete weed!  Little weasle! 

I agree, I was kind of wary of reading it as battles aren't my favorite things to read about, however the perspective that Penman is using is absolutely fabulous. I also agree that there is a lot of subltle humor.

My favorite part of this section (and like Deb, I am well past it now, I am hoping to finish it tonight) was the introduction of Joanna and the set up about her situation.  The emotions that she conveyed were fabulous. 

I'm nearing the end of this section (through chapter nine) and loving it.  At first I wasn't thrilled with opening the book with an unknown French girl, but it turned out great.  I'm really enjoying it so far.  I'm really looking forward to getting to know Richard.  

I sent a post earlier today but it is apparently floating in cyberspace among all the other lost and forlorn messages. Oh, well.  What I tried to add is that one of the best lines in this section is Richenza's response to Richard's description of the killing of Jews by a blood-thirsty mob on the day of his coronation: "It is shameful when men commit murder in God's Name." What makes this declaration so precious is that it is apparently uttered without any sense of irony as Richard is about to lead an army on Crusade to slaughter infidels and reclaim Christian control of the Holy Land.

After seeing some reviews that this book bogs down a bit, I've been paying more attention to the mechanics of it, so to speak.  And so far, I'm impressed.  Well chosen POV and scenes, IMO.  It's so nice to see Richard and Joanna reestablishing a relationship.  So welcome after all the sibling issues with the boys and Dad.

I really liked the same conversation between Joanna and Tancred that Deb stated.  Joanna is a bit feisty as well...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.