A great historical novel bordering on the paranormal.
Historical romance. Fun to read.
Katherine Sutcliffe has written a book about warring between England and France during the 12th century. This is not the type of novel I read; however, Id just finished another of her books and decided to try this one. As soon as I found it was a medieval tale, I decided to put it down as soon as I finished the page. However, this book captured my interest before I finished that page.
In 1164, a seer tells Lord Godfrey that his son will one day destroy the family name. As the son, Roland de Gallienne grows; his father remains hostile and ambivalent towards him. Roland learns to become a knight; eventually he becomes a serious warrior for King Henry II.
As our story opens, Roland has been fighting outside of England for three years. He and his men are weary and decide to stop at Chateauroux Monastery. Soon, he is caught up in the mysterious activities of the abbot and a local healer.
The abbot has imprisoned the healer (Hope) and her brother, Daniel. The abbot uses Hope to get citizens of the area to donate rare and beautiful gifts. They are begging Hope to heal them or their loved ones. There are some mystical elements to this story; once the reader suspends disbelief in these features, the story is compelling.
Be warned, there are gruesome components of this story, including cannibalism and beheadings.
In 1164, a seer tells Lord Godfrey that his son will one day destroy the family name. As the son, Roland de Gallienne grows; his father remains hostile and ambivalent towards him. Roland learns to become a knight; eventually he becomes a serious warrior for King Henry II.
As our story opens, Roland has been fighting outside of England for three years. He and his men are weary and decide to stop at Chateauroux Monastery. Soon, he is caught up in the mysterious activities of the abbot and a local healer.
The abbot has imprisoned the healer (Hope) and her brother, Daniel. The abbot uses Hope to get citizens of the area to donate rare and beautiful gifts. They are begging Hope to heal them or their loved ones. There are some mystical elements to this story; once the reader suspends disbelief in these features, the story is compelling.
Be warned, there are gruesome components of this story, including cannibalism and beheadings.
