Patricia Bracewell

I think I started reading this trilogy ages ago and I'm satisfied by the conclusion, although I do wish the author had decided to continue Emma's story. In this volume, England is conquered by Cnut and Emma struggles to find a way for her family and her self to obtain safety. The ups and downs of the Anglo-Saxon royalty and plenty of exchanges of thrones dominate this novel, leaving me impressed with how well the author manages to make a thousand-year-old story fresh, relevant, and compelling. In the future, I hope to find more books, fiction and nonfiction, about Emma of Normandy.… (més)

A long, drawn-out boring book without a conclusion; the author is making this a trilogy: *YAWNS*.

The book is based on Queen Emma & King Æthelred and uses a a historical telling of it as the introduction to each chapter.

The characters did not inspire empathy they were flat & rather unlikable without much personality. Emma, although Queen, couldn't figure out who the enemy in her retinue was, but she should have been easily able to.

There was little dialog in comparison to the long drawn-out narration of what was going on.... worse it seemed as every interaction Emma had with her husband the King got her beaten & raped.

I was under the impression that Emma was a likeable character, but she bored me.

Not going to read another by this author.… (més)

In the early 1000s, Emma of Normandy was chosen by her mother to travel to England to marry the older king. She was more the age of his eldest son, but she was also ambitious. The agreement was that she would be made queen (the king’s previous wife and mother of his many sons was never made queen). Things get dangerous for Emma when the Danish king attacks England, even though Emma’s mother is Danish.

Although I’m only rating it “ok”, I will add the second book to my tbr. I don’t think I’ve read anything (or if I have, it’s very little) about this time period, so I’d like to know more. I listened to the audio, so I’m certain that’s why I missed things. It did pick up for me in the middle. There were a few other perspectives in the book, but it took me a while to “catch” this.… (més)

This is the third book in the author's trilogy covering the colourful and dramatic life of Emma of Normandy, the only woman in English or British history to be Queen to two different Kings of the country, and a powerful and influential figure in her own right. The events of this novel cover the years 1012-17 when King Ethelred (the Unready)'s England is increasingly threatened by Danish invaders led by their king Sweyn (Forkbeard) and his son Cnut (Canute). Ethelred's weakness and stubborn mistrust of his several sons undermines the country's defence. Treachery and bloodshed abound and Sweyn's forces capture most of the country and he is recognised by many as king before his sudden death, whereupon Ethelred recaptures his country. Eventually the Danes, now led by Canute, win through, and after Ethelred dies, his surviving son Edmund finally has to agree to share the country with Canute. But Edmund too shortly dies of wounds in battle and Canute wins the day. Emma, desperately wanting to prevent further bloodshed, marries Canute, while her sons by Ethelred (including the future King Edward the Confessor) go into exile in Normandy. The themes from the previous novels continue here, Ethelred's being haunted by the ghost of his murdered elder brother King Edward (the Martyr), and Emma's romantic attraction to her stepson, Athelstan. The novel ends as Canute and Emma are crowned in early 1017 and there is relative peace in England. The author's note states that she has decided not to pursue the story through the remaining dramatic 35 years of her life and politicking.… (més)