Devil's Brood

Starred review from September 15, 2008
In Penman's final volume of her trilogy based on the lives of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine ("When Christ and His Saints Slept; Time and Chance"), the best-selling author concludes the tumultuous love story between these two strong-willed, brilliant rulers. As the novel opens, their four sons are beginning to chafe under the heavy hand of their father, who has crowned the eldest, Hal, as a coregent but gives him little authority or power. Egged on by their mother, the young king and his brothers mount a decadelong crusade of rebellion and treachery against their father and each other as they vie for land, money, and power. The empathetic reader can't help but be both horrified by the machinations of this grievously dysfunctional family and filled with pity for the pain they inflict upon one another. Penman does a remarkable job of depicting passionate, dramatic characters and the perilous times in which they live. For those who like their historical fiction as complex and tightly woven as a medieval tapestry, this book cannot fail to please. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 6/1/08.]Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs., AK

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2008
As much the story of a family as a kingdom, this is the final installment in anexhaustive (and exhausting)trilogy about Englands Henry II and his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, following When Christ and His Saints Slept (1995) and Time and Chance (2002).When the novel beginsbegins in 1172, Henry and Eleanor havebeen married20 years, and though there is still great passion between them, there is also growingconflict. Henry is constantly at war withFrance, and his cause isnt helped by Eleanor, whosescheming earns her a kind of house arrest. Meanwhile, Henry continues to juggle the needsof his kingdom and the demands of his fractious, sometimes rebellious sons.Teeming withcharacters and authentic period detail, the novel is part splendid pageant and part history lecture. Though the prose tends to lumber along like a medieval oxcart, historical fiction readers who love the period probably wont mind, especially if theyve read the previous two books in the series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)