Sharon kay penman a kings ransom

The anchors had been hauled up and the sailors were unfurling the sails; on the beach, the stranded crewmen were dragging the longboat onto the shore, apparently hoping to hide from the pirates if the Holy Rood was taken or sunk. Some of the knights had not taken the time to put on the mail chausses that protected their legs, although all were wearing their hauberks and helmets.

They were combat veterans, but unlike his sailors, they had no experience in sea warfare. Glancing around at their tense faces, he pitched his voice so all could hear. Morgan pushed his way toward the king. He was still fumbling with his ven- tail, seeking to draw it across his throat. He usually felt more secure once he was clad in mail; now, though, he could not help thinking that if he slipped on the wet deck, it would drag him down like an anchor.

Richard was studying the pi- rate ships as intently as he studied battlefields, and Morgan hoped he was for- mulating a strategy for another unlikely victory; the odds were not in their favor. The Pisan nodded, for that was the na- tive tongue of half a dozen members of the seventy-five-man crew. Before he could summon any of them, Hugh de Neville offered another candidate.

You remember—the sailor from Messina. He acted as translator when your ladies were shipwrecked on Cyprus and proved to be very useful. He might even know some of those cutthroats, for I heard him boasting that he has a cousin on a pirate ship out of Kassiopi. I speak Greek from the cradle, but my French. Do they know about Saladin? The war in the Holy Land?

They care about the recovery of Jerusalem, too. Why, some have even taken the cross. A man can be a pirate and a good Christian. Petros grinned. I want you to tell them that this is the Holy Rood out of Acre, commanded by the English king. Petros blinked in surprise. He obeyed at once, though, calling out to the clos- est of the pirate galleys. A reply soon came echoing across the waves.

Sharon kay penman a kings ransom

Richard had expected as much. Say the English king is called Lionheart because he does not know how to surrender. He will never yield to them. To take this ship, they will have to fight to the death. For the first time, Petros hesitated. His message appeared to stir up a lively debate among the pirates. Richard waited a few moments, and then nod- ded again to Petros.

There is a way by which we both benefit and with no blood being shed. Tell their chief- tain that I would speak with him. As Richard had anticipated, that was a challenge no pirate could refuse, and Petros was soon negotiating a meeting, while the knights clustered around their king, the bolder ones expressing their misgivings, fearing that he would agree to meet the pirate chieftain on his own galley, for they well knew Richard was quite capable of such a reckless act.

He shrugged off their protests, and it was eventu- ally agreed that he and the pirate would meet at midpoint between the two vessels. Morgan and Baldwin de Bethune stood at the gunwale, never taking their eyes from the tall figure in the prow of the longboat. But that was before they fought beside him in Messina, Cyprus, and the Holy Land. The conversation was an animated one and Petros was kept busy translating from French to Greek and back to French again.

It was not long, though, before a reassuring sound drifted back on the wind—laughter. Morgan and Baldwin exchanged glances, marveling that once again Richard had managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Climbing the ladder , Richard swung himself over the gunwale and grinned at the men crowding the deck. I have hired two of their galleys and crew for two hundred marks.

There was an immediate outcry, exclamations of shock and alarm and bewil- derment. Raising his hand to still them, Richard explained that he was known to be sailing on the Holy Rood and his enemies would be on the lookout for it. Switching to the galleys was one way to throw them off his trail. That made sense to his men, but they did not find it as easy to trust in the word of a pirate chieftain as Richard apparently did.

None voiced objections, though, for kings were not to be questioned. Richard headed for the tent, with Baldwin and Morgan right on his heels. The others watched, hoping that a highborn lord and a kinsman might dare to do what they could not: express their misgivings about this new alliance with. S sea rovers. He was in good spirits and answered readily enough when Baldwin asked how he could be sure these pirates could be trusted.

They still want the two hundred marks, mind you, but they also want to help us escape our enemies. Ironic, is it not, that a pirate should have more honor than kings or emperors? Need I refresh your memory, Morgan? Or the tempest we encountered in the Gulf of Satalea, where our ships were blown backward by the force of the wind. Richard was quiet for a moment, considering whether that was a question he wanted to answer.

It was easier just to brush the query aside. Richard laughed, handed his gambeson to one of his squires, and then made one final effort to explain what seemed to him quite obvious. In a storm, we are utterly helpless, at the mercy of the wind and waves. But on the battlefield, my fate is in my own hands. What happens is up to me. Morgan agreed that a lack of control would be frightening to any man, espe- cially a king.

Seeing that there would be no satisfactory answer to a question he ought not to have asked in the first place, he changed the subject and asked when the switch from the Holy Rood to the pirate galleys would occur. I need to provide our men with enough money to make their way home. The Holy Rood will take them to Brindisi, where they can choose to travel overland, pass the winter in Sicily, or even take passage on a ship sailing for one of the ports that are barred to me.

They are not the quarry in this hunt, after all. Seeing that Baldwin and Morgan were confused, Richard explained that he was only taking twenty men with him, heading off any objections with some blunt speaking. The only chance I have to reach Saxony is to travel as fast and as inconspicuously as possible. Their first reaction was to protest, horrified by the very thought that their king would be venturing into enemy territory with only twenty men.

Their second was a reluctant realization that Richard was right. Their third was to insist that they both be amongst the twenty men. Richard feigned displeasure that they were overstepping themselves, but he was touched that they were so willing to follow him into the frigid, far reaches of Hell, the German empire of Heinrich von Hohenstaufen.

While the other men lined the gunwales to watch as Richard sailed away on a pirate galley, Guilhem retreated to the tent to rage and pace, tearful one moment, cursing the next. As Pierre withdrew, dropping the tent f lap to give them a small measure of privacy, Jean rummaged around until he found a wineskin and tossed it to his brother.

The king would never doubt your loyalty or your courage. You ought to know better than that. Your loyalty cost you nigh on a year of your life, and whilst you rarely talk of it, we know you had no easy time in confine- ment. It is true that we owe a debt of fealty to Richard, our liege lord. But he would not have you pay that debt twice over. Jean reached over, clasping him on the shoulder.

And so does the king. It had been intolerable for Guilhem, thinking that the king had judged him to be unworthy. When he slumped down on a coffer chest, Jean squeezed his shoulder again and then left so he might have some time alone. Guilhem did not linger long in the tent. Draining the wineskin, he followed his brother back on deck, where he shoved his way toward the gunwale.

There he stood, neither moving nor speaking, watching until the pirate galleys had disappeared from view. I am an American of Irish-English-Welsh heritage, and I currently live in New Jersey, although many of my readers imagine I am happily dwelling upon a Welsh mountaintop--but no such luck. I was once a tax lawyer, which I looked upon as penance for my sins.

Like most writers, I was born with a love of the written word, although I never expected to be able to support myself as a writer; when you read about starving artists in their garrets, most of them have starving writers as roommates. But I was very lucky and I have been blessed to make my living as a writer for the past thirty-seven years or so, and to find readers on both sides of the Atlantic.

All of my novels--fourteen at last count--are set in the Middle Ages, and focus upon England's most colorful dynasty, the Plantagenets. It is almost as if they lived their dramatic and often wildly improbable lives with future historical novelists in mind, and I am very grateful to them--especially to the Angevins,Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine and their equally famous children, known to their contemporaries as the Devil's Brood.

PS I added a few new photos recently but could find no way to add captions. So this is the best I can do. The swordsman showing me how to use a medieval sword is a friend and fellow writer, David Blixt, who is also a very talented actor; when this photo was taken, he'd just put on a remarkable demonstration of swordplay at the Historical Novel Society convention.

And the photo of me on that bench was taken by my Australian friend, Paula Mildenhall, at a French winery on our Eleanor of Aquitaine Tour, which was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. Customers find the book fascinating and well-researched. They describe it as a good read with a beautiful writing style that blends fact and fiction. The characters are brought to life with a deft sense of personalities and emotions.

Readers appreciate the depth of the research and the author's attention to detail. Overall, they find the book enjoyable and hard to put down. AI-generated from the text of customer reviews. Customers find the book well-researched and engaging. They recommend it to historical fiction fans as it sheds light on the intrigue surrounding the kidnapping.

The story flows smoothly with a good narrative, packed with historical details and real characters. I find these characters intense, unbelievable at times, surprising , horrifying - the list goes on and on Her books are not fast-reads; they are packed full of historical details with lots of real characters to keep track of Customers enjoy the book.

They find it a good read and well-written. The sequel is described as an excellent conclusion to a great series. But still, this book is a good read. Try, though, not to relate it too much to Penman's previous books on the Plantagenets. A very satisfying book , wonderfully written and researched Customers find the book engaging and well-written.

They appreciate the lyrical interweaving of fact and fiction that keeps them hooked until the end. The author writes with accuracy and passion, creating a readable biography full of rich details about King Richard's life. She is just an amazing writer , and I am enthralled by her novels A very satisfying book, wonderfully written and researched She's a consummate storyteller and if anyone has even the remotest interest in history surrounding medieval England, Normandy, or France, I would Customers appreciate the author's skill in bringing the characters to life with her deft sense of personalities and emotions.

They find King Richard fascinating and extraordinary, exploring all aspects of his life. The book provides a refreshing take on the warrior king. I couldn't put it down. All the characters , and events are real and occurred I find these characters intense , unbelievable at times, surprising, horrifying - the list goes on and on Customers appreciate the book's well-researched story.

They praise the author's depth and thoroughness of research, as well as her integrity and effort to get the facts right. Penman provides a great degree of detail and I'm always amazed that despite the introduction of many major and minor characters into her novels, I What I love the best about SKP's works is that she gives much thought and detail to the events leading up to any particular situation They find it fun to read and addictive.

The book is an entertaining way to learn about English and French history during the 12th century. Readers praise the author's ability to make history less boring. These books are addictive and a painless way to learn history. I have since bought all of Penman's books in the Plantagenet series. I feel like I've come full circle I am saddened to know that the author recently died For me tho, each and ever book in the series has been pure joy.

They are written with a lyrical interweaving of fact and fiction Customers enjoy the author's writing style. They find the book engaging and well-researched. The author skillfully brings Richard the Lionheart to life, bringing the historical period to life for readers. I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of this book but I would willingly have paid for my copy without thinking twice about it.

Listen to me, you will not be forgotten. A hundred years from now, men will be sitting around campfires telling the story of Richard the Lionheart. A legendary battle king and a supreme warrior- Richard's deeds read like an adventure novel. They are all absolutely real A topic Penman covers in her endnotes. This book is the second part of Richard's story.

The first is covered in "Lionheart". After undergoing the tortuous Imperial politics that end in his release, Richard must fight against the rebellious lords that seek to give victory to France. It is during this campaign that Richard will perish. The final part of the book deals with the transition to King John's rule. So ends not only Richard's tale, but this wonderful series on the Plantagenet family.

Truly excellent historical fiction that is wonderful to read and very informative. Highly recommend this entire series. In between is a masterful telling of the events of the last seven years of his life. Ralph Peters once wrote that history can tell you that an army marched 22 miles in 95 degree heat and 95 percent humidity and many soldiers fell out, well done historical fiction can make you feel what it was like to make that march.

Penman has succeeded in making the reader feel what it was like to be in Richards orbit. Her telling of his captivity and the efforts to free him is the story of the the first half of this novel and is told masterfully. The scene where he defends himself in front of the HRE Heinrich and the German Diet is definately my favorite in this book. Richard is presented in turn as witty, charming, determined and very intelligent.

As with many of her other novels, Ms. Penman has drawn us some exceptional female characters. They are all well written and really come to life. There concerns are real as well as their feelings for Richard. Eleanor is worried about Richard and John and the fate of the Kingdom, Joanna, while also worried about her brother, finds love in the person of the Count of Toulouse - the main source of romance in the novel, and Berengaria who wonders why Richard is avoiding her.

His main enemy, the French King Philippe, is a great villain. His scheming with Prince John is a joy to read. The Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich is presented as an amoral opportunist. When Richard is captured near Vienna, Heinrich sees this as a way to fund his attempt to seize the throne of Sicily, safe conduct for crusaders be damned.

John is also written as an opportunist who desperately wants to be king. He is actively conspiring with Philippe to keep Richard in Germany. As an aside, I enjoyed the main character of Ms. As a reader of medieval mysteries, I would like to see that series continued. In short this novel is extremely well researched, the characters are well drawn and the story is compelling.

My rating is 4. Rebecca Huston. It's a given that every time Sharon Kay Penman writes a new novel, I'll preorder it, and get my greedy mitts on it. This one I was looking forward to in particular in that it was the follow up to her previous novel Lionheart , which told the story of Richard the Lionheart's time in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade.

But many authors skip over what happened to the king afterwards. But in this one, we get to find out what did, and it's a stunner of a tale. Captured by an enemy, Duke Leopold of Austria, Richard faces imprisionment, humiliation and a struggle that he might not win. Along on the story we get to see his siblings Joanna and John, his mother, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine, and others.

I found it all fascinating, and this book won a spot on my keeper shelves. Five stars overall, and well worth the time. Just keep the hankies nearby for the last part of the book. It highlights his capture in Germany on his way home from the Holy Land crusade, the wars he waged with his brother John and the French king to reclaim the Normandy lands he lost from their duplicity, the castle he built that was not only formidable but was the most expensive fortress at that time, and—for all of his heroism and larger-than-life existence—the tragedy that befell him and led to his rather anticlimactic death in This book gives us a vista of Richard who is not impervious to vulnerability and torment.

After painting him as a glorious fighter and great military strategist in Lionheart , we see him here coming to terms with his personal ghosts that are primarily brought about by his incarceration. While Miss Penman could not claim credence that King Richard truly suffered from trauma, she has explored the possibilities enough to let her imagination stream along the events leading to his capture and allows him to hark back to that harrowing prison experience from time to time.

I admire his bravado and wit and the way he had turned several checkmate moments into his advantage when everyone thought he was already on the losing side. For someone who has relied too much on Wikipedia and Google for historical points to ever think them false i. It is sung in French, and as I'm not familiar with the language, I can only hope that Google has provided me with a reliable English translation of the song.

Roman Clodia. While reading this I'd been thinking that if Penman's Lionheart was her Iliad, then this sequel is her Odyssey with its template of a troubled journey home from war and a digressive rather than linear momentum - it's amusing, then, to see Penman say exactly the same thing in her afterword. For me, this is a book of two halves: the first dealing with Richard's return, capture and imprisonment is the better part.

The second, after the eponymous ransom has been paid, becomes baggy and rather stolid: there are lots of little sieges as Richard rides around England and France to take back lands overrun by the French or his brother John or rebellious barons and other opponents. His women also come to the fore, also riding around Europe with various escorts. Penman is always what I think of as a documentary writer: she retells the history based on research, rather than shaping it into a romantic plot.

The first half of this book is fascinating in the intricate politics between the Emperor, the church and national rulers. Without much of a guiding narrative in the second half, some of my interest scattered. It must be said that Penman's Richard is pretty much the ideal chivalrous king: he's noble, the most brilliant of fighters, courageous, eloquent, respects his honourable enemies like Saladin, in the previous book , is beloved by all his men however lowly - and though we're told he can be brutal, we don't witness it.

Bringing her Angevin history to a close, this isn't my favourite Penman but it is intelligent, detailed and perhaps the next best thing to reading non-fiction history on Richard's last years. Some amusing anachronisms: 'And I must warn you that I am not susceptible to the "my wife doesn't understand me" school of seduction'. Rio Lynne. Need I say more?

Superbly researched novel! Great writing. Amongst all the characters and yes, there are many Penman makes you feel for these people. You get attached to them, flaws an all. On a personal note, I'm the type when I read I like to stop and google. Is this castle still here? When I began reading this, I was planning my October vacation. My plans changed.

After Penman's descriptions I knew I had to do a road trip in France. Especially, Castle Guillard Richard's final castle. This is the final book in the series. I started with Lionheart. Now I'll go back to the beginning. Castle Guillard. Linda Miss Greedybooks. The continued history of Richard the Lionheart. Wonderfully well written. I love this part of history, and cried as each of them passed.

I anxiously await SKP's next book! Amy Bruno. As soon as one of her novels is announced I immediately pre-order it and then start counting down the days to release. When you read a Penman you know you're reading first-rate historical fiction. She nails every aspect that readers of the genre look for and sets the bar for genre standards. Once again she has worked her magic and created a stunning historical that will be on top of a lot of Best Reads lists this year.

Bold, brilliant, and big over pages! Richard is a larger than life character I also enjoyed the parts of the novel with the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine and Joanna of Sicily. If you like to read strong women, look no further than those two! Once again Penman has excelled with telling the story of the Plantagenets. This was not so much the story of Richard I as his legend is remembered by.

It was a state of constant warfare for four years and in that time the Richard from Lionheart is a very changed man. The story was vivid in detail as all Penman's books are so meticulously researched. For Richard I was just as flawed as any person and in the end that was his undoing. A book full of tragedy, with the deaths of so many characters so young.

With moments of triumph on the battlefield or alliances made. Loyalty and betrayal were hand in hand as the battle between two men Richard and Philip for control of Normandy and the Angevin Empire. A very worthy conclusion to the story of the Plantagenets. If you love historical fiction then this series is a wonderful one to start. Deborah Pickstone.

This is an outstanding book, brilliantly researched and a convincing set of theories about possibly the least English King of England. I highly recommend it and its companion novel which is the first of the two. My only complaint is an over-reliance on visiting dead characters in dreams and fever states. The dreams, sure - the voices of the dead - no.

I received a copy of this book as part of the First Reads program. While I enjoyed them, the two Richard books are my least favourite of the Plantagenet series - perhaps because I do not enjoy the military history as much as the diplomatic. The first half of King's Ransom was enthralling, however, describing Richard's return to Europe, capture and eventual ransom.

But the second half was very slow-paced - describing battles without much insight into the historical figures, apparently because not much is known else is known about their actions in those few years. Fans of Penman should read this one, but if you are new to her I would begin with the other Plantagenet books. Andrew Gillsmith. Sharon Kay Penman can do no wrong.

She is not only a meticulous researcher, she has a singular gift for small details that bring these historical characters to life. Her Plantagenets series is my favorite historical fiction of all time. A King's Ransom picks up where Lionheart left off. Richard is on his way back from a mostly successful Crusade in the Holy Land. It is up to his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, to secure his release from captivity.

Meanwhile, his ne'er do well younger brother, John, conspires with the French king and German emperor in order to advance his own claim on the throne of England. Although Richard the Lionheart evokes descriptions of courage, valiance, fierceness, and pure strength; even the most commanding individual can hit rock bottom. This gives fresh perspectives to the story while also moving the plot and keeping it from tiring out.

The emotional value of the novel is quite high and noticeably results in a page-turner. On the other hand, these pages shine on Eleanor of Aquitaine putting her character and person on a pedestal manifesting her legacy. This wraps up the Plantagenet saga well beginning with Eleanor and ending with Eleanor. Penman close up the story on a strong note leaving the reader sated.

A disappointing listen. The narrator lost me and did too many voices in a monotone fashion. Diana Long. Author 1 book 34 followers. This is the 5th and final novel in the Plantagenet series written by author Penman. I can't recommend works by this author enough. It's apparently clear from beginning to end that a great deal of time was spent on researching and creating a cohesive story.

The Medieval era was not for the faint hearted and throughout the books not only does the family go to war with other nations but also fights amongst themselves. Add a crusade, imprisonments and some pretty nasty ways to be tortured, if you made it past forty you would be lucky. Henry II with Eleanor of Aquitaine made a powerful couple. This long-anticipated sequel to the national bestseller Lionheart is a vivid and heart-wrenching story of the last event-filled years in the life of Richard, Coeur de Lion.

Taken captive by the Holy Roman Emperor while en route home in violation of the papal decree protecting all crusaders he was to spend fifteen months imprisoned, much of it in the notorious fortress at Trefils, from which few men ever left alive, while Eleanor of Aquitaine moved heaven and earth to raise the exorbitant ransom. For the five years remaining to him, betrayals, intrigues, wars, and illness were ever present.