Daughters of the Grail
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Product Description
Review
Suspenseful and dramatic. Readers will care about these characters (Sharon Kay Penman )
Book Description
* A mediaeval historical saga set in 13th century France.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and this is one of my favourite novels, on par with MISTS OF AVALON and PILLARS OF THE EARTH, if not in scope (this one is only 500 pages long) then in literary experience.
Set in 13th century France, DAUGHTERS OF THE GRAIL (also known as CHILDREN OF DESTINY) tells the story of the Cathar faith, a spiritual movement of Christian origins that opposed the corruption, violence and materialism of the Catholic Church. As the Cathar movements gains momentum, the Catholic leaders organize a bloody crusade (now known as the Albigensian Crusade) to wipe out all "heretics".
Bridget, a powerful healer and psychic descended from Mary Magdalene, is at the heart of the story. Her role is to carry the on the spiritual blood lineage (the Holy Grail) and pass on her healing talents, while evading persecution by the Catholic Church. Other characters include Luke, a Templar Knight, Raoul, a noble Cathar sympathizer, Claire, his wife, Friar Bernard an over-zealous Catholic and Simon de Monford, the vicious crusade leader. All characters are intertwined in a delicious web of drama and adventure, sprinkled with a few romantic sub-plots.
On her website, Chadwick describes how she uses social re-enactment to immerse herself in a specific period of history - this is evident in her writing. The descriptions are so vivid, the characters so believable and the details so engrossing, you forget you are reading fiction.
I heartily recommend this book!
Set in 13th century France, DAUGHTERS OF THE GRAIL (also known as CHILDREN OF DESTINY) tells the story of the Cathar faith, a spiritual movement of Christian origins that opposed the corruption, violence and materialism of the Catholic Church. As the Cathar movements gains momentum, the Catholic leaders organize a bloody crusade (now known as the Albigensian Crusade) to wipe out all "heretics".
Bridget, a powerful healer and psychic descended from Mary Magdalene, is at the heart of the story. Her role is to carry the on the spiritual blood lineage (the Holy Grail) and pass on her healing talents, while evading persecution by the Catholic Church. Other characters include Luke, a Templar Knight, Raoul, a noble Cathar sympathizer, Claire, his wife, Friar Bernard an over-zealous Catholic and Simon de Monford, the vicious crusade leader. All characters are intertwined in a delicious web of drama and adventure, sprinkled with a few romantic sub-plots.
On her website, Chadwick describes how she uses social re-enactment to immerse herself in a specific period of history - this is evident in her writing. The descriptions are so vivid, the characters so believable and the details so engrossing, you forget you are reading fiction.
I heartily recommend this book!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Daughters of the Grail is a very well written book, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I've rewarded the marks not on how much I enjoyed this but more for how good a story it was and how well it was put together. I was engrossed at the start of this book but I rapidly discovered (as I have with other novels) that being set so far into the past is something I just can't get away with reading.
The characters are evocative and the descriptive narrative lends itself to an imaginative world. The novel is set in thirteenth-century France where Bridget has learned to master the gifts bestowed upon her from the ancestor, Mary Magdalene. The unbroken female lineage has allowed for her magical wisdom to remain alive. The Catholic Church at the time was against `witchcraft' and sought to kill those using the healing talents passed down generation to generation.
The story at the start shows us Bridget as a younger girl just at the time of her mother's death (this is not a spoiler, it happens within the first chapter). We then move through her life and finally the end of the novel is at the end of Bridget's life time. It is compelling to read and the characters are so beautifully depicted, it just sadly wasn't one for me. The quest Bridget undertakes to continue the bloodline leads her through and into some terrible times and it is where we are introduced to Raoul de Montvallant who for Bridget is what Mr Darcy is to Elizabeth Bennet. The relationship is sparky and exciting but Raoul is wed to Claire (this again is not a spoiler as it happens in Chapter 2).a beautiful girl, portrayed so vividly by fabulous narrative. Life is not kind to anyone in the novel but love, honour, justice and truth prevails in this piece of convincing historical fiction.
The characters are evocative and the descriptive narrative lends itself to an imaginative world. The novel is set in thirteenth-century France where Bridget has learned to master the gifts bestowed upon her from the ancestor, Mary Magdalene. The unbroken female lineage has allowed for her magical wisdom to remain alive. The Catholic Church at the time was against `witchcraft' and sought to kill those using the healing talents passed down generation to generation.
The story at the start shows us Bridget as a younger girl just at the time of her mother's death (this is not a spoiler, it happens within the first chapter). We then move through her life and finally the end of the novel is at the end of Bridget's life time. It is compelling to read and the characters are so beautifully depicted, it just sadly wasn't one for me. The quest Bridget undertakes to continue the bloodline leads her through and into some terrible times and it is where we are introduced to Raoul de Montvallant who for Bridget is what Mr Darcy is to Elizabeth Bennet. The relationship is sparky and exciting but Raoul is wed to Claire (this again is not a spoiler as it happens in Chapter 2).a beautiful girl, portrayed so vividly by fabulous narrative. Life is not kind to anyone in the novel but love, honour, justice and truth prevails in this piece of convincing historical fiction.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Please note: some may consider the following as potentially containing some plot spoilers.
Although the subject matter of the persecution of the Cathars in this book was interesting and as always I cannot fault Ms Chadwick's fluid writing and research, I found the constant references to the 'life force' caused a bit of a 'human' barrier for me, preventing any real attachment to the characters and their lives.
But the aspect that I found the most difficult to stomach was the cold and calculated way in which the aforementioned 'life force' was passed from Bridget to Magda.
Basically Catharian Bridget - who had proof she was descended in an unbroken female line from Mary Magdalene - wanted Raoul (a man from her dreams/visions she knew was married) to get her pregnant with a daughter to continue the line. And so, before you can say 'hello soldier', they have a one night stand and she duly gets 'with child' on the first and last attempt with Magda.
Meanwhile Raoul's wife, Claire, is being brutally raped by Simon De Montfort, who persecutes her Catharian people. Claire similarly finds herself pregnant as a result, giving birth to Dominic who is taken away from her at birth and brought up with De Montfort's other Catholic children.
No prizes for guessing what happens when Magda and Dominic meet.
Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad book by any means and will certainly not stop me from reading future books by the author. It's just that I found that, for me, it lacked the elusive X factor of Elizabeth Chadwick's other books (of which I have read almost all).
Although the subject matter of the persecution of the Cathars in this book was interesting and as always I cannot fault Ms Chadwick's fluid writing and research, I found the constant references to the 'life force' caused a bit of a 'human' barrier for me, preventing any real attachment to the characters and their lives.
But the aspect that I found the most difficult to stomach was the cold and calculated way in which the aforementioned 'life force' was passed from Bridget to Magda.
Basically Catharian Bridget - who had proof she was descended in an unbroken female line from Mary Magdalene - wanted Raoul (a man from her dreams/visions she knew was married) to get her pregnant with a daughter to continue the line. And so, before you can say 'hello soldier', they have a one night stand and she duly gets 'with child' on the first and last attempt with Magda.
Meanwhile Raoul's wife, Claire, is being brutally raped by Simon De Montfort, who persecutes her Catharian people. Claire similarly finds herself pregnant as a result, giving birth to Dominic who is taken away from her at birth and brought up with De Montfort's other Catholic children.
No prizes for guessing what happens when Magda and Dominic meet.
Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad book by any means and will certainly not stop me from reading future books by the author. It's just that I found that, for me, it lacked the elusive X factor of Elizabeth Chadwick's other books (of which I have read almost all).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Gripping and exquisite
I love historical fiction, and with it being my first Elizabeth Chadwick book I wasn't sure what to expect, but she did not disappoint. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Alicia
Not as good as usual
I enjoyed the book but it is not my favorite of Chadwick's book. I think if I had read this book first I would not have bought her other books. Read more
Published on 14 Dec 2009 by Danielle Amundsen
Another fantastic Elizabeth Chadwick novel
Daughters of the Grail is the seventh book by Elizabeth Chadwick that I've read, and like the others it is well-written, exciting, moving, happy, sad, tense and everything else you... Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2009 by princess jem
Not her best, but still...
Set in France in the early 13th century, Daughters of the Grail (previously published as Children of Destiny) features the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heresy. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2009 by K. Huff
Everything a bodice-ripper should be!
Excuse the phrase but anything historical and 'romantic' just has to be classified as a bodice ripper in my book! And I love them! Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2009 by DaisyBelle
Sends shivers down your spine
It's not often that a novel ticks all the boxes for me, but this does. It is well written, is informative (about history), has a strong narrative and the author also has a... Read more
Published on 24 Mar 2008 by Dr. M. Samanta-laughton
Too many battle scenes
Sorry to be the first to give this book 3 stars, but I really struggled with it. I found the tedious battle scenes / sword fights and the constant use of old words such as... Read more
Published on 19 Dec 2007 by DubaiReader
Touching!
I totally love this novel, although it was sad read, I enjoyed reading it.
Raoul, Claire, Magda, Dominic and many other characters are really well developed and i felt... Read more
Raoul, Claire, Magda, Dominic and many other characters are really well developed and i felt... Read more
Published on 2 April 2007 by Lo$tris
Very Good
I completely agree this is an excellent book BUT - be aware if you are thinking this seems familiar and you own CHILDREN of DESTINY (published 1993) by Elizabeth Chadwick, it is... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2007 by Jilana
One of Her Best Yet
Elizabeth Chadwick has a string of excellent historical novels behind her. Much of her research is carried out as a member of a medieval re-enactment society called Regia Anglorum. Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2007 by J. Chippindale
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