The Rebel Princess [Paperback]

I greatly enjoyed Judith Koll Healey's first book, The Canterbury Papers: A Novel, despite the occasional historical inaccuracy and clunky writing style, because her plot and characters were fresh and entertaining. Unfortunately, her follow-up retains the flaws (and adds to them) without maintaining the freshness.

In this novel, set in 1207, several years after the events of the first book, Princess Alais of France is at her brother's court in Paris when he receives a mysterious warning not to interfere -- as the Pope has requested -- in the affairs of the quasi-independent domains in the south overseen by Count Raymond of Toulouse. Throw in a vanishing chalice and the apparent kidnapping of Alais's son by Henry Plantagenet, the late king of England (his parentage still unknown to anyone but Alais and her lover, the Templar leader William of Caen) after a tragic tournament, and before long, Alais has hotfotted it down to the southern provinces. Once there, she becomes entangled with the efforts of religious leaders, led by an evil abbot, to stamp out the emerging Cathar 'heresy'.

The events around which the author has built what she calls a 'romance' (in the classic, medieval troubador sense of the word -- "tales of mystery, adventure and love" in the author's words) were real, and dramatic. Thousands were killed in what became known as the Albigensian crusade when at the Pope's behest, monks and northern barons took the lead in combatting the Cathars and their theological challenge to Rome as well as their de facto challenge to the lavish and corrupt lives lived by many bishops and other religious leaders of the 12th and 13th centuries. But this book, which doesn't really pick up the pace enough to engage the reader until nearly halfway through, doesn't do justice to those events. Major plot elements, like the missing chalice, seem to be there as mere decoration rather than as a way to move the story forward or show how the characters are developing or changing. There are contradictions within pages of each other (Constance of Toulouse is said to have claimed she knows where the chalice is in exchange for a ransom, only a page after saying she tried to claim it but that it was stolen) that mount up as the book proceeds and become irritating. And the throwaway usage of French phrases to remind the reader that the events are taking place in France is downright absurd in the level of artificiality it creates; every so often the author throws in a 'palais' or "toilettage", "carte" (instead of map), or sūreté (in place of safety) in a way that sounds extremely unnatural and stilted and may even send some readers scurrying for a dictionary to make sure they haven't missed something. (When the French words are only for effect, they disrupt the narrative and make it harder for a reader to immerse himself or herself in the story.) Sometimes, both what is said and how it's said is equally unconvincing, as when Alais's chidlhood friend, Joanna, comments, "Cathar? Moi? Don't be amusing, Alais. I cannot abide religion in any form."

In any novel, something that pulls the reader away from the story and forces him or her to puzzle out a piece of bad or confusing writing, reconcile the events the author is describing with what the reader knows of a subject or in any other way interrupts the sheer joy of following a story from start to finish is disruptive and disappointing. When it happens repeatedly in the same book, it makes that book harder to read and less enjoyable. Here, the awkward writing (Philippe, the king of France, has a "questing expression") is just part of the problem. A bigger issue for some historical fiction fans to swallow will be the anachronisms and inaccuracies, from large to small. I don't have a problem with an author interpreting known facts in creative ways to make a great work of fiction, or filling in the giant gaps that often exist in those known facts in ways that are plausible and convincing. (After all, that's what made possible some really great historical novels set in medieval Europe, such as Sharon Kay Penman's sagas or Anya Seton's classic, Katherine.) In this case, the author commits nearly all the mistakes that a historical fiction novelist can, when she didn't need to do so in order to convey either a sense of period or to move her plot forward. Her characters, across the board, display beliefs that that are out of line with the culture of the time, and the book is full of anachronisms. (Velvet wasn't known in the European courts until specialized looms were developed around 1300; so velvet bedhangings would have been impossible.) I'm not even referring to major issues, such as the fact that the historical Alais was married, a middle-aged mother to a few daughters and countess of the Vexin by this time, or that Joanna of Toulouse had been dead for nearly a decade by the time of the events in the story. It's the cumulative effect of the sometimes ponderous and often awkward writing, the historical errors and anachronisms, etc. that has led me to award this only 2.5 stars, rounded up out of nostalgia for her first book, which I did find to be a gripping read that transcended the flaws that in the sequel have become all-too apparent. And even if I could ignore those, the abrupt end (I actually wondered if a chapter hadn't been included in my Kindle copy of the book!) to the story -- which presumably marks the fact that the author is preparing a sequel -- was far too jarring to be respectful to readers.

This book, while set in an earlier age, may appeal to those readers who enjoyed Posie Graeme-Evans' trilogy set in the 15th century (The Innocent: A Novel), due to the same kind of mixture of adventure and history, the presence of alternatives to orthodox religion, and the cheerful disregard for historical fact in the pursuit of fiction. But I'd advise anyone who likes historical accuracy and eloquent writing to look elsewhere. If you crave well-written historical mysteries set in a similar period, take a look at the four books written by Sharon Penman, such as The Queen's Man: A Medieval Mystery (Medieval Mysteries), which are truly suspenseful, historically true to life and engagingly written. Or you could seek out the lively, colorful (and accurate and well-crafted) historical novels by Elizabeth Chadwick, some of which are now being released in the US.

Princesse Ala's, sister to the King of France, Philippe was living in dangerous times at the turn of the 12th century. There were religious confrontations with Rome coming, strife with rulers in the south of France and spies abound trying to make their own agenda factual. But being a princess in this place and time meant you were rarely seen and never heard, however Ala's was extraordinary in that her brother sought her council on matters of state and she always stood out in the crowd ready to voice her opinion and to add to all this she was blessed or cursed with a "second sight" that gave her visions and dreams that foretold both the present and future. She let no one intimidate her but did respect her brother and lived secretly with her gift revealing what she saw only to her brother and Templar Grand Master William of Cean, the man she dearly loved.

But Ala's also kept a very deep, dark secret and one that would drive her to take risks and allow any manner of danger to be set upon her. William would also carry this secret as well and made her not reveal of it regardless of how she felt. These two were the closest lovers possible but were kept apart for too many years as William carried out the Pope's agenda. Ala's knew why she must not tell her secret but even the warmth of William's love was going to keep her telling much longer. When a horrid event changes everything for the Kingdom Ala's moves to not only reveal this secret but to free the one person she must tell it to before it is too late. She may be a princess of the house of Capet and the daughter of the Kings of France but, she was at the core a woman who knew when her time had come to be counted and fight for what is right regardless of what may happen to you.

This book is about so much more than one princess living in a time of turmoil - this book is about the spirit of a woman who fights for what is right alongside royalty and commoners. Most important of all it is about a mother who will do anything to protect the child she loves so much. There is history, strife and religious conflict but at the core there is the relationship between a man and a woman who know that time and circumstance may separate them but nothing in the end can destroy their love.

Mary Gramlich is The Reading Reviewer located at [...]

The Rebel Princess takes place seven years after the events in The Canterbury Papers. While the mystery within its pages requires no foreknowledge and can stand on its own, I still feel that it is necessary to read these two books in order. Alais' personal story gets little treatment in The Rebel Princess; therefore, to appreciate her character development and to understand the situation between her, William, and Francis, it's necessary to know what happened in the first book.

I enjoyed re-visiting Alais because I really loved her character in the first book. She didn't disappoint me in this one; Alais was just as strong as ever. I love how Healey made Alais such a put-together woman who is involved in the politics of her brother's kingdom. She is a role model for women of the time; however, she's also vulnerable. She's such a complicated, well-written character - I enjoyed spending time with her in order solving the mystery in the novel! I have to say, though, I enjoyed the mystery portion of The Canterbury Papers more than that of The Rebel Princess, though both are well done.

The history in The Rebel Princess was very well done. Healey provides rich details about Southern France. I didn't know much about the Cathars prior to reading this novel, but Healey has piqued my curiosity. She really involves the reader in the history of the time period. Additionally, there is a very useful note in the back of the book which details the history of the time, and what the author took liberties with. She includes some further reading, in case the reader wants to learn more about the Cathars.

The Rebel Princess was a great novel that was easy to read and enjoyable. I'm so glad that Healey left the end of this novel wide open - I would love a sequel in order to see what happens to Alais next!