Shadows and Strongholds (Hardcover)

The Falcons of Montabard by Elizabeth Chadwick 4.8 out of 5 stars (5)  £5.59

Lords of the White Castle by Elizabeth Chadwick 4.2 out of 5 stars (4)  £5.59

The Winter Mantle by Elizabeth Chadwick 4.7 out of 5 stars (7)  £5.59

The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick 4.9 out of 5 stars (21)  £5.59

The Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick 4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  £5.59

› Explore similar items

Review
'The best writer of mediaeval fiction currently around' - HISTORICAL NOVEL REVIEW 'Elizabeth Chadwick knows exactly how to write convincing and compelling historical fiction' - Marina Oliver

Medieval lords and ladies live and love-and launch a lot of rocks and arrows at each other-in 12th-century England. Brunin FitzWarin is the hero of British author Chadwick's (Lords of the White Castle, 2002, etc.) historically based, occasionally ripping tale of life and war at the beginning of Henry II's reign. When young Brunin's father decides that the quiet lad won't amount to anything if he's raised at home, he sends him to squire for his ally, Joscelin de Dinan. Years pass, and under the tutelage of the kind yet exacting de Dinan, the brooding Brunin grows into a well-muscled man, keeping just enough of his dark mysteriousness to attract the attention of de Dinan's red-haired (and therefore feisty, naturally) daughter, Hawise. As childhood games turn to flirtation, Henry II ascends the throne, calling on both the FitzWarins and de Dinans to aid him in his bloody struggle. Brunin finds himself fighting for his king-and his life-soon after marrying Hawise. Amid the chaos, the Welsh capture Brunin's inheritance while de Dinan's rival Gilbert de Lacy (with the help of Brunin's childhood rival Ernalt de Lysle) plots to steal de Dinan's land, meaning our hero must now not only serve his king but regain his family's land and help protect the castle of his in-laws, all while keeping a bevy of similar-sounding names and places straight. Perhaps most daunting of all, he needs to get his red-tressed bride pregnant or face the wrath-and mockery-of his sharp-tongued and mean-spirited grandmother. Like an old sword: mostly dull, but with a few bright spots. (Kirkus Reviews)

Product Description
A Mediaeval tale of pride and strife, of coming of age in a world where chivalry is a luxury seldom afforded, especially by men of power. An awkward misfit, loathed by his powerful and autocratic grandmother, nine-year-old Fulke FitzWarin leaves his family to be fostered in the household of Joscelin de Dinan, Lord of Ludlow. Here Fulke will learn knightly arts, but before he can succeed, he must overcome the deep-seated doubts that hold him back. Hawise FitzWarin is Joscelin's youngest daughter and she befriends Fulke. As they grow up, an implacable enemy threatens Ludlow and as the pressure mounts, their friendship changes until one fateful day they find themselves staring at each other across a divide. Not only does Fulke have to overcome the shadows of his childhood, he faces a Welsh threat to his family's lands, and the way he feels about Hawise endangers all his hard won confidence. As the menace to Ludlow intensifies, he must either confront the future head on, or fail on all counts, not knowing if Hawise stands with or against him.

See all Product Description

13 Reviews 5 star:  (10) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   14 of 14 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully written, captivating to the end!, 5 Aug 2005 By  Stephanie Patterson - See all my reviews This review is from: Shadows and Strongholds (Paperback) Having read a number of Ms Chadwick's novels, I've come to think of this one as her best to date. It is the gripping story about Fulke 'Brunin' FitzWarin in his younger years and her writing style is as always captivating from the start. Little Brunin first comes across as an introvert boy who'd rather stay out of trouble than being confronted by dangers. A bad experience in childhood has its effect way into his adolescent years. He is sent by his despairing father as a squire to Joscelin de Dinan, ally and friend of the WitzWarin family. Bit by bit, the de Dinan family, and especially headstrong Hawise, second daughter, and naive, besotted Marion, an orphan adopted by the family, manage to bring little Brunin out of his shell. He slowly grows in confidence over the years but it takes a long time - and an unexpected attack on the de Dinan family seat, Ludlow Castle - for him to overcome his fears and fight not just for his own destiny, but also for his benefactor's life. During all this, a subtle love story emerges between Brunin and Hawise that is sealed with a wedding - happily approved by both families. However, undercurrents exist as Marion's admiration turns into destructive jealousy. Feeling rejected as she wasn't chosen to be Brunin's bride, Marion reverts to treason... with dire consequences for all! Ms Chadwick's style of bringing wit and a dry sense of humour into dramatic storylines always manages to show the characters as human, fallible, naive, determined and strong as we all can be - and not as superheroes. Unputdownable and highly recommended!! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   32 of 34 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put it down, 30 Dec 2005 By  Clare Mason (London, United Kingdom United Kingdom) - See all my reviews This review is from: Shadows and Strongholds (Paperback) This was my first experience of Elizabeth Chadwick's books. It combined a super mix of historic detail, great characterisation and romance. What more could a girl ask for on a cold night in November. The fact I couldn't put this book down prompted me to buy as many of Ms Chadwick's back catologue as I could lay my hands on and I have to say I haven't been disappointed by anything I've read and look forward to reading more of her wonderful stories in the future. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   31 of 33 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars SHADOWS AND STRONGHOLDS IS SUPERB!, 18 Aug 2004 By  Kimberly Gelderman (Spring Lake, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    This is a medieval tale of Brunin FitzWarin and Hawise de Dinan. It begins in England, 1148 and ten year old Brunin is a misfit in his own family. He is a quiet child and is tormented by his brothers and is detested by his own paternal grandmother, Mellette. His beautiful mother, Eve, is a shy, quiet woman who doesn't have the mettle to stand up to her mother-in-law or her domineering husband, Fulke FitzWarin and therefore is incapable of protecting herself, let alone her oldest son. Brunin's father decides that the boy needs encouragement to fully develop and sends him to be fostered in the household of his friend, Joscelin de Dinan, Lord of Ludlow. Brunin will learn the knightly arts but he must also learn to overcome his own self-doubts. There he meets Hawise, the youngest daughter of Lord Joscelin and they form a friendship while growing up together at Ludlow. He learns to fight with Lord Joscelin, and his father for Henry of Anjou for Henry's crown against King Stephen. However, in the background, rival threats against Ludlow and Whittington become more prevalent and additional battles must be fought. This is an extremely well-written book and delves deep into the personalities of the main characters, especially Brunin and Hawise. I felt their emotions so strongly it was almost akin to being in their shoes. A veritable page turner! I couldn't stop and was sad to see it end! Another winner for author Elizabeth Chadwick and anyone who reads her novels! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 13 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars I really must stop this..! Lovely, lovely book BUT, I have to stop living in the 12th. and 13th. centuries (although, as things as they are, maybe I should stay there!). Read more Published 8 months ago by Mrs. Judith Lugg 5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious This book is what the term 'page turner' was invented for. It is truly 'delicious' and needs to be read twice - once just to find out what happens and the second to savour the... Read more Published 8 months ago by J. E. Martin 5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Coming of Age Story This book is the story of Fulke "Brunin" Fitzwarin, taking him from childhood to his manhood. As a young boy, Brunin withdraws into himself to avoid the pain from his domineering... Read more Published 21 months ago by Misfit 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent novel set in twelfth century England. I heard about Elizabeth Chadwick a while ago and although her novels are set in an era I've never really focused much upon, I decided to give her books a go. Read more Published 22 months ago by little_miss_sunnydale 5.0 out of 5 stars Another Extremely Enjoyable Read Much of Elizabeth Chadwick's research is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, this is an early medieval re-enactment society. Read more Published on 19 Jan 2007 by J. Chippindale 4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! A brilliant read, really well written, good story and set in a great area. Thanks a lot for such a good book. Published on 1 Nov 2006 by Historical Jude 4.0 out of 5 stars History for history-haters! I was one of those people who hate history and anything that is remotely related to it. Needless to say, I had never read any historical fiction before I came across this book... Read more Published on 4 Oct 2006 by Wrecky World 5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Story from Elizabeth Chadwick! I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the novels I've read so far by Elizabeth Chadwick. She can easily transport me to medieval England from the first page. Read more Published on 20 Mar 2006 by Anne Whitfield 5.0 out of 5 stars An imaginative development of a famous legend Ms Chadwick has taken tantalising details from a very poorly documented historical period and developed them into a credible and generally believable adventure story. Read more Published on 4 Oct 2005 by Geoffrey H. Dalton 4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasing page turner. This book was my first experience of this authors work, I have not read a novel set in medieval times before either. Read more Published on 22 Aug 2005 by lorrainebatty Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 13 customer reviews...

Brilliant new reads 2: A list by Fiction Fan   Historical Fiction: A list by D. Loughlin "faramirdl"   essential historical fiction: A list by Jala sufian "jala" Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

• Books > Children's Books
• Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > C > Chadwick, Elizabeth
• Books > Fiction > By Period
• Books > Study Books > Schools > GCSE > English > Literature
• Books > Study Books > Undergraduate & Postgraduate > Arts & Humanities > Literature & Drama > General

Modern fiction
Fiction / General
English literature: fiction texts
Fiction
General
General & Literary Fiction


i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

• Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
• I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
• I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.