Historical Fiction
TO DEFY A KING (ISBN 9781402250897)
by Elizabeth Chadwick
Genre: Medieval, England, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Sensuality: HOT
Setting: Medieval England
RT Rating 4 ½ Stars

It is no surprise that Chadwick is one of the most respected authors of medieval historical novels. Her keen sense of time and place, her three-dimensional characters, detailed and vibrant descriptions and heart-pounding plots carry readers from first page to last and leave them wanting more.

Spirited, rebellious Mahelt Marshal lives an envied life as the daughter to one of England’s most powerful men, but when King John believes William Marshal is against him her life changes. Her brothers become John’s hostages, and she is quickly wed to Hugh Bigod son of the Earl of Norfolk. She and Hugh forge a strong marriage based on love and respect, but her father-in-law finds Mahelt far too outspoken and fears her unruly nature will be the family’s ruin. When King John begins making demands on the Bigods, Mahelt and Hugh’s marriage is threatened. But she is not a woman to fall in fear of a ruthless, arrogant king. Once a rebellious child she is now a powerful woman determined to see England free of John’s autocratic rule. She is also a woman who wants to hold her marriage together, and she must learn how to be a wife, mother and leader. (SOURCEBOOKS, Mar., 544 pp., $14.99)

Reviewed By: Kathe Robin