The Siege Winter audiobook

One of the best British historical novels I have read and I have read many. This passionate, fast moving and atmospheric novel captures the brutality and horror of the civil war in England in the 12th century between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda.The characters are deep and well rounded and you get caught up in the drama.A Breton mercenary Gwil, fighting in the Cambridgeshire Fens stumbles across Emma, an eleven year old peasant girl who has been raped and severely hurt by a devil in a monk's guise who has obsessively rapes and murders red haired girls.He adopts her and teaches her to shoot a bow and she becomes an expert archer.Meanwhile a 15 year old noblewoman Maud is forced to marry an older brute of a nobleman, arrogant, boorish and callous. But she soon shows her metal and comes into her own.A much sought after parchment comes into play and puts our friends in danger.Captures the sights, sounds, smells and emotions of 12th century England. I was glued for every sentence and finshed it in two days. One comes to deeply care about the two girls who the novel centers around.This is a book you must read if you like historical fiction. Ariana Franklin was master story teller and will be sorely missed.

I’m not a great fan of historical fiction, but I loved the Adelia Aguilar books of Ariana Franklin. She avoided everything I dislike about the genre and wrote so vividly, with so much fun, creating characters that were real, lovable and enduring. And so, like many other Franklin fans, I’ve been eager for Ariana’s daughter, Samantha Norman, to finish her mother’s last novel. First, the disappointment (for me, anyway). The Winter Siege is not an Adelia book, being set largely in 1141, around forty years before Adelia arrives in England. This England is a place of fear and bloodshed, a country torn apart by civil war. Henry 1 has died with no male heir. His daughter, Matilda, betrayed by barons who once swore fealty, flees from one safe haven to the next. Her cousin, Stephen, meanwhile, tightens his grip on the crown. Mercenaries crawl the countryside like roaches whilst the rotting wings of anarchy, lawlessness, and cruelty cast long dark shadows across the land. Peace, especially for the poor, is but a distant dream. Amidst the mayhem, Em, a striking red-haired child of 11 (older sister to Gyltha from the Adelia series) is carried off one day by a gang of mercenaries led by an evil (and evil smelling) monk. Gwil, a mercenary, watching the abduction with us, can imagine exactly what will be happening to her. He hardly expects to see her again. But Em survives. Gwil finds her, half-naked and half-alive and nurses her back to health. With no memories of her ordeal, Em (now posing as a boy called Penda) becomes Gwill’s protégée and, like him, a superb archer. Together they travel the land, trying their fortunes with a band of travelling players, a castle under siege and even a fleeing Empress. All this time, the spectre of the foul-smelling monk pursues them. The big question for me, of course, was whether The Winter Siege would capture the insightful, compelling, irreverent style that was so much a part of the Franklin experience. Pretty much, is the answer and I read the first few chapters with a huge sense of relief. Admittedly, there were a few moments when I thought Norman might be straying into territory her mother worked so hard to avoid. Lady Maud’s romance, for example, had a touch of the Mills and Boon about it. On the whole, though, I’d be lying if I claimed I could see the join. The Winger Siege is a strong story, well written, with engaging and distinctive characters. Having finished it, I find myself hoping it won’t be the last ‘Ariana Franklin’ book. Adelia, Rowley, Mansur and Henry might just be safe in Samantha Norman’s hands.

What fans of good historical fiction mysteries weren’t devastated to hear about the death of the writer Ariana Franklin (pen name of Diana Norman) in 2011? She did leave us a wonderful gift, however: a final novel, completed by her daughter Samantha Norman, and it is a very good work indeed.This book is not part of the series featuring the medical examiner Adelia Aguilar but is a standalone novel in the same time period, i.e., the mid-12th Century, and also set in England. During this era, England was torn by a civil war between supporters of Stephen (grandson of William the Conqueror), and his cousin, the Empress Matilda, for the throne of England. Occupants of cathedrals as well as castles were forced to take sides. One stronghold in particular, the fictional Kenniford Castle, is desired by both sides in this story, because it is on the site of a key Thames crossing. The castle’s mistress is 16-year-old Maud, a ward of King Stephen. We first meet her when she is being forced to marry the much older, crass and barbaric John of Tewing, who arrived at the castle for the wedding with both his son and his mistress.In alternate chapters, we also follow the fate of a young girl from the Fens who had gone out fetching fuel with her family. She was caught by a group of men led by a sadistic rapist and killer (also a monk), who had a penchant for red-headed children. Little Em was left for dead, but was found by Gwilherm de Vannes, a mercenary who had his horse stolen by the very men who ravaged Em. Gwil nurses the girl back to health. She remembers nothing of the trauma that almost killed her, nor of her life before it, nor even her name. Gwil calls her Penda after a Pagan warlord. They cut her hair and disguise her as a boy, and Gwil teaches her to defend herself with a bow. The two travel through the countryside earning money by giving archery exhibitions. What Gwil doesn’t share with Penda is his determination to track down and destroy the monk who brutalized her. In addition, he suspects the monk may not be done yet with Penda, because when Gwil found her, she was clutching a valuable parchment that the monk would want to recover.Events take a turn when Mathilda and two protectors, Alan and Christopher, stumble upon Gwil and Penda during a snowstorm, and take shelter with them. They beseech Gwil and Penda to help them get Mathilda to safety, and the five of them end up at Maud’s castle. Before long, the castle is besieged by the much larger and better armed forces of Stephen. Discussion: The depiction of life in the 12th Century, especially the daily concerns of a castle chatelaine, is excellent. The growing relationship between Gwil and Penda is something you will want to hold onto; it is incredibly touching, as are the relationships between Maud and those she comes to love.Evaluation: There is plenty of action and suspense in this book; a lot of good period background; and marvelous characterizations. Stock up on kleenex.

This was one of the best historical fiction books I've read in a long time. After just finishing it I want to go back and re-read it again, just because...I was apprehensive because I haven't been the biggest fan of Matilda in my studies, to be frank she wasn't a very good politician and many times could have won the war if she had been more of a tactician. This book was more aligned with the supporting characters and how the arena of war can turn men cold and women into heroines. It wasn't until the 1950s that the idea of women being housewives was created, many women in fact ran households, farmed, collected rent, and worked hard. In medieval times sometimes your husband would disappear for upwards of 10 years and these women were expected to keep up their land and home. This book not only brought this history to light but also showed women taking control of their own destinies. There is action, warfare, intrigue, and famous noblemen betrayal, selling themselves to the highest bidder. A perfect representation of the era and beautifully written. The names can be cumbersome and drag down the flow of the novel, but that's history for you! A very good and highly recommended read for historical fiction lovers!

Listening to this makes me realize how much I miss Arianna Franklin, author of the fabulous Mistress of the Art of Death series, who died before it was finished. She's such a good storyteller and gives us involving though flawed characters, compelling stories, lovely writing, and a real sense of time and place. This is set in 12th century England and employs 2 time lines to tell the tale. The Abbot of Perton Abbey is dying, but he has a story to tell and requests a copyist to record it. That's 1183. The story line switches between then and the 1140s when Stephen and Maud/Mathilda were battling for the throne and fighting their way across England. Maud of Kenneford was a political pawn whom Stephen married to a boor so he could control her castle at an important river crossing, but Stephen wasn't always in control, so the castle was twice besieged (hence the title). Other key players are Em, a young girl from the fens who was raped by a group of soldiers and a particularly vile monk. Gwill, an aging mercenary, came upon her body and nursed her back to health. This is a great story with lots battles and much about shooting with bows and arrows and the new crossbow, and life in the castle and the characters who lived there. Richly detailed people and places, character-centered and investigative (Gwill means to make Em's attackers pay for their crime), heartbreaking and heartwarming, gritty with details of violence. A wonderful tale of "how war affects everyone." Reading's mostly somber narration highlights the gravity of the story, although there are occasional bits of humor. Wonderful reading of a memorable historical novel with a little mystery. So riveting, I listened in a day.

The kind of book that reminds me why I love reading. Ariana Franklin will be greatly missed, though I look forward to reading her daughter's books.

What a resounding finale this tale is to the "Mistress of the Art of Death" series, even though it is a prequel. It made me want to go back and start reading the series all over again, and for this: 5 happy stars. If you watched the 'Brother Cadfael' series back in the '80s, you remember that in 1141 a.d. King Stephen and his cousin, the Empress Matilda, were vying for the British crown. It's in this dangerous time that our kind-hearted mercenary archer, Gwil, finds a near-dead, violated girl child who he nurses back to health, teaches his craft and conceals in the persona of a boy. "Penda" has no memory of her previous life and she continues to be in danger. You learn a good deal about castles in this one; how they are run, how they are defended during a siege, and how they can be betrayed. As expected with Franklin's works, there are loveable, larger-than-life characters carried along by amusing, irreverent repartee. My very favorite historical mystery series and highly recommended.

** spoiler alert ** I love the Mistress of the Art of Death books, and City of Shadows, but it's taken me a while to read this one--and I'm torn. It has Franklin's great writing, and great characters, but frankly, it was too sad for me. I simply don't like it when writers kill characters I care about--but that's the only reason this book doesn't have 5 stars.

Atmospheric and wintry novel set during the Anarchy, which focuses events around a young traumatised girl, a mercenary soldier and a female castelaine - this is really rather moving at times.

A novel set during the time period of 1141 AD - when Stephen and Matilda vied for the throne of England. The story is told from the perspective of Gwil - a mercenary who finds a young red haired girl who has been violated and left for dead by an evil monk who aspires to greatness. Gwil takes the girl as a ward, teaches her to be an archer, and together they travel the country and one night in a terrible snowstorm provide shelter for three people that will change their lives forever. I knew very little about this period in English history, and found the story fascinating.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4 Taking place during the Anarchy - with the struggle for the crown between Steven and Mathilda raging (sometimes in the background and sometimes part of the storyline) during the time of William Marshal (not mentioned) , this book begins as a dying abbot has a story he must tell. As he tells it, he withers away...as if it is, in part, what keeps him alive. Filled with knights and ordinary people, it is a tale of love and betrayal...of defilement and redemption.

Before Winter Siege I’d actually only read one book by Ariana Franklin, to wit Mistress of the Art of Death . I loved that book, its setting and its characters and was sad to learn that had passed away only a few weeks before I read the book. When I later discovered that her daughter, Samantha Norman, had finished her last book and that it would still be published, I really wanted to read it, especially since it is set in a time period that holds a special place in my heart. The Anarchy, as the period is known, is the one that first drew me to reading historical crime fiction through the mysteries of Ellis Peters’ Cadfael books. While set in the same period as Franklin’s Adelia Aguilar books, Winter Siege stands apart from that series and familiarity with her other books isn’t necessary to enjoy this one.Set around the Cambridgeshire Fens and Kenniford Castle, the book’s geographical scope is limited to a specific area of England and we only get glimpses of the strife raging around the country. Yet due to its location, Kenniford is pivotal in the conflict between the Empress Matilda and King Stephen and we encounter both of them during the narrative. And as the title sort of gives away at one point everything converges on Kenniford in a siege and our protagonists are literally confined to the castle grounds for the duration. This having to be packed like fish in a barrel makes tensions rise and the discovery of closely held secrets inevitable.The story centres on three protagonists, the mercenary Gwil, the girl he saves from certain death and who becomes his apprentice called Penda, and lastly the Lady Maud the young chatelaine of Kenniford Castle. My favourites were Gwil and Pen, both because of their bond and because of the scars they bear due to their experiences just before they meet. Gwil might have saved Pen’s life, but Pen is Gwil’s salvation; she allows him to reclaim his humanity, to atone for his past and to feel that he’s done some good in the world. To Pen, Gwil becomes protector, friend, and father figure all rolled into one. I loved the way Franklin and Norman developed this relationship, gradually moving from Gwil’s grudgingly taking her in and Pen’s wary, skittish distrust to a close and deep bond. Their final scenes in the book broke my heart and had me swiping at my eyes surreptitiously.While not my favourite protagonist, Lady Maud was definitely quite sympathetic and I enjoyed her strength of spirit. Forced into a marriage as a reward for her soon-to-be husband, she is shackled to the odious Sir John. He is far older and prefers the bed of his mistress to hers, a fact for which Maud is entirely grateful. The only good thing her marriage brings Maud is her stepson, Sir John’s son William. She builds a close bond with the boy, becoming a surrogate parent and confidante to him. Together with her governess Milburga, she tries to instil self confidence in William and the power to stand up to his father. What I enjoyed most about Maud is that she was very much limited by her gender and what society allowed her to do, yet within those boundaries she manages to find her way, to take care of her people no matter what, and to gain her own desires. One of which is initially highly inappropriate as he is the mercenary captain Alan of Ghent. Their romance is lovely, though at times a bit swoony, but I really enjoyed that part of Maud’s story.Winter Siege is told through a framed narration: an abbot on his deathbed recites the story to a scribe to ensure that this history isn’t forgotten. I liked the interplay between the abbot and the scribe in their interludes and the character of the scribe that shines through these short passages is as prudish and pedantic as it was amusing. The regular retreat of the story to this narrative frame also allows the reader to glimpse the wider goings-on of the war between Matilda and Stephen, without having to miraculously drop the information into the besieged castle. Since it is a told story, the authors can also compress long periods where nothing happens into a few sentences without having the narrative become choppy. I also found myself trying to work out who the abbot was, only guessing his identity about three-quarters into the book.Even if Winter Siege wasn’t started as a collaboration and only ended up that way through circumstance, the blending of the two authorial voices is seamless. I couldn’t tell where Franklin’s writing ended and Norman’s started. They meshed incredibly well, for which Norman should be lauded, because that is all her achievement. Winter Siege is a compelling and sometimes harrowing story of survival and learning to thrive anew. If you like the early medieval period as a setting for your stories and like a good mystery, then Winter Siege comes very much recommended. And the good news is that Samantha Norman is working on the 5th book in the Adelia Aguilar series, so there is more of her writing to come if Winter Siege whets your appetite.This book was provided for review by the publisher.

An excellent story set in the 1200s during the time of Empress Matilda and King Stephen. The story is told from the point of view of several different characters. I loved all of the characters and really enjoyed how they entwined together. I have enjoyed all of Ariana Franklin's books and this one was no exception.