The Prince of Darkness

Plantagenet Saga #4

by Jean Plaidy

Multi-million copy and international bestselling author Jean Plaidy paints an incredibly vivid portrait of one of history's most controversial - and terrifying - monarchs... Readers of Philippa Gregory will not be disappointed.

'Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama' -- New York Times
'Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting.' - Observer
'Outstanding' - Vanity Fair
'Compulsive reading' -- ***** Reader review
'I was gripped and want more!' -- ***** Reader review
'Found this book hard to put down and didn't want it to finish' -- ***** Reader review
'Brilliant stuff!!!' -- ***** Reader review
*****************************************************************************
The untimely death of Richard the Lionheart left his nephew Arthur and his younger brother John in contest for the throne of England . Reluctantly the barons chose John, and so began years of rule by a ruthless and greedy tyrant .

Yet despite his reputation, John, still manages to seduce the young and beautiful Isabella of Angoulême . But in taking her as his bride he makes an enemy for life.

And in the tempestuous years that follow many men come to believe that the House of Anjou was tainted by the Devil's blood , the loathsome monarch was himself Evil Incarnate , the very Prince of Darkness...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, British Literature, Plantagenet, 13th Century, Medieval

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Eleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. I've read other Jean Plaidy and really enjoyed them but this one wasn't one I enjoyed all that much. There was too much explanation of what happened and not enough of it actually happening.

[Paola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the king John Lackland the last son of king Henry II of England depicting the poor administration of his realm and his wicked way of behavior.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can be said about this series that I haven't already said? The books are great, the history feels fresh, I'm looking forward to reading all the historical fiction books by this author. King John is one of my favorite British monarchs to read about because he's just so crazy. He does the dumbest things and expects everything to work out for him. What a goof.

[Steven · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't finish reading this one. To me it has too much outdated, disavowed information about John and Richard. Such as Richard being homosexual. I prefer Sharon Penman's more conscientiously researched books.

[Carmen Grandamartino · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bueno, está bien si te gusta la historia. Aun asi lo he leidp en ratos muertos. Quizá no me guste la historia

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Prince of Darkness is the book about the youngest son of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England. Together they had 5 sons and 3 daughters. William the eldest died before his third birthday. Henry, the Young King, was crowned by his father the King when he was 15 years old and died when he was 28 without ever ruling because he predeceased his father he is not counted in the numerical succession of the Kings of England. Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199, aged 41. Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond, he died at a jousting tournament, aged 28.

King John of England reigned as King of England for 17 years,unti is death, aged 50. Being the youngest of 5 sons he was never thought to become the King of England, although his father had other idea of overlooking older sons in favour of John, who it is believed was his favourite son. Before his accession, John had already acquired a reputation for treachery, having conspired sometimes with and sometimes against his elder brothers, Henry, Richard and Geoffrey. In 1184, John and Richard both claimed that they were the rightful heir to Aquitaine, one of many unfriendly encounters between the two. In 1185, John became the ruler of Ireland, but the people grew to despise him, causing John to leave after eight months.King John's reign has been characterised as one of the most disastrous in English history.

This book is another fascinating account of the Plantagenets

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the Plantagenet series , this was the most gripping so far. It has sent me rushing for the next one, keen to discover the further fortunes of these violent monarchs.

[Vee Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prince of Darkness by Jean Plaidy is the fictionalized story of England's King John who reigned from 1199 to 1216.

As the title indicates, John was not a good king. He was selfish, avaricious, and was not averse to murdering those who got in his way.

John ascended to the throne after his older brother Richard died without children. John's first step was to find a suitable wife. Before he could find this suitable wife, he had to get rid of his current wife whom many believe he married to acquire her property. In ten years of marriage, they had had no children and John suddenly realized they really needed to have their marriage dissolved due to "consanguinity." Consanguinity means a couple are too closely related, but this could be very subjective. At any rate, John and wife #1 were 3rd degree cousins meaning they shared a great grandfather who was King Henry I. The pope granted the annulment and John married Isabella of Angouleme...when she was 12. I know, I know. They didn't have their first child until she was 19 for what it's worth. At the time they got married, Isabella had been engaged to Huge IX of Lusignan who was considerably older than her. This will come into play later.

When John gained the throne, England had substantial land holdings in France. He lost almost all of this land. He was very unpopular with the people of England due to confiscatory taxes and other injustices. His nephew Arthur who some said had more of a claim to the throne than John disappeared under mysterious circumstances. People who got in John's way could find their life span considerably shortened.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy history told in an interesting manner.

I'm not giving anything away if I tell you that John dies at the end in 1216. His widow remarries. The author incorrectly says Isabella was remarried to her old flame Hugh IX in 1120 when in fact, Hugh IX died in 1119. She actually ended up marrying his son, Hugh X.

There's nothing too objectionable in the book except the accounts (without details) of the considerable amount of infidelity by John (and others) as well as some murders he had committed. There is also talk about some gruesome punishments of the time. Thank goodness for the prohibition of "cruel and unusual" punishment.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nunca antes había leído a Victoria Holt (Jean Plaidy es su pseudónimo para novelas de corte histórico) porque a mí lo romántico nunca me ha llamado demasiado la atención, pero esta novela me ha mantenido enganchado desde la primera página. Mi relación con Juan -el rey de Inglaterra, Juan sin Tierra, descendiente de Guillermo el Conquistador e hijo de la famosa Leonor de Aquitania- ha sido tortuosa. Le he justificado en muchas de sus acciones puesto que era otra época y el juego del poder nunca fue demasiado agradable; pero una cosa es innegable, el sobrenombre de "el príncipe de la oscuridad" es merecido. Juan fue un hombre narcisista, ególatra y sin ningún tipo de escrúpulos, aunque es cierto que parte de su temperamento fue herencia familiar. Esta novela es idónea para todo aquel amante de la historia, más concretamente de la inglesa.

[Beth Roger aka Katiebella_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tales of Robin Hoods time come to life in history. King Richard has died and his brother John wants the throne. Though not his parents favorite, and a rule left to someone else he is determined for the crown. Not loved by the people and known for his temper and violence he still carries on with his plans
From start to finish I couldn't put it down even knowing the history behind it and the outcome Plaidy weaves the tale that keeps you turning the pages.

[Stardy Bum]

Un rey muy malo muy malo pero como todos los reyes, solo q este no tenía la astucia de ocultarlo. Obsesionado con el poder y probablemente era bipolar y sufría episodios jartos de depresión y luego manía, pero de aquella decían q estabas poseído x el diablo. Si le hubiesen dejado estar con su bella esposa en la cama todo el día q era lo único q quería en vd, pues habría estado más tranquilo.
Está guay, no sabes como va a terminar hasta la última página

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again I just love this author. Couldn't put this book down. This book is about the reign of King John the last and youngest son of King Henry II - talk about a messed up family. By far, King John was the worst of them all. Exciting read - engaging as always.

[Ana ★ Tesserell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Englightning read which taught me about king John and early 13th century England. My first read from Plaidy, she has a pleasant style. And moral of the story: do not be named Arthur and part of the royal English family at the same time!

[Pauline Agius Farrugia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read a classic historical fiction novel in a while, and decided to go for The Prince of Darkness, which is based on the rule of King John I of England (brother of Richard the Lionheart) who has a reputation of having been a morally bereft man. This book is wholeheartedly on board with that theory, and depicts him as a depraved, narcissistic, cruel and inept ruler.

The book partly focuses on his character, and in large part also focuses on his second wife, a child bride at the time of marriage, who was allegedly very beautiful but almost equally narcissistic as him. The story did not have much in the way of satisfying occurrences. It goes on and on about his rages and cruelty and ineptness, repetitively; until I found myself bored and looking forward to getting to the end. I found the dialogue a bit simplistic to the point of being almost childish in parts as well.

Although very 'readable' (as I got through it in a couple of days) I would only give this one 3 stars as it declined into too much repetition in the end.

[Osman Junior · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
O último capítulo intitula-se "Paz" e tem uma página de duração, o que mostra que enquanto houver conflito a série se estenderá indefinidamente; talvez perdendo um leitor haja vista o parto que foi esta 2º metade. Ainda mais que Eleanor de Aquitânia termina sua participação aqui.

[Dana Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

K

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew King John wasn't a good king (hence the Magna Carta), but not to what extent. Jean Plaidy's book is an easy way to learn some history, with a bibliography if you wish to learn more.

[Helen Birkbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the others in the series, though was John really such a psycopath?!

[Lyn Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and enjoyed this book. What an evil person John was to be a king. I was in Rouen a couple of years ago so kind of felt connected.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed book #4 in Jean Plaidy’s Plantagenet history. I feel prepped to read Shakespeare’s “King John” next.

[Elaine Chamberlain]

Golden hamster

[Anne Pattison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A history lesson

I enjoy all Jean Plaidys books but found this one a bit slow and over wrought… however I’m glad to have read it. I love the Plantagenet history.

[jan simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. Learnt a lot through reading this. Will not spoil it for others but did not fully realise just how awful King John was.

[Olana A Leitura de Hoje · Rating 2 out of 5]

É uma leitura um pouco corrida. Não tem muitas explicações do período. É a história romanceada, mas não bem estruturada. Gostei porque amo Historia, mas o desenvolvimento deixou a desejar.

[Phil Syphe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m glad I wasn’t alive during King John of England’s reign! “The Prince of Darkness” is indeed an apt title.

Although John is one of English history’s most despicable personages, this very fact makes him one of the most fascinating. The author does a great job of bringing this most cruel and self-obsessed of kings back to life, making him vivid and believable.

I was familiar with some of John’s life before reading this work of well-researched historical fiction, but much of what’s contained within these pages came as a surprise.

I could make a long list of the things he did and comment on them, but for the benefit of anyone reading this review before checking “The Prince of Darkness”, I’ll state none. I don’t want to spoil anything for potential readers of this morbidly fascinating account of King John’s life and how he affected or ruined the lives of others.

Other characters of interest include John’s wife and mother. The latter - Eleanor of Aquitaine - has appeared in the previous three books of the Plantagenet saga, so long was her life compared to many during medieval times.

Some intense scenes feature throughout the novel, all instigated by John’s dark personality. Overall, the story is engaging and at times highly entertaining or intense.

Like in most Plaidy novels, there are elements of repetition that jar on the nerves and the phrase “without delay” is done to death in this and the first three books of the series.

Despite a degree of annoying repetition I feel this entertaining and morbidly fascinating novel deserves five stars.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro es parte de una saga de una de las familias más importantes y conocidas de la realeza inglesa. La Familia Plantagenet.
El libro de “El Príncipe de las Sombras” es la cuarta entrega de esta saga, el cuál gira entorno a la vida y las aventuras del personaje más oscuro de la familia Plantagenet comúnmente conocido como Juan Sin Tierra.

Después de años de vivir bajo las sombras del trono de Inglaterra y de intentar robárselo a su hermano Ricardo Corazón de León, Juan Plantagenet por fin es coronado Rey. La inesperada muerte de Ricardo Plantagenet deja a los barones del reino debatiéndose entre apoyar a su hermano Juan o a su sobrino Arturo, contra quien Juan tiene que defender su reino en años posteriores y sus decisiones contra él lo perseguirán toda su vida.

Lee mi reseña completa en el blog:
https://elmundodeeleanor.wordpress.co...

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon the death of Richard I, called the Lionheart, his younger brother John (known for various lovely things such as being the über-villain in a lot of Robin Hood stories and trying to usurp his brother's throne pre-ascension to the throne and losing most of the British possessions in France, signing away a significant amount of his power through the Magna Carta, losing the crown jewels, quite possibly having murdered his nephew and generally being a horrid person all around) becomes king. Accomplished historical novelist Jean Plaidy chronicles his reign from John's own POV, but also various others such as his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, his wife Isabella, William Marshal and more to present a complex, engaging story without feeling the need to make her characters any more likable than historical facts suggest. A good read as always!

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upon the death of his brother King Richard, Prince John has just become King John and he's on his way to being known as the cruelest ruler in English history. Only Prince Arthur, son of Geoffrey, rivals him for the crown. With Queen Mother Eleanor putting her formiddable force behind John, there is little hope for any other outcome.

King John is cruel and greedy. He treats his subjects and his women with disregard and his punishments are severe. He's soon hated across the country and barely hanging onto the crown. His only gift to his country is his ability to father sons, ensuring an uncontested successor when he's gone.

[Pepca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I assume everyone has in one way or another heard about King John of England, whose life this book focuses on. His story is what one would expect: full of debauchery, murder, and tyranny… So, one can’t actually like him, I think, though he is an intriguing character.

The Prince of Darkness, a story of one of the most notorious kings of England, gives us a glimpse into the mentality behind his atrocious behaviour and at the larger context of his era and is as such an interesting read.

Read full review on my blog, Beyond Strange New Words.