The Lute Player

by Norah Lofts

A King, A Princess and a Poet…Legend has long told the story of Blondel the Lute Player who found the lost soldier-king Richard Coeur-de-Lion—kidnapped on the way back from the great crusade to the Holy Land.Blondel found his king by travelling for months across Europe singing the first part of a love-song which Richard and he had composed together. One day, from behind castle walls, the voice of Richard responded to the strain.But why would a minstrel embark on such a risky pilgrimage to find his king? Norah Lofts weaves a fascinating back-story to the tale of the Lionheart who strode out of the courts of twelfth-century Europe to lead his knights onto the Saracen battlefield—inspired by a vision of the Holy Land.The Lute Player tells of the courageous Richard and his ill-fated union with Berengaria, Princess of Navarre—of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine and her possessive love—and, above all, it tells of Blondel whose life was woven in with all of them and who set out on his mission as an act of great love—but not a love for the King…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Medieval, British Literature, Plantagenet, 12th Century

594 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Norah Ethel Robinson Lofts Jorisch (27 August 1904–10 September 1983) was a 20th century best-selling British author. She wrote over fifty books specialising in historical fiction, but she also wrote non-fiction and short stories. Many of her novels, including her Suffolk Trilogy, follow the history of a specific house and the residents that lived in it.

Lofts was born in Shipdham, Norfolk in England. She also published using the pseudonyms Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis. Norah Lofts chose to release her murder-mystery novels under the pen name Peter Curtis because she did not want the readers of her historic fiction to pick up a murder-mystery novel and expect classic Norah Lofts historical fiction. However, the murders still show characteristic Norah Lofts elements. Most of her historical novels fall into two general categories: biographical novels about queens, among them Anne Boleyn, Isabella of Castile, and Catherine of Aragon; and novels set in East Anglia centered around the fictitious town of Baildon (patterned largely on Bury St. Edmunds). Her creation of this fictitious area of England is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's creation of "Wessex"; and her use of recurring characters such that the protagonist of one novel appears as a secondary character in others is even more reminiscent of William Faulkner's work set in "Yoknapatawpha County," Mississippi. Norah Lofts' work set in East Anglia in the 1930s and 1940s shows great concern with the very poor in society and their inability to change their conditions. Her approach suggests an interest in the social reformism that became a feature of British post-war society.

Several of her novels were turned into films. Jassy was filmed as Jassy (1947) starring Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price. You're Best Alone was filmed as Guilt is My Shadow (1950). The Devil's Own (also known as The Little Wax Doll and Catch As Catch Can) was filmed as The Witches (1966). The film 7 Women was directed by John Ford and based on the story Chinese Finale by Norah Lofts.

Reviews

[Misfit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very, very slow paced and doesn't pick up (2.5). By looking at the other reviews, I can see that I am clearly in the minority here - I do not get those five star ratings. The Lute Player is told in several parts, with each part being told in the first person POV of one of the main characters, Blondel the Lute Player, Anna a fictional half sister of Berengaria and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard's mother.

The story begins as Blondel finds his way to the Court of Navarre and home to Berengaria and Anna. Berengaria is in love with Richard (who is engaged to the King of France's sister), the hunchbacked Anna is in love with Blondel and Blondel is in love with Berengaria. Richard's engagement is eventually broken and desperate for more funds to finance his crusade, he agrees to marry Berengaria. The rest of the book details known history, the wedding on the way to the crusade, the third crusade itself and Richard's alleged preference for young boys, his being taken hostage on the way home from the crusade and his non-existent relationship with his wife.

I love reading medieval fiction and learning of the history of the times, but frankly I found this whole book to be quite boring and by the time it got to the crusade half way through I found myself skimming quite a bit, and the final third covering the last days of Richard and Berengaria were just one big snooze fest, at least for this reader. It could just be me; I've never been that fond of Richard I and Berengaria I found to be bordering on the TSTL category, almost, but not quite. I guess if you're a die hard fan of this ruler and want to learn more about him it might be worth your while, but I would recommend getting this one from the library first (as I did) and then buy it if you like it. 2.5 stars rounded up to three.

[Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I get into the full review, I want to say that although I would recommend The Lute Player, I absolutely would not recommend my edition - the 2008 Torc/Tempus. Anyone with less than 20/20 vision is practically going to need a magnifying glass to read the tiny words crammed onto the page. The pages and the cover are very fragile - it looks terribly dog eared after only two reads, the back cover ripped half off simply by the weight of it open in my hand AND the plastic on the cover melted and peeled off when - shock horror - I sat outside for half an hour when it was 20 degrees out. Oh, and it is riddled with spelling mistakes - although whether this is the edition or the original text I couldn't say. Pretty poor anyway.

So, moving on to the review... There's a certain cult built up around Richard the Lionheart. Even though he rather disliked England and only bothered to visit a couple of times when he absolutely had to, even though he viewed England purely as a purse to fund his gallivanting around the Middle East, even though he abandoned us to the tyranny of Prince/King John... people love him. Norah Lofts loved him. I love him. No matter how much I hear that he's nothing like as shiny and heroic as people view, no matter how often I read about his failings... I still love him. If anything The Lute Player has made me love him all the more, even though it is not even remotely an idealised portrait. Even Blondel, the lute player of the title, determined to hate him for his maltreatment of Berengaria, doesn't manage it. His respect for Richard is grudging, but it grows and grows. You just can't read about him chipping in, working with the common man, making sure even the lowliest soldier was looked after, and not admire him.

The Lute Player covers a long-ish period before, during, and after the Third Crusade and is told from several perspectives, each of which has been well formed by Lofts - all too often differing voices are written indistinctly, but not so here - there is a real sense of who is talking at any given moment. First, we are introduced to Blondel, the lute player (who is a figure of legend, but may or may not have existed). We see him initially through his beginnings in a monastery, from which he drops out being too compassionate to cope with the self-centredness of the churchmen, and then again when he writes his experiences of the Crusade, from alongside Richard. Our second (and final) voice is Anna, Duchess of Apieta, crippled half-sister of Berengaria of Navarre. I'm rather sad to say that Anna is not a historical figure because she is just wonderful (though she would probably roll her eyes at me saying that!). She's sensible, she's wise and witty, she's kind but not saccharine, a little bit sarcastic and there's this great story built up around her conception and life. I very much wish she was real! The voice for the middle section is Eleanor of Aquitaine. Her section shows us Loft's skill quite as much as the others - we really get a good idea of who she was. It's a pretty realistic portrayal going from my perception of her but it's not unsympathetic. She comes across as fierce and yet we get the sense that she's really just trying to be a good mother. It is in this section that we first come across the notion that Richard may have been gay (there is a fair amount of scholarly debate over this). It is arguably a carefully considered and fairly compassionate portrayal of homosexuality, particularly considering that The Lute Player was written back in the late 1940s/early 1950s.

For all that I feared this might be a dull read - dry with endless descriptions of battle and life on Crusade (I prefer my history day-to-day rather than battles, women more than men if I'm honest) and perhaps rather dated (odd to think of historical fiction as being dated, but it can be!) - it was actually highly entertaining and not even once did I feel bored. In the foreword, Lofts tells us her hope that the reading would be without disappointment or fatigue and that it most definitely was.

[Judy Richey · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUPERB..Told in the voice of the real Eleanor of Aquitaine, a fictional hunchback Duchess who is half sister to Berengaria, (the little known but real wife of Richard the Lionheart), and the mythical Troubador who discovers Richard held for ransom in Germany after the Crusades. This, for me, is ultimate historical fiction.

These characters are alive, and eminently appealing, and Lofts deals with Richard's homosexuality in a touching and delicate way. It is the only written portrait, probably highly fictionalized, of Berengaria, the woman Richard married I have ever encountered. I have never read of her elsewhere.

The path of Richard's Crusade through Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Holy Land is alive with real events woven into the fictional fabric of the relationships of these real, and totally fictional characters, the Duchess, and The Lute Player. The Lute player is based on historical reference to Richard's disappearance after his ship went down. He was held captive for some months, with no word of his survival, until a lute player sang a song co-written with Richard beneath an obscure castle. When Richard answered with the correct verse, the whereabouts of the missing English King was conveyed to Eleanor who arranged his ransom.

It is also a love story, touchingly told. But I won't say more. It is my favorite historical novel of all time, and taught me what to expect in a novel of this genre.

I have re-read it repeatedly, and highly recommend it.

[Malacima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of Richard the Lionheart, as told through the eyes of Blondel the lute player (known mostly for his role in rescuing Richard from imprisonment by Leopold of Austria), Anna the fictional hunchbacked sister of Berengaria of Navarre ( Richard wife). It's a tale of hopeless love (sad love triangle). By looking at the other reviews - I do not get those five star ratings. The book is so slow going I thought I would never finish it. It did not have the detail ( or real historical reserch- it started out great, but suffers from the fact) that I enjoy from Sharon Kay Penman or Elizabeth Chadwick's works. Richard was homosexual in this book. This is a historical novel so many portions aren't true but I think this one is, yikes (why he is not...you can find the reason in the book of Sharon Kay Penman -Richard the Lionheart).
If you read this book as a pure fiction book is ok.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and absorbing novel which throws a different slant on the character of Richard the Lionheart.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Norah Loft's book. I read it too long ago to give it a detailed review but I remember it as well written and enjoyable.

[Melisende · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read it due to my interest in both Richard I and the Crusades. It is told in five parts, it is the story of Richard I's imprisonment on his way to to England from the Crusades. It is a highly romantic work of Loft's hero, Richard I, but as a fan of Richard I myself, I found this not my cup of tea.

[Rowena Sudbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a remarkable book. Split into five sections, it is told from three different points of view. The narrators are Blondel (the lute player), Anna of Apieta (the hunchbacked half-sister of Berengaria, Richard's ill-fated wife), and Eleanor of Acquitaine.

As an author of m/m romances, I was curious to read this book because it promised to highlight the long-held suspicion of Richard's homosexuality. This book was first published in 1951, and so I was curious to see how the topic would be dealt with.

The first mention comes near the end of Eleanor's portion, almost halfway through the book. She is shocked at a look of lust on Richard's face, directed at Blondel. She struggles with the knowledge, but does not reveal to him that she knows. She thinks he is flawed, but she loves him none-the-less. At this point, Blondel is unaware that he is the object of this lustful look.

We hear nothing more of it until much later in the book, in a section that is recounted by Blondel himself. After the first victory in the Holy Land, Richard takes in one of the released prisoners. Blondel is unaware that they are lovers. When this man sickens and dies, Blondel is the one who is at his bedside, as Richard has been called to surrender and give up his crusade. This man struggles to tell Blondel to give his love to Richard, but Blondel does not understand what he is asking. It is not until Richard and Blondel go off on their own, to find a different route home, that Blondel finds out the true nature of Richard. It sickens him, and he rebukes Richard. After that Richard leaves him with a purse of money, and when he goes off on his own he is captured and imprisoned. Blondel returns to Eleanor, and eventually Anna.

What fascinated me was Blondel's thoughts about Richard and homosexuality. He says it is considered "against nature" but he then goes on to list many other things that are against nature, fratricide and patricide for example. He says it goes against the teachings of being fruitful and multiplying, but then he says that holy vows also go against that. He says it is not listed as one of the seven deadly sins. His thought process on the whole thing is interesting to read. Although he felt shame at whatever happened between him and Richard (it is not spelled out) he has some sort of pity toward Richard's feelings. In the end he remembers Richard as a brave and courageous man, and thus he does not think the less of him for his desires.

Soon after, in a section narrated by Anna, one of Berengaria's ladies in waiting has a conversation with Anna about Richard. She has been able to figure out his leanings, and is disgusted and wants Anna to tell Berengaria so that she can extract herself from their marriage. Anna wishes to keep the knowledge from Berengaria, but as it turns out she already knows.

The subject is not brought up again until the end of the book. At this point Berengaria is in a loveless marriage, and she all but admits to Anna that she is still a virgin. During the Christmas revelries there is much gossip about Richard and his leanings. Many of the women at court think that Berengaria herself is "queer" and that knowledge of this is what keeps Richard from her bed. The men of the court have a different perspective. They know what Richard favors, but the also know of his valor, his bravery, his virility, and they do not think the worse of him.

In the end, Richard makes a deathbed confession, he says to Berengaria, "But God makes us, you know, and he did not make me--a lover of women--it was not my choice." To me, that is the most powerful observation on the subject in the whole book. This is not a contemporary book, and I was quite pleased to read this observation in a book written in 1951.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the book. I can't vouch for its historical accuracy, but it was a quite enjoyable read.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this story of Richard the Lionhearted, as told through the eyes of Blondel the lute player, Anna the fictional hunchbacked sister of Berengaria of Navarre, and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The story begins with Blondel as a young boy raised in a monestary and promised to the church who finds that the monastic order does not agree with his moral sensibilities. Ultimately (the novel doesn't exactly explain how), Blondel appears in Pamplona, Navarre several years later, playing the lute with a dancing bear. Blondel attracts the attention of Anna, sister of Berengaria, and he is brought into Berengaria's household. Berengaria is lovesick after seeing Richard Plantagenet in a tournament. However, her love seems hopeless, as Richard is betrothed to another, the Princess Alys of France. Meanwhile, Blondel finds himself in love with Bernegaria, which is (or seems) equally as hopeless as Berengaria's love for Richard. However, Richard's betrothal to Alys is not to be and Berengaria's dream of marrying Richard comes true, thanks to her father King Sancho's generous dowry, which enables Richard to finance his crusade in the Holy Land (called Palestine in this novel, rather than Outremer, the common medieval term for the area).

Throughout the novel, Richard is mysterious and unapproachable, though Blondel gets to know Richard quite well. The novel finds its own answers to the question of why Berengaria and Richard never had children, why Berengaria and Richard were estranged, and why Berengaria was the only English Queen to never set foot in England. The novel is fact-centered with respect to Richard and the Crusade. With respect to Berengaria, however, there are few facts that are known, leaving Ms. Lofts with significant leeway to craft a personality for Berengaria. The author's note is helpful in parsing fact from fiction.

I think the Lute Player is a very enjoyable novel - I especially enjoyed the sections on the crusades. As a modern Jewish woman, I instinctually think of the crusades as a repugnant period of history, but Lofts did a great job of presenting them from a medieval perspective and it is hard not to admire the bravery of the men who set off to the unknown Outremer in pursuit of an ideal. Although the novel has been around for a while (since the 1950s, I think), the writing itself doesn't seem all that dated. In fact, it covers some "scandalous" topics - including Henry II's rumored love affair with Alys and Richards rumored homosexuality.

[Kerry Hennigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know why it took me so long to read a book by Norah Lofts. She has long been a celebrated historical novelist, having produced numerous Tudor titles and at least two on the Plantagenets (the period I prefer). Anyway, thanks to my local library, I recently came across a reprint of The Lute Player: A Novel of Richard the Lionhearted.

Now Richard I is famous for a couple of things – fighting in the Third Crusade, and being associated with Robin Hood. The possibly mythical Robin doesn’t make an appearance here, but what we DO have is a very believable portrait of Richard based on the historical evidence available to Ms Lofts at the time she wrote this novel.

The Lute Player of the title is Blondel, known mostly for his role in rescuing Richard from imprisonment by Leopold of Austria. Richard’s early allies in the Third Crusade had all become disgruntled or disenchanted with the English king or the Crusade (or both) and in some cases turned against him. Only Blondel and the women in Richard’s life seemed to care what happened to him and want him back.

The women in question are his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, his would-be wife Berengaria, and Anna, Duchess of Apieta, who is destined to always live in the shadow of those more beautiful and desirable than herself. But Anna comes to know love, and, like Berengaria, to want someone who does not, or cannot, love her.

Lofts uses multiple narrators to tell the tale – Blondel, Eleanor and Anna all provide different viewpoints on the principle people and events. Blondel’s account of Richard’s crusade to recapture Jerusalem from Saladin is by far the most interesting part of the novel, but is rather long in coming. This is why I became impatient with Ms Loft’s slow, densely detailed story telling style.

I found myself wanting to find out what happened next, for the story to move on at a faster pace, especially once the principal characters and the situations had been firmly established. First published in 1951, it truly seems that Ms Loft was writing for an audience for whom life moved at a slower pace, who had more time to spend on what to me was procrastination and unnecessary detail.

However, as an historical novel The Lute Player certainly does a good job of shining new light on aspects of events usually ignored or glossed over by the history books. For that it is well worth reading.

Kerry Hennigan © August 2011

[Tiamat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprized myself with how much I enjoyed this book. Sadly I didn't find it in English, had to read the Russian translation, which I normally dislike. So I got to reading only because it was about Richard the Lionheart, only to pass the time. The translation was nice enough, and suddenly I found myself immersed in this book, not wanting to put it aside!

I don't know what did the trick for me - there was almost no mention of gay sex (although Richard's being gay was stated quite plainly), no romance to speak of, very few scenes of war and carnage. Just simple life of Annа of Apieta, Berengaria's half-sister - who isn't even named in the blurb despite her being the main protagonist of the story! The story was nice, warm, humane, intriguing, alive and palpable - and I can't seem to find better words to describe it.

[Riccarla Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having seen "The Lion in Winter", I knew Richard wouldn't marry Alys, but I always wondered about Berengaria (the one he did marry). Her family history, as told by her half-sister, Anna, was just as interesting as Richard's life. Blondel, the lute player, follows Richard on the Third Crusade (which ties in to the whole Robin Hood/King John story). Norah Lofts beautifully details the behind-the-scenes machinations that went on and surprises you with the betrayals and coincidences that make history. I have recently been going to the library a lot and historical books are my passion at the moment. I will be reading more books by the talented Ms. Lofts.

[Amanda Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am only giving this book 3 stars because it took me so long to finish it. Although it covers a lot of good information, the book is so slow going. I thought I would never finish it. I knew nothing about Richard the Lionhearted before I started this book, so it was all new information for me. I like to read books with strong female characters. Although Berengaria, the wife of Richard, is a main character, she is weak and whiney. It is her illegitimate half-sister, Anna, who carries this book. Anna is strong and holds everyone up except for the King, Richard, who is hopeless. Richard is a horrible husband. He is a selfish homosexual who only marries because Berengaria continues to nag him about getting married. He never even tries to consummate the union and his wife is too weak to do anything about it. I kept waiting for her to take a lover so demand Richard be a real husband, but she meekly gives up.
Every time I think the story is over, it just goes on with no real reason. The story ends with no real conclusion. This one will go in the give away pile for me. Sorry to the author. Maybe it was just a dull topic to begin with.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing - this author is amazing. Norah Lofts wrote 'The Concubine' which was my first ever introduction to Tudor history. When I saw this in a used book bin I grabbed it and oh my word. Men - people in general, I know, but it is generally men who embark on things like crusades - don't change. They go to war with such enthusiasm and then it is death and hunger and filth and bugs and blood. Men like Richard the Lionheart seem to thrive on it. Back in that day he embodied all the virtues men admired most - insanely courageous, hard working, with a common touch that brought his lowliest foot soldier into the embrace. It reminded me a lot of books I have read about Alexander the Great. What else are these men for, if not war and conquest? Not to be admired, surely not. But in some sense enormously admirable. This book is told from several different points of view and each one is fascinating. Highly highly recommend.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of spelling, punctuation and grammatical mistakes. Certainly made the experience less enjoyable. Since I did not remember my elementary school English history I forgot which Richard this might be. Also forgot about what the Crusades were all about. First narrator almost made me put down the book. Improved after that. Some parts engaging, some boring. Long drawn out ending with little to make me care about how it ended. Interesting that some references to homosexuality seemingly enlightened, followed by references to it being perverse. I will accede that it was written in 1951. Will not seek out other books by this author

[Sara G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Norah Lofts, but this isn't my favorite of her books. This is the story of Richard the Lionheart, his wife Berengaria of Navarre (coincidentally, I use her name often in RPGs), and the Third Crusade. It's told from three different points of view - Berengaria's fictional crippled half-sister, a semi-mythical lute player who accompanied Richard on crusade, and Eleanor of Aquitaine herself. It's a wonderfully researched piece of historical fiction, but it moves slowly and it felt like not much happened for huge stretches of the book.

[Carmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those books I read as a young person when I tended to have much more of a taste for drama/melodrama and love triangles. What made an impression on me was Berengaria's name, her beauty, and her habit of crying without moving a muscle of her mask-like face...and how sad it is to follow characters throughout their lives and witness the disappointment, grief, and loss that age brings them. No one is all that likable except Blondel, and the characters' refusal to evolve in any positive manner becomes tedious, but it was a nice, long and at times interesting read as a historical novel.

[Ageliki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't Norah Lofts' best in my honest opinion - her books on the common people are far more gripping. When I was in my teens, I enjoyed reading about medieval Kings and Queens far more, but as my tastes and education developed, I'm far more interested in the lives of the ancestral proverbial average Joe. It's just far more real.

Nevertheless, I picked this book up knowing its topic and theme. I didn't anticipate quite how slow it would be. All characters are remarkably well shaped, as always with Lofts, but the pacing made this one quite flat and desolate. 2.5/5

[Kate Macfadyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just an interesting historical novel about the Crusades, but one of the most beautiful and insightful depictions of unrequited love I have ever read. Several characters are sufferers, but it's the fictitious duchess Anna who narrates her feelings with the most heartbreaking authenticity. She is a wonderful creation all round, physically weak but in other ways strong and brave, possibly my all-time favourite female fictional character. I must have read this at least 10 times over a period of at least 40 years, but it remains one of the few books that make my eyes water every time.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well written story that I think I could enjoy more if it was a little more condensed. I lack the time and life is too short to slog thru the minute details the different narrators offer in this history of King Richard and the 3rd Crusade. Berangaria is maddening and selfish. Her father erred in spoiling her, for sure. But she got what she wanted, in a way, and some day I will finish this tale to find out if she regretted pining for King Richard who was only interested in carrying on the Crusades.
Just not this summer. The book is long overdue at the library.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking at some of the reviews, I will agree that the book is slow paced and if you are looking for lots of action, this is not the book to read. But I really enjoyed all the characters, both the fictional (Anna and Blondel) and the real (Berengaria, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard the Lionheart). The story is told by Anna, Eleanor, and Blondel and to really brought to life (for me) the Third Crusade and that time in history.

[Pau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the cross-over of young-adult into historical-fiction. With this in mind, this book seems like a total disaster. Surprisingly, I found this book both intelligent and enjoyable. It held me for days on end. Even with a hectic schedule, I was drawn to this book whenever I had time on my hands.

Set on Medieval times, this book follows several characters' POV and is narrated accordingly: Blondel, the Lute Player, Anna, Duchess of Apieta, and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Dowager Queen of England. It centers around the reign of Richard I of England and the character's adventures on the periphery. It starts with Blondel's beginnings as the younger son of a (I assume) noble. As tradition dictates, younger sons are either sent to the military or the clergy. Blondel had the luck of going to the clergy which wasn't so fair nor so holy. Next, we have the most interesting character I have read this year, thus far. Anna, Duchess of Apieta is the illegitimate daughter of the King of Navarra. Anna was born with drastic genetic defects brought about by her mother's lack of concern for her unborn child. Anna's sharp wit made up for her lack of physical conformity. Norah Lofts is genius in creating her. It's so difficult to find intelligent female characters without spite, irritating foolishness, and lack of common sense. I adore her! Even when she's in love with Blondel, she's still adorable. She doesn't wallow in self-pity that Blondel will never really love her. She knows that she will never loved. But that doesn't stop her from keeping her sanity. She accepts this as a fact and moves on! She lives her life to the fullest, a feat for young female characters. When I grow balls, I want to be just like her! We also have one bit from Eleanor of Aquitaine. I dislike her. She's supposed to be the smartest cookie of the darkest ages. I'm not impressed. She appears as a sour old witch. I understand that she would represent the popular views of the time. But, sorry, her character was written poorly.

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I haven't said anything about Richard I. Let's go back to Blondel. The first narrative has him in the clergy, studying to be a scribe. Well, Blondel realizes that the clergy is not all about godly attributes. He fled the cloister and we don't hear from him until he is discovered in the next narrative of darling Anna. We first learn about Anna's situation, of how her father had been kind to her by making her a Duchess of her own right. She is part of the legitimate Princess Berangaria. We immediately think that we don't like her. Anna didn't seem to like her being that she's privileged, beautiful and a princess. We find out later on that Berengaria was born with royal resilience, where nothing can get her down and she will get what she wants no matter how impossible it is. The paramount desire being Richard Plantagenet, soon to be Richard I. Berengaria sees him in a tourney and she falls in love with the stranger. Of course, Disney's many prince charming applauds this falling in love at first sight thing. Benergaria goes a step further by threatening to kill herself (emphasis on threatening). But that happens long after Blondel is persuaded by Anna Apieta to go live with them in the Princess's Tower. I'm not kidding, Berengaria and her ladies reside in one the towers. This is historically accurate. I stopped liking Blondel by this time. Blondel immediately falls in love with Berengaria see, just like Berengaria. I believe that back in medieval times, love is a disease that spreads like the plague. It is airborne. Anna wasn't immune but her innate intelligence made her think about it first. She fell for Blondel's kindness and fierce spirit. Boo!

But the lovely Anna's narrative was cut. We are forced into the cell/castle of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Her narrative was there simply because we needed to know that Richard is gay. I squealed. Richard had caught his father doing the nasty with his betrothed. Richard was mad mainly because of his ego. I doubt he had any interest in Alys physically. Anyhow, Blondel was present and was able to report it back to Navarra, wherein the King does his duty by politically beating everyone to the punch and secures Berengaria's marriage to Richard.

They marry, eventually. At the most interesting part of the book, the crusades. Most of the crusade was narrated by Blondel. It wasn't brutal and was very readable. It was wonderful. And then, Richard needs to leave the Holy Lands because his country is in trouble. He leaves with Blondel as a companion because Richard's boyfriend had died and he's looking for a new one. Eventually, Richard makes the move and Blondel doesn't bite. Darn!

The last parts were narrated by darling Anna and it's really just the story winding down. It's a relatively happy ending for everyone.

The recap is all over the place because I've read three books since I finished the book. I probably wouldn't read this again as there are just so many things I didn't like. But the things I did like where pretty good.

It's worth a read definitely for Anna Apieta's chapters.

[Katy Lohman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance gone terribly wrong when a lute player loves a princess who loves Richard the Lionhearted who loves...? Warring in the Crusades? I love reading stories about the messed up family of Henry II, Eleanor of Acquitaine, their children and the people around them, and this brought the people into vivid life.

[Lisa Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book more than 40 years ago, and it was fascinating to revisit. The characters are very well drawn, as is the historical setting. It drags a little in places but then that reflects how the lives of most women of the period, and Berengaria in particular, was attendant upon their husband's whims and desires.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read a great deal about the Plantagenets, because I don't find them as interesting as the other royal families of Britain. But I thought I would give this book a try since I have never read a book about Richard I. And I still haven't really, because this book is about the people in Richard's orbit (his mother, his lute player, his wife, and his wife's half sister). And honestly they were much more interesting than Richard was. I enjoyed the various characters and their exploits, but I really loved Anna and Blondel (which is great since most of the book is written from their point of view). I was also really surprised that this book was written 50 years ago, because there were several things that seemed very much like contemporary novels especially the handling of Richard being gay, and most characters being "that's how God made him."

The book was a bit on the long side, and especially the ending could have been shortened a lot, but I liked the crusade scenes, which were well-written and very descriptive. I also liked the feminist plots for the female characters, and how they make their way in a man's world. Romance was not the focus of their stories, which is refreshing in the royal historical fiction genre.

It was a very good book. I recommend it to those who enjoy royal fiction and historical fiction with strong female characters. I'm looking forward to reading more of Lofts' works.

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The pace is good and the characters are interesting. It's a solid piece of historical fiction. I think the author makes Richard I a little to "nice", but I believe she mentions in the preface that he had been a hero of hers.

[Stan Rea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is subtitled "A novel of Richard the Lionhearted." It's not really so much about him, or even the Lute Player for that matter. It's more about his queen, their marriage and the queen's half sister Anna.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good characters. First half better than second. Loses momentum.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book. Really felt the characters and especially when they would narrate their parts of the story.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some parts that felt like they dragged on, but honestly that could have been just me personally. I enjoyed the novel overall.