THE MELANCHOLY OF WINTER: THE BRIEF LIFE OF EDMUND OF RUTLAND

by J.P. Reedman

Edmund is the second son of Richard, Duke of York. Whisked away to Ireland as a child in troubled times, his best friend is his brother Edward, a year older, with whom his shares a special bond. Later, the family returns to England and the boys begin knightly training at Ludlow Castle, where they encounter bullying and intrigue as they grow from children to young men of royal blood and high destiny. Their father strives for peace but his motives are always questioned, and his enemy, Edmund Beaufort, fills the sickly King Henry VI's ears with slander and lies.
Peace will not last.
St Alban's is coming, a brutal battle that will determine Edmund 's fate four years later on the bridge of Wakefield, where Butcher Clifford waits.

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 19, 2024

About the author

Born in Canada, J.P. Reedman has been a UK resident for over 30 years. She has been writing since the age of 5, and preferred genres are fantasy and historical (or a mixture of both.) Interests are British history and prehistory, especially the neolithic and bronze ages, archaeology, anthropology and features of the countryside. She is author of the STONEHENGE SAGA a novel that places the legends of King Arthur back into the bronze age, and a number of works about King Richard III, including the epic, I RICHARD PLANTAGENET, which, with both parts combined, is over 250,000 words long and written from Richard's first person perspective. She is also the author of the bestselling medieval novel, MY FAIR LADY, about the little known Queen, Eleanor of Provence which is first in an ongoing series about lesser-known medieval noblewoman. 13 SO FAR!

Reviews

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Reedman is really as her best when dealing with "minor" charachters. I found this with The White Rose Rent, about Richard III's illegitimate daughter. As I loved that book so I loved this one, about a charachter I'm particularly fond of: Edmund of Rutland. Reedman really does him justice in portraying a positive, toughtful, reflective and a coward not at all youth; I equally loved the Duke of York's portraial. I really felt the closeness and the bonds of the York family and it moved me, as it hadn't happen in a while. Not only between Edmund and Edward - that bond is took for granted - but between the older siblings towards the younger ones; towards their sister, as they feel to protect Anne from the hideous Duke of Exeter (the scene where they confront him and throw him in a pond is so satisfying), to recover the baby George who gets lost. But I think the scene I loved most, in which with few spoken lines, Reedman really conveys the situation and the feelings, is the one where the Duke of York makes his bid for the throne in Parliament. Read this book, you won't regret it.

[Pauline Calkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

J.P. Reedman has a cottage industry producing Ricardian fiction. And I, for one, am delighted she keeps on writing about various facets of the Ricardian story. The book reviewed here explores the life of Richard’s least known brother, Edmund. What is known as well as the timeline of his family, particularly that of his father the Duke of York serves as the foundation of the tale which opens with the family’s arrival in Ireland. At the time, his older brother, Edward, Big Ned, is eight and he, Little Ned, is seven. The two are as close as brothers can be and we see them facing a life in a strange land. One of their tutors is a good one, the Irish Terrance or “Tadgh” who introduces them to local folklore. Most importantly, they bear witness as their father is excluded from the king’s inner circle despite his competent and fair administration in Ireland and, later, as Protector during the king’s periods of incapacity. When conflict between York and the King’s favorites eventually flames into war, Edward and Edmund are separated with Edmund escaping with their father to Ireland while Edward goes to Calais with the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick. N.B. The duke does not make this arrangement because he doesn’t think Edward is his son (although Edmund is his favorite), but because Edward is his heir and, as the Duke says, it would not do well for the three senior men of the House of York to travel together.” Seems obvious. Later, this thinking also prompts the Duke to have Edmund accompany him to Sandal Castle where they both meet their deaths at the battle of Wakefield

The author’s trademark humor is evident throughout: e.g., Edward pushes his brother-in-law, the loathsome Duke of Exter, into a pond; Alice, Countess of Salisbury, sweeps into Dublin after escaping from Middleham, causing a logistical nightmare for York and arranging a marriage for Edmund within minutes. The glimpses of Edmund’s younger brothers are tantalizing. “George was a chubby baby with an angry red face . . .who bawled furiously at the slightest provocation.” Richard, in contrast, was quiet, serious and thoughtful. The characters of Edward and Edmund come across clearly. Big Ned is brash and shows his affinity for the ladies early on. Edmund is far more cautious like his father and younger brother Richard. But both Edward and Edmund grow into thoughtful men who give their father sound advice. The most effectively realized scene takes place after York returns from Ireland a second time, and makes his claim to the crown. Edmund notices his father sweating as they walk into the Painted Chamber and then nervously commands his son to walk before him holding a sword upright. His main supporters were nonplussed even though one of them, Warwick, had lately persuaded York to abandon any thought of establishing himself permanently in Ireland. I have always found the actions and reactions of York et. al. during this episode somewhat perplexing, What were they thinking? Well, the author gives us her idea as she describes the characters’ physical reactions well as their words. This explanation makes sense, although maybe not the only explanation. For me, this is what good historical fiction is all about—giving the reader a reliable factual foundation, but also a way, perhaps a new one, to understand the motives of these long ago figures.

[Loreley Maidana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, because unfortunately no one remembers Edmund, and although I know how the story ends I couldn’t help feeling angry and saddened about his fate (again it’s in the history books, no spoilers as such)
I LOVE the fact the character (same as in I Richard Plantagenet) narrates in 1st person, even being fictional I could feel Edmund , his feelings his point of view, his upcoming end
Brilliant book in my opinion.

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite

I'm a big fan of this author but this was a bit of a miss for me. Perhaps it's as the author states little is known about Edmund so his story is dull compared to his more widely known siblings. I also have a problem using modern language like the word " joshing" which I'm pretty sure didn't exist during those times.