The Betrothed Sister

Daughters of Hastings #3

by Carol McGrath

It is September 1068. Thea, also known as Gytha, the elder daughter of King Harold II travels with her brothers and grandmother into exile carrying revenge in her heart. She is soon betrothed to a prince of Kiev. Will her betrothal and marriage bring her happiness as she confronts enemies from inside and outside Russian territories. Will she prove herself the courageous princess she surely is, win her princely husband's respect and establish her independence in a society protective towards its women.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Medieval, Fiction, 11th Century

429 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

My first degree is in History and English from Queens University Belfast. I have a postgraduate MA in writing from Queens University and an Mphil in writing from The Royal Holloway ,University of London. My debut novel The Handfasted Wife is the first in a Trilogy The Daughters of Hastings. The first is the story of 1066 and its aftermath from the perspective of the noble women. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister have followed. All have been best sellers. My new novel The Woman in the Shadows tells the tale of Thomas and Elizabeth Cromwell and is the story of an early Tudor marriage. I am now working on a medieval trilogy about 'she wolf' queens.

Reviews

[Matthew Harffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Betrothed Sister is the third novel in the Daughters of Hastings trilogy. Each is a standalone book, but part of the larger tale of the women of King Harold’s family.

This story follows Thea, daughter of Harold, as she leaves England after her father’s defeat at Hastings. She flees into exile in Denmark and then Russia. McGrath imbues the main characters (Thea, her grandmother, her maid, Gudrun, and the trusty skald, Padar) with a charm and depth that makes it easy to love them. Thea is a stranger in strange lands and this gives McGrath the perfect opportunity to have her ask questions and to marvel at the unusual customs and things she witnesses. The reader learns of the ways of the Rus through Thea’s eyes and we root for her to finally marry the prince to whom she is betrothed for such a long time. And to find the happiness that she craves and deserves.

What McGrath does best is to bring humanity to the situations in which Thea finds herself. From the nasty sisters who plague her time at the court of King Sweyn of Denmark, to the bitter Lady Olga, who makes the English princess’s life miserable in the land of the Rus, the interactions between these noble women are what really make the book shine. In fact, I would have liked to have seen more of the interplay between characters and less of the sweeping battle of thousands-strong armies of the novel’s finale.

McGrath states in the author’s note that she read Russian Studies at university. It shows. She is clearly at home with the subject matter and her research stands out in glittering details, like jewels embroidered into one of Thea’s many-layered gowns. But like those bejewelled dresses, everything is in its place, nothing stands out to spoil the overall effect.

Carol McGrath has woven a story of early medieval royalty as rich and poignant as a princess’s wedding rushnyk.

[BookAddict · Rating 2 out of 5]

OMG. As long as Thea thought her betrothal was, it wasn't half as long or as boring as reading about it. I loved the first two books in this series but this one was like watching paint dry. Nothing happens once they get to Russia except Thea whining about how long her betrothal is while trapped in the woman's quarters stitching. Oh, of course there are a few battles with so many pages of detailed descriptions I thought I'd go mad.... It's as if there really wasn't enough about Thea to write a book but there was a trilogy commitment so it had to be done. I was so disappointed in this as the first two were so very good.

Maybe it's me but after this I'm done with the Daughters of Hastings. I'd like a tale about Ulf now please.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thea is exiled from England when her father, Harold, is defeated at the Battle of Hastings. She and her grandmother head to family at the Danish court where Thea is soon betrothed to a prince from Kiev/Kyiv. This was another marvellous addition to the Daughters of Hastings trilogy. I've enjoyed the series with its strong heroines and compelling narrative.

[Welmoed · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, but a bit boring to read about a 15yo waiting for a marriage.

[Marsha Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of The Betrothed Sister by Carol McGrath. This is the final book in The Daughter of Hastings trilogy. Although it is book three of the series it is easily a stand alone read. All three of these books are excellent and wonderful reads. If I had to pick a favorite I don't think I could as I loved them all.

The Betrothed Sister tells the tale of King Harold II's daughter, Princess Gytha called Thea in the book. Thea's life is tragically altered with the invasion of William of Normandy and the Battle of Hastings. With the death of her father King Harold in battle, Thea goes into exile with her Grandmother Gytha, Harold's mother. Gytha is a formidable lady who will go to great lengths to ensure Thea has a future due a Princess of England. These endeavors bring them to the Danish court of King Sweyn, Gytha's nephew. There Thea is contracted to marry the Russian Prince Vladimir.

McGrath's well researched writing of the Russian court, politics, and landscape of the time are excellent. I did not have any knowledge of Russia in the 11th century but after reading this book I feel I learned quite a bit. I greatly enjoyed learning about the culture and customs of the Russian people. The little details that color the narrative give one a feel for what Thea encountered from the time she arrived in this far off land. I really thought the author did an exemplary job of showing what Thea experienced as she got used to a different culture and a different way of life.

The characters are well written as one comes to expect from this author. I enjoyed how the various characters were interwoven into the story with a few of my favorite characters from book two making major appearances. I have to say I am very sad this trilogy is at an end. I could go on reading McGrath's wonderful story telling of the Conquest era for as long as she cared to write them.

I will definitely read more of Carol McGrath's work no matter the subject matter. She is one author that has a way with words and magic flows from her pen.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spectacular book that I read carefully and with relish. I am so sorry it is finished but I will now begin to reread the first book in the trilogy.( which I also loved) Carol McGrath is a marvelous historian and an even better writer. I wish there were more books in this series.

I knew little about Russia at any period, even less about this period. I had no idea that the society and the city of Kiev rivaled European capitals like Paris in sophistication. I am happy to realize that Thea/Gytha's descendants were rulers in England. Perhaps that is the part of the story that I like the best,and it is factual.

What else? I do so enjoy reading about this period both before and after the Norman Conquest I am, therefore, quite pleased that this daughter of Hastings went on to have a marriage that was happy and satisfying, at least up until the time the author ends the narrative.Her quite excellent end notes tie all the loose ends that I would need to know so very succinctly.

I received an ARC for this review but I would have purchased regardless as I did for the first two books. I am honored to have been able to read this fine novel and recommend it so very highly. Fine and scholarly research and riveting storytelling win every time!

Prepublication summary:""It is September 1068. Thea, also known as Gytha, the elder daughter of King Harold II, travels with her brothers and grandmother into exile carrying revenge in her heart. She is soon betrothed to a prince of Kiev. Will her betrothal and marriage bring her happiness, as she confronts enemies from inside and outside Russian territories? Will she prove herself the courageous princess she surely is, win her princely husband's respect and establish her independence in a society protective towards its women?"

[Aprail · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think Carol McGrath set herself an almost impossible task in writing this novel. Its very hard to make a bunch of women sitting around sewing and waiting for news from the outside world interesting. Most historical novels of the period with women as the main character suffer from this syndrome, but this novel suffers more than most because the writing is juvenile and the characterizations trite. Attempts to make the novel more interesting by providing an alternate male POV character completely fail because the POV is still purely domestic and the character as focused on finding love and marriage as the main character. To be honest I haven't finished the book yet. I have read the two other books in the series and they weren't quite as bad as this one. Almost zero plot, what plotting does exist is of the most unimaginative kind (really, a witch in a forest provides a prophecy...haven't seen that one before), ghastly attempts at similes that just don't make sense, unsympathetic major characters whose plight fails to evoke any emotion - this is almost an object lesson in how not to write an historical novel. If Carol McGrath wanted to explain medieval Russian politics and life she might have spent her time better writing non-fiction.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave it two stars because I did get through 77% of the book before giving up. I found it extremely boring. I would skip over paragraphs, sometimes even pages, and found I did not miss a thing! Endless characters with hard to pronounce names were constantly being introduced...luckily their story may have only lasted a paragraph or two so there was no need to remember them all.

[Grace DeBoer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not happy with this book. The first two were excellent. This book dragged to me, Thea seemed childish at times. All she could think about was getting married. The book did pick up a bit during the battles, but all in all it was a disappointing read for me.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love stories that recreate early history, and I love the idea of these novels, but find I have to wade through some areas of poor writing style.

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs

"This novel reveals a rich and vibrant culture that was as sophisticated as any western European kingdom."

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, a brilliant tale by Carol Mcgrath which takes the reader into exile to Denmark first en route to end in Middle-Age Russia. Thorough details as to the way of Middle-Age life both in Europe and Russia render Princess Thea very real. Extremely interesting, informative and thrilling, the tale has kept me enthralled from page 1 till the last page.

[Gina Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series

If you like medieval romance and throw in some historical fiction you will like this series. I was sorry to see it end. To bad there are not more records on this Godwin family, very interesting. I am reading from another author about the battle of Hastings that has the family in that series, I will have to compare storylines. Will read again.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although an enjoyable read all those unpronounceable Rus names and places and information about various wars etc., made reading this book tedious. I was expecting a lot more about Thea and more of a story with her. Still once again Carol McGrath has thoroughly researched for this book and again the story around Thea wonderful.

[Barbara Velard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book

This is one of the best written historical novels I have read. I was riveted to the book. I hated to put it down, when I did, I couldn't wait to pick it up again! Now I plan to get other books written by Carol McGrath.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great ending to an excellent trilogy. All three books are definitely recommended. I enjoyed learning about some Russian history as I have not read much in that area. Carol certainly knows how to make the characters come alive for her readers!

[Kathy Brock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Carol McGrath's other books, but this one just left me uninterested. The Sample sent to me was interesting & so I bought the book and wish I hadn't. I didn't care about the characters at all.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skim read a lot of this. Even less than the first two in the trilogy, this really didn't capture my interest.

[Janice mcewan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning conclusion

This is a brilliant story about the strength of women who we have seldom heard of.
I love the research that backs up each book and look forward to the next one.

[Lauren Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Tracie Stokka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carol McGrath's books are particularly satisfying to those, who like me, love real history. Her extensive knowledge of early Russian history allows her to create an authentic backdrop for the conjectured private lives of kings and queens. Her fiction shows the truth of distant times and places.

[Karen Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I did not like it as much as the first two books in the series, but it is still a good read. I think part was due to my knowing (due to spoilers in The Swan-Neck Daughter) how this story would go. I have recommended that this book be read second as it is second chronologically. There are a few "spoilers" in this but not to the extent that it would lessen The Swan-Neck Daughter.

The first part of the book is a bit slow, but I think it accurately represents the boredom and waiting that Thea experienced. This must have been especially difficult for the most adventurous and active of the Godwin daughters. The story lines of Padar and Gudrun supply plenty of action, and as with the other books, the historical setting is authentic and interesting. I knew little of this period of Russian history, and Carol McGrath brings it to light in her very readable style. I still highly recommend this as an enjoyable read.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the final book in the trilogy of the Daughters of Hastings. I believe that the first book and this final book were my favorites, but for different reasons. The first book was wonderful in the historical aspect. The story was nice, but I enjoyed the history. In this final book, the story line and the characters were the strong areas for me. The history was there, and I enjoyed that, but the characters and their stories were what brought me back each day to the book.

I am sure that the trilogy must have been a labor of love for the author, Carol McGrath. I can only imagine the hours upon hours of research that must be borne to create such a work. I admire the authors who have the gift to take the history of a time and place and put a story within those confines. What a gift that we all have the opportunity to share a little bit in. My heart-felt thanks to you, Ms. McGrath, and to all the authors who share their stories with us.

[Ava Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

The final book in the trilogy, and it is every bit as wonderful as the first two. Hard book to put down. You can tell a huge amount of research has gone into these stories with all the amazing detail of life in this period in history. Yet it's included in a way that doesn't drag on like some authors do, instead it is enriching. I didn't once lose interest or become distracted while reading these books and I love how easy it is to relate to the women in all the novels. Beautiful storytelling that can also teach you more about what life would have been like. I also enjoy that you get a love story without it being a "romance novel" if you know what I mean. Loved this book.

[Anne Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously, the author has made some research to get the details of daily life in the early middle age, and that is great. What I missed, though, was more personal interaction between the characters. Thea is maudlin because she spends most of the book expecting to get married and the momentum, the energy of the book suffers from this waiting situation.
The battles are painted with minutia, and I was wishing Thea and her betrothed would get to be together to have more insight in their relationship. It was not to come and it kept me wanting...

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last in Carol McGrath's Trilogy provided a highly satisfactory conclusion to her tales of King Harold's family. In this, Thea, his daughter by one of his mistresses journeys to Denmark and on to Poland and Kiev to marry a prince.

Once again, the author's attention to detail and easy writing style made this a pleasure to read. This is a fascinating period in history, and comes alive in this book.

Highly recommended. I am now looking forward to her next book, whatever historical period she chooses.

[Charland Garvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read and a great book to end this series. I would recommend reading the series in order. This book was interesting as it was about the daughter of King Harold being wed to a Prince of Russia in the mid 1060's. I had never read anything that gave particulars of what life was like for women in Russia during that time. The book is well research and well written and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys history during late 1060's.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, by reading this I finally finished the trilogy. And a really good finish it was. Loved that most of the story was set in Eastern Europe as I did not know much about this part of the world at this time. Also loved that a lot of the characters from the first book re-appeared. Especially the grandmother (who is my favourite character in the whole trilogy). Again, I recommend all three books. Fantastic historical fiction.

[Mary Ann Heinsman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in awhile you run across a gem of a book, and this has been one for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the exile, betrothal, and marriage of Princess Thea to Russian Prince Vladimir. I was able to correspond a bit with the author, and her research and attention to detail about Russian medieval life is impeccable. I really enjoyed learning about a time and culture I didn't know much about.

[Carol Flatten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Carol McGrath is a really fine writer of historical novels. In this one, as in the first and second novel of the series she gets her history right. Her characters are really nicely developed and are very believable. The intrigue in this novel with the political leaders is easily believed and she made it come to life with her characters.