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The Chronicles of Matilda, Lady of Flanders #1
The Heart of the Conqueror Lib/E
14th October 1066.
Two armies converge to decide the fate of England...
The most famous date in English history, when the might of the English Saxons faced the wrath of the Norman invasion. The man who stormed the sands of Sussex was William, bastard Duke of Normany, the man they eventually came to call the Conqueror... But the Heart of the Conqueror was Matilda, Lady of Flanders and Duchess of Normandy. At the side of the most famous war-lord of history, Matilda worked, not as quiet, modest wife, but as a leader... as a ruler just as ruthless as her husband. Under her soft mask of beauty and modesty there lay the heart of a woman powered by ambition. A woman who was strong, courageous and devious...
Through the eyes of one of the most extraordinary women of history unfold the events leading to the invasion of England and the battle that would decide its fate...
This is the story of Matilda, Lady of Flanders, Duchess of Normandy and Queen of England.
In its first draft form, this novel won a HQ Love Award in the Wattpad awards, The Wattys, 2014.
This book is part one of a two volume series by G. Lawrence on the life of Matilda: The Chronicles of Matilda, Lady of Flanders
Two armies converge to decide the fate of England...
The most famous date in English history, when the might of the English Saxons faced the wrath of the Norman invasion. The man who stormed the sands of Sussex was William, bastard Duke of Normany, the man they eventually came to call the Conqueror... But the Heart of the Conqueror was Matilda, Lady of Flanders and Duchess of Normandy. At the side of the most famous war-lord of history, Matilda worked, not as quiet, modest wife, but as a leader... as a ruler just as ruthless as her husband. Under her soft mask of beauty and modesty there lay the heart of a woman powered by ambition. A woman who was strong, courageous and devious...
Through the eyes of one of the most extraordinary women of history unfold the events leading to the invasion of England and the battle that would decide its fate...
This is the story of Matilda, Lady of Flanders, Duchess of Normandy and Queen of England.
In its first draft form, this novel won a HQ Love Award in the Wattpad awards, The Wattys, 2014.
This book is part one of a two volume series by G. Lawrence on the life of Matilda: The Chronicles of Matilda, Lady of Flanders
Audio CD
Published October 23, 2018
307 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
G. Lawrence
50 books278 followersI am an independently published author, and proud to be so. Living in a little cottage in Wales in the UK, I love where I live as much as I love to write.
The age of the Tudors has been an obsession for me since I was a child, and many of my upcoming books will center on that time, but I also pen the odd dystopian fiction or historical fiction from other time periods. I will be releasing all my titles on amazon, for kindle and then hopefully for print later.
I studied Literature (with a capital L) at University and usually have twenty or more books I'm currently reading. Reading and writing are about mood for me, and I haven't found a genre I didn't enjoy something about so far...
You can often find me on Wattpad or Twitter when I'm not writing...
The age of the Tudors has been an obsession for me since I was a child, and many of my upcoming books will center on that time, but I also pen the odd dystopian fiction or historical fiction from other time periods. I will be releasing all my titles on amazon, for kindle and then hopefully for print later.
I studied Literature (with a capital L) at University and usually have twenty or more books I'm currently reading. Reading and writing are about mood for me, and I haven't found a genre I didn't enjoy something about so far...
You can often find me on Wattpad or Twitter when I'm not writing...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 3, 2017
This is something I love ~ historical fiction about a time with which I'm not that familiar, written in such a way that it teaches me about the period. This is the story of the events that brought about the Norman Conquest of 1066, written from the point of view of Matilda, the wife of William, Duke of Normandy, aka The Conqueror. Not only does it tell the story of the two of them, but also gives much background about the Vikings, Saxons and the rulers of northern Europe, who came before them; it made me want to read deeper into the history (preferably written by this author), and I was completely engrossed.
I investigated the history of Matilda and William while I was reading the book, so I could see what comes from fact and what is of Ms Lawrence's creation, and could see that she's stuck close to 'the script', but told their story in such a way that only she can. Gemma Lawrence's Matilda is clever, vain, proud, ambitious to the point of egomania, narcissistic in the extreme, and so assured of her superiority over all beings apart from her husband that she thinks even her God speaks to her, and that she can buy his grace with gifts of money and her own daughter; in anyone's hands apart from this author's, I might not have wanted to read about her, but I loved this book. Of course the church has long been corrupt, with those high up in it behaving far from the basic ethos of Christianity, but, reading this, it occurred to me that the early Christians did, in fact, treat their God as the pagans did theirs, by offering up material goods in exchange for imagined/expected favours; the insight into the spiritual beliefs of the time fascinated me.
There is much expression of the passion between Matilda and William in this novel, and I will admit to skip-reading some accounts of their frenzied coupling so I could get back to the actual story, but these passages were written so well, highlighted the fierce love between them, and were not in the least bit cringe-making. The love between them was shown in all its glory when they were fully clothed, too, in the way they worked as one to fulfil their mutual ambition ~ and there's a terrific section when William comes back from battle seriously ill, and Matilda and a monk work tirelessly to nurse him back to health.
The last 20% is taken up with the preparation for and the events of the Battle of Hastings. As the book is written from the point of view of Matilda, I wondered how the novel would end without an anti-climax, as, of course, Matilda was not present, but no: the battle is described in all its horror and gory glory, and Ms Lawrence has found an artful way to make sure no detail was spared.
The question of violence towards women arises in this book, as Matilda's first encounter with William was a brutal one, and Ms Lawrence discusses this at some length in the Author's Note at the end of the book, but even as I was reading it I thought this: we can't judge the people of hundreds of years ago on the standards by which we live now, because attitudes were vastly different, and we do not walk in their shoes. I add this into the review only to make you aware that there is an occurrence of violence towards a woman at the hand of a man, near the beginning.
This is a long book; sometimes there is repetition, with the same factual detail provided more than once. On the odd occasion it felt a little research-heavy, and I felt one or two observations might have worked better written in the present tense, but none of these doubts mattered a jot overall; Gemma Lawrence writes with such intelligence, emotion and innate understanding of her characters and period, and I am so looking forward to reading the next part. Amazon tells us that the highest star ranking should mean 'I loved it', and I did, I loved this book, so I'm happy to award it all five of those potential stars.
I investigated the history of Matilda and William while I was reading the book, so I could see what comes from fact and what is of Ms Lawrence's creation, and could see that she's stuck close to 'the script', but told their story in such a way that only she can. Gemma Lawrence's Matilda is clever, vain, proud, ambitious to the point of egomania, narcissistic in the extreme, and so assured of her superiority over all beings apart from her husband that she thinks even her God speaks to her, and that she can buy his grace with gifts of money and her own daughter; in anyone's hands apart from this author's, I might not have wanted to read about her, but I loved this book. Of course the church has long been corrupt, with those high up in it behaving far from the basic ethos of Christianity, but, reading this, it occurred to me that the early Christians did, in fact, treat their God as the pagans did theirs, by offering up material goods in exchange for imagined/expected favours; the insight into the spiritual beliefs of the time fascinated me.
There is much expression of the passion between Matilda and William in this novel, and I will admit to skip-reading some accounts of their frenzied coupling so I could get back to the actual story, but these passages were written so well, highlighted the fierce love between them, and were not in the least bit cringe-making. The love between them was shown in all its glory when they were fully clothed, too, in the way they worked as one to fulfil their mutual ambition ~ and there's a terrific section when William comes back from battle seriously ill, and Matilda and a monk work tirelessly to nurse him back to health.
The last 20% is taken up with the preparation for and the events of the Battle of Hastings. As the book is written from the point of view of Matilda, I wondered how the novel would end without an anti-climax, as, of course, Matilda was not present, but no: the battle is described in all its horror and gory glory, and Ms Lawrence has found an artful way to make sure no detail was spared.
The question of violence towards women arises in this book, as Matilda's first encounter with William was a brutal one, and Ms Lawrence discusses this at some length in the Author's Note at the end of the book, but even as I was reading it I thought this: we can't judge the people of hundreds of years ago on the standards by which we live now, because attitudes were vastly different, and we do not walk in their shoes. I add this into the review only to make you aware that there is an occurrence of violence towards a woman at the hand of a man, near the beginning.
This is a long book; sometimes there is repetition, with the same factual detail provided more than once. On the odd occasion it felt a little research-heavy, and I felt one or two observations might have worked better written in the present tense, but none of these doubts mattered a jot overall; Gemma Lawrence writes with such intelligence, emotion and innate understanding of her characters and period, and I am so looking forward to reading the next part. Amazon tells us that the highest star ranking should mean 'I loved it', and I did, I loved this book, so I'm happy to award it all five of those potential stars.
July 13, 2017
Matilda was pretty unlikable, Where she did come off as loving her husband, she was a little to power hungry for me. Almost felt like she would've been happy if he died and she could rule Normandy. And this character's opinion of herself...wow! She frequently reminds us that there was never a woman as beautiful as she. This book was also a little too sexual for my tastes. I am certainly no prude, don't mind reading about sex, but the I didn't find their sex life believable. He was always thrusting into "her source of life" (term used a little too frequently), both ready to go with little or no foreplay. Meh, give me a break. The woman bore all those children and could still easily climax multiple times with barely a look for her Lord? Maybe I'm just sour grapes!
May 26, 2021
An interesting novel about an impressive woman
I knew something about Matilda, and her story is really very interesting to me, so I expected an entertaining novel and it is just what I got, the novel is told in the first person from the eyes of Matilda, who honestly is a character that can be more easily hated than loved, why? Well, because she is so perfect, so beautiful, so intelligent, so loved, so everything that stops being plausible very quickly, and the worst thing is not that Matilda is so great but that she is also annoyed with her ego, hers and everyone's in the book ,they spend their time flattering her (except for the man who rejects her at the beginning), don't get me wrong I like women with self-love and more in medieval times, but at some point I was like: "Yes Matilda we know, you are the most beautiful creature of Christianity "," Yes Matilda we already understood that you have a perfect marriage "," Yes Matilda it is obvious that there is no one more intelligent or better than you "," Yes Matilda it is clear to us that you do everything well ", although the story never stops being interesting and that kept me reading until the end, the truth is that the novel lacks of balance between good and bad, I think that historically speaking the marriage of Matilda and William the conqueror, was a rare case of love and fidelity in medieval ages, but the way in which William is presented here as an idiot puppet managed by Matilda was ridiculous to me, I understood it in their first years of marriage but the lack of realism in him and in the characters left me boring in many pages, they only improvement is the differences that had the couple for their eldest son, but in the end William is like the puppy that crawls by the slap on the head (Man have dignity!), the many dozens of sex between them didn't bother me because I think that as a couple passionate that was full of children is understandable, but it ceases to be realistic over time, the political aspects are well raised and I learned from a period of which I knew little thanks to the detailed descriptions that the book gives us, although those descriptions after being used 2, 3 or more times become repetitive not to mention that they are immensely long on some pages.
In general, it is a novel that has very good moments like the beginning, but that loses the spark in many others and the story is a bit silly, I think the characters could have been better designed, not to mention that despite all her power, the Matilda of this book has a pretty small world and she barely interacts with some people.
I knew something about Matilda, and her story is really very interesting to me, so I expected an entertaining novel and it is just what I got, the novel is told in the first person from the eyes of Matilda, who honestly is a character that can be more easily hated than loved, why? Well, because she is so perfect, so beautiful, so intelligent, so loved, so everything that stops being plausible very quickly, and the worst thing is not that Matilda is so great but that she is also annoyed with her ego, hers and everyone's in the book ,they spend their time flattering her (except for the man who rejects her at the beginning), don't get me wrong I like women with self-love and more in medieval times, but at some point I was like: "Yes Matilda we know, you are the most beautiful creature of Christianity "," Yes Matilda we already understood that you have a perfect marriage "," Yes Matilda it is obvious that there is no one more intelligent or better than you "," Yes Matilda it is clear to us that you do everything well ", although the story never stops being interesting and that kept me reading until the end, the truth is that the novel lacks of balance between good and bad, I think that historically speaking the marriage of Matilda and William the conqueror, was a rare case of love and fidelity in medieval ages, but the way in which William is presented here as an idiot puppet managed by Matilda was ridiculous to me, I understood it in their first years of marriage but the lack of realism in him and in the characters left me boring in many pages, they only improvement is the differences that had the couple for their eldest son, but in the end William is like the puppy that crawls by the slap on the head (Man have dignity!), the many dozens of sex between them didn't bother me because I think that as a couple passionate that was full of children is understandable, but it ceases to be realistic over time, the political aspects are well raised and I learned from a period of which I knew little thanks to the detailed descriptions that the book gives us, although those descriptions after being used 2, 3 or more times become repetitive not to mention that they are immensely long on some pages.
In general, it is a novel that has very good moments like the beginning, but that loses the spark in many others and the story is a bit silly, I think the characters could have been better designed, not to mention that despite all her power, the Matilda of this book has a pretty small world and she barely interacts with some people.
February 5, 2025
Another extraordinary read! Historical Fiction in all its glory! Never disappointed!
May 17, 2024
I loved that the interpretation of Mathilda and William is one that I've had for years: Two strong incredibly strong personalities who shaped the world and also had a fabulous marriage. The writing, however, was lacking at points. A liberal use of italics reminded me of a parody of a Victorian old maid's letter, and repetition of information from (rather literally) five or fewer paragraphs before deducted a star, possibly two. The book is incredibly informative, and if you are unfamiliar with William and Mathilda as people, then I definitely recommend it. If you are familiar, proceed with caution. The preaching on male-female roles becomes exhausting, as do the sex scenes with all of Mathilda's screaming. Another problem is that the author's descriptions of Mathilda seem to forget the fact that she was tiny. This is while painting her as retaining the slim, pert body of a modern woman rather than actual historical ideals of the time (never mind actual biology). Eleventh a x twelfth century women were not supposed to be slim to skinny, especially the nobility and their oh-so-healthy diets (sarcasm).
April 15, 2018
I very much enjoyed this novel, and I don't usually read this genre. Hard to imagine how a contemporary writer could come up with so much good info about what it was like to live in eleventh century Europe, but it was believable. In fact, the settings and descriptions are a rich aspect of this story. I was hooked in the very beginning because I enjoy reading about strong women. In spite of the way women at this time in history were bartered like cattle and viewed about as highly, there's a neat theme of feminism powering this story. The two main characters are nuanced, and the dramatic tension is enough to keep you reading well past bedtime. I will say that some of the scenes and dialogue go on too long, and the conversations can be repetitious. However, if you're not in a hurry, it's kind of a feast. I'm thinking for example of the monk Brother Edgar who was, in his earlier life, a passionate soldier named Wulf. G. Lawrence is a gifted writer, and I'm looking forward to the second book in this series.
June 28, 2019
Please Note: I DID NOT FINISH THIS BOOK.
If you're looking for a credible account of the life of the woman behind William the Conqueror, DO NOT WASTE TIME ON THIS BOOK!!
I bought the Audiobook version after reading the oh, so deceptive Blurb. As a fan of CREDIBLE historical fiction, I got sucked in by it. But this is nothing resembling other great books I've read where historical figures, events and milestones get intricately woven into a story of the lives and deaths of the people who lived through those times. In short, this is a romance set in a historical setting, utilising historical figures.
When I was about 45 minutes into the book and torturous descriptions of the "Heroine's" self proclaimed otherworldly beauty and outstanding unique qualities, I simply gave up! The good old saw "Never judge a book by its cover" apparently goes both ways.
I'm off to greener pastures."
If you're looking for a credible account of the life of the woman behind William the Conqueror, DO NOT WASTE TIME ON THIS BOOK!!
I bought the Audiobook version after reading the oh, so deceptive Blurb. As a fan of CREDIBLE historical fiction, I got sucked in by it. But this is nothing resembling other great books I've read where historical figures, events and milestones get intricately woven into a story of the lives and deaths of the people who lived through those times. In short, this is a romance set in a historical setting, utilising historical figures.
When I was about 45 minutes into the book and torturous descriptions of the "Heroine's" self proclaimed otherworldly beauty and outstanding unique qualities, I simply gave up! The good old saw "Never judge a book by its cover" apparently goes both ways.
I'm off to greener pastures."
December 28, 2018
I purchased the audio version of the book. Overall, there is much to commend the story but I found a few aspects annoyingly distracting from what is otherwise a powerful narrative. I love historical fiction and especially this period. On the positive side, the story gives a fresh slant to the momentous events of 1066 and their lead-up. The historical facts, as far as we know them, are generally woven nicely with Lawrence's imagination and well written, although I felt the depiction of Harold to be one dimensional. However, quite often, I found the narrative bogged down in unnecessary description about Matilda, eg gratuitous sex (I must be getting old) and her focus on her personal appearance and clothing. Matilda comes across to me as a narcissist. I'm not sure if that's what Lawrence intended. While one shouldn't read a book by its cover, the image of Matilda on the audio book cover doesn't help, as she looks like someone from a cosmetics commercial. If I had a hard copy, I would edit by skipping pages; this isn't as easy with an unabridged recording. Despite these issues, I really enjoyed Young's narration. She takes on a range of characters: female, male; mature, young; different socio-economic backgrounds; and many emotional contexts. Her delivery is excellent throughout; and often captivating. She brings the story to life. If the audio version could have edited out the descriptive excesses of the story; this would be a solid five-star.
May 10, 2020
"The men of our world do not see the person or the position when they look on a woman of power... They will ascribe any softness that may have been celebrated as generosity in a male ruler, to that of weakness in a woman. They will allow her to be lucky when she succeeds, and will censure her as feeble when she fails. When she is ruthless they will look on her as evil, and when she is munificent they will see her as ineffectual."
It is a difficult and daunting task for a contemporary writer to transport a reader into a world so vastly different from our own, but G. Lawrence has done a tremendous job. I was utterly engrossed by this book from start to finish. As someone who was already interested and informed of the history, the novel tells the story in such a way that there is credibility, as well as elements of romance, adventure, and dramatization. Despite the abuse and other darker aspects, there is enough nuance in character and plot to accept these harmful realities of the time as the reader. Matilda is as wise and strong as female characters go, and any of her vices such as her vanity, aid in the creation of a complex female character, one who can be seen as an antihero as well as an admirable protagonist. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, and for exploring more of what G. Lawrence has to offer.
It is a difficult and daunting task for a contemporary writer to transport a reader into a world so vastly different from our own, but G. Lawrence has done a tremendous job. I was utterly engrossed by this book from start to finish. As someone who was already interested and informed of the history, the novel tells the story in such a way that there is credibility, as well as elements of romance, adventure, and dramatization. Despite the abuse and other darker aspects, there is enough nuance in character and plot to accept these harmful realities of the time as the reader. Matilda is as wise and strong as female characters go, and any of her vices such as her vanity, aid in the creation of a complex female character, one who can be seen as an antihero as well as an admirable protagonist. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, and for exploring more of what G. Lawrence has to offer.
June 19, 2018
An absolute page turner!!
I will start by saying that I am not a chick-lit lover so was a little unsure about trying a new author but after reading the synopsis I really was intrigued. I am so glad I gave it a go.
G. Lawrence delved into such depths of the characters of both William and Matilda and really brought to life the struggles of both sexes and the struggles of growing up in the shadows of formidable parents.
As a lover of fantasy and historical fiction sometimes its hard to come across an author of European royalty historic fiction that gives the story to you plain and simple without the 'mills & boon' palaver but G. Lawrence did that and did it well.
There was definitely an element of romance but it was blanketed in lust and grit too. Plenty of battle and blood that made me feel that I was right there hearing the clashing of swords and the screams of the fallen.
Can you tell that I loved this book? G. Lawrence is definitely added to my 'preferred Reading' list and am now onto her next book!
I will start by saying that I am not a chick-lit lover so was a little unsure about trying a new author but after reading the synopsis I really was intrigued. I am so glad I gave it a go.
G. Lawrence delved into such depths of the characters of both William and Matilda and really brought to life the struggles of both sexes and the struggles of growing up in the shadows of formidable parents.
As a lover of fantasy and historical fiction sometimes its hard to come across an author of European royalty historic fiction that gives the story to you plain and simple without the 'mills & boon' palaver but G. Lawrence did that and did it well.
There was definitely an element of romance but it was blanketed in lust and grit too. Plenty of battle and blood that made me feel that I was right there hearing the clashing of swords and the screams of the fallen.
Can you tell that I loved this book? G. Lawrence is definitely added to my 'preferred Reading' list and am now onto her next book!
March 8, 2023
Entertaining but not my favorite portrayal of Matilda of Flanders. She came across as self-absorbed and petulant, but maybe that’s what the author was going for? The author’s note put some of my least favorite scenes into context and made them more bearable. But if I had to read the authors notes to understand then did the author do a good job writing in the first place? I’m not entirely sure. Either way, Matilda was a strong character and uncommon for her time and that did come across. I could see the author doing a good job sowing seeds for what comes next between William the Conqueror and his son. But I’m not sure I enjoyed this book enough to read the next.
December 4, 2018
Shockingly bad. Nearly four pages in and she was still describing her clothes, her hair (several times). Spent the rest of her time saying “I’m gorgeous. No really, I’m gorgeous. And chaste. Chaste and - did I say I was gorgeous? Well, I am. Chaste and gorgeous” etc. Take the gorgeousness out and the book would be half the size and better for it. But still bad.
May 26, 2017
Decent read,,
A little repetitive, we understand early on that she loves William and power. That's aggravating. Also, a stretch that the only conversations she has are with William, her maid, and the children. I was wishing for more depth.
A little repetitive, we understand early on that she loves William and power. That's aggravating. Also, a stretch that the only conversations she has are with William, her maid, and the children. I was wishing for more depth.
March 13, 2018
As a huge fan of historical fiction and British history, I was really excited to read this book about Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror. By all accounts she was a truly amazing woman: uncommonly well educated, beautiful, and a true partner to her husband. The Heart of the Conqueror tells us the story of Matilda from her first (violent) meeting with Duke William, through the battle of Hastings which brings William to the English throne. The book is well written, with lots of detail, but there were two things that made it not work for me. The first is that Mathilda comes across as smug, arrogant, self centered, and ultimately...I just didn't like her. The second is that the author often goes overboard on description, spending a full page on something that doesn't merit it.
If you like historical fiction, and you are interested in Matilda, I would still recommend this book. Perhaps you will find her more likeable than I did, and the cast of characters is certainly interested and worth the read.
If you like historical fiction, and you are interested in Matilda, I would still recommend this book. Perhaps you will find her more likeable than I did, and the cast of characters is certainly interested and worth the read.
March 23, 2017
Matilda the Conqueror!
Not your usual 'woman behind the crown' tale. Telling the story of the years leading up to and including the initial struggles of the Norman Conquest of England, this story is from Matilda's point of view. This is a wonderful insight into the times and tells why a noble woman would choose for her mate, the Duke of Normandy, the man who was so disturbed at her rebuttal he publically humiliated her. He and no other.
You start to despise her and then she does something endearing. You begin to understand William as a leader of people and not just a destroyer. You forget this is not a biography. This author puts your head firmly in 1066. You stand in the shower until the water grows cold, miss your turn on the freeway, and arrive 30 minutes late to work. And you are satisfied to know "Ah, yes. This must be why."
If you start to read this book and are initially disturbed by the disregard to the woman, keep reading and you will survive a stronger person for understanding why it happened and why it should not again.
Not your usual 'woman behind the crown' tale. Telling the story of the years leading up to and including the initial struggles of the Norman Conquest of England, this story is from Matilda's point of view. This is a wonderful insight into the times and tells why a noble woman would choose for her mate, the Duke of Normandy, the man who was so disturbed at her rebuttal he publically humiliated her. He and no other.
You start to despise her and then she does something endearing. You begin to understand William as a leader of people and not just a destroyer. You forget this is not a biography. This author puts your head firmly in 1066. You stand in the shower until the water grows cold, miss your turn on the freeway, and arrive 30 minutes late to work. And you are satisfied to know "Ah, yes. This must be why."
If you start to read this book and are initially disturbed by the disregard to the woman, keep reading and you will survive a stronger person for understanding why it happened and why it should not again.
October 4, 2017
Books written by newcomer Gemma Lawrence are a MUST READ!!! She is a gifted storyteller who transports her readers into another world. Self-published, she is not yet known to many, but I predict that she will surpass many authors of historical fiction. Her writing style is truly amazing and wonderful, equal to great contemporaries such as Eliz Chadwick. You are in for a treat!!!.
Books written by newcomer Gemma Lawrence are a MUST READ!!! She is a gifted storyteller who transports her readers into a another world. Self-published, she is not yet well known, but I predict she will surpass many other writers of historical fiction. Her writing style is truly amazing, equal to contemporaries such as Elizabeth Chadwick. Try to read books in sequence. Begin with La Petite Boulain for fascinating look at the life of Anne Boleyn's early years in the French court. Gemma Lawrence' s books are delightful!!! Great writer!
Books written by newcomer Gemma Lawrence are a MUST READ!!! She is a gifted storyteller who transports her readers into a another world. Self-published, she is not yet well known, but I predict she will surpass many other writers of historical fiction. Her writing style is truly amazing, equal to contemporaries such as Elizabeth Chadwick. Try to read books in sequence. Begin with La Petite Boulain for fascinating look at the life of Anne Boleyn's early years in the French court. Gemma Lawrence' s books are delightful!!! Great writer!
September 26, 2024
The Heart of the Conqueror delivered an enthralling tale that even after 18 hours, I could’ve continued listening to! I highly recommend the audiobook version - the narrator (Marnye Young) was excellent!! G Lawrence brings both William the Bastard/Conqueror and his Queen Matilda to life, portraying them as not only powerful figures who strove for and achieved greatness but also as a man and woman in love. Although their beginning encounter was rather appalling, I was delighted to learn of their love match and numerous children as well as his respect for Matilda and belief in her abilities, which was highly unusual for the time. I’ve learned a great deal about Matilda - good and bad - and am eager to start the next book in this series!
June 10, 2018
The Heart Of The Conqueror is historical fiction set against the lead up to the famous 1066 Battle of Hastings. It is the first book in The Chronicles of Matilda, Lady of Flanders series. The story begins in 1049, when we first meet Matilda, who is the daughter of the Count of Flanders. Matilda later marries William the Conqueror.
This is a complex time of power struggles, alliances and warfare and the author does a good job of weaving the difficult history lessons with less intense details of everyday life. See here for full review https://wp.me/p2Eu3u-bjv
This is a complex time of power struggles, alliances and warfare and the author does a good job of weaving the difficult history lessons with less intense details of everyday life. See here for full review https://wp.me/p2Eu3u-bjv
June 24, 2018
Fantastic story!!
I absolutely loved this novel! It is well written and you easily fall into the artful story telling of Ms. Lawrence, as she takes her readers on an in-depth journey with two extremely fascinating people, Matilda and her William, the Bastard Duke of Normandy, who would let nothing stand in their way of achieving their dreams of an empire. A truly excellent book and one lovers of history should definitely read.
I absolutely loved this novel! It is well written and you easily fall into the artful story telling of Ms. Lawrence, as she takes her readers on an in-depth journey with two extremely fascinating people, Matilda and her William, the Bastard Duke of Normandy, who would let nothing stand in their way of achieving their dreams of an empire. A truly excellent book and one lovers of history should definitely read.
October 21, 2021
the story and the writing itself was wonderful. I would suggest to get the print copy or Kindle version. I would not suggest the narrated version by Marnye Young. voices didn't fit characters (william the conqueror sounded sickly the whole time) and listening was just grating. I stuck with it though bc looking past the awful narration, G. Lawrence wrote a really good book. my overall rating is two stars for the audible version but the book itself is a 5.
July 15, 2017
Wonderful! Beautiful! A total joy!
I absolutely love this author! I love the accuracy of this beautiful and entertaining historical novel! I adore history and she bought it forward in fiction with so much creativity! I will be reading all of her works! I cannot wait to get started! Yes, there are a few weak points, that only makes any book that more beautiful!
I absolutely love this author! I love the accuracy of this beautiful and entertaining historical novel! I adore history and she bought it forward in fiction with so much creativity! I will be reading all of her works! I cannot wait to get started! Yes, there are a few weak points, that only makes any book that more beautiful!
July 26, 2018
I’m having a hard time...
...deciding how to rate this book. I didn’t like Matilda. She was vain and power hungry. She was too calculating to be very likable. She seems similar to Scarlet O’Hara but less likable because she’s also blood thirsty. William was more likable than she. I know that he was true to the times but I don’t know about her. Maybe. Maybe not.
...deciding how to rate this book. I didn’t like Matilda. She was vain and power hungry. She was too calculating to be very likable. She seems similar to Scarlet O’Hara but less likable because she’s also blood thirsty. William was more likable than she. I know that he was true to the times but I don’t know about her. Maybe. Maybe not.
May 10, 2017
Great woman
Reads like a first person history book for very large sections Lots of menu and lists of stuff Matilda was a modern day strong woman before her time. I liked her
Reads like a first person history book for very large sections Lots of menu and lists of stuff Matilda was a modern day strong woman before her time. I liked her
May 16, 2017
Terrific story. The author's writing style is inconsistent.
At times the writing is beautiful and breath taking, however at other times, the writing is like that found in drug store romance novels.
At times the writing is beautiful and breath taking, however at other times, the writing is like that found in drug store romance novels.
July 24, 2017
Not a disappointment
Satisfying, definitely. Knew of William but not of his wife, Matilda. So thank you, Ms. Lawrence, for the enlightenment on the very first Queen of England. Will be anxiously looking to your next book.
Satisfying, definitely. Knew of William but not of his wife, Matilda. So thank you, Ms. Lawrence, for the enlightenment on the very first Queen of England. Will be anxiously looking to your next book.
September 12, 2019
Excellent historical fiction!
I could not stop reading this story. Taking the little tidbits known of Queen Matilda’s life and telling a strong story of a complex woman should be mandatory reading. Can’t wait to read about the next part of her life!
I could not stop reading this story. Taking the little tidbits known of Queen Matilda’s life and telling a strong story of a complex woman should be mandatory reading. Can’t wait to read about the next part of her life!
August 23, 2020
Steamy historical romance
I loved everything about this book, and can’t wait to read the next book. I didn’t know a thing about Matilda, so I was very happy to stumble upon another significant woman in history.
I loved everything about this book, and can’t wait to read the next book. I didn’t know a thing about Matilda, so I was very happy to stumble upon another significant woman in history.
June 24, 2021
Too much artistic license taken by the author
If you are looking for an accurate depiction of Mathilda of Flanders and William the Conqueror, this book sadly falls short in its accuracy. I would suggest novels by Allison Weir.
If you are looking for an accurate depiction of Mathilda of Flanders and William the Conqueror, this book sadly falls short in its accuracy. I would suggest novels by Allison Weir.
June 4, 2017
New Author
What a great and interesting book you have wrote . I can't wait to read the next part of this book .it kept me reading till the end has fast as my time would let .
What a great and interesting book you have wrote . I can't wait to read the next part of this book .it kept me reading till the end has fast as my time would let .
July 9, 2017
Disappointing
Poor editing, too many grammatical/typo errors. No character development. I finally stopped reading after the hundredth time Matilda boasts of her own beauty.
Poor editing, too many grammatical/typo errors. No character development. I finally stopped reading after the hundredth time Matilda boasts of her own beauty.
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