The Passionate Brood

Shadows of the Crown #1

by Margaret Campbell Barnes

The private lives of the Plantagenets, that 'passionate brood' who were the children of Henry the Second and Eleanor of Acquitaine, Richard and Johanna, Henry and John.

Margaret Campbell Barnes explores the Crusader King’s triumphs and tragedies in a compelling novel of love, loyalty, and lost chances. The fierce Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine birthed a Plantagenet dynasty before her marriage to Henry II became a mockery, and her family’s future hinges on Richard. Linked persistently with the Lionheart in folklore is Robin Hood, portrayed here as Richard’s foster brother and conscience, who so enraged the King that he is banished. The Passionate Brood is a tale of a man driven to win back the Holy Land, beset by the guilt of casting out his childhood friend, and shouldering the burden of being the lionhearted leader of the Plantagenets.

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

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1945

About the author

Margaret Campbell Wood was born on 17 February 1891 in Rotherfield, Sussex, England, UK. She was the youngest of ten children, who had a happy childhood in the Sussex country side. She was eventually educated at small private schools in Paris and London.

She married Peter Barnes in 1917,( a furniture salesman), and the couple had two sons, Michael and John. Michael, a Royal Armoured Corps Lieutenant, was killed during WW II.

She died on 1 April 1962 in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.

Her books are historical novels, called Shadows of the Crown, that follow the history of the English Crown. The majority of her books were written between the 1940's and 1950's. Her last and posthumous novel Lady on the Coin was finished by the novelist Hebe Elsna

Over two million copies of Margaret's historical novels have been sold worldwide.

Reviews

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved My Lady of Cleves: A Novel of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves and King's Fool: A Notorious King, His Six Wives, and the One Man Who Knew All Their Secrets. I found Barnes' novels to have an old fashion writing style I couldn't help but love and prose that oozed with charm. I figured if she could make the Devil's Brood sing. I was sadly disappointed.

Richard and John were reduced to one-dimensional figureheads. The character with the most potential, Berengaria, ended up being little more than a weeping wimple. Everything went back to Robin but Robin was thrown into the forest as soon as he appeared. The only thing keeping me reading was the fading hope that I would eventually see some of the brilliant charm I enjoyed with Barnes' Tudor era.

[Orsolya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard the Lionheart (King Richard I of England) is not only one of the most famous figures in English history; but is also an icon around the world across mountains, seas and cultures. The Angevin son of King Henry II and the equally formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine; Richard is literally the “stuff of legends”. The historical-fiction queen (pun intended) Margaret Campbell Barnes illuminates the life of Richard from childhood, through Crusade life to his time as a hostage victim; and to his deathbed in, “Passionate Brood”.

In usual Barnes style, “Passionate Brood” jumps into a thick, visual story eschewing a fluffy introductory beginning. Readers are instantly immersed in the stunning literary language Barnes always so effortlessly contrives. “Passionate Brood” is vivid, colorful, emotive and image-laden with a poetic descriptive essence that will take a reader’s breath away and cause frustration that he/she could never compose a sentence in the same manner. Along this line, “Passionate Brood” kicks off with a fast heartbeat that is maintained throughout the entire text and carries the story with vigor.

Barnes consistently aims to make “Passionate Brood” more historical than fiction and highlight’s Richard’s personal life, crusades and politics rather than focus on a romanticized story. For the most part, “Passionate Brood” doesn’t overstuff with filler material that is meant to serve as irrelevant connectors. When this literary device is used; it is rather organic and blends well with the story. That being said, “Passionate Brood” still falls victim to some historical inaccuracies (such as Richard being betrothed to Ann Capet when it was in fact her sister, Alys and fictional takes such as the character of ‘Robin’ who is supposed to be Robin Hood to name a couple). Despite this, “Passionate Brood” is still a ‘deep’ and well-developed take on Richard’s life.

“Passionate Brood” follows a lengthy cast of characters such as Richard, his wife Berengaria, his sister Joanna, brother John, Raymond of Toulouse, Eleanor of Aquitaine and the list continues on. For this reason, Barnes occasionally executes the, “As you know, Bob”-style of storytelling unbelievable conversations to explain the backgrounds of historical figures/events. This can become tedious and slightly elementary but it isn’t too detrimental to the plot. “Passionate Brood” is better suggested for those interested in/familiar with this period or “Passionate Brood” can be slightly overwhelming.

Barnes successfully offers very dramatic characters with matching complexities but they do feel somewhat one-note in regards to a lack of full character-development. Arguably, the characters are strong as is and don’t need more roundness but some readers may disagree and need ‘more’. This is especially true being Barnes jumps the narrative voice/perspective among the characters and therefore some growth would be welcomed.

The major weakness of “Passionate Brood” is Barnes’s decision to showcase certain events in depth when in lesser importance but failing to dive deep into those with more value such as Richard’s time being held as a captive hostage. These chronological time lapses do weaken the historical merit of “Passionate Brood” and come off as a rush to the plot finish line.

Even considering these hiccups, “Passionate Brood” remains a page-turner that is a struggle to put down. Although the story is a familiar one; Barnes revives it with a fresh energy and understanding inviting new perspective. The characterization of Richard is especially notable as he is typically depicted as a perfect crusading knight; but instead Barnes represents Richard as a ‘normal person’ with both strengths and weaknesses, accomplishments and flaws. This allows readers to truly understand Richard and relate to him even through the distance of time and status.

“Passionate Brood” grasps its hearty drumbeat into the conclusion of the text with a hearty, memorable and evocative finality even if slightly abrupt. “Passionate Brood” certainly encourages further reading on the subject whether in history or historical-fiction form.

As common in Barnes’s books and historical-fiction novels of the era (1950s-60s); “Passionate Brood” does not offer an ‘Author’s Note’ explaining the historical liberties taken within the pages. This would be of great use to those readers who are new to the topic being that “Passionate Brood” contains fictionalizations and historical inaccuracies.

“Passionate Brood” isn’t perfect or Barnes’s best work; but it is still a terrific, compelling and beautifully-crafted novel encircling Richard the Lionheart. “Passionate Brood” is suggested for all readers interested in medieval English history, the Crusades and of the Plantagenets.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE PASSIONATE BROOD by Margaret Campbell Barnes is a Historical fiction set during The Crusades 1189-1199. It is a reissue of Like Us They Lived. It is well written with much details,depth and history. It has loyalty, love,passion, tragedies, triumphs, betrayal, deceit, lost chances, destiny, family rivalry,guilt, friendship, being the leader of the Plantagenet's,Richard, The Lionhearted and of course the story of Robin Hood(Richard's boy hood friend) and using women as pawns in the quest for power. Just let me say this is a wonderful reissue. The characters are engaging, enchanting,believable, heart breaking with tragedy and triumphs. This story shows the beginning of a dynasty and the birth of a nation. It shows how each, (the Plantagenet's and England) are intertwined to form England's history. It shows the rival between siblings, the resentment of John, the youngest, toward his elder brother, Richard, the death of Richard's beloved sister, Johanna, the tender difference between love and understanding and the unjust treatment of their mother, Eleanor, by their father King Henry. Although, Mrs. Barnes has been dead for years, she has left a wonderful story of history, sibling rival, and the dynamic relationship of Henry VIII and his wives and family. This story is mostly pretending to Richard and Robin, boyhoods friends, one a prince, the other a peasant. One destined to be King the other destined to be an outlaw, and a keeper of England's people. If you enjoy Tudor-era historical fiction and all that entails, you will definite enjoy this one. Curl up with a warm cup of drink and immerse yourself in another time and world. This book was received for review from the publisher and details can be found at Sourcebooks Landmark and My Book Addiction and More.

[Natasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard the Lionheart is the historical figure of focus. This book holds true to the genre with jousting, taking up arms, and using women as pawns to power. This book is a well-written, and the author has done her research. Still, I had a difficult time connecting to this book. I think part of the problem was that there were a lot of key characters so it was difficult to connect with any of them.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a re-issue of a book originally written in 1945. The book did not feel "old" to me; in fact it felt timeless. The writing style is very easy and fluid and I found myself quite lost in time. The book focuses more on Richard the Lionheart than his foster brother Robin whom this book says becomes the Robin Hood of legend. That is what intrigued me most when I read the synopsis and I was a tad disappointed when there was so little focus on his part of the story. Of course I then googled
"The legend of Robin Hood" and found it all to be artistic license.


Nonetheless, this was a fascinating book that kept me reading until my poor crossed eyes blurred and I could barely keep them open. I found the relationships, as portrayed within the book, between the various Plantagenets to be what drove the story and they were very well written. In fact I want to find more books by Ms. Campbell Barnes as her writing style is so good.


Most of us know the tale of Richard the Lionheart - at least the basics - and I have to admit that this book enlightened me to how much of a cost his passion for war put on his country. He is so lauded for Crusading but he was truly negletful as a King.

[Laura Hartness · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're into historical fiction, you'll enjoy this one. I wasn't bowled over by it, but it had it's moments. Full review: http://calicocritic.blogspot.com/2010...

[Misfit · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very fanciful take on Richard the Lionheart. Full review here, http://misfitandmom.wordpress.com/201...

[Bryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I reread Fire from Heaven earlier this year I was struck by how it was beautifully written but also intensely about British people of Renault's generation -- not the sort of historical fiction that attempts to imagine how people of the past thought about things, or at least if that was what it was doing, it was not very successful, because all of Renault's characters would have been right at home in a British middlebrow novel of the period (if those novels could get away with gay male characters). I suppose it should not be too much of a surprise, then, that this novel -- which is Margaret Campbell Barnes' first -- is very much the same, a book full of middle-class British people of the early 1940s being of their time and place, but with some armour and dresses and tapestries and such to add colour and contrast. It is not at all bad novel, but I struggled not to see them all as young people in fancy dress dealing with the realities of WW2, and I wish a little that she had written that novel, about the large quarrelling family who have to send their boys off to war and mourn their deaths and the wartime marriages and the grief and uncertainty and fear and also the intense joys of the brief moments together -- Richard and Berengaria getting married suddenly and having only a week of honeymoon is the WW2-period marriage where there's no time for a real dress and they have a week and then he has to go back to the front, yes? I have read it in a dozen realistic novels of the period, it reads just the same in this one, there is nothing about who they are as people that has anything to do with the 12th century.

I said it was not a bad novel, and I think I still agree with myself of five minutes ago, but I also think she was hampered by her history -- many of the things that happen make no sense with the actual emotions she gives her characters, so she has to have Richard outlaw Robin and never reverse it despite his great remorse, and Johanna marry Raymond and stay away from England for a long time because she does historically, and so forth.

Anyway, I am not sorry I reread it, although I wish I had enjoyed it more -- I suppose I was in the mood for the 12th century and irritated to find myself in the 20th. I am not certain I need to read it again, but I will probably reread a few of her other ones in time.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is a fairly quick, lighter read that combines the legends of Robin Hood and a chivalrous version of Richard I (the Lionheart) with the actual history. While Barnes' intention was clearly not historical accuracy, what she did succeed in doing was to capture the feel of what it must have been like to live in the 12th century: warfare, family feuding and family loyalty, the responsibilities and costs of being a king, the role of women and the belief system that was such an integral part to all of their lives, peasants and nobility alike. There is a lot of romanticizing, however I think these historical figures are still presented as what they would have been like at their very core: human beings with flaws, some of them with larger than life personalities and some with dreams that may never have been fulfilled. None of these characterizations are one dimensional, and neither are they going to be perfect representations of the actual people because we do not know what they were really like, or even if Robin Hood ever actually existed. Barnes provides the reader with a reasonably plausible version of the truth, and tells a story that brings the past to life, which is what all good historical fiction does, even if it is more fiction than history.

[Sara G · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book. I've read some pretty good books by this author before, but this one was just a mess! It's theoretically about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine's children, but mostly Richard I and his wife. There's so much ridiculous romance, overblown prose, and these very interesting individuals (Prince John, Eleanor, Henry, Richard, his wife Berengaria) were very one dimensional. Medieval fiction is hard because there is more we DON'T know about the people and the times than what we do know, and unfortunately this one just doesn't work so well.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you look at other reviewers' criticisms of this book, you'll see exactly what I thought of it as well. Everyone was one dimensional and so much of what we actually know about the Devil's Brood was changed for some reason. According to this novel, Geoffrey died before Henry the Young King, the second daughter was named Margaret (where do you get this name from "Eleanor"), and Johanna never had any children except one who died immediately (the next Count of Toulouse was in fact her son.) A lot of these small nitpicks added up over time.

[Bekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since I really enjoyed Barnes book on Elizabeth of York, I thought I'd try this as my second book by the author. Unfortunately, I ended up agreeing with many of the reviewers here who stated that this book was dry and the characters were one dimensional. I never felt connected to any character, nor did I feel like I cared about them. It was quite disappointing.

[Mellanie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this when I was in seventh grade, and I loved it.

[Linda Coats · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very c!ose to the true life of King Richard.

A good rendering of the true life of King Richard . Also, good story of Robin Hood's beginnings and his relationship with the king.

[Kat Kerr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cool subject. But somehow, boring & confusing

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was on me. I thought it would have more Robin Hood shenanigans in it

[Ambrosia Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

First posted on my blog The Purple Booker

I was so excited to dig into this book. It seemed so promising, I love the Plantagenet's and Richard the Lion heart; and who doesn't love the myth of Robin Hood? Well sadly this book just fell flat. None of the characters seemed to have the charisma you would expect from them. They all just fell a little flat. Moreover, the book seemed to be much more focused on Robin than Richard the Lion heart and the rest of the brood. Robin however, is off to the woods very early on. So what do you do with that? Overall, this one was just a disappointment for me, I almost didn't finish. The only thing that kept me going was enough of the history seemed to be well studied. At the end of the day though, I was relieved when I finished this one up.

[Heather C · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a novel whose title states it’s a novel of Richard the Lionheart and the man who became Robin Hood, there is fairly little Robin in this novel. He has a semi-prominent role in the first quarter of the book and then appears again in the last few pages, although he is never far from Richard’s thoughts. I think for the importance that the title places on the character, there was not enough time spent on him. Once he becomes “Robin Hood” we really don’t find anything more about him – it’s more of a story of how casting Robin aside affects Richard’s conscience; a little different than how I pictured the story to be. Aside from that, I think The Passionate Brood is certainly an appropriate title – those Plantagenets were very passionate people and as a group even more so.

What I liked most about this novel was the importance placed on the female characters whom you rarely see in novels about the children of Eleanor of Aquitaine. We have the pleasure of meeting Eleanor’s daughter, Johanna, as well as Richard’s wife, Berengaria. While this was certainly a story of Richard and we spent a lot of time on Crusade, it was a story of these women as well. You were able to learn about their hopes and fears and see how they dealt with being on Crusade. I think I loved the character of Johanna the best – she was very similar to her mother – spunky, willing to go on Crusade, and wanting to be “one of the boys”. As a reader you get the whole family feel and see the distinct personalities that emerge from these characters.

As I was reading some of the events within this novel, I began connecting it with events in the Elizabeth Chadwick books, For the King's Favor and The Scarlet Lion. In the Barnes’ novel, you see the royal side of the events, while in the Chadwick books you see the courtier side of the same events; the most notable example for me was when Richard was captured and they had to raise the ransom money to free him. By having read all three of these books it helped me to round out the experience more.

When I previously read Barnes’ novel Within the Hollow Crown: A Valiant King's Struggle to Save His Country, His Dynasty, and His Love, I had a very hard time getting into it and had a harder time connecting with the characters. I am glad that I didn’t base my decision to read more of her books on my opinion of that novel. I very much enjoyed this book and I don’t think that it had any of the pitfalls of her other book (in my opinion).

This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.The Scarlet Lion

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book about the life of Richard Plantagenet. The book starts out with Queen Eleanor back in Oxford after her imprisonment in the tower at Salisbury. She loves being with her children - Richard, John, Johanna, and her foster-son, Robin. The fiery Plantageant family fight and love each other with the same zeal in life. Richard is banished to Navarre after he will not marry Ann, the French king Philip's daughter (not to mention that Richard's own father, King Henry, is dallying with the French princess!). In Navarre Richard meets Berengaria, King Sancho's daughter, and they instantly fall in love. Richard is called back to England when he receives a message that his oldest brother(and heir to the throne)Henry is dead. When Richard becomes king, he banishes Robin as an outlaw because Robin will not fight with him in the Crusades as Richard wants him to. Richard tells Berengaria that they will meet again and wed, which does happen, but much later on in the story after Richard has gone to lead the fight in the Crusades. Berengaria and he finally meet in Limassol and get married. From there she follows Richard wherever the Crusade battle goes. When Richard and Saladin finally agree to a "cease-fire" in the Crusade fighting, Richard and Berengaria travel to Rome for a holy pilgrimage. On his travels Richard tries to raise funds for another crusade, but is captured by Duke Leopold of Austria. Leopold wants Richard as his prisoner due to the fact that Richard tore down his Austrian flag when the allies first started the Crusades campaign.

Meanwhile back in England, Robin is keeping justice in Shere woods, especially since Prince John is raising taxes throughout the whole of England. Robin happens to rob a rich nobleman, Barbe of Chalus, who is conspiring with Prince John to have Richard remain imprisoned. Chalus also wants Berengaria for himself. After Robin sends the ransom to Leopold, Richard is finally released and returns to England, but he is without Berengaria. She refuses to come with him because he is taking Ida Cumenos, a hostage of the Cyprus king from the Crusades, back to England. Ida has an unnatural infatuation with Richard, and Richard has broken his marriage vows to Berengaria with Ida twice.

Richard's final battle comes when he has once again reunited with Berengaria in Chalus, where he has Chalus' castle under seige after finding out that Chalus was instrumental in his imprisonment. He sends Berengaria home with her lady-in-waiting to Fontevrault. Soon after the decision is made for her to go, he is shot by a sniper with a poisonous arrow. He tells Berengaria good bye, but does not tell her about his fatal wound. As he nears death, his mother, Queen Eleanor, comes to see him just after his sister Johanna has died in childbirth. Richard once again feels the love of home when his mother tells him all of the things Robin has done to help him while he was away from England. Richard dies peacefully in his mother's arms.

I loved the "family loyalty" feeling of this book! I just wish we could have had a little more of Robin's side of the story. I also wish that Berengaria had been there for Richard when he had died.

If you like Richard the Lion-hearted and Robin Hood stories, then this is the story for you!

[Sandra Olshaski · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Passionate Brood by Margaret Campbell Barnes (Rated: C)
ISBN 978-1-4022-4205-2
Sourcebooks Landmark
Published 2010
Trade Paperback, 345 pages

Reviewed by Sandra

This is a historical fiction first published in 1944 and rereleased in 2010 that tells the story of the real 12th-century Plantagenet family and the folkloric Robin Hood. Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England are the parents of a rambunctious family consisting of 3 high-tempered girls and 4 boys, who are invariably described as “tall, ruddy, and turbulent “, thus the passionate brood. Robin is purported to have grown up in their midst, been educated like them, though they are proud royal Normans and he is of lowly Saxon birth.

Henry II is a philanderer and soon tires of Queen Eleanor. When Richard discovers his father in a compromising situation, Henry’s temper flares and sends him to Navarre where he meets and marries Berengaria. It is she that gives Richard the nickname “Coeur de lion” – Lion heart. Richard eventually becomes king following the death of both his father and his older brother, the heir to the throne. As King he begins preparations to go on a crusade to save the Holy Land. Robin and Richard, who are the best of friends, part ways as Robin refuses to go on crusade and insists on staying in England. He has a more profane view of the Crusades, “How can the spirit of Christianity be confined in any one city? How can it sanction so much suffering? It seems to me there will be far more urgent crusading to be done here at home.” Robin is unceremoniously parted from the close-knit family when Richard, In typical Plantagenet temper, outlaws Robin, putting a price on his head. Robin, an experienced woodsman takes to the forest and thus begins the tale of Robin Hood.

The rest of the narrative tells of the notoriety Richard gains as a fierce crusader with tireless enthusiasm for the fight to secure Jerusalem. The glamour attached to Richard move soldiers to willingly follow him and forfeit their lives to the cause. In the end, bitterly disappointment awaits him as they are unable to take Jerusalem. Eventually he is shot by a stray arrow and dies in his mother’s presence, without ever producing an heir to succeed him to the throne of England. However, he is the most famous of the crusaders and “Richard’s courage had made the name of Englishman something to be reckoned with throughout the world.”

The author dedicated this book to her son who was killed in the Normandy invasion during World War II. Curiously enough, the Plantagenets traced their ancestry to Normandy and the 1066 invasion of Britain.

Serious history/historical fiction fans may enjoy this rather detailed account that focuses mainly on Richard the Lion heart.

[Amy Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

2010 has seen a plethora of novels on Eleanor of Aquitaine and her progeny and in the newly re-issued novel by Margaret Campbell Barnes, The Passionate Brood (originally published under the name Like Us, They Lived in 1944) we follow the life of Richard the Lionheart and the man we know as Robin Hood.

Amidst the myriad of theories as to who Robin Hood actually was is one that he was an acquaintance of King Richard I’s. Barnes takes this approach and writes her book from the perspective of Richard having a foster brother, the son of his beloved childhood nurse, with whom he grew up with and was very close to. Robin was the one person Richard could trust to always be honest with him, who was the voice of reason and of the people in Richard’s ear. But before the king leaves on crusade he and Robin have a falling out and in his Angevin rage he declares Robin an outlaw, a man with no property and a price on his head.

As his time as king, Richard spent more time on foreign soil than in England and in The Passionate Brood we follow him as he makes his way to the Holy Land, stopping along the way to marry Berengaria of Navarre “the English Queen who never saw England” in Cyprus.

His victories during the Third Crusade are numerous and though part of his legacy is that of a gallant knight, he was also known to be ruthless, proved by his executing 3000 Saracens in Acre. People in England weren’t too thrilled with him either what with the all the taxing to pay for his crusading and his absenteeism. In Barnes’ version Richard seems to be a pretty decent guy that maybe had his priorities wrong, but I definitely need to read more about Richard I to get a more rounded view of the man to form my own opinion and am really looking forward to Sharon Kay Penman’s future release, Lionheart.
All in all this was an enjoyable novel, even if sometimes a bit slow, but Barnes’ writing style is smooth which makes for a quick read.

Favorite quote: “Why, when a pack of wolves used to howl round my old cottage it was peaceful compared with a family party of Plantagenets!”

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionhearted, who was the third legitimate son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Richard is a king who spent very little time as King of England as he was often off on the Crusades. Another character who played a major part of the story is the fictional (foster brother of Richard) Robin Hood. These two men have a close relationship until Richard outlaws Robin and puts a price on his head, he spends the rest of his days in the Shere Wood forest robbing the rich to give to the poor as the legend goes. I liked how this legendary figure was intertwined into the real facts of King Richard and the Plantagenet family.

Richard married Berengaria of Navarre, first-born daughter of King Sanchbo VI of Navarre. Berengaria went on a few of the crusades with Richard which was a difficult situation for a marriage and there were no living children from this match. Richard is determined to win back the Holy Land but never actually does conquer Jerusalem. King Phillip of France and Richards brother John(who is regent while Richard is off on his crusades) are conspiring against him

The marriage of Richard and Berengaria's was a love match according to this book even though as most marriages of the time were matches made for political reasons which also allowed families to stake claims of succession on each others lands. Even though Berengaria was actually Queen of England, she actually never set foot in England until Richard had died.

Joanna Plantagenet (King Richards sister) was Queen of Sicily until King William II's death at which time she was brought back to England. Another fictional character in this story is Blondel de Cahaignes who is King Richards steward and close friend and is with Richard until his death. All of these characters, fictional or otherwise, tell the story of the young Plantagenets, their success and failures, their triumphs and tragedies. This is another great novel by Margaret Campbell Barnes and one that I enjoyed immensely.

[ParisianIrish · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating look into court intrigues during the medieval period concerning principally England and France but also the Mediterranean courts of Sicily and Cyprus. Set during Richard the Lionheart’s crusade in the Holy Land, we get a taste of international relations and alliances, military strategy, and conflicting love interests. The main character is the legend Richard the Lionheart, who since his birth feels that his destiny is to take back the holy land for Christendom, the ‘brood’ in question is the close relationship between Richard and his childhood friend / half brother Robin which the author alludes to becoming the urban legend, Robin Hood. The reader quickly understands the dynamics of the Brood, Richard the volatile, handsome, brave, warrior hero compared with the patient, calm, thoughtful Robin. The duo eventually split when Robin sensationally drops out of the crusade giving a moral lesson to Richard in the process, the backdrop being that the crusade has nearly bankrupted England and will cause the common people a lot of suffering. Robin, with almost visionary foresight predicts that the crusade will not be successful and will tear apart the fragile alliances that hold western Europe together. Richard, blind with rage, banishes Robin who flees to the countryside. As the story moves along, Robin disappears, and we see Richard suffer and become more and more isolated during his crusade, clearly missing the level headedness of his lifelong friend.
We don’t hear about Robin until the second last chapter when he appears to Richard’s sister Joanna to warn her that the youngest brother John, who has been running the realm in Richard’s absence has been plotting to overthrow him and take power himself.
The story is a good one, the writing is excellent, but the conclusion is unclear. We don’t really know how it ends, Richard dies as the result of a poisoned arrow but what becomes of the other half of the brood Robin, is a mystery. Overall, a good read with a great backdrop of the crusade. Would re-visit this author for other titles.

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically giving this three and a half stars. It's toted on both the front and back cover of it being a story of Richard the Lionheart and the man who is Robin Hood. But Robin 'Hood' doesn't technically appear until half way through the book and then he isn't the outlaw, that doesn't come until Richard is held captive by Leopold. Then he barely appears at all. Basically the book is just about Richard and how he wasn't so Lionhearted after all. Which really disappointed me. Even though I hadn't learned all that much about Richard, and learned about his crusades from a Muslim point of view in my Islamic Histories class he still came off as brave and loyal. But man he came off like such a dick in this book, not far off from his father King Henry or like his brother Prince John. While I liked at least some of the historical accuracies others not so much. Like I said it's about Richard and he gained his Lionhearted name way too young and then became self absorbed. If this is how he truly was than I don't know how to view him anymore. However, this book was written in the 1940s and I just love how it has such a classic and ageless feel to it. It seems like something that could've been published in the recent wave of historical novels.

[Danielle Reily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love European history, and historical fiction is one of my favorite genres of literature, but I usually skip books about Eleanor of Aquitaine and her children. I sometimes like reading stories about Robin Hood, but in those King Richard is usually only a background character. I can't say exactly why I skim that story so much, but I have never really connected with it. This book completely changed my opinion.
I loved the author's interpretation of the classic Robin Hood story, and her portrayal of a very complicated family and time had me enthralled. I probably enjoyed it even more than other historical fiction I have read because I only knew the basic facts about the events, so I didn't know what to expect. I enjoyed reading about Robin Hood from an opposite point of view, after Robin is outlawed we only see him a couple more times, the story is mostly about Richard, his crusade, and the events, big and small, that made him a legend. I can't honestly say I like King Richard very much, but I might read more about him now.
I was surprised to learn that this book was written during World War 2, as another review said, it felt timeless. I will be adding all of her books to my "to read" list.

[Molly Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the best portayal of Richard the Lionheart I have ever read. In other books he is portrayed as too fearless to be human, evil, smarter than he was, or not interested in women (it ticks me off so bad when people say he's homosexual 'cause he WASN'T. She portrayed Richard as he really was- romantic, reckless, hot-headed, sensitive, emotional, passionate, lustful, impulsive, and sometimes afraid just like everyone else on earth. Also, I know this sounds weird but I've always imagined Richard with green eyes and people always say he has blue eyes in their books but to me blue eyes don't fit him, and HALLELUJAH, Margaret Campbell Barnes gave him green eyes too! Also I love Joanna's character in this book because I totally admire her and think she has never been given enough credit for her awesomeness. And being a Robin Hood fan, I love that he was a character though I wish he and Richard could've seen each other again, even though in the end Robin forgave him and Richard knew that before he died. Also I like that she didn't give his brother Henry the Young King a bad name and Richard was sad when he died, since I'm sure he actually was.

[Staci · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the best things about reading historical fiction is learning about people that I would've otherwise totally missed. I did enjoy getting to know Richard the Lionheart, but I was hoping to see Robin (Robin Hood) fleshed out a bit more. I did do some research about the Crusades and about the Plantegenets, and again I felt the need to read more about this family and the impact they had on their countries. I wish I could say that I was tearing through this one, but I have to admit that it was slow going for me. I found it hard to concentrate on one person and really make a connection. With that being said, I still feel that I can absolutely recommend this one to those die-hard historical fiction fans and especially to those who enjoy learning more about the medieval time period represented in this book. Here's a great place to start to get some background history on King Richard.

[Sas · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if Robin Hood was King Richard's foster brother? How did the outlaw affect the Richard the Lionheart of history?

This is a story about the life of Richard- his quest, his loves, and his eventual kingship. As Richard goes off to fight in the Crusades, he leaves home not as he planned. He also finds 'love' from 3 different women: his sister Johanna, the love of his life Berengaria and Ida who worshipped the groiund he walked on. Each love different in its own way but how does each play out in the tale...

The book seems to be how the people who love him influence his decisions both on and off the battlefield; however Robin seems to be talked about more than he is actually present. This is a tale of Richard- not Robin. Overall a interesting historical novel, would reccomend it to fans of English history.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Passionate Brood was originally published in 1944 under the name Like Us They Lived. This is a story of Richard the Lionheart, the crusades and much more. But it also asks the question what if Robin Hood of Legend was Richard's foster brother.

The Passionate Brood was an interesting and lively story. I was impressed with how easy this book was to read compared to other Historical Fictions. The writing made the reading experience an enjoyable one. I loved that the author has mixed history with folklore. Brilliant and rich in detail. The story plays like a movie in your head. Ms. Barnes has done a smashing job bring the time and characters to life.

[Chin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a different twist on the Infamous Family of England . Their beginnings and their quests what might have been. I have read many books talking about this era. It was interesting to have a personal view of their internal doings. My question is : Did Richard the Lion-heart really outlaw his friend Robin ,who became Robin-hood?
It seems plausible . Yet somehow not so believable. Perhaps I have been jaded by previous reads.
The event of the slaughter in the Crusade ,I have read accounts about . Deplorable and really inexcusable, anyone who reads of this account might understand the middle east conflict better.