La Reine rebelle

Dark Ages of Britain trilogy #2

by Kathleen Herbert

Par une tiède matinée de l'an 641, un soleil rouge s’élevait lentement dans le ciel du royaume de Cambrie, sur l'île de Grande-Bretagne, berceau nappé de brumes et de mystères de la légende du Roi Arthur et des Dames du Lac. A l’orée d'un bois, un cavalier contemplait longuement la princesse étendue dans une prairie cernée de buissons neigeux. Non loin d'elle, sa jument grise paissait paisiblement. La tête de la jeune femme reposait sur la masse soyeuse de ses cheveux dénoués, dans une pose alanguie qui ressemblait au sommeil. Elle avait délacé son pourpoint de chasse en cuir, ouvert le col de sa chemise. Tout semblait lui sourire. Et pourtant, au soir du même jour, la mort tragique de son frère allait briser son avenir et ses rêves, l'obliger à abandonner son amant, à renoncer au trône de ses ancêtres, à épouser, contre son gré, un prince d'une contrée ennemie. Bravant l’adversité, refusant tous les compromis, il lui faudrait se défendre et se battre avec désespoir, résister aux épreuves, subir les pires outrages, rester, envers et contre tous, fidèle à elle-même, sans jamais se soumettre, devenir indomptable, intraitable, invincible. C'est ce non d'une reine rebelle, ce non permanent, obstine, victorieux, que met magnifiquement en scène cette très belle et très violente histoire d'amour et de chevalerie, sur fond de cruauté et de féeries, d'étranges sortilèges et de barbarie, au temps où émergeait de l'Age des Ténèbres une civilisation naissante appelée à unir dans une seule nation Celtes et Chrétiens, Romains et Anglo-Saxons.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Fiction, British Literature

372 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1983

Reviews

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the death of her brother, Riemmelth becomes sole heir to the seventh-century kingdom of Cumbria and finds herself torn between her own desires and the needs of her people.

Outstanding and unusual historical fiction.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's definitely some trigger warnings for this one, oh boy: forced marriage, sexism, non explicit rape, war, descriptions of mutilated bodies, and the deliberately drowning of women.

This is the sort of really tragic, classic fantasy that I love, even though I was originally expecting it to be a gaudy romance from the cover of my edition. It was fun, and despite some of the weird, contradictory stereotypes I enjoyed all the characters.

The issue I had with the book is that I ended up being confused about who everyone was and their stake in the story. It jumps around so much, barely focussing on any relationships beyond the initial one between Riemmelth and Elidir, that it was hard to keep track of the actual plot. My expectation that the story would mostly follow those two, as they either fought to get back together or Riemmelth fought an attraction to her husband was, er, really off. If that's why you're interested in this, you're better off finding another historical romance to read. Instead, their relationship sort of works as tragic background noise to the politics between three kingdoms (Mercia, Northumbria, and Cumbria) and people moving from place to place.

[Tish · Rating 4 out of 5]

#2 in Herbert's Northumbrian Trilogy, set in the early 7th C. I loved the first one (Bride of the Spear) and was disappointed that this one didn't pick up where the first one ended, but rather two generations later. That said, Herbert is such a good writer that I got engaged with this new story within the first few pages. Very happy to have #3 waiting in the wings.

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe unfairly forgotten, very unusual ( set in Anglo Saxon England and it´s nothing to do king Arthur!!) historical fiction. I read it ages ago from a library, but as far as I recall it was very good.

[Truc · Rating 3 out of 5]

at one point, before her political rivals fake-killed her with mud but after she used a decoy on her wedding night, riemmelth describes how the king played her body like a harp or some such thing. i distinctly remember thinking — i'm way too young for this nonsense.

[Elysium]

DNF page 68