(The Plantagenet Legacy, Book 1)
By Mercedes Rochelle
Publisher: Sergeant Press
Page Length: 313 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Richard II found himself under siege not once, but twice in his minority. Crowned king at age ten, he was only fourteen when the Peasants' Revolt terrorized London. But he proved himself every bit the Plantagenet successor, facing Wat Tyler and the rebels when all seemed lost.
Alas, his triumph was short-lived, and for the next ten years he struggled to assert himself against his uncles and increasingly hostile nobles. Just like in the days of his great-grandfather Edward II, vengeful magnates strove to separate him from his friends and advisors, and even threatened to depose him if he refused to do their bidding.
The Lords Appellant, as they came to be known, purged the royal household with the help of the Merciless Parliament. They murdered his closest allies, leaving the King alone and defenseless.
He would never forget his humiliation at the hands of his subjects.
Richard's inability to protect his adherents would haunt him for the rest of his life, and he vowed that next time, retribution would be his.
Book Rating:
📚 = Um...! 😕
Review
A King Under Siege
📚📚📚📚📚⭐ = A book in a million
Every so often I read a historical novel that sends me off wanting to find out more about the people in it, and A King Under Siege did exactly that. I knew the name Richard II, of course, but I knew very little about the young man behind the crown or just how difficult his early reign had been.
What fascinated me most was the constant battle over Richard himself. Everyone seems to have an idea about how England should be governed and, more importantly, how much say Richard should be allowed to have in it. He is surrounded by older, powerful men who have been making decisions since he was a child, and they don't seem particularly keen to stop. You can understand why Richard becomes so determined to assert his authority, even when some of his methods aren't particularly wise.
I also became very interested in the people around him. There are those who genuinely care for him, those whose loyalty becomes rather more complicated, and others who appear convinced that they know what is best for both Richard and England. Trying to work out where everyone's loyalties really lay became one of my favourite parts of the story.
There are some very powerful scenes as Richard gradually discovers just how vulnerable a king can be when the people around him control the real power. The later part of the novel in particular had me completely engrossed. I felt Richard's frustration, anger and humiliation, even when I didn't always agree with him.
A King Under Siege has given me an entirely different picture of Richard II. Mercedes Rochelle has taken a king I previously knew mostly as a name from history and made me curious about the man he would eventually become.
For me, this really was a book in a million. 📚📚📚📚📚⭐
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Mercedes Rochelle
Born in St. Louis, MO, with a degree from University of Missouri, Mercedes Rochelle learned about living history as a re-enactor and has been enamored with historical fiction ever since. A move to New York to do research and two careers ensued, but writing fiction remains her primary vocation. She lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
