Synopses & Reviews
From the New York Times-bestselling author of Lionheart comes the dramatic sequel, telling of the last dangerous years of Richard, Couer de Lions life.
This long-anticipated sequel to the national bestseller Lionheart is a vivid and heart-wrenching story of the last event-filled years in the life of Richard, Coeur de Lion. Taken captive by the Holy Roman Emperor while en route homein violation of the papal decree protecting all crusadershe was to spend fifteen months chained in a dungeon while Eleanor of Aquitaine moved heaven and earth to raise the exorbitant ransom. But a further humiliation awaited him: he was forced to kneel and swear fealty to his bitter enemy.
For the five years remaining to him, betrayals, intrigues, wars, and illness were ever present. So were his infidelities, perhaps a pattern set by his fathers faithlessness to Eleanor. But the courage, compassion, and intelligence of this warrior king became the stuff of legend, and A Kings Ransom brings the man and his world fully and powerfully alive.
Review
Praise for Sharon Kay Penman
“Sharon Kay Penman transcends beloved-author status: among lovers of historical fiction, she is cherished.” —BookPage
“Always happy to read a new Sharon Kay Penman novel: Lionheart, set during the Crusades, brings both Richard and Saladin to vivid life.”—Nancy Pearl
“The great Crusader-King Richard the Lionheart comes alive in all his complex splendor in this masterpiece of a medieval tapestry.”—Margaret George
“Sharon Kay Penman transcends beloved-author status: among lovers of historical fiction, she is cherished.”—BookPage
“Penman has written a tour de force that has me ready for the sequel right this minute. Highly recommended.”—Historical Novels Review
“Penman displays her usual grasp of sweeping historical events, as well as an uncanny ability to get inside the hearts and minds of her real-life characters. Her reputation for character-driven, solidly detailed historicals is richly deserved. High Demand Backstory: The popularity of her superbly rendered Angevin trilogy guarantees a ready-made audience for this fictional biography of the always intriguing Richard the Lionheart.”—Booklist
“[A] gritty, unsentimental, and richly detailed epic. . . . Readers will eagerly await the next installment, which will focus on Richards capture and ransom.”—Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Justin de Quincy hastens to Paris at the request of his former lover only to discover that she was acting on behalf of his nemesis, Prince John. The prince has been implicated in a plot to kill his brother, King Richard, and wants Justin to prove the incriminating document false.
Realizing that John's suspected treachery may also risk the welfare of the woman he serves, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Justin reluctantly agrees to help. But his investigation unravels a sinister conspiracy that might change the course of English history.
About the Author
Sharon Kay Penman is the author of eight previous historical novels and four mysteries. Among writers who admire her work are Margaret George, Steve Berry, George R. R. Martin, and Bernard Cornwell. Her readers are passionately committed. A lawyer by training, by her mid-thirties she was a full-time novelist. She lives in Mays Landing, New Jersey.