A Triple Knot
by Emma Campion
Why did you choose this book? the synopsis intrigued me
When did you read this book? July 2014
Who should read this book? readers who enjoy historical fiction set in early England
Source: TLC Book Tours
Joan of Kent, the renowned beauty and niece of King Edward III, seems blessed with a life of royal privilege until her father is executed for treason and she becomes a ward of the king, living amongst those who deem her the daughter of a traitor. Joan begins to understand the brutal constraints and dangers inherent in being of royal blood. There is one at court who loves her, but his love proves the greatest threat of all.
As an impetuous teenager, she escapes into a clandestine marriage in a bid for freedom, then must hide it for nearly a decade, as her guardians marry her off to another man. After her first husband’s death, Joan—now a mother of four—enters into another scandalous relationship, this time with the heir to the British throne, Prince Edward, hero of Crécy and Poitiers, who has loved her all along. But his devotion comes at a terrible price. Haunted by nightmares of her father’s execution and the ruthlessness of her royal kin, Joan must reconcile her passion for the crown prince with her own conscience.
My Review
I enjoy historical fiction involving England and royalty but hadn’t read any for awhile, so as soon as I started this one, I felt like I was relaxing with an old friend. The last stories I’d read from this specific genre we centered around the War of Roses, which was new to me at the time. I’ve gone back about one hundred years further with this book, which is set in the mid-1300s.
The first thing I should tell you about this book is that it is a long one, running about 465 pages. This is not a problem unless you are in the mood for a light, quick read. For the most part, I enjoyed this book, though it did drag a bit at times. Telling the story in about 400 pages would have been better.
I also have to mention that I felt a little mislead by the blurb on the cover. When I read it, the implication was that much of this book is based on the period during which Joan ‘enters into a scandalous relationship’ with Prince Edward. That actually happens very near the end of the book, and we don’t learn much about this relationship at all. I really would have liked to seen more detail about this period, though that would have made the book even longer. The good news is, the author is in the early stages of a sequel to tell this part of Joan’s story!
That said, I enjoyed the book very much. I really didn’t know anything about Joan of Kent, so this was new territory for me. One reason I enjoy historical fiction is because it motivates me to learn more about the period covered. I couldn’t wait to hit Wikipedia when I finished to learn more about Joan of Kent and her Black Prince! I really appreciated the author’s note at the end where she clarified what was fact and what was left to her imagination. She also made a point of explaining how different words had different meanings in the 1300s than they do today (ie. clandestine), which added a lot to my understanding of the events. If you have the time to invest and you enjoy historical fiction, this is a very good read!
About Emma Campion
Emma Campion is the author of The King’s Mistress and, writing as Candace Robb, author of the internationally acclaimed Owen Archer crime series. She lives in Seattle. Visit her blog HERE.
Below is an interview of Candace Robb aka Emma Campion discussing writing.
My Rating: ★★★1/2 3-1/2 Stars
This book review is included in a tour by TLC Book Tours. I received a copy of the book in return for an honest review, which you can read above.
Emma’s Tour Stops
Monday, June 30th: Broken Teepee
Wednesday, July 2nd: Daily Mayo
Monday, July 7th: Fiction Addict
Tuesday, July 8th: Kritter’s Ramblings
Wednesday, July 9th: Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, July 10th: A Bookish Affair
Friday, July 11th: Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Monday, July 14th: Book Addict Katie
Tuesday, July 15th: From L.A. to LA
Wednesday, July 16th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Thursday, July 17th: Unabridged Chick
Friday, July 18th: The Most Happy Reader
Monday, July 21st: Bibliophilia, Please
Tuesday, July 22nd: Time 2 Read
Wednesday, July 23rd: Ageless Pages Reviews
Thursday, July 24th: Historical Fiction Notebook
Monday, July 28th: Literally Jen
Wednesday, July 30th: 100 Pages a Day…. Stephanie’s Book Reviews
TBD: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Thank you for the review! I just got this book from Blogging for Books. I too haven't read a historical piece in a long time so this one caught my eye. I do admit that I'm a little disappointed to hear that the blurb doesn't come into play until the end but at least I have a heads up when I read this book.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the great review!
Vonnie's Reading Corner
I think you will like this book since you have an interest or you wouldn't have picked it up. And I think the main problem with the blurb is that I read it and the entire time kept waiting for the relationship with the prince! Since you won't be reading with that anticipation, I think you may even enjoy it more! Have fun with it!
DeleteI love learning about history through books like this - I'm always inspired to research more when I finish the book!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour.