Book Review: The Book of Three

Although not as strong as it once was, my love of fantasy literature (a carry-over from my childhood and teenage years) still forms a part of my sense of personal identity. If this love could be traced to a single source, it would undoubtedly be The Book of Three, the first of five volumes in Lloyd Alexander's famous Chronicles of Prydain series, which I first read at the age of eight.

Set in the mystical world of Prydain, the story centers around the character Taran, an orphan being raised on a farm by an old and, shall we say, "eccentric" wise man. Harboring dreams of battle and glory, Taran is unexpectedly thrust into a whirlwind of events that could decide the fate of the entire kingdom.

It was not obvious to me until many years later, but Alexander's work is based almost entirely on traditional Welsh/Celtic mythology and folklore, with some characters sharing the exact same names. Taking this theme one step further, Alexander sets the story against a background of supernatural and historical mystery that could easily pass for a traditional bard's tale.

Each character in the book- from the wise leader Gwydion, to the enchantress princess Eilonwy to the lovable and mischievous scamp Gurgi- is written with such unique a personality that readers of any age (even if they don't fully understand the story) will be enthralled by and endeared to for many years to come.

Book Review: For the King's Favor

Having become enthralled with Elizabeth Chadwick's masterful portrayal of William Marshal in The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion, my eye naturally turned to her other works. One of those works was For the King's Favor, which chronicles the life of Roger Bigod.

A contemporary of William Marshal, Roger Bigod is born heir to the earldom of Norfolk, but his succession is by no means guaranteed. His father leads a rebellion against King Henry II (and perishes in the process), forcing Roger to walk an extremely delicate path to remain in royal favor. In addition, his half-brother campaigns fiercely to gain rights to the inheritance, resulting in a 20-year long debate.

Roger, however, is only half the story. The leading lady of the novel is Ida de Tosney. Starting out as the 15-year old mistress of King Henry, Ida finds favor in the court. She later desires a legitimate marriage with Roger, but to secure the King's permission, she must leave behind her infant son, fathered by Henry, to be raised in the royal household.

Many of the events in this story parallel the same time line as Chadwick's works about William Marshal, so it was interesting to see those same events viewed from another person's perspective. Chadwick also does a brilliant job portraying the blossoming romance between Ida and Roger, as well as the family dynamics that develop between their children, the supporting characters and Ida's son by Henry.

More than anything else, Chadwick has written very human characters. Despite the 800-year divide that separates their time from ours, the situations in their personal lives (love vs. duty, raising children and family quarrels) can no doubt be related to by modern society on a multitude of levels.  

Book Review: Cleopatra: A Life

A figure of intrigue and controversy in her own lifetime and painted as a femme fatale after her death, the last Pharaoh of Egypt has inspired more scandals and myths than any other woman of the ancient world (except perhaps the infamous Helen of Troy). In her groundbreaking biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff peels away all of the later layers of mythology from Cleopatra and paints a bold and refreshing new picture of this remarkable queen.

Focusing strictly on near-contemporary Classical sources, Schiff chronicles Cleopatra's rise to power as the ruler of the wealthiest and most productive land in the Mediterranean. Aside from being a crafty politician and clever propagandist (not to mention utterly ruthless when she wanted to be), Cleopatra's capital of Alexandria was the preeminent center of education the ancient world, and she could duel with the greatest intellectual minds of her day. Even more than all that, Cleopatra fought fiercely to protect her people, her country and her culture from the encroaching presence of Roman domination.

Accompanied by two beautiful sets of images depicting maps, art and artifacts related to Cleopatra's reign, Schiff's work is written in a very clear and simple language that requires virtually no sophisticated knowledge of history to understand and enjoy.