Margaret Butler (1)

The novels main focus is the escalation of hostilities between Henry II and Thomas Becket. The secondary characters so prominent in the first book of the series, The Lion of England, take a back seat, and Eleanor is an unhappy wife we see little of. The point of view is mainly Thomas Becket's as he finds few supporters when he hardens his stance against the king's encroachment into ecclesiastical affairs. Seeking to flee England to gain support of the pope, he is obstructed by Henry's control of the ports, and returns to face continued humiliation before the nobles. Some of them easily take sides against the Archbishop and others are torn.

This is a good historical fiction about this famous friendship between king and commoner. Butler doesn't over-intellectualize the legal arguments. She focuses on the core church vs. state issues between Henry and Thomas, presenting both sides of an argument that destroyed a friendship. However, I missed the counterpoint of secondary characters of the Fitzurse family that is found in the first novel of the series, needed to alleviate the dry political material. Ms. Butler does little to carry their story forward leaving this second novel less well-rounded than the first.… (mehr)

Margaret Butler's The Lion of England is the first in The Lion Trilogy about Henry II and Thomas Becket. In the opening novel the friendship begins between Henry and the commoner archdeacon, Thomas, eventually making Thomas Becket Chancellor of England, but exacerbating jealousy among the knights and nobility. In the meantime, Henry begins an affair with a low-born Saxon woman, Hikenai, ( mother of Geoffrey, acknowledged illegitimate son by Henry, later made Archbishop of York). Realizing that Henry is incapable of fidelity, tensions build between Eleanor and Henry even as she bears him one child after another. And as his wealth and status increase due to the Kings favor, questions begin to arise within Thomas Becket, questions that test his loyalty to king and church.

Butler in her wide array of characters gives an authentic voice to the high and low, king and queen, baron and lady, and serf and prostitute, leaving a well-rounded portrait of 12th century England.

Other books in trilogy:
The Lion of Justice
The Lion of Christ (UK title: The Turbulent Priest)… (mehr)