The Steel Beneath The Silk - Patricia Bracewell - Book 3 of the Trilogy~ Incredibly well done~

 

"In the year 1012 England’s Norman-born Queen Emma has been ten years wed to an aging, ruthless, haunted King Æthelred. The marriage is a bitterly unhappy one, between a queen who seeks to create her own sphere of influence within the court and a suspicious king who eyes her efforts with hostility and resentment. But royal discord shifts to grudging alliance when Cnut of Denmark, with the secret collusion of his English concubine Elgiva, invades England at the head of a massive viking army."

Like many others, I have waited years to read this final book in the trilogy of Patricia Bracewell's Emma of Normandy saga. I loved this book and must admit I love Emma also, my mother's family came to Ireland with the Norman kings by the early 12th century.

It was a wonderful tale enhanced by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle excerpts which give it great credibility. I think it ends in a very good place with a relationship between Emma and Cnut amicably looking toward the future.

Very much recommended to all, even those who have not read the other two books ( but I recommend them to you) 5 Stars!

Kenneth's Queen- Anna Chant (Women of the Dark Ages, #1) ~ Enthralling and Informative~

 An absolutely enthralling book about an unknown to history woman, whose husband Cinaed and children have descendants in English Royal house today. Cinaed, known to history as Kenneth Mac Alpin was the son of Alpin and generally regarded as the founder of medieval Scotland.

Baena,as Anna Chant the author names her, was a Pictish princess who was handfasted to Cinaed who was partially a Pict and was a Gael son of a king of Dal Riata. I learned an immense amount about these tribes and their wars from this excellently written author.

Baena was at first ignored by Cinead until his father Alpin was murdered and he would need to assume his role and father legitimate heirs. Their relationship was a struggle but became a good one and she supported Cinaed in his efforts to unite Dal Riata Gaels and the Pictish tribes.

I plan to read the rest of the "Women of the Dark Ages" books and anything else the author has written.