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    Shadow on the Crown: A Novel
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    Shadow on the Crown: A Novel
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    Shadow on the Crown: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    Shadow on the Crown: A Novel

    Written by Patricia Bracewell

    Narrated by Katie Firth

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A rich tale of power and forbidden love revolving around a young medieval queen

    In 1002, fifteen­-year-old Emma of Normandy crosses the Narrow Sea to wed the much older King Athelred of England, whom she meets for the first time at the church door. Thrust into an unfamiliar and treacherous court, with a husband who mistrusts her, stepsons who resent her and a bewitching rival who covets her crown, Emma must defend herself against her enemies and secure her status as queen by bearing a son.

    Determined to outmaneuver her adversaries, Emma forges alliances with influential men at court and wins the affection of the English people. But her growing love for a man who is not her husband and the imminent threat of a Viking invasion jeopardize both her crown and her life.

    Based on real events recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Shadow on the Crown introduces readers to a fascinating, overlooked period of history and an unforgettable heroine whose quest to find her place in the world will resonate with modern readers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 7, 2013
    ISBN9781101605271
    Unavailable
    Shadow on the Crown: A Novel
    Author

    Patricia Bracewell

    Patricia Bracewell grew up in California where she taught literature and composition before embarking upon her writing career. She holds an M.A. in English Literature, but has always been fascinated by English history – an interest that led her to a brief course in Anglo-Saxon history at Downing College, Cambridge University. She has two grown-up sons, and she lives with her Canadian husband in Oakland, California.

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    Reviews for Shadow on the Crown

    4/5

    101 ratings15 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A visit to the former capital of Anglo Saxon Wessex, Winchester, over Easter prompted me to read this novel, the first in a trilogy about Emma of Normandy, a pivotal figure in the politics of England and indeed north west Europe in the first half of the 11th century, and queen to two Kings of England, Ethelred II the Unready, and the Danish invader Canute. The novel covers the first few years of Emma's time in England, from when she is shocked to be told she is being sent to Winchester on the other side of the Narrow Sea to wed the King of England, following the death of his first wife; through the horrors of the St Brice's Day massacre in 1002 when Ethelred ordered the indiscriminate slaughter of all Danes living in England; of Danish invasions, including the brutal sacking of Exeter; and through to Emma's eventually fulfilling the destiny of any queen before the modern era, that is of giving birth to a son, the future King Edward the Confessor, a potential rival to the many sons Ethelred already had by his first wife, particularly to his eldest son and heir, Athelstan. The novel is very well written, if perhaps a little long at 500 pages, full of colourful incident and characters. I have already downloaded the next book in the series.
    • 5/5
      This book which is based on real events recorded in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle had me from the first page and kept me turning pages well into the night…Our story starts out on Dec. 24 of 1001 in Normandy, amidst one of the coldest winters in recent memories. 15 yr. old Emma is arguing with her sister about going out in the frigid weather just to Check on her horse. Making her way outside to the stables Emma hears men approaching and hides behind her horse as her brother and the frightening & powerful king Swein Forkbeard come to put up their horses, she hears the conversation turning towards her and her older sister. It Seems time to be marrying off The sisters… And so begins the incredible journey of Emma, soon to be married to the much older King Athelred of England, who hates her on site as well as his sons who mistrust her and a mistress who wishes she were dead.The only way for Emma to have any power or respect at all is to have a son for her king. Emma goes through many exciting and horrific times while trying to keep her King and her crown.This was an education for me as well as a very, very good read. I could not imagine growing up in such a time when women were basically just baby makers. I must say one of my favorite parts of this book were the humorous and tongue twisting names! This is the first book in a trilogy, which is good in that there will be more books and bad as now I have to wait for the next two books!
    • 5/5
      Wonderfull A new part of our royal history to me and beautiful read ,
    • 5/5
      Engaging, well-researched historical fiction about a seldom written-about piece of history. The first in a trilogy, Shadow on the Crown is sure to leave readers eager for the next installment.

      A must-read for fans of Philippa Gregory or Hilary Mantel.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was a beautiful change of pace from the over-done historical fiction of the Tudor era. In fact, I've yet to read a novel from the early days of England other than this one, and of course Robin Hood.

      Queen Emma is a fantastic character that you can really sink your teeth into, aside from her occasional periods of worry which, I must say, I'm quite sick of in all accounts of historical women, even though I'm sure they were overly prone to them in real life. She's strong willed, and unlike many other women of historical fiction, she isn't terribly conniving. That role lies with Elgiva, who plays her part quite well, even if, in the end, she really is a minor character for all the trouble she caused. Additionally, I adored Athelstan, although I wish things had turned out better for him.

      As for the remainder of the series, I cannot decide if I will continue it, for fear of it becoming like Phillipa Gregory's; I would hate to become bored with the potential redundancy of it all. I suppose only time will tell.
    • 5/5
      I think the author read Stafford's "Queen Emma and Queen Edith. " Am I right? If so, nice to see an HF author using serious academic work.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars"You must ever be prepared within yourself to face what trials may lay in store for you. let this be your first lesson: No one else must see you like this, Emma. Do you hear me? However great the provocation you must never allow anyone to see your fear."I'm a huge fan of historical fiction novels but to be honest, I don't branch out enough outside of my comfortable safe-zone known as the Tudor time period. This one caught my eye primarily because it is still set in England, however, it's in a very, very early England. After this one, I do believe I have learned my lesson and I need to take more chances with my historical fiction picks. Shadow on the Crown was superbly done.'Their destinies were like two rivers that flowed ever in the same direction, within sight of each other but never meant to meet, to touch, to join as one.'What worked incredibly well was the evidence of research that was done in preparation for this novel. The author has stated that Shadow on the Crown is based on real events recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, but it's evident the author has the ability to take pieces of history and create a truly stirring story. Also, I really appreciated her interpretation of the romances. In most historical fiction novels the romances are portrayed similarly to a historical romance (bodice ripper) and just comes off as corny rather than genuine.Each character was given their own unique voice and even though they were not a main character their bits in the story still shown. Emma was an amazingly strong character and it was a joy to read (the majority of) this story through her eyes. The POV does occasionally switch up but is not overdone and provides additional and necessary facets of this story.What truly blows me away about this novel is that it's a debut novel. The few historical fiction debut novels I've read in the past have all read like the author is re-wording their history books. Patricia Bracewell managed to re-tell a piece of history and imbue something vibrant into it. It's quite obvious that the author is passionate about history and this time period in general but her passion is addicting and made it a true joy to read. Shadow on the Crown does not tell all of Emma's story so I'm very much looking forward to future books.
    • 4/5
      A fascinating novel about a little-known early medieval English queen, Emma of Normandy. Patricia Bracewell exceeds at fleshing out Emma's story from scant sources and giving it her own creative twists. The novel ended before I expected and I hope the author continues to write about this historical figure, as I am eager to know how the characters' stories end.
    • 5/5
      Where I got the book: purchased at a conference. Signed. I know Pat Bracewell from the conference circuit and Facebook.This was my one buy at the 2013 Historical Novel Society conference because I'd read good things about it on Goodreads. I wasn't disappointed. I don't generally like "kings and queens" historical fiction, but I enjoyed this account of Emma of Normandy's marriage to the king known in modern times as Ethelred the Unready. Possibly because OH THANK HEAVEN it was written in third person past tense, so instead of limiting itself to Emma's immediate viewpoint it brought in events that happened outside the limited women's domain of home and hearth. Also, when Bracewell had Emma or her nemesis, Elgiva, do something adventurous or dangerous, there was a REASON for it, and she built up both characters well enough that their actions were believable. I'm so tired of HF heroines being given flimsy excuses to jump on a horse and ride around the countryside whenever the author realizes there's not enough action.Elgiva's a nicely three-dimensional counterpart to Emma, although I did find myself wishing they didn't both have names beginning with an E because I tended to mix them up a bit. I wasn't too crazy about Athelstan the Gorgeous (no that's me, not Bracewell) and the doomed love affair; Bracewell's clearly more of a historical writer than a romance writer, and the story was strong enough to hold up without the romantic interruptions.I loved learning about the period around 1000 AD when the Danish Vikings were raiding English coasts and the English kings had to decide between placating them with money or land or fighting against them. I did feel that this novel brought the age to life for me, and I found myself grabbing my copy of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles to read the contemporary account for myself. I also found myself wanting to know what happened next and picking up the book far more frequently than usual. There will be more Emma books, apparently, and I'll read them.
    • 5/5
      This book which is based on real events recorded in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle had me from the first page and kept me turning pages well into the night…Our story starts out on Dec. 24 of 1001 in Normandy, amidst one of the coldest winters in recent memories. 15 yr. old Emma is arguing with her sister about going out in the frigid weather just to Check on her horse. Making her way outside to the stables Emma hears men approaching and hides behind her horse as her brother and the frightening & powerful king Swein Forkbeard come to put up their horses, she hears the conversation turning towards her and her older sister. It Seems time to be marrying off The sisters… And so begins the incredible journey of Emma, soon to be married to the much older King Athelred of England, who hates her on site as well as his sons who mistrust her and a mistress who wishes she were dead.The only way for Emma to have any power or respect at all is to have a son for her king. Emma goes through many exciting and horrific times while trying to keep her King and her crown.This was an education for me as well as a very, very good read. I could not imagine growing up in such a time when women were basically just baby makers. I must say one of my favorite parts of this book were the humorous and tongue twisting names! This is the first book in a trilogy, which is good in that there will be more books and bad as now I have to wait for the next two books!
    • 5/5
      I read a fair amount of historical fiction, but so much of it covers the same eras and places over and over again. Not that there's not a lot to draw from in Tudor or Regency England, or from WWI and WWII, but it's so refreshing to read historicals that draw from other eras, ones that I know less about. In fact, I knew nothing about the time period in which Shadow on the Crown is set, early eleventh century Europe, primarily England. Bracewell draws a brilliant portrait of a young woman sent to foreign shores to be Queen of England.

      Shadow on the Crown captured me immediately. The beautiful writing and vibrant characters pulled me into this past era and made me want to stay there for a while. Bracewell has a knack for description and sets the scene so well. She introduces her rather large cast of similarly named characters with a deft hand, and I had no trouble remember which names corresponded to which characters.

      Emma, though a product of her age, is not a weak woman by any means. In fact, her brother sends her to wed Athelred, King of England, instead of her older sister, because he thinks she will be of more use. Though intimidated by her new role in life, Emma does not cower or shrink. She confronts Athelred with her thoughts and opinions, though he has no wish to hear them. I love her for her spunk, and I felt horribly for every horrible thing she went through, of which there were many.

      Emma's relationship with Athelred is rocky. He is accustomed to a weaker wife, and ends up seeking pleasure in other arms, scheming ones. Though she doesn't miss him, Emma needs an heir to cement her role as queen. Further complicating matters are Emma's mutual feelings for someone so close to her but so out of reach. Their love is heartbreaking in its dedicatedness in the face of lack of hope.

      All of the characters are well-drawn, not just Emma. Especially fascinating is Athelred, haunted by the memory of his brother Edward, slain so Athelred could have the crown. Beset by his inner demons, Athelred descends into ever-worsening spirals of paranoia and cruelty. Even Elgiva, the scheming sexpot from the Northern part of the country is more complex than she at first seems. I love that Bracewell took the time to add depth to even minor characters, like Hilde, daughter of a traitor.

      In so much of the historical fiction I've read, England is a strong country, dominant on the political scene or at least a force to be reckoned with. In Shadow on the Crown, England is sorely pressed to keep the Vikings from taking over. Though there are not many conflicts that occur within the pages of the novel, the Vikings are a looming menace throughout. The Viking attack scenes that do happen are intense.

      Towards the end, the pace of the book did slow a bit for me. I started worrying that everything would not be able to wrap up, and it didn't. Evidently there are more books in the works, though this information is not yet on Goodreads, so I made up my own series title. I am not completely happy of the ending of this installment, but if I had the next book within reach, I would eagerly dive into it. I must know what happens to Emma, and will try to resist the urge to google that.

      Historical fiction fans, do yourselves a favor and procure a copy of Patricia Bracewell's Shadow on the Crown. I expect that I'll be reading many more Bracewell books in the future.
    • 4/5
      My rating: 4 of 5 starsShadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell is a historical novel set way back in 1001 England. Emma is married by arrangement to the king in exchange for certain favors from her brother. The road for Emma is hard. The king doesn't care about her and mostly resents her. She must keep his interest if she is to ever produce an heir. This task is made more difficult because of a very determined rival. Many battles are fought, schemes are hatched and carried out viciously, there are illicit romances, heartbreak, and death. A very harsh, bleak period of time with much danger and bloodshed. Through it all Emma manages to hold herself up and gives us an inspirational story of triumph. This is the first book in a trilogy. I will be on board for the future installments for sure. To be clear, this is not a historical romance. There is romance, but this a fictional account of Queen Emma's life. The story is based in fact, but the author takes certain liberties along the way. Overall I would give this one an A-. Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for the ARC.
    • 5/5
      SHADOW ON THE CROWN by Patricia BracewellSHADOW ON THE CROWN is an intricately plotted historical novel based on the early life of Emma of England, a little remembered queen of the medieval period. Emma, youngest daughter of Richard of Normandy and ancestor to William the Conqueror, is sent to England to marry the newly widowed and much older King AEthelred. The marriage is supposed to prevent the Danish Vikings who are indebted to Richard from sacking English towns. Instead Emma discovers she is surrounded by intrigue, plots against the King, a Lord's daughter who insinuates herself into the king's bed, stepsons who resent her (and one who loves her), a husband who both ignores and abuses her, and in peril from the Vikings. Well researched and well written, the novel is part mystery, part history and mostly intensely absorbing. You will need the glossary at the beginning of the book for all the medieval words and the cast of characters to keep all the unfamiliar Anglo-Saxon names straight. I longed for a more complete map with both medieval and modern names - who knew Jorvik was really the city of York. You will discover in the afterward that this is the first book of a trilogy which explains why the book stops with Emma still in jeopardy. Then you will wait impatiently for the next book to be published!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book from the very first pages. It was exhilarating and enticing from the start. The characters were flushed out and believable, the setting was beautifully written, and the large events that occurred actually happened.You know a book is good when you have feelings for the characters. There were some that I sympathized with, others I hated and quite often I would yell at the characters for being so blinded by their own pride. Many characters were really self centered and stupid, that I just couldn’t see how they hadn’t destroyed all of England yet. (very nearly did though)The writing was so vivid and lively that you could feel the chill winter breeze or the sweltering heat of summer time. The descriptive detail allowed readers to immerse themselves into the novel without being bored by too much attention to detail.Above all else, though, is that this book is believable. What is really important for a historical fiction is when the story could have actually happened in that time period. The author adds excerpts from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles to show that these large country changing events did occur at this time. I loved reading those excerpts intermixed with the story line.The book comes out today and I highly recommend it to any one who loves historical fiction or political/royal drama. For an author’s first debut novel, this book is very well done.WARNING: this book does contain rape and rape threats. It is an adult book and probably should not be read by those under 18.
    • 4/5
      More and more I find I am drawn to historical fiction novels that are based on real events, as is the case with Bracewell's first novel. Shadows on the Crown is set during a largely ignored period; an era of special violence and turbulence in England. The struggles of the all characters, mainly protagonist and one of the narrators, Emma of Normandy, are rooted in historical fact. While the author is admittedly not afraid to play fast and loose with some facts, names, dates, Emma's story is fascinating and also based on a biography this strong Queen herself commissioned late in 1017. Filled with action, forbidden love, Swedish vikings and a mad king, Shadows on the Crown is a sure fit for historical fiction fans looking for an unconventional time and strong, determined female characters.Covering only three years (1002 - 1005 AD) of the long life of this important, if largely forgotten by modern-day authors, Queen of England, this is a fast-paced, quick read despite the dauting 400+ page length. The third person POV can create a bit of distance from the various narrators - Emma, her husband Aethelred (often called, incorrectly, the 'Unready'), Aethelred's son Aethelstan, and minor antagonist Elgvia (Aelgifu) of Northhampton - but each character coalesces into an easily identifiable voice and tone early on. This is the first of a forthcoming, currently unnamed series, and the brisk pace and POV jumps do prevent the readers from a solid grasp on the players for a fair bit of the novel. However, it is early days yet, both in Emma's vastly interesting life and in this author's trilogy, so I do think some improvement will come in that aspect. It's also worth noting that there are so many Ae- names that the extensive character list at the very beginning of the book comes quite in handy for the first 200 pages.There's a lot of conflict at the heart of the novel, and in Emma's precarious existence in the English court. Conflict between Aethelred and his new Norman wife, some of which, quite honestly, was hard for me to read; conflict between England and the Swedish King Swein Forkbeard; and more conflict between Aethelred's first family and his new one over the inheritance. Primarily little more than a hostage to the good behavior of her brother the Duke of Normandy, Emma strives for security, safety and love in a den of suspicious vipers. The antagonists of the novel are multiple and vary in size and threat - from the vixen from the North with her eyes on the King of England and Emma's place, to the King himself, and last but not least, Swein Forkbeard's Viking incursions, there's plenty of action and deceit to go around.I honestly could have done without the forbidden, star-crossed lovers route that engages two of the characters. For the most part, it bored me while frustrating me; it is wholly unnecessary. Another subplot created for suspense and tension by the author, it didn't ring as true as the rest of the novel, nor fit with the motivations of either character involved. I don't want to spoil anything for future readers, but I felt both were better off without a romantic entanglement of that sort. For me, caught up in fare more interesting struggles of the characters, it overall added nothing of worth to the novel. That conflict in addition to the distance nature of the narration are the only things that kept this from being a higher-rated novel.I liked this. It was evenly good throughout, though I wish I had more of a grasp on the characters themselves. However, this is the first in a trilogy so they, and the author, will have ample time and pages to grow. The author's note is a captivating read for many reasons, I urge readers not to skip it; it definitely adds more color to an already entertaining novel. Shadows on the Crown is a strong attempt for Bracewell to fill in the missing years from Emma's commissioned biography, and happily, she does so easily and believably. The best historical fiction novels are the ones that make you intensely curious about the time, places, and people portrayed and this is such a one. A liberal view of history, a strong sense of time and character, and a brisk pace all add up to make Patricia Bracewell's first novel an encouraging one. I eagerly await the forthcoming sequels, and will have to sate my new interest in thsi time and people with Wikipedia other sources until they're published. Don't miss this exciting, involving and fresh novel from a talented new author.