|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
Review
"Jecks once again captures the spirit of the period with another exciting visit to 14th-century England." —Publishers Weekly on The Bishop Must Die
"Once again, Jecks seamlessly blends fact and fiction." —Publishers Weekly on The Oath
“Jecks does a good job of evoking the brutal and tempestuous society of the period.” —Publishers Weekly on The Prophecy of Death
"Jecks does a fine job of presenting the tension of mistrust and desire for security and survival in a world where loyalty has gone awry. King's Gold depicts real 14th-century life in all classes and dimensions." —The Historical Novels Review
Book Description
As the year 1326 draws to a close, London is in flames. King Edward II is a prisoner, and the forces of his vengeful queen, Isabella, and her lover Sir Roger Mortimer, are in the ascendant. The Bardi family, bankers who have funded the King, must look to their future with the Queen, steering a careful course between rival factions—if, that is, they can keep themselves alive.
Others, too, find their loyalties torn. Guarding the deposed King on behalf of Mortimer, Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and bailiff Simon Puttock find themselves entangled in a tightening net of conspiracy, greed, betrayal, and murder.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.8 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Your Typical Furnshill/Puttock Adventure!, Oct 13 2011
By Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: King's Gold (Paperback)
I've been a BIG fan of Michael Jecks' 'Knights Templar' murder mysteries ever since I came across THE LAST TEMPLAR in 1995. As the years rolled by and succeeding tales starring Sir Baldwin de Furnshill and Simon Puttock appeared, my admiration for Jecks' wonderful storytelling abilities and keen grasp of 14th Century life in England grew. Jecks simply is one hell of a murder mystery writer. Then Jecks began involving F&P in English politics and the focus of the stories began changing, which brings us to KING'S GOLD. This hefty - 517 pages - potboiler revolves around the now-imprisoned Edward II, deposed King of England. Sad to say, it reduces Furnshill and Puttock to co-starring roles.KING'S GOLD follows Edward II - now known as Sir Edward of Caernarfon - as he is bundled from castle to castle. Supporters are plotting to free him; others are wanting to kill him. Still others such as the wealthy Bardi banking family are playing both sides. Edward, fearing for his life, asks Furnshill and Puttock to serve as bodyguards and the two reluctantly agree. As might be expected, there's lots of plotting, murder and mayhem involved.
On the plus side, Jecks once again does a marvelous job of recreating 14th Century England and presenting believable characters. In the past, I've loved how Jecks juggled various storylines and characters in his novels and eventually weaved all the threads together at the end. You have to pay attention when reading a Jecks novel! Furthermore, the developing friendship between Furnshill and Puttock and their various personal toils and travails have been a highpoint of the series.
Yet for much of KINGS GOLD, F&P, who aren't introduced into the story till page 67, are indeed reduced to bodyguard status and rather one-dimensional bodyguards at that. The Knights Templar novels now number over 30 and perhaps there's not much left to tell about Furnshill and Puttock. I hope that's not the case.
Toward story's end, Furnshill and Puttock, along with defending the deposed King, do some investigating of murders most foul and justice prevails.
I don't know where Jecks plans on taking the Knights Templar series but I hope he'll refocus on the Furnshill/Puttock relationship and their roles as agents of law and order and emphasize that dynamic. With all the political goings-on in recent Knights Templar novels, F&P have been reduced to bit players. They deserve better.
As for KING's GOLD: recommended with reservations.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
continues to please, Aug 2 2011
By book club member "Mystery Lover who can be en... - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: King's Gold (Hardcover)
I eagerly anticipate the arrival of another book in the story of the adventures of Sir Baldwin and this one continues to please.However, Sir Baldwin and his companions are getting older with each story so I wonder if the author can continue with the younger characters as principals. That may be problematic as so far all the youg people in the books have been rather loosely depicted and somehow don't seem "real". Well, will just have to wait and see.I sincerely hope not eveyone dies of the ploague in the end!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Couldn't Wait So Got It From Amazon UK, July 15 2011
By P. Schaum "prussblue" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: King's Gold (Hardcover)
I couldn't wait so obtained this title from Amazon UK. It was worth it but you are fortunate to get in now from Amazon USA."It has been at least five years since I was first introduced to this series by Michael Jecks. I soon found myself searching to find the early titles and have all to date. Why? The historical research is quite good, excellent if you will. Jecks' ability to then weave a great story into the history is better than most. It is truly remarkable that a writer could sustain a series set in in early 14th century England / France over so many titles. It is the lives of people in different "stations" and how they interact and live out those lives within a complex historical matrix. I should note that Jecks was originally published under Headline and is more recently published by Simon & Schuster, UK. More significantly I note that early titles keep reappearing in book stores so there is a call for this author and the series."
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
