Here be Dragons

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Summary: A good book
Review: Here Be Dragons is a very good book. The only thing that I dont like about it, is that the book skips over the time period when Lewelyn fights his uncles. Other than that, it was a very good book.

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Summary: A tale of love, power,and intrigue in 13th cen. Wales.
Review: If you liked "Braveheart" read this. Penman brings key players in 13th century Wales and England alive in a memorable love story between Joanna, daughter of King John and Prince Lleuwelyn, of Wales. I loved these characters and can't wait to read more.

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Summary: 13th Century Wales & England comes to life.
Review: Penman does a superb job of bringing the 13th century to exciting splendor. Her character development is so strong that I grew to care about what happened to the principals in the story, both English and Welsh. Highly recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction, and I definitely look forward to reading the other books in the trilogy.

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Summary: A page-turning, can't-put-down, wish-it-would-never-end epic
Review: I just recently discovered the trilogy that begins with Here Be Dragons. My only regret is that I did not read it sooner. The masterful writing brought the characters to life, hundreds of years after their deaths. And the weaving of history and dramatization is as close to seamless as I've ever encounterd in historical fiction. The only distraction to the storyline is the occasional trite dialoge between Llewelyn and Joanna. I didn't need all of the "I love you's" to get the point. And I would have liked to seen Llewlyn's earlier years fleshed out a little more. I found myself wondering about those first conquests of his at the young age of 14. But these are very minor criticisms in the face of a well-written, complex story, that keeps your attention long after you've turned the final page.

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Summary: It opened my eyes to historical reading...thank goodness!!!
Review: Never in my life, have I read a book that actually made me laugh and cry out loud. I had always been a mystery reader, especially true crime, until I happened to pick up "Here Be Dragons" while vacationing in Florida. I read the book (a very big book) in about two days! I have since become an avid reader of historical fiction. After reading this book, I began a "quest" for historical fiction, reading such authors as Jean Plaidy, Morgan Llewelyn, Beatrice Small, etc. Though I have read many wonderful books, I have yet to find ONE as good as "Here Be Dragons!"

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Summary: One of the best books I have ever read!!!
Review: The only bad thing about reading this book was reaching its ending. Never have I missed characters of a book so much as I missed Llewellyn Fawr! I fell so much in love with him, that I visited Wales, I went to the church where his tomb is kept, I asked every Welsh person I met about him. After, I have read everything that I find on this subject, and Wales has become so close to my heart as it is to Ms. Penman's. What a magnificent book. I have read all of her books and loved them all, but HERE BE DRAGONS has a special place in my heart! Thank you, Ms. Penman, for giving us such a magnificent book!

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Summary: A beautifully woven tapestry of history, drama, and emotion.
Review: Sharon Kay Penman has managed to produce a masterpeice of medieval literature. Many historical fiction novels can bluntly separate their stories from the established facts. However, Penman has created an epic that intertwines actual events with the psyches of individual characters in a way that allows the reader to gain knowlege of the time period and become swept up in the dramatic plot at the same time. "Here Be Dragons" is a must for anyone who loves rich medieval pageantry and the sagas surrounding the ruling class of ancient England and Wales. A most excellent read!

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Summary: Marvelous Trilogy
Review: I fell in love with all the characters/history and miss them now that I have finished all three books in the trilogy. I enjoyed the easy with which the author combined history with fiction within the novels, plus at the end of her books she includes "Author's Note" explaining the historical facts/fiction. These are books I could not put down and story lines/plots that are so interwoven that I could hardly wait to find out what was coming next. I am looking forward to more wonderful books by this author! Enjoy!!

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Summary: THE ABSOLUTE BEST!!
Review: This book took me away from my real life and made me feel that I was actualy in their time. When Joanna had an affair I actually felt if it was me who was having the affair. Every time I popped my head up from the book, it felt as if my time zone was the fictional one. PLEASE WRITE MORE BOOKS, I HAVE EVERY ONE YOU HAVE WRITTEN AND LOVE THEM ALL!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favourite books
Review: I have read this book many times and always enjoy it. Obviously it must be difficult to piece together what really happened hundreds of years ago and one must expect some liberties but all have been done with seamless ease in Here be Dragons. I absolutely love this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is even just a bit interested in history. For those who love Penman's books, I recommend reading Anya Seton's "Katherine". You will fall in love with that book also