Rating: 
Summary: Pure Delight
Review: Wow, historical fiction is rarely such a treat. I was up til 5 a.m. reading, and it was worth it! A thoroughly satisfying blend of strong, believable characters and historical accuracy. Obviously, much in Richard Plantagenet's life (and in this time period in general) is open to speculation and interpretation. Penman takes a stand on her characters and supports it with historical material and inspired imagination. Penman's vision has the virtue of being plausible, achingly real and exquistely human. As a dyed-in-the-wool Richardian, I applaude this book's compassionate view of Richard III. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: The one novel...
Review: against which I measure all other novels - historical or otherwise. Sounds odd, but I felt honored to be able to read it. Nothing else has quite met the challenge, but if I even pause to make the conscious comparison, I know the new book is amazing; for example Pressfield's Gates of Fire had me thinking, "Wow - not Sunne in Splendor, but in the top 2 or 3 behind it." This is an exquisitely written tapestry of time, place, character, love and conflict, and of course, tragedy; knowing how Richard III has been tarred by the victors made closing the book more poignant - and this is a book you'll wish you never had to finish. To me, it is the perfect example of scrupulous historical detail put brilliantly in service to a great story. A book that stays with you for months; years. Wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Medieval Fiction at it's Best
Review: It helps that I happen to agree in general with Ms. Penman's opinion of Richard III's strengths and weaknesses and what he probably was and was not guilty of, but whether or not you do too, this saga of the reigns of the two Yorkist kings of England is probably the most gripping novel so far in her medieval historical fiction collection.As it opens, Queen Margaret, paranoid due to her Lancastrian husband Henry V1's mental illness, has Richard, Duke of York and his eldest son Edmund assassinated simply because of York's popularity. York's youngest son Richard watches in adoration as his now-eldest brother Edward then crushes her, becoming King of England himself. But triumph turns to tragedy as Richard watches Edward mary the grasping Elizabeth Woodville, gets caught in the middle of Edward's battles to the death with their cousin Richard Neville as well as their own brother George, is left by Edward's early death to deal with the Woodvilles as Richard III and finally suffers the greatest of his many personal tragedies just as Henry Tudor, the last hope of the Lancastrian family, finally makes his move. The characters are incredibly strongly drawn. My only complaints might be that, although a good romance is nice, Richard's relationship with his wife-cousin Anne, the second main character, is sometimes a bit too sugary for me; and his cousin Henry Stafford of Buckingham is so stereotypical (everything but a twirling mustache!) that it's hard to believe Richard was taken in by him even if he was so devoid of other adult male relatives that he was blinded by gratitude. Edward, the third of the three main characters, is just right - with enough good points to make you understand Richard's devotion while still making it clear that he had alot to do with the subsequent disaster that befell his sons as well as Richard. Speaking of said disaster, we will, of course, probably never know the answer to the all-important question of Richard's reign - whether or not he murdered Edward's sons Edward V and Richard of York at only 12 and 10 years of age. Penman's solution is quite interesting - it wasn't Richard, but her Edward V is an angry boy who barely knew Richard, was devoted to his Woodville relatives and would never forget either that Richard (however justified) executed his Woodville kin or his claim to the throne (which more historians are considering invalid as more start to believe that Edward IV had been precontracted before his marriage to Elizabeth) - leaving open the question of what Richard might have had to do a few years down the road whether he wanted to or not if someone else hadn't done it for him. The children are, incidentally, as fully developed as the adult characters. Ironically, it's George's son Edward (whose mind-numbing, drawn out fate after the events of the novel made what may have happened to his cousins seem merciful in comparison) who will haunt you afterwards rather than the famous Princes in the Tower. The novel is also, refreshingly, not dominated by the question of the Princes' fates - much, much more happened in Richard's life, and it's the whole tapestry of Richard's short, sad history that makes it so wonderful. Some of the most memorable subplots - like the almost unbearably tragic story of Richard's sweet-natured cousin John Neville whose suicide/death in battle saves him from having to chose between deserting his brother or possibly having a part in Edward or Richard's deaths - are long over before there's even a hint that Richard will eventually wear a crown. After all, even Richard's fiercest critics have to grant him that to make a fair decision, one has to start the story from the begining.
Rating:
Summary: How do you say.... great?
Review: It's good. It's astonishing. It's the story of Richard III. At first, I was really confused as to "who's" story this was, but the answer later became clear. I've always been interested in the War of the Roses but never could figure it out. Now, thanks to SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR, I have a pretty good idea of it. It's gory in some ways, but it's still a very good book (though 993 pages). it covers so many of the battles, and brings the characters to life. First, there's the sweet-talker Edward IV. Then, the mysterious Anne, who loved only Richard. The Earl of Warwick, the "Kingmaker". The poor fool, saint, king, Harry of Lancaster, and his wife, the cunning Margurite d'Anjou, almost an Eleanor of her day. The cast is set, the show is on, and the curtain... is about to rise.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Historical Read!
Review: Sharon Kay Penman writes a wonderful historical fiction book. Her books are long and complex and the research that goes into the making of each one is tremendous. I have personally learned a lot about English history (especially about the Aquitane era) from reading her many wonderful books.
Rating:
Summary: Richard III Society's Anthem
Review: Although Penman may be paying court to the Richard III Society, the controversy is strengthened (I still think he killed the kids). OK, so I'm not very open minded on Richard.....but Penman had me convinced throughout the read that I was wrong. This speaks well for her reputation as one of the best historical novelists. This is where she started. Her special genius lies in the bright and shining historical detail that she can weave into both plot and dialog (she's a very good student of history and at times is absolutely brilliant in conveying to us the workings of medieval minds). I have no problem with Penman's romantic feelings about her heros. From Eleanor in the 1st trilogy to Joanna in Here Be Dragons to her raising the standard of Simon de Montfort as a visionary (but historically too early) icon of democracy, she does use them as a vehicle to carry forward a dynamic presentation of history....all in the best traditions of the historical novel. Penman's true genius is the broad historical scope that is painted on top of the shimmering details of brief moments. It truely does feel as if you are living the story yourself, and it is this bringing us readers in as witnesses that stands as Penman's contribution to the art of the historical
novel. If you prefer to read in chronological order:
1101-1154 When Christ And His Saints Slept (Vol 1 of Trilogy)
1156-1171 Time And Space (Vol 2 of Trilogy)
12th Cent Devil's Brood (Vol 3 of Trilogy)- not yet released
1192-1193 The Queen's Man
1193 Cruel As The Grave
1183-1232 Here Be Dragons (Vol 1 of Welsh Trilogy)
1231-1267 Falls The Shadow (Vol 2 of Welsh Trilogy)
1271-1283 The Reckoning (Vol 3 of Welsh Trilogy)
1459-1492 The Sunne In Splendour
Rating:
Summary: A tapestry of light and shadows
Review: Like many 30-something people, I encountered Richard III via a college class on Shakespearean literature. I also discovered Sharon Kay Penman's novels, but didn't read "The Sunne In Splendour" until 1995. "The Sunne In Splendour" tells of the War of the Roses, the dynastic struggle between the Lancaster and York branches of the Plantagenet family for the throne of England. It is the story of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, who became Richard III, was overthrown by Henry Tudor, and subsequently slandered so viciously that it took hundreds of years for scholars to even consider he might have been a better man than history portrayed him to be. Penman's novel follows Richard from childhood to grave, a life with so few joys and so many sorrows that it seems a mercy that Richard died in his early 30s. No monster--portraits show him to be a rather handsome, if tight-featured man--Richard was also no saint; Penman's tale shows his self-righteousness, his acerbic tongue, his blind loyalty to his brother Edward, the King who was known as "the Sunne in Splendour" not only for his incredible looks and charisma, but for the battle that won him his crown at 19. Penman uses multiple points of view, necessary in this story, to tell Richard's tale. Her characters are, for the most part, vivid and interesting, and even her flat characters evoke some response in the reader. Although Penman's book is lengthy (a real doorstopper of a novel), her prose enchants; the dialogue never rings false, her characters never put a foot wrong (unless they're supposed to), and the pace unrolls like a grand tapestry, full of color, light and shadows. Penman's style is poetic, but she's fond of long paragraphs that nearly topple chapters beneath their weight. This was the first of her Plantagenet novels, and it shows when compared to "Falls The Shadow" or "The Reckoning." It could have used a little more editing, some tightening, a little breaking up of those hefty paragraphs to speed up the pace. Not that the story slips away the moment you close the book; Penman's skill is such that you may find yourself recalling scenes in vivid detail weeks, even months later. If your knowledge of Richard III comes from Shakespeare, or even the most recent movie with Ian McKellen, do yourself a favor and read an opposing viewpoint. Whichever version of Richard you prefer, you will come away with an enduring love of this book.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: I loved this book. I read it on the advice of an intelligent, well-read friend who has yet to steer me wrong. I was a little concerned, however, that I knew so little about the time period in which the book was set -- England's War of the Roses. Those concerns drifted away as I got more and more into the book. What beautiful writing! What clear analysis of the political machinations of the 15th century! What human-ness Penman gives her characters! Those reviewers who have called this book a "tour de force" are completely correct. This is a great, illuminating book, and one I am glad to have read.
Rating:
Summary: Fact or Fiction, It's Fascinating
Review: Richard III is one of history's most controversial figures. No one, it seems, can form a consensus with regards to an interpretation of the facts regarding him, or for that matter, agree on what the facts really *are*. Read 3 different (non fiction) books on Richard III, and you're likely to hear 3 different versions of events. Personally, I believe that Richard III *did* kill his nephews, though I admit that there are plenty of facts that contradict this theory as well. The reason I'm telling you all this is because some readers state that you have to be a Ricardian to enjoy this novel. You do not. No one alive today knows for sure what sort of person Richard III really was. I enjoyed "The Sunne in Splendor" immensely, but I like Shakespeare's "Richard III" as well. Instead of arguing over which is the more historically accurate version of events, I feel that readers should appreciate the two works for what they are: stunningly well written stories that have vivid characters and intriguing plots that may or may not reflect what really happened during one of history's most tempestuos eras. Even if historians learn for certain in the future that Richard III did murder his nephews, I would still recommend this novel. It's just that good.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome historical re-telling
Review: I hated for this book to end! Ms. Penman took me - heart, mind, and soul - back in time. I have read many of her books and will continue reading them as long as she writes them!
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