The Sun in Splendour

Like most books by Jean Plaidy, “The Sun in Splendour” had the potential of being much better. Having now read the entire Plantagenet saga, I rate this the second worse after the previous novel.

The Wars of the Roses was a fascinating and complex period in English history. It’s the period I’m most knowledgeable about, therefore I can state that this novel is more like a substandard biography.

The author had the material to up the pace and present the reader with intrigue, conflict, action, bloodshed, battles, and develop the main characters. Sadly, what comes to the fore is repetition of information, lame attempts at conflict, underplayed action scenes, and poor character development.

Edward IV and Richard III led such eventful show more lives that one novel could never do their stories justice. As with all previous books in the Plantagenet series, the author’s need to pack several decades of history into one volume results in a serious rush job. While I like fast-paced novels, I dislike rushing over bland scenes that should’ve been dramatized.

The main reason why Plaidy’s works are so dry is because there’s far too much *telling*, as opposed to *showing*. Many times in this book the reader is told what happened in a few sentences, when the author could’ve dramatized scenes to show what happened.

Below is an example of blatant telling:

> She went to his bedchamber and imperiously dismissed those who were in attendance. He was arrogant in the extreme and he wanted her to know that he was the master.So to Middleham to be brought up in Warwick's household Richard had been sent.>

Some of the character exchanges are good, but most lack substance. At times, we don’t even know where conversations are transpiring. A new scene opens with two characters talking, yet there’s no sense of place. The author/narrator hasn’t given a shred of detail where the characters are. It’s like they’re floating in limbo. This is poor imagery. At least have them seated at a table, or lying in bed, or taking a walk – anything to give the reader a sense of place to visualise the scene.

For example, one scene opens with: > Edward listened thoughtfully to what had occurred. show less

Well I reached the end - the final book in the saga/series of the Plantagenet's. This book spent most of its time on the reign of Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville. It also explores Richard III. However, as the final book into an intriguing series I expected more. The book seemed very rushed to me. Events - important ones - were just brushed over rather than explored and repetitive non-issues throughout. Not sure what happened here but I am glad I finished the saga/series and would still recommend.

This is not really of the same standard as the Victoria Holt novels (one of her other pseudonymns), but it does pass the time.

I suppose the worst aspect of it is that it's more like fictionalized history, than historical fiction, as I like to think of it. But considering what dreary stuff the Wars of the Roses is, and what a dull pattern the Plantagenet plaint is, she does well to make a dull cloth look tolerable.

(8/10)