The Reckoning

This third and final book in the Welsh Princes series tells about the life of Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, and the final, desperate attempts to protect Welsh culture, language and independence in the face of increasing threats and encroachment on the part of Edward I of England.

Despite having a pretty good sense of how the conflict and ultimately political repercussions would play out, I felt nevertheless kind of devastated and heartbroken at the ending. Yep, England, I'm disappointed in you...and not for the first time. While I've given the individual books anywhere from three to five stars, the trilogy as a whole — for superb writing, engaging storytelling, and overall enlightenment about historical events all but overlooked today show more — is an absolute five. Not to be missed for readers of historical fiction. show less

Summary: Brings to a close the struggles between Wales and England under Edward I, the complicated relationship between brothers Llewellyn and David ab Gruffyd, and tells the story of the women who loved them--a true tale of love and loss.

Last month, I reviewed the second volume of the Welsh Princes Trilogy, Falls the Shadow, which focused on Simon de Montfort and his campaign for the rights of the people with their king. In that book, the ongoing power struggle between the English and the Welsh remains in the background. In The Reckoning, Penman brings the history of conflict between England and Wales to its culmination.

Much of the story is told through the eyes of a young man, Hugh, who becomes squire to Bran de Montfort until his show more death of tertian fever in Italy, after which he serves Bran's sister Ellen, who had been betrothed to Llewellyn ab Gruffyd, Prince of Wales, until the death of her father Simon and the family's flight to France.

Llewellyn has his own troubles. His mercurial brother Davydd has always coveted his power, even while Llewellyn, as did his grandfather, Llewellyn Fawr, understood that only a united Wales could have any hope of standing against English might. It is an odd relationship of brothers strangely drawn to each other, despite Davydd's betrayals, and alliance for a time with their hated enemy, Edward I, who, with the death of his feeble father, Henry III, is exerting his reign. Davydd marries Edward relation, Elizabeth at Edward's behest, a relation that blossoms into genuine love.

Meanwhile, Llewellyn, fighting for Wales survival, and without an heir beside his betraying brother Davydd, revives his betrothal to Ellen, Simon and Nell's daughter. Ellen, her priest brother Amaury, and Hugh take a perilous sea voyage and are seized by "pirates" who are in fact in Edward's employ, and becomes a bargaining chip in the struggle, In the end, Llewellyn relents, is humbled and pays homage to Edward in return for the chance to marry Ellen. He continues to hold Amaury to keep Llewellyn on his best behavior. Edward encroaches more and more on what were once Welsh domains and prerogatives, doing what Llewellyn had been unable to do--to unite Wales against the English and under his leadership.

The story reaches a high point at Dolwyddelan in December of 1281. Despite an earlier plot to assassinate Llewellyn, foiled only by a freak storm, Davydd and Llewellyn have drawn close, and the other lords of Wales are ready to follow Llewellyn into rebellion. There is one other wonder, and it is that Ellen is with child--an heir for Llewellyn! Was this what goaded Davydd into initiating the rebellion before Llewellyn was ready?

Edward I is a relentless foe, and the remainder of the story is one of heartbreak that I will leave to the reader. Only the love of the Squire Hugh, and Caitlin, the daughter of Davydd (a fictitious element) survives. Let us just say that it is from this period of time that the heir to the English crown is the Princ(ess) of Wales.

Penman writes a gripping tale of two men, Edward and Llewellyn, who each love a country and idea. Only one could survive. Her characters and their relationships are complex, especially the relationship between Llewellyn and Davydd. So many of these people are related by blood or marriage and we see in Edward especially the tension of love and the ruthless use of power to achieve his ends. She paints a time where love could be passionate, especially in the knowledge that life was fragile and death could come in many guises, and often before one was ready. This is an older series, yet one that I hope remains in print. Penman, over these three volumes, tells the story of the ascent of the English kingship, and what was lost in the process.

My review of Here Be Dragon: https://bobonbooks.com/2015/07/17/review-here-be-dragons/

My review of Falls the Shadow: https://bobonbooks.com/2018/01/09/review-falls-the-shadow/ show less

I can now say I've read all of Penman's novels, a baker's dozen of them, and my favorites remain The Sunne in Splendour and the first novel in the Welsh Princes trilogy, Here Be Dragons. I'd say this ranks just the next level down--a four and a half, rather than a five. Not to be counted among my favorite books of all time and it didn't move me to tears--but great as historical fiction nevertheless. I'm newly impressed with Penman's skills as a historical novelist. Her research is evident, she definitely conveys how alien the medieval mindset was compared to our times but makes her characters relatable. It can't be easy, fleshing out these stick figures we get mere outlines of from chroniclers, putting actions and words that fit.

If show more anything, that was the problem as I reached the end of the book. I dreaded that ending and it made me drag my feet those last hundred pages. In fact, I had deliberately avoided the last two books in this trilogy for years. Here Be Dragons is a true life love story--among the most moving I'd ever read, all the more for being based on real people. As a love story, it's has it's share of the bitter among the sweet, but of all of Penman's books I'd say its the most upbeat. But the other two? Well, anyone who knows anything about British history would know that it wasn't long after the events of that book that Wales was swallowed into England. The very titles of the books gave me pause: "Falls the Shadow" and "The Reckoning." If that weren't enough, well, Penman is all to good at showing the flaws and foibles of the characters that doomed them--and poor Wales. All at the same time making medieval Wales terribly appealing to a modern reader. At the same time she doesn't demonize Edward I--but you want to damn him thoroughly anyway!

And now, if you'll excuse me I think I'll begin the process of Penman withdrawal by finding the fluffiest, more sickening sweet and upbeat story I can. show less

I can only say that I love Ms. Penman's books. Truly the best kind of historical fiction in that it educates and entertains. She completely has pulled me into a world and a time foreign to me. This isn't reading about Ancient Rome, King Henry VIII, the Civil War -- this is 13th century Wales. I know neither the history nor the legend so this finale of the Welsh trilogy was riveting to me. One thing about keeping true to historical facts -- the truth respects no laws of the novel. Jesu forfend, our heroes and heroines might actually die at any seemingly mundane moment!

I have only praise. I teared up, I routed hard for certain people. I grieved. I really enjoyed the character of Davydd ap Griffuth -- what an enigma. I enjoyed his daughter show more Caitlin as well, but was sad to read at the end that she was fictional. I am certainly seeing that there is an over the top idealistic love shared by many of our central spouses in these novels - this has been a running theme -- yet even prudish me falls for it every time.

I am always sad to leave one of these odysseys -- I am thankful there are more by this author to read but sad that I am done with this trilogy. It was fantastic! One last admirable thing -- not too many writers choose to tell history sympathetically from the side of the vanquished. Penman does; which leaves the reader with a sense of lingering heartbreak. show less

Follow on from "Falls the Shadow". Picks up after a gap of 5 years, and concentrates on the story of Llewelyn and the end of an independant Wales. I'm left with the urge the give Edward I a massive thump for being so blinkered and almost hypocritical, as well as to give David (Llewelyn's younger brother) a dammed good slapping for being both such a schemer and so very naieve at one and the same time. Terribly sad in lots of places, and the ending is very bleak. I'm torn between wanting Llewelyn and wales to survive and knowing that they don't. But it is a good read.

Sharon Kay Penman concludes her Welsh trilogy (after Here Be Dragons and Falls the Shadow) with this, The Reckoning. And what a reckoning it is.

For anyone familiar with British history, it's well-known that the story of Wales' struggle for independence is a sad one. Penman certainly doesn't write "down" to her audience, sugar-coating things or putting a more positive spin on events. She makes it very plain, seemingly from the first, that the Welsh are fighting a losing battle against the English. The Prince of Wales cannot even get his own wife into Wales due to the English crown- how to fight a battle against the crown?

A previous reviewer said that the story of Ellen and Llewelyn seems sometimes to be a rehash of Joanna and the earlier show more Llewelyn. I'd tend to agree with that- the two also allude to Joanna and her Llewelyn fairly often. But they are characters of their own, especially this Llewelyn ap Gruffyd who tries so hard to unite Wales against England and keep sovereignty with his countrymen, even as he is betrayed time and again by his own family. And even the romance between the two speaks so much to me about medieval poems, all about glory and honor and love that I think it fits perfectly well into the story.

The only thing I did *not* think fit as well into the story was Penman's inclusion of two characters (Hugh and Caitlin) that have little or no historical basis whatsoever. It's fine to include these people as small characters, but these seem sometimes to overwhelm the rest of the story. However, by the end, their inclusion seems to make sense, as they help the story come to a more satisfying conclusion as would have been possible without them.

Even with that slight negative, the story overall is very moving. It's painful to read, and yet you cannot put it down. Over and over, you will cheer with the Welsh and cry with them, and by the end ... you'll want to go to Wales. show less

The conclusion to Penmans Welsh trilogy. As a history lover and as a person with Welsh roots I have to say that I absolutely loved this series. Historically accurate and thoroughly compelling, while revealing the harshness of the 13th century.