Christine

Although I don't think this is the most well written book, it was enjoyable (I call these popcorn books). I had problems with the pacing - it feels very rushed in places and fine in others - and the story/lore could have been more fleshed out in places. I'll definitely continue reading the series.

Do yourself a favor and read this book! Dealing with the grief from the death of a grandmother and a sister, the main character is called back home to face the source of some very strange dreams. This book is haunting and I never wanted it to end! I look forward to reading whatever Jessica comes out with next.

I've been reading Penman's books for over 20 years now and have always really liked them. However, I didn't really enjoy the style of info dumping in this book and that affected my overall enjoyment of the book.

The book focuses on King Richard's return from the crusades, his capture/imprisonment and his final war with the King of France. I felt like too much activity was kept off camera, which led to characters telling each other of past events to catch the reader up. If you like Penman's work, I'd recommend this, but definitely not as a jumping off point for new readers.