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Fiction

Devil’s Brood, by Sharon Kay Penman

Devil’s Brood

By Sharon Kay Penman

Published by Penguin Putnam, 2008
ISBN: 9780399155260 

 

The long-awaited and highly anticipated final volume in Penman’s trilogy of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine—a tumultuous conclusion to this timeless story of love, power, ambition, and betrayal.

Where the second novel in the trilogy, Time And Chance, dealt with the extraordinary politics of the twelfth century, climaxing with the murder of Thomas Becket and Henry’s confrontation with the Church and self-imposed exile to Ireland, Devil’s Brood centers on the implosion of a family. And because it is a royal family whose domains span the English Channel and whose alliances encompass the Christian world, that collapse will have dire consequences. This is a story of betrayal as Henry’s three eldest sons and his wife enter into a rebellion against him, aligning themselves with his bitterest enemy, King Louis of France. But it is also the story of a great king whose brilliance forged an empire but whose personal blind spots led him into the most serious mistake of his life.

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Sharon Kay Penman has created a novel of tremendous power, as two strong-willed, passionate people clash, a family divides, and a marriage ends in all but name. Curiously, it is a novel without villains—only flawed human beings caught up in misperceptions and bad judgment calls. Most devastating to Henry was not his sons’ rebellion but his wife’s betrayal in joining them. How could it happen that two people whose love for each other was all consuming end up as bitter adversaries? That is the heart of Penman’s tale in Devil’s Brood.

Read an excerpt of this book from Sharon’s official website

 

Sharon Kay Penman
Sharon Kay Penman

Review of Devil’s Brood from Curled Up With A Good Book

Review of Devil’s Brodd from A Girl Walks Into a Bookstore

Interview with the author from History Buff

Interview with the author from Loaded Questions with Kelly Hewitt – posted July 6, 2008

A follow-up interview with the author from Loaded Questions – posted October 11, 2008 

Watch a video interview with Sharon Kay Penman from July 2007

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