Falls the Shadow

by Sharon Kay Penman

This is the second book in Penman's trilogy about 13th century wales. This book was initially intended to be about Llewelyn ap Gryffydd, otherwise known as Llewelyn the Last, the last true prince of Wales. That's what it was intended to be about but the more Penman researched the period, the more interested she became in telling the story of Simon de Montfort and the rebellion he lead in 1263 which resulted in the first directly elected parliament in medieval Europe. Llewelyn's early years are chronicled in this book but most of the focus is on Simon and his wife Nell, daughter of John Plantagenet and sister of King Henry III. As with the previous book, Here Be Dragons, this is a fascinating and well told story. Penman goes out of her way to make the history as accurate as possible while injecting life into her characters that will make you feel as if you really get to know them.

I enjoyed Here Be Dragons a bit more (mostly because I was so fascinated by the principle characters) but this certainly ranks right up there as a worthy sequel. I'm anxious to read the third book The Reckoning. You can bet it will be on my table very soon.