The Scarlet Lion (William Marshal #3) by Elizabeth Chadwick

Following early beginnings as a knight in the English royal household and a champion of the tourneys, William Marshal's prowess and loyalty have been rewarded by the hand in marriage of Isabelle de Clare, heiress to great estates in England, Normandy and Ireland. Now a powerful magnate, William has weathered the difficult years of King Richard's absence on crusade and is currently serving him on campaign in Normandy while Isabelle governs their estates. All the stability William and Isabelle have enjoyed with their young and growing family comes crashing down as Richard dies and his brother John becomes King. Rebellion is stirring throughout the Angevin domains and although John has created William Earl of Pembroke, the friction between the two men leads William and Isabelle to distance themselves in Ireland. The situation escalates, with John holding their sons as hostages and seizing their English lands. The conflict between remaining loyal and rebelling over injustices committed, threatens to tear apart William and Isabelle's marriage and their family.

Definitely the best in the series so far. While I loved the first book, and really liked the second, this book does what I felt the second didn’t: bring William Marshal completely to life.

I knew things would get even more interesting once Richard died, and I wasn’t disappointed. That Marshal is soon at loggerheads with John was no surprise, yet he continues to be the loyal vassal he had been to John’s brother, Richard, and to his father, Henry. Even at Runnymede and the forcing of John’s signature on the Magna Carte, Marshal remains John’s man. Marshal is more stubbornly loyal than most.

But Marshal’s interaction with John is only part of the story. His wife and children play an important role, too. The love he shares with his wife, Isabelle, is woven through the stories of their triumphs and tragedies. Children are born, parents and friends are lost, but what binds William and Isabelle holds true.

Even knowing that the book would end with William’s death, it was a hard chapter to read. I had come to care deeply for the Marshal family, and the death of its patriarch was heartbreakingly sad, yet I am so very glad that I continued with the series. I can only hope that the next book is as good as this one.





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