Book 5/5 in the Angevin (Plantagenet) series by Penman. All the books were extremely good, but this one was my favorite. This tells the story of the time Richard spent in prison in Germany, his release, his own death and the subsequent death of his vivacious sister, Joanna. The last 100 pages were a real tear-jerker. 720 pages ( )

There are several ways to look at any historical figure. Richard I of England is as capable of being seen several ways as any other medieval. English people are prone to see him as a man who had great big causes, like the Third Crusade, and maintaining the Angevin possessions in France. He did go on Crusade and did create a stalemated position that lasted for seventy-five years. He did free his sister from a difficult situation in the Kingdom of Sicily. He did create a Western European outpost on Cyprus, that lasted well into the fourteen hundreds, and he did win one set piece battle, and was very good at siege warfare. Into the bargain he was good at personal politics and hand-to-hand combat, and quite charismatic in person. His only drawback to a purveyor of popular entertainment was that he was a very poor husband. Sharon Kay Penman is a good researcher, and her second novel about this rampant angevin has to deal with the strictures of modern romantic fiction, as well as the researched picture of Richard. On this front, she invokes a case of PTSD for Richard, while denying it to any of the supporting characters, male or female. Full marks for research, pretty good look at the supporting love stories, and only a "C" for the main character motivations. It is still a good book to live in for a week. ( )

Sharon Kay Penman’s Plantagenet series concludes with A King’s Ransom, giving us a meticulous recounting of the final seven years of Richard I of England's life. It highlights his capture in Germany on his way home from the Holy Land crusade, the wars he waged with his brother John and the French king to reclaim the Normandy lands he lost from their duplicity, the castle he built that was not only formidable but was the most expensive fortress at that time, and—for all of his heroism and larger-than-life existence—the tragedy that befell him and led to his rather anticlimactic death in 1199.

This book gives us a vista of Richard who is not impervious to vulnerability and torment. After painting him as a glorious fighter and great military strategist in Lionheart, we see him here coming to terms with his personal ghosts that are primarily brought about by his incarceration. While Miss Penman could not claim credence that King Richard truly suffered from trauma, she has explored the possibilities enough to let her imagination stream along the events leading to his capture and allows him to hark back to that harrowing prison experience from time to time. And as we are shown a glimpse of his fragile side, Miss Penman ensures that he lets his warrior’s instinct take over and confront his internal struggles every time, which I think is a true and defining character of his. I admire his bravado and wit and the way he had turned several checkmate moments into his advantage when everyone thought he was already on the losing side. I specifically enjoyed the incident when he cleverly “lawyered” for himself against several unwarranted allegations thrown at him in Heinrich’s imperial court and won not only the Germans’ admiration but also the allegiance of some of them.

The author has also incorporated a few snippets of some of the relevant events already discussed in her previous books, probably to give a recap of those past events to her zealous readers or serve as a helpful guide to those who haven’t read the series yet. At any rate, the history pep-up gives this particular book an independent/standalone feel that can make the readers follow through with the story easily should they decide to skip the first books in the series (although it is still highly recommended to start with book #1, When Christ and His Saints Slept).

Just like with her other books, Miss Penman deserves all the accolades for the exhaustive research she has made in A King’s Ransom. She has clearly put a lot of time, effort and heart in this book to have it translated into a seamless narration of this particular spot in England’s history. She has also utilized this novel to discredit unfounded facts that have long permeated several bygone and contemporary chronicles, such as King Richard’s gender preference and the intrigues surrounding the life of Count Raymond of Toulouse. For someone who has relied too much on Wikipedia and Google for historical points to ever think them false (i.e. Lady Joanna fleeing from her unhappy marriage with Count Raymond, per Wikipedia), it was a relief to know that Miss Penman's comprehensive research has allowed her readers to have another version of these dubious information and weigh in the merits of her reasoning through her Author’s Note. I always look forward to the author’s postscript whenever I read historical fiction because it is where the author can be candid and personal with his/her opinion as a spectator of history and where s/he can discuss anything significant in a more long-winded approach.

On the whole, A King’s Ransom is a masterful representation of how colorful and extraordinarily impressive Richard the Lionheart’s life had been. I enjoyed the remarkable journey back to his time; Miss Penman had me actually fangirling over Henry II, Richard I and the rest of the Plantagenet folks, that I’m not quite sure I’m ready to let go of them just yet. In the meantime, I comfort myself listening to this ballad, “Ja Nus Hons Pris”, which King Richard had composed during his time in prison and which one lovely interpretation Miss Penman has included in her Author’s Note (http://youtu.be/RVRjmTdM4c8). It is sung in French, and as I'm not familiar with the language, I can only hope that Google has provided me with a reliable English translation of the song. :-)

(Note: Review first posted on Goodreads) ( )

Four stars because she really did a lot with a story that's basically one battle after another. I'm familiar with the period and the people but the cast of characters was overwhelming at times. Sometimes I couldn't tell how many people she was referencing. Bill, Sue, Joe, Bishop of Wherever. Is that 3 or 4? An enjoyable book on the whole, even from this non-fan of my great x 20(ish?) Uncle Richard. ( )

I loved parts of this tome and had to drag myself through other parts. Richard the Lionhearted is returning from the Crusades by boat when a terrible storm causes the boat to be wrecked ashore. If he returns to England via land he will need to cross territory ruled by enemies of England, particularly the King of France, who left the Crusades, and the Holy Roman Emperor. Richard decides rather than having a huge entourage which would draw attention, he takes only a young servant and two trusted knights with him. After one bad luck event after another, he is eventually captured by the King of Austria who turns him over the the Holy Roman Emperor.

That provides the basis for the rest of the book and the Holy Roman Emperor demands an enormous ransom for Richard's freedom. Meanwhile, his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine; his sister, Joanna, the widowed queen of Sicily; and his wife, Berengaria, wait for him and try to maneuver ways for his release.

The characters of Eleanor and Berengaria drew more of my attention than Richard. Eleanor is a particularly powerful woman for her time. Berengaria, on the other hand, is very submissive, religious, and naive as to much of the world. Richard's neglect to his wife is a true heart ache for Berengaria.

There are way too many characters whose given names and titled names are confusing. There is a list of characters in the front which helps but more could have been added. Penman is historically accurate (I was enticed to look up more information on several events portrayed.

Overall, a good medieval read, but might have been better for me with a bit less detail.

Reread in 2022: After reading "Matrix" by L Groff, I became interested in Eleanor so (Covid and all) I had plenty of time to read. Probably liked this better the second time. Still was overwhelmed by the number of names and titles. However, Penman is the best when it comes to the Middle Ages. ( )

This is the follow-up volume to Sharon Penman's Lionheart, and the action picks up when Richard is on the way back from the Third Crusade, and has to divert overland through the middle of Europe. Thus begins the chain of events leading to his capture by Leopold of Austria and incarceration for a year and a half at the hands of the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich von Hohenstaufen, including at his notorious castle, Trifels. This first half of the novel contains some dramatic and chilling scenes, but I did find it a bit repetitive and inevitably lacking in some of the colour and dramatic incident of its prequel novel. The second half is more varied and is almost as much a novel of Richard's mother Eleanor of Aquitaine and sister Joanna, as of the man himself. The infamous crossbow bolt and his death happens with still some 60 pages of narrative to go, much of which focuses on the death of Joanna from a pregnancy-related illness and the effect this has on her mother. As ever, this is a superbly written novel full of fascinating characters and concludes the author's five book sojourn through the lives and times of the Angevins. ( )

This is the sequel to "Lionhearted." In her author's note, Penman writes the first novel is about Richard the legend, this one about Richard the man Maybe that's why I enjoyed this sequel much more than "Lionheart" my least favorite among the almost dozen of hers I've read. Richard is at his most sympathetic as a prisoner of the Germans and dealing with his trauma in the aftermath. And after reading 9 of Penman's books dealing with the Angevins, I felt rather sad leaving them--especially her Eleanor of Aquitaine--I'm sure Penman does too.

In many of her books, there is a tension between two adversaries and Penman leaves you suspended in your sympathy towards both--whether it's Matilda versus Stephen or Henry versus his sons or even Richard versus Saladin. This wasn't this sort of book. Heinrich of Germany and Philippe of France are both thoroughly loathsome. Her Prince John though unscrupulous is fun to read and you do feel for him at times. I think though of all the more secondary characters my favorite was Raimond de St Gilles, the Count of Toulouse. Like Joanna, I fell in love with him and wished I could spend more time with him, although considering the tragic fate of Toulouse in the Albigensian Crusade, it's perhaps best we leave him where we did. He was a man sadly out of step of his time in his irreverence and tolerance. Penman is her best at recapturing medieval times from the foods to the deeply held beliefs and a mindset alien to us. It's to be transported to a world as alien as Mars. ( )

I had never read much about the reign the Richard the Lionheart so I was really looking forward to this book after reading about his experiences in the Crusades from the previous book. However, I was very bothered by the extreme viciousness in the writing regarding the torture of a 13 year old boy. I had to put the book aside for several months before I could return to the narrative, skipping his actual capture by the agents of the Duke of Austria.

The story of his captivity and negotiations regarding his release for ransom were enlightening as to the politics of that era.

Did I like it? Yes, but it really wasn't necessary to be that graphic regarding the torture for information. It lost a half star because of that. ( )

This is the follow up volume to Sharon Penman's Lionheart, and the action picks up when Richard is on the way back from the Third Crusade, and has to divert overland through the middle of Europe. Thus begins the chain of events leading to his capture by Leopold of Austria and incarceration for a year and a half at the hands of the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich von Hohenstaufen, including at his notorious castle, Trifels. This first half of the novel contains some dramatic and chilling scenes, but I did find it a bit repetitive and inevitably lacking in some of the colour and dramatic incident of its prequel novel. The second half is more varied and is almost as much a novel of Richard's mother Eleanor of Aquitaine and sister Joanna, as of the man himself. The infamous crossbow bolt and his death happens with still some 60 pages of narrative to go, much of which focuses on the death of Joanna from a pregnancy-related illness and the effect this has on her mother. As ever, this is a superbly written novel full of fascinating characters and concludes the author's five book sojourn through the lives and times of the Angevins. 4.5/5 ( )

I have read all Sharon Kay Penman's histories (though not the mysteries, one was enough) and so I was eager to read this one, even though Lionheart was a disappointment.

A King's Ransom continues the story of Richard I, begun in Lionheart. The book shows some of Penman's strengths. She immerses you in the Medieval world. She has a great eye for both the sweep of events and the details of daily life. With a Penman novel you never doubt for a moment that she knows what she is talking about - but that might be the trouble.

I feel like she's lost her magic as a storyteller. Rather than shaping a narrative, she takes us doggedly through the historical record. So we get an exhaustive list of all the people (including at least three called Hugh) who were present at a given meeting with Eleanor, then all the places where Joanna and Berengaria stopped on a journey.

Her characters feel a little flat and two-dimensional. Eleanor is spirited. Richard is loved by all his men. The bad guys are invariably bad. Penman's gift has always been to bring stories to life by showing the complexity of her characters, the conflicts caused not only by religion, war and politics but by their own natures. She was able to show us how Henry II built a great kingdom but couldn't hold his family together. In other novels we see John as nuanced, shaped by his difficult childhood, even while he is undoubtedly cruel. In this book he is a pantomime villain.

There's also quite a lot of repetition. It seems like every 100 pages or so we're reminded that high-born women were pawns in the marriage market, though inexplicably, they or their parents seem to keep forgetting and so they (we) need to be told again. And some of the conversations are almost, bizarrely, like watercooler small talk. People asking after each other's families, or what their plans are for Christmas, without any clear impact on the story.

Overall I'd say A King's Ransom gives a comprehensive account of the events of the period, but is nowhere near Penman's best work. ( )

This is the last in the series of books describing the Angevin/Plantagenet dynasty, from King Stephen and Queen Maud through Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and ending with Richard the Lionheart's death and King John's ascension to the throne.

I love all of Penman's books, but this was a favorite among all of them. This book explores Richard's life after the Crusade to the the Holy Land. He is taken prisoner by the German Holy Roman Emperor and this imprisonment colors the rest of his life. This book still has many battles, but statecraft is also an integral part. Richard's speech to the Imperial Diet to affect his release is impressive and his work at getting back his empire from Philippe, King of France, is a combination of warfare and intelligence. I also loved the side story of his sister, Joanna, and her marriage to Raimond, Count of Toulouse. It was a sad book because pretty much every dies (Eleanor's long life means that she witnesses the deaths of almost all of her 10 children), but I still loved this series.

I hope that Penman starts a new series as I find her books a great combination of well researched history and fantastic characterization. I'm sad to be done reading these! ( )

My first Penman novel and guarantee not my last. Great storytelling made it seem as if you were there. This was a great gift to the historical fiction genre. I look forward to her next book. ( )

A great book by one of my favorite authors. The historical detail and research involved to so accurately build her characters is a true gift. After reading all three books in the Angevin series I will particularly miss Eleanor, who I feel was stronger and more politically astute than her two royal husbands and all her sons. ( )

Funnily enough, in rereading my review of Lionheart, the precursor to this volume, I found that I could have basically written just about the same exact text for this one (the one departure being that it hasn't been quite so long since I read one of Penman's books). Aside from a few oddly expository sections, this was a great read, and I continue to appreciate how much effort she puts into her research and getting her characters right.

I'm sorry that this will be the last of her novels focusing on the Angevins, but certainly look forward to the next book with great anticipation, no matter where it takes us. ( )

According to her publisher A King's Ransom is Sharon Kay Penman’s ‘finest work’ and I whole heartedly agree! I am a fan and have been for a long time because SKP never disappoints. I liked A King’s Ransom even more than Lionheart, the first in her Richard I series.

In Penman’s hands there is no such thing as boring history and always surprises even if you know the story. She also has a way of making parts of Ransom visceral. You’ll suffer with Richard in prison and through his PTSD, pine with Berengaria, cry with and for Arne, really loath either Philippe Capet or the Holy Roman Emperor or both and be filled with hope for Richard’s sister Joanne.
Though Richard looms large in every novel he’s in, he comes alive in Penman’s able hands as does the 12th century. ( )

This was a good -reads giveaway. I really enjoyed this book for the in-depth focus on the Richard I and his family. There were parts that were slow moving, and it took me a good while to really get into this book and begin enjoy it. The more I read the more I began to enjoy Penman's writing and her vision of the Angevins. ( )

This is some book. The sheer amount of reseach that had to be involved is staggering. The book really brings the story of long-ago people to life. The author does a wonderful job at filling in the gaps of what we know historically. She does an excellent job of making the characters and plot engaging. The book is bigger than I had expected it to be. It takes some time to read, but is worth the effort it takes to slowly gnaw away at it.

I have been a Sharon Kay Penmaniac for a very long time and I have read each and every one of her books about the Angevin family, and depicting the lives of this very colourful family was a work of love that took Ms. Penman 20 years to create. There are five wonderful books in this historical series. But, although this book wasn't my favourite in this series, it was the one that haunted my dreams at night. The book covers the final seven years of Richard the Lionheart's life. It begins with Richard leaving the Holy Land because he must return home to fight to reclaim his Kingdom. While he was fighting in the Crusades, his feckless brother John made an alliance with his sworn enemy, Philip II of France. Philip has been plundering his Aquitaine kingdom and John is laying waste to the southern part of England. Although Richard has not completed his sworn task in the Holy Land, he must leave in order to reclaim the Kingdom and the legacy that his father Henry II created. The book covers his dangerous journey home, his capture and imprisonment by the Germans and the Herculean efforts that his formidable mother Queen Eleanor (of Aquitaine) goes to to raise the huge ransom that is demanded for his release. Richard finally is freed after much intrigue and double-dealing and heads back to England and France to fight for his Kingdom. There are a lot of battle scenes in this book and of course they are picturesquely depicted by Ms. Penman. She spares no blood, guts or glory in any of her books. Was Richard a good king? Ms. Penman leaves that to her readers to decide, but he was certainly colourful and larger than life. Every character in this book is a real historical figure, and every scene is a real historic occurrence. Ms. Penman's research is extensive and I appreciate that I'm reading books as true to history as possible, but it is her skill in making these historical figures so very real and human and that is what brings me back to her books each time she writes a new one. I am sorry that I've come to the end of this series, but I look forward to the next one. She will not disappoint I'm sure. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this novel. It was so well-written that I almost felt that I was living in the same time as Richard the Lionhearted. Every part of the book was enjoyable and emotional. I highly recommend it for historical fiction lovers. ( )

A fascinating look Richard I's captivity and life after the Crusade. A little long winded at times but few can match Penman's ability to transport readers through time. ( )

Richard the Lionheart has come down through history as a figure larger than life. More hero than not his actual record as King of England is mixed but as the subject of a novel - his life is at times stranger than fiction so it makes for fascinating reading especially in the hands of a storyteller such as Ms. Penman. I've been reading her books since she started writing them and I've only missed one - the first in her Angevin trilogy, The Devil's Brood. This conclusion to that series wraps up the life of Richard quite satisfactorily.

A King's Ransom covers the period of his life as he tries to come home from his last Crusade and finds himself captured and held for a ransom that is sure to bankrupt England. But his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine will raise that ransom to rescue her favorite son. Meanwhile his brother John will do what he can to thwart Richard's return because he wants to remain in power.

Who needs fiction when the facts are so compelling? But it's the fiction that pulls it all together into a very compelling read. I do love my English history and I am never quite so happy as when I have a doorstop of a book to get lost in so with A King's Ransom I was in my glory. I will say that Richard does come across somewhat god like and I take some issue with that as I do not think he was one of England's great kings - he was hardly in England! He was though an eminently fascinating man.

The book reads very quickly and while it can stand alone I think it was helpful to me as a reader to have read Lionheart first. Just to have all of that delightful background. There are a LOT of characters and it does take a while to sort them all out especially their titles from their names but once that is done the book is a rich depiction of the last years of a man who left a large shadow on history. A rip roaring good read with a very satisfying ending. ( )

This is a large and grand historical work, full of period detail. As with her other works, the author puts great store in historical accuracy. However, lest potential readers think this is a dry, lacklustre work, that is surely not the case. This work reads more like an adventures novel. The author's notes at the end also provide insights and additional details regarding key points in the book. Be warned, this is a long book, not a beach read or one to be consumed in one sitting. Rather, it is a book to be enjoyed and savored over time. ( )

In this gripping novel, Penman not only recounts the capture and ransom of one of England’s and history’s most renown and remarkable king, King Richard I; better known as Richard the Lionheart, but places the reader squarely in the mist of the life and time of this powerful Crusader King. Penman masterfully goes into great detail and depth to separate fact from the more romantic legend we have all come to know. From his fourteen months as a prisoner often being shuttled around from place to place, sometimes being treated as someone befitting his station, buy often being treated as a common criminal; later to find his own brother John has not only usurped his crown but is in collusion with Richard’s enemy, King Philip of France to keep Richard prisoner. In her novel, we spend Richard’s last several years with him. Years that is often filled with strife, political intrigue, war, danger, along with deep wounding personal betrayals. Yet through her use of cleverly drawn and psychological insights of each character the reader feels as if we have actually entered the world and life of some of history’s most interesting and intriguing people who lived during this time. Most notably the Crusader King, Richard the Lionheart. ( )

I have read and reviewed a number of books about British kings and queens, mostly historical fiction and biographical novels, by Alison Weir, Hilary Mantel, Margaret George, and Philippa Gregory. This was the first book I've read by Sharon Kay Penman, however, although I've certainly heard of her.

A King's Ransom is the fifth (and supposedly last) book in Penman's self-named Henry II Trilogy, but you don't have to have read any of the previous books to understand this one.

This book covers the last six-plus years of the life of Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart), from his return from the Third Crusade in the Holy Land in late 1192, to his death in April 1199 (and a bit beyond that, to finish the story of his beloved sister Joanna and indomitable mother Eleanor of Aquitane).  During his trip home, Richard was captured by Leopold, Duke of Austria, and then imprisoned for 14 months by Heinrich, the Holy Roman Emperor.  He had to pay a huge ransom and provide high-born hostages (including some of his own kin) to finally be released.  He spent the last five years of his life in almost constant warfare with Philippe, the King of France, worried about his younger brother John, who'd plotted against him while he was at the Crusades and in captivity.

Penman implies that Richard suffered from some sort of post-traumatic stress after his captivity, and hints that (and embarrassment about being captured) led to an estrangement from his wife, Berengaria of Navarre.  They spent little time together and Richard died without an heir.  Some historians think Richard might have been homosexual and that may have been the reason, but Penman discounts that theory in her author's note at the end of the book.

That note, by the way, is excellent, as are the preceding Afterword and following Acknowledgements, documenting Penman's sources.  It's obvious this novel is well-researched.  The beginning of the book has a list of all the real-people characters, which is helpful.  The only thing lacking in this advanced reader's edition was a map.  I do hope one is included when the book is published on March 4, 2014, as it would be helpful, and interesting to see where the places in the novel are in present-day political boundaries.

I haven't read any previous books about Richard the Lionheart, and I learned a lot about him from this book.  The novel also sparked a desire to learn more about him; always the mark of good historical fiction. I'd be interested in reading the rest of the books in the series, as well as Penman's The Sunne in Splendour, about Richard III of England, and her next book (currently titled The Land Beyond the Sea), a novel set in the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the time of the Crusades.

© Amanda Pape - 2014

[I received this advance reader's edition through the LibraryThing
Early Reviewers program.  It will be passed on to someone else to enjoy. This review also appears on Bookin' It.] ( )

Until quite recently it had been a long time since I've read any historical fiction, but after reading Sharon Kay Penman's newest book, A King's Ransom, I may have to return to this genre again. In this book Penman tells the story of the last six years of the life of Richard I, one of the most illustrious kings of England during the middle ages. She picks up the story of Richard as he is returning to England from the Crusades. The engine that drives Richard during this period of his life is the personal enmity he has for Philippe Capet, the king of France and his constant adversary. It would seem that all the conflict in Richard's life is in some way connected to his conflict with Philippe.

Penman writes a rich and captivating story, intertwining many real historical events and people. I thought that she did a masterful job in portraying events that actually happened in ways that are plausible, given the relative paucity of archives from the 12th century. Likewise the portrayals of the interior thoughts and emotions of her cast of characters is very believable, without presuming to overlay on them the thought processes and mores of our day.

One of the significant supporting characters in the story is Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. A quick online search will reveal the profound influence she carried over the politics of England and France for 50 years, having at one time been the queen of each country. I couldn't read of Eleanor in this book without my imagination being carried to the glimpse of Eleanor's life that was portrayed by Katherine Hepburn in The Lion In Winter. It was a joining of images in my mind which I found continually delightful.

I am quite unfamiliar with Penman's body of work and I understand that A King's Ransom is a follow-up to an earlier volume on the first half of Richard's life. I did not feel any loss in not having read the earlier volume and believe this story easily stands all by itself. It is eminently readable and I highly commend it. ( )