A long, drawn-out boring book without a conclusion; the author is making this a trilogy: *YAWNS*.

The book is based on Queen Emma & King Æthelred and uses a a historical telling of it as the introduction to each chapter.

The characters did not inspire empathy they were flat & rather unlikable without much personality. Emma, although Queen, couldn't figure out who the enemy in her retinue was, but she should have been easily able to.

There was little dialog in comparison to the long drawn-out narration of what was going on.... worse it seemed as every interaction Emma had with her husband the King got her beaten & raped.

I was under the impression that Emma was a likeable character, but she bored me.

Not going to read another by this author. ( )

In the early 1000s, Emma of Normandy was chosen by her mother to travel to England to marry the older king. She was more the age of his eldest son, but she was also ambitious. The agreement was that she would be made queen (the king’s previous wife and mother of his many sons was never made queen). Things get dangerous for Emma when the Danish king attacks England, even though Emma’s mother is Danish.

Although I’m only rating it “ok”, I will add the second book to my tbr. I don’t think I’ve read anything (or if I have, it’s very little) about this time period, so I’d like to know more. I listened to the audio, so I’m certain that’s why I missed things. It did pick up for me in the middle. There were a few other perspectives in the book, but it took me a while to “catch” this. ( )

A visit to the former capital of Anglo Saxon Wessex, Winchester, over Easter prompted me to read this novel, the first in a trilogy about Emma of Normandy, a pivotal figure in the politics of England and indeed north west Europe in the first half of the 11th century, and queen to two Kings of England, Ethelred II the Unready, and the Danish invader Canute. The novel covers the first few years of Emma's time in England, from when she is shocked to be told she is being sent to Winchester on the other side of the Narrow Sea to wed the King of England, following the death of his first wife; through the horrors of the St Brice's Day massacre in 1002 when Ethelred ordered the indiscriminate slaughter of all Danes living in England; of Danish invasions, including the brutal sacking of Exeter; and through to Emma's eventually fulfilling the destiny of any queen before the modern era, that is of giving birth to a son, the future King Edward the Confessor, a potential rival to the many sons Ethelred already had by his first wife, particularly to his eldest son and heir, Athelstan. The novel is very well written, if perhaps a little long at 500 pages, full of colourful incident and characters. I have already downloaded the next book in the series. ( )

Set in the early 11th century, Shadow on the Crown, the first book in a planned trilogy from debut novelist Patricia Bracewell, follows the early life and reign of Emma of Normandy, wife and queen to two English kings, as well as the mother of two more.

Although Emma is the novel's principal character, and it is from her perspective the story is most often told, the narrative also features the perspectives of Emma's husband, English King Athelred, Athelred's son Athalstan, and Elgiva, daughter of the King's most powerful aldorman. By alternating between these various perspectives Bracewell enables the reader to gain a wider appreciation for the politics and personalities of the English court. While not particularly vibrant, Emma is nevertheless a well-drawn character, one for whom it is easy to feel sympathy given her loveless marriage and the fact she must navigate through a court that, by virtue of her Norman birth, is suspicious of her loyalties. While I liked Emma, it is King Athelred who proves the most fascinating character in this novel. Haunted by the murder of his elder brother, Athelred trusts no one, not even his wife or sons. Despite the increasing severity and number of Viking raids, Athelred remains unwilling to listen to any council but his own and, as a result, puts his kingdom at risk.

As clearly evident in this novel, the 11th century was not a particularly good time to be a woman. Athelred holds little respect for Emma, even though she is his crowned Queen consort, and his dismissal of his young daughters shows what little regard he has for the female sex. Elgiva, the other key female character in the novel, often suffers brutal treatment at the hands of her father and brothers. Despite attempts to exert their influence and insert themselves into the halls of power, both Emma and Elgiva are continually held back by the men in their lives. While Bracewell does a good job conveying certain societal conventions of the age, the novel suffers somewhat given that it doesn't contain a great deal of historical detail. As a result, the book doesn't always give the reader, especially those already familiar with this era, a particularly strong sense of time. While the book doesn't go into great depth when it comes to the political maneuverings of Athelred's court, it nevertheless provides a solid introduction for readers unfamiliar with this period of history.

Well-written and engaging, Shadow on the Crown is recommended to historical fiction readers interested in pre-Conquest English history.

Note: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

I think the author read Stafford's "Queen Emma and Queen Edith. " Am I right? If so, nice to see an HF author using serious academic work. ( )