The Siege Winter

by Samantha Norman and Ariana Franklin

 1141 AD: King Stephen is warring with his cousin Empress Matilda over the throne of England. Every cathedral, every castle, every seat of power will swear fealty to one or the other – but not every stronghold is as strategic or as valuable as Kenniford Castle in Oxfordshire. Its mistress, 16 year old Maud of Kenniford swears fealty to Stephen, but Matilda’s forces have decreed that she marry the odious John of Tewing.

L ife in the Fenlands carries on as usual - that is until the mercenaries ride through the marsh. And a small red-haired girl named Em is snatched and carried off. After the soldiers have finished with her they leave her for dead. But fenland girls are not easy to kill. Although she has lost all memory of her past life including her name, Em survives and falls under the protection of Gwyl, a Breton archer. Together Gwyl and his new protege--now crop-headed and disguised as a boy--travel through the countryside giving archery exhibitions. But there is one man who hasn't forgotten the little red-haired girl. He has some unfinished business with her and he is determined to finish it.

And one freezing winter in an Oxfordshire castle completely besieged, he might well get his chance...

• ISBN10: 0143183494
• ISBN13: 9780143183495
• Publish Date: 24 February 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Penguin Canada
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9780143183495

Reviews

[Lianne]

I won an ARC of this book via the GoodReads First Reads programme. This review in its entirety was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2015/03/23/review-the-siege-winter/

Ariana Franklin brings the bleakness of this period of English history to life in this novel: the horrors fo the war, the effect of siege tactics, the politics of the time…The characters, especially those in some position of power, find themselves facing difficult choices to make. And then there’s characters like Em; it was absolutely brutal what she went through, and it’s a wonder how she was able to survive afterwards. The interweave between the “present” of 1180 AD and events of 1141 AD with the siege was interesting, adding a sense of mystery to what happened in the story and why this event was especially important.

I found the writing in this novel a little strange; at times it seemed like the narrative was directly talking to the reader, but couldn’t quite decide which narrative style to ultimately take. I’m not sure if this might have been the result of Samantha Norman also finishing the edits, but it made for a rather jarring experience while reading. I also honestly found some parts pretty boring, and found myself caring more about Gwil and Em’s journey more than anyone else’s. Gwil himself was an intriguing character, how he was rather reluctant in taking care of Em after the attack and growing to care for her like she was his own daughter.

Overall, The Siege Winter was an interesting read. If you enjoyed Ariana Franklin’s other novels and mystery novels set in medieval England, you may enjoy this title.