The Siege Winter by Samantha Norman, Ariana Franklin

The Siege Winter

by Samantha Norman and Ariana Franklin

"1141. England is engulfed in war as King Stephen and his cousin, the Empress Matilda, vie for the crown. In this dangerous world, not even Emma, an eleven-year-old peasant, is safe. A depraved monk obsessed with redheads kidnaps the ginger-haired girl from her village and leaves her for dead. When an archer for hire named Gwyl finds her, she has no memory of her previous life. Unable to abandon her, Gwyl takes the girl with him, dressing her as a boy, giving her a new name--Penda--and teaching her to use a bow. But Gwyn knows that the man who hurt Penda roams free, and that a scrap of evidence she possesses could be very valuable. Gwyl and Penda make their way to Kenilworth, a small but strategically important fortress that belongs to fifteen-year-old Maud. Newly wedded to a boorish and much older husband after her father's death, the fierce and determined young chatelaine tempts fate and Stephen's murderous wrath when she gives shelter to the empress. Aided by a garrison of mercenaries, including Gwyl and his odd red-headed apprentice, Maud will stave off Stephen's siege for a long, brutal winter that will bring a host of visitors to Kenilworth--kings, soldiers . . . and a sinister monk with deadly business to finish" --

Reviewed by Lianne on

3 of 5 stars

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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.

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  • Started reading
  • 26 February, 2015: Finished reading
  • 26 February, 2015: Reviewed