Isabella: Braveheart of France by Colin Falconer

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Published by: Cool Gus Publishing, 3 September 2013 | Page Count: 218
Available Format: Paperback | E-book 

Acquired Book By:

I was selected to be a stop on “Isabella: Braveheart of France” Virtual Book Tour, hosted by HFVBT, in which I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher Cool Gus Publishing in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Book Synopsis:

She was taught to obey. Now she has learned to rebel.

Isabella is just twelve years old when she marries Edward II of England. For the young princess it is love at first sight – but Edward has a terrible secret that threatens to tear their marriage – and England apart.

Who is Piers Gaveston – and why is his presence in the king’s court about to plunge England into civil war?

The young queen believes in the love songs of the troubadours and her own exalted destiny – but she finds reality very different. As she grows to a woman in the deadly maelstrom of Edward’s court, she must decide between her husband, her children, even her life – and one breath-taking gamble that will change the course of history.

Does she submit to a lifetime of solitude and a spiritual death – or seize her destiny and take the throne of England for herself?

This is the story of Isabella, the only woman ever to invade England – and win.

Author Biography:

Born in London, Colin first trialed as a professional football player in England, and was eventually brought to Australia. He went to Sydney and worked in TV and radio and freelanced for many of Australia’s leading newspapers and magazines. He has published over twenty novels and his work has so far been translated into 23 languages.

He travels regularly to research his novels and his quest for authenticity has led him to run with the bulls in Pamplona, pursue tornadoes across Oklahoma and black witches across Mexico, go cage shark diving in South Africa and get tear gassed in a riot in La Paz.

His most recent novels are Silk Road, set in the 13th century, and Stigmata, set against the backdrop of the Albigensian Crusade in Southern France in 1209. He currently lives in Barcelona.

For more information please visit Colin Falconer’s blog . You can also find him on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

Life in Medieval England & France:

I had a sneaking feeling Isabella’s marriage to Edward II was not only arranged but love would have sprung on her side of the ledger far sooner than having alighted in his own heart. A mere girl of twelve to wed a King! I sometimes cannot comprehend the strength the women had at such young ages as they were arranged to marry to secure land, peace, and the reign of their parents; if not for themselves to secure the sanctity of their lines. The weight placed on young Isabella’s shoulders is quite great, but I think what I appreciated about her as her story first starts to unfold is how well she wants her marriage to Edward to succeed! She cares more about winning his heart and being in love with a husband she always knew would be picked for her, rather than worried about anything else a typical pre-teen might even start to consider!

Her wedded husband treated her with such warmth and care of spirit, that I nearly felt as though the foreboding I felt whilst I picked up the book might disappear completely! Except to say, this is the Middle Ages and whether I like it or not, you always have a proper sense that the King is going to be devious and elusive towards the truth he may not want to be fully brought into light!

My Review of Isabella: Braveheart of France:

Despite the youth of her age at the time in whence Isabella married the King of England (Edward II), her eyes were fully open and aware of her surroundings. To be inquisitive and intuitive of her husband’s favour for another, which in this particular day and age would be devastatingly controversial, she chooses to take the upper road. In some ways, I am noticing that due to her ability to see the fuller picture as a child, she is able to endeavour to see the fuller picture as an adult. To the brink that perhaps its this first knowledge of how everything became interconnected that led her first to believe in her ability to invade a country few dared feared possible for a woman to attempt!

Isabella at twelve and thirteen had far more on the ball than her wedded King; as the narrative focuses rather heavily on his affairs in passion, rather than giving her full reign to advise him on counsel of politics and noble errants. I found some of the passages a bit droll in that she is always catching him feeding his vanity and his selfish wanton desires rather than focusing on his court, his statesman, and his command of England as a country. Isabella on the other hand, I think could have led England far better in her tender years than Edward could have in his!

I was betwixt finding the pace of the novel a bit tricky to sink into verse the slowness of carrying forward Isabella’s determination to invade! I think perhaps this section of history is going to be a bit difficult for me to absorb into due to the nature of the characters who are found inside. Its more of a story for those who do not mind the grit over the light, and appreciate the bold bluntness of passages which fuse the reader into the time of the age itself. I suppose I could contend that part of me likes history to be a bit more romanticized rather than shocking, but in this one regard, I felt as though I kept being pulled in and out of the context of the story.

Isabella, herself, is the keen interest of mine in Isabella Braveheart of France, because of how she was groomed from birth to take over as Queen, I believe she is inherently the character who will stand out in all eyes who cast upon this novel! I only regret I could have enjoyed watching her journey progress a bit more as I felt a bit muddled in the execution.

Fly in the Ointment:

There are instances of vulgarity included in the novel, but they are minute and limited to the exclamations of characters who are besotted with vile words bubbling inside them due to the circumstances surrounding them. I would be further surprised if the language of their feelings were not heated and blunt in one way or another. I might choose to use different words, but the strength of their vexations cannot be denied. No, honestly, what puzzled me a bit is how the exchanges between the scenes and chapters were settled in the novel. Sometimes I felt the chapters could have been extended to include ‘several’ individual chapters as the sweeping of the arc inside them were carried over from the one ahead of them. I am not sure why the chapter breaks were arranged in this manner, but I cannot deny the setting and placement of the story was well-researched as it were.

Virtual Road Map for
“Isabella: Braveheart of France” Blog Tour:

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{SOURCES: Author photograph, Book Synopsis, Author Biography, and Book Cover for “Isabella: Braveheart of France” were provided by HFVBT and were used by permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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