07/13/06

Within the Fetterlock 'I do not understand.' she got out. 'The King hates me. He will not even uphold my rights against cattle thieves. Why does he want me where he will have me under his eye every single day of our lives? She watched as Kent struggled with the proposition. I don't know,' he admitted. ' What does it matter? You must see you've no choice.' From Within the Fetterlock. The second novel of Brian Wainwright, Within the Fetterlock is a true epic in the true sense of the word – an utterly satisfying historical family saga of the type very difficult to find nowadays. Set in the unsettled times of Richard II – a time when kin destroyed kin and planted seeds that one day became the War of the Roses, Within the Fetterlock tells the story of Constance, a very proud Plantagenet princess. Possessing a strong sense of right and wrong, blue blooded to her very core, yet also vulnerable, Constance holds her pride as a shield against an uncertain, dangerous world. Constance is the only legitimate daughter of the Duke of York, Edmund of Langley, the fourth son of Edward III. Langley chose for his family the cognizance of a falcon confined within a fetterlock, indicating his recognition and acceptance of the constraints set upon his power, which meant his family should never inherit the throne. Langley, like his daughter, desires to be loyal to his nephew, Richard II. Unlike his daughter, future events, often set in motion by Langley’s own ambitious and deceitful son, will force him to turn from his loyalty; he choses to support the complex Henry of Lancaster, another nephew and regarded by Langley almost like another son. A man who also loves Constance and knows he will never have her. Wedded to Thomas Despenser when they both were small children, the story opens to show Constance and Thomas as young adults, very happily matched in their marriage, but Thomas is soon caught up in his brother-in-law’s machinations for the throne, with Constance pulled along by the currents and out into deadly depths not of her own making. Within the Fetterlock possesses a multi cast of characters, but unlike many books of this type, the author never bogs down story. It is a novel that keeps the reader fully engaged and turning pages to the very end. All the characters possess clear, distinct voices, drawn with the skill of a talented author who more than just knows his history. His obvious passion for this subject and certain grip on this time period brings it alive. Constance is a glittering character I will long remember. Her story of survival amidst so much grief and loss is so symbolic of women of this time and class. Constance's story symbolises too how women of her class were often falcons held within the fetterlock of their patriarchal society. As with all Wainwright's characters, from the first page, Constance becomes real and vivid. With her beloved husband, family and then, when widowed, her lover under threat, we feel her pain and despair, her desire to remain loyal no matter the cost and her anger when she perceives herself betrayed. Brian Wainwright’s prose weaves a densely wrought tapestry of immense colour and life, setting the reader deep within Medieval England. In a time when a King’s court moved constantly around his dominion, we experience this long ago England in all its seasons, entering a place where kin are prepared to kill one another if it means winning a blood-drenched throne. ©Wendy J. Dunn 2005   Books

07/13/06