Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Penman emerged long ago as one of the best historical novelists and continues to solidify her reputation with each new release. Her special genius lies in the bright and shining historical detail that she can weave into both plot and dialog (she's a very good student of history and at times is absolutely brilliant in conveying to us the workings of medieval minds). Chronologically, this is the first book. It's also the first in the Henry & Eleanor trilogy (the others are Space & Time and Devil's Brood). There is no doubt When Christ And His Saints Slept will stand as a superior work for ages to come. There is certainly a very complex plot (because this era of English history was quite convoluted). Penman does an excellent job of keeping it all straight for us as she leads us through the maze of characters. Yes, it's complicated but if you read the history of these times you quickly come to see what a great job she did in her design of the story. There are touching moments (everybody seems to remember her scene of Henry meeting Eleanor in the garden of the Cite Palace) and Penman is great at establishing dynamic moments for a wide range of events (the deaths of Kings, Maude & Eleanor's machinations, etc.). But the true genius is the broad historical scope that is painted on top of the shimmering details of brief moments. It truely does feel as if you are living the story yourself, and it is this bringing us readers in as witnesses that stands as Penman's contribution to the art of the historical novel. If you prefer to read in chronological order: 1101-1154 When Christ And His Saints Slept (Vol 1 of Trilogy) 1156-1171 Time And Space (Vol 2 of Trilogy) 12th Cent Devil's Brood (Vol 3 of Trilogy)- not yet released 1192-1193 The Queen's Man 1193 Cruel As The Grave 1183-1232 Here Be Dragons (Vol 1 of Welsh Trilogy) 1231-1267 Falls The Shadow (Vol 2 of Welsh Trilogy) 1271-1283 The Reckoning (Vol 3 of Welsh Trilogy) 1459-1492 The Sunne In Splendour