The story of Henry II and his betrayal by all four of his sons: Hal (Henry III), Richard I (Lionheart) , Geoffrey, and John. Hal and Geoffrey would die before their father. Richard would become king with no male heirs and John would succeed him. It's also the story of Henry and Eleanor of Aquataine. This was a very informative and insightful book. In this book Penman outshone Druon in his Plantagenet series; as he barely touched on these relationships except for the wars for titled land. It was a bit too long as I lost interest in about the last 100 pages, which was setting up of Richard's coronation and the planning of the crusade to take the Holy Land from Saladin. This was book 3 in the Henry II Trilogy. 753 pages ( )

I really enjoyed this very long book. It is well written and researched and can be read as a stand alone. I hadn't read the first two books in the series and did not have a problem. We see Harry, Eleanor and their children as real people. However as far as I'm concerned, not very likeable people. ( )

My favorite Penman books are "Sunne in Splendor" and "Here Be Dragons." I wouldn't rate this book quite as high--it wasn't as moving--but it was engrossing. And I think the trilogy builds and is cumulative in it's power. Penman certainly is wonderful at making you see the different points of views of her conflicting characters. If in the two previous novels I definitely felt it tilted to one side in this one I was more torn between Henry and Eleanor, Henry and his sons. The whole plot line reminds me very much of King Lear--and tragedy of the sharpest kind. ( )

The breakdown of the Plantagenets at the end of Henry II's time is chronicled in necessarily excruciating detail. starting in 1172, it follows the rising level of violence as the impatient sons jockey for the big prize. Somehow, this is not one of Penman's livelier efforts, there not being enough action sequences, but far too many family gatherings at Christmas where things are discussed and not shown. It would leave a big hole if missed, but it is just flatly done. ( )

Amazing. Sharon Kay Penman truly is the master when it comes to historical fiction. This third installment in her Plantagenet series is overflowing with historical detail, but is first and foremost a very sensitive evaluation of a marriage and a family that tears itself apart. Penman sticks closely to the historical facts, and as well she might, because this family saga needs no embroidering. While it is yet another large book, the pages just turn themselves and I was sad to see it end. The author handles a vast cast of characters with ease and while it is a very engaging and entertaining story, I also learned a lot. This book is, imo, the best of the series and I will definitely revisit it at some point. Five stars is really not enough. ( )

Incredible. That one word basically sums up my thoughts on Sharon Kay Penman’s Devil’s Brood, an epic work of historical fiction focused on the final years of the reign of Henry II and his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine. Penman brings the medieval court of Henry II to life like no other author can, leaving the reader feeling as if they are witnessing first hand the turbulent final years of Henry II’s reign rather than just being an outside observer through the pages of a book.

I’ve always been intensely interested in the reign of Henry II, as well as his relationships with both Eleanor of Aquitaine and their sons. Devil’s Brood brings Henry to life not only as a ruler, but also as a husband and father. It also presents a balanced view of the reasons for Hal, Richard and Geoffrey’s rebellions against their father, and Eleanor’s early support for them. Although I’ve always respected the intelligence and political acumen of Eleanor of Aquitaine, I can’t say I ever really warmed to her in any of the works of historical fiction I’ve read in which she’s been featured. This novel changed my impressions of her, and Penman has given me a new perspective of Eleanor that has lead me to have a greater appreciation for why she supported her sons over her husband. While I may have gained a greater appreciation for Eleanor, this novel has left me less impressed with Henry and Eleanor’s sons, who seemed to feel it their right to rebel whenever their father didn’t give them what they wanted, which was usually money and land. Never mind that Henry’s sons did very little, especially in their younger years, to prove that they could successfully rule – especially Hal, the Young King. That said, it wasn’t difficult to see why the sons grew increasingly distrustful of their father.

Overall, not only did I find this novel incredibly interesting and entertaining, but thanks to Penman’s commitment to historical accuracy, I also found it to be highly educational – elements that, for me, mark a great work of historical fiction.
( )

This is the third book in Penman's series exploring the realm of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. This book focuses on Henry's struggles over power with his four ambitious sons. After a decent but not overly exciting start with the first two books of the series, Penman really caught fire with this tale of deceit, power struggles, and family drama. I kept thinking that often you hear about the drama of Kings struggling to provide a male heir to their throne, but in this case, having four ambitious sons provided just as much drama and conflict as all of them wanted the crown or at least significant power in their own right. Eleanor is held in captivity by her husband for supporting their sons' rebellion for much of this book, but she is still fascinating.

As always, I love Penman's brand of historical fiction. She sticks to the facts when relating historical events and the positioning of characters, using very few fictional characters. Even some of the servants are names that are included in contemporary historical records. Then she flushes out the story by drawing her own conclusions from the evidence to characterize the people she writes of, guessing at their motivations, personalities, and reactions. I find it very easy to separate fact from fiction in her work and tear through these long novels without wanting to put them down. ( )

Henry II, with the help of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, has created one of the vastest empires known to Europe, and the time has come to parcel it out among his sons. As the oldest, Hal will succeed his father as king of England and will also rule over the French duchies of Normandy and Anjou. Richard, Eleanor’s favorite son, will inherit her lands as Duke of Aquitaine. Geoffrey will become Duke of Brittany through marriage to a prominent heiress. But even though all three boys have grown up, Henry still holds onto the reins of power, convinced that none of them are truly ready to rule in their own right. His sons’ lack of independence soon breeds resentment, and Henry is shocked by its consequence: with the help of their mother, they openly rebel against him. This novel is the story of the conflict between Henry and his sons, between Henry and Eleanor, and between the boys themselves, as their struggle for power leads to almost constant warfare throughout Europe.

I’ve been enjoying Penman’s Plantagenet series, and I think this is my favorite installment so far. It’s hard to believe that the major events in this novel actually happened…there’s just so much drama! I also found the portrayal of Henry and Eleanor’s (adult) sons to be fascinating. Geoffrey was my favorite, which will probably surprise any fans of “The Lion in Winter”; but based on Penman’s depiction, I think he would have made the best king. Sure, he was self-serving and manipulative, but so was everyone else in the book! At least he had a good strategic mind with an ability to make long-term plans, and he managed to win over the Breton nobles so that he could rule Brittany competently. The overarching conflict between Henry and his sons was both sad and frustrating. It seemed to come down to a total lack of communication skills and an inability to see the other side’s point of view. (Hmm, sounds familiar….) I’m glad I finally read this book, and I look forward to reading Lionheart in the future.

And we thought that kids nowadays got into trouble….

In this final installment of the story of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, we are given the account of their four rebellious and ungrateful sons as well as the flawed judgment of the father and mother. Each son (Hal, the young king, Richard - Duke of Aquitaine, Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, and John) has grievances with the power that King Henry holds on the regions of his kingdom. Each wants the reins to be slackened and the management to be theirs but Henry cannot give up his domination over the lands and the brothers join together to wrest control away.

Normally in a story of this type there are heroes and villains, but not so here, probably because it is based on truth. We are dealing with flawed humans who not always are thinking or acting clearly but are passionate in their desires, selfish, exercising poor judgment or no judgment at all.

Henry could not understand why his sons would be so ungrateful as to rebel against his authority. He did not feel that they were mature enough to handle the reins of power, however, when they cited his experiences at the same age, he could not justify his delays to them. Henry's issues appeared to be with trust throughout his life - his father trusted him at an early age, but he could not trust his sons which only brought about the rebellions that repeatedly threatened his kingdom and his life. He could forgive many of those involved in the rebellion but the betrayal of his Queen Eleanor was the wound that he could not heal which only drove his sons farther away.

Not only is the reader treated to the historical accounts of the events of the reign of Henry II but we are also shown the driving forces of the other 2 sons - Hal, the young King, and Geoffrey the Duke of Brittany - who did not live to wear the crown of England. We know of Richard the Lionheart as well as evil King John, but rarely are we treated to such a personal look at the other two sons who frequently were in the forefront of the rebellions and the reasoning that drove the battles between father and sons.

The characters were brought to life so thoroughly on these pages that often I wanted to shake a few and say, what are you thinking? No matter what, the historical events of the 12th century depicted throughout this meticulously researched book, are woven spectacularly into a tale of a dysfunctional family worthy of 21st century reality TV. ( )

This is the conclusion of Sharon Kay Penman's trilogy based on the lives of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. It focuses more on the rivalries and rebellions between their children as they struggle to escape Henry's control and assert themselves as rulers in their own right. Meanwhile, Henry and Eleanor's marriage suffers under the strain of rebellion and uncertain loyalties.

If this book had a theme song, it would be the Everly Brothers song "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)": Henry accuses Eleanor of turning his sons against him, without realizing his own contribution to the situation, and the ruins of their marriage are made especially poignant by Eleanor's recollections of happier days. As for their children, Hal, the Young King, chafes under Henry's authority and is not allowed to exercise real power; Richard is his mother's son and resents any interference with Aquitaine (especially when Henry tries to give away bits of it to his other children); Geoffrey plays one side against the other; while John, as the youngest, is left behind and ignored completely.

The book was much easier to get into than Time and Chance, especially for long stretches. The conflicts between the children made for exciting reading, with the reader constantly changing sides depending on who was on the rise and whose cause felt the most just. As the book got closer to the end of Henry's reign I found myself comparing what I knew with what was being presented on the page, trying to fit the facts into the narrative. It was particularly astonishing to read about Hal and Geoffrey. I also noticed that Ranulf, Henry's fictional uncle, did not make as much of an appearance as in previous volumes; perhaps the latter part of Henry's reign is better documented than the earlier part and there is less need for a fictional stand-in to get all of the information?

I would definitely recommend this book if you've read the previous books, or even if this is the only part of Henry II's reign that interests you; there's enough background to fill in most of the gaps, and at any rate it's a thrilling story. ( )

I'm seeing Richard I of England in whole new light and it's as dim as a gutting candle . . . but I digress. Richard is a product of his time and that time was dark and disturbing.

Ms. Penman once again makes medieval life and history as palpable as what we see on the news today, the persons as real, whole and flawed as ourselves - separated by a thousand years. "Devil's Brood" concludes the story of Henry II of England and his queen Eleanor Duchess of Aquitaine and concentrates on the ill-fated rebellions of Henry and Eleanor's sons, The young king Hal, crowned during his father's lifetime as a surety of succession, Richard, Geoffrey and John. The rebellion is sanctioned by Eleanor who is tired of being seen as merely Henry's queen and not as a duchess in her own right with power and intellect in a man's world. A few of the mythic causes of that rebellion are swept away in Ms. Penman's meticulously researched book, leaning on fact.

Henry is arguably one of England's greatest rulers but he failed miserably as a father to his children, especially his boys - four spoiled, willful and vengeful brats in my opinion, Geoffrey being the most sympathetic. Hal, the eldest, is a 'celebutante' of his day - handsome, popular, free with favor and money, but weak as a commander and ruler, easily swayed by hangers-on. Geoffrey is the son in the middle: overlooked, underappreciated but cold and calculating and turning when the wind blows in his favor. John is a boy learning from his older brothers and gets a lesson in mistrust and treachery. Richard is just downright scary. Sorry if you, dear Reader, hold the historical legend that he was a champion of the weak, poor, downtrodden - nope, that was Robin Hood. Richard is portrayed here as cold, calculating, mean, bloodless while suffering bloodlust as he hacks and stabs his way through Normandy, Poitou, Anjou, Maine and Aquitaine. All of the sons have plenty considering the times, it's just that they want their father's trust and attention and more lands and castles, but everyone goes after that trust and attention all the wrong ways. If you're expecting the witty banter and political savvy of that outstanding play, "The Lion in Winter," you're in for a surprise. This is real, gritty, poignant and outstanding. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this is a medieval reality show, Plotting with the Plantagenets - a family that put the capital 'D' in Dysfunctional. ( )

This was much better than the preceeding book. Takes the action through the trial and tribulations of Henry II's reign, concentrating on his son's rebellions and his relationship with Eleanor. Ends with Henry's death. ( )

Third book in Henry & Eleanor series. Focuses on sons arriving at maturity and challenging Henry. ( )

The final (not sure if her newest 'Lionheart' is part of this series or not) installment of Penman's Eleanor of Aquitaine series. This one takes it from Henry and Eleanor's estrangement after she discovers Henry's concubine Rosamund Clifford, to Eleanor's captivity, to the rise and fall of their three eldest boys, and finally to Henry's sad defeat at the hands of the French King and his own son and ultimately his sad death.

This was one long book. I read it on a Kindle so I can't be sure of the page count but it seemed to me to be one of her longest. While entertaining, and certainly fascinating historical fiction as always from Penman -- I have not really felt the heart in this series as I did in the Welsh trilogy or in 'Sunne in Splendor.' Her storytelling is ever so slightly lackluster in this series, especially the last two novels and so for the first time I have become aware of their length and the almost impossible to keep straight cast of Counts, Dukes, allegiances, etc.

I enjoyed Penman's characterization of Henry's third son Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany and his wife, Constance as well as the poor hapless young King Hal. I felt Eleanor's personality was lacking (partly I am sure because historically she was held captive and was able to do little) and I felt much sympathy for Henry. While I felt Penman gave a balanced picture of him, I still think his sons' were a bunch of spoiled ingrates that needed a good whooping.

Anyway, entertaining. I will always continue to read her novels for long, involved, lush, escapist historical tales - but the last two in this series are a bit of a notch down for me ( )

While When Christ and His Saints Slept is easily the best book of the trilogy, Penman does not disappoint with Devil's Brood. Devil's Brood follows the sons of Henry Fitz Empress and Eleanor of Acquitane through all of their rebellions, double dealings, false apologies, and betrayals. Each of the sons has their own personalities and quirks and theirs story alone could have easily filled up a trilogy of its own. I also find it hard to have any sympathy for most of the characters, except Henry, he truly did not understand why his sons would rebel against him and it was just so sad to read page after page of his utter bafflement. Eleanor was also a constant source of anger for me, I found her to be haughty, selfish, and ultimately just horribly horribly annoying. To be completely honest though my main grievance with the book is the sheer length, at almost 800 pages it is rather lengthy and at times I found myself wanting to skip parts just to get through it. ( )

Third and last in her Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy surrounding the many rebellions during the later years fo Henry's reign. It was a sad book, many deaths and disappointments, I can't say I really enjoyed reading it. It was good, but I trudged through it, shaking my head over and over again in response to the many follies Henry and his sons made repeatedly.

http://ktleyed.blogspot.com/2010/07/devils-brood-by-sharon-kay-penman.html ( )

I couldn't even finish this book, it just didn't seem on par with her other books. Its hard to explain but to me it didn't seem as well written and the characters were not as complicated as they were in previous books. I hope the next one is better. ( )

Very good as ever from this author. There are some very emotional episodes, in particular the death of Henry the Young King, though overall I don't think this book has quite the impact as did When Christ and His Saints Slept. It is perhaps overlong and I did get a little tired of endless differing permutations of squabbling brothers, and the extreme stubbornness and control freakery of King Henry (though overall I was more sympathetic towards him than his sons most of the time), and the repetitive behavioural characteristics of the other leading players. But magnificent writing all the same. ( )

Penman has scored another coup with her account of the lives and turbulent times of Henry II and his rebellious queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. This was a time of legend, populated by people who seem, even today, larger than life. Penman has breathed vitallity into her characters and created an intimacy and understanding of their motivations which has tremendous power and appeal, played out against the backdrop of turbulent history.

My only discomfort with this work, and it does not impair enjoyment, is Penman's projection of present-day values into the lives of 12th Century people, especially as regards the loss of children. In 12th Century Europe, average life expectancies were low principally because of astronomically high infant mortality. Some authorities estimate that 40 percent of children died before the age of six. While there is no question that the parents grieved, it is also likely that each birth brought with it some expectation of loss and probably, given the religious conviction of the times, with not the same sense of devastation experienced by modern parents and attributed to Penman's characters. ( )

Another wonderful book by SKP, where the struggle for the power between Richard´s sons prevails over most of his kingdom. The strong character of Eleanor shows already her fight for women rights on state decisions even in a medieval era. The dialogues between the main characters are very well written within an historical context based on a very careful historical research performed by SKP. ( )

A compelling novelization of Henry II and Eleanor. Sharon Kay Penman's work is deep and thorough; interesting even though one knows "the rest of the story." She brings to life the characters of the time. ( )

Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine thought they had it all - the greatest empire since Charlemagne, healthy children including the heir and several to spare - so how did it all go so wrong? The Devil's Brood takes up the story where Time and Chance left off with the murder of Thomas Becket, as Henry returns from his self imposed exile to Ireland. Henry's three eldest sons are chafing at the bit to have lands and power of their own and egged on by Louis of France they join with their mother Eleanor in rebellion against their father. In time Henry quells the rebellion and forgives his sons, but he cannot forgive his wife and queen and he imprisons her. Even though Henry forgave his sons, they are still not happy with his generosity and it eventually leads to more power struggles and back-biting amongst the brothers, particularly young Hal, who suffers the ultimate punishment for his reckless deeds.

This was a fascinating story of a brilliant, powerful king whose blind love and trust in his sons lead him to make mistakes in judgment that eventually lead to his downfall. I also loved seeing a different side of the haughty, queenly Eleanor we saw in Time and Chance, as unlike her sons she does come to recognize the wrongness (well sometimes) of her actions and the cataclysmic effects those actions had on her family. Some readers may find the first part of this book a bit slow paced as Penman does spend time setting up the back history of Henry, Eleanor and the Becket murder, but hang in there as about half way through when the boys start turning on each other the pages literally started flying. Penman's dialogue was exceptional, although I couldn't decide who got the best lines, Henry or Richard - they just smoked off the page!

One of Penman's great strengths is to take the most complex political situations and put them into a story that not only entertains the reader but educates at the same time. Five stars and it appears from the author's notes and a recent blog interview that this will not be a trilogy, she will continue the story of Eleanor, Richard and John in one more book. Hurray!

For those of you coming away from this book wanting to know about William Marshal, I highly recommend Elizabeth Chadwick's The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion. They are hard to find in the US, but readily available in the UK and Canada. ( )

Sharon Kay Penman has written a brilliant historical fiction trilogy based on the lives of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The first book, When Christ and His Saints Slept, covers the period of time before Henry’s birth when Stephen of Blois stole the English crown from Maude, the daughter of Henry I and his intended successor. The resulting civil war was so savage that it gave rise to the saying which is the title of the book.

In that book, Henry II is born to the loveless marriage between Maude and Geoffrey of Anjou. Henry fights for his mother’s crown successfully enough that When Stephen’s only son dies, an agreement is reached that Henry will succeed Stephen when Stephen dies. Henry also meets Eleanor; the two very kindred spirits instantly fall in love and lust, which will last their lives. Eleanor sheds an inconvenient marriage to Louis of France, she and Henry wed, and the book ends on the soaring hopes of the young couple and of England.

The second book, Time and Chance, recounts Henry’s glory years as King of England and ruler of more lands in France than is Louis, who is still alive and still ineffectual; the single largest part of Henry’s continental domains is Aquitaine, coming to him, sort of, though Eleanor, who is Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right. Henry and Eleanor have a true partnership. There are tensions, however, since as Duchess of Aquitaine, there are times when Henry’s decisions and his reasons for making them cross purposes with Eleanor’s instinctive protectiveness for her duchy.

Eleanor bears Henry eight children, a veritable surfeit of sons, starting with Hal, the eldest, Richard the second, Geoffrey the third and finally the last child and the Ugly Duckling in the crowd, John. Henry is busy being the best kind England ever will have, aided and abetted by his closest friend Thomas Becket, who Henry has elevated to the Chancellorship of England. In a move that will cost Henry dear for the rest of his life, Henry makes the singular mistake, against Eleanor’s advice, of forcing the monks at Canterbury to choose Thomas as their archbishop. The rest, as they say, is history.

This period of time is marked also by Henry’s other massive mistake, an enduring love affair with Rosalind Clifford, a high born young woman with whom Henry is truly enamored. Eleanor, like most wives of the day, expects infidelity--but not an affair that lasts so long and that Henry makes no real attempt to hide. Her pride wounded, Eleanor nurses her resentments.

The third and final book, Devil’s Brood, is the history of the final years of Henry’s long reign, when his empire is under massive internal strains, and his sons and his wife rebel against him. Henry puts down the rebellion, forgives his sons--but never forgives Eleanor, placing her in a captivity that will last 16 years until his death.

The story of these last years is one of real tragedy, as Henry copes with one rebellion after another and must endure the fact that his oldest son and heir, Hal, is not only not fit for kingship, but is also under the sway of Louis of France. Henry makes mistake after mistake with his sons, not realizing that their grievances are serious, but always trying to balance the empire’s needs--and his inability to let go of any of the power he believes only he can wield for the good of the realm, sharing it with his sons.

At the end, Henry dies ignominiously, defeated by Louis’s son Philippe and the latter’s alliance with Henry’s two remaining legitimate sons, Richard and John.

In all three books, Penman brings the characters to life, making them completely believable and sympathetic. This however is especially true of Devil’s Brood, where she tells the story of a failed marriage and disintegrating family and the consequences so remarkably well that it’s hard to believe that this is a fictional account; the reader is part of the story, part of the family and thanks to Penman’s brilliant ability to see all sides sympathetically, you agonize right along with the characters over deaths and other irretrievable losses. It’s a superb work, the best of the trilogy, a tour de force.

What Penman has achieved in her trilogy is a story seamlessly woven that she has managed to break up into three logical parts. But just as I could not find any way to write this review without synopsizing the other two, this is really not a stand-alone book. By the time you come to the third book, all these characters--and very few are fictional--are a part of you, and the rich background of the other two books leads so naturally and provides so much texture for this one that I can not imagine reading Devil’s Brood as a stand-alone.

The three novels are one story, of which Devil’s Brood is the most compassionately and most excitingly told. Historical fiction doesn’t get any better than this. Highly recommended. ( )

What can I say that hasn't already been said. The scope of this novel is the breadth and depth of nowaday England and France. The progeny of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine are truly a devil's brood, the epitome of a dysfunctional family. All levels of betrayal, reconciliation and further betrayal are described with skill and believability.

The work is long, 752 pages, but absorbing for the greater part of the novel, though I had to labor a little to get through the very final part.. I recommend this, as well as all others of Penman's that I have read, without reservation ( )

This is the third book in Sharon Kay Penman's Angevin trilogy, and we've had to wait quite awhile since Time and Chance. This is a novel of family betrayal. This book starts in 1172 and ends in 1189 with the death of King Henry II. I have been a long-time lover of Ms. Penman's wonderfuly real historical novels, and I waited a long time for this one. I highly recommend that if you haven't, you begin with the first novel in the trilogy (When Christ and His Saints Slept), and then read Time and Chance and then this one. You will not find a more comprehensive review of the notorious Angevin family than between the covers of Ms. Penman's books. She is an extraordinary writer and she uses real people and real historical happenings in her books. Devil's Brood tells the story of a truly disfunctional family, and none of the betrayals, lies and mistakes are glossed over. You will get a true picture of a king that history remembers as great, but who had human foibles like everyone else. Henry's decisions were not always the right ones, and he made lots of mistakes with his family, but these mistakes were mostly due to the fact that he did not see clearly when it came to his own family, including his wife, the beautiful Eleanor of Aquitane. Disastrous decisions were made with all the best intentions, and he is continually beset on all sides by members of his quarrelsome and stubborn family. I really should write a lot more to try to do justice to this wonderful novel, but it is a book that needs to be read to be appreciated. It's a very long book, but one that kept me spellbound until the end. ( )