Devil's Brood
Encyclopedia
Devil's Brood is a historical novel written by Sharon Kay Penman
, published in 2008, and is the third volume in her Plantagenet series, preceeded by When Christ and His Saints Slept
and Time and Chance
, and followed by Lionheart (2011).
The novel is about the last two decades in Henry II
's life, his imprisonment of his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine
, and his sons who undertake a decade-long rebellion against their father. Penman explores the tensions that built in the royal marriage and the deconstruction of the marriage. The historical details of the 12th century Angevin kings
are detailed. Generally the novel received good reviews and became a New York Times bestseller.
and Eleanor of Aquitaine
that began in When Christ and His Saints Slept
and continued in Time and Chance
. Devil's Brood opens with the conflict between Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their four sons, which escalates into a decade of warfare and rebellion pitting the sons against the father and the brothers against each other while the mother spends the period imprisoned by her husband. The novel opens in 1172 when Henry and Eleanor have been married for decades and have four grown sons: Hal
, Richard
, Geoffrey
and John
. During the final 18 years of Henry's life conflict builds with Eleanor, beginning with her desire to choose her successor for Aquitaine
. Henry has her imprisoned, first in France and then in England, while he goes to war against France. The four sons each want to rule a piece of territory and war breaks out among the sons as they plot with their mother and enter into a rebellion against Henry, in the process aligning themselves with King Louis VII of France—England's enemy. The consequences of Henry's sons' rebellion weakens the Angevin empire. At the end, Henry dies with only his household knights at his bedside.
review notes Penman's attention to detail in which she "combines an in-depth knowledge of medieval Europe ...re-creating the complex events and emotional drama of the 12th century."
gave it a favorable review and recommended the novel. The reviewer writes: "Penman does a remarkable job of depicting passionate, dramatic characters and the perilous times in which they live." The Booklist
review was not quite as positive. The reviewer noted the novel is "exhaustive (and exhausting)" and that the "prose tends to lumber along like a medieval oxcart."
was published in hardback in the United States in October, 2008 at 734 pages by G. P. Putnam's Sons
(ISBN 978-0-399-15526-0) The first British edition was released in 2009 published by Michael Josephs at 736 pages (ISBN 0-7181-5465-7).
Sharon Kay Penman
Sharon Kay Penman is an American historical novelist, published in the UK as Sharon Penman. She is best known for the Welsh Princes trilogy and the Plantagenet series. In addition, she has written four medieval mysteries, the first of which, The Queen's Man, was a finalist in 1996 for the Best...
, published in 2008, and is the third volume in her Plantagenet series, preceeded by When Christ and His Saints Slept
When Christ and His Saints Slept
When Christ and His Saints Slept is a historical novel written by Sharon Kay Penman and published in 1995. When Christ and His Saints Slept is the first of Penman's Plantagenet trilogy, followed by Time and Chance and Devil's Brood....
and Time and Chance
Time and Chance (novel)
Time and Chance is a historical novel written by Sharon Kay Penman published in 2002 and is the second volume in the Plantagenet trilogy, proceeded by When Christ and His Saints Slept and followed by Devil's Brood.- Plot :...
, and followed by Lionheart (2011).
The novel is about the last two decades in Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
's life, his imprisonment of his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
, and his sons who undertake a decade-long rebellion against their father. Penman explores the tensions that built in the royal marriage and the deconstruction of the marriage. The historical details of the 12th century Angevin kings
House of Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet , a branch of the Angevins, was a royal house founded by Geoffrey V of Anjou, father of Henry II of England. Plantagenet kings first ruled the Kingdom of England in the 12th century. Their paternal ancestors originated in the French province of Gâtinais and gained the...
are detailed. Generally the novel received good reviews and became a New York Times bestseller.
Plot summary
Devil's Brood continues the story of Henry IIHenry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
and Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
that began in When Christ and His Saints Slept
When Christ and His Saints Slept
When Christ and His Saints Slept is a historical novel written by Sharon Kay Penman and published in 1995. When Christ and His Saints Slept is the first of Penman's Plantagenet trilogy, followed by Time and Chance and Devil's Brood....
and continued in Time and Chance
Time and Chance (novel)
Time and Chance is a historical novel written by Sharon Kay Penman published in 2002 and is the second volume in the Plantagenet trilogy, proceeded by When Christ and His Saints Slept and followed by Devil's Brood.- Plot :...
. Devil's Brood opens with the conflict between Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their four sons, which escalates into a decade of warfare and rebellion pitting the sons against the father and the brothers against each other while the mother spends the period imprisoned by her husband. The novel opens in 1172 when Henry and Eleanor have been married for decades and have four grown sons: Hal
Henry the Young King
Henry, known as the Young King was the second of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine but the first to survive infancy. He was officially King of England; Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine.-Early life:Little is known of the young prince Henry before the events...
, Richard
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, Geoffrey
Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany
Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond was Duke of Brittany between 1181 and 1186, through his marriage with the heiress Constance. Geoffrey was the fourth son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine.-Family:He was a younger maternal half-brother of Marie de...
and John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. During the final 18 years of Henry's life conflict builds with Eleanor, beginning with her desire to choose her successor for Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
. Henry has her imprisoned, first in France and then in England, while he goes to war against France. The four sons each want to rule a piece of territory and war breaks out among the sons as they plot with their mother and enter into a rebellion against Henry, in the process aligning themselves with King Louis VII of France—England's enemy. The consequences of Henry's sons' rebellion weakens the Angevin empire. At the end, Henry dies with only his household knights at his bedside.
Themes
Devil's Brood focuses on the deconstruction of a royal family. The destruction was both personal and spilled over to cause war. In the novel, Penman investigates the role of a strong medieval queen who rebels against her husband. Furthermore, Penman explores the theme of betrayal: Henry II considers the rebellion against him by his sons and wife as personal and political betrayal. Finally, the question of how a man reconciles personal and family needs with the demands of kingship are examined through Henry's actions as father, husband and ruler.Writing characteristics
Set against a backdrop of political tension, power struggles, war, and hardship, the main characters confront personal drama such as conflict in love, conflict between family members, conflict between one's God, and conflict in friendship, as well as conflicted loyalties between family, self, king and country. A Library JournalLibrary Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
review notes Penman's attention to detail in which she "combines an in-depth knowledge of medieval Europe ...re-creating the complex events and emotional drama of the 12th century."
Reception
The hardcover edition of the book was a New York Times bestseller. Library JournalLibrary Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
gave it a favorable review and recommended the novel. The reviewer writes: "Penman does a remarkable job of depicting passionate, dramatic characters and the perilous times in which they live." The Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
review was not quite as positive. The reviewer noted the novel is "exhaustive (and exhausting)" and that the "prose tends to lumber along like a medieval oxcart."
Publication history
The first editionFirst edition
The bibliographical definition of an edition includes all copies of a book printed “from substantially the same setting of type,” including all minor typographical variants.- First edition :...
was published in hardback in the United States in October, 2008 at 734 pages by G. P. Putnam's Sons
G. P. Putnam's Sons
G. P. Putnam's Sons was a major United States book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group.-History:...
(ISBN 978-0-399-15526-0) The first British edition was released in 2009 published by Michael Josephs at 736 pages (ISBN 0-7181-5465-7).