Richard II found himself under siege not once, but twice in his minority. Crowned king at age ten, he was only fourteen when the Peasants' Revolt terrorized London. But he proved himself every bit the Plantagenet successor, facing Wat Tyler and the rebels when all seemed lost.
Alas, his triumph was short-lived, and for the next ten years he struggled to assert himself against his uncles and increasingly hostile nobles. Just like in the days of his great-grandfather Edward II, vengeful magnates strove to separate him from his friends and advisors, and even threatened to depose him if he refused to do their bidding.
The Lords Appellant, as they came to be known, purged the royal household with the help of the Merciless Parliament. They murdered his closest allies, leaving the King alone and defenseless.
He would never forget his humiliation at the hands of his subjects.
Richard's inability to protect his adherents would haunt him for the rest of his life, and he vowed that next time, retribution would be his.
✧ Review ✧
What really struck me about A King Under Siege was how quickly politics could become personal. One minute people are arguing about taxes, royal finances or who should sit on the King's council, and the next somebody's being accused of treason because they've ended up on the wrong side.
I found that side of the book fascinating.
There are plenty of people around Richard who claim to be acting for the good of England, but everyone seems to have their own interests as well. Gloucester was particularly good at making me cross. He is so certain that Richard is being badly advised that apparently the solution is to take away his advisers, control his household and, eventually, threaten to take away his crown too.
Helpful.
What I liked was that Richard isn't always easy to defend either. There were several moments when I could see trouble coming long before he did. He is fiercely loyal to Robert de Vere, even when that friendship is causing him serious political problems, and once Richard feels cornered his judgement can go completely out of the window.
But that was also what made him interesting to follow. I kept changing between thinking, yes Richard, stand up to them, and Richard, for goodness' sake, don't do THAT.
The Lords Appellant section was probably the part I found most gripping. By then the disagreements have gone far beyond ordinary political arguments, and both sides are using increasingly dangerous ways to get the upper hand. It becomes very clear that Richard may wear the crown, but that doesn't necessarily mean he has the power.
I also hadn't appreciated before reading this just how much Richard's youth mattered. People have been governing for him since he was a child, and they don't suddenly become willing to give up that influence simply because he is getting older.
That made the final scene especially satisfying.
After all the arguments, threats and bloodshed, Richard finally finds a much simpler way of making his point.
He is twenty-two.
He is no longer a child.
And he intends to rule.
I really enjoyed this. There is a lot going on, and I definitely had to keep my wits about me with all those medieval names and titles, but I became completely caught up in the struggle over who was actually going to govern England.
Mercedes Rochelle
Born in St. Louis, MO, with a degree from University of Missouri, Mercedes Rochelle learned about living history as a re-enactor and has been enamored with historical fiction ever since. A move to New York to do research and two careers ensued, but writing fiction remains her primary vocation. She lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
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