The Winter Siege - Ariana Franklin, Samantha Norman

"It's 1141 and freezing cold.
Gwil , a battle hardened mercenary, is horrified to stumble across a little girl close to death. She has been attacked, just one more victim in  winter of atrocities. Clutching a sliver of parchment, she is terrified - but Gwil knows what h must do. He will bring her back to life. He will train her to fight. And together, they will hunt down the man who did this to her.

But danger looms wherever they turn. A castle after castle falls victim to siege, the icy fens ring with rumours of a madman, of murder - and a small piece of parchment with a terrible secret to tell, the cost of which none of them could ever have imagined."

This is my first historical fiction and I think I picked a excellent first. I was thrilled because it is one of those rare books in which the writing is so vivid that the real world around me faded away as I became immersed in the plot. The historical novel is set in 1141 while Stephen and Matilda battle for the English throne. The story is centred on Gwil, a mercenary; Penda, the brutalized girl he protects; and Maud, the chatelaine of Kenniford Castle, where siege is laid. The story is fast paced and the dialogue is crisp and often humorous, but the characterization was my biggest delight.

What a wonderful assembly of characters. Each leaps off the page into full life and touches our emotions. Gwilherm de Vannes, a mercenary soldier, and his conversations with God are a true delight…”And what now, Lord? Eh? How can I protect her from herself?”
“That’s a tricky one, Gwil. That’s the question. Even I can’t help you there I’m afraid.”

Young Pen, whom he rescues, is a survivor who learns to cope with events in her own way. Young Maud, forced into marriage and now finds herself having to defend her beloved castle with the help of Sir Rollo, commander of her troops and protect her step son, William. There is a mystery to the story, and a villain which is as evil as a villain can be. This is the time of the Plantagenet's, and the history is important, but the story is very much a human story.

The depiction of life in the 12th Century, especially the daily concerns of a castle chatelaine, is excellent. The growing relationship between Gwil and Penda is something you will want to hold onto; it is incredibly touching, as are the relationships between Maud and those she comes to love.

I didn't pick up any obvious 21st century slang, but there were a few modern-day idioms. I did wonder how much of the history was accurate except the barebones of the conflict between the two contenders for the throne. I thought the ending of the novel most satisfactory.

Age 14+. Rape and reality of war, not terribly graphic but still not appropriate for younger readers.