Troubadour

Set in the time of the Crusades a young hairbraider to the Queen finds herself through crazy random happenstances that land her in Southern France and in the arms of a Lord who thought her beautiful in Court, but their differences in linage meant they could never be together. He then thinks her dead for refusing her King's advances, and he moves on with life. Thanks to her likeness to a Lady travelling to marry him to strengthen armies and political alliances, who is slain before their party arrives in the Lord's castle, Adela takes her place almost by accident and limited fluency with languages and though she means to tell him she's Adela rather than Lady Alys it keeps getting delayed over and over.

At almost 450 pages we see almost unbelievable instances of events, but on paper it flows and holds you tight so you can't put the book down at all. If you listed the plot down in dot points it would seem unbelievable, but thanks to excellent characters and sturdy language, Martyn leaves you only wanting more. We have romance, battles, and clever characters trying to stay alive and on top. The Lord Richart isn't easily swayed one way or another, even when Adela is involved, and we see a believable lord in a time where he's probably had to avoid many attempts on his life by the time he is 18 - his healthy paranoia was what really set him apart for me - he thought for himself, which was refreshing to see.

Adela was an excellent protagonist - she's utterly human and compassionate for even those who wrong her, and she is believably intelligent for the time, and good at using it when necessary. I only now want another book to see how she copes with this new chapter in her life - even if it were just a novella - please, Martyn?

There is no better way to learn history than reading an excellent piece of historical fiction. I haven't come across Martyn's books until now, but now I'm certainly one the hunt for more.

As Adela fled the clutches of the evil King John, she was sure she would never survive; with the hounds after her, she knew she needed her wits as never before. Stowing away proved to be a blessing; though terrified for her life, Adela finally and with a breath of relief, set foot on France’s soil. But more was to test her – starving and weak she wondered if she had swapped one misfortune for another.

The day Adela spied the soldiers accompanying the woman who was to marry the Lord of Mirascon, her fortune changed. Lady Alys hired her as a laundress – and so the entourage journeyed slowly toward their destination. But the south of France was rife with brigands and thieves. Was Adela’s fortune about to be changed once again?

Richart, Vicomte de Mirascon, was determined to keep his people safe from the savagery that surrounded the city. With the imminent arrival of his bride-to-be, he knew King John would honour his agreement. But it appeared torment and torture was set to follow him – Richart’s struggle to do what he knew was right for his people could well come at a cost. What would the arrival of Lady Alys herald? Would it be the answer? Or would there be more trouble for the Lord of Mirascon and his people?

Set in the early 1200s, Troubadour by Aussie author Isolde Martyn kept me enthralled throughout. Brutal, cruel and sadistic – but not graphic – this is what the world was like back then. The women were just chattels to be used for the man’s pleasure. Troubadour is an amazing story, filled with history, determination, betrayal and a deep, abiding love. Truly wonderful characters – Adela, Richart and the diminutive Derwent; not to mention Maud – Troubadour is a novel of historical significance which I have no hesitation of highly recommending.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.