Knight of Prye (Knight of Pyre Series)

By throwing his weight one way or the other he influenced the outcomes of succession crises and civil wars. And more than just a biography of William Marshall's life, it's a history of England and France and the rest of the world to an extent. Asbridge goes into the details of the culture, the military tactics, the chivalric ideals, everything. This was a truly informative and interesting read. So, if you're interested in medieval history or just how knighthood worked, I'd heartily recommend this book. Nov 30, A. I really enjoyed this audiobook about William Marshal.

William survived King Stephen wasn't heartless enough to hang a five-year-old and went on to a long and distinguished career that included disappointment, success, and so I really enjoyed this audiobook about William Marshal. William survived King Stephen wasn't heartless enough to hang a five-year-old and went on to a long and distinguished career that included disappointment, success, and some tricky situations.

Along the way he was a tournament champion, a warrior, and a crusader. The author did a great job of balancing what is known of Marshal with what might have happened. The focus was on Marshal, but the author also included information about the big picture and really brought the time period to life.

Rounding up for Goodreads. Jan 15, Suzanne rated it really liked it Shelves: One of my regrets in life is making the ridiculous decision at 15 not to continue with studies in history because I didn't like the teacher for the upcoming year. I blame my parents for not over-ruling me. Smugly sidesteps all responsibility and crosses fingers that own children won't try something so silly.

Consequently, I have rather embarrassing gaps in my knowledge of British history. I'd never heard of William Marshal before this book and you can see why he makes such an interesting subject for a book. First of all, the man all but disappeared for around years apart from some brief historical mentions. Secondly, William Marshal managed to live to the ripe old age of This was in the early s!

The man had super genes or something.

The Greatest Knight: The Remarkable Life of William Marshal, The Power Behind Five English Thrones

Even better, the guy managed to put on armor two years before his death and lead an army in a crucial battle. And not only did he live long enough to provide a life story covering the reign of five kings, he actually knew those kings. To kick things off, he's sentenced to death by hanging at the tender age of five. Honestly, if someone had tried writing this story as a movie, people would have laughed and said it wasn't realistic.

Really interesting way to learn about this period of time, understand the beginning of the rules of chivalry, knights and tournaments, and how hard it is to rule a kingdom that stretches from Scotland to the Pyrenees when the fastest mode of transport is horseback. There was a bit too much riding from battle to battle every now and then, and the number of players can get a bit overwhelming, but then the story picks up again or you learn something else new about medieval life and the pages keep turning.

Mar 11, Jeanette rated it really liked it. Fabulous research and source materials, photos, landscapes, period tombs for William Marshal's life. The 12th Century was a time of great change.

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Very definitions and categories for and pursued by the noble or gentle classes! Those pursuits also for all kinds of power display and influence became pageant heavy. Five kings, and he wasn't always on the "side" of any of them? I've heard and read these histories of Eleanor's and Henry II's sons multiple, multiple times. But this one gave me the most insight into their eldest Henry so unfairly treated in so many dismissive and uncomplimentary asides and fiction stories and also to John.

Everyone has done the Lionheart, but many fewer detail the other brothers to this degree of actual print inquiry. It also taught me some French words I have heard and have read and now I finally understand their connotations. Not fully translatable to English. And also about the armor and the clothing which, like the warhorse, was a gifted and absolute necessity. Very good study of a life that was completely outlier. And this is truly worth a read for any serious history pursuers of the period.

It's an act of hubris to be able to pronounce the 'greatest' anything, much less the 'greatest' knight, a class of people that was fairly large and existed over centuries, but it is certainly fair to say that William Marshal is the best known knight, and actually a good contender for the title on his own merits. Long-lived and successful, Marshal rose from obscurity as a second son to being the regent of England in all but name.

Even so, he'd hardly be known at all today if not for a biography of It's an act of hubris to be able to pronounce the 'greatest' anything, much less the 'greatest' knight, a class of people that was fairly large and existed over centuries, but it is certainly fair to say that William Marshal is the best known knight, and actually a good contender for the title on his own merits.

Even so, he'd hardly be known at all today if not for a biography of him written in the early Fourteenth Century, and rediscovered in the Nineteenth. This has been of great use in learning more of the Twelfth Century, but it does present the problems of a biased document having been commissioned by his son. Asbridge has studied other records from the time, and used them to check some of the biography's claims, which generally stand up to scrutiny. There are a few things where the records show that something couldn't have happened as described; but it's generally a case of being off by a year or two, which is pretty good considering the author seemed to be going off of other people's reminiscences.

Ashbridge's biography also serves as an introduction to the Twelfth Century as a whole. There are two layers of subchapters in the book subchapters and sub-subchapters , and while some of them serve other purposes, many of the sub-subchapters are taking time out to take a look at an aspect of the time.

He gives a description of how the system of household knights worked at the time, describes the general form of early tournaments which was vastly different from the more familiar late- or really post-Medieval version. This points up that the book is meant for a fairly general audience, and some of these asides will be familiar to people who only have a moderate appreciation of the Middle Ages.

But it makes for a much more well-rounded book than just a focused examination of Marshal himself, and is structured in such a way that it does not detract from the main focus. However, the general-audience target of the book means that the only footnotes are basically long parenthetical asides or clarifications. There are no detailed notes of where information came from, and many cases of unsupported assertions interleaved with others that are taken apart and examined in some detail.

For all of that, Marshal himself only dimly comes across as a person, as Asbridge seems to have trouble coming to any solid conclusions as to what he was like. Part of this seems to be an inability to believe that Marshal could really have been motivated by a deep-seated loyalty to a person, or perhaps, the crown of England itself which is something that would likely have evolved over time. This shows up early, when he doesn't even consider such a concept as an explanation as to why his father was apparently willing to blithely toss his younger son away when he was held as a hostage.

Keeping in mind the real audience though, this is a well-constructed book, and does a good job with many of secondary characters as well, for instance giving a more nuanced view of King John than he habitually gets. May 18, Summer rated it it was amazing Shelves: I am so thankful that the record of his life was found and studied by Paul Meyer. This is such a golden look into a time in English and European histories from , that is really quite remarkable. It takes us through the life of William Marshal a boy given for ransom to King Stephen. It then goes on to explain the world William grew up in, as the world of knights grew from its infancy.

This is a very detailed account of his life and times that could read horribly dry, but yo What a book! It is fascinating the way Christianity had such a bearing in the life of a knight and all things chivalrous. I learned a great deal, as I do not know a lot of real life of this time beyond the great tales of Arthur and his Knights. It would be a great adult companion book to read while your children are reading of this time. As it adds a depth to the time that is almost all encompassing. The twists and turns one had to make to be held in high regard, by the ever changing throne is almost Machiavellian.

Yet, somehow despite his often perceived gain for self-glory there was a wisdom in warfare and court warfare that William seemed to perfect. Those trained and that had served William greatly respected him. He was a help or aid to five Kings of England: Disney did very well inaccurately portraying both King Richard the Lionhearted and then his brother King John. Mar 08, David Dinaburg rated it it was amazing.

To stake a claim—this was what I was doing when JFK was shot, when the towers fell—seems natural; an attempt to subsume inexplicable circumstances within a comprehensible narrative. Such is not the case with William Marshal, who always seemed to be embroiled in the thick of things: Had there been more than a split second to ponder the choice, William might perhaps have acted different.

I was reading The Greatest Knight: During the ensuing chaos, it was the tearful urgings of my girlfriend that prodded me from my stupor and out of what would soon become a seven-alarm fire. It irked me, later, when I saw people on facebook lamenting the destruction of Pommes Frites, the Belgian fry shop caught in the conflagration. But why should it rankle me? Pommes Frites was their connection to the East Village.

They are allowed to feel sad it is gone. Allowing space for others to express their distress is not an admission that yours is somehow lessened—even if theirs is might be silly were you to directly compare the two. The Marshal has been idealized, if not idolized, by the document that recorded his life. His glory is not tarnished by allowing others to find fame—if anything, it serves to reflect that light back upon him two-fold. William Marshal always seemed to choose the difficult and laudable path: The History preserves a dramatic record of this tense encounter. After a long pause, Richard finally broke the silence, apparently saying: Should William accept this comment, he would allow the Lionheart to save face, yet at the same time admit to having sought his death.

According to the History at least, he chose the harder path, replying: Instead, he was said to have declared: In fact, it was quite daring. Perhaps there is a lesson here, on how to handle the issue of proprietary suffering—to keep in mind that the hardships of others remain hardships, no matter where they fall in relation to your own. The Greatest Knight is, apparently, a book I would take with me during an emergency. Nov 14, Blair Hodgkinson rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is a straight-forward, chronologically linear biography of William Marshal with just the right amount of analysis.

The author applies good critical thinking to some of his primary sources and reassesses some of the secondary views of his subject. Feb 02, Deborah Pickstone rated it liked it Shelves: A good read, though I was irritated of a slight sense of being patronised at times. Like, for instance, referring to 'Vikings' when we know the word is a verb not the name of a people. A simple explanation of this would have sufficed rather than The lack of proper referencing was a great irritant, also - I like to research questions that come up as I read - and the proof reader should be shot!

It's OK that th A good read, though I was irritated of a slight sense of being patronised at times. It's OK that the author may make malapropisms or misspellings but they should have been picked up on; for instance - "Longchamp I would recommend the book as an adjunct to research on Marshal. I liked his treatment of the Young King, actually admitting he had some sense and ability! My biggest problem was Historical Howlers. I wonder which universe his Middle Ages were in?

If I marked this on history I might have given 2 stars but it read easily so I was generous. I updated this review because I had forgotten the bit about Henry, the Young King until I read another review of the book and wanted to be fair. A fantastic biography of an amazing life. Reading this, it's incredible to think that the details of Marshal's life and career were lost to history for so many centuries - his impact on England was as great as, if not greater than, Warwick the Kingmaker.

Thomas Asbridge does necessarily have to guess at a fair amount of the details of Marshal's personality, plugging the gaps with social and political commentary, but he paints Marshal as a mostly sympathetic character. Marshal may have had one eye on the prize, gathering wealth to himsel Reading this, it's incredible to think that the details of Marshal's life and career were lost to history for so many centuries - his impact on England was as great as, if not greater than, Warwick the Kingmaker.

Marshal may have had one eye on the prize, gathering wealth to himself in his early career and always nudging his liege lords for more, and that ambition certainly cost him when it came to a straight choice between Normandy and England he tried to choose both , but he also spent his life in service - unwaveringly - to the crown. I found most of this book interesting, and much of it was fascinating—especially the description of what a tournament would have been like in the 12th century.

Instead of a formal Medieval Times-style joust, a tournament was full-armor team war games, a full-on melee, complete with battlefield tactics, deception, and cheating. The winners kidnapped the losers and their horses, and were paid literal ransoms as prizes. This was how William Marshal first made his name and his fortune.

This is a very thorough earnest well researched book about William Marshall, with good explanations of complex situations, and I'm glad I've read it. But I have to admit, I'm also glad I've finished it, because it has a very plodding style. William Marshall is a popular subject for biography. I know of at least four such titles- mostly with a different focus or perspective. David Crouch's 'Knighhood, War and Chivalry' is a more academic work. Thomas Asbridge's offering is a timely and accesible work, revealing much about Marshall's 'life and times', as well as his famous role in the events surrounding the creation of the Magna Car William Marshall is a popular subject for biography.

Thomas Asbridge's offering is a timely and accesible work, revealing much about Marshall's 'life and times', as well as his famous role in the events surrounding the creation of the Magna Carta, and the aftermath. I also liked the information about Knighthood and the role of a retainer in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In some ways, there seemed to be more focus on this than William's later career as a major Magnate, the Earl of Pembroke and Lord of Striguil.

In the course of the narrative, something was revealed of what it meant to try to adhere to the code of Chivalry, which Marshall was hailed as a paragon of, but tends to be disparaged today. Marshall was perhaps not the most Romantic or Charismatic of heroes- indeed sometimes he comes across as a rather plain and ordinary chap, who life was coloured by his involvement with the major events and figures of the age, and his tendency to ride the tide of politics and intruige, but generally come out on top.

More than once on the wrong side and embroiled in rebellion, sometimes reckless, and not always making good choices, the flawed man comes through- and also the virtues that he seems to have believed in such as loyalty to his Lord- even if that Lord's cause seemed to have been hopeless.

Some have drawn attention to a few translation and technical errors is it more correct to say hearing mass, or going to mass? I want more than evern to read some Transcription of the 'The Life of William Marshall' what a shame the only surviving copy is owned by America. Some may accuse the author of having fallen into what some regard as the age-old biogaphers trap of growing to love and admire his subject to an undue degree, and so losing objectivity. Yet, perhaps, that admiration is not wholly undeserved. Marshall may not have been the best warrior, or the most astute politican, but the contemporary adage of 'The Greatest Knight' seems well deserved.

Sep 23, Johanna H. If i can say one thing about William for sure than that he was loyal to the core.. If he pledged himself to the cause of a king he stayed true to him to the end. This book often looses itself in the politics of the time rather than centering on William itself which could be frustrating to some but is probably hard to avoid since William life was very eventful and he played a huge part in politics of that time. This biography rather than being about William alone includes that of 5 Kings as well If i can say one thing about William for sure than that he was loyal to the core..

This biography rather than being about William alone includes that of 5 Kings as well which is quite nice. It was a rather slow read for me and the pace dragged sometimes a little bit but i still enjoyed it. William seems to have been a great knight who still fought and won battles at the ripe age of 70, an astute politican, a loyal friend a very healthy one that is..

Knight of the Heart Chapter 1: A Small Change of Events, a fate/stay night fanfic | FanFiction

He must have been an impressive man and i enjoyed to read about his life. After being forgotten for almost years he finally gets the recognition he deserves. The book seems to contain some errors a normal reader probably can't tell, me included. If you want to know more about these errors you should read Elizabeth Chadwick's review. Jan 28, SamuraiKitty rated it it was amazing Shelves: This was such a good book!

I confess, I have a fascination with early Medieval England. I knew he was considered one of the greatest knights of his generation, but I didn't know the "who" or "why" of him: Thomas Asbridge does a remarkable job in not only unfurling Marshal's life, but also the live This was such a good book!

Thomas Asbridge does a remarkable job in not only unfurling Marshal's life, but also the lives of the men of the time and some women too by the way , and bringing the age alive. I had no idea that Marshal served under 5 English Kings!!!! And survived the experience! I appreciate the fact that Asbridge, who clearly appreciated Marshal, was able to present his life and times in a unbiased way while still making it an interesting read. If you have any interest in this time period, and not even necessarily Marshal himself though his story is truly amazing , please read this book, I promise you will enjoy it immensely.

Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Hi this is a progress report only. I am only a few pages into this book. The dog Theron has winced three times so far. I have owned three lovely mutts. None of them winced. Is this a new breed? I will update this review later when I get into the book so I can give a fair review. Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers.

Learn more about Amazon Giveaway. Set up a giveaway. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Learn more about Amazon Prime. Awakened by Sin was just awesome. I couldn't put it down and was on the edge of my seat the whole time because of how unpredictable Carmen can be. I have to admit I have no idea where her story is going to go and knowing Carmen it's going to be a crazy ride. The story does end in a cliffhanger that I wanted to throw my Kindle against the wall. Please Mia don't make us wait to long. View all 4 comments.

Mar 17, Nikita Slater rated it it was amazing Shelves: I knew it going to be good going in, because Mia Knight. But I was unprepared for just how many feels I would have while reading this fabulous book. I knew from the Crime Lord Series that I was going to love Carmen Pyre, but in Awakened by Sin she picked up my heart right from chapter one and didn't let go.

If you want a book that is extremely well written, sexy, fun and satisfying on every level then this is it. I was breathless with anticipation to read what Carmen would do next Wow, this book! I was breathless with anticipation to read what Carmen would do next, her antics leaving me in both hysterics and fast-paced page turning to see what was going to happen. In a single chapter the very talented Ms. Knight had me laughing out loud one moment and crying the next, sometimes both at the same time.

Awakened by Sin was like delicious candy for me, I couldn't get enough, couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I loved every moment and as soon as I was done I wanted to do it again. This is going to be one of my top favourite go-to books and Carmen one of my top favourite go-to heroines. I highly recommend this sinfully pleasurable read! Mar 20, Samantha K rated it really liked it. Trying to keep it real here - I enjoyed this book a lot but didn't love it and I believe that's solely due to my expectation as a reader and not through any fault of the author's.

I was expecting a story more similar to the first 3 Crime Lord books, with a clearly defined hero who's obsessed with the h. Instead, the story that was told was the story of a woman in pain and trying to deal with the loss of the love of her life.

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It was the story of a woman trying desperately to move on. It was well Trying to keep it real here - I enjoyed this book a lot but didn't love it and I believe that's solely due to my expectation as a reader and not through any fault of the author's. It was well done and at times, gripping. I was just expecting more of a romance and this isn't a romance That isn't to say this isn't a good story.

I doubt anyone reading this will be bored, lol. Knight's writing has vastly improved and I felt vested in her story. I love the characters and the Crime Lord world that she has created. I can't think of any triggers here except maybe that someone walked in on them having smex. Fyi - This does end on a cliffy and not a hfn.

I do recommend this to everyone who loved the first 3 Crime Lord books. Just know that it's different, which isn't a bad thing. Their family relationship is hilarious! Something stronger is required for sure! Read it for yourself. Mar 29, Julz rated it it was ok. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Mia knight has talent but her story lines sometimes leaves me cold. Carmen is a mess and not in a good way.

I really like Marcus but the love triangle between angel and Marcus leaves me really cold. Carmen is too much. Too easy, to brash, just too much. I hate how she plays and gets turned on by angel but then feels like she loves Marcus. So she never follows through with actual sex but the intent is there. Mar 15, Kelly rated it it was amazing Shelves: You know that, right? Witty, Smart, Confident, Loyal, Passionate, Loving The confidence Carmen had throughout the book was great - she knew she was hot shit and she owned it.

Mia Knight did it again by writing a strong heroine. I was absolutely blindsided by her character - there is so much more to her than I originally thought based on her character in Gavin and Lyla's story. I was expecting an airhead to be honest, but wow am I ever glad to be wrong. Carmen's story is so much more than "a love triangle" - so for anyone who has that idea in their head - just shake it out. This isn't a cliche story of a woman who can't decide between two men, they fight over her and blah blah blah. This story is about the developmental growth of a character and trying to find herself after devastating loss after loss.

The girl you are introduced to in the first chapter grows so much by the last sentence of this book. I really enjoyed reading and trying to understand Carmen. She was drowning in grief in the beginning and pretty lost. She was so busy trying to help and be there for everyone else that she doesn't take the time in the years since Vinny's death to deal with her own emotions.

The day Vincent Pyre died, her heart stopped beating. It lay still and heavy in her chest for two years and eight months. I went into this book as Switzerland - I knew that either Angel or Marcus could be the hero and I really didn't favour one guy over the other. Both Angel and Marcus complimented her in one way or the other. I will be honest and say that pretty early in the book I jumped on TeamAngel side - I just love him. The "better" man for her though - it was super hard to guess which man she would choose and Mia Knight did a fantastic job of keeping you guessing and jumping back and forth cheering from one man to the other.

One man needed to be asked to give her what she needs, and the other knows by just looking at her. One man was safe, and the other man was reckless. One man replaced her husband in the corporate world, and the other man replaced him in the Underworld. Who will she choose? Carmen describes him as an attractive man with the "Hot All-America" thing going on. When he was introduced in the previous books he was a mystery to me for why Gavin trusted him. I always got the vibe he had some dark secrets to make him the man he is today. He strives for success and is always reaching for more while climbing the corporate ladder.

I wouldn't try to tame you.

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I would unleash you, Carmen. It would be glorious. Angel may have replaced Gavin as my book boyfriend. Angel just sucks you in and he doesn't even have to try. I spent most of his scenes fanning myself because of all of his dirty talk. He could talk the panties off of a nun.

I love Angels brutal honesty when he gives it to Carmen straight. He doesn't treat her with kid gloves and tells her how it is - even when she doesn't want to hear it. His sister Luci has me soooo curious about her please tell me she will have a book! I didn't think I would love Carmen's story as much as Lyla and Gavin and yet again I am glad to be wrong.

Intensely emotional and completely captivating, Awakened by Sin by Mia Knight was a fantastic story that pulled me in and wouldn't let go.

Awakened by Sin

A woman drowning in her personal pain finds herself torn between two men in the fourth installment of the Crime Lord series. Knight completely blew me away with both the writing and the direction she took Carmen's story. I am generally not a fan of love triangles, but I do enjoy the angst that goes along with them. In this case, I could see the appeal of both Intensely emotional and completely captivating, Awakened by Sin by Mia Knight was a fantastic story that pulled me in and wouldn't let go.

Two very different, enigmatic, formidable men who had their sights set on her. What was unique about this story was that Carmen's emotional turmoil was the focal point more so than the two men who were vying for her attention. I love how the author did such a great job making the reader feel what Carmen was going through. Knight really captured the emotional elements and brought them to the forefront of the storyline.

Anyone who has read the previous books could see how in love she and her husband were. Her pain was so intense, and it drove most of her action throughout the story. This story was well-paced and kept my attention the whole way through. There was action, suspense, and intrigue.

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There were revelations that came to light that completely caught me off guard, and there wasn't a single I moment when I was bored while reading. Carmen's journey was a tumultuous and difficult one, and Knight really mastered creating a sense of unpredictability within the story. The angst was on point, the intimate scenes were scorching hot, and the ending was one that set the stage for what is sure to be an amazing conclusion.

Mia Knight is a seriously talented author and I look forward to reading the rest of Carmen's story. Mar 31, Gwen rated it it was amazing. So just because I absolutely love the Crime Lord series and just because Gavin is my book husband didn't mean I was automatically going to rate this book 5 stars.

To be honest, I was sceptical because my expectations were set so high The answer is yes, I loved ABS!

Even though the story is entirely different from Lyla's story, being back in the Crime Lord world, in the empire of the Pyres, felt like coming home again. To read about all my favorite cha So just because I absolutely love the Crime Lord series and just because Gavin is my book husband didn't mean I was automatically going to rate this book 5 stars. To read about all my favorite characters again Mia was able to suck me right back in!