A King's Ransom
Penman follows up her best-selling Lionheart (2011)  with a panoramic retelling of the tumultuous last years of Richard the Lionheart’s life. In addition to detailing the long road home from the Third Crusade and his brutal imprisonment at the hands of the Holy Roman emperor, she continues to explore the complex nature of Richard’s relationships with his demanding and determined mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine; his long-suffering wife, Berengaria; his sister Joanna, Queen of Sicily; and a host of other superbly rendered historical figures. Breathing life into a revered legend is never easy, but Penman has absorbed herself so fully into the heart and mind of her protagonist that an undeniably flawed but refreshingly human Richard virtually walks off the pages. This atmospheric fictional biography showcases the author’s mastery of all things medieval while providing some refreshingly new twists on the life and times of a hallowed hero.      HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Penman has a well-deserved reputation for serving up meaty historical fiction. Lionheart was a huge best-seller; expect no less from this masterful sequel. --Margaret Flanagan