Here Be Dragons Paperback – January 1, 1991

I enjoyed this book, and the two that follow it, so much I am considering revising some of my other 5 star reviews. Penman's books are so much better written I feel bad giving her the same number as stars.Things I liked-I love that she chose an extremely interesting, but not commonly referenced period and place (12th & 13th century Wales and England). God save me from ANOTHER book on the Tudors... I thought my self well read, and well-versed in English history but quickly realized I am neither and appreciated the history lesson in the form of a truly entertaining novel.Liked the use of period words. Thank goodness for the Kindle edition though, since Penman constantly uses obscure Medieval words (and obscure modern words my hsband did not even know). Although I actually appreciate expanding my vocabulary some people may find it distracting. I also was not bothered by the use of period language as some people were ("mayhap" this and "for certes" that). For me, it makes for a richer more believable novel. I was frankly more distracted with her occasional use of very modern words and analogies since I could not envision the characters speaking that way.Her research was amazing. I love historical fiction and believe her trilogy to be some of the finest I've ever read. Every time I wondered whether an event really happened and went online to check it out- yep, sure enough it had! Unfortunately I also spoiled the ending of not one, but all three books with my online research since she so closely follows actual events. I came to love some of the characters so much I HAD to know what happened to them. Trust me- don't do that, just read her books.Could the character development have been better? Possibly, but each book is over 700 pages. She chose to tackle a complex period, with many interesting people involved. I think she did an admirable job of portraying that world and the people in it. Rather than spending hundreds of pages developing a single character she gives us a glimpse into the main characters' background, and let's us infer from the information she provides possibly why they make the decisions they do later on. I think her books are more on the historical side of historical fiction, than the fiction side. By that I mean she seemed more interested in portraying the history, less so in character development, although I personally did not find fault with it.Length of the books. Normally I'm disappointed in books I love because they are too short. Her are just right- long enough to be very satisfying, but don't drag on for an eternity. (George RR Martin, anyone?)Things I didn't like-Haha, can't really think of anything but if I do I'll update my review. I'm reading the trilogy over again so maybe I'll find something. I'm sure my husband would say he's sick of hearing about 12th and 13th century Wales, so I guess there's that. :-)

There was Llewelyn, Prince of Wales.Sharon Kay Penman's "Here be Dragons" is a sprawling epic of a novel covering the remarkable (and remarkably untold) tale of Wale's "Llewelyn the Great," the 12th-13th Century Welsh prince who succeeded in uniting most of Wales, and insuring in his lifetime a Wales independent (mostly) from the Norman-English crown - another great example of the adage that "the victors are the ones who write the history." It is also an insightful and well-researched treatise on the King John, son of Henry II and his larger-than-wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, brother to the legendary Richard the Lionhearted, the crusading soldier-king who spent only a few month on English soil in his relatively short reign, while managing to drain the royal coffers leaving his younger brother a near-bankrupt kingdom. John, best known for the signing the Magna Carta, was a complex and conflicted monarch, presiding over a kingdom in turmoil, a man capable of cruelty and compassion, foible and wisdom.The story of Llewelyn, John, and later John's son King Henry III is told through the eyes of Joanna, bastard daughter of John who, at the tender age of fourteen, was wed to Llewelyn as a shrewd political move to keep the Welsh in check. This was politically expedient for Llewelyn as well, who was more than happy to allow John to concentrate his forces in the east, trying to maintain the French territories that were in revolt, thereby allowing Llewelyn to focus, mostly unhindered by his Norman neighbors, while trying to amass power from his competing Welsh warlords. Penman does a yeoman's job of capturing the culture, the intrigue, and the politics of this fascinating time in British history, while shining some light on Wales and the Welsh that is more unknown than it is misunderstood. Penman makes some great observations; one of my favorites, one of the English barons admonishing John: "There is no glory in wars against the Welsh, only blood-spattered rocks and shallow graves, and once you win, precious little for the plundering."If I were to quibble, I'd point out that, given the choice of Joanna as the central character, "Here be Dragons" may appeal more to female readers. That is, aside from the painstakingly told history, there's lots of romance and less action; if Bernard Cornwell is the master of skull-cracking at the shield wall, Penman is the champion of bodice-ripping in the bed chamber. In "Dragons," we see Llewelyn at as adept as a lover as he is a warrior and statesman, while Joanna struggles with torn loyalties for her husband and her King-father who, despite multiple truces, is still a bitter enemy of the Welsh. For me, I'd have been happy with a couple hundred fewer pages with less of the panting between the sheets and more of the sweating at the ramparts. That said, "Here be Dragons" is a lively, entertaining and educational journey through a part of English history largely untold, and well worth the read.

The first of Sharon Kay Penman's Welsh trilogy, meticulously researched, gives us another view of Edward I and his brutal conquests Wales. It is well written and brings to life men and women fighting for their survival and that of their small, independent country.

The book was so well written that I couldn't put it down. A real page-turner, extremely grounded in history (the amount of research must have been painstaking) but with just the right amount of liberties to make it absolutely captivating.

700 pages de pur plaisir. Pas de temps morts, pas de longueurs. Les personnages historiques sont merveilleusement bien étudiés, possèdent une personnalité complexe et une vraie dimension humaine. C'est particulièrement frappant chez Jean sans Terre dont on comprend mieux les comportements et les actions même s'il reste souvent imprévisible. Il y a ici un vrai travail de recherche digne d'un historien. Le roman est parsemé de nombreux dialogues qui le rendent très vivant et la belle écriture fluide de l'auteur est un vrai régal .

Here be Dragons is a fantastic book, Sharon Penman is a talented writer, she uses historical facts & gives a wonderful view into the lives of people in those times, their loves their struggle in a time of wars between counties & people who have no say in their lives as the kings have all the control. She describes the violence of battles in great detail & how the soldiers cope with missing body parts & infection. Plus the intrigue of those in power & the the terrible actions of royalty. Plus how women were mistreated for hundreds of years.Sharon's Welsh Prince trilogy is a wonderful read & I learnt a lot of history from this great writer.Thank you Sharon for the hard work you invested in this wonderful series.

Amazing experience....wow !