Fair, Bright, and Terrible by Elizabeth Kingston

Narrated by Nicholas Boulton

Fair, Bright, and Terrible is the sequel to Elizabeth Kingston’s The King’s Man, and is, like its predecessor, set in and around the final years of the Welsh struggle for independence against the military might of England under King Edward I. The book is an engrossing mix of historical romance and historical fiction; the author has obviously and extensively researched the political and military history of the time and the second-chance love story between two older and wiser protagonists – they’re both in their forties – is expertly woven throughout. But make no mistake – this is a gritty and angsty story about a proud, scheming woman who is so entirely focussed on revenge that she is prepared to sacrifice her happiness and her life if need be in order to obtain it; and her almost fanatical desire for vengeance to the exclusion of all else makes her difficult to like. Eluned of Ruardean was not a popular character in The King’s Man, in large part thanks to the way in which she had so sternly controlled her daughter’s – Gwenllian’s – life and insisted on training her to be the saviour of the Welsh people, without really considering that Gwenllian was entitled to a say in her own life. She is still not the most sympathetic of women, but she’s a fascinating character nonetheless; driven, uncompromising and self-aware, and by the end of the book I was won over and seriously impressed by the author’s ability to have made such a flawed character both admirable and likeable.

As Fair, Bright and Terrible opens, Eluned is devastated at the news of the final defeat of the Welsh rebellion against the English. Her beloved uncle has been killed in the battle, her dear friend and servant, Madog, fatally wounded and Eluned, heartsick at the ravages suffered by her beloved Wales and at her own personal losses, falls into a lethargy from which she eventually emerges with a single goal of avenging Wales and the Welsh by killing Roger Mortimer, the man who laid the final trap for Llewellyn, the last prince of Wales.

Coming hard on the heels of the Welsh defeat is the news of the death of her absentee husband, who had spent most of the years of their marriage fighting in the Holy Land, thus allowing Eluned great autonomy over their home and lands. Now, however, instead of freedom, she faces the prospect of another marriage; her son, William, is sixteen and eager to take his place as lord of Ruardean and to amass more lands and fortune by marrying her to Robert de Lascaux, a man held in high esteem by the king owing to his stalwart defence of Edward’s lands in Aquitaine.

Robert de Lascaux has spent most of his life butting heads with his father, so when he immediately agrees to the proposed match with Eluned of Ruardean, both the elder Lascaux and Robert’s brother are astounded and suspicious. But they don’t know that, eighteen years earlier, Robert and Eluned – then twenty-two and mother of a young daughter – had had a passionate affair during one of her husband’s lengthy absences. Robert has never forgotten or fallen out of love with the vital, lovely woman who had enchanted him, even though they had not parted on the best of terms. So he eagerly seizes the chance to be with her again – but is destined to be disappointed when he discovers that Eluned, though still beautiful – is a completely different woman to the one he remembers. This Eluned is cold, manipulative and ruthless – and the moment when Robert realises that for eighteen years, he has idealised and loved a memory – and a misremembered one at that – is utterly heartbreaking.

Elizabeth Kingston has written a second-chance romance quite unlike any other I’ve read or listened to. In it, she shows clearly how life’s experiences can change a person almost beyond all recognition, how memories can play us false and the importance of being able to see clearly and accept others for what and who they are in the present. The central section of the story in which Robert and Eluned are married, yet miles apart emotionally, is beautifully written and tugs inexorably at the heartstrings. In spite of his frustrations, Robert cannot help but hope that in time, the woman he loves – loved – will come back to him while Eluned struggles to hold on to her fury and commitment to revenge in the face of her returning desire for Robert and her memories of what they had been to each other.

Robert is such a good-natured, happy soul that it’s impossible to dislike him, even if he is somewhat naïve in failing to see that Eluned is likely to have changed in the eighteen years since they parted. That isn’t to say that he allows her to browbeat or dominate him, though; he is as strong a character as she in his own way. And as the story progresses, we see that he is the only person who is able to get through the protective layers his wife has erected around herself; and the way in which the author shows Robert coming to know the Eluned of now rather than dwelling on his memories, and to appreciate and love her just as she is – ruthless, determined and fiercely protective of those she cares for – is marvellously done.

As I said at the outset, Eluned is a strong, badass heroine who isn’t easy to like. She’s ruthless and she’s taken tough decisions during the course of her life, but she has done it because she has had to – the middle ages were turbulent and frequently violent and she took whatever actions were needed to defend her lands and people. But there’s no doubt that she truly loves Robert and never stopped loving him. It was her despair at the thought of not ever being able to be with him that drove her to realign her life’s priorities:

“You said that loving me was the making of you. But it was losing you that was the making of me.” She breathed the next words, the bare truth of it too awful for anything but a whisper. “I do not like what it has made me. Nor can I be what I once was. Not without you.”

Long-time audiobook listeners will already know that a good narrator can elevate a mediocre book and a poor narrator can ruin a good one. But some days, if we’re really lucky, we get to listen to one like this, in which a wonderful story and sublime narration add up to make something a bit special. I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here when I say that Nicholas Boulton is one of a handful of narrators who does a great deal more than ‘simply’ narrate a story, and that he really is the ideal choice for this sort of slightly darker and emotionally intense tale. All the technical aspects of his performance –pacing, enunciation, accents – are flawless and his differentiation between characters is so sure that there is never any problem working out who is speaking, whether it be the pot-boy or King Edward himself.

His interpretations of both Eluned and Robert are perfect, too. Robert’s deep, resonant tones show clearly that while he might be somewhat naïve when it comes to his wife, he is nonetheless an attractive, intelligent and highly capable man who loves deeply and despairs just as deeply when he starts to think he may never find the real Eluned beneath the veneer. But Eluned is the star of the show, and Mr. Boulton’s portrayal brings out every complexity and every emotional nuance to be found in this difficult and complicated woman, helping the listener to see through the tough exterior to experience her inner conflict and the uncertainties and insecurities she never lets anyone else see.

Fair, Bright, and Terrible is a wonderful marriage of genres, combining painstakingly researched historical fiction and beautifully crafted historical romance to create a truly compelling story. Nicholas Boulton’s superb narration is so much more than the icing on the cake – it’s icing that permeates the whole thing and makes it even more delicious. If you haven’t already done so, go and snap this one up immediately.

Caz

Narration: A+

Book Content: A-

Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in (but at the very tame end)

Violence Rating: Minimal

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Hedgehog Inc.

Fair, Bright, and Terrible was provided to AudioGals for a review.