An Earthly Knight February 6, 2008
Posted by Jess in book reviews.trackback
By Janet McNaughton.
An Earthly Knight retells the ballad of Tam Lin while combing elements of Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight.
Set in twelfth century Scotland, Jenny is the younger daughter of a Norman nobleman. When her elder sister’s reputation goes under fire, Jenny finds herself filling in her shoes. Jenny is sent to meet William de Warenne. (Who is a rather stereotypical villain.) She tries to win his favor, but he is cold and aloof with seemingly no interest in her whatsoever. But before long, she is betrothed to him.
Walking through the woods one day, Jenny runs into the mysterious Tam Lin who is rumored to have connections with faeries. Between visits to Earl William and home, she spends more and more time with Tam. She soon learns that he has magical gifts and is no “earthly knight.” He has been with faeries since he was young and has only recently escaped. When he tells Jenny that he may have to go back to the realm of faeries forever, she is heartbroken and after receiving more information on the faerie queen, begins to devise a way to save him. But her wedding to Earl William is fast approaching, and it doesn’t help matters when she learns that she is pregnant with Tam’s child.
I found Tam to be a bit too perfect and the faerie queen too vague, but overall this book was an enjoyable way to pass the afternoon.
This sounds really good!
Sounds cool!
*ponders potential*
I liked this book; I read it a long time ago. I love the cover; it’s what made me want to read it in the first place.
I’ve never heard of this book, actually. But it sounds interesting from the description!
I think this book is pretty good, even with the characters’ flaws, and it’s a shame not many people have heard of it. And Tam HAS been with the faery for a long time, so you can imagine some of their perfection rubbed off on him or something.