Simon the Coldheart - Book 4

This read fulfills my Middle Ages requirement in my blackout bingo reading challenge.  The square just says Middle Ages.  It didn't specify that it had to be written in the Middle Ages or that it had to be nonfiction about the Middle Ages, so I decided to use this as an excuse to read a Georgette Heyer novel that has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for a few years now.

Georgette Heyer is known for her 'Regency Romances' which are set at a much later date than this one.  Simon is a lord during the time of Henry V and his faithful vassal.  Simon starts out as an unacknowledged bastard son of a powerful lord, whose name is Malvallet (Simon has called himself Beauvallet instead).  When Simon was 14 and his mother had passed away, he deliberately goes to his father's greatest rival, Lord Fulk to work for him.  Fulk takes an immediately liking to the cheeky, cocksure, but calm and self-possessed Simon.  Simon soon ingratiates himself into Fulk's family and household.  Simon is strong, made for soldiering, smart, confident and unfailingly honest.  He's a man's man.  Even though they tease him that he is coldhearted because he is so blunt and pragmatic, and because he has no time for women, everyone comes to love him.  He grows, fights battles, wins the admiration of King Henry, gets his own land which he cleverly takes charge of.  All that is the first half of the book and I liked it the best.

The second half of the book gets into the romance.  I don't think Heyer pulled this off as well as she does for her many other books.  Simon is helping Henry V in his campaign in Normandy (this is after Agincourt) and must take the town of Belremy, the province of Lady Margaret, known as the Amazon for her fearlessness.  Simon has met his match.  There are many exciting turns of events and well, guess what happens at the end?

I thought that Margaret's character was not nearly as developed as Simon's.  I actually kind of liked her maid Jeanne better than her.  And the final love scene went on way too long.

But it was an enjoyable read, written in a style reminiscent of a Medieval saga, with an occasional reference to Shakespeare thrown in.  I am glad that I finally read this book.

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