THE STEEL BENEATH THE SILK

In the concluding volume of Bracewell’s historical fiction trilogy, Emma of Normandy tries to salvage a kingdom from impending conquest.

It’s the year 1012, and Emma, the Queen of England, occupies a precarious seat of power. Her joyless marriage helped to create an unsteady alliance between her brother Richard, the Duke of Normandy, and her husband, King Æthelred, “a suspicious, vengeful man.” However, Emma is drawn to Athelstan, the king’s son by his first wife; the two have already once “surrendered to temptation that had long been held in check.” When Thorkell, a Danish warlord, pledges loyalty and troops to England, the threat of Danish invasion seems less significant, but Swein, the King of Denmark, sees a path to conquest in the north, where England may not be as secure as Æthelred believes. Soon, the Danes are sacking English towns, one after another. Æthelred’s lack of response may lead to his downfall, but Emma’s fate, and those of the people she loves, is less certain. Bracewell presents a colorful cast of heroes and schemers, including Cnut, Swein’s savvy son; Eadric, Æthelred’s ruthless son-in-law; and the ambitious Elgiva, once Æthelred’s mistress and now Cnut’s concubine, who waits to avenge the death of her father and brothers. The narrative bounces between the English and the Danes as Bracewell doggedly lays out their competing agendas. However, the novel’s faithfulness to historical detail and exposition can cause the plot to sputter and stall at times, as the author seizes every chance to rehash past events or drop in new backstory. For instance, when Elgiva reunites with Alric, an ally, the action pauses: “Her mind was suddenly flooded with memories of him,” Bracewell writes, before going through their shared history—a strategy that saps the narrative tension. Still, the depth and scope of this book is impressive, and the steady prose keeps things even-keeled amid choppy seas of intrigue and upheaval.

A thoroughly researched and realized novel, but one that’s hampered by excessive exposition.