In the Shadow of Midnight
 |
|
| Author | Marsha Canham |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Publisher | Dell Publishing |
|
Publication date
|
1994 |
| Pages | 416 |
| ISBN | |
| Preceded by | Through a Dark Mist |
| Followed by | The Last Arrow |
In the Shadow of Midnight is a 1994 historical novel by Canadian author Marsha Canham, the second instalment of her "Medieval" trilogy inspired by the Robin Hood legend set in 13th-century England. The story centres on the rescue of Princess Eleanor of Brittany, the rightful heiress to the English throne, who is held captive by her uncle King John. The novel was published by Dell Publishing in 1994 as a sequel to Canham's 1991 story, Through a Dark Mist.
A dream inspired Canham to reinterpret the legend of Robin Hood. She initially intended that Eduard FitzRandwulf – one of the main characters in In the Shadow of Midnight – would represent her vision of Robin Hood, before choosing another character who would be featured in the final instalment, The Last Arrow (1997).
The story begins in April, 1203, at Rouen Castle. Arthur, Duke of Brittany, rightful heir to the English throne, is murdered in secret by his usurper uncle, King John, to prevent further rebellions against John's precarious reign. John had unsuccessfully attempted to leverage Arthur's sister, Eleanor of Brittany, as a means of persuasion for Arthur to recognize his right to the throne; with her brother dead, Eleanor becomes a claimant to the throne and remains in John's custody in England.
At Pembroke Castle, Lady Ariel de Clare – a fiercely independent eighteen-year-old who rebels against the womanly role society expects of her – discovers that she has been betrothed by King John to one of his retainers, Reginald de Braose. Ariel is outraged, having been promised by her uncle, the powerful William Marshal, that she would choose her own husband. To avoid the match with such an unpleasant man, she decides to travel to France to find her uncle; but, before departing, Ariel rashly agrees to wed the visiting Welsh lord Rhys ap Iorwerth as a means of thwarting John's plans—and immediately regrets her choice. Accompanying Ariel to France are her older brother, Lord Henry de Clare, and his friend Sedrick of Grantham. Rhys instructs his brother Dafydd to bring the marriage offer to William Marshal, hoping that an alliance between their two families will help him gain political leverage over their older brother Llywelyn, Prince of Gwynedd.
...
Wikipedia