Chasing The Gilded Shadow: A Tale Of The Time Of James Iv Of Scotland

A beautiful wife and a jealous nature leads Norman Hunter of Polmood to plot revenge for his betrayal in sixteenth-century England

A romantic scandal that occurred in the Scottish border country when James IV reigned in the 16th century, and for which historical evidence exists, is the fulcrum on which this lavishly constructed and archly worded novel turns. At age 15, Elizabeth, beautiful, naive ward of James and his Queen Margaret, is married off to Polmood, much older, rather gross, but the king's number-one man in the hunt. Persuaded to delay consummation until Elizabeth matures, Polmood feeds his jealousy by rough treatment of his young wife and her putative suitors. Although Steele conveys the intrigue and playfulness of James's court, and the brutality of 16th century class society, it is priapic excitement that is the central activity of this empurpled tale.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A crude but honest landowner in the Scotland of 1500 falls deeply in love with the king's 15-year-old ward. The marriage is allowed only under the condition that he not consummate it for a year. The virtuous and naive Elizabeth is also the object of other suitors, and, in time, landowner Polmood builds up a fierce case of jealously and finally takes gruesome revenge on all involved. Based on a true incident, this could have been an interesting novel. The author tricks up the narrative with plush descriptions and cartoon-like Elizabethan dialogue that is cute only at the beginning, and quickly becomes tiresome. When the author asks the reader at midpoint, "Still with us?" only a reviewer could answer "yes." Not recommended. W. Keith McCoy, Dowdell Lib., South Amboy,
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.