The King's Jewel

Main ideas:

• Set in Wales in 1093, the story follows Nesta, the daughter of Prince Rhys of Deheubarth, as she navigates a world where the men who should protect her are dead or banished.
• Nesta's comfortable life is shattered when her father is killed, and she is taken hostage, eventually becoming an unwilling concubine to King William's brother, Henry.
• Gerald FitzWalter, a loyal knight, is rewarded with Nesta's hand in marriage by the new King. While Gerald admires Nesta, she finds comfort in returning to Wales, where she is drawn to Owain, the charismatic son of a Welsh prince.
• Tempted by Owain's plan to overthrow Norman rule, Nesta must choose between her duty as Gerald's wife and her desires for Owain.
• The novel explores themes of love, loyalty, duty, desire, political intrigue, and the complexities of power struggles in medieval Wales.

Overall, this historical fiction and romance novel delves into the internal conflicts and external challenges faced by Nesta as she grapples with her obligations, desires, and the political turmoil of her time. Elizabeth Chadwick's storytelling weaves together love, duty, and ambition against the backdrop of historical events, creating a compelling narrative that immerses readers in the world of medieval Wales.

Wales, 1093: Meet Nesta, a woman trying to survive in a man's world - a world where the men who would protect her are dead and banished. The warm, comfortable family life of young Nesta, daughter of Prince Rhys of Deheubarth, is destroyed when her father is killed and she is taken hostage. Her honor is further tarnished when she is taken as an unwilling concubine by King William's ruthless younger brother Henry, who later ascends the throne under suspicious circumstances. Gerald FitzWalter, an ambitious young knight, is rewarded for his unwavering loyalty to his new king with Nesta's hand in marriage. He is delighted, having always admired her from afar, but Nesta's only comfort is her return to her beloved Wales where she cannot help but be tempted by the handsome, charismatic, and dangerous son of the Welsh prince, Owain. When Owain offers her the chance to join him in his plan to overthrow Norman rule, Nesta must choose between her duty and her desire.

Book Description:
A story of survival, ambition, and the tangled threads of love and duty set against the turbulent backdrop of medieval Wales. Nesta, caught between the duty to her husband and the allure of rebellion led by Owain, encapsulates the personal and political complexities faced by a woman in a time of immense change and challenge.