‘The Girl King’ is a historical fiction novel by first-time
author and journalist, Meg Clothier. This is another library rental which I
picked up due to a positive review on the blog 'Medieval
Bookworm'. Set in 12th century Georgia, its setting is different
and very refreshing from the swathes of English historical fiction based in the
same period. So I put it at the top of my ‘To Read’ list and dove into ‘The
Girl King’ with high expectations!
==---Plot---==
Tamar is the rebellious, tomboyish princess of Georgia, a
kingdom fraught with rebellion and unrest from enemies inside and out. Coming
towards the end of his life, the indomitable King Giorgi decides that his
daughter will become the next heir of the throne- the first queen of Georgia.
However Tamar’s ascension to the throne isn’t easy. The
court elders don’t really want a girl ruler, especially given her father’s
tyrannical reputation. It seems the only way she can establish loyalty and
avoid conflict among them is to marry an approved noble of their choice. Yet
Tamar has fallen for Soslani, a mountain noble whom she met when sent away from
the palace during a rebellion against her father. Among all this strife, will
Tamar choose a man for her country or for herself?
==---Opinion---==
Georgia isn’t a country I’m familiar with- all I really know
is that’s it’s close to Russia and was formerly part of the Soviet Union, but I
could tell you nothing about its early history. However, Tamar of Georgia is a
real historical figure there and I think this book really brings her to life as
a formidable character and one whose rise to power was not an easy task. In ‘The
Girl King’ Tamar not only has to deal with dissent for being a female ruler
over men, but also for being in the shadow of her father, whose approach to
ruling has a strong influence on his daughter. Several people want to take
advantage of her situation behind the scenes, yet Tamar manages to persevere
over her obstacles and as a reader I was rooting for her to hold her own. Her
character also matures from an idolizing daughter to a determined queen in her
own right.
As a place that is probably unfamiliar to some, Meg Clothier
does an excellent job of immersing us in Georgia’s history. It’s a country that
is surrounded by various nations, including the friendly and powerful Byzantium
(of whose family Tamar’s sister marries into), the hostile Seljurks and the ‘Rus’
to the north, all of which are distinguished culturally in the novel. We get a
clear impression that Georgia is a kingdom in uncertainty with several designs
on it from certain neighbours; hence it is one of the clear problems Tamar has
to resolve upon becoming queen.
The other characters are also very well-developed and
rounded as they all try to serve either their own interests or their queen’s.
The other main lead is Tamar’s love interest, Soslani (nicknamed Sos) and like
Tamar he is a frustrated character with expectations from his father that put
him at odds with the queen’s ambitions. He eventually matures to become a reputable
character in his own right, and throughout the story I could connect with him
well. Sos’s relationship with Tamar is realistic for the most part, especially
when you almost think it will end badly at some points, but I do think that perhaps
their first times together in the mountains could have been elaborated a bit
more by the author, as it seems to jump to a friendship a bit too fast for me.
The only other drawback is that Meg Clothier’s descriptions
sometimes veer into purple prose territory, especially with weather or time
changes. For example: ‘The grass turned a
pale-green brown, notched with little dust tracks as if a giant had idly
scratched his fingernails on the ground as he passed on his way north.’
Some readers might like this kind of vivid narrative, but I personally just
found it a bit over-the-top. This is the only real drawback of Clothier’s
writing style, which is otherwise engaging throughout.
==---Overall---==
If you’d like to try some historical fiction not set in the
usual places then I highly recommend ‘The Girl King’ and see how Georgian
history fares for you. It is an enjoyable book about a historical figure that I
might never have learned about otherwise, while balancing action, romance and
intrigue for a great read.
Review is of a library copy only. It can be read on 'ciao!' and Dooyoo.
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