Novels by Sharon Kay Penman Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Sunne in Splendour

The title "The Sunne in Splendour" (1982) is a reference to the heraldic blazing sun emblem used by the first king of the House of York Edward IV (r. 1461-1483, although briefly deposed 1470-71). Richard's emblem was the boar's head.

The Wars of the Roses lasted from 1455 to 1485, when Richard was defeated at Bosworth Field by Henry Tudor.

Answer: His illigitimate daughter Joanna

Joanna's mother was an embittered woman who kept the existence of her daughter a secret until after her death. Once at court, John cherished the five-year-old girl, even though he married her to Llewelyn when she was only 15. The marriage turned out to be a good one, leaving Joanna caught between two men she loved who were often enemies.

Answer: Falls the Shadow

A weak King, (and the first child to inherit the throne since the Norman invasion) Henry III (1207-1272), ruled for many years. He accomplished little either politically or otherwise, and spent a great deal of his reign fighting with his barons over rights given them through Magna Carta, which had been signed by his father, King John. This leads to the Second Baron's War led by de Montfort.

"Falls the Shadow" was published in 1988.

Answer: Edward I and Llewelyn ap Gruffydd

When he ascended the throne following the death of his father, Henry III, Edward I ("Longshanks", b. 1239, d.1307) had an uneasy truce with Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, (generally considered the last Welsh Prince of Wales) former ally of Simon de Montfort, Edward's defeated enemy. The two powerful rulers were destined to come to blows that would forever change the map and history of Britain.

Edward I, known by many nicknames including "Hammer of the Scots", was no friend to the Welsh, either. He built a great many imposing castles there, including Caernavon, Harlech and Conwy.

Answer: Empress Matilda and King Stephen

Henry I's (c. 1069-1135) barons had sworn to accept Henry's only legitimate child, Matilda (widow of Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor), as their sovereign on the king's deathbed. After his death, they instead offered the crown to Stephen of Blois (c. 1108-1154), Henry's nephew. The resulting years of civil war brought great poverty, strife and bloodshed to England.

Geoffrey Plantagenet was Matilda's second husband. Robert of Gloucester was Henry I's illegitimate son and Matilda's staunchest ally. Prince Eustace was Stephen's son whose death helped hasten the end of the civil war.

Answer: Justin de Quincy

The "Queen" in question is Eleanor of Aquitaine, who uses Justin to keep an eye on intrigues within the kingdom, especially those that might involve her scheming son John, who might try anything during the sudden disappearance of his brother, King Richard I, while on crusade.

Answer: Tax lawyer

Publication of "The Sunne in Splendour" led the fine author to pursue writing as her sole career. Brilliant career move for a talented storyteller!

Answer: 8

They were William, Henry (later "The Young King"), Richard, Geoffrey, John, Matilda, Eleanor and Joanna. William died aged three. Henry died of dysentery while waging war against his father in 1183. Geoffrey became Duke of Brittany, Richard, Duke of Aquitaine (and eventually Richard I "The Lionheart") and John (aka "Lackland") Lieutenant of Ireland, and later, King of England. Matilda married Henry the Lion of Saxony, Joanna married William II, King of Naples and Sicily, and Eleanor married Alphonso VIII of Castile. Eleanor had two daughters by her previous husband, Louis VII of France, Marie and Alix.

I'm (as I'm sure are all of her fans) anxiously awaiting the next novel about Henry and Eleanor.

Answer: Anne Neville and Edward

Anne and Richard were raised together following Richard's father's death at the Battle of Wakefield (1460). Edward was named for Richard's beloved brother Edward IV. By most accounts, the marriage was a love match and a happy one until their son, Edward, died shortly after Richard's coronation. Anne died before Richard's death at Bosworth. She was the daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, known as "The Kingmaker".

Margaret of Anjou was the queen of Henry VI, who was deposed by the Yorkist faction. Cecily Neville was Richard's mother. Elizabeth Woodville was the hated wife of Edward IV, Richard's brother.

Answer: Dragon's Lair

Sharon Kay Penman's written four medieval mysteries and, hopefully, will be writing many more about Eleanor and Justin de Quincy!

"Dragon's Lair" hit bookshelves in 2003.