Cecil Maiden

Set the year that tenth-century Saint and Duke Wenceslas of Bohemia was fourteen years old, this work of historical fiction for young readers follows his struggle against his mother, the Princess Dromira, and the pagan forces at her command. Raised by his grandmother, the Dowager Princess Ludmila, as a Christian, Wenceslas watches as his mother, acting as Regent until he is old enough to succeed to the throne, begins a campaign of persecution against the Christian church and its adherents. Urged by his grandmother and by Bishop Paul of Gradiska to seize the throne, he sets in motions events that will put him in direct conflict with Dromira, and with his younger brother Borislav. Exciting events follow, during this crucial year in the young duke's life, as he works to free Bishop Paul, kidnapped by Duke Tessin of Silesia, and confronts the invading armies of Radislas of Gurima. All these events, of course, are orchestrated by his mother, in her southern stronghold of Borislavia. Everything comes to a head at the Yuletide celebration Wenceslas holds at Prague Castle, where all the actors in the story come together, and where danger threatens...

The second novelized retelling of the life of King Wenceslas that I have read recently - the first being Mildred Corell Luckhardt's excellent Good King Wenceslas - Cecil Maiden's A Song for Young King Wenceslas is an engrossing, well-written tale. I was immediately involved in the story, upon picking it up, and happily read it in one sitting. Maiden is clear in his brief foreword that his story is a blend of fact and fiction, and I came away with a number of questions about which was which, in his book. Was Bishop Paul based on a real person? The only "Gradiskas" I know of are in Croatia or Bosnia. What about the noble County Rupert of Adelbord? Clearly Wenceslas' immediate family members were based on fact, as was Henry Fowler, Duke of Saxony and King of East Francia. The latter is a benevolent figure in the story, and his revelation at the conclusion of the tale, in which he saves Wenceslas from the assassins of Duke Tessin, and makes the young duke a king, seems out of keeping with the fact that in history he invaded Bohemia at least once. Leaving these and other questions aside - was it really the custom of Bohemian noblemen to dye their hair blue?! - I enjoyed the story here immensely, and greatly appreciated the accompanying artwork of Louis Cary. I have at least one other Cecil Maiden title (The Molliwumps) on my to-read pile, but think I will try to seek out other works of historical fiction as well. Recommended to young readers who enjoy historical fiction, and to anyone interested in the figure of "Good King Wenceslas."… (mais)