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Here Be Dragons

by Sharon Kay Penman Book 1 in the Welsh Princes Trilogy series.

First published 1985

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4.6(3,266)

Wales and England, late twelfth to early thirteenth century. Llywelyn ap Iorwerth struggles to unite Gwynedd and establish himself as the leading native ruler in Wales. King John’s illegitimate daughter Joanna is married to him as part of an uneasy political settlement and gradually becomes central to both his household and diplomacy.

Their marriage is repeatedly tested by John’s campaigns, Welsh rivalries and Joanna’s divided loyalties between father and husband. The novel follows Llywelyn’s consolidation of power, the consequences of Magna Carta and John’s death, and the personal cost of building an independent Welsh principality beside an aggressive English monarchy.

Historical Periods

Angevin Empire1154–1214 CE Medieval Walesc. 500–1500 CE

Historical people

John, King of England1166–1216 Llywelyn the Great1173–1240 Joan, Lady of Wales1191–1237 Henry III of England1207–1272

Series reading order

Books in the Welsh Princes Trilogy series

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