As far as medieval, historical biographies go, this one was outstanding. Compassion, loyalty, romance, & treachery all combine for a compelling read. I could not put this book down; the characters were that interesting, & I was caught up in the story. As a teacher, I thought I had a fairly good command of the English language, but I found that I frequently had to refer to the dictionary (which might be off-putting for some readers) All in all - an excellent read.