The Scarlet Seed (Heaven Tree #3) by Edith Pargeter
Summary (from the publisher): In the castle of Parfois, flaring down over the debated lands of the Welsh border, young Harry Talvace is held prisoner by his father's sometime patron and late destroyer, Ralf Isambard. Captive and captor, bound by implacable hatred and reluctant affection, seemed doomed to stalemate.
Review: In this third and final installment in this trilogy, young Harry Talvace remains imprisoned by his late father's patron and enemy, Ralf Isambard. The fine love between love and hate continues to be approached, which has the power to flip disdain to grudging respect.
This remains a trilogy about characters deeply guided by their principles and vows to honor their word. Harry is committed to being a man of his word and to honoring the memory of his dead father. The motivations of Isambard remain murky at first but are slowly revealed. In this book is his redemption. I admired the characters' dedication and honor. There are so many great sweeping scenes in this. I enjoyed the thrill of battle, hand to hand combat, and siege in this book.
I was surprised that the ending up shifting away from Harry and Isambard and more to Benedetta and Isambard. The conclusion of the book did bring many plot points full circle and felt like a fitting, if tragic, end for many of the best characters in this book. I also just generally felt like much of the book didn't feel realistic. I don't think Isambard would have been so obsessed with Harry for decades. I don't think Benedetta would likewise have been so single-mindedly devoted. I don't think young Harry would fall for a poor village girl. I don't think Prince Llewyn would have been so devoted to his foster son that he would have waged a siege. It was a lovely, grand story! But I'm just not sure how historically accurate it all was.
Stars: 3
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