Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman
Published by Penguin on March 4, 2002
Genres: Fiction / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Medieval, Fiction / Thrillers / Historical
Pages: 512
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bookstore
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The sequel to Sharon Kay Penman's acclaimed novel When Christ and His Saints Slept, Time and Chance recounts the tempestuous marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II in a magnificent story of love, power, ambition, and betrayal. 

He was nineteen when they married, she eleven years his senior, newly divorced from the King of France. She was beautiful, headstrong, intelligent, and rich. It was said he was Fortune's favorite, but he said a man makes his own luck. Within two years, Henry had made his, winning the throne of England and exercising extraordinary statecraft skills to control his unruly barons, expand his own powers, and restore peace to a land long torn by banditry and bloodshed. Only in one instance did Henry err: Elevating his good friend and confidant Thomas Becket to be Archbishop of Canterbury, he thought to gain control over the Church itself. But the once worldly Becket suddenly discovered God, and their alliance withered in the heat of his newfound zeal. What Becket saw as a holy mission-to protect the Church against State encroachments-Henry saw as arrant betrayal, and they were launched inevitably on the road to murder. 

Rich in character and color, true to the historical details, sensitive to the complex emotions of these men and women, Time and Chance recreates their story with all the drama, pain, and passion of the moment.

Wow. This was such a rich, sweeping historical novel, and it reminded me exactly why I love Sharon Kay Penman’s work. Time and Chance doesn’t just tell a story—it immerses you in the world of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

What struck me most was how Penman manages to make these towering historical figures feel deeply human. Eleanor especially fascinated me—her strength, her sharp wit, and the struggles she faced in a marriage that was as much politics as it was passion. The way Penman portrays the balance of power between Eleanor and Henry felt both authentic and riveting, never reducing Eleanor to the background.

The pacing is slower than a typical contemporary read, but that’s part of the beauty. You don’t rush through history; you sink into it. Every detail of the court, the politics, and the personalities came alive for me. Penman doesn’t shy away from the complexities—these people are flawed, conflicted, and at times ruthless—but that’s exactly what makes them compelling.

This is one of those novels where I kept pausing to savor the writing, and yet I didn’t want to put it down either. It’s definitely a commitment at its length, but so worth the journey. For me, this was historical fiction at its finest.

🔥 Steamometer: 2/5 – Not steamy, but full of passion and intensity in different ways.