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rebcamuse's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This particular installment of the Sister Fidelma series digs into the tensions between the "old ways" and the "New Faith" with much more detail than the previous books. While occasionally tedious to hear it explained via audiobook, the additional context adds a complexity and richness to the world of Fidelma that is more than just Druids vs. Christians. The plot, however, is very slow, and the reveal (in typical Fidelma fashion) takes almost 40 minutes in the audiobook. The motive itself does provide some twists and turns, but the answer to "whodunnit" was so complex and full of weird afterthoughts that I wasn't that interested in the end. This is often the case when there's an "obvious" murderer at the outset -- in this case Dubh Duin, chieftain of the clan Cinél Cairpre, who cannot unfortunately provide any defense or otherwise since he seems to have taken his own life after seemingly killing the High King Suchnussach in his bedroom. All is, as you might guess, not what it seems. This is the situation in which Fidelma finds herself.
Happily, in terms of character development, we start to see an increase in Fidelma's self-awareness, particularly of her treatment of Eadulf, who also seems to be coming more into his own.
Happily, in terms of character development, we start to see an increase in Fidelma's self-awareness, particularly of her treatment of Eadulf, who also seems to be coming more into his own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Murder
tex2flo's review against another edition
3.0
While I struggle with some of the Gaelic vocabulary, I still like learning about the way of life in early centuries of Ireland--fascinating.
roshk99's review against another edition
3.0
Fidelma's understanding of complex intrigue makes for an entertaining read
rickscully's review against another edition
3.0
The mystery is well told, but I found it distracting to have every Gallic/Irish term defined by whichever character was speaking. Sometimes the same term will be explained/defined more than once.
fmedlin's review against another edition
4.0
Agatha Christie writes Lord of the Rings without all of the magic. Smartly written murder mystery set in Ireland 800 CE with an interesting female lead character.