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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
This series was recommended to my by a friend. The book's first half had me thinking that I surely wouldn't pick up the sequel. The second half of this one proved me wrong. My biggest initial hang-up was the number of amorphous men to keep track of. (And they are mostly men. There are only two women of any note.) The first and second chapters are an onslaught of abbots, priors, fathers, and brothers all as indistinguishable as the rest. The third and fourth chapters compound this with an array of plowmen, smiths, and fieldhands. Am I reading too much into Brother Cadfael's descriptions of Cai the Smith's broad, sturdy shoulders? Or his reflections on Engelard's quiet masculine beauty? Is this all as homoerotic as it feels?
The twists that Peters introduces in the second half of the book were quite a bit of fun. Some I was able to guess; others I wasn't, but all were well crafted. This is a book filled with murder, exhumation, and monastic temporality. Who's to say what plot might next unfold between vespers and compline?
The twists that Peters introduces in the second half of the book were quite a bit of fun. Some I was able to guess; others I wasn't, but all were well crafted. This is a book filled with murder, exhumation, and monastic temporality. Who's to say what plot might next unfold between vespers and compline?
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Blood
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was really excited about reading this, and feel that I should like it more than I do. Most of it was really plodding, and the murder didn't take place till 100 pages into the 250-page book.
Interesting fully-formed characters, especially Brother Cadfael. I also enjoyed the effort the author put into making the world and time period feel authentic.
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I enjoy having a fiction series to read alongside the heavier readings during my days. I have been long interested in Medieval Knowledge and this series combines scholarly realia of the 12th Century Welsh-English Frontier as well as a robust murder mystery setup and delivery.
I will be eagerly continuing this series and telling others to do the same.
I will be eagerly continuing this series and telling others to do the same.
I read some of the Brother Cadfael books years ago & found them just ok. May have been my age or (more likely) that this is a series that needs to be read in order. Clearly there is more to the good brother than his skills as a herbalist! No doubt more will be revealed about his past in later books.
I don't know anything about 12th century Wales or England, but certainly Peters had given the narrative & dialogue a very authentic feel. & monastery politics feels like modern office or school staffroom politics & gave me a sly chuckle!
The next one in the series [bc:One Corpse Too Many|776384|One Corpse Too Many (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #2)|Ellis Peters|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388239103s/776384.jpg|3217787] sounds even more intriguing. I've popped that on my to read list.
I don't know anything about 12th century Wales or England, but certainly Peters had given the narrative & dialogue a very authentic feel. & monastery politics feels like modern office or school staffroom politics & gave me a sly chuckle!
The next one in the series [bc:One Corpse Too Many|776384|One Corpse Too Many (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #2)|Ellis Peters|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388239103s/776384.jpg|3217787] sounds even more intriguing. I've popped that on my to read list.