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eyreguide's review against another edition
5.0
Joanna Stafford's first adventure, in The Crown, read very authentically, with rich details, intrigue and mystery on every page. The Chalice continues Joanna's story with a new mystery - one that is more personal to her which changes the tone of this book. The mystery is still there, but the story felt much more focused on developing Joanna's character further - there were flashbacks into her past and more was seen of her relatives. And I enjoyed this change in tone because I loved Joanna's strong, resilient nature and her resolute character that doesn't come from her doing everything perfectly but from learning from her mistakes and striving to do better. The layers to her character that were just showing in The Crown were fleshed out more fully here as she struggles to understand the destiny that has been put upon her.
The plot of the story was very compelling, with the prophecy surrounding Joanna the focal point. The mystery aspect lay in that and in trying to figure out who Joanna could trust. And it seemed like every chapter ended with an exciting plot development or twist which made this such a page-turner. And don't get me started on the romance in this book! Seriously don't, I might cry. There is a slight love triangle element to this story that tore me apart because I really couldn't pick between the two men - both were good men with fascinating depth and both had great chemistry with Joanna. And I really cared about the characters and I didn't want any of them to get hurt. Oh futile hope. Not only was the triangle intriguing but there were also some unexpected twists in how the relationships turned out. I felt the romance aspect was very well done because I was so invested in the characters and they very much deserved a happy ending!
There were many great characters introduced in this book, especially Jacquard and Chapuys - both ambiguous, complex and such puzzles, while also introducing a greater historical scope to Henry VIII's actions. This book takes a look at the complex, larger historical picture of the events of that time while also keeping the plot character-driven and all in a very engaging and readable writing style.
Even though this is a second installment for Joanna Stafford, this book reads very well on it's own and I so enjoyed the unfolding drama and the historical conflict in this story. The resolution was maybe too quickly and easily tied up, but this novel is definitely worth the read for the roller coaster ride of emotions and the captivating plot. And I'm so glad that there will be another book in this series, titled "The Covenant"!
(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)
The plot of the story was very compelling, with the prophecy surrounding Joanna the focal point. The mystery aspect lay in that and in trying to figure out who Joanna could trust. And it seemed like every chapter ended with an exciting plot development or twist which made this such a page-turner. And don't get me started on the romance in this book! Seriously don't, I might cry. There is a slight love triangle element to this story that tore me apart because I really couldn't pick between the two men - both were good men with fascinating depth and both had great chemistry with Joanna. And I really cared about the characters and I didn't want any of them to get hurt. Oh futile hope. Not only was the triangle intriguing but there were also some unexpected twists in how the relationships turned out. I felt the romance aspect was very well done because I was so invested in the characters and they very much deserved a happy ending!
There were many great characters introduced in this book, especially Jacquard and Chapuys - both ambiguous, complex and such puzzles, while also introducing a greater historical scope to Henry VIII's actions. This book takes a look at the complex, larger historical picture of the events of that time while also keeping the plot character-driven and all in a very engaging and readable writing style.
Even though this is a second installment for Joanna Stafford, this book reads very well on it's own and I so enjoyed the unfolding drama and the historical conflict in this story. The resolution was maybe too quickly and easily tied up, but this novel is definitely worth the read for the roller coaster ride of emotions and the captivating plot. And I'm so glad that there will be another book in this series, titled "The Covenant"!
(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)
krobart's review against another edition
2.0
I found this book particularly frustrating because the cover did not indicate it was a sequel, but it was definitely not a stand-alone novel. Joanna Stafford, a former Dominican nun after the dissolution of the monasteries finds she is embroiled in a plot to bring Catholicism back to England.
See my complete review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/the-chalice/
See my complete review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/the-chalice/
algae429's review against another edition
2.0
The last 25% of this book was pretty good, but it took a while to get there. I felt Joanna spent a lot of time bemoaning her fate and passing out in this book. Don't know if I'll read the third one, especially if it's going to be more pining looks from Scoville.
lizella's review against another edition
4.0
Nancy Bilyeau is building a solid series with her second book centered around Joanna Stafford, a novice who is forced to build a new life for herself after the dissolution of Dartford Priory. While the first book was very good, The Chalice is brimming with even more intrigue and insight into the clash of religion and state during the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII.
Bilyeau is able to bring the great struggle to life through her creation of conflicted characters trying to maintain their principles and beliefs in a time that is at best confused and at worst at odds with the wish of her heroine to live a simple life of devotion. The author's scholarship is evident in the vivid detail and entwined plot lines of the story.
This last book has left me even more interested to see what will become of Joanna Stafford as she follows a tenuous path through the upheaval of her personal life in the political landscape.
Bilyeau is able to bring the great struggle to life through her creation of conflicted characters trying to maintain their principles and beliefs in a time that is at best confused and at worst at odds with the wish of her heroine to live a simple life of devotion. The author's scholarship is evident in the vivid detail and entwined plot lines of the story.
This last book has left me even more interested to see what will become of Joanna Stafford as she follows a tenuous path through the upheaval of her personal life in the political landscape.
kdurham2's review against another edition
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
The next adventure with the novice, Joanna Stafford as she tries to save the land from losing the ability to practice their Faith from the hands of evil men. The story starts a bit in the future and then takes you back to find out how they all end up hiding around a church ready for an ambush - I thought this was the perfect way to set up and start the book.
The next adventure with the novice, Joanna Stafford as she tries to save the land from losing the ability to practice their Faith from the hands of evil men. The story starts a bit in the future and then takes you back to find out how they all end up hiding around a church ready for an ambush - I thought this was the perfect way to set up and start the book.
100pagesaday's review against another edition
4.0
In The Chalice we continue to follow Joanna Stafford after her priory has been dissolved. We are given a glimpse into Joanna's childhood when her mother brings Joanna to see a Sister who has been given the gift of Sight. The Sister tells Joanna of a prophecy that she must fulfill. "When the raven climbs the rope, the dog must soar like the hawk...the chalice." Afraid and thinking that the prophecy is jibberish, Joanna tries to forget about the prophecy until she is thrown back into its path by those who want to take down Henry VIII. Joanna tries to decide whether or not she should try to bring down the King who destroyed her way of life at the priory and fulfill the prophecy, or make her own path and change the future.
Reading The Chalice directly after The Crown, everything flowed nicely. More is learned about Joanna Stafford and her past, developing her more as a character. There are many more layers of intrigue and espionage in The Chalice as well as many more characters that Joanna has to deal with. Some of the choices that Joanna makes in The Chalice are not quite smart and get her in trouble, but somehow she always finds her way out. I found it very interesting how The Chalice incorporated a lot more magic and mysticism, but still held true to many historical facts. Joanna also finds herself in a sort of a love triangle that added another layer to the story, but one that I, personally could have done without.
I will look forward to more Joanna Stafford adventures!
This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.
Reading The Chalice directly after The Crown, everything flowed nicely. More is learned about Joanna Stafford and her past, developing her more as a character. There are many more layers of intrigue and espionage in The Chalice as well as many more characters that Joanna has to deal with. Some of the choices that Joanna makes in The Chalice are not quite smart and get her in trouble, but somehow she always finds her way out. I found it very interesting how The Chalice incorporated a lot more magic and mysticism, but still held true to many historical facts. Joanna also finds herself in a sort of a love triangle that added another layer to the story, but one that I, personally could have done without.
I will look forward to more Joanna Stafford adventures!
This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.
raechsreads's review against another edition
4.0
The Chalice is a great book, yet unknowingly I read this before The Crown. Even with reading this book before the other, I was able to follow the story and understand what was happening. The story is of a young ex-novice Joanna Stafford as she struggles with a prophesy that she was to fulfill - bringing King Henry VIII off the throne. She is thrown into an unending, perilous journey that leads her to face many uncomfortable situations that she wishes to not face. In the journey though, she is able to come to understand who she is as a person and what God's true plans are for her. An amazing book talking about living for your beliefs and never backing down.
truebookaddict's review against another edition
5.0
As she did with The Crown, Bilyeau has once again written an excellent historical novel. Again we are taken to the perilous times of the reign of Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour are both dead, but Henry finally has his heir in prince Edward. However, the king is in search of another wife and that is the talk of the kingdom, along with the alliance of France with the Emperor Charles. As Henry has dissolved all of the monasteries and religious houses and continues to break from the church, the Pope's letter announcing the excommunication of king Henry is close to being made official. It is still a dangerous time and plots to overthrow the king are watched for and quashed. Many find themselves imprisoned in the tower. And those who give or seek out prophecies...prophecies that imply the demise of the king...are dealt with swiftly.
Our heroine, Joanna, finds herself once again thrust into this world of danger and intrigue. A world she has stridently tried to avoid. Making a life for herself and her small cousin, Arthur, in the town of Dartford, she is content to continue her worship and start her own tapestry weaving business, even if some of the townspeople are less than gracious toward the ex-nuns of Dartford Priory. But her simple life does not last. She is invited, along with Arthur, to stay for a time with her cousin, Henry Courtenay and his wife, Gertrude, the Marquess and Marchioness of Exeter. As she embarks on her stay with her relatives, she finds herself once again drawn into the world of political intrigue, secrets, and prophecies.
I won't go any further into the plot because I don't want to give anything away, but as you can tell, The Chalice is quite an exciting read. So well-written and historically accurate. I once again find myself greatly interested in the historical figures depicted. Even though I've been feeling over-saturated with the Tudors, with this book I'm learning new things that make me want to go in search of more historical information. For a book to inspire this kind of interest in history (as I'm sure it will), especially in those who aren't big history buffs like me, is a feather in the cap of the historical fiction genre. I praise the author on another fantastic novel. She is working on a third book and I can't wait to read it! Truly, I will look forward to any books Bilyeau has published.
Our heroine, Joanna, finds herself once again thrust into this world of danger and intrigue. A world she has stridently tried to avoid. Making a life for herself and her small cousin, Arthur, in the town of Dartford, she is content to continue her worship and start her own tapestry weaving business, even if some of the townspeople are less than gracious toward the ex-nuns of Dartford Priory. But her simple life does not last. She is invited, along with Arthur, to stay for a time with her cousin, Henry Courtenay and his wife, Gertrude, the Marquess and Marchioness of Exeter. As she embarks on her stay with her relatives, she finds herself once again drawn into the world of political intrigue, secrets, and prophecies.
I won't go any further into the plot because I don't want to give anything away, but as you can tell, The Chalice is quite an exciting read. So well-written and historically accurate. I once again find myself greatly interested in the historical figures depicted. Even though I've been feeling over-saturated with the Tudors, with this book I'm learning new things that make me want to go in search of more historical information. For a book to inspire this kind of interest in history (as I'm sure it will), especially in those who aren't big history buffs like me, is a feather in the cap of the historical fiction genre. I praise the author on another fantastic novel. She is working on a third book and I can't wait to read it! Truly, I will look forward to any books Bilyeau has published.
hooksbookswanderlust's review against another edition
4.0
This was an amazing read, and I'm pleasantly surprised given that it was a cheap one from B&N. I'm a fan of historical fiction, but I must admit that I'd never read anything that took place during the reign of Henry VIII. I found myself looking up facts throughout the story to better aquatint myself with the background characters, to know who we're actual people in history and who were figments of the author's imagination.
The book was extremely well written. It unfolded before our eyes like scenes from a movie due to the vivid writing of the author. I could feel the uncertainty and fear that permeated the reign of Henry VIII. I understood the outrage, despair and hopelessness of the main character, Joanna, at the loss of the priories and monasteries. I felt her anger and resentment at being forced to act as the pawn in a game of thrones, constantly judged, used, and forced to choose to do things against her morals in order to satisfy someone with a hold over her. I liked that she stayed true to herself, refusing to do anything against those same morals, but being clever enough to figure a way around the constrictions. I liked her spirit, her heart, her resourcefulness, and her trust in a higher power to guide her.
This was the second book in a series, and while I don't feel like the first book was needed to grasp this book, I do think that some of the background would have helped. There were references to the previous book that I was curious about but they weren't necessary to this story. However, the story ended with me wanting more. There was resolution to the plot of this book, but it felt unfinished. What is to happen to the former novice turned spy turned conspirator turned entrepreneur? What happened to her former fiancé? What of The constable? Ahhh but that's why there is a third book.
The book was extremely well written. It unfolded before our eyes like scenes from a movie due to the vivid writing of the author. I could feel the uncertainty and fear that permeated the reign of Henry VIII. I understood the outrage, despair and hopelessness of the main character, Joanna, at the loss of the priories and monasteries. I felt her anger and resentment at being forced to act as the pawn in a game of thrones, constantly judged, used, and forced to choose to do things against her morals in order to satisfy someone with a hold over her. I liked that she stayed true to herself, refusing to do anything against those same morals, but being clever enough to figure a way around the constrictions. I liked her spirit, her heart, her resourcefulness, and her trust in a higher power to guide her.
This was the second book in a series, and while I don't feel like the first book was needed to grasp this book, I do think that some of the background would have helped. There were references to the previous book that I was curious about but they weren't necessary to this story. However, the story ended with me wanting more. There was resolution to the plot of this book, but it felt unfinished. What is to happen to the former novice turned spy turned conspirator turned entrepreneur? What happened to her former fiancé? What of The constable? Ahhh but that's why there is a third book.
librarianna81's review against another edition
2.0
www.shelfnotes.com
2.5 / 5
Dear Reader,
Meh. I had really enjoyed the adventure story of The Crown, the first in this series, but was hugely disappointed by the follow up. I think that might, however, had had a lot to do with format this time - while I didn’t dislike the narrator’s voice in this audiobook, I really didn’t enjoy her inflection. I felt as if she portrayed Joanna Stafford as rather ditzy, and that ruined a lot of the book for me. At times when I think the author might have intended Joanna to sound wise and perhaps a bit jaded, the narrator made me think she was a wide-eyed ingenue. Who knows - maybe that was how she was supposed to sound. But a few times I found myself repeating a line in my own head, in a different tone of voice, and realizing that while the main character had sounded rather idiotic narrating the words, taken in a different way she could have just sounded world-weary. I wish I could come up with a good example - I am thinking specifically of a time when Joanna was holding the chalice and saying her action was “unprecedented.” The narrator makes her sound like “oh my gosh, I cannot believe I did such a thing!” whereas I think had I read this in print, I would have thought she was simply stating a hard truth. Does that make any sense? I was really bothered by that, particularly because perhaps were I to reread this book in print, I could have really enjoyed it. But, eh, probably not. I don’t think the story could have saved itself from a bad narration.
It was neat, however, to see Cromwell and his cronies from another angle, after having finished Wolf Hall a short time ago. I hadn’t recalled that The Crown was a story about Henry VIII until I picked the story back up in The Chalice (it’s been a few years; forgive me my memory!). To see a historical figure I had come to respect in Mantel’s novel so despised by the protagonist in this one was quite interesting.
Again, though, even the historical aspects of the book didn’t hold my interest enough. I wasn’t ever sure I once felt invested in the outcome of the story. I found myself wanting to finish only to be done with it already, not to resolve any of the story lines. I really enjoyed Bilyeau’s first novel, and I would still recommend it. However, I just felt her second did not live up to expectations, unfortunately. I will continue to keep an eye on her clever and unique work - but I probably won’t finish out this series.
Yours,
Arianna
2.5 / 5
Dear Reader,
Meh. I had really enjoyed the adventure story of The Crown, the first in this series, but was hugely disappointed by the follow up. I think that might, however, had had a lot to do with format this time - while I didn’t dislike the narrator’s voice in this audiobook, I really didn’t enjoy her inflection. I felt as if she portrayed Joanna Stafford as rather ditzy, and that ruined a lot of the book for me. At times when I think the author might have intended Joanna to sound wise and perhaps a bit jaded, the narrator made me think she was a wide-eyed ingenue. Who knows - maybe that was how she was supposed to sound. But a few times I found myself repeating a line in my own head, in a different tone of voice, and realizing that while the main character had sounded rather idiotic narrating the words, taken in a different way she could have just sounded world-weary. I wish I could come up with a good example - I am thinking specifically of a time when Joanna was holding the chalice and saying her action was “unprecedented.” The narrator makes her sound like “oh my gosh, I cannot believe I did such a thing!” whereas I think had I read this in print, I would have thought she was simply stating a hard truth. Does that make any sense? I was really bothered by that, particularly because perhaps were I to reread this book in print, I could have really enjoyed it. But, eh, probably not. I don’t think the story could have saved itself from a bad narration.
It was neat, however, to see Cromwell and his cronies from another angle, after having finished Wolf Hall a short time ago. I hadn’t recalled that The Crown was a story about Henry VIII until I picked the story back up in The Chalice (it’s been a few years; forgive me my memory!). To see a historical figure I had come to respect in Mantel’s novel so despised by the protagonist in this one was quite interesting.
Again, though, even the historical aspects of the book didn’t hold my interest enough. I wasn’t ever sure I once felt invested in the outcome of the story. I found myself wanting to finish only to be done with it already, not to resolve any of the story lines. I really enjoyed Bilyeau’s first novel, and I would still recommend it. However, I just felt her second did not live up to expectations, unfortunately. I will continue to keep an eye on her clever and unique work - but I probably won’t finish out this series.
Yours,
Arianna