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thatrabbitgirl's review against another edition
4.0
First read in February 2011. Re-read in September 2016.
tigerlinus's review against another edition
4.0
A different kind of Cadfael mystery. Wonderfully done, with the exception of Brother Urian, as his character didn't contribute anything to the story; not sure why Urian was introduced.
While I was able to figure out the mystery around page 77, I feel Peters could very well have presented the solution to the mystery so that the audience could experience some characters coming to the same conclusion. Just a guess, but the reveal of the mystery was fairly obvious early in the story.
More often than not I am able to deduce the 'who' of whodunit, if not necessarily the reason, but what is best about these stories is Brother Cadfael, his world, the supporting characters, and Peters style of writing; this series is a comfort.
While I was able to figure out the mystery around page 77, I feel Peters could very well have presented the solution to the mystery so that the audience could experience some characters coming to the same conclusion. Just a guess, but the reveal of the mystery was fairly obvious early in the story.
More often than not I am able to deduce the 'who' of whodunit, if not necessarily the reason, but what is best about these stories is Brother Cadfael, his world, the supporting characters, and Peters style of writing; this series is a comfort.
crowyhead's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably my favorite Brother Cadfael book so far. There isn't the same kind of mystery as usual -- there's no body, no murderer to track down as such... Instead, it's an intriguing reflection on love, loyalty, and the strength of human bonds, which can be just as mysterious as any murder.
bowienerd_82's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting and slightly divergent entry in the Cadfael series. It lacked some of the elements of the generally formulaic plot, while still maintaining much of what draws me to the series- the interweaving of 12th century history, the expression of the quality of mercy, and a main character who is comforting in his goodness, but still complex enough to be interesting.
What little outer mystery there was in the book became rather apparent very early on, and yet I still enjoyed the tale for the sake of its telling. I'm quite fond of the author's style, and impressed at how much she manages to squeeze into such slim books.
Looking at other reviews, this seems to be a divisive book, with some people hating and some loving it. I enjoyed it, but it isn't one of my all time favorites of the series. I also agree with some of the other reviewers that some of the presentations of gender and sexuality in the book don't come off very well in the present day, but to be fair, it was published in 1985 by a woman who was then already in her 70s.
What little outer mystery there was in the book became rather apparent very early on, and yet I still enjoyed the tale for the sake of its telling. I'm quite fond of the author's style, and impressed at how much she manages to squeeze into such slim books.
Looking at other reviews, this seems to be a divisive book, with some people hating and some loving it. I enjoyed it, but it isn't one of my all time favorites of the series. I also agree with some of the other reviewers that some of the presentations of gender and sexuality in the book don't come off very well in the present day, but to be fair, it was published in 1985 by a woman who was then already in her 70s.
victoria92's review against another edition
fast-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
2.5
devafagan's review against another edition
5.0
[Re-read 2013]
One of my favorite of a favorite series...
One of my favorite of a favorite series...
poirotketchup's review against another edition
2.0
This is the first Cadfael book I've read. Although I enjoyed the setting quite a bit, the clues were horribly obvious, and there was very little sense of mystery throughout. It looks like other reviews on Goodreads say this entry is unique to the series, so I may give another Cadfael mystery a try.
viktorreads's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent book! I love the relationship between Humilis and Fidelis.
depizan's review against another edition
2.0
This one was...odd. Some of the character motivations were really hazy, and I wasn't at all comfortable with how the monk struggling with desire was handled.