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berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this book was a lot weaker than the previous parts of the series. Owen seems to lose all his intelligence and experience in dealing with the possibility that his friend may be a murderer, and Ned seems to lose his brain entirely and to constantly make the stupidest possible choice, almost as if he were trying to make himself guilty. The resolution of the mystery is not particularly satisfying either, and the subplot of Thoresby and Alice Perrars is highly annoying.
I hope the series will get back up to par in the next installment.
I hope the series will get back up to par in the next installment.
siria's review against another edition
2.0
Rather pedestrian—the prose never rises above workmanlike, and while Robb resists the temptation to tie up all the loose ends at the novel's conclusion, there's no real tension to the plot. The info dumps about medieval history weren't the worst I've ever seen, but atmosphere and context could have been more elegantly provided.
nadoislandgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Picked this up as a light read for Christmas-time. The mystery did drag on a bit. I wasn't very pulled in, it took me a week to read- even on vacation! There were quite a few characters and I didn't feel that the resolution was very satisfactory.
vesper1931's review against another edition
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
1367. Owen Archer's travels begin when a page is found dead at Windsor. Rumour indicates that the responsible party is Archer's friend and comrade, Ned Townley. But more deaths will follow. Can Archer found out why and by whom.
An entertaining well-written historical mystery, another good addition to this well-written series.
An entertaining well-written historical mystery, another good addition to this well-written series.
cmbohn's review against another edition
2.0
Welshman Owen Archer lost an eye during the war between England and France. The whole story is recounted at least once in every book, although sometimes rather briefly. A one-eyed archer isn’t very effective, so he was offered a position as a spy for John Thoresby, Lord Chancellor of England and Archbishop of York. Archer accepts the job, not realizing that he has forged a relationship which will send him all over the country and determine the course of his future.
Archer’s disability seems to have become merely a fact of life, as far as how he deals with it. He wears an eye patch and he can get around just fine. But when another character asks him if he misses his other eye, Archer replies that he thinks about it every single day. Given the violent nature of war and the primitive state of medicine, such an injury would have been common. What’s remarkable, IMO, is that he survived the treatment and went on to have a productive life. He often worries about what people think when they see him, and in fact, many characters recognize him by this disfigurement. But his baby girl doesn’t even seem to notice, which is about the way most babies would react IRL.
This is the 4th book in the series and it revolves around a political struggle between the pope and king. By now, Archer is married and working as apprentice to his wife the apothecary. A young page dies while his master is visiting the archbishop and his death might just link back to treason against the crown.
I felt like this one had lots of people, lots of talking, and not as much of the historical detail that makes medieval books good. The whole political situation was just confusing and dull. I appreciate that all the main characters are based on actual historical figures, including the Archbishop, King Edward III of England, his mistress, Alice Perrars, and others. But I was just lost in the political maneuvering. It probably didn’t help that I was a little distracted while reading this one, but I don’t think I’ll read any more by this author.
Archer’s disability seems to have become merely a fact of life, as far as how he deals with it. He wears an eye patch and he can get around just fine. But when another character asks him if he misses his other eye, Archer replies that he thinks about it every single day. Given the violent nature of war and the primitive state of medicine, such an injury would have been common. What’s remarkable, IMO, is that he survived the treatment and went on to have a productive life. He often worries about what people think when they see him, and in fact, many characters recognize him by this disfigurement. But his baby girl doesn’t even seem to notice, which is about the way most babies would react IRL.
This is the 4th book in the series and it revolves around a political struggle between the pope and king. By now, Archer is married and working as apprentice to his wife the apothecary. A young page dies while his master is visiting the archbishop and his death might just link back to treason against the crown.
I felt like this one had lots of people, lots of talking, and not as much of the historical detail that makes medieval books good. The whole political situation was just confusing and dull. I appreciate that all the main characters are based on actual historical figures, including the Archbishop, King Edward III of England, his mistress, Alice Perrars, and others. But I was just lost in the political maneuvering. It probably didn’t help that I was a little distracted while reading this one, but I don’t think I’ll read any more by this author.
lisaebetz's review against another edition
3.0
A solid novel with a strong medieval setting, but this isn't my favorite book in the series. In my opinion, the political maneuverings overshadowed the mystery investigation and upstaged the sleuth, Owen Archer.
If you like books about obscure historical figures and the machinations of noblemen, then you will like this book. (The author provides great background information on these people and why she wanted to write their story.)
If you want to enjoy a clever sleuth unravelling a mystery then you might enjoy one of the other books in this series better.
If you like books about obscure historical figures and the machinations of noblemen, then you will like this book. (The author provides great background information on these people and why she wanted to write their story.)
If you want to enjoy a clever sleuth unravelling a mystery then you might enjoy one of the other books in this series better.
mfred's review against another edition
4.0
I find all of the Owen Archer books just superb. I'm not a huge fan of the mystery genre, but the way Robb writes these characters, the depth of historical knowledge she can fit into a story -- but never bogs down the story! -- makes these books great. I heartily recommend.
emilyren's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mbp's review against another edition
4.0
I'm really enjoying this series - they seem to be well researched (love the inclusion of maps and an author's note). The growth of the series characters is interesting to follow, as some evolve in unexpected ways. The only thing that really annoyed me about this book was the character of Ned Townley - hard to see why he would be a friend of Owen's.
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