Reviews

The Devil's Novice by Ellis Peters is another one of the Brother Cadfael medieval murder mysteries. It begins with the arrival of Meriet, a new novice at the monastery who insists that he wants to become a monk as quickly as possible, but doesn't fully explain why. It rapidly becomes clear that he has a very dark backstory and that he hasn't turned his back on the world nearly as much as he'd like those around him to believe.

While Cadfael is investigating Meriet's background, he meets his family and the members of his household and the mystery deepens, especially once the body of a murdered man is discovered.

I enjoy this story a lot; it's not the first time I've read it and it's always good. My favourite character is Cadfael's friend Brother Mark, who is as adorable as ever.

I won't go into spoilers, but I have to admit that I don't much like Isouda, Meriet's father's ward. I know it's common to describe a strong-willed girl as being too pushy, but I also feel like if you swapped the genders of Meriet and Isouda it would be extremely obvious why she was fleeing into a nunnery.

I recommend it for fans of relatively light-hearted murder mysteries.

stefhyena's review against another edition

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3.0

This reds easily and kept me turning pages wanting to know what happens next, for all that it centres only male character and has some internalised misogyny in (for example) the way Roswitha is portrayed and the way Isouda is compared and contrasted with her (I believed the only other named female character was the bland Aline, who in most of the books does nothing except give birth and seerve her menfolk).

So the gender stuff irritated me and I also find Peters' overly romantic sociology of the family a bit difficult to stomach (but I like it better in 12th century Shrewsbury than in any century I have lived in).

Nevertheless for all that (as usual) I am talking about the flaws, I enjoyed this as a relaxing read with twists that while not too surprising were satisfactory. There's always a romance at the centre of every plot with Peters but this one did not irritate me more than average. Cadfael and Hugh are (probably anachronistically) fair-minded and idealistic and while I don;t completely believe in it I enjoy how refreshing that is, as well as reading a book set in such a gory, violent time that manages to be honorable and chivalrous and not gory (which would be more authentic but less pleasant to read).

I found the portrayal of everyday life in a Monastery pretty likeable too and in many ways believable. All in all it was enjoyable (barring the misogyny)

depizan's review against another edition

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3.0

Reread: I don't think the plot for this one holds together all that well, really. It's difficult to explain without spoilers, but assumptions are made around the murder that seem rash and like maybe not the most likely assumptions people would make. But there's something a little off about the characters in general in this one. The recurring cast seem like themselves, but the new characters and the bit parts seem a little...I can't put my finger on it...but just not quite right. It's not bad, it's just not as good as most Cadfaels.