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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Fire/Fire injury
The strength of this Cadfael mystery is the dynamics of the Aspley family. Meriet is the usual misunderstood young man (well, misunderstood by almost everyone but Cadfael, of course). His motivation is not an unusual one in a Peters' romantic hero, but how it works out makes the story more interesting. It's unfortunate that the mystery ends when it does, as I think the aftermath would have been fascinating to read. Furthermore, the culprit's fate is an unusual one by Peters' standards.
Unfortunately, the climax is dependent on a fortuitous chance , which is weird because Hugh and Cadfael engineer at least certain aspects of it and are clearly hoping that all will be revealed. But it's unclear how their original plan would have resulted in the truth coming out, if not for the happy circumstance that solves the mystery and puts everything as right as it can be.
Unfortunately, the climax is dependent on a fortuitous chance , which is weird because Hugh and Cadfael engineer at least certain aspects of it and are clearly hoping that all will be revealed. But it's unclear how their original plan would have resulted in the truth coming out, if not for the happy circumstance that solves the mystery and puts everything as right as it can be.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 stars, really. The plot was a bit slow to start, but once it really got going, it became interesting quickly. I'm fascinated at how the author worked her plots around the larger events going on in England in the 12th century, while still concentrating on the small scale.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
