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eososray's review against another edition
4.0
A young man returns to his village after 7 years away on pilgrimage. The master he accompanied has died on the way home and left a dowry for his ward. The young man is accused of heresy and then murder, Cadfael must solve the murder before the wrong man is charged.
Another great story in the Cadfael series.
Another great story in the Cadfael series.
readingelli's review
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
marilynsaul's review against another edition
5.0
The Heretic's Apprentice waded into the murky waters of an extant priesthood which, holding jealously to its power over those less learned than they, seek to punish and exile those who question their strict and self-serving interpretation of theology. I found it disturbing and it angered me. But I plugged away and all became resolved by more free-thinking (or, rather, thinking) clergy. It was an excellent read!
caitie95's review against another edition
3.0
More original than some of the previous books which made it more fun to read, though still follows some of the fairly set in stone patterns of the whole series.
bowienerd_82's review against another edition
3.0
This one went down some interesting new roads for the Cadfael series, particularly the bits on heresy. However, as expected for the kindest and coziest of mysteries, it's all wrapped up fairly neatly by the end.
(I marvel again at how these books are set in the 12th century, and yet are so soft, highlighting compassion and kindness and good sense, without feeling terribly anachronistic.)
I think it's time for a break again, however, as I get toward the end of the series.
(I marvel again at how these books are set in the 12th century, and yet are so soft, highlighting compassion and kindness and good sense, without feeling terribly anachronistic.)
I think it's time for a break again, however, as I get toward the end of the series.
allie_shu's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
doriastories's review against another edition
5.0
SPOILERS
Ah, so fun to read!! It's like eating cheesecake: sinful and rich, yet also nourishing, and even, arguably, nutritious. I think I loved this particular Cadfael so much because it had to do with one person's obsessive, murderous love of a particular book. Most of the Cadfael books deal with more prosaic (heh heh, get the pun??!) or predictable motives for murder - jealousy, greed, etc. The motive of insatiable book-hunger took me by surprise, hidden as it was behind the plot's focus on a heresy accusation.
This dangerous passion took a long time to reveal itself, and left me curious to know the history and development of the man who burned inwardly with the need to possess certain books at any cost to his body and soul. Reminded me of Umberto Eco's "Name of the Rose" to a certain extent, although there, the murderer was driven by a warped love/hate for a particular book and its contents. A book addiction was not an easy habit to feed during the 12th century; it took this 21st century reader some pondering to get to the heart of the insatiable longing that serious readers who didn't have a church vocation must have suffered, in their difficult quest to obtain forbidden fruits. Thank goodness for libraries!
Ah, so fun to read!! It's like eating cheesecake: sinful and rich, yet also nourishing, and even, arguably, nutritious. I think I loved this particular Cadfael so much because it had to do with one person's obsessive, murderous love of a particular book. Most of the Cadfael books deal with more prosaic (heh heh, get the pun??!) or predictable motives for murder - jealousy, greed, etc. The motive of insatiable book-hunger took me by surprise, hidden as it was behind the plot's focus on a heresy accusation.
This dangerous passion took a long time to reveal itself, and left me curious to know the history and development of the man who burned inwardly with the need to possess certain books at any cost to his body and soul. Reminded me of Umberto Eco's "Name of the Rose" to a certain extent, although there, the murderer was driven by a warped love/hate for a particular book and its contents. A book addiction was not an easy habit to feed during the 12th century; it took this 21st century reader some pondering to get to the heart of the insatiable longing that serious readers who didn't have a church vocation must have suffered, in their difficult quest to obtain forbidden fruits. Thank goodness for libraries!