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beckykirk's review against another edition
4.0
I like getting to know Joliffe better in this series. I always liked him when he showed up in the Frevisse books.
exlibrisbitsy's review against another edition
3.0
The book A Play of Knaves is one of a series of historical mysteries that follow the player Joliffe as he ends up in a variety of situations that require some serious sleuthing to stay out of trouble.
While it is not difficult to follow and enjoy the mystery of A Play of Knaves without having read the rest of the series, some of the introspection of the main character seemed misplaced because I had not read earlier works and had not yet formed a connection of any sort with Joliffe. I still felt like I hadn't by the end of the book either. It is very apparent that there is an arc through the series following Joliffe and this was just one small part of it, but since I was reading a book somewhere in the middle it ended up being just confusing to have those themes thrown in.
The historical mystery on its own was a fun read. I don't know much about the period so I'm not sure what of it is accurate and what not, but the characters were lively and fun and the mystery was definitely interesting, though I wouldn't call it gripping by any means. The dialogue was definitely not accurate for the times, but that was probably a blessing considering the year. A lot of the circumstance and background for a band of traveling players in the 1400's ended up being pretty interesting. And, the humor of the book was at times laugh out loud funny as their performances were described, plus they often had license to poke fun at figures in society that the average person could not.
A Play of Knaves was a light and fun read but might I suggest starting with A Play of Issac? That might make things make a lot more sense and you can follow Joliffe the player from the very beginning.
While it is not difficult to follow and enjoy the mystery of A Play of Knaves without having read the rest of the series, some of the introspection of the main character seemed misplaced because I had not read earlier works and had not yet formed a connection of any sort with Joliffe. I still felt like I hadn't by the end of the book either. It is very apparent that there is an arc through the series following Joliffe and this was just one small part of it, but since I was reading a book somewhere in the middle it ended up being just confusing to have those themes thrown in.
The historical mystery on its own was a fun read. I don't know much about the period so I'm not sure what of it is accurate and what not, but the characters were lively and fun and the mystery was definitely interesting, though I wouldn't call it gripping by any means. The dialogue was definitely not accurate for the times, but that was probably a blessing considering the year. A lot of the circumstance and background for a band of traveling players in the 1400's ended up being pretty interesting. And, the humor of the book was at times laugh out loud funny as their performances were described, plus they often had license to poke fun at figures in society that the average person could not.
A Play of Knaves was a light and fun read but might I suggest starting with A Play of Issac? That might make things make a lot more sense and you can follow Joliffe the player from the very beginning.
katenetz's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting mystery plot and more great historical context of the 1400's. There hasn't been a lot of character development since the first book, but they are still likable.
archytas's review against another edition
3.0
A fun read set in the world of a medieval village, with all the intrigues of it's wealthier and ruling families at the centre of the conflict. The world of the travelling players remains engaging. Great distraction reading at a time I badly needed it.
julieputty's review
4.0
This is a very appealing series to me, and I think much of that has to do with the lives of itinerant players. Neither fish nor fowl, they are at the edges of society and their lives are both difficult and fascinating. The mysteries in these books are often nearly afterthoughts, but I'm okay with that.
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