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A review by deehaichess
Brother Cadfael's Penance by Ellis Peters
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I have just worked my way through a collection of 5 or 6 Cadfael stories - my first Peters books ever. I have enjoyed every one: they're well written, well paced, characters are fleshed out just enough to be interesting, and the mysteries have been robust and good examinations of the darker things that drive people to do what they do.
Central to all these is Cadfael himself, who is of course highly interesting and engaging as a character (the books wouldn't be very good if he wasn't). So, I feel like I would have gotten far more out of this particular story had I been with him through all previous 19 books instead of just 5 of what someone else deemed was the best. Which isn't even a criticism, but perhaps just some advice for other readers new to Ellis Peters - read them all in order, I reckon.
Central to all these is Cadfael himself, who is of course highly interesting and engaging as a character (the books wouldn't be very good if he wasn't). So, I feel like I would have gotten far more out of this particular story had I been with him through all previous 19 books instead of just 5 of what someone else deemed was the best. Which isn't even a criticism, but perhaps just some advice for other readers new to Ellis Peters - read them all in order, I reckon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Violence