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A review by crazygoangirl
The Sanctuary Sparrow by Ellis Peters
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
This is the seventh book in the Cadfael Chronivles by Ellis Peters. I read this physically and it was a huge improvement from the last two audiobooks I read.
In this one, we’re back at the Abbey. A young man, Liliwin (I don’t know where Peters came up with her names. Perhaps they’re Welsh?), a jongleur, badly beaten and pursued by an angry mob, escapes by the skin of his teeth and is granted sanctuary within the Abbey by Abbot Radulfus. He is accused of being a thief and a murderer and Cadfael must prove him otherwise. Hugh Beringar is deputy sheriff investigating on behalf of the law and I always enjoy his presence.
This story centres around the Aurifaber family, gold merchants by trade. They are greedy, miserly and mean. Dame Juliana, titular head of the family, old, cold and controlling; her son Walter, miserly and uncaring of everything except the treasure left him by the previous generations; her grandson Daniel, newly married and a philanderer; his wife Margery, deceptively cunning and surprisingly strong willed; his unmarried sister Susanna, who runs the household efficiently and prudently and gets no recognition nor appreciation for her efforts; and Rannilt, a young girl in their service. When their tenant and locksmith, Baldwin Peche is found dead in the river, Cadfael and Hugh must join forces to prove Liliwin’s innocence. The usual shenanigans that are a hallmark of Peters’ plots follow with dollops of romance and love thrown in. I thought she was pretty bold with them in this one!
This is a tragic story of how thwarted ambition and neglect can cause a blight of the human spirit and how desperation can change the course of a person’s destiny. Peters keeps the suspense going until the very end, although I could predict what was going to happen next. I thought the climax was a little too stretched out and could easily have been shortened but it was effective nonetheless.
Liked this one much better than the previous book and enjoyed the return to the Abbey setting. Unfortunately the next book is again an audiobook. I hope it’ll be better than the other two I’ve read 🤞🏼
In this one, we’re back at the Abbey. A young man, Liliwin (I don’t know where Peters came up with her names. Perhaps they’re Welsh?), a jongleur, badly beaten and pursued by an angry mob, escapes by the skin of his teeth and is granted sanctuary within the Abbey by Abbot Radulfus. He is accused of being a thief and a murderer and Cadfael must prove him otherwise. Hugh Beringar is deputy sheriff investigating on behalf of the law and I always enjoy his presence.
This story centres around the Aurifaber family, gold merchants by trade. They are greedy, miserly and mean. Dame Juliana, titular head of the family, old, cold and controlling; her son Walter, miserly and uncaring of everything except the treasure left him by the previous generations; her grandson Daniel, newly married and a philanderer; his wife Margery, deceptively cunning and surprisingly strong willed; his unmarried sister Susanna, who runs the household efficiently and prudently and gets no recognition nor appreciation for her efforts; and Rannilt, a young girl in their service. When their tenant and locksmith, Baldwin Peche is found dead in the river, Cadfael and Hugh must join forces to prove Liliwin’s innocence. The usual shenanigans that are a hallmark of Peters’ plots follow with dollops of romance and love thrown in. I thought she was pretty bold with them in this one!
This is a tragic story of how thwarted ambition and neglect can cause a blight of the human spirit and how desperation can change the course of a person’s destiny. Peters keeps the suspense going until the very end, although I could predict what was going to happen next. I thought the climax was a little too stretched out and could easily have been shortened but it was effective nonetheless.
Liked this one much better than the previous book and enjoyed the return to the Abbey setting. Unfortunately the next book is again an audiobook. I hope it’ll be better than the other two I’ve read 🤞🏼