St. Peter's Fair (Cadfael Chronicles Book 4) by Ellis Peters

 

Publication Date:  January 1, 1981

Length:  219 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

This series has always interested me due to its unique time period, well written dialogue, and intriguing plots. The continuation of Brother Cadfael's story along with recurring characters make it a must read, I have to check in and see what happens next. I struggle to read new authors for this reason.....I just love series books! And Ellis Peters has such a good grasp of vocabulary and description of the medieval period I always feel like I'm actually there myself. 

This story centers around real events, (as do all the Cadfael Chronicles), during the period known as The Anarchy. King Stephen and Empress Matilda are still warring over who will rule England, and the monks in Shrewsbury are caught in the middle. Empress Maud is trying to gain support for an invasion and takeover along with her brother, Robert of Gloucester and his son-in-law, Ranulf, the Earl of Chester, who she hopes will join the cause. Ranulf has not decided which side to join, Stephen or Maud, and is interested in weighing his options. In the summer of 1139, everyone in Shrewsbury is eagerly awaiting the start of the St. Peter's Fair. 

The story is broken down into sections: The Eve of the Fair, The First Day of the Fair, The Second Day of the Fair, The Third Day of the Fair, and After the Fair. At the beginning of the story we find the monks preparing for the three day event which will take place in and around the Abbey. This has been a long standing tradition, one in which the Abbey stands to benefit monetarily from the revenue generated. Geoffrey Corviser, the town provost, wants the order to allow for some of the money raised to go to damages incurred from last year's siege of the town but Abbot Radulfus is unmoved. He states that this is not the responsibility of the Abbey and that no money will be given. 

Tensions begin to rise between the townspeople who want the money for repairs and the merchants of the fair, who are caught in the middle and don't want to be seen sharing the profits and going against the traditions of the Abbey. When a wealthy wine merchant, Thomas of Bristol is pushed to the breaking point, he hits one of the young men with his staff and a riot begins. Later, when Thomas is found naked, murdered, and stripped of his clothes, Phillip Corvisor, the young man he assaulted, is charged with his death. 

Meanwhile, Thomas's niece, Emma, is grappling with the shock of her Uncle's death and feeling the weight of both the murder and the realization that she must make decisions regarding the wine business and her future. During all of the happenings, Cadfael takes Emma under his wing and vows to help her get to the bottom of her Uncle's murder. He is not convinced the right man has been arrested and charged. Due to clues uncovered regarding the state of the body and what appears to be the break in and search of Thomas and Emma's booth by an unknown culprit, he thinks there may be much more depth to the story and that the murderer is using the convenient surroundings of the riot and Phillip's involvement to mask a more sinister plot. As more is revealed, Emma realizes she may be in danger herself and must be careful as she works to uncover the truth. 

While the story had all the same elements of the three previous books, I found myself a bit bored with this one which is why I only gave it three out of five stars. It was disappointing because I look forward to being entertained when I pick up one of these and they are usually an enjoyable break from longer, epic books. The story's setting at the fair just wasn't terribly interesting and the main characters didn't excite me. Most of the real action didn't get going until late into the plot and even then, it wasn't that suspenseful. Cadfael didn't factor into many parts of the story that I normally expect and so I found myself wishing we'd seen and heard more from him. 

My favorite part was at the very end when the murderer and the motives behind the crime were revealed. I thought it was clever and brought some more history into the mix, which I always love. So even though it was a bit of a slog to get there, the ending was pretty satisfying. I will definitely be continuing with the series, but will probably take another break from it for a bit. The next story looks more interesting just based on the title, The Leper of St. Giles. Cadfael must seek help from the nearby leper colony and that alone sounds fascinating. 

The Cadfael Chronicles are well written, classic mysteries, but there are twenty so I'm sure there are bound to be a few that won't make the very top of my favorite list. They are still worth the read though.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Armor of Light by Ken Follett

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, I realize I've chosen a book that will be quite the wait! This book doesn't even come out until September 2023 but it is sure to be a popular one.  I have only read the first book in this series, The Pillars of the Earth, so I am very behind but even if I don't make it to this one this year, I know others who would want to see it coming. I was especially intrigued to see it covers the Napoleonic Era which I want to know more about so I may just have to jump in and read it out of order. 

September 2023

Historical Fiction

Book description courtesy of Amazon

The long-awaited sequel to A Column of Fire, The Armor of Light, heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond.

The Spinning Jenny was invented in 1770, and with that, a new era of manufacturing and industry changed lives everywhere within a generation. A world filled with unrest wrestles for control over this new world order: A mother’s husband is killed in a work accident due to negligence; a young woman fights to fund her school for impoverished children; a well-intentioned young man unexpectedly inherits a failing business; one man ruthlessly protects his wealth no matter the cost, all the while war cries are heard from France, as Napoleon sets forth a violent master plan to become emperor of the world. As institutions are challenged and toppled in unprecedented fashion, ripples of change ricochet through our characters’ lives as they are left to reckon with the future and a world they must rebuild from the ashes of war.

Over thirty years ago, Ken Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Now, with this electrifying addition to the Kingsbridge series we are plunged into the battlefield between compassion and greed, love and hate, progress and tradition. It is through each character that we are given a new perspective to the seismic shifts that shook the world in nineteenth-century Europe.

 

The Chevalier: (Morland Dynasty Book 7) by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Publication Date: November 3, 1994

Length: 410 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

I came across these books last year and thought the idea behind them was really unique. The author wanted to create a sort of "history without tears" approach to British history and decided to write these books covering chronologically the era from the Wars of the Roses through World War II. She got as far as the Great Depression era before the publishers decided to call it quits. That's a real shame because they are gems and apparently are making a comeback recently. Maybe they will decide to let her continue if the demand is there.

I decided to start with this one because it covers an often neglected time period between the Glorious Revolution and the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. I have the first one called The Founding and will definitely have to go back and read it because I admit to being a bit lost with all the characters and no knowledge of their backstories. It was still readable though. The story begins in the late 1600's as James II has fled England for France after being deposed by William of Orange. The Morland family is gathered around discussing their future and how they will support the Catholic James in his fight to regain his throne. The family matriarch, Annunciata has decided to go to France and see how she can assist there. The family left behind, including her five year old grandson James Matthias "Matt", are prepared to live under Protestant rule despite their reservations in order to care for Morland Place, the family estate.

The story shifts from the political angle to the personal as we see Matt grow up, Annunciata living her years out in France, and several Morland family members making their way in foreign countries. Matt's life on the Morland estate is told through his interaction with childhood friends living on the property and we begin to see the chasm grow between tenant and overlord. Despite being a gentle, kind hearted soul, Matt must come to terms with his priviledged place in the world and how it will affect his life going forward. He eventually marries the selfish, spoiled India who will receive her own inheritance upon the marriage and although Matt wants to believe his bride cares for him it is obvious she is self serving and narcissictic, caring only for her and her mother's life of luxury. 

In the third half of the book we return in earnest to the political as the Jacobite rebellion heats up. The Morlands become tangled in the attempts by the Scots to regain the throne for James and his heirs and not all of the Morlands will survive. Annunciata returns, an old woman, to Morland Place to live out her years. As new family is born, while others perish, the dynasty continues on. 

This book did an excellent job of educating the reader about the time period and its lead up to the rebellion as well as the intricate details of how it all took place. I have not found another historical fiction novel about this subject that had so many pieces of information woven into the narrative: Sophia of Hanover, her son George, the process by which the rebellion happened piece by piece, was included in such a way that I wondered where the author had gotten all of her research from. Many non-fiction books dealing with the Jacobites don't have as much thorough information. This made the third part of the book the most interesting for me. 

I will be honest and say I wasn't a fan of the first part of the book and it took me awhile to get into it. There was too much emphasis on Matt and India's relationship for my taste and I just couldn't bring myself to care about them. So I think I'm going to have a love/hate feeling about this series. I love the history she brings but am not crazy about all the details of the family members lives. Perhaps it was these particular people though and maybe when I read the first book it will have a different dynamic to it. It was a good story though and I can definitely say she succeeds in her goal of teaching history in an absorbing way.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Will Never Give Away

 

This week's top ten Tuesday was a freebie choice. And I decided to list the top ten books I would never give away or delete from my Kindle. It was hard because I have way more than ten that are special to me! These are books I've read multiple times or would read again just because. They are the ones that stuck with me and never get old. What are your "books you will never, ever give away?"

1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

2. Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

4. Royal Panoply by Carolly Erickson

5. Victoria Victorious by Jean Plaidy

6. A History of the American People by Paul Johnson

7. Queens of England by Norah Lofts

8. Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie

9. The Plantaganet Series by Sharon Kay Penman

10. North and South Trilogy by John Jakes

The White Ship by Charles Spencer

Publication Date: October 19, 2021

Length:  352 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'd been eager to start this book, not only because it is about a period of time I love to learn about, but because it is a non-fiction history book. I made a goal this year to read a bit more history like I used to years ago before I made the switch to a lot of historical fiction and historical mysteries. Sometimes you just want the facts without a story line and so I thought this looked like a good book to begin with in January.

The book takes you through the reign of William the Conqueror to the rise of Henry II. It gives a good synopsis of each ruler and their influence on history, all of it linking back to the premise that the White Ship disaster of 1120 was the driving factor behind the ruin of Henry I's ambitions for England. The prologue, A Cry in the Dark, is short but riveting, describing the terror and horror of that night and in an interesting twist, leaves one hanging, thinking the young Prince William, shining star son of Henry I, has gotten away to safety. The story then switches to the rise of William the Conqueror and doesn't return to the sinking of the ship in detail until later. 

The story is then divided into three main sections: the rise of Henry I, the shipwreck disaster and failure of Henry I to produce another male heir, and finally, the period of anarchy that saw the battle between his daughter, the Empress Matilda, and her cousin Stephen, to take the throne. Throughout we are given many personal stories including Henry's rocky relationship with his wild brothers, his rivalry with King Louis "The Fat" of France, and his tireless efforts to control Normandy. 

The second part of the book reads like a novel in its recreation of the tragedy and the people aboard the ship. We are given some background on the frivolity of the atmosphere, the entitled nobility all vying for a place in the world of the celebrated prince, and the obvious effect of free flowing wine on the passengers and crew. As the story moves into the moment of shipwreck, Spencer does a superb job of making one feel as if they were there, describing the people on board, the weather, and the terror of the helpless victims. He details what it must have been like as they landed in the water, freezing and drowning in panic. Later, the description of the heartbroken Henry upon hearing the news of his son's death, "Henry fell to the floor, screaming in agonized disbelief at the realization he had lost his son and beloved heir," resonates with any parent today thinking of the same fate befalling their child. 

Part three takes a very complicated period known as The Anarchy and gives a factual, solid account without getting too bogged down in minute details. The story of Stephen and Empress Matilda attempting to slug out who will rule after Henry's death has had volumes written about it. Keeping things brief and to the point is no easy task but Spencer handles it well.

I thought this book was an excellent introduction to the time period it covers and will allow the reader to walk away being able to recount the events and get a feel for the middle ages at this time. It reads smoothly and quickly in chronological order and I never felt lost or bored by irrelevant facts. It wouldn't be my first choice for really getting an in-depth understanding of The Anarchy, but would be a good place to start just to get the main players and key points down. 

Another huge bonus with this book for me was the picture gallery at the end. Some I'd seen before, some were new, and some I'd seen but not up close and in color. From the portrait of William the Conqueror, to the tomb of Robert Curthose, to the painting of the White Ship disaster by Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise, I was enthralled and spent quite a while studying each one. This addition alone makes the book worth purchasing. An entertaining history story, along with paintings and maps, makes me really feel as if I am transported through time. 

When I went to do a little research on the author, I wondered how on earth I managed to buy this book, read it, and only then discover that Charles Spencer is....THE....Charles Spencer. I did not put it together that the brother of the late Princess Diana was an author until I went searching for more books of his. Imagine my surprise! I had no idea he'd written anything at all and was excited to find more books covering subjects that interest me. Because of his simple yet informative, narrative style, I will definitely be reading more of his books.