I was really drawn into this enjoyable historical novel which painted an imaginative and thoroughly-researched picture of life in medieval England. It was a brutal and frightening world with a strict hierarchy imposed by both Church and state. The horror of the plague was very well conveyed, and the ideas about how its devastating effects would change the social order were fascinating, if rather ahead of their time.
Reading about how one strong woman managed to impose her will in this male-dominated setting felt like a guilty pleasure, since her attitudes seemed too modern to be believable in this context.
I also felt that many of the main characters and their relationships lacked complexity, as good people, especially the women, were too saintly, while the bad seemed unremittingly evil with no redeeming features or capacity for change.
Nevertheless I found this a compelling read, and was disappointed by how swiftly it was rounded off, despite the promise of a sequel.
Reading about how one strong woman managed to impose her will in this male-dominated setting felt like a guilty pleasure, since her attitudes seemed too modern to be believable in this context.
I also felt that many of the main characters and their relationships lacked complexity, as good people, especially the women, were too saintly, while the bad seemed unremittingly evil with no redeeming features or capacity for change.
Nevertheless I found this a compelling read, and was disappointed by how swiftly it was rounded off, despite the promise of a sequel.