A fine conclusion to the story of Develish.
This book concludes the story of Develish that was commenced in The Last Hours. At the conclusion of The Last Hours while the Black Death had been avoided by the residents of Develish through the actions of both Lady Anne and Thaddeus Thurkell they were still in peril from the dangers posed by marauding bandits and the fear of conquest posed by Lord Bourne who refused to acknowledge Lady Anne as being capable of acting as master of Develish following her husband’s death.
The Turn of Midnight picks up the action from the last page of the preceding book with Thaddeus abroad in the neighbouring demesnes with his handful of boy companions. Soon they are in battle with the forces of Lord Bourne and the children become men as they each develop different skills to support both Thaddeus and Lady Anne as they seek to legitimise Lady Anne continuing to run Develish. The method chosen will implicate all of the inhabitants of Develish and those of other demesnes that they have granted shelter to in a conspiracy that will be challenged by agents of the Lord Blandforde and by those closer to home. Ultimately there will be a showdown between Norman and Dorsetshiremen as each seeks to set out the boundaries of a new order after the ravages of the Black Death.
Lady Anne will find herself having to battle the inherent bias against women of the time while also trying to protect her people and their plans for the future.
Develish itself plays a secondary role in this sequel to the action of Thaddeus and his men as they seek to discover how far the Black Death has spread and how many have survived it. This takes them as far east as Poole and allows them to learn new knowledge and skills. Others are also growing in stature within the confines of Develish such as Lady Eleanor and Isabella and Robert Startout.
I enjoyed this book probably more due to my having read The Last Hours but there is a sufficient amount of back information that this book could be read as a standalone story.
The Turn of Midnight picks up the action from the last page of the preceding book with Thaddeus abroad in the neighbouring demesnes with his handful of boy companions. Soon they are in battle with the forces of Lord Bourne and the children become men as they each develop different skills to support both Thaddeus and Lady Anne as they seek to legitimise Lady Anne continuing to run Develish. The method chosen will implicate all of the inhabitants of Develish and those of other demesnes that they have granted shelter to in a conspiracy that will be challenged by agents of the Lord Blandforde and by those closer to home. Ultimately there will be a showdown between Norman and Dorsetshiremen as each seeks to set out the boundaries of a new order after the ravages of the Black Death.
Lady Anne will find herself having to battle the inherent bias against women of the time while also trying to protect her people and their plans for the future.
Develish itself plays a secondary role in this sequel to the action of Thaddeus and his men as they seek to discover how far the Black Death has spread and how many have survived it. This takes them as far east as Poole and allows them to learn new knowledge and skills. Others are also growing in stature within the confines of Develish such as Lady Eleanor and Isabella and Robert Startout.
I enjoyed this book probably more due to my having read The Last Hours but there is a sufficient amount of back information that this book could be read as a standalone story.