In the closing years of the fifteenth century, Gloucester is tense
whilst piety and politics vie for power. Plague, floods and the fear of
heresy affect everyone, highborn or peasant alike and suspicions run
deep. Trapped in a marriage of necessity, Emmelina clutches at any hope
of escape, however temporary, but the risks are great and the stakes
high. When she disrupts the plans of the rich and powerful, she becomes
the target of their revenge. How can she survive?There is plenty of local detail and period atmosphere; Jordan knows Gloucester well and takes the reader on a fascinating tour of the mediaeval city. It is an intriguing story with a feisty protagonist, murders and violence, tears and joy and more than a little excitement. It is easy to believe that a woman could not stand alone in 1497; many did, owning property and running businesses, and Emmelina is determined to survive, manage her husband’s business and make her own way in the world, although she does not have it all her own way by any means. The chapter detailing Maud’s fate was graphic and could be distressing.
A few anachronisms; nightclothes were not common at this time, and a woman’s only undergarment was a chemise; some characters seemed to be wearing more modern underwear.
Some of the prose was a little stilted, with choppy sentences which could have been smoothed in the final edit. The story came to a somewhat abrupt ending; all the threads were brought together in a few pages, which was a shame as there would have been scope for a sequel telling of Emmelina’s further adventures, but that said, this was an entertaining debut novel.
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| Link to original review |
Get it here
Format:
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Paperback
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e-pub
Kindle
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Publisher
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FeedaRead.com
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Indigo Books
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Year:
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2014
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2014
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Price:
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£8.99
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£0.99
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Pages:
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394
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394
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ISBN-10:
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1784076015
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ISBN-13:
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978-1784076016
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ASIN:
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B00IDHC6T0
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Reviewed:
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29th September 2014
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Prices correct at date of posting
2015-02-23
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