[books 2016] Another Shardlake mystery
Mar. 27th, 2016 01:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inulro14. Sovereign by CJ Sansom
I loved the first two books in this series, and part 3 did not disappoint.
It is several years since the last story took place. Shardlake and his clerk/tough guy Barak are sent on a mission by Archbishop Cranmer to accompany the King's Progress in the North in 1641 (an even largely sidelined by history because of what happened next). On their first day in York, a local guildsman is murdered practically in front of them, and it all snowballs from there. Several attempts are made on Shardlake's life, and he even ends up a prisoner in the Tower at one point. Shardlake has a run-in with Henry VIII. It does not go well.
Couldn't put it down. The plot is excellent and I love the characters. I put it on my kindle when I was unwell a few weeks ago & I nearly downloaded the other three books and kept going. But my project for the Easter weekend is to finish all the half-finished books lying around, so I resisted.
I said this with the first two books - this series brings home the reality of the level of paranoia and terror that characterised Henry VIII's reign in a way that no history book ever could. In the first book, Shardlake was an ardent Reformer, in the second somewhat disillusioned, in this one he has come to hate the King and sympathises very much with the rebellious northerners. I love Falco too, but he can be an annoying pain in the arse. I love Shardlake much more - it's painful to watch him lose his idealism and get messed around and abused on account of what idealism he has left (with regard to law and fairness, not religion) and his disability.
I loved the first two books in this series, and part 3 did not disappoint.
It is several years since the last story took place. Shardlake and his clerk/tough guy Barak are sent on a mission by Archbishop Cranmer to accompany the King's Progress in the North in 1641 (an even largely sidelined by history because of what happened next). On their first day in York, a local guildsman is murdered practically in front of them, and it all snowballs from there. Several attempts are made on Shardlake's life, and he even ends up a prisoner in the Tower at one point. Shardlake has a run-in with Henry VIII. It does not go well.
Couldn't put it down. The plot is excellent and I love the characters. I put it on my kindle when I was unwell a few weeks ago & I nearly downloaded the other three books and kept going. But my project for the Easter weekend is to finish all the half-finished books lying around, so I resisted.
I said this with the first two books - this series brings home the reality of the level of paranoia and terror that characterised Henry VIII's reign in a way that no history book ever could. In the first book, Shardlake was an ardent Reformer, in the second somewhat disillusioned, in this one he has come to hate the King and sympathises very much with the rebellious northerners. I love Falco too, but he can be an annoying pain in the arse. I love Shardlake much more - it's painful to watch him lose his idealism and get messed around and abused on account of what idealism he has left (with regard to law and fairness, not religion) and his disability.
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no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 12:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-27 04:07 pm (UTC)The north rebelled in 1536 but it took the threat of another rebellion in 1541 for Henry VIII to take the entire court and make a big appearance in the North and have people swear allegiance and make amends.
Shortly after he returned his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was accused of adultery & executed and thus the Progress tends to be forgotten.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-28 01:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-29 05:01 pm (UTC)