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Book Review
Apr. 1st, 2018 08:03 pmThe Summer of the Danes
by Ellis Peters
This is the 18th Cadfael mystery, and it was an unusual one, in that there was precious little mystery in it. Cadfael and the young deacon Mark journey into Wales an a diplomatic mission from the Bishop of Clinton to delivery gifts and greetings to two fellow bishops. Along the way, they become aware of and then embroiled in two family disputes: Owain Prince of Gwynedd's conflict with his brother Cadwaladr, who has brought a company of Irish Danes to the Welsh shores to force the return of his lands; and the smaller, more intimate conflict between Canon Meirion and his daughter Heledd, whose existence may hinder his advancement in the church. There is a murder, but it is entirely tangential to the plot, and Cadfael has little to nothing to do with discovering the murderer. Instead, Cadfael and Heledd are captured by the Danes and thus find themselves in the midst of the conflict between Owain and Cadwaladr.
I quite liked this one. I love anything set in Wales, and I quite liked the change from the usual pure murder mystery story. Of course we do still have some star-crossed lovers. But this time the focus was on the ways in which family relationships can have huge political meanings and repercussions. I loved the way Peters made those relationships complex and nuanced. I also really liked the exploration of the ways in which war can be resisted and averted.
by Ellis Peters
This is the 18th Cadfael mystery, and it was an unusual one, in that there was precious little mystery in it. Cadfael and the young deacon Mark journey into Wales an a diplomatic mission from the Bishop of Clinton to delivery gifts and greetings to two fellow bishops. Along the way, they become aware of and then embroiled in two family disputes: Owain Prince of Gwynedd's conflict with his brother Cadwaladr, who has brought a company of Irish Danes to the Welsh shores to force the return of his lands; and the smaller, more intimate conflict between Canon Meirion and his daughter Heledd, whose existence may hinder his advancement in the church. There is a murder, but it is entirely tangential to the plot, and Cadfael has little to nothing to do with discovering the murderer. Instead, Cadfael and Heledd are captured by the Danes and thus find themselves in the midst of the conflict between Owain and Cadwaladr.
I quite liked this one. I love anything set in Wales, and I quite liked the change from the usual pure murder mystery story. Of course we do still have some star-crossed lovers. But this time the focus was on the ways in which family relationships can have huge political meanings and repercussions. I loved the way Peters made those relationships complex and nuanced. I also really liked the exploration of the ways in which war can be resisted and averted.
