Auriel Rising

by Elizabeth Redfern

An exile and fugitive from England, Ned Warriner returns to his homeland in spite of the danger to search for his beloved, Kate Revill, unhappily married to an ardent anti-Catholic, and becomes caught up in the intrigues of the early seventeenth-century English court and the quest for the secret of the Philosopher's Stone.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Mystery, 17th Century, Fantasy, Dark

391 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Elizabeth Redfern was born on October 29, 1950 in Cheshire, England and attended the University of Nottingham, where she earned a BA in English. She then earned a post graduate degree as a Chartered Librarian at Ealing College and a post-graduate certificate in teaching at the University of Derby.

Redfern trained and worked as a chartered librarian, first in London and then in Nottingham. She moved to Derbyshire with her husband, a solicitor. And after her daughter was born, Redfern re-trained as a teacher and began work as an adult education lecturer - main subject, English - with the Derbyshire County Council.

Since then, she's been involved in various projects in nearby towns, including working with the unemployed and skills training in the workplace. She lives with her husband and her daughter, who attends a local school, in a village in the Derbyshire Peak District. In her spare time Redfern plays the violin with a local orchestra, the Chesterfield Symphony Orchestra.

Reviews

[Shawn]

I really liked "Music Of the Spheres", which was this authors first book---I mean----I loved that book! So, you can imagine how excited I was to begin another book by the same author. But it was disappointing. It was a really well written book, but didn't grab you from the beginning like her first book. I think that "Music" was so great that this one felt slow and the storyline more contrived. It is all about a man's search to finish the accidental discovery of the equation that he found to make gold. It just doesn't seem believable enough, and the characters are clearly bad or good---there doesn't seem to be any surprises here.
All in all, a good read, but not fantastic!

[Roberto]

This is the second novel by Elizabeth Redfern that I read and I just feel sorry that she didn´t wrote more of them. It was a fast paced and riveting historical thriller about plots against the english king and alchemy.

[Dora Okeyo]

'To Auriel, I will give the gift of gold...'

I expected a lot from this book, but I will admit that it did turn out to be but a fair read.

The story starts with Ned, coming upon a letter, and it tells of the secret of Gold in times when people killed for it, and whoever talks about the letter is found dead with their little finger cut off.
I expected a great mystery of alchemy, but as the story progressed, it became clear that the story was more about a plot to destroy the King and create room for another leader, and the mystery remains that who was behind the plot? What were they planning?

There's the brutality and disregard for women evident in how Lovett and Pelham treat their wives.

I did find one character quite keen and a schemer, Alice, she saw to her lover's downfall, his death, and stole a secret of how to manufacture gold, but in so doing she brought about her downfall.

I was disappointed that the plot was lost somewhere in the middle of the story.
It would have been a more interesting story if the writer stuck to the theme of alchemy, and set upon the journey of it instead of introducing politics.

[Alethea]

Redfern's first novel, THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES, wasn't my favorite, but this book, set in 17th c. London and centered on alchemy, was WONDERFUL. Ned Warriner, the main character, returns from exile to find the woman he loves married to another man and his opportunities for making money are limited. He wins some old books while gambling and discovers a letter, written to "Auriel," inside one of the books. The letter, written by John Dee before he died, is the secret of the Philosopher's Stone, which will turn anything to gold. It also turns out to be a coded letter to Sir Walter Raleigh, whom John Dee called "Auriel." Raleigh has been imprisoned for years by the king, and the letter, in alchemical terms, outlines a plan for his escape. Redfern did a fantastic job with this one, much better than I expected.

[Jack Coleman]

Historical fiction, with lots of double double toil and trouble.
My favourite quote was from Ben Johnson epigram LIX

Spies you are lights in State
but base stuff,
Who,when you have burnt yourselves down to the snuff,
Stinke and are thrown away.

Some things never change.

[Jaffareadstoo]

I really enjoyed this look at the world of alchemy and intrigue in the early part of the seventeenth century. The characters were believable and the description of life during the reign of James I was particularly well done.

[Sharon]

DNF - page 173 (44%)

This book wasn't really for me ):
I loved the atmosphere, but I didn't find any of the characters to be personally compelling.

[Erin Moore]

Yay for rich, lush historical fiction. Well-researched and better written, this book is compelling not for its intricate plot (a mixture of alchemical clues and the politics of the court) but for the failed romance of Ned and Kate.

I wanted a good bit more of Ned, though. There were some dark depths to explore there, and we only really scratched the surface. This is the only book I've read of Ms. Redfern's; perhaps she intends to bring Ned into other books. Either way, I needed to see a little bit more of what drove him and what kept him coming back to Kate. (I mean, a man who has been away at war for a few years doesn't necessarily want to risk his life to come back for an old flame...)

My only other minor complaint was that there was a little bit too much coincidence for me - how Ned obtains the magical letter to begin with, how he always managed to find exactly the right person to speak to about it next, the gardener popping up everywhere, etc.

But really, minor in the grand scheme of this riveting book. For anyone who loves British historicals, this is a book to read.

[Jessica Rosner]

This is not at all the sort of book I normally read. It felt sort of old fashioned, in a good way. (I recently read Portrait of a Lady which felt very contemporary, except for the style of writing). It took me a long time to get into the story and once or twice I thought of abandoning it altogether. But it was on my handwritten list of books I want to read, written down years ago. I forgot why I added it but I must have read some great review along the way.
I'm glad I stayed with it. The last portion of the novel stitches all the loose threads together in a really page turning exciting way.
I liked it, not sure I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't love a complex historical story (set around 1612, England, King James) with very dark themes, some murder, rape, torture and a touch of alchemy.

[Rain]

"Times change, and we change with them. - Ned Warrington"

It was a good read rich in historical fiction, grotesque, adult and a bit of alchemy. A failed romance between Ned Warrington and Kate Pelham which I thought was the down part of it. It was already a fairly dark story and it caught me a surprise when the very thing that I wanted for Ned was to finally end up with the love of his life. Despite losing the secret to making gold. I have to say that the author have won when she made me feel this emphatic feelings towards the main character.

The pacing of the story, for me, was perfection as well. I highly recommend this to historical fiction lovers out there. They should check it out. I'm glad that I bought it during a sale even though I have never heard of the author nor of this novel.

[Metagion]

I can honestly tell you I have no idea what to make of this book. It's not really a 'slam', per se, it's just it was, as Shakespeare wrote, "A lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing." It's a really good period piece (England in the 1600s), but the story itself is confusing. Is it a story of alchemy, or the inner workings of English politics? (It also has what I call "Stephen King Syndrome," which is each and every time I like a character, he/she/it dies.) Great for those who enjoy period pieces, but unless you have a working knowledge of court intrigue, most of it will sail over your head like the rotten vegetables and fruit they would toss at the rabble that was in gaol or in chains. (Nice Latin, however.)

[Felicity]

Not bad. I lost track of the plot about 2/3 of the way in and I suspect the author did as well, but still, one of the better historical thrillers I've read. Basically, it's about what will happen when you let a whole bunch of chaotic evil and chaotic neutral and maybe three chaotic good characters bounce around in early 17th century London. Unusual in that none of the characters are especially likable, she's perfectly willing to kill off sympathetic characters and it doesn't end particularly happily.

[Shala Howell]

Read this book with some trepidation b/c Redfern seems to be very good at ensnaring me with a good premise, only to deliver a disappointing read. I enjoyed this book well enough. A good pick for reading during my daughter's naps, because I didn't mind putting it down when she woke up. The plot was also straightforward enough that I could read it in hour-long intervals over the course of a week without forgetting any key details.

[Thayer Berlyn]

The genius of this book is that the reader gains a vivid sense of time, place, purpose and character dimension without much benefit of player introspection. It's like a well-directed film with a stellar cast, where each actor projects motivation of his/her role simply through the nuance of gesture and intonation.

And that is what this novel is: an intriguing, visual story with an outstanding cast.

Captivating.

[Greer Andjanetta]

An absorbing read of life in early 17th century England. Anti-Catholic persecutions and a plot against the king (James) on behalf of his son Prince Henry, with a returned from exile musician as the central character. These plots are developed around the alchemist search for the Philosopher's Stone which adds some spice to a somewhat dry narrative.

[Caroline]

Alchemy and the search for the Philosopher's Stone as a cover for royal plots and political corruption during the Jacobean age. Interesting idea, and this book was readable enough, but it was all a bit average to me. I never really came to care about any of the characters and the plot just didn't interest me enough. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't especially like it either. Just average.

[J]

To Auriel, I will give the gift of gold.

It starts with a very great note but rather moves very slowly at times.

And ends with a very great note-
"So he hoisted his sail and away went he,
Away,away to some far countrie..."

[Mary]

interesting. it started slowly, but got more intense after the middle. a historical novel set in the days of England's James I.

[Paul]

DNF. It's competently written, but for a historical thriller....nothing happens. 142 pages in, and it's mainly people walking into different historical places and talking about intrigues.... I hate DNFing a book, but there's over 200 more pages of this and I'm done waiting for something to happen

[Megan]

DNS 7/15/2021

[Maxine Pruitt]

historical which I like

[Athena]

I have mixed reviews about this book. It was interesting but the pace was very slow at times. I like how the author created an array of wretched characters like Stephen Humphreys with his strangulation scar, the Duke of the Alsatia, Lazarus, and Robin Green with his ears cut off. Then there was Rose Alley and all the taverns complete with music and whores, the bakehouse Ned Warriner spent most of his time in, and the Tower; it really painted a grimy picture.

At times I found the book difficult to follow because the author structured her sentences in a manner I'm not used to reading; they were choppy.

My favorite aspect of the book were the connections from the astrological signs to the plants and planets. I loved how the letter to Auriel was interpreted. It was the most interesting part of the story, you wonder, will someone actually make the Philosopher's Stone?


I think the ending was great for the book, because of it's rough nature I couldn't imagine Ned Warriner sailing off into the sunset with Kate Pelham and her two year old son Sebastian. I have to say 2.5 stars.

[Owl]

Ein furchtbar langatmiges Buch. Die Story kommt bis auf die letzten 150 Seiten gar nicht in Fahrt. Spannung?- Fehlanzeige. Dafür wird alle 100 Seiten (im Schnitt) gevö***lt. Aber da man ja prüde ist, beschränkt sich das bei der Autorin auf eine Hinleitung und dann auf die kurze Abhandlung "und dann liebten sie sich". *gähn*
Die Charaktere bleiben fad und flach und es gibt nur extrem wenige Lichtblicke wie den fahrenden Schausteller Dr. Henry oder die Lehrerin Mrs. Wyatt. Auch die Atmosphäre der Stadt kommt nicht richtig zur Geltung. Wenigstens gabs ein Happy End. Aber eine Entschädigung ist das auch nicht.

Besonders ärgerlich waren die Tippfehler; besonders in den Datumsangaben. Es gibt drei oder vier Kapitel, die in dieser Reihenfolge spielen in: 1819, 1919, 1829 und 1820.

[Julia Gulley]

Story was way to choppy to hold my attention for long periods. I didn't want to give up on it completely because there were some good bits to the story. Would I read a sequel, no. Would I recommend this to anyone, probably not.

[Mark McPherson]

I didn't love the story, but definitely enjoyed it. The end frustrated me. Having said all that... This novel is one of the reasons I started writing myself. I just loved how Redfern details a scene, the mist, the lone candlelight in a window across the Thames. Amazing.

[Jen Taylor]

Great action, magic and adventure.

[Cindy]

I liked the ending.

[Feodora]

Der Anfang der Geschichte liess sich gut an und war schön in historische Ereignisse eingewoben, aber dann wurde es sehr verworren und träge.

Schade

[Liesl de Swardt]

It is quite hard to figure out who is the bad guys in this novel. The plot twists and turns so many times. Well written, but the story doesn't do much for me. Not the best of reads.