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Fools' Guild #4
The Widow of Jerusalem
1204 A.D. The Fools’ Guild is on the run from an increasingly intolerant Church. Arriving too late at the Guildhall to join them, the jester couple Theophilos and Claudia and their newborn daughter Portia must now flee the Papal army, having first risked their lives to steal, of all things, a tavern sign. As they journey across the Alps, Theophilos recounts to his wife a story from the Third Crusade, of the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and her dwarf jester, Scarlet.
In 1191, as Richard the Lionhearted leads his forces in an attempt to recapture Jerusalem from the army of Saladin, Theophilos and Scarlet are quietly manipulating events to bring about an end to the bloodshed. Their mission leads them to Tyre, the only city in the Kingdom of Jerusalem to withstand Saladin. Governed by a rogue general, the city is aswarm with refugees, spies, and splintered factions vying for power and position, and even success may only prove fatal. The key chesspiece amidst the swirling intrigues remains Isabelle, the Queen of Jerusalem, desired by many but married against her will to a man decades her senior. But there are forces at work that will stop at nothing, and it is up to Scarlet to protect the interests of the Guild, the lives of the people, and the future of Isabelle.
Drawn from actual events, The Widow of Jerusalem is a tale of intrigue and ambition, love fulfilled and love unrequited, and a trio of historical deaths that have never been fully explained. Until now.
In 1191, as Richard the Lionhearted leads his forces in an attempt to recapture Jerusalem from the army of Saladin, Theophilos and Scarlet are quietly manipulating events to bring about an end to the bloodshed. Their mission leads them to Tyre, the only city in the Kingdom of Jerusalem to withstand Saladin. Governed by a rogue general, the city is aswarm with refugees, spies, and splintered factions vying for power and position, and even success may only prove fatal. The key chesspiece amidst the swirling intrigues remains Isabelle, the Queen of Jerusalem, desired by many but married against her will to a man decades her senior. But there are forces at work that will stop at nothing, and it is up to Scarlet to protect the interests of the Guild, the lives of the people, and the future of Isabelle.
Drawn from actual events, The Widow of Jerusalem is a tale of intrigue and ambition, love fulfilled and love unrequited, and a trio of historical deaths that have never been fully explained. Until now.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2003
3 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Alan Gordon
60 books91 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Alan Gordon is the author of the Fools' Guild mysteries. His short fiction and essays have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, The Drood Review of Mystery and the Medieval Academy Newsletter. He lives in New York City with his wife, Judy Downer, and son, Robert. By day, he is a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society.
Series:
* Fools' Guild
Alan Gordon is the author of the Fools' Guild mysteries. His short fiction and essays have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, The Drood Review of Mystery and the Medieval Academy Newsletter. He lives in New York City with his wife, Judy Downer, and son, Robert. By day, he is a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society.
Series:
* Fools' Guild
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 30, 2020
I have been chasing down all the books in this series as I am a big fan of Alan Gordon and Theo, his charismatic, sleuthing jester. I'm not normally one for historical settings in my reading but part of the charm of these books is the way that you are totally transported and immersed - this time into the middle of the Crusades and a city withstanding the armies of Saladin.
This book starts slightly differently as it begins with Theo explaining to his wife why he found it so important to go and steal a sign from an inn in a decidedly unfriendly territory. This means the story is sometimes interrupted with interjections by Claudia which I thought was a nice touch.
As usual the Fools' Guild are doing their best to steer the region out of chaos despite having to deal with the egos of many pretenders to the throne vying for the hand of the Queen of Jerusalem. During Theo's time, amidst intrigue and unexpected deaths, there is a rag tag group of apprentices to train and a strong friendship emerges between him and his fellow fool, Scarlet.
I am so glad I stumbled across this series. I always put whatever else I have open aside when one of these arrives, and I thoroughly recommend. Can't wait for the next!
This book starts slightly differently as it begins with Theo explaining to his wife why he found it so important to go and steal a sign from an inn in a decidedly unfriendly territory. This means the story is sometimes interrupted with interjections by Claudia which I thought was a nice touch.
As usual the Fools' Guild are doing their best to steer the region out of chaos despite having to deal with the egos of many pretenders to the throne vying for the hand of the Queen of Jerusalem. During Theo's time, amidst intrigue and unexpected deaths, there is a rag tag group of apprentices to train and a strong friendship emerges between him and his fellow fool, Scarlet.
I am so glad I stumbled across this series. I always put whatever else I have open aside when one of these arrives, and I thoroughly recommend. Can't wait for the next!
August 8, 2014
What kind of scam is this? I just read a history book and enjoyed it!
OK, it isn't that rare. I read a lot of SF, and there are some excellent stories
that use time travel as an excuse to put a modern character in a past setting.
But these use fictional historical characters as our point of view among real characters.
We see the details that aren't in the history books, and we see them by following
fascinating characters who are, perhaps, ninja clowns, James Bond with a red nose,
or what have you.
As others have noted, there are some moral issues raised, and there is a mystery - although it's not a big deal.
I was born in England and read a lot of English history, and I'm old enough that I read it when Richard the Lionheart was considered one of England's great heroes, the shining contrast to his ratbag brother John. With this story, and other things I've seen recently, we are shown that John may have been the good guy.
OK, OK, Richard was just part of a society that thought it was noble and honourable to slaughter the Other Guys in any way possible, and we can't really judge him by modern standards, but still ...
Anyway, this is another very entertaining read, and I will be looking for the rest of the series. So far, after two books, I'm not feeling a great need to read them in order.
OK, it isn't that rare. I read a lot of SF, and there are some excellent stories
that use time travel as an excuse to put a modern character in a past setting.
But these use fictional historical characters as our point of view among real characters.
We see the details that aren't in the history books, and we see them by following
fascinating characters who are, perhaps, ninja clowns, James Bond with a red nose,
or what have you.
As others have noted, there are some moral issues raised, and there is a mystery - although it's not a big deal.
I was born in England and read a lot of English history, and I'm old enough that I read it when Richard the Lionheart was considered one of England's great heroes, the shining contrast to his ratbag brother John. With this story, and other things I've seen recently, we are shown that John may have been the good guy.
OK, OK, Richard was just part of a society that thought it was noble and honourable to slaughter the Other Guys in any way possible, and we can't really judge him by modern standards, but still ...
Anyway, this is another very entertaining read, and I will be looking for the rest of the series. So far, after two books, I'm not feeling a great need to read them in order.
February 24, 2022
Theophilus ends up in the Holy Land as part of the crusades, following a lesser king of a tiny nation. There he meets Scarlet, a dwarf fool who is with the court of the Queen of Jerusalem. Her life and history is a sad series of dead husbands, being used as currency to create alliances and attempts to stall Saladin's conquest.
Now in Tyre, since Jerusalem is controlled by Muslim invaders who deposed the Christian invaders, the Queen has few friends and little power. Theo gets into a complicated mystery involving multiple forces, including Assassins (the real ones, from the Old Man of the Mountain). Through this Scarlet plays a major role attempting to move things to a peaceful, beneficial resolution in a nearly impossible situation.
The story is told in flashback, with Theo narrating the story to his wife and new daughter, as they seek the now-moving Fool's Guild who were deposed recently from their old headquarters. Its well-told and fun as usual, but has a lot of darker, sad elements as well and a ton of history told in an entertaining, gripping manner.
Now in Tyre, since Jerusalem is controlled by Muslim invaders who deposed the Christian invaders, the Queen has few friends and little power. Theo gets into a complicated mystery involving multiple forces, including Assassins (the real ones, from the Old Man of the Mountain). Through this Scarlet plays a major role attempting to move things to a peaceful, beneficial resolution in a nearly impossible situation.
The story is told in flashback, with Theo narrating the story to his wife and new daughter, as they seek the now-moving Fool's Guild who were deposed recently from their old headquarters. Its well-told and fun as usual, but has a lot of darker, sad elements as well and a ton of history told in an entertaining, gripping manner.
September 6, 2010
I think that Gordon has gotten even better, this time giving us a flashback to the end of the 1100s and the city of Tyre during the Crusades as the curious death of an anonymous woman catches the interest of our protagonist in the midst of war and intrigue.
The books aren't masterpieces of literature, but they are heartfelt, charming, interesting, and very well-crafted. Good read.
The books aren't masterpieces of literature, but they are heartfelt, charming, interesting, and very well-crafted. Good read.
August 23, 2020
I have just found this series and am beginning at #4. The idea of court fools being a Guild with their own agenda, helping to avoid war and keep the peace, in all parts of the Western world is a great concept. In this volume, it is 1191 and Richard the Lion heart is crusading against Saladin and there is Isabelle, a young woman who is the heir to the Jerusalem thrown whose marriage is under assault. Her husband, forced upon her, decades her senior, has been unwilling to support the Crusade with personal and troop support, he claims he needs to defend his family and position in Tyre where they have holed up. Add to this, Isabelle is beautiful and desired by many courtiers who are more supportive of the Crusade. Her fool, a dwarf named Scarlet, engages the help of Theophilos another fool, to help protect Isabelle and to avert more deaths. There are twists and turns and treachery. And, there is a different explanation for a period of history.
February 6, 2018
I am enjoying this medieval mystery series. The idea of traveling jesters/fools forming an international medieval spy ring trying to keep the peace is fascinating. In this story, Theo recounts his adventures in Acre and Tyre working with another fool, Scarlet, during the Crusades. Scarlet has been assigned to Isabelle, the Queen of Jerusalem. Theo and Scarlet together do what they can to shorten the crusades and save lives, encountering the Arabian sect of Assassins, the mystery of the Marquis of Monserrat's murder and King Richard's fool Blondel along the way.
May 7, 2017
Best in the series thus far, and a good picture of a period of time and people not often highlighted.
November 13, 2019
Lots of history around the 3rd Crusades. The characters are interesting and the story line moves along well.
August 30, 2021
A sadder and sharper read than the others in the series, but no less compelling, and certainly no less beautifully evocative of a time and place.
September 4, 2024
I found this a little hard to get into, but it had a surprising amount of historical accuracy and I liked it better as I went along.
October 11, 2024
The best of the series thus far.
December 8, 2008
Der Narr Theophilus, mit seiner Frau Claudia und ihrer neugeborenen Tochter unterwegs nach Innsbruck, erzählt ihr seine Erlebnisse rund um den Dritten Kreuzzug. Er beginnt dabei nach der Rückeroberung Akkons durch die Truppen Richards I. und Philipps II. Letzterer ist bereits abgerückt und Richard ließ gerade mehrere tausend Gefangene hinrichten. Noch in der nächsten Nacht beginnen die Narren ihren Plan umzusetzen und borgen Richards Siegel, um eine Nachschublieferung für Richards Feldzug zu Gunsten Konrad von Montferrat abzuzweigen. Der Roman spielt zum größten Teil in Tyrus, wo sich Konrad und seine Frau Isabella (die dem Roman den Titel gab) aufhalten. Er berichtet von den Zuständen in dieser Stadt und dem politischen Intrigenspiel, das auch nach dem Ende des Kreuzzuges kein Ende fand. So erlebt der Narr die Ermordung Konrads ebenso wie Isabellas Heirat mit Heinrich von der Champagne mit.
Man spürt sehr deutlich, dass sich der Autor die Quellenlage zu Outremer im ausklingenden 12. und beginnenden 13. Jahrhundert aber auch die Lebensumstände der damaligen Zeit genau angesehen hat, teilweise aber bewusst eine vereinfachte Darstellung wählt. Diese Vereinfachung ist in perfekter Übereinstimmung mit der Tatsache, dass die Geschichte ja in der Ich-Erzählperspektive wiedergegeben wird und nicht von einem allwissenden Erzähler, der natürlich mehr Einblick in die historische Forschung hätte.
Sprachlich ist das Werk leider sehr schwach, da haben andere Autoren schon wesentlich Besseres geschaffen. Als besonders schwach muss auch der Übersetzer bezeichnet werden, der doch tatsächlich "There we learned that" mit "Dort lernten wir, dass" statt mit "Dort erfuhren wir, dass" übersetzt.
Demgegenüber ist der Aufbau des Romans sehr gut gelungen, vor allem die Unterbrechungen der Erzählung durch Claudia sind das Salz in der Suppe. Die Figuren folgen nicht einfachen Klischees, was den Roman ebenfalls aufwertet. Insgesamt also ein durchaus lesenswertes Buch.
Man spürt sehr deutlich, dass sich der Autor die Quellenlage zu Outremer im ausklingenden 12. und beginnenden 13. Jahrhundert aber auch die Lebensumstände der damaligen Zeit genau angesehen hat, teilweise aber bewusst eine vereinfachte Darstellung wählt. Diese Vereinfachung ist in perfekter Übereinstimmung mit der Tatsache, dass die Geschichte ja in der Ich-Erzählperspektive wiedergegeben wird und nicht von einem allwissenden Erzähler, der natürlich mehr Einblick in die historische Forschung hätte.
Sprachlich ist das Werk leider sehr schwach, da haben andere Autoren schon wesentlich Besseres geschaffen. Als besonders schwach muss auch der Übersetzer bezeichnet werden, der doch tatsächlich "There we learned that" mit "Dort lernten wir, dass" statt mit "Dort erfuhren wir, dass" übersetzt.
Demgegenüber ist der Aufbau des Romans sehr gut gelungen, vor allem die Unterbrechungen der Erzählung durch Claudia sind das Salz in der Suppe. Die Figuren folgen nicht einfachen Klischees, was den Roman ebenfalls aufwertet. Insgesamt also ein durchaus lesenswertes Buch.
September 2, 2016
The fourth book in the Fools' Guild Mystery series. As Theo and his wife flee the Papal army which has just run all the fools from their Guildhall, he tells Claudia the story of his time in the Holy Land with Richard the Lionhearted. It is 1191 and the Third Crusade is well underway and Theo finds himself in Tyre with the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and a dwarf named Scarlet. Another enchanting piece of historical fiction. Lovers of the Middle Ages and the Crusades will thoroughly enjoy this tale, although it is not as enchanting as the previous three books.
March 8, 2010
This was the first Alan Gordon book I read. It was so good, I now own them all. The Widow of Jerusalem setting is fascinating, dealing with the Crusade. The women characters are interesting, which is a big plus for me. There is mystery and intrigue,but not at the expense of character development. Give this book a try. It's unusual, in a good way.
September 17, 2012
This was not a book that I would normally have chosen to read, but my choices were limited at the time. Still, it was an enjoyable read -- a mix of fiction, mystery, ambition, love & history written from the perspective of a fool/court jester. Very different. It was like a story within a story and it came together very well.
October 26, 2012
Thoroughly enjoy the setting--12th C Mediterranean area during and after Richard the Lionhearted's visit--and the concept--fools, court jesters as spies and political forces--doing the work of the Fools' Guild to ensure peace and manipulate which rulers and factions can best achieve it. Only problem--trying to find copies of these books at reasonable prices.
May 24, 2008
The fourth book in Gordon's Medieavl Jester murder mystery series. I'm liking these books even more than Lindsey Davis' Didius Falco series. Unfortunately, my library doesn't have a copy of the next book so I've requested it via inter-library loan.
April 10, 2021
The voices of the characters - especially the fools - aren't very distinct but it's all done with such charm and such a sense of joy that it would be churlish to not enjoy this. The plot involves the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart and a dwarf named Scarlet... all utterly delightful
October 1, 2013
Excellent historical fiction set at the end of the Third Crusade, with some murder thrown in! However, this is less mystery than historical fiction, so if you are expecting something like Lindsey Davis' Falco you might be disappointed.
November 3, 2013
Good novel about the conflict of Isabelle d'Anjou, Queen of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem during the 3rd Crusade. Mr. Gordon provides a great narrative through the main character, Theo, a jester or Fool, who can access places most others cannot. Highly recommended.
May 27, 2015
Alan Gordon has done it again. This time Theo relates the story of how he and Scarlet the Dwarf saved the Queen of Jerusalem. The story is told in the past tense as Theo is telling the story to his wife. A easy, quick read and well worth the time.
September 1, 2010
A very different perspective on the Crusades in Jerusalem with Theophilus and Viola losing and winning in heartrending fashion. Mystery, history, and politics amuck.
October 26, 2010
Didn't like story within the story...aborted after 90 pages.
November 5, 2010
Excellent! I liked this one much better than the last one in the series, and am definitely going to continue reading these books.
December 29, 2010
Different location and time...still very entertaining and historically interesting.
July 30, 2012
Fools on Crusades. Okay this time, not all that interesting.
October 7, 2015
I love this series.
February 2, 2010
excellent.
April 17, 2010
Widow of Jerusalem: A Medieval Mystery by Alan Gordon (2003)
August 21, 2011
I liked it and will read more by this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews