The easiest five stars ever given by me. It’s become my favourite book. The writing is masterful, and I’m someone who loses interest very quickly, especially when it comes to lengthy books, yet I was absolutely captivated by the story from the beginning. For some, it might seem like a slow start because at first you don’t really understand how all the characters will come together, but each story intrigued me, and I couldn’t wait until the moment where it finally makes sense.
This is the way I like my historical fiction: well-researched. The research that has gone into the creation of this book (in only 10 months?!) created an immersive atmosphere that made me feel like I was part of the story. I could vividly picture the cities, villages, monasteries and roads, and feel the cold breeze coming from the streets or the ruins. The characters were well built, and were able to awaken strong emotions in me. Richard Dübell certainly isn’t afraid of giving me a heart attack every three pages, especially towards the end. What an incredible journey this book was!
I’d say this book has everything, from history, to romance, tragedy, heartbreak, family, friendship, stories about women and the realities of the time, corrupt church officials, character growth, mystery, adventure… you name it. One of my favourite themes was that of the monks who were bound to act in a certain way in the name of goodness. The writing captured their conflict, guilt, and confusion in a powerful way. Much like the love stories, I felt that the writing was so powerful, honest and beautiful. It was amazing reading the written from Cyprian’s point of view.
I’m extremely disappointed that only one of Dübell’s books have been translated in Romanian (this one) and none in English? 🤨 My best chance is Spanish, pero estos maravillosos libros merecen ser traducidos a más idiomas, todos. 🙏🏻