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The Burnished Blade
A novel of France at the time of Jeanne d'Arc about a young boy who is apprenticed to an armorer.The flaming martyrdom of Joan of Arc opens this historical romance in France at the dawn of the Renaissance. Among the onlookers at that terrible spectacle was Pierre, a frightened boy whom Hugh, the armourer, had rescued that morning on the road outside Rouen. Under Hugh's tutelage, Pierre learns the closely guarded secrets of the armourer's trade. But he is destined not to use them...
482 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
About the author
Lawrence Schoonover
21 books16 followersLawrence Schoonover (1906–1980) was an American novelist.
Born in Anamosa, Iowa, Schoonover attended the University of Wisconsin, then worked in advertising before becoming a novelist.
Lawrence Schoonver had four daughters with his wife, Gertrude Hedwig Bonn: Judith Hedwig (1940), Mary Elizabeth (1942), Caroline Grace (1944–2005), and Virginia (1946).
Writing mostly historical fiction, his attention to detail and historical accuracy won him great praise by his contemporaries. Among his many well-known books are The Queen's Cross, The Burnished Blade, Gentle Infidel, The Spider King, and The Prisoner of Tordesillas.
Born in Anamosa, Iowa, Schoonover attended the University of Wisconsin, then worked in advertising before becoming a novelist.
Lawrence Schoonver had four daughters with his wife, Gertrude Hedwig Bonn: Judith Hedwig (1940), Mary Elizabeth (1942), Caroline Grace (1944–2005), and Virginia (1946).
Writing mostly historical fiction, his attention to detail and historical accuracy won him great praise by his contemporaries. Among his many well-known books are The Queen's Cross, The Burnished Blade, Gentle Infidel, The Spider King, and The Prisoner of Tordesillas.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 7, 2009
One of these days I may finally give up on the concept of 'reading myself to sleep.' For some years now, I've done most of my reading at night; normally, I can comfortably put down the book at a decent hour and ensure a good night's rest - occasionally, however, a story grabs my attention and refuses to let go, and large quantities of sleep are lost as a result. Unfortunately for my health in the past month, the last three novels I've read have all been gripping, page-turning adventures that I could not force myself to close until my eyes became incapable of sight. The first two of these novels were The Walking Drum and Sitka, on which I have written lengthy reviews and praises; the latest was a novel called The Burnished Blade, by Lawrence Schoonover.
I discovered this novel quite by mistake. As evidenced by my decision to study and dig up ancient histories and artifacts, I have always had an inexplicable penchant for items of great age. This manifests itself yet again every time I see a stack of books in an antiques shop, or an exceptionally old-looking volume in a used bookstore. A number of months ago, I happened upon one that appeared nearly as aged as some of the 100+ year old books I've had the fortune to acquire, but was in remarkably sound shape. It turned out to only date to 1948, but as it was cheaper than a new paperback, I picked it up, intending to perhaps skim it later, and it has since spent some considerable time between boxes and shelving in my possession. Last week, eager for something both intellectually and imaginatively stimulating after finishing the two L'Amour novels, I noticed the title The Burnished Blade on my shelf, and it immediately conjured to mind images of medieval knights clashing boldly for honor and a maiden's hand; once I began to read, the words turned those illusions to reality in my mind, and I was not disappointed.
The story, set in 15th Century France and parts of the Near East, follows a young man named Pierre, and begins with the unfortunate death of his unknown family, apparently on a journey far from their own land in search of a world-class doctor to treat the boy for some mysterious malady. His parents are obviously persons of some importance, as they have quite a company of guards and retainers, but after they are killed and the boy survives both the devastating fever and the life-changing tragedy, he cannot remember his own origins, nor can anyone ascertain them for him. When he shows up on the streets of Rouen in rags, he is taken for an orphaned peasant, and cared for by first a kindly priest and then an armorer, who takes the boy into his household and later adopts him as a son. This introduction having been established, the next segment of the story evinces Pierre's rearing and education, first by his new parents and later at the town's monastic school, a rare combination that brings him to manhood knowing the secrets and lifestyles of both a middle-class merchant and the priesthood, and proficient in all areas of academics to include advanced mathematics and several languages. From there, it only makes sense that he will go on to become traveled and accomplished, providing us with the entertainment of following his grand adventures along the way, which comprise the latter half of the novel.
The format in which young Pierre's adventures are laid out is somewhat unorthodox to the modern story, or at least seems so at first. There is not an immediate goal, to which the hero aspires from the start and attains at the end, nor a single nemesis that he must overcome in order to do so. Instead, the protagonist seems to simply react to a number of small issues, individually and as they arise, and is often forced ahead on his journey simply through being a victim of circumstance. At every turn, of course, his natural wit, extensive education, and affinity for encountering the right people at the right times allow him to turn what would ordinarily be a very bad situation into an improvement on his position in the world. Once he has reached a certain plateau, the more intricate plot devices begin to surface, and his true adventures commence, though the means to many of his ends are thrust upon him seemingly as wantonly as had been the earlier trials. To sum up the second half of the novel as succinctly as I can manage: As an adolescent, Pierre had met and done a great service for the family of a French Count; once grown and working as a clerk, he comes into contact with the family once more, and quickly falls into a reciprocated love with the Count's young daughter; not of noble blood himself, Pierre may not marry a member of the nobility; the young woman's distant cousin becomes Pierre's rival for her hand, and he is well-qualified; Pierre is then sent on a mission of modest importance to the East; at his destination in Trebizond, he immediately and quite luckily (or unluckily, at the time) uncovers a massive scandal that cheats and defrauds the rulers of both that empire and the kingdom of France, and is suddenly in a mess of intrigue and action that threatens his life at every turn; he survives all attempts to silence him, and in the process attains everything necessary to return a hero and marry the Lady who holds his heart, not to mention great status, fame, and wealth. The way everything seems so random and driven numerous minor incidents, then is realized later to weave into the overall plot, makes Schoonover either an ingenious master storyteller or a half-mad and incredibly lucky idiot; I'll take the former as my personal opinion, if only for ego's sake.
Being so impressed with the author's ability and so captivated by his story, but having never heard of either, I performed some quick research before composing this review. Lawrence Schoonover wrote a dozen novels between 1948 and 1973, and did not even turn professional author until he was past the age of forty. He was well-respected for his attention to detail, and the remarkable historical accuracy employed in his writing - a few of his novels have even been classified as biographies, covering such figures as John Paul Jones and numerous European monarchs of the Renaissance period. After the treat of L'Amour's books, for me to have picked a complete unknown off the shelf based on nothing more than a fantasy title and come away with another remarkable story of historical fiction is almost enough of a coincidence to compel within me some belief in fate or providence, and I believe I am now stuck on the genre, and gladly. The Burnished Blade was Schoonover's first work, and they are reputed to have only gotten better as he went; if this is true, I know what's next on my list.
I discovered this novel quite by mistake. As evidenced by my decision to study and dig up ancient histories and artifacts, I have always had an inexplicable penchant for items of great age. This manifests itself yet again every time I see a stack of books in an antiques shop, or an exceptionally old-looking volume in a used bookstore. A number of months ago, I happened upon one that appeared nearly as aged as some of the 100+ year old books I've had the fortune to acquire, but was in remarkably sound shape. It turned out to only date to 1948, but as it was cheaper than a new paperback, I picked it up, intending to perhaps skim it later, and it has since spent some considerable time between boxes and shelving in my possession. Last week, eager for something both intellectually and imaginatively stimulating after finishing the two L'Amour novels, I noticed the title The Burnished Blade on my shelf, and it immediately conjured to mind images of medieval knights clashing boldly for honor and a maiden's hand; once I began to read, the words turned those illusions to reality in my mind, and I was not disappointed.
The story, set in 15th Century France and parts of the Near East, follows a young man named Pierre, and begins with the unfortunate death of his unknown family, apparently on a journey far from their own land in search of a world-class doctor to treat the boy for some mysterious malady. His parents are obviously persons of some importance, as they have quite a company of guards and retainers, but after they are killed and the boy survives both the devastating fever and the life-changing tragedy, he cannot remember his own origins, nor can anyone ascertain them for him. When he shows up on the streets of Rouen in rags, he is taken for an orphaned peasant, and cared for by first a kindly priest and then an armorer, who takes the boy into his household and later adopts him as a son. This introduction having been established, the next segment of the story evinces Pierre's rearing and education, first by his new parents and later at the town's monastic school, a rare combination that brings him to manhood knowing the secrets and lifestyles of both a middle-class merchant and the priesthood, and proficient in all areas of academics to include advanced mathematics and several languages. From there, it only makes sense that he will go on to become traveled and accomplished, providing us with the entertainment of following his grand adventures along the way, which comprise the latter half of the novel.
The format in which young Pierre's adventures are laid out is somewhat unorthodox to the modern story, or at least seems so at first. There is not an immediate goal, to which the hero aspires from the start and attains at the end, nor a single nemesis that he must overcome in order to do so. Instead, the protagonist seems to simply react to a number of small issues, individually and as they arise, and is often forced ahead on his journey simply through being a victim of circumstance. At every turn, of course, his natural wit, extensive education, and affinity for encountering the right people at the right times allow him to turn what would ordinarily be a very bad situation into an improvement on his position in the world. Once he has reached a certain plateau, the more intricate plot devices begin to surface, and his true adventures commence, though the means to many of his ends are thrust upon him seemingly as wantonly as had been the earlier trials. To sum up the second half of the novel as succinctly as I can manage: As an adolescent, Pierre had met and done a great service for the family of a French Count; once grown and working as a clerk, he comes into contact with the family once more, and quickly falls into a reciprocated love with the Count's young daughter; not of noble blood himself, Pierre may not marry a member of the nobility; the young woman's distant cousin becomes Pierre's rival for her hand, and he is well-qualified; Pierre is then sent on a mission of modest importance to the East; at his destination in Trebizond, he immediately and quite luckily (or unluckily, at the time) uncovers a massive scandal that cheats and defrauds the rulers of both that empire and the kingdom of France, and is suddenly in a mess of intrigue and action that threatens his life at every turn; he survives all attempts to silence him, and in the process attains everything necessary to return a hero and marry the Lady who holds his heart, not to mention great status, fame, and wealth. The way everything seems so random and driven numerous minor incidents, then is realized later to weave into the overall plot, makes Schoonover either an ingenious master storyteller or a half-mad and incredibly lucky idiot; I'll take the former as my personal opinion, if only for ego's sake.
Being so impressed with the author's ability and so captivated by his story, but having never heard of either, I performed some quick research before composing this review. Lawrence Schoonover wrote a dozen novels between 1948 and 1973, and did not even turn professional author until he was past the age of forty. He was well-respected for his attention to detail, and the remarkable historical accuracy employed in his writing - a few of his novels have even been classified as biographies, covering such figures as John Paul Jones and numerous European monarchs of the Renaissance period. After the treat of L'Amour's books, for me to have picked a complete unknown off the shelf based on nothing more than a fantasy title and come away with another remarkable story of historical fiction is almost enough of a coincidence to compel within me some belief in fate or providence, and I believe I am now stuck on the genre, and gladly. The Burnished Blade was Schoonover's first work, and they are reputed to have only gotten better as he went; if this is true, I know what's next on my list.
June 15, 2010
Written in 1948, not worth reading?!! Don't pass it up when you find that copy at a thrift shop of book sale. In fact, don't pass up any Schoonover,(The Gentile Infidel is my favorite), Shellabarger, Sabatini, Costaine, de Maurier, etc.
November 9, 2014
Schoonover was a very popular historical novelist in the 1940s and ‘50s, though he’s largely forgotten today. My father was a fan, though, and bought all his books, and so I read his copies more than half a century ago. Something brought him to mind recently and I began searching out his novels, of which I remembered only bits and pieces, and I’m glad I did. This is his earliest successful work and I still think it’s his best; it played a significant part in getting me interested in the world of Renaissance Europe and the twilight of the Byzantine Empire. The story begins near Rouen in 1431 when the knightly parents of seven-year-old Pierre are killed in the forest by brigands and the boy is rescued in timely fashion by a priest and entrusted to a renowned Italian armorer resident in the city. After having so recently seen the bodies of his parents burned, Pierre unfortunately witnesses the death of the Maid of Orleans, but he gets over it as he is adopted into the family of Hugh of Milan and grows up in a happy and well-connected family. He gets an education, learns a number of languages, and meets some important people who are clients of his foster father. He saves a young noblewoman from an unpleasant demise during the plague (another fire), which leads him to employment by Jacques Coeur, the financial genius who was instrumental in making France, which had barely survived the Hundred Years’ War, into one of the powerhouses of the modern Western world. Then an investigation into an opium-smuggling operation between the Eastern Empire and France (which deprives both governments of their tax revenues) takes him off to Constantinople, and then to Trebizond on the Black Sea, where Pierre not finds himself in great danger but also succeeds in his greatest ambitions. There’s a certain amount of swashbuckling, plus inn-destroying drunken fights, evil Bulgarians, gallant Venetians, cautious Turks, and scheming Greeks, but it’s all at a reasonable, believable level, and Schoonover imparts a great deal of quite accurate information about the 15th century Mediterranean world. There’s also a love story, of course, and a happily-ever-after sort of ending, but that’s okay. Because this book was written when it was, the sex is only occasionally and very lightly hinted at. Oh, and there’s also a thoroughly vivid execution by impalement as a denouement which has stuck in my mind since I first read the book so many years ago. This is an author who deserves to be rediscovered.
March 4, 2011
An entertaining tale of Medieval adventure, The Burnished Blade follows the early life of the French orphan Pierre. From it's gripping opening line, through his adoption by an Italian armorer, through attempting to bust a Renaissance drug cartel, the story's stakes stay high and interesting. The characters are memorably painted, and the historical tidbits feel genuine and fascinating. Partially a love-letter to the time period, Schoonover often presses pause on the story to describe some practice of the time with excruciating detail. Sometimes this works very well, such as the exquisitely tense scene depicting late 15th century brain surgery; other times it's a little much, such as when he spends a page describing how trade ships were prepared for a long journey.
There is a sprinkling of nearly everything in this book: adventure, action, romance, mystery, and education. I enjoyed finding out about the empire of Trebizond, a place I didn't even know existed but was apparently a pretty big deal for several hundred years. Very happy I plucked it out of the thrift store bargain bin a few years ago, as I have no clue if the 60+ year old book is out of print.
There is a sprinkling of nearly everything in this book: adventure, action, romance, mystery, and education. I enjoyed finding out about the empire of Trebizond, a place I didn't even know existed but was apparently a pretty big deal for several hundred years. Very happy I plucked it out of the thrift store bargain bin a few years ago, as I have no clue if the 60+ year old book is out of print.
April 28, 2026
This book wasn't bad, though it could have been better.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
September 4, 2009
The book begins in 1431 as a noble knight and his family on their way to Rouen are attacked by highwaymen and left for dead, although their young son survives the attack. With no knowledge of his family or name, he is adopted by Armorer Hugh of Milan and called Pierre. Hugh ensures that Pierre is well-educated and trained as a knight and when he travels to Paris on his guardian's behalf he saves the life of the elder daughter of the Count de la Tour-Clermont. When he’s older Hugh obtains employment through the grateful Count (and madly in love with the younger daughter although he cannot have her) and is sent to Trebizond in the East on a mission to investigate an alleged smuggling operation.
What follows are Pierre's adventures with scheming Turks, Greeks, a corrupt noble or two (as well as the evil eunuch), lots of treachery and betrayals and sword fight or two as Pierre sorts through it all to get to the bottom of the mystery. That all sounds very exciting and while I did enjoy the novel and the author's writing, this was written in 1948 and it does show at times. Not the prose itself, I quite enjoyed that - but the *action* (except for the impaling, now that was gory as all get out) is going to come across as a bit tame for today's jaded readers, and despite the lurid cover there's not much sex or romance to be found. It is a good book, just not a great one.
What follows are Pierre's adventures with scheming Turks, Greeks, a corrupt noble or two (as well as the evil eunuch), lots of treachery and betrayals and sword fight or two as Pierre sorts through it all to get to the bottom of the mystery. That all sounds very exciting and while I did enjoy the novel and the author's writing, this was written in 1948 and it does show at times. Not the prose itself, I quite enjoyed that - but the *action* (except for the impaling, now that was gory as all get out) is going to come across as a bit tame for today's jaded readers, and despite the lurid cover there's not much sex or romance to be found. It is a good book, just not a great one.
July 15, 2024
A late-medieval adventure story, with the adopted son of an armourer, Pierre, propelled by circumstances across the Mediterranean to Constantinople and Trebizond. The succession and escalation of events across his life is fun, as is the parade of historical figures of the era (Joan of Arc, Gilles de Rais and Jacques Couer being the more well-known) that are encountered, and the exotic setting of Trebizond. The sex and violence on display is tame overall, with the exception of one actually pretty gnarly execution scene.
Unfortunately, Pierre is so perfect he would make THE Mary Sue blush. Tall, strong, intelligent, kind, irresistible to women, honourable, polyglot, I could go on. There is nothing to give Pierre's character any spice. There is no difficulty in his life that can't be easily overcome by how awesome he is. It's page-turning fun, but it fails to evoke any deeper emotion. This reached an absurd peak, when after getting held for ransom by Pontic nobles,
Schoonover has a subtextual point via the setting. Set a few years before the fall of the Byzantines and a few decades before the discovery of the New World, the French characters exist in a region that is something of a backwater in the grand scheme of things, but will eventually be a leading part of the great divergence of Europe and the rest of the world. The significance of the early signs of change, like the adoption of Arabic numerals, and increases in social mobility (the ennoblement of Jacques Couer) are not taken as especially significant by the characters. Pierre hardly has any premonition that he is witnessing the last gasp of the Roman Empire in Trebizond (which fell several years after Constantinople) and the end of an era. Most of us can't see these things coming until they're already here.
This ties into why I don't touch historical fiction much: it's dangerous. Being entertained is one thing, being mislead into thinking you're learning is another. I have almost no idea whether Schoonover is bullshitting me or not. Were Arabic numerals really gaining ground in this period? Cursory Wikipedia search says, probably? maybe? How much of his portrayal of Trebizond is bullshit? There are lots of little historical details he throws in, like the cliffside Sumela monastery, Trebizond having its own, smaller and lesser-known Hagia Sophia, chaulmoogra oil, and the rift between the Genoese and the Trapezuntians, which show that he clearly had some research under his belt. The villain Baltha Ogli is a minor figure from the pages of Gibbon's Decline and Fall, but Schoonover has seemingly simplified the Trapezuntian succession, making David John's son rather than brother. Schoonover put in a little note informing the reader that Baltha Ogli is actually a real person, so perhaps his assumption is that the reader would/should assume that anything they don't already know about is made up. Maybe if you're a subject matter expert, you can navigate these treacherous waters. But if you are, wouldn't you rather just read real primary sources?
Both historical and science fiction can scratch a similar itch of dramatizing societies technologically different from our own, but the danger of deluding yourself that you're learning is much, much less with scifi. Schoonover did actually write a scifi novel, so it would be interesting to compare his approaches.
Ultimately, I did have fun reading this, so if any other Schoonovers happen to cross my path, I'll give them a chance.
Unfortunately, Pierre is so perfect he would make THE Mary Sue blush. Tall, strong, intelligent, kind, irresistible to women, honourable, polyglot, I could go on. There is nothing to give Pierre's character any spice. There is no difficulty in his life that can't be easily overcome by how awesome he is. It's page-turning fun, but it fails to evoke any deeper emotion. This reached an absurd peak, when after getting held for ransom by Pontic nobles,
Schoonover has a subtextual point via the setting. Set a few years before the fall of the Byzantines and a few decades before the discovery of the New World, the French characters exist in a region that is something of a backwater in the grand scheme of things, but will eventually be a leading part of the great divergence of Europe and the rest of the world. The significance of the early signs of change, like the adoption of Arabic numerals, and increases in social mobility (the ennoblement of Jacques Couer) are not taken as especially significant by the characters. Pierre hardly has any premonition that he is witnessing the last gasp of the Roman Empire in Trebizond (which fell several years after Constantinople) and the end of an era. Most of us can't see these things coming until they're already here.
This ties into why I don't touch historical fiction much: it's dangerous. Being entertained is one thing, being mislead into thinking you're learning is another. I have almost no idea whether Schoonover is bullshitting me or not. Were Arabic numerals really gaining ground in this period? Cursory Wikipedia search says, probably? maybe? How much of his portrayal of Trebizond is bullshit? There are lots of little historical details he throws in, like the cliffside Sumela monastery, Trebizond having its own, smaller and lesser-known Hagia Sophia, chaulmoogra oil, and the rift between the Genoese and the Trapezuntians, which show that he clearly had some research under his belt. The villain Baltha Ogli is a minor figure from the pages of Gibbon's Decline and Fall, but Schoonover has seemingly simplified the Trapezuntian succession, making David John's son rather than brother. Schoonover put in a little note informing the reader that Baltha Ogli is actually a real person, so perhaps his assumption is that the reader would/should assume that anything they don't already know about is made up. Maybe if you're a subject matter expert, you can navigate these treacherous waters. But if you are, wouldn't you rather just read real primary sources?
Both historical and science fiction can scratch a similar itch of dramatizing societies technologically different from our own, but the danger of deluding yourself that you're learning is much, much less with scifi. Schoonover did actually write a scifi novel, so it would be interesting to compare his approaches.
Ultimately, I did have fun reading this, so if any other Schoonovers happen to cross my path, I'll give them a chance.
October 14, 2018
Set during the middle ages, the story is about an orphan who is brought up by a blacksmith. He receives a spectacular education by a kindly clergyman and goes on to study business. Setting sail for the Ottoman Empire, he runs into a multitude of dangers. Of course he falls in love with a fair maiden, but the focus of the story never neglects the overarching adventure. Some interesting inclusions about the black death.
September 16, 2017
One of the best historical fiction novels I've read this year. I especially enjoyed it because the protagonist was privy to great events including the burning at the stake of Joan D'Arc. The author's first novel and possibly his best. Much suspense and swashbuckling but its reasonable and believable amid the interesting and fascinating historical detail. Set in the 15th century in France and Constantinople and environs.
July 19, 2023
I found this book on my grandma’s shelves when I was in middle school. I fell in love with it, as did my dad and all my siblings who read it. I’m re-reading it for the first time as an adult, and it is still a thrilling story and possibly the best historical fiction I’ve ever read.
April 26, 2013
An elderly gentleman approached me with this at a library book sale when I was a boy. It was a very kind gesture, for the book was an excellent find for a child seeking adventure.
June 24, 2015
Well written....very engaging and historical. Sheds a new light on how important trade and commerce was even in earlier centuries. The impalement toward the end was hard to get through....
August 18, 2015
Great read set in the Middle Ages. It brought to mind the Dorothy Dennett series House of Niccoli's second book which brings the reader to Trepizond a few years later.
July 2, 2021
Starts off a little uneven, but get better as you go along. The secondary characters are generally more interesting than Pierre, and it's obvious Schoonover did a lot of research into the era in order to do his writing. Sometimes he beats you over the head with it, proud of what he discovered, but since there's a lot in there that I wouldn't call common knowledge (I never even heard of Trebizond before.), I can forgive his enthusiasm.
There are many things that occur through the book that later come back as important, which is fun. There is one glaring deficiency in that regard however, and it really bothered me, because it seems like it should be important, but it's completely throwaway. Ultimately the book is quite entertaining and I look would for others by this author that I never heard of before. I just happened to pick up an old copy cheap at a used book sale.
This could be considered a spoiler, so stop now instead of reading my rant
There are many things that occur through the book that later come back as important, which is fun. There is one glaring deficiency in that regard however, and it really bothered me, because it seems like it should be important, but it's completely throwaway. Ultimately the book is quite entertaining and I look would for others by this author that I never heard of before. I just happened to pick up an old copy cheap at a used book sale.
This could be considered a spoiler, so stop now instead of reading my rant
September 28, 2023
I enjoyed this book which was published in 1948 and set in 14oo's. This book moves at a slower pace but is rich in details about the scenery, the people and the politics of the mid-fourteen hundreds. I found myself wondering between reading sessions what would happen next. Definitely a good book to read on a quiet day at home.
May 16, 2020
My rating is possibly a little inflated due to COVID-19, as physical books have been hard to come by. Fortunately, my dad has a few books I haven't read. Other than the fact this book was detrimental to my studying for finals, it was a lovely trip. I need to find more books of this sort.
Read
July 15, 2020I liked this book so much I kept it around for over 20 years
May 6, 2024
A delectable panoramic adventure. Insinuation supersedes too much elaboration.
November 8, 2024
A delectable panoramic adventure. Insinuation supersedes too much elaboration.
May 14, 2026
This was a great find on a bookshelf in an antique store. Good story and lots of history woven in that kept me looking up additional historical background. I recommend it!
February 22, 2009
An excellent book! I ran across both this one and The Lute Player while perusing the shelves in a used book shop. And what a gem I found! This is a slow, classical sort of adventure that will appeal to anyone who likes to watch a character slowly but surely grow and blossom in pursuit of love.
August 17, 2013
A very solid storyline. Very detailed and well researched, unlike many best sellers today. The biggest weakness is that the story moves very slowly in the giving of so much detail. But I did enjoy reading this book. It was very different from the books I typically read
December 11, 2010
Excellent! I wanted to continue to read it, and although it's not a conventional hero story with a single conflict, I loved it.
January 13, 2013
great main character and a few good minor ones. well written. some interesting history included
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews