Other Gods

The Averillan Chronicles #1

by Barbara Reichmuth Geisler

It is the mid-twelfth century: the Normans have conquered England, the crown is in contention, and violence and corruption continually arise throughout the land. Dame Averilla, Infirmaress of the Benedictine abbey at Shaftesbury, is sorely troubled: a precious collection of herbal lore has gone missing. So has eccentric Dame Agnes - presumed by many to be possessed. Averilla suspects a connection between the losses and the town's wise woman, Galina, rumored to be a witch. But her efforts to solve the mystery are hampered by a discipline-obsessed sub-prioress and the ongoing power struggle between the nuns of Anglo-Saxon heritage and the daughters of the new Norman elite. Evoking all the fascinating color and customs of medieval England, this twelfth-century detective story will delight mystery and history fans alike.

Genres: Historical Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2001

About the author

Barbara Reichmuth Geisler is a native of San Francisco who holds baccalaureate and master's degrees from the University of California at Berkeley. She was head librarian for the San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum.

Reviews

[Spuddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first of a 2-book series set in mid 1100's England near Shaftesbury and features a convent with the main character being one Dame Averilla, the herbalist/healer for the convent and town. I don't know if she was meant to be the female counterpart of Brother Cadfael, but it certainly didn't come off that way. One of the nuns, Dame Agnes, has recently been having 'fits' where she seems to hear voices and respond to them, she screams, tears her clothing off, etc. and is believed by the sub-prioress, the self-righteous Dame Joan, to be possessed. Averilla believes there may be another explanation but before they can come to a conclusion, Dame Agnes disappears and is gone for several days before the Abbess gives Averilla leave to go searching, since the town bailiff has had no success.

I really liked the author's writing style, the historical detail and ambiance...it was very easy to imagine yourself right "there" where the author put you...however, the whole undertone of the book ruined the story for me. It was preachy and churchy and had far too much of the mental self-flagellation and self-blame which Christians indulge in as an undertone....it felt a bit 'off' and despite the fact that I had this and the second in series on my wishlist for several years before acquiring it, I won't be bothering with the second one.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Averillan Chronicles are about Dame Averilla, a nun at Benedictine Shaftesbury Abbey in 12th century England. In this story Averilla, the infirmaress, is dealing with the mental illness of another nun and the evil spells of town's woman, Galiena. The writing and plot were well executed for the most part. I found Geisler tended to overuse the scenario of character A divulging important information to character B after a scene. For example, afterwards Avarilla told Sister Somebody, she thought SoandSo was frightened by J Doe. That dialogue technique got a little old. Geisler also got a bit preachy at times but for the most part it fit with the characters or setting. Well written and engaging but certainly not exceptional.