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All the Winding World: The Spellbinding Sequel to 'The Errant Hours'
The Spellbinding Second Volume in the Medieval Arrowsmith Trilogy“A brilliant sequel to The Errant Hours. The resourceful and ingenious Illesa has become one of my favourite fictional characters. A skillfully woven tapestry of historical fact and captivating story-telling that leaves the reader begging for more adventures.” Karen Maitland“The skillful crafting of and immersion in a brutal, beautiful, breathing world rife with treachery, disease, and dangers unseen will enchant readers new to the period and delight those who know it well.” Misty Urban – Historical Novel Society“Rich, intricate and full of ordinary women finding power in a society that seeks always to rob them of autonomy. A fantastic testament to the power of love.” Manda ScottEngland 1294The country is under siege, threatened by treachery and invasion. In the Welsh Marches, resentment against crippling taxes and conscription boils over into rebellion. Lady Illesa Burnel, determined to protect her family and home, must find an ingenious way to free her imprisoned husband before Fortune’s Wheel tips them all into death and ruin.In a peculiar company of pilgrims, armed only with the voice of a siren, the cunning of an actor, a rogue Knight Templar and a weasel, Illesa embarks on a reckless foray into the heart of the enemy’s castle.This gripping sequel to The Errant Hours interweaves old and new characters in a moving story about the savagery of war, the insistence of love, and the power of illusion.“This is such a gripping tale that I read it almost in one sitting, and yet the story is well grounded in the realities of medieval life. All the Winding World is a great achievement.” Dr Henrietta Leyser – University of Oxford Historian and author of ‘Medieval Women’ Kate Innes trained as an archaeologist, teacher and museum education officer before turning to writing full time. She lives in Shropshire near some of the locations in The Arrowsmith Trilogy.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 22, 2018
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Kate Innes
9 books54 followersI was born in London, of South African parents, and spent my early life in America. At eighteen, I returned to Britain and studied Archaeology and Teaching. Two years working in rural schools in Zimbabwe helped me to grow up very quickly!
When I returned to Britain, I worked as a Museum Education Officer around the Midlands, and began to write in earnest after the arrival of my three children.
I write about the deep past. My first historical novel- 'The Errant Hours' Book One of 'The Arrowsmith Trilogy' is based on real events in the 13th century Welsh Marches. It was inspired by the seductive art of illuminated manuscripts and the influential legends of the time. These themes weave together into a story of survival and courage, trickery and love.
“Kate Innes’s glorious first novel is a lyrical joy. Up there with the best of Pat Bracewell and Elizabeth Chadwick, it offers utter immersion in an intricate, plausible world.”
Manda Scott
'All the Winding World' Book Two of The Arrowsmith Trilogy interweaves old and new characters in a moving story about the savagery of war, the insistence of love and the power of illusion. 'Wild Labyrinth' completes the Trilogy following Lady Illesa on a journey into the heart of political and religious dangers.
My first children's book, 'Greencoats', is a historical fantasy set in WW2, exploring the forest folklore of Britain. It was shortlisted for the Rubery Book Award in 2022. In 2024 the first book in the Lily Ash Series was published - 'An Ancient Haunting’. It’s set mainly on Crete and explores the paranormal and ancient civilisations for readers age 10+.
Currently I mainly read history in order to get a proper frame of reference for my fiction. But I still enjoy novels when I am not working. Helen Dunmore, Barry Unsworth, Margaret Atwood, Anne Patchett and David Mitchell are profound recent influences, whereas my childhood was more in the fantasy realm, with Ursula Le Guin, Ann MacAffrey, Susan Cooper, Tolkien and CS Lewis.
I have been writing and performing poetry for many years, usually with a particular focus on animals, art or the natural world. These poems, associated research and thoughts are posted in my blog and through @kateinnes2. My poetry collection, 'Flocks of Words' contains poetry from 25 years of writing, and was shortlisted for The Rubery Book Award in 2018. The title poem won the 2016 Imagined Worlds Prize, from the Friends of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
I enjoy running writing workshops, collaborating with other artists, and undertaking commissions and residencies.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 23, 2018
Beautifully written and rich with imagery and action- Kate Innes' books have everything I want from an historical novel. Her characters are rich and come to life. My only complaint is that the story ends!
May 12, 2019
All the Winding World by Kate Innes
'All the Winding World' is I think even better than its predecessor, 'The Errant Hours', which was deservedly one of Book Riot’s One Hundred Must-Read Medieval Novels. In certain ways, the writing has become more assured: in pace and plotting, mainly. The characters, in both books, are interesting and convincing from the beginning; I cared what happened to them. But I particularly love a story that keeps me turning the pages – and 'All the Winding World' does that right from the start. And though the happy ending is inbuilt – as a tragic ending, too, will be lying in wait throughout a text, via the characters, the choices they make, the reasons they make them, their circumstances: the impending tragedy hangs over the aware reader – nevertheless, there are moments of anxiety here, about both big and smaller things, that kept me reading avidly to make sure all would, in fact, be all right. This is skilled writing.
The book is a historical novel, a love story and a tale of adventure. It is set over three years in the early 1290s, in the reign of Edward 1 – known generally as a strong king (which he was) and, in '1066 And All That' language, a Good Thing, broadly speaking. Of course the reality is far more complex; the book is set well into Edward’s reign (he died in 1307) at a time of high instability in the kingdom. It is the time of the Anglo-French war, in which Edward suffered a rare defeat. In Shropshire and North Wales, where the heroine Illesa and her husband Sir Richard Burnel live, there is a good deal of unrest because of Edward’s ruthless policies of taxation and conscription. There is a quite extraordinarily shocking scene early on, in which an agent of the king, recruiting soldiers, ‘proves’ that Richard, who is disabled by old wounds, is in fact capable of fighting. Forced to lead a detachment, Richard is later taken prisoner, with other knights, and held for ransom. The story follows Illesa’s highly dangerous journey into France to try and rescue her husband. This must be done by guile, as the family cannot afford to pay a ransom.
The book combines high adventure, sometimes very tense; lovable – and hateful – characters, all interesting and true, in the sense that they thoroughly convince; and excellent historical accuracy. The author has thought herself into the mindset of the thirteenth century; something I find quite fascinating. Histories, and historical novels, that convey the way people thought; the ways in which human beings haven’t changed at all, along with the very, very different perceptions and beliefs of the time, are for me highly satisfying. I want to know how life was then; how people saw things, how they interpreted what happened. One of the most striking differences between then and now is the way in which life was soaked through (in Europe) by Christian belief. God was present everywhere, and in everything, in a way we now find very difficult to truly comprehend. This is vividly portrayed in the book; at no time does the writer ‘step outside’ and hint at the doubt we moderns might feel. Here is an extract about the birth of Illesa’s frail baby son, who later dies:
'Little Robert had come out cleanly, but blue and listless with the cord around his neck. She had blown into his little mouth crying and reciting the prayer of Saint Margaret while Cecily rubbed his chest with a cloth. When he began to breathe, it felt like the creation of a new Adam.
He had escaped Death once. But the next time, Death had not listened to any prayer.'
It seems to me that along with the realistic portrayal of the past, there is a respect for it. We have gained vastly over the centuries; but lost something too.
The story is complex, switching scenes often, but with clarity; each shortish chapter gives date, place and time – the time being expressed by the monastic Hours: Matins, Prime, Tierce etc. (explained at the start). I find this effective, a way of anchoring us in the past; as is the title, which is haunting and mysterious; and the picture on the front cover of the Wheel of Fortune. The book is beautiful to look at.
I highly recommend the book. It is a rattling good read – but very faithful: in the truth of the many characters; in the portrayal of life over 800 years ago; in the subtleties and echoes. For me, questions are implied about human beings: in what ways we are different, how we have developed; how we never change. Some dreadful cruelties take place (the happy ending doesn’t happen for everyone); this reader was very aware, during these scenes, of how life has changed for the better in our part of the world – only to recall that in other places people still suffer terribly. This contrast is never stated or even implied; yet, for me, it was there, as I think it always will be when we are being immersed, forcefully and with integrity, in the past.
Vuyelwa Carlin
'All the Winding World' is I think even better than its predecessor, 'The Errant Hours', which was deservedly one of Book Riot’s One Hundred Must-Read Medieval Novels. In certain ways, the writing has become more assured: in pace and plotting, mainly. The characters, in both books, are interesting and convincing from the beginning; I cared what happened to them. But I particularly love a story that keeps me turning the pages – and 'All the Winding World' does that right from the start. And though the happy ending is inbuilt – as a tragic ending, too, will be lying in wait throughout a text, via the characters, the choices they make, the reasons they make them, their circumstances: the impending tragedy hangs over the aware reader – nevertheless, there are moments of anxiety here, about both big and smaller things, that kept me reading avidly to make sure all would, in fact, be all right. This is skilled writing.
The book is a historical novel, a love story and a tale of adventure. It is set over three years in the early 1290s, in the reign of Edward 1 – known generally as a strong king (which he was) and, in '1066 And All That' language, a Good Thing, broadly speaking. Of course the reality is far more complex; the book is set well into Edward’s reign (he died in 1307) at a time of high instability in the kingdom. It is the time of the Anglo-French war, in which Edward suffered a rare defeat. In Shropshire and North Wales, where the heroine Illesa and her husband Sir Richard Burnel live, there is a good deal of unrest because of Edward’s ruthless policies of taxation and conscription. There is a quite extraordinarily shocking scene early on, in which an agent of the king, recruiting soldiers, ‘proves’ that Richard, who is disabled by old wounds, is in fact capable of fighting. Forced to lead a detachment, Richard is later taken prisoner, with other knights, and held for ransom. The story follows Illesa’s highly dangerous journey into France to try and rescue her husband. This must be done by guile, as the family cannot afford to pay a ransom.
The book combines high adventure, sometimes very tense; lovable – and hateful – characters, all interesting and true, in the sense that they thoroughly convince; and excellent historical accuracy. The author has thought herself into the mindset of the thirteenth century; something I find quite fascinating. Histories, and historical novels, that convey the way people thought; the ways in which human beings haven’t changed at all, along with the very, very different perceptions and beliefs of the time, are for me highly satisfying. I want to know how life was then; how people saw things, how they interpreted what happened. One of the most striking differences between then and now is the way in which life was soaked through (in Europe) by Christian belief. God was present everywhere, and in everything, in a way we now find very difficult to truly comprehend. This is vividly portrayed in the book; at no time does the writer ‘step outside’ and hint at the doubt we moderns might feel. Here is an extract about the birth of Illesa’s frail baby son, who later dies:
'Little Robert had come out cleanly, but blue and listless with the cord around his neck. She had blown into his little mouth crying and reciting the prayer of Saint Margaret while Cecily rubbed his chest with a cloth. When he began to breathe, it felt like the creation of a new Adam.
He had escaped Death once. But the next time, Death had not listened to any prayer.'
It seems to me that along with the realistic portrayal of the past, there is a respect for it. We have gained vastly over the centuries; but lost something too.
The story is complex, switching scenes often, but with clarity; each shortish chapter gives date, place and time – the time being expressed by the monastic Hours: Matins, Prime, Tierce etc. (explained at the start). I find this effective, a way of anchoring us in the past; as is the title, which is haunting and mysterious; and the picture on the front cover of the Wheel of Fortune. The book is beautiful to look at.
I highly recommend the book. It is a rattling good read – but very faithful: in the truth of the many characters; in the portrayal of life over 800 years ago; in the subtleties and echoes. For me, questions are implied about human beings: in what ways we are different, how we have developed; how we never change. Some dreadful cruelties take place (the happy ending doesn’t happen for everyone); this reader was very aware, during these scenes, of how life has changed for the better in our part of the world – only to recall that in other places people still suffer terribly. This contrast is never stated or even implied; yet, for me, it was there, as I think it always will be when we are being immersed, forcefully and with integrity, in the past.
Vuyelwa Carlin
August 28, 2018
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The novel moves along at a good pace and certainly at times I found myself reluctant to put it down for even such mundane things as life. I would strongly recommend reading the first volume first though."
Shortlisted for Book of the Month
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"The novel moves along at a good pace and certainly at times I found myself reluctant to put it down for even such mundane things as life. I would strongly recommend reading the first volume first though."
Shortlisted for Book of the Month
September 5, 2020
Worthy successor
Just as good as the first, with engaging characters and strong action; and a really interesting author's note. A worthy successor!
Just as good as the first, with engaging characters and strong action; and a really interesting author's note. A worthy successor!
June 30, 2018
Although this is the author's most recent book, I feel that I' ve been very late in posting this review since I read the first book in the series sometime ago. So, after reading this much anticipated sequel in just a couple of days, I have this urge to express my thoughts (I don' t like to use the word review since I am hardly a reviewer!) over the whole series. I often wonder what makes us like a novel so much, especially a historical fiction one which recreates a world long past gone. For me, in this case, it is a combination of things. It is the writing which is flowing and takes you along (which is a really big thing in my case, since English is not my native language), the setting which feels genuinely "medieval" and transports you in a heartbeat back in those harsh times, but most of all it is the character development, starting - of course- with Ilessa. Ilessa is very afraid and yet fearless, most protective with all her kin and at the same time full of sharp wit, ingenuity, anguish, love, anger towards the injustice of (as well) this world, that you can' t help but identify and sympathize with her. Richard is her true match, since he is highly capable of honor, love and of fighting his way to freedom in a most inspiring "I have to stay alive" way. All the characters of course guide the storyline to its end (there is no useless dialogue in these books) but, overall, I think the crux of the matter is this; I could see part of myself in this novel, through the struggles of its heroes. And this is why I highly recommend both novels to everyone who likes a solid tale, with memorable characters who know how to fight their way to redemption and happiness.
July 1, 2018
All the Winding World, with its superb opening chapter, follows The Errant Hours in fine form. I found myself immediately transported back into Illessa and Richard's gritty, complex world. Through the dialogue of the characters, I am pulled into their company. Gaspar returns, and his interactions with Azalais are priceless. No cardboard characters to be found anywhere! Pilgrims, servants, templars, guards, constables, a Count, and I cannot forget Mother Edith, who comes to life in a brilliant chapter Ms. Innes pens early in the tale.
The battle scenes are harrowing, and there are surprises and suspense. This is a richly woven historical tale with heart. Sprinkled with a sly humour at points: "The crowd rumbled through the prayer, sounding more like a cow's stomach than Christians appealing to their Lord." Chapter 35, in which the title is presented in a "serpentine" song, worked a kind of magic on me.
I am crossing my fingers there will be another volume in future. I have questions and already miss the gentle strength of Illessa and Richard.
The battle scenes are harrowing, and there are surprises and suspense. This is a richly woven historical tale with heart. Sprinkled with a sly humour at points: "The crowd rumbled through the prayer, sounding more like a cow's stomach than Christians appealing to their Lord." Chapter 35, in which the title is presented in a "serpentine" song, worked a kind of magic on me.
I am crossing my fingers there will be another volume in future. I have questions and already miss the gentle strength of Illessa and Richard.
October 26, 2022
Great story
I read the first book of this series and loved it, but it was some while ago so the synopsis of that book and events leading up to this book was useful. I thought the plot was very inspired and not at all what I was expecting. The story also gives a good picture of what it was like to live at the end of the 13th century both in England and in France. I was familiar with the battles of the Hundred Years War during the time of Edward III but not of Edward I so I feel like I’ve learned some more medieval history in a most enjoyable way. A good story, believable characters and well-researched (as far as I could tell). Recommended.
I read the first book of this series and loved it, but it was some while ago so the synopsis of that book and events leading up to this book was useful. I thought the plot was very inspired and not at all what I was expecting. The story also gives a good picture of what it was like to live at the end of the 13th century both in England and in France. I was familiar with the battles of the Hundred Years War during the time of Edward III but not of Edward I so I feel like I’ve learned some more medieval history in a most enjoyable way. A good story, believable characters and well-researched (as far as I could tell). Recommended.
August 20, 2018
Whilst I hadn't read the first instalment in this saga, The Errant Hours, a whole new chapter; set ten years later, All The Winding World reads perfectly well in its own right.
Interweaving two stories, that of Richard and Illessa, in a tale of the thirteenth century that is as richly, as skilfully woven as any Medieval tapestry.
The author's ability to craft a novel; the way she draws the reader into the Medieval world, a world informed by religion, custom and superstitions, superb. The twits, the turns, plentiful. The action, the adventure of it all, gripping; the battle scenes harrowing and yet never gratuitous. The love story, tender; a tale of what 'true' love can achieve. The characterisation? What can I say about the characterisation?
With a myriad cast of memorable characters, all of them bringing something to the story, it was however one in particular who intrigued me.
An exceptional character, I hope it makes sense when I say, fearful and yet, somehow, fearless; strong, brave and practical; her religious beliefs and practises considered, in no way do they hamper her decisions; in many ways she defies what it is to be a woman at this time and yet, at the same time, totally and utterly believably Medieval ... Truly compelling, I thought Illessa fascinating.
Copyright ... Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper
Disclaimer .... Read and reviewed on behalf of the author, no financial compensation was asked for nor given
Interweaving two stories, that of Richard and Illessa, in a tale of the thirteenth century that is as richly, as skilfully woven as any Medieval tapestry.
The author's ability to craft a novel; the way she draws the reader into the Medieval world, a world informed by religion, custom and superstitions, superb. The twits, the turns, plentiful. The action, the adventure of it all, gripping; the battle scenes harrowing and yet never gratuitous. The love story, tender; a tale of what 'true' love can achieve. The characterisation? What can I say about the characterisation?
With a myriad cast of memorable characters, all of them bringing something to the story, it was however one in particular who intrigued me.
An exceptional character, I hope it makes sense when I say, fearful and yet, somehow, fearless; strong, brave and practical; her religious beliefs and practises considered, in no way do they hamper her decisions; in many ways she defies what it is to be a woman at this time and yet, at the same time, totally and utterly believably Medieval ... Truly compelling, I thought Illessa fascinating.
Copyright ... Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper
Disclaimer .... Read and reviewed on behalf of the author, no financial compensation was asked for nor given
January 6, 2021
First Class
Totally brilliant. Realistic historical content. Portrays the brutal medieval era. Could not put this down. I am hoping that there will be a book three. Thank you.
Totally brilliant. Realistic historical content. Portrays the brutal medieval era. Could not put this down. I am hoping that there will be a book three. Thank you.
June 29, 2024
I really enjoyed this book far more than the first one in the series. The author has definitely found their tone of voice here and the pacing is a lot better than it was in the previous one. The relationship between the main characters definitely feels a lot more realistic. They feel like they've lived in this for a number of years and I can understand why they do what they do to try and get back together again.
I'm not sure how much of the plot is realistic to the battles between the French and the English and the treatment of prisoners. So I would be interested to see if Hugh makes an appearance in the third book or not, but it did feel realistic. It felt like research had been done into it and that it had been thought out.
It took me ages to realise that the groom character of William, who is very much a trusted right-hand man is the little boy who used to be part of the thieves gang in the first book. I was really glad that the author referenced that because otherwise I would never have put those two characters together as the same person. I like that Gaspar makes a reappearance here as well. I'm curious to see if they will show up in the third book. I suspect not given how they end up leaving this book which is a shame because they're a really interesting character.
Illessa feels very much like the character that we learnt a lot about in the first book. She's definitely matured though and a lot of her impulsiveness has been mellowed almost by her motherhood. I wonder how much of that was kind of learnt experience from her foster mother and how much of it is her natural inclination to safety where she can have it. Richard is a lot more likable in this book. I think it helps that we obviously have his point of view chapters, whereas in the first book we didn't really have that, we just had his treatment of Illessa. I wish that we'd had his point of view chapters in the first book. I think if we had been able to understand Richard's feelings about her as they progressed, and as they went through their adventures together (especially in the second part of the first book when you had the play and the Welsh uprising parts) we'd have understood his motivations more and I would have believed in their relationship more once he was injured and she was caring for him.
I very much hope that the third book is more in the vein of this book than the first one. I have no plans to pick it up for a few days at the very least. So hopefully I will learn the answer to my question in July but we will see.
I'm not sure how much of the plot is realistic to the battles between the French and the English and the treatment of prisoners. So I would be interested to see if Hugh makes an appearance in the third book or not, but it did feel realistic. It felt like research had been done into it and that it had been thought out.
It took me ages to realise that the groom character of William, who is very much a trusted right-hand man is the little boy who used to be part of the thieves gang in the first book. I was really glad that the author referenced that because otherwise I would never have put those two characters together as the same person. I like that Gaspar makes a reappearance here as well. I'm curious to see if they will show up in the third book. I suspect not given how they end up leaving this book which is a shame because they're a really interesting character.
Illessa feels very much like the character that we learnt a lot about in the first book. She's definitely matured though and a lot of her impulsiveness has been mellowed almost by her motherhood. I wonder how much of that was kind of learnt experience from her foster mother and how much of it is her natural inclination to safety where she can have it. Richard is a lot more likable in this book. I think it helps that we obviously have his point of view chapters, whereas in the first book we didn't really have that, we just had his treatment of Illessa. I wish that we'd had his point of view chapters in the first book. I think if we had been able to understand Richard's feelings about her as they progressed, and as they went through their adventures together (especially in the second part of the first book when you had the play and the Welsh uprising parts) we'd have understood his motivations more and I would have believed in their relationship more once he was injured and she was caring for him.
I very much hope that the third book is more in the vein of this book than the first one. I have no plans to pick it up for a few days at the very least. So hopefully I will learn the answer to my question in July but we will see.
January 20, 2024
This is the second of a trilogy of novels about a Shropshire family in the 1200s, though this one is mainly set in France during Edward I’s disastrous war which resulted in many leading knights being held for ransom, including Richard Burnel. The King was not prepared to pay ransom, and the family had no money to do so, but a dangerous escape plan was formulated by Burnel’s wife…
Gripping stuff, and once again, because the tale deals with historical events and people, very educational. The mediaeval idea of war ransoms was well known to me, but this novel lays bare the horrors involved.
Thoroughly recommended.
Gripping stuff, and once again, because the tale deals with historical events and people, very educational. The mediaeval idea of war ransoms was well known to me, but this novel lays bare the horrors involved.
Thoroughly recommended.
August 5, 2025
An engrossing sequel to The Errant Hours, All The Winding World plunges you once more into a colourful medieval world where life is precarious and even the simplest of journeys can be fraught with peril. A rich tapestry of detailed historical fact and an exciting fictional narrative. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews