Requiem for a Knave

by Laura Carlin

From the author of The Wicked Cometh comes a dark, page-turning tale of passion and romance in the darkest of places. . .

‘Carlin can tell a good story’ Observer

After the death of his mother, young Alwin of Whittaker leaves the only home he has ever known to seek answers about his unknown father through a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.

On the journey, Alwin falls in with a band of violent and marauding soldiers and is witness to their terrible crimes. When Alwin later joins up with a group of pilgrims, he must hide his identity . . . but he is not the only one with secrets to keep. Rosamund, a young woman travelling the same path, has much to conceal too.

The journey to discovering who he really is will lead Alwin into great danger and great passion. These are dark times, and through them, Alwin must shine a light.

Will the revelations to come destroy everything that came before?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Mystery

304 pages, Hardcover

First published February 6, 2020

About the author

THE WICKED COMETH is Laura Carlin’s first novel. Having left school at 16, she turned to writing after 28 years of working for a local bank. She lives in Derbyshire with her civil partner, two children and a Siamese cat called Antigone.

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Medieval times and tells the story about a young man, Alwin Whittaker who's told by his mother on her deathbed that he has to go to Washingham. His task is to find out who his father is. Alwin has never left home before. We follow Alwin on his journey and the obstacles that get in his way.

Part historical fiction, part love story. The author has researched this book before writing it. The descriptions of the scenery made hou feel you had been there. Alwin seeks out Father Oswald to help him on his way. I don't want to say anymore about this book as I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. I did enjoy the book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Laura Carlin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author skilfully inserts elements of surprise at various points in the story of Alwin's search for answers about the identity of his father. However, asking questions can prove dangerous and as misadventures are visited upon the small band of pilgrims travelling to Walsingham, suspicions seem to point to one of their number being involved. But which one?

Alwin is drawn to fellow pilgrim, Rosamund, a young woman who is unusually independent-minded and opinionated for a woman of her time. In fact she attracts the antagonism of others for just such reasons and the accusations of witchcraft often levelled at women with knowledge of healing. Her behaviour also causes Alwin to reflect extensively on the respective roles of men and women, what it means to be a man, and to ponder the received wisdom of the subservient position of women in society. I confess, at times, the gender politics and examples of the mistreatment of women by men verged on the heavy handed for me.

Soon Alwin discovers a growing alignment between his own purpose in making the journey and Rosamund's search for justice - or is it retribution? Their initial mistrust of each other turns into friendship and mutual respect. When the truth is finally revealed it is both more horrific and more devastating personally for Alwin than could have been imagined.

Requiem For A Knave is part historical mystery, part love story that combines a wealth of period detail with exploration of issues with more contemporary relevance such as gender identity and sexual equality. Like the author's first novel, The Wicked Cometh, there is a great sense of atmosphere with the occasional touch of the gothic.

[Toast · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this tale. It has the quality of writing expected from LC and a depth of realism that is breathtaking, you can smell the roads, the inns, the cloaks of the pilgrims. The story is immense, intense yet deeply personal and private. It is heartbreaking yet revelatory. However, there are so many 'womens' issues' tieing this book / plot in knots that it holds the book back. Am I really saying that? Well yes. Instead of making a point, it becomes grinding of axes or laying it on with trowels. Much to the book's determent. ??????? It forget's it's context - the Dark Ages! I'm not saying that that excuses everything but in that Age women mattered little and dark deeds were aplenty because justice was male given, rich male given, often Church sanctioned. That is why it is a rich source for writers, folk loreists, film makers etc. And provides great food for thought for readers. Has LC over-cooked things? Or is it so powerful a text that LC has pitched prefectly? Discuss.....
I think also what I am trying to say in my ham-fisted way is that, LC is running the risk of being labelled 'a women's fiction writer', 'a gender issues writer', 'a lesbian writer' which will narrow her readership because she is 'better' than that slim description. When LC wrote 'The Wicked Cometh' it was a triumph but all the reviewers concentrated on was the lesbian kiss, nothing more. So, in this LC, I feel, has thrown everything into the mix hence there has been silence about this book, it's completely under the radar. Shame on the reviewers. Readers will miss a fab read. A brilliant book to discuss, debate and learn from. And, discovering a quality writer.
Toast

[Sue Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

my second book by this author and she didnt let me down....

the life of a farmer is hard and back in this day when men were men and women were objects of ownership it wasnt that much different...here we meet alwyn and his mother and grandfather but life is about to take a turn for alwyn as his mother dies and sends him on a quest to find the answers that he needs but on her death bed she asks for forgiveness at what he will find....he seeks out father oswald who will help him on his way...

and with the letter off the priest alwyn sets off but he runs across a lord abound with his men and after showing the letter to this lord they head for their first stop...and alwyns life will never be the same again....

there is so much that alwyn will find out on his journey but no spoilers from me...as anything else i was to write will give away any clues on the journey that you take reading this one...it was different from what i thought it was going to be....slow and steady but a good read none the less

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good. Set in medieval times with some shocking twists it's a favourite of mine in a while. The writing has a lyrical quality to it and just can't say enough about it. Brilliant.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a historical fiction tale which shows the intersection between gender identity, gender politics, LGBTQ+ issues and religion in 1300s England, extending the typical journey narrative to religious pilgrimage in order to find oneself in terms of ancestry and spiritual nature. As a result, this had a lot of areas that I'm really interested in exploring through fiction... yet, I didn't love it.

Early on in the novel, it shows us a very intense scene TW: nun rape and it takes a while to diffuse that tension and get back into its stride. I'd even go so far as to say that it doesn't begin to get interesting until over a third of the way into the book. I know it's a journeying book and those stories are generally slower - I like slow books sometimes - but this is way too sedate. There's a lot of unnecessary description and time spent with characters doing humdrum things, neither of which advance the plot or provide required context - in short, there's a lot of filler text and I think the book could have had perhaps a quarter shaved off its length.

I personally didn't warm to our main character at all and stayed with the narrative for more interesting side characters and to see how some of their experiences interlinked. I guessed the main reveal about our main character pretty much from the start, but absolutely didn't expect the plot to take the sinister turn it did or for it to end where it did - I was surprised that I had thirty more pages to read!

Given that I've read two books by this author, both with slightly odd reading experiences, I can say that I love the themes the books explore, but I don't connect with Carlin's writing or characters very easily and it takes me a while to get into their books. Although I'm likely to read more from Laura Carlin, it's probably worth me knowing those things before I pick up more of their work.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Our future fate was upon us already and the reversion of easy days was far away."

This is Laura Carlin's second novel, after the brilliant The Wicked Cometh in 2018 which, despite the rushed ending, was still one of the best books I've read that year. I was very excited when I saw her second novel would be published this year, and it didn't disappoint. Laura Carlin is a talented historical fiction writer, and if like me you loved her first novel, you'll definitely enjoy this one too.

Her writing is still on point, she doesn't rush through the plot and takes her time portraying her characters, the time period and the themes tackled in this novel. She obviously writes historical fiction because she loves it herself and does her research before releasing a book. While for some readers, her prose can feel too heavy since the story is set during the Middle Ages, it does fit the time period the story takes place in. The themes of identity and gender are still relevant to our time, and they're handled very well. This was full of surprises and a real page turner for me. I wanted to know where Alwin's quest for answers would lead him, I loved Rosamund and how those two people meeting led to an introspection on Alwin's part about gender roles. A lot of mystery, less gothic than The Wicked Cometh, but just as great with its atmospheric and dark atmosphere, gripping storyline and characters, and brilliant twists.

Laura Carlin might not be for everyone, but with that second novel, she's definitely on my list of authors to watch for. I find her books amazing and so compelling, and I'm already fairly certain her next work will be on my TBR list as soon as it's announced.

[Bernadette Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to the Publishers for a copy of this book to read and review prior to publication day. I took part in the blog tour for this one. Sadly, I didn't get time to finish it in time to review it on the blog tour, so my blog post about it was an excerpt post rather than a review. I did promise to post a review blog post about the book once I had read it, so here it is.

I gave this story a 7/10 or 3.5 stars. The story is an interesting one in many ways, one is that it's written in part in an older style of English to one that we are used to reading. Whilst this took a little getting used to at the start, I feel that it added to the charm of the story. This is the first story that I have read by this Author and I will be looking to read more in the future.

Telling the story of Alwin who sets out on a journey of discovery to find out about the father and family that he has never known, following the death of his mother. His mother had shielded him all his life from aspects of his origins that she knew would be a cause of some concern for him. As his journey progresses Alwin does indeed find out secrets about his past and some of these, I felt that he would have preferred to have been kept in the dark about.

Partially set around the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, (this brought back some memories for me as I visited this shrine in my youth on a Church choir trip) and the Norfolk area this was a journey not just of discovery, but romance too.

I liked the writing style, it fit the narrative of the story and time that it was set in well. As I was reading the story I got the impression that there was more to Alwin than what we were told and I wasn't disappointed to find out that my feelings were in fact well justified. I enjoyed taking part in his journey with him.

You could follow and take part in Alwin's journey if you grab a copy of this book for yourself, it's available from all the usual places.

[Catherine Pinkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 5* read from me for this authors second book. There are so many layers to this book that made it such a thought provoking enjoyable read for me.
It is historical fiction set in the 1300s, a completely different era to her first novel. What impressed me was how she adopted the writing style to fit the times and the spoken language of that period.
In essence the plot is quite simple. Alwin, an eighteen year old farmer lives with his mother and grandfather in rural Derbyshire. He had never travelled further than his immediate area until his mother becomes sick and asks him to make a pilgrimage to Walsingham. As was safest in those days, he journeys with other pilgrims and this is his story about that journey, the people he meets and the trials and tribulations he encounters on the way.
Alwin is very naive about the ways of the world which I think is portrayed really well.
Issues of gender stereotypes, nurture versus nature on how one develops as a person and views the world are key to this novel. For me this gave greater depth to the reading experience.
It is slow paced and at times harrowing with depictions of violence,rape and murder.
I highly recommend this author if you are a fan of Sarah Waters as it is my opinion Laura Carlin is just as good.

[GBL · Rating 3 out of 5]

The death of his mother sends Alwin out into the world of the English Middle Ages to discover the secrets of his past.

Alwin of Whittaker is a young man living with his mother and grandfather on a farm. As his mother lies dying she tells him he must flee to escape his grandfather’s anger and that his father is not dead as he had thought. She encourages him to head for the pilgrimage centre of Walsingham. His journey is dangerous and as he begins to reveal the truth about his past, he begins to learn about who he really is.

The story is written from the perspective of the older Alwin looking back over his life and this works as a narrative structure. The book deals with various social issues such as sex, gender, class and good/evil in a Medieval setting and I am not always sure that the modern thinking of characters works for the period. The revelation that Alwin is a woman does link to the central events of the novel and so is acceptable but I’m not sure it would have been possible in a Medieval context.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Alwins mother dies her last words send him to Walsingham, ostensibly on a pilgrimage but mainly to discover the truth about his father. Before the pilgrimage even begins he falls in with a band of soldiers, whose violent crime leaves him fearing for his freedom and soul. Now fleeing the memory of those crimes he proceeds with the pilgrims. He soon realises he's not the only one with things to hide. Who can he trust? His mentor since he was a child or Rosamund the attractive but unusual woman who seems to have trouble following her every step....

A little on the slow side but ultimately rewarding. Carlin continues to tell stories that some would consider to have modern themes in historical settings. It's pretty obvious from the start where it is heading but the journey is enjoyable. The mystery of this story is not the who or what but the why. An interesting and thought provoking story.

[Jack Fleming · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure about this one.

From the outset Carlin writes in a lyrical style clearly intended to sound like the 14th century chroniclers she acknowledges as influential. I found this a little pretentious at first, but got into it fairly quickly and I particularly enjoyed how it enriched descriptive passages (however I'm used to reading Mediaeval narratives - this might not be to everyone's taste).

I also found the plot engaging, albeit perhaps with one or too twists too many. (There is one plot point I think is internally incoherent, but I won't put that here to avoid spoilers.)

What I found much less compelling was how the views and identity of Alwin, the narrator, seem to turn almost on a sixpence, swapping from one world view to another in a heartbeat.

Nonetheless, an enjoyable read.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in old England, Alwin is a young man on a quest to find out what his dying mother's last words mean. He leaves his rural home and travels to meet a group of other pilgrims. He gets caught up in terrible events. No-one is what they seem. Alwin can't tell who to trust and his innocence is stripped from him.

I loved this book. I have read a previous book by this author and liked that too, but I think I like this one better! It gets you thinking about men and women and how we view the different gender roles - very on topic. It's beautifully written with strongly portrayed characters, A very good read

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a bit conflicted about this novel. Laura Carlin is a natural story teller and I loved the first few chapters - atmospheric, suspenseful, deeply Gothic and melodramatic, in a good way. But then... I started to find the plot turns a little predictable, the cliffhangers a bit routine. I adored Carlin’s first novel, The Wicked Cometh, and my expectations were high with this one. Whilst I read it in a matter of days and enjoyed it, I think it probably suffered by comparison. My rating reflects the opening chapters, which were wonderful.

[Helen Ashforth-Foster · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is an odd read. Carlin obviously wanted to explore the transgender experience however the way her character is positioned doesnt reflect the transgender experience. Additionally it feels like she has only a slight grasp of medivael history as she paints it as brutal and ignorant despite a lot of scholarship now challenging this. Furthermore as a reader it is easy to see the twists coming and therefore the book lacks narrative impact. It is a real shame as the love story itself is wonderfully told.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows young Alwin, a poor farm boy on his quest for the truth about his father following the death of his mother.

Alwin witnesses some terrible crimes along his journey for the truth all of which will haunt him for some time. The mediaeval times were certainly not for the faint hearted. A great read which focused on some great points around gender equality and politics.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book especially when compared to the author's debut "The Wicked Cometh". The characters' reactions seemed unrealistic, the dialogue long (eg: "How long have I been here?" / "The moon is three nights older than when you arrived." - why not just say "three nights"?!), and the big revelation of the main character was barely mentioned.

[Sandra Hooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull and lacklustre. I found the prose to overly flowery and repetitive and the interminable rumination’s of Alwin too much to bear. The plot was a bit flimsy especially the stealing of a bride but to be fair if you like flowery historical tales this might be for you.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange book

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting medieval tale.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Sarah Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. A great narrative with twists and turns.

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

When his mother dies Alwin of Whitaker is told to go on pilgrimage to Walsingham to find the truth about his parentage. After witnessing a horror perpetrated by a noble he teams up with his mentor, a priest, and a band of others, he travels forward. However as the women in the party are killed in unusual circumstances Alwin doubts everything he has been told and when the truth is revealed to him then Alwin has to make changes to live his life in peace.
The plotline of this novel is seemingly very dynamic with lots going on and some quite profound character trajectories. When reading, however, I found the book slight and couldn't understand why. It's not that it is not an enjoyable read, it's just a very easy read considering everything.

[Mary Picken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Requiem for a Knave takes us to 14th Century Derbyshire where Alwin, a young farmer is tending to his dying mother. Her last wish, alongside an apology he does not understand, is that he go on a quest for knowledge of his father by embarking on a pilgrimage to Walsingham, after first seeking the help of the local Priest, Father Oswald.

For Alwin this will be a physical and mental journey that will help him to discover who he really is and along the way will challenge and change everything he thought he knew about himself and the world around him.

Laura Purcell writes beautifully and the medieval setting works brilliantly with the lyrical prose she adopts. Alwin is an innocent young lad, not wildly experienced in the ways of the world and Purcell makes his voice loud and clear drawing you in to the manners and mores of the time without hesitation.

I was carried along by the writing and by Alwin’s literal voyage of discovery as he unwittingly becomes the enabler of horrific violence and meets two people who will change his life. It’s not always clear to Alwin who is on his side and who may be plotting against him, as he somewhat stumbles his way towards the goal of his pilgrimage, but he is fortunate to meet Rosamund, a healer, who helps to keep him focussed.

With a nicely thought through take on gender politics in the Middle Ages, Requiem for a Knave is a gentle story with occasional flashes of extreme violence, and rather reminded me, in tone, of an Ellis Peters Cadfael story.

Verdict: A fine medieval voyage of discovery for a teenager searching for the truth of his ancestry. Well-written and researched, it is Alwin’s voice that carries the story and wraps the reader in a bygone age whilst simultaneously playing out some surprisingly modern sexual politics. I was engaged by it and enjoyed it.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Way too over complicated in the descriptions. Didn't even manage to get halfway through it. Terrible author.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this dark and engrossing story that is a mix of romance and historical fiction.
I was fascinated by the great style of writing and loved the well researched historical background.
The characters are fleshed out and interesting, the storytelling is excellent and the it keeps you hooked.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of medieval mystery and adventure; a little preachy in places but with intriguing characters, a page-turning plot and a good grasp of medieval detail and atmosphere

[Zoë Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ Have a look at my blog and see the reviews that I post here: https://www.littlebookfae.co.uk/singl... ✨

I was offered this book through netgalley due to the fact that I had read Laura Carlin’s previous book the Wicked Cometh. I did read this book but found that I wasn’t in the mood for it. What happened was that I read it through lockdown and just wasn’t vibing with the book. Determined to read it, I plunged through and carried on.

This book follows Alwin of Whittaker. After the death of his mother, he must leave behind the life that he once knew and loved. He leaves this home in search of answers about his father who he never knew. He wants answers and so goes out to seek them. He is urged by his priest to hold off on the journey until he can make preparations for them both and tells him to talk to the prioress about accommodation. He does so but along the way he falls in with a crowd of soldiers who end up raping the nuns that he had asked a favour from. Now he must carry the guilt with him on his journey. He later meets up with the group of pilgrims but finds that his guilt is too much to bear and so hides his identity from them. When he meets the girl named Rosamund, he finds that she has secrets too and they bond over the fact that they have a past that they don’t want to talk about.

Filled with wonder and the journey to realise ones self, Laura Carlin writes the most beautiful tale and spins and weaves words like a spider on her web. It is truly remarkable and how well she writes. Even though I was not in the mood for such a book, I could tell how much work she had put into it to create something worth being proud of.

3 out of 5 stars.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in one of the libraries on a Viking cruise. I will now read the other book by this author as Requiem for a Knave wove quite a tangled web. It was a difficult (content wise at times) knot to untangle but enjoyable with a satisfying (and hoped for) ending.