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outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
England, 1540 & lawyer, Matthew Shardlake, has been keeping a low profile after the events of the first book. His acceptance of a murder case, where a young girl has been accused of killing her cousin, brings him into Thomas Cromwell's orbit again. Desperate to be back in the King's favour, Cromwell needs Shardlake to find out about the possibility of making 'Greek Fire' as a weapon, but the formula has disappeared & the men who possessed it are now dead. The search leads to several additional murders & puts both Shardlake & his assistant, Jack Barak, in mortal danger. Can Shardlake solve both cases & keep Cromwell's head from the block?
This was a better book than the first in the series. The plot was much more interesting & moved at a slightly faster pace. Jack Barak is also an improvement on Shardlake's previous assistant, Mark Poer, although he is still a little rough around the edges. It was lovely to see Guy (a character from the first book) again - now the owner of an apothecary shop - & I hope he will be a recurring character. He seems to be the only one with a lick of sense!I sat there incredulous at what I was reading when both Shardlake & Barak accepted a drink (which wasn't prepared in their presence) from someone they'd just accused of harbouring a psychopath. Doh!
I would like to warn anyone who has triggers from animal cruelty/death that there are several references in this book to those subjects although they are mercifully quite brief. For example, Shardlake reluctantly heads to a bear baiting but thankfully chooses to go for a walk instead so the reader is spared most of that spectacle. This is one part of life that I would not like to see if time travel were possible. Overall though, I'm thinking that this series will continue to improve.
This was a better book than the first in the series. The plot was much more interesting & moved at a slightly faster pace. Jack Barak is also an improvement on Shardlake's previous assistant, Mark Poer, although he is still a little rough around the edges. It was lovely to see Guy (a character from the first book) again - now the owner of an apothecary shop - & I hope he will be a recurring character. He seems to be the only one with a lick of sense!
I would like to warn anyone who has triggers from animal cruelty/death that there are several references in this book to those subjects although they are mercifully quite brief. For example, Shardlake reluctantly heads to a bear baiting but thankfully chooses to go for a walk instead so the reader is spared most of that spectacle. This is one part of life that I would not like to see if time travel were possible. Overall though, I'm thinking that this series will continue to improve.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, and Violence
ran_sophia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The next part of this series was absolutely amazing. I read the book very quickly and I will definitely continue the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Torture
Minor: Bullying and Religious bigotry