Lisa (Harmony)

I dithered about the rating of this one. In some ways I did enjoy this even more than the first book in the series, Mistress of the Art of Death. I loved the portraits of Henry II of England, his queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and his mistress the "Fair" Rosamund. In all those cases they are takes unlike what I'd read of them and made me want to read more about the real history--and I even poked around a little online. That's what good historical fiction does--not only draw you into another world, but make you want to read more about the reality.

However, just a cursory look at what's online revealed more that a few inconsistencies. A lot of the material about Rosamund belongs more to legend than history. There's a reference in the first book (and this one) to Henry having done penance in the past for the murder of Thomas Beckett. That penance was done in 1174. This book is set at the start of the "Great Revolt" of 1173 to 1174 in the immediate aftermath of Rosamund's death (1176). The thing is, can I really mark down a book for taking liberties I wouldn't have even noticed if the book itself hadn't sparked my interest in the real events? Well, a bit, especially when I found the historical fiction aspects of the series of more interest than the romance, mystery or stylistic merits.

Yet I still like Adelia, the "mistress of the art of death" at the center of the tale. I liked the characters Franklin surrounds her with. The mystery is in some respects stronger--I didn't guess the murderer quite as easily. It's a gripping and suspenseful tale I consumed as greedily (and mindlessly?) as a bowl of popcorn. So, a light fluffy snack? Despite some macabre aspects, this is certainly less harrowing than the first book that dealt with a serial killer of children, anti-Semitism and the blood libel. I was entertained and do want to read the two other books left in the series. So on the whole I'd say Franklin did a good job.