Summary
Dr. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar does well enough as a female doctor in her native Salerno, but when the King of Sicily orders her to a wet and gray Cambridge, England, Adelia finds an entirely new world where she does not fit. In order to track a treacherous child-killer, Adelia most both blend in and set herself apart in a land where one misstep could get her burned as a witch. However, for the children of Cambridge, Adelia's success is a matter of life and death.
Overview (No spoilers)
Being a huge fan of the TV show Bones I was pleased to find many similarities between Adelia and the TV version of Dr. Temperance Brennan. Actually more similarities than there are between the book and TV versions of Brennan herself but I digress. The point is that Adelia is a sharp, intelligent, but in many ways, socially inept. She wears the mask of fearlessness and emotional distance but is often more human than those who scorn her.
I did also listen to this book on audio but the audio was neither bad nor spectacular, simply the type of well-done recording as to be unobtrusive to the experience of the book, but I have nothing specific to say about it.
Book Club (Spoilers)
Along with Adelia I thought the other characters really came to life. I was particularly fond of Simon of Naples and King Henry. Of course, this also meant I was rather distraught when Simon died but that was just how I knew how much I liked him. It wasn't even him alone as a character but the mix of characters that did so well. Franklin did a great job of creating a friendly chemistry among the three (Adelia, Simon, and Mansour) that the loss of one effected the balance and could not be replaced.
Henry's cunning character made me smile at the ending courtroom seen and I appreciated the suspense of not knowing what would happen to the nun, Victoria. However, I did guess that Sir Jocelyn was involved based on the fact that he was so nice, so he would be the one people would least suspect. However, if I had picked an accomplice for him, it would have been the Prioress, so I was wrong on that count.
Dr. Vesuvia Adelia Rachel Ortese Aguilar does well enough as a female doctor in her native Salerno, but when the King of Sicily orders her to a wet and gray Cambridge, England, Adelia finds an entirely new world where she does not fit. In order to track a treacherous child-killer, Adelia most both blend in and set herself apart in a land where one misstep could get her burned as a witch. However, for the children of Cambridge, Adelia's success is a matter of life and death.
Overview (No spoilers)
Being a huge fan of the TV show Bones I was pleased to find many similarities between Adelia and the TV version of Dr. Temperance Brennan. Actually more similarities than there are between the book and TV versions of Brennan herself but I digress. The point is that Adelia is a sharp, intelligent, but in many ways, socially inept. She wears the mask of fearlessness and emotional distance but is often more human than those who scorn her.
I did also listen to this book on audio but the audio was neither bad nor spectacular, simply the type of well-done recording as to be unobtrusive to the experience of the book, but I have nothing specific to say about it.
Book Club (Spoilers)
Along with Adelia I thought the other characters really came to life. I was particularly fond of Simon of Naples and King Henry. Of course, this also meant I was rather distraught when Simon died but that was just how I knew how much I liked him. It wasn't even him alone as a character but the mix of characters that did so well. Franklin did a great job of creating a friendly chemistry among the three (Adelia, Simon, and Mansour) that the loss of one effected the balance and could not be replaced.
Henry's cunning character made me smile at the ending courtroom seen and I appreciated the suspense of not knowing what would happen to the nun, Victoria. However, I did guess that Sir Jocelyn was involved based on the fact that he was so nice, so he would be the one people would least suspect. However, if I had picked an accomplice for him, it would have been the Prioress, so I was wrong on that count.
Total Ranking: 8/10 stars * * * * * * * *
