The devil's novice (original 1983; edition 1993)

The language in all the Brother Cadfael novels never ceases to boggle my mind. How Peters managed to take modern English and make it sound as if it were straight out of the 12th century is nothing short of amazing. The Devil's Novice is one of the better entries in the series. The history, as always, is fascinating. One day I'll go back and read the entire series in order just so I can follow the ebb and flow of the war between Maud and Stephen. I found the characters to be quite compelling - the pride and stubbornness exhibited by several of them is exactly what I would have expected from a lord of the manor, and while the guilty party was narrowed down to a couple of people early in the story, I was never able to make out the motive until it was revealed, and at that point I felt that it fit together well. ( )

I have finally found an Ellis Peters, Brother Cadfael mystery story that didn't quite measure up to the high standard she has set and achieved in the other Brother Cadfael mysteries. I believe the answer lies in the rather unsympathetic ancillary characters that not only don't ring true, but also do not inspire our interest. We still have the tried and true Brother Cadfael, resident monk and herbalist at the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Medieval Shrewsbury, England as well as Hugh Beringar, the no nonsense sheriff of the shire plus the gentle monk, Mark, who cares for the lepers and maimed at nearby St. Giles. We also have the excellent descriptions of medieval life and wonderful use of the English language from Ellis Peters to give pleasure to one of her lesser offerings. ( )

The eighth Brother Cadfael mystery set in Shrewsbury, UK in 1140. A young postulant wants to become a monk, but Cadfael and the other brothers wonder at his sincerity. He doesn’t seem suited to the monastic life. When a mystery regarding a missing envoy from the Archbishop ensues, Cadfael suspects that young Meriot is involved in some way. Great comfort read as usual. ( )

The prose is very enjoyable in the early half of the book. The mystery solution seems to become apparent as the story unfolds, but the conclusions for it are a little forced, perhaps needing another clue or two. ( )

8th in the Brother Caedfel series.

A young man, Meiret Aspley, who is obviously on tense terms with his father, is received into the abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul as a candidate for the community. Meanwhile, there is a missing cleric from the house of the powerful bishop of Winchester, one who was an envoy to the Northern baron, the Earl of Chester, whom bishop Henry, the King’s brother, is courting as an ally for Stephen in his war with the Empress Maude for the English crown; no one has seen the canon since he left the manor of Aspley, the family home of the young new novice.

While fervent in his desires to rush the usual procedure and take committing vows early, Meiret is not the world’s most suitable candidate for monkhood. In addition to personality characteristics such as aloofness, Meiret has troubling dreams at night, which are so loud and so disturbing that the other novices become afraid, fearing he is possessed by demons, calling him the Devil’s novice. Meiret’s cause is not advanced when he attacks the officious Brother Jerome for taking and burning a keepsake that Meiret had under his mattress.

Caedfel journeys to Aspley to find out more about Meiret, and comes across a young heiress who has her cap set for Meiret despite his oblivion to her presence in any capacity more than a former playmate. Caedfel and Isouda become co-conspirators to find out what is troubling Meiret. Then the horse belonging to the missing envoy is found; that and other discoveries throw suspicion squarely on Meiret.

Another good book in the series of the late-to-vocation Brother Caedfel, Benedictine lay brother and master of herbs at the abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul. This is not a heavyweight series, but rather a gentle excursion into the Police procedural genre set in the 12th century. Peters’ writing is never hurried, and her characters are not complex although well-drawn. What makes the series interesting is the political history that is seamlessly interwoven into each of the stories. It was a terrible time, of civil war, in England, and the ordinary people were, as usual, the ones who suffered. More than most, this book depends on the shifting alliances of that war for its main story-telling impetus. Peters does an excellent, although understated, job of depicting how the actions of high lords influenced events on the local level.

Highly recommended. ( )