Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Read: April 21, 2013
When mercenary Sir Benedict Palmer agrees to help King Henry II’s knights seize the traitor Archbishop Thomas Becket, what begins as a clandestine arrest ends in cold-blooded murder. And when Fitzurse, the knights’ ringleader, kidnaps Theodosia, a beautiful young nun who witnessed the crime, Palmer can sit silently by no longer. He and Theodosia rely only on each other as they race to uncover the motive behind Becket’s murder—and the truth that could destroy a kingdom.
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| Canterbury Cathedral, stained glass- ancient panel showing the Murder of St Thomas Becket |
It really isn't all that surprising when you think about it, the nature of the book that is, as The Fifth Knight was originally published as a kindle serial. Not that you can necessarily tell where one episode ends and the next begins, but throughout the book, Powell exhibits a particular aptitude for building dramatic tension and giving her readers just enough resolution to leave them wanting more.
In terms of characters, I'm hard pressed to choose between Palmer and Theodosia. I greatly enjoyed watching Palmer's motivations shift as he struggled with his principles, but I also appreciated what Powell did with his companion. I'm used to seeing nuns written in somber, reverent tones, but Theodosia is passionately devoted and genuinely earnest. Seeing that kind of spunk in someone destined to live a life of service within the Church was refreshing to say the least.
Ideally I might have liked more historic detail, Powell plays fast and loose with the particulars where I would have appreciated more clarity, but all in all The Fifth Knight is a cleverly written medieval mystery that engages readers from the first page to the last.
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"Here I am. No traitor, but archbishop and priest of God."
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