Rating: 
Summary: cadfael makes the 12th century live.
Review: Previously mentioned, Oliver Cadfael's recently discovered son is in real peril this time. Our favorite monk must work out a way to rescue him, and decide whether to tell Oliver the truth of his birth.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing to be sorry about!
Review: The characters, settings, and Peter's use of language are so engrossing that I quite forgot that this was supposed to be a mystery. This is a great read, a great book - unfortunately, the last book.
Rating: 
Summary: A good yarn, nice period detail
Review: The twentieth and final book in the popular series, Brother Cadfael's Penance finds the title character drawn out of his home at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in a quest to free a young man taken prisoner in a war between the Empress Maud and her cousin, Stephen. Betrayal at the hands of Robert, one of the Empress's most trusted soldiers has landed Olivier de Bretagne in prison, where he seems destined to rot. But word of his fate reaches Brother Cadfael, who knows he must leave the Abbey and come to the aid of the young man-who is the monk's only child, sired before his vows during the time he fought in the Crusades. He must also keep Olivier's impulsive brother-in-law safe, and solve the murder of a rogue lord who supported Robert. A fascinating story on many levels, Brother Cadfael's Penance combines the best of adventure stories, mysteries, and historical fiction into one seamless, well-realized tale. Everything about the story-especially character, setting, and historical detail-rings true. Peters' knowledge of Middle Ages customs, language, and beliefs, honed through years of writing, is extensive and makes the era come alive. Cadfael, now the subject of a twentieth story, feels as familiar as family. Torn between his vows and his duty as a father, Cadfael places his son first when he decides to travel to Coventry to seek help and information. But such a decision comes at a cost to Cadfael's peace of mind. Here is where Peters' familiarity with her character becomes noticeable. Cadfael's faith is tested, as is his devotion to the way of life he has chosen. Peters makes his internal struggles seem genuine, the natural outcome of having his world turned upside down; yet he emerges from his travails stronger in both spirit and character. The secondary characters, such as Olivier, Yves, and Robert, are also fleshed out and realistic. The conflict in the story is based on real history, yet the fictional aspects of the story blend very well with the historical facts. Sometimes the plot becomes too thick for its own good, and there are times when there seem to be more characters than necessary. But the story progresses well, and is never boring. Interestingly, Cadfael's search for his son takes precedence over the mystery, which seems almost an afterthought. (It does tie in with the main plot, though). The identity and motive of the murderer is well-hidden until the revelatory moment, and ultimately the story is left with a few plot threads hanging. It is possible that Peters intended to write another book but died before it was realized. The resolution of the main plot thread, though, is very satisfactory and allows the story to end on a positive note.
Rating:
Summary: I didn't want to put it down.
Review: This book is about Cadfael's son being kidnapped, and held WITHOUT ransom. Those of us serious Brother Cadfael fans love the depth that Ellis Peters uses to describe his feelings upon discovering that his son is in serious danger, and noone appears to be doing anything about it. He makes his decision to go after him himself, and take whatever consequenses for his actions that Father Abbott sees fit - even the threat of being ejected from the order. He must find him; then he must bargin for his release. The book moves right along. There is intrigue, mystery, exciting battle scenes, touching father-son moments, and suspense. I can't wait for this book to be made into a made-for-TV movie, as so many of the others have. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Disappointment, unfortunately the last of the series
Review: This book,while a good character study, is extremely darker than the other books in the series. Olivier, a very strong character in "Virgin in the Ice", seems to be much weaker here. Also, I wish there had been more of a mystery. There is a death, but Peters focuses more on the father-son relationship. Overall, the book left me feeling unsatisfied and wishing that the author had another "Cadfael" in the works. Unfortunately, there is not.
Rating:
Summary: a splendid ending to Cadfael's legacy!
Review: This final installment of the mysteries of Brother Cadfael finds Ellis Peters in outstanding form- what prose this Englishwoman conjures! Of all the Cadfael mysteries, this is one of the finest! The writing is typically adroit - wise, full and redeeming, and the passages found toward the last third of the book, describing the interior heart of Brother Cadfael towards Olivier, his 'unknown' son, are as beautifully trenchant as anything one will find in popular prose writing. In this series of books, the mysteries themselves are always well-placed and fascinating, authentic and without tricks, but again, it is the superlative writing of Ellis Peters, the warmth of the language and the architecture of its comeliness, that captivates; indeed, she has permanently raised the genre of mystery novel to a new plateau of genuine literary interest. P.D. James, eat your heart out! All 20 Cadfael mysteries highly recommended - an addiction to treasure!
Rating:
Summary: a splendid ending to Cadfael's legacy!
Review: This final installment of the mysteries of Brother Cadfael finds Ellis Peters in outstanding form- what prose this Englishwoman conjures! Of all the Cadfael mysteries, this is one of the finest! The writing is typically adroit - wise, full and redeeming, and the passages found toward the last third of the book, describing the interior heart of Brother Cadfael towards Olivier, his 'unknown' son, are as beautifully trenchant as anything one will find in popular prose writing. In this series of books, the mysteries themselves are always well-placed and fascinating, authentic and without tricks, but again, it is the superlative writing of Ellis Peters, the warmth of the language and the architecture of its comeliness, that captivates; indeed, she has permanently raised the genre of mystery novel to a new plateau of genuine literary interest. P.D. James, eat your heart out! All 20 Cadfael mysteries highly recommended - an addiction to treasure!
Rating:
Summary: Left me longing for more
Review: Witness if you will, reader, the Chronicles of one Brother Cadfael of the Benedictine abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul in Shrewsbury, Shropshire: witness the twenty adventures of this most unusual monk, herbalist and former crusader, occurring between the years of Our Lord 1138 and 1145, in the middle of the devastating civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen for the English crown. Witness, reader, how this rare Benedictine's "practically miraculous" powers of deduction (Booklist) helped him solve mysteries such as that of the unfortunate violent death of a Welsh lord who sought to prevent the relocation of the sacred bones of his village's maiden saint to no other place but Shrewsbury's very own Benedictine abbey ("A Morbid Taste for Bones," the first Chronicle); the long-held secrets hidden under the rags worn by one of the unfortunate residents of Shrewsbury's leper colony, and that ill-fated soul's connection to a fair young bride come to Shrewsbury to be wedded at St. Peter and St. Paul, only to find her groom - himself a brute in a gentleman's clothes - murdered only shortly after their arrival ("The Leper of St. Giles," the fifth Chronicle); and a woman's earthly remains, found in a field bequeathed to the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul by a potter who, struggling between the callings of a husband and those of a servant of the Lord, had relinquished his marital vows in favor of those to the church ("The Potter's Field," the seventeenth Chronicle).Pause however, reader, before proceeding to this twentieth and last Chronicle, if you are not familiar with all accounts of Brother Cadfael's previous extraordinary ventures. Pause, I say, and seek out the Chronicle entitled "The Virgin in the Ice," which is the sixth in order and takes place in the winter of the year 1139. For in that report you shall encounter not only certain persons important to the events you must expect to learn about in this last Chronicle, duly referred to as "Brother Cadfael's Penance," but you shall also learn about certain details about Brother Cadfael's past, and the life he led among the defenders and the residents of the Holy Land in the year 1112. And while it is true that the essence of said facts, insofar as indispensable to the telling of this present and final Chronicle, will again be revealed to you as you progress through this present account, trust me if I tell you, reader, that your enjoyment and understanding of this final Chronicle will be greatly enhanced by having acquainted yourself with the full revelation of said facts, events and personae, as encountered in said prior Chronicle. At the very least, reader, accept my humble suggestion that you seek out the visual representation of said prior Chronicle, equally referred to as "The Virgin in the Ice," which is part of the most excellent productions also entitled "The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael," created in the past century's last decade. Thus prepared, proceed then to this last Chronicle, which takes place in the year 1145, when a conference was held in the great city of Coventry, presided over by none other than the mighty archbishops of Coventry, Winchester and Ely, to bring an end to England's bitter civil war. And Brother Cadfael is in attendance; not, however, because he has been called upon to lend his services to the cause of diplomacy, which regrettably is a foregone conclusion between enemies as deeply opposed as Maud and Stephen, but to make inquiries about a certain young knight named Olivier de Bretagne. For said knight, of Syrian extraction and near and dear to Cadfael's heart, has been captured in a struggle following his noble lord's fiat to abandon their allegiance to the empress and join the king's forces instead, and he is now held without any offer of ransom, which is unheard of in the customs of war. And while Cadfael sojourns in Coventry, a haughty nobleman, who has played a most dubitable role in the change of allegiance of the forces of his and Olivier's liege, is found murdered, by none other than Olivier's brother-in-law, Yves Hugonin; himself barely out of a boy's clothes and now a liensman of the empress, and readily declared the crime's chief suspect. Thus facing the unfortunate concurrence of two duties of worldly allegiance - to locate Olivier and to clear Yves's good name - Cadfael must realize that those worldly duties irreconcilably collide with that owed to his monastic community. For he is bound to his abbot not to stay away from Shrewsbury for longer than is necessary to attend the truce conference, after the end of which he is to return to the abbey instantly, or break his vows; and unable to complete either of said two worldly duties in time to comply with that owed to his abbot, break his vows he feels he must. Yet, it is with a heavy heart that Cadfael does so, and casts himself out of the Benedictine community which has been his home and family for over twenty years, to follow a calling stronger than even that of the Holy Church; thus opening the conflicts of his heart to you, reader, more than he has ever done before. "Brother Cadfael sprang to life suddenly and unexpectedly when he was already approaching sixty, mature, experienced, fully armed and seventeen years tonsured," his chronicler Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) wrote in a 1988 introduction to the 1979 short story collection "A Rare Benedictine," set in 1120 and compiled after the success of the first Chronicle to shed light on Cadfael's entry into monastic life. Would that she had had more time on this earth to bring us further accounts of his adventures! Sadly, this was not to be the case. But as things stand, she could not have left us with a better conclusion to his exploits. Rest in peace therefore, Mistress, and may you have many pleasant conversations with Brother Cadfael, wherever you have encountered him since!
Rating:
Summary: Cadfael's conflict.
Review: Witness if you will, reader, the Chronicles of one Brother Cadfael of the Benedictine abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul in Shrewsbury, Shropshire: witness the twenty adventures of this most unusual monk, herbalist and former crusader, occurring between the years of Our Lord 1138 and 1145, in the middle of the devastating civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen for the English crown. Witness, reader, how this rare Benedictine's "practically miraculous" powers of deduction (Booklist) helped him solve mysteries such as that of the unfortunate violent death of a Welsh lord who sought to prevent the relocation of the sacred bones of his village's maiden saint to no other place but Shrewsbury's very own Benedictine abbey ("A Morbid Taste for Bones," the first Chronicle); the long-held secrets hidden under the rags worn by one of the unfortunate residents of Shrewsbury's leper colony, and that ill-fated soul's connection to a fair young bride come to Shrewsbury to be wedded at St. Peter and St. Paul, only to find her groom - himself a brute in a gentleman's clothes - murdered only shortly after their arrival ("The Leper of St. Giles," the fifth Chronicle); and a woman's earthly remains, found in a field bequeathed to the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul by a potter who, struggling between the callings of a husband and those of a servant of the Lord, had relinquished his marital vows in favor of those to the church ("The Potter's Field," the seventeenth Chronicle). Pause however, reader, before proceeding to this twentieth and last Chronicle, if you are not familiar with all accounts of Brother Cadfael's previous extraordinary ventures. Pause, I say, and seek out the Chronicle entitled "The Virgin in the Ice," which is the sixth in order and takes place in the winter of the year 1139. For in that report you shall encounter not only certain persons important to the events you must expect to learn about in this last Chronicle, duly referred to as "Brother Cadfael's Penance," but you shall also learn about certain details about Brother Cadfael's past, and the life he led among the defenders and the residents of the Holy Land in the year 1112. And while it is true that the essence of said facts, insofar as indispensable to the telling of this present and final Chronicle, will again be revealed to you as you progress through this present account, trust me if I tell you, reader, that your enjoyment and understanding of this final Chronicle will be greatly enhanced by having acquainted yourself with the full revelation of said facts, events and personae, as encountered in said prior Chronicle. At the very least, reader, accept my humble suggestion that you seek out the visual representation of said prior Chronicle, equally referred to as "The Virgin in the Ice," which is part of the most excellent productions also entitled "The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael," created in the past century's last decade. Thus prepared, proceed then to this last Chronicle, which takes place in the year 1145, when a conference was held in the great city of Coventry, presided over by none other than the mighty archbishops of Coventry, Winchester and Ely, to bring an end to England's bitter civil war. And Brother Cadfael is in attendance; not, however, because he has been called upon to lend his services to the cause of diplomacy, which regrettably is a foregone conclusion between enemies as deeply opposed as Maud and Stephen, but to make inquiries about a certain young knight named Olivier de Bretagne. For said knight, of Syrian extraction and near and dear to Cadfael's heart, has been captured in a struggle following his noble lord's fiat to abandon their allegiance to the empress and join the king's forces instead, and he is now held without any offer of ransom, which is unheard of in the customs of war. And while Cadfael sojourns in Coventry, a haughty nobleman, who has played a most dubitable role in the change of allegiance of the forces of his and Olivier's liege, is found murdered, by none other than Olivier's brother-in-law, Yves Hugonin; himself barely out of a boy's clothes and now a liensman of the empress, and readily declared the crime's chief suspect. Thus facing the unfortunate concurrence of two duties of worldly allegiance - to locate Olivier and to clear Yves's good name - Cadfael must realize that those worldly duties irreconcilably collide with that owed to his monastic community. For he is bound to his abbot not to stay away from Shrewsbury for longer than is necessary to attend the truce conference, after the end of which he is to return to the abbey instantly, or break his vows; and unable to complete either of said two worldly duties in time to comply with that owed to his abbot, break his vows he feels he must. Yet, it is with a heavy heart that Cadfael does so, and casts himself out of the Benedictine community which has been his home and family for over twenty years, to follow a calling stronger than even that of the Holy Church; thus opening the conflicts of his heart to you, reader, more than he has ever done before. "Brother Cadfael sprang to life suddenly and unexpectedly when he was already approaching sixty, mature, experienced, fully armed and seventeen years tonsured," his chronicler Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) wrote in a 1988 introduction to the 1979 short story collection "A Rare Benedictine," set in 1120 and compiled after the success of the first Chronicle to shed light on Cadfael's entry into monastic life. Would that she had had more time on this earth to bring us further accounts of his adventures! Sadly, this was not to be the case. But as things stand, she could not have left us with a better conclusion to his exploits. Rest in peace therefore, Mistress, and may you have many pleasant conversations with Brother Cadfael, wherever you have encountered him since!
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