A Gift of Sanctuary

Rating:
Summary: Bravo! Wonderful! I laughed out loud, I cried...
Review: How do I rate the best thus far in a series of 5-star books?!?! If there were more stars, this book would get them from me. I read it in one day, devoured it like Belgian chocolates. What can I say? I loved the journey through Wales, the pilgrimage. It was great to meet Martin the Fleming again (Jasper's old friend). Sir Robert and Michaelo were wonderful. Tangwystl, yes what a beautiful name. It was fascinating to find out Owen's feelings upon revisiting Wales, crossing the Severn, meeting up with countrymen and family. The author does a phenomenal job of characterizations. The bard Daffyd was fascinating, as were his friends Cadwall and the two dogs. Great books, all of them so far, but this is my favorite. I've been to Wales and this book captures the mystery perfectly!

Rating:
Summary: Much to think about.
Review: I think this is my favorite so far of the Owen Archer series. It certainly gives one much to think about. Although A Gift of Sanctuary takes place in Wales and lacks the Archbishop's Spy Owen's charismatic wife, Lucy, the apothecary, it does expand on the characters of her father Sir Robert D'Arby and of the Archbishop's secretary, the mercurial Brother Michaelo. These are characters with which the reader has become familiar in earlier works. When the elderly knight and the irritating brother are thrown together as companions on pilgrimage to a sacred site in Wales and travel with Owen who is on a mission for the Duke of Lancaster, the reader has the opportunity to know them better. Both individuals grown in depth throughout the story, adding human interest to the story of murder and love betrayed. Indeeed, the story focuses as much on the development of these two people as it does on the mystery itself.

Haunting too is the tale of Owen's long separation from his family and of the many changes that are wrought by time in one's absence from home. In the years during which the action takes place, travel is a dangerous pursuit undertaken only rarely and then usually for religious or commercial reasons. Most people had not travelled more than a few miles from their home. For Owen, who left home years before to become an archer for the Duke of Lancaster, returning home to Wales is a bitter sweet experience at best.

Interesting too is the reintroduction of the poet Chauce--he appeared in an earlier story as well--and of a Welsh bard (with whose name I am unfamiliar). Both add some comic relief to the story, especially Dafydd ap Gwilym who plays a wise fool throughout. I took a class in Middle English, reading Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, when I was working on my MA in history, and although I struggled through the unfamiliar and vaguely familiar words of the poetry, I never learned much about the man himself. Robb's recreation of his personality, while it may not be perfectly accurate is probably not far from the truth.

Again the author provides an interesting summation of the history of the period, including the political climate of the Welsh-English frontier of the 14th Century.

Rating:
Summary: Another great Owen Archer tale
Review: This series is a wonderful one with vividly drawn and sympathetic characters, interesting plots, and plenty of intrigue. It's just a shame that the U.S. publisher does not keep up with Robb's U.K. publisher. I'm such a big Candace Robb fan, I order her books from Amazon.com.uk and am presently completing The Cross-Legged Knight--the eighth in the series, in case anyone wants to pick it up used before U.S. publication.