This is my first Cadfael book and I already look forward to reading more in future. I really like Cadfael as our unflappable protagonist: a burly, down-to-earth, middle-aged monk, once a soldier, now a gardening enthusiast and amateur detective. He's cast as the fair, worldly, and open-minded everyman among his holy brethren of stuffed shirts and bumbling virgins – the perfect wise observer needed to solve a medieval murder.
The murder mystery itself is quite simple but satisfyingly written and paced. None of the book's brisk page count is wasted. Peters' prose has charming archaic flavour and a level of adverbial gusto that's sometimes a bit silly, like Cadfael's world of smarmy monks and plucky maidens is a bit silly – but it's page-turning fun that's elevated by a strong sense of setting. Peters strikes a pleasing balance of historicity with a warm-hearted lightness of touch that isn't totally Dung Ages. I enjoyed it a lot!
A light and entertaining overview of toxic plants, their effects, and their relationships with humans throughout history. Nicely illustrated and informative for the curious layperson (me), if a little too cute in its “evil criminal plant” gimmick.
A hard one to rate. When it's good, it's really good - essential - but when it's less good, it's bone dry. The good bits, I really loved. I loved that the entirety of the Lord of the Rings is summarised in pretty much three pages right at the end. Makes me wonder what some of the other stories would be like if they were written and characterised in detail.
Most loathsome guy of all time, but I could've read more of him, as the book ends quite abruptly for me. I enjoyed the jumbled love-it-or-hate-it prose and the ampersands.
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