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AKW books :: Fiction :: The Master's Reliquary Book Two: The Song of the Cross
| The Master's Reliquary Book Two: The Song of the Cross |
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Author: Al Philipson
Well researched. Very authentic. And a good plot. A perfect book for anyone, especially Christians, who like action, romance, and intrigue. A good follow-on to Dameron's first book. Better written in my opinion.
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Author: Sam White
The second book in Jim's "The Master's Reliquary" is a story of faith and finding one's place in the world during turbulent, uncertian times.
14th Century London teeters on the brink of revolution as unhappy peasants prepare to revolt because of overtaxation and war, the young King Richard II is manipulated by his uncle, and the preachings of John Wyclif and Friar Ball have the Church up in arms even as two rivals vye for the position of Pope. It is a time of uncertianty and crime where an attack can ceom from anywhere for any reason.
Caught up in this upheavel are Mary Oldsfield and Paul Angus. Mary is a young woman about to set out on the road of life and trying to figure out which path she should take while Paul is a traveling musician trying to find the perfect song in a tune that has come to him throughout his life though the full song and its meaning elude him. They meet by chance and are soon wisked into an adventure to help the King that will put them in harms way...and bring them closer to their goals and each other.
Like the best couples, Mary and Paul play off each other very well, as well those closest to them. Mary is led by faith and a level head, but is unworldly while Paul is well traveled and capable but somewhat cynical and world weary. The two help each other out of several scrapes and fall in love over time, even though they may not survive the upheavel around them.
There are other good characters as well. There's Mary's noble father, Paul's sarcastic preist friend Hugh, and a supporting cast that puts historical figures in an interesting light. A prime example would be Richard. Often depicted as an idiot & a jerk, here he is shown as an earnest young man whose heart was hardened by unfortunate events. The weak link was Mary's sisters, who are uninteresting and don't play much of a role.
There are two unfortunate elements that will hinder some readers. The first is the part is its setting. Some readers won't know about the Reformation and the Peasant's Revolt that some the signifigance and impact of they have on the story and England's history. The other porblem stems the way everyone talks. It's like a novelized Sheakespeare play. Not only the dialoge, but even the prose is peppered with archaic phrases and terms that'll sail right over people's heads (I still don't know what and alderman is).
That said, it's still an emotional and gripping tale of faith helping one endure hard times that will leave readers feeling their own faith and resolve strenghened as much as the characters.
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