 |
| Courting Dragons by Jeri Westerson |
Courting Dragons starts the King’s Fool mystery series. It’s set in the court of Henry VIII and takes plase in the early sixteenth century. The main character, King’s fool Will Sommers, is based on a real jester there.
This was a fairly good book with a lot going on. The author weaved historical events and people into the mix, in this case the courtship of Henry and Anne Boleyn, which served as a background and occasionally took over from the murder mystery. The mystery itself was interesting, even if the solution and motivations were rater lame, after promises of spies and intrigue.
Historical facts were well researched, and there were a lot of them, which made for a heavy reading, especially in the beginning. However, I had trouble immersing myself in the historical world. Mostly, I think, because of the first-person narrative that constantly pulled me back to the present. The language was a bit too contrived as well in its attempt to sound historical.
Will was an interesting character. He could go about as he pleased, had the ear of important persons, and could talk himself out of all kinds of situations. His jests weren’t terribly funny though. His personal life was colourful with many lovers, men and women alike, even if he only loved his Marion. He wasn’t much of a sleuth, however, even though he got there in the end, but if you like historical mysteries, give this a try.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment