Heartstone (Matthew Shardlake 5)

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When I consider (in the bethinking of mine evil and wretched and former life) mine obstinate, stony, and untractible heart to have so much exceeded in evilness that it hath not only neglected -- yea condemned and despised -- God's holy precepts and commandments, but also embraced, received, and esteemed vain, foolish, and feigned trifles, I am (partly by the hate I owe to sin, whom I am content to edify even with the example of my own shame) forced and constrained with my heart and words to confess and declare to my creator, and how beneficial, merciful, and gentle he hath been always to me his creature, being such a miserable, wretched sinner. Werewolf's Heartsong" by DizzyIzzyN is a captivating urban fantasy that has several chapters that stand out due to their intensity, revelations, and character development. Here are some of the hot chapters: Sansom’s latest virtuoso twisting together of Tudor history and mystery is set in 1545, when Henry VIII’s fraught nation faced imminent invasion by the French. Amid a tour de force re-creation of that jittery time (culminating in terrifically atmospheric scenes aboard the pride of the king’s war fleet, the Mary Rose), a cunningly crafted whodunit plot irresistibly bristles with skulduggery, suspicious behaviour and sinister deaths. -- Peter Kemp, Sunday Times Culture Heartstone is a historical mystery novel by British author C. J. Sansom. [1] It is Sansom's sixth novel, and the fifth in the Matthew Shardlake Series. Set in the 16th century during the reign of King Henry VIII, the events of the novel take place in the summer of 1545. [2] Shardlake and his assistant Barak travel to Portsmouth on a legal case given to them by an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr. The book also concerns preparations for the Battle of the Solent and the King's warship, the Mary Rose.

Can you have too much of a good thing? Yes. But I still give it four stars because inside, it is still a good thing – just not as good as the first four books. And I’ll move on to the next! In Lamentation, the sixth entry in the series, lawyer Matthew Shardlake is older and grumpier, the losses he experienced in the previous volume haunting him, compounded by domestic imbroglios at home and inevitable troubles at work. His current case involves a litigious, viciously antagonistic brother and sister, showing us how even in Tudor times, people sued each other over the silliest of reasons - in this case, a mural painted on a childhood home wall, which has the siblings at each other's throats, the sister in particular prone to strident accusations of heretical leanings and malevolent hints of a dark secret in her brother's past. Shardlake finds the entire case wearying, as well he should, but his life is about to get a lot more complicated when he's summoned to court by Queen Catherine Parr's brother to serve the queen once more.I, also, learned just how important women were in the development of Protestantism. Henry was married to two different wives of strong Protestant women, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Parr. They were able to influence Henry as much as it was possible. He wasn't that great at listening to people. Also, Anne Askew with her martyrdom was a figure to admire. I am sure there are many more stories of the contributions of women that we just haven't heard. Unknown enemy? Or unexpected ally? Plunged into the dangerous world of royal intrigue and ancient grudges, Aliza and Alastair soon realize it will take more than steel and dragonfire to save their kingdom, for the silence of Els hides a secret that could shake House Daired to its foundations. De nuevo te sumerges de lleno en la época de Enrique VIII. Sansom logra unas ambientaciones de las cuales es imposible abstraerse. Si a eso añadimos una trama envolvente (la desaparición de un manuscrito de la propia reina, que, de acabar en manos del rey, podría suponerle una seria condena por herejía, por lo que decide acudir a su buen amigo Shardlake), unos personajes ya tan familiares para los que somos seguidores de la serie, y una sabia elección de por dónde conducir al lector, el resultado es una novela, que, a pesar de su extensión, se lee en un suspiro. Asistiremos a la decadencia plena de Enrique VIII y a los tejemanejes de los grandes del reino, que, sintiendo ya cercana la muerte del monarca, decantan posiciones para no perder comba ante los futuros acontecimientos, de los cuales el camino que tomará la religión impuesta por el rey será un eje central. I come from Whitehall Palace, from her majesty the Queen. She begs you to see her." "Begs?' I answered in surprise. Queens do not beg."

That aside, having them go through the trauma of losing a child (piled on top of everything they’re going through) was just plain cruel: they didn’t need that to rekindle their relationship or because they were stagnating...they had barely started working on how to live as a couple!She held up her richly embroidered sleeve. ‘This was once worn with a dress of Anne Boleyn’s. I have constant reminders of past events. I live in fear now, Matthew, great fear.’ ” So far, he still loves Catherine and vice-versa. He calls for her to come sing to him in the evenings to help relieve his pain, which she does gladly. Dragonshadow is the not the sequel I expected to Heartstone, a book I read mainly because it was a Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Although I thoroughly enjoyed Heartstone, I expected Dragonshadow to continue in the same vein as many P&P sequels- mainly romance and usually disappointing. Imagine my surprise and delight when Dragonshadow did not follow that path! In this installment (of what I hope is a fully fleshed out series), Alastair and Aliza are enjoying a few weeks of honeymoon after the events of the Battle of North Fields. However, their honeymoon is cut short when a contract is brought to them from the north, where something is killing the Idar. Aliza, refusing to be left behind, joins Alastair and Akarra, the dragon, as they journey north to stop whatever is killing innocent creatures. The BBC have commissioned an adaptation of Dissolution with the actor Kenneth Branagh set to star as Shardlake. The rest of the Shardlake books are expected to follow. C. J. Sansom has been consulted on the series, which is in the final stages of negotiation.[citation needed].

This made me laugh hard. It’s not even that funny; I just kept on building scenarios where the Gnomes would say that to each other. Ridiculously cute. And for Aliza it means dealing with the change of social status (and what all of that brings) and learning how to cope with the the expectations and pressures that come with being married to the best warrior in the country and the fact that she’s a very different kind of person compared to the women of the family. So this was Anne Askew, who had left her husband in Lincolnshire to come and preach in London, and said the consecrated wafer was no more than a piece of bread, which would go mouldy like any other if left in a box." Near to me a soldier passed, carefully carrying a basket. ‘Make way, make way! ’Tis the gunpowder!’In this book, Matthew Shardlake is called upon once more by Queen Catherine, to try and locate her stolen manuscript, 'Lamentation of a Sinner' -- this manuscript did exist, but the stealing of it is fictional. Werewolf's Heartsong" is an urban fantasy that would appeal to readers who enjoy a blend of action, romance, and exploration of deep, meaningful themes. The book offers a refreshing take on the werewolf genre, focusing more on action and character development rather than the typical "Luna meets Alpha" formula. Therefore, it would be a great read for those who appreciate complex characters, engaging plots, and a narrative that explores personal growth and resilience. One of my favorite things about Heartstone, the first book in White's Pride & Prejudice fantasy retelling, was the world building. I'm a big P&P fan, but those elements are not what won me over the first time around. Although White did an admirable job integrating that classic story into her exciting tale of dragons, dragon riders and other mythical and supernatural creatures, there was definitely a feeling that the author had certain plot points she had to hit. This didn't ruin the story for me by any means, because I absolutely loved Heartstone, but it was the characters and White's unique world that kept me reading. The dual mysteries in Heartstone build slowly and suspensefully, leaving me with several conflicting theories regarding the likely outcome. Each one was wrong. Matthew manages to uncover all sorts of secrets and find new souls for him to attempt to save. He gets so caught up in his need to know truth and seek justice that he gets himself to a point where he wearily admits defeat in a heartbreaking moment. Dragonshadow is the second book in the Heartstone series by Elle Katharine White and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The first book was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice but with dragons and other fantastical beasts. It was a great start to the series and one that took me by surprise as retellings can be a little hit or miss especially when they’re using a favourite classic as inspiration. As it is Heartstone was a definite hit for me and so you can imagine how happy I was when I caught a whiff of No.2.

Shardlake and Barak embark on their road journey south and experience all sorts of indignities and challenges along the way. Shardlake is resolute in his determination to uncover the mysteries of what happened to Ellen and to the Curteys children. He faces major obstacles from those with vested interests in concealing the truth. His detective instincts take him all the way to Portsmouth, where he becomes enmeshed in the mighty efforts to do battle against the enemy. He sees at first hand the English flotilla of warships, including the King's favourite vessel, the Mary Rose. I am a big fan of C.J. Sansom's series featuring the lawyer Matthew Shardlake. Set during the reign of Henry VIII, the novels focus on various crimes, which the intrepid Shardlake investigates while dealing with the prevailing situation of London and England under Henry's increasingly erratic reign. Sansom is both a qualified lawyer and a PhD in English History, so he is able to insert credible elements from both aspects of his professional life into the narratives. A key feature of his writing is his talent for invoking the sights, sounds and smells of the era, making the reader feel like they are really there, in the stinking hovels, traversing the filthy streets, engaging with the drunken deadbeats, sleazy solicitors and leary louts of the heaving city of 1540s London. This is where we find ourselves, with the threat of being reported as a heretic making people nervously careful about how they speak. That includes the Queen. She calls upon her old friend Matthew to help her with some missing writings that would displease the King - or worse. In terms of Catherine Parr - I couldn't help wishing her story could have a happy ending, but alas, history shows she did not. It seems a great shame she married Thomas Seymour. She deserved better. I put off reading this book for awhile because it is the last one published. I didn't have another one on hand and am now forced to wait for the author. I can't wait.

With his latest Shardlake mystery, C.J. Sansom once again paints a vivid portrait of Henry VIII’s England. This novel is set in the last year of Henry’s life during one of the many fluctuations of what is the proper way to worship God. Henry is drifting towards the conventional understanding the Eucharist and as a result there is a hunt on for heretics. I looked at the effigy as it passed and thought, what did he really achieve, what did his extraordinary reign really bring? I remembered all that I had seen these last ten years; ancient monasteries destroyed, monks pensioned off and servants put out on the road; persecutions and burnings - I shuddered at the memory of Anne Askew's head exploding; a great war that had achieved nothing and impoverished the country - and if that impoverishment continued to deepen, there would be trouble: the common people could only stand so much. And always, always under Henry, the shadow of the axe. I thought of those who had perished by it, and in particular of one I had long ago known well, and still remembered: Thomas Cromwell. I’ve debated a lot wether or not I should add this bit or not because I’ve seen it so many times being overused, but I think this might be one of the times where it’s required, so: Alora Heartsong, the female protagonist, is a resilient and determined character who overcomes immense suffering and strives to lead a new, independent life. Her character is marked by her powerful wolf and vampire, and she evolves throughout the story to become a powerful leader of the werewolf clans. I love this series. There may be some anachronisms but there was nothing that marred my enjoyment. It’s a bit long – but – having said that, it is a complex time and anything shorter would have omitted some of the necessary action.