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helenephoebe's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I am currently working on my first non-fiction book about Elizabethan Rebellions, so this was a really interesting fictional account of the Babington plot which led to the execution of Mary Queen of Scots the following year.
Giordano Bruno as a character was intriguing, and keeps being so throughout each book in the series. He is complex, with different strands like his religious history, academic studies, and his spy and undercover work. Bruno was a real person who was in England spying for Francis Walsingham, although the exact nature of his assignments doesn't seem to be known, and it look as though he left England in 1585 so couldn't have been involved in the Babington plot in 1586.
A bit of historical license is OK and Bruno is such an interesting character that I can imagine he would have been involved in the Babington conspiracy if given the opportunity. The conspiracy was the interesting bit for me and the relationships between those involved in the conspiracy - Babington, Titch, Ballard, and Savage. In historical sources we don't see these relationships so that was what drew my attention.
I've always enjoyed reading this series because of the interactions between the characters and their involvement in various conspiracies. Whether there will be further books in the series, I don't know, but there are several unresolved issues, so I really hope so!
Giordano Bruno as a character was intriguing, and keeps being so throughout each book in the series. He is complex, with different strands like his religious history, academic studies, and his spy and undercover work. Bruno was a real person who was in England spying for Francis Walsingham, although the exact nature of his assignments doesn't seem to be known, and it look as though he left England in 1585 so couldn't have been involved in the Babington plot in 1586.
A bit of historical license is OK and Bruno is such an interesting character that I can imagine he would have been involved in the Babington conspiracy if given the opportunity. The conspiracy was the interesting bit for me and the relationships between those involved in the conspiracy - Babington, Titch, Ballard, and Savage. In historical sources we don't see these relationships so that was what drew my attention.
I've always enjoyed reading this series because of the interactions between the characters and their involvement in various conspiracies. Whether there will be further books in the series, I don't know, but there are several unresolved issues, so I really hope so!
mybookhustle's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
fictionfan's review against another edition
2.0
Treason and plot...
Giordano Bruno has returned to England from Paris to bring a message to Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster. A plot is underway to assassinate Elizabeth and install Mary, Queen of Scots, on the throne. Walsingham is aware of this already but sees a use for Bruno – to impersonate a priest who has arrived to bring Spanish aid to the conspirators. Walsingham also thinks Bruno might be helpful in finding out who murdered Clara Poole, a young woman who was one of Walsingham’s spies.
I’m afraid I found this incredibly slow and dull, and finally gave up just after the halfway point. Partly this may be because I already know the story of the Babington plot to assassinate Elizabeth quite well, and didn’t find this brought anything new to the table. I assumed that, given how well known the plot and its outcome are, the real story would be about Clara’s murder, with the Babington strand merely acting as an interesting background. But the emphasis, at least in this first half of the book, is almost entirely on Bruno’s infiltration of the conspiracy. Partly also, though, it’s because it moves at a glacial speed, being far too long for its content. Much of it is action-free, with too much dialogue. There’s one long, long section that takes place over a meal in an inn and is purely made up of all the characters discussing the plot so that Bruno and the reader know everything that has happened to date and who trusts and mistrusts whom – a lazy ploy of all tell and no show.
There’s no doubt that the research is good. The details of and background to the Babington conspiracy seem accurate, as far as I know, and the portrayal of the rather fanatical Walsingham is done very well. I don’t know much about the real Giordano Bruno so can’t say how accurate the fictional one is, but he’s quite a likeable protagonist. The descriptions of the London of this era ring true, and mostly the language is fine – neutral standard English rather than any attempt at Elizabethan dialect – with only the occasional jarringly anachronistic turn of phrase.
As so often I seem to be swimming against the tide with this one – it’s getting almost universal praise from other reviewers so far, most of whom seem to be dedicated fans of the series. So perhaps it works better if you already have an emotional attachment to the recurring characters, or perhaps if you don’t know about the Babington plot going in. Though I can’t imagine anyone remotely interested in the Tudor period who wouldn’t already know what happened to Elizabeth and Mary respectively, making it obvious whether the plot succeeded even if you hadn’t heard of it before; and knowing the outcome means there’s no suspense. With such a well known event as the background, the murder story or Bruno’s personal story would have had to be much stronger than they are to dominate the foreground.
Despite abandoning it, I don’t feel it deserves the 1-star I usually give to books I don’t finish. It’s well written and well researched – I fear it simply didn’t hold my interest.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins, via NetGalley.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Giordano Bruno has returned to England from Paris to bring a message to Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster. A plot is underway to assassinate Elizabeth and install Mary, Queen of Scots, on the throne. Walsingham is aware of this already but sees a use for Bruno – to impersonate a priest who has arrived to bring Spanish aid to the conspirators. Walsingham also thinks Bruno might be helpful in finding out who murdered Clara Poole, a young woman who was one of Walsingham’s spies.
I’m afraid I found this incredibly slow and dull, and finally gave up just after the halfway point. Partly this may be because I already know the story of the Babington plot to assassinate Elizabeth quite well, and didn’t find this brought anything new to the table. I assumed that, given how well known the plot and its outcome are, the real story would be about Clara’s murder, with the Babington strand merely acting as an interesting background. But the emphasis, at least in this first half of the book, is almost entirely on Bruno’s infiltration of the conspiracy. Partly also, though, it’s because it moves at a glacial speed, being far too long for its content. Much of it is action-free, with too much dialogue. There’s one long, long section that takes place over a meal in an inn and is purely made up of all the characters discussing the plot so that Bruno and the reader know everything that has happened to date and who trusts and mistrusts whom – a lazy ploy of all tell and no show.
There’s no doubt that the research is good. The details of and background to the Babington conspiracy seem accurate, as far as I know, and the portrayal of the rather fanatical Walsingham is done very well. I don’t know much about the real Giordano Bruno so can’t say how accurate the fictional one is, but he’s quite a likeable protagonist. The descriptions of the London of this era ring true, and mostly the language is fine – neutral standard English rather than any attempt at Elizabethan dialect – with only the occasional jarringly anachronistic turn of phrase.
As so often I seem to be swimming against the tide with this one – it’s getting almost universal praise from other reviewers so far, most of whom seem to be dedicated fans of the series. So perhaps it works better if you already have an emotional attachment to the recurring characters, or perhaps if you don’t know about the Babington plot going in. Though I can’t imagine anyone remotely interested in the Tudor period who wouldn’t already know what happened to Elizabeth and Mary respectively, making it obvious whether the plot succeeded even if you hadn’t heard of it before; and knowing the outcome means there’s no suspense. With such a well known event as the background, the murder story or Bruno’s personal story would have had to be much stronger than they are to dominate the foreground.
Despite abandoning it, I don’t feel it deserves the 1-star I usually give to books I don’t finish. It’s well written and well researched – I fear it simply didn’t hold my interest.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins, via NetGalley.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
sophiewilliams's review against another edition
4.0
Giordano has returned to England and finds himself in the midst of another Catholic plot to depose Queen Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.
The historical backdrop is well managed and the cast of characters are well distinguished from each other. I particularly liked Laila and Joe and how they interacted with Giordano. It's a shame that the first half took some time to catch my interest as during the second I found this hard (if not impossible) to put down.
The historical backdrop is well managed and the cast of characters are well distinguished from each other. I particularly liked Laila and Joe and how they interacted with Giordano. It's a shame that the first half took some time to catch my interest as during the second I found this hard (if not impossible) to put down.
ingejanse's review against another edition
3.0
Lieve Giordano Bruno,
Ik heb slecht nieuws. Na 6 romans en 3 novelles gaan onze wegen zich scheiden.
Dat ligt niet aan jou. Ik vind je nog steeds een fijne vent. Goed, je overleeft wel erg miraculeus elke situatie, dat gaat soms wat jeuken. Ook maak je soms wel erg impulsgedreven keuzes op momenten dat het écht niet handig is en waardoor je gebeurtenissen wat langer laat duren dan per se nodig is.
Maar dat neemt niet weg dat je je nederig opstelt, menselijk overkomt, genoeg drijfveren hebt om je interessant te houden én zelfs soms weleens wat grappigs zegt. Je kunt goed vechten en slim nadenken, ligt lekker in de markt voor de vrouwtjes en toont je wars van overdreven dogmatisme. Bovendien heb je net voldoende vaart in je doen en laten. Je geeft genoeg details om de wereld tot leven te wekken, je ondervangt vaak genoeg schijnbare plotfouten door de reden voor dubieuze keuzes expliciet te benoemen, je praat snel en makkelijk met je mede-hoofdpersonen, en er gebeurt meer dan voldoende om mij te boeien.
Ook de periode waarin je leeft zorgt ervoor dat we lang een innige band onderhouden hebben. The age of reason vs het magische en occulte! The war of the roses! Tudor vs Stuart! Katholiek vs protestant! De komst van de koffie in Europa! Gruwelijke tribunalen! Martelwerktuigen! Uitroeptekens!
Maar aan alles komt een einde, Giordano. Want terwijl jouw romanfiguur je feitelijke levensduur al lang overschreden is, ouwe ketteraar met je 'de zon is het middelpunt van dit sterrenstelsel'-onzin, is je levensvatbaarheid in mijn hoofd ook op. Ik moet denken aan pannenkoeken. De eerste? GENIAAL! De tweede? Superlekker! De derde? Kom maar door! De vierde? Nou, oké, prima. De vijfde? Goed, nog eentje dan. En de zesde? Pffff, dat was er net één te veel.
En dat ben jij in Execution, de altijd gevaarlijke zesde pannenkoek (niet te verwarren met de zevende zuster trouwens). Het is nu officieel te veel formule. Sinister complot, gruwelijke moorden, onduidelijke slechterik (m/v), parallelle queeste om verlichte wetenschap te ontplooien (ditmaal wat pover uitgewerkt, jammer), wat intriges met de vrouwtjes, een miraculeuze ontsnapping, een zeer complex einde en een opening om hierna nóg een boek te schrijven. Tadaa!
Natuurlijk komt niet alles wat je ditmaal meemaakte uit de tweedehandswinkel van S.J. Parris. Vrouwen krijgen ditmaal een steeds duidelijkere en invloedrijkere plek (en mogen zich daarnaast ook nog eens feministisch manifesteren) en in de marge vindt zowaar een homoseksuele relatie plaats (that's a first!). Goed dat je actuele maatschappijkritiek op genuanceerde wijze weet te verweven met je avonturen, zeker. Maar liever had ik toch nog wat occulte magie gehad.
Bovendien merk ik dat ik de eeuwige complexiteit zat ben. Het is als seizoen vijf van Game of Thrones (over een half millennium snap je deze opmerking, wees niet bang): op een goed moment weet ik écht niet meer wie wie is, laat staan hoe die wie'en zich verhouden tot andere wie'en, wat die wie'en willen, waarom ze dat willen, en hoezo dat niet kan of mag of lukt of plaatsvindt. Zeker richting het einde, als alles samenkomt, voelt het alsof iedereen op de brandstapel van de logica is gesmeten om er een amalgaam van te brouwen. "Zie je wel!," lijk je te willen zeggen, "alles komt alsnog bij elkaar!". Ja, true, true, maar wie weleens een zesgangenmenu in een blender heeft gegooid, weet dat het aanwezig zijn van alle ingrediënten niet per se een recept voor succes is.
Dus dat was het. Ik zal soms verliefd aan je terugdenken, want leuk was het zeker. Maar als deel 7 uitkomt, dan zal ik mezelf ferm moeten toespreken. Nee, Inge, Giordano is niet goed voor je, ga verder met je leven! Da's nooit makkelijk, maar soms wel nodig.
Dus vandaar.
Liefs!
Inge
Ik heb slecht nieuws. Na 6 romans en 3 novelles gaan onze wegen zich scheiden.
Dat ligt niet aan jou. Ik vind je nog steeds een fijne vent. Goed, je overleeft wel erg miraculeus elke situatie, dat gaat soms wat jeuken. Ook maak je soms wel erg impulsgedreven keuzes op momenten dat het écht niet handig is en waardoor je gebeurtenissen wat langer laat duren dan per se nodig is.
Maar dat neemt niet weg dat je je nederig opstelt, menselijk overkomt, genoeg drijfveren hebt om je interessant te houden én zelfs soms weleens wat grappigs zegt. Je kunt goed vechten en slim nadenken, ligt lekker in de markt voor de vrouwtjes en toont je wars van overdreven dogmatisme. Bovendien heb je net voldoende vaart in je doen en laten. Je geeft genoeg details om de wereld tot leven te wekken, je ondervangt vaak genoeg schijnbare plotfouten door de reden voor dubieuze keuzes expliciet te benoemen, je praat snel en makkelijk met je mede-hoofdpersonen, en er gebeurt meer dan voldoende om mij te boeien.
Ook de periode waarin je leeft zorgt ervoor dat we lang een innige band onderhouden hebben. The age of reason vs het magische en occulte! The war of the roses! Tudor vs Stuart! Katholiek vs protestant! De komst van de koffie in Europa! Gruwelijke tribunalen! Martelwerktuigen! Uitroeptekens!
Maar aan alles komt een einde, Giordano. Want terwijl jouw romanfiguur je feitelijke levensduur al lang overschreden is, ouwe ketteraar met je 'de zon is het middelpunt van dit sterrenstelsel'-onzin, is je levensvatbaarheid in mijn hoofd ook op. Ik moet denken aan pannenkoeken. De eerste? GENIAAL! De tweede? Superlekker! De derde? Kom maar door! De vierde? Nou, oké, prima. De vijfde? Goed, nog eentje dan. En de zesde? Pffff, dat was er net één te veel.
En dat ben jij in Execution, de altijd gevaarlijke zesde pannenkoek (niet te verwarren met de zevende zuster trouwens). Het is nu officieel te veel formule. Sinister complot, gruwelijke moorden, onduidelijke slechterik (m/v), parallelle queeste om verlichte wetenschap te ontplooien (ditmaal wat pover uitgewerkt, jammer), wat intriges met de vrouwtjes, een miraculeuze ontsnapping, een zeer complex einde en een opening om hierna nóg een boek te schrijven. Tadaa!
Natuurlijk komt niet alles wat je ditmaal meemaakte uit de tweedehandswinkel van S.J. Parris. Vrouwen krijgen ditmaal een steeds duidelijkere en invloedrijkere plek (en mogen zich daarnaast ook nog eens feministisch manifesteren) en in de marge vindt zowaar een homoseksuele relatie plaats (that's a first!). Goed dat je actuele maatschappijkritiek op genuanceerde wijze weet te verweven met je avonturen, zeker. Maar liever had ik toch nog wat occulte magie gehad.
Bovendien merk ik dat ik de eeuwige complexiteit zat ben. Het is als seizoen vijf van Game of Thrones (over een half millennium snap je deze opmerking, wees niet bang): op een goed moment weet ik écht niet meer wie wie is, laat staan hoe die wie'en zich verhouden tot andere wie'en, wat die wie'en willen, waarom ze dat willen, en hoezo dat niet kan of mag of lukt of plaatsvindt. Zeker richting het einde, als alles samenkomt, voelt het alsof iedereen op de brandstapel van de logica is gesmeten om er een amalgaam van te brouwen. "Zie je wel!," lijk je te willen zeggen, "alles komt alsnog bij elkaar!". Ja, true, true, maar wie weleens een zesgangenmenu in een blender heeft gegooid, weet dat het aanwezig zijn van alle ingrediënten niet per se een recept voor succes is.
Dus dat was het. Ik zal soms verliefd aan je terugdenken, want leuk was het zeker. Maar als deel 7 uitkomt, dan zal ik mezelf ferm moeten toespreken. Nee, Inge, Giordano is niet goed voor je, ga verder met je leven! Da's nooit makkelijk, maar soms wel nodig.
Dus vandaar.
Liefs!
Inge
ralexist's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
lostingothicmusic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bexwat's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
laurahastoomanywips's review
5.0
This is the 6th in the Giordano Bruno (a 16th century ex-monk, philosopher, mathematician, spy and heretic) series.
I have not read the others but this was available on Pigeonhole so thought I would give it a go as have recently reignited my interest in historical based fiction, especially as it included a retelling of "Babbington plot" it really peaked my interest.
Bruno is brought to England by Walthingham, Queen Elizabeth's spymaster general, to take the place of Pradu, the Jesuit priest, so as to gather evidence against Babbington, his co-conspirators & Mary Queen of Scots. He is also charged with finding out who brutally killed Clara, a friend of his daughter who he got to join the conspirators.
This was a great book, well written, very descriptive (could imagine the scenes), great moments of (dark) humour.
Although it is part of a series, I was able to read it quite happily as a standalone. Perhaps if I'd read previous books would have had greater understanding of the main character, Bruno.
Will be exploring the test of the series.
I have not read the others but this was available on Pigeonhole so thought I would give it a go as have recently reignited my interest in historical based fiction, especially as it included a retelling of "Babbington plot" it really peaked my interest.
Bruno is brought to England by Walthingham, Queen Elizabeth's spymaster general, to take the place of Pradu, the Jesuit priest, so as to gather evidence against Babbington, his co-conspirators & Mary Queen of Scots. He is also charged with finding out who brutally killed Clara, a friend of his daughter who he got to join the conspirators.
This was a great book, well written, very descriptive (could imagine the scenes), great moments of (dark) humour.
Although it is part of a series, I was able to read it quite happily as a standalone. Perhaps if I'd read previous books would have had greater understanding of the main character, Bruno.
Will be exploring the test of the series.
orla_h's review
5.0
I love Giordano Bruno, the hero of this series, and I've read most of the previous books.
I got to read this through Pigeonhole, with the book split up into ten staves, of which there was one a day for us to read. I don't think I'm alone in having wished for the actual book so I could keep reading, but there was something thrilling about waiting for the next installment like a Dickens serial in the penny papers.
As usual, there are finely drawn characters, and an intricate plot that is all the better for not letting a single narrative strand drop. Bruno is as himself as ever, a little egocentric, a touch overconfident, but also centuries ahead of his time. The plot revolves around the Babington plot to assassinate (or execute as the conspirators would have it) Queen Elizabeth. That's on a surface level, there is a lot more to the story than that.
Some of the new characters introduced here are ones I hope we'll see again in future books - not naming names as that would be a bit of a spoiler, but there are a few of them and they're all great.
One of the things that came up in the comments on Pigeonhole is how the book surprised people who had no interest in historical fiction - and if you're that type of person let me assure you that first and foremost this is a rollicking good thriller, with history as a backdrop.
A great read!
I got to read this through Pigeonhole, with the book split up into ten staves, of which there was one a day for us to read. I don't think I'm alone in having wished for the actual book so I could keep reading, but there was something thrilling about waiting for the next installment like a Dickens serial in the penny papers.
As usual, there are finely drawn characters, and an intricate plot that is all the better for not letting a single narrative strand drop. Bruno is as himself as ever, a little egocentric, a touch overconfident, but also centuries ahead of his time. The plot revolves around the Babington plot to assassinate (or execute as the conspirators would have it) Queen Elizabeth. That's on a surface level, there is a lot more to the story than that.
Some of the new characters introduced here are ones I hope we'll see again in future books - not naming names as that would be a bit of a spoiler, but there are a few of them and they're all great.
One of the things that came up in the comments on Pigeonhole is how the book surprised people who had no interest in historical fiction - and if you're that type of person let me assure you that first and foremost this is a rollicking good thriller, with history as a backdrop.
A great read!