Evelyn K. (anniekreads) reviewed The Harper's Quine (Gil Cunningham, Bk 1) on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Had a little difficulty understanding some of the ancient terms, at the same time fascinated. The outcome of the book seemed to me to be very predictable. I most enjoyed descriptions of life in "old Scotland."
Brenda W. (Brendasbooks) -
I really enjoyed the story of this book, it just grabbed me from the beginning and i couldn't wait til it was finished. Gil Cunningham is not certain whether he wants to take his holy orders but he must have a source of income and that seems to be the only option for him. He meets a young girl and soon finds that he is taken with her and she's interested in helping him solve the murder of the Harper's mistress. The detail and historical info in this book are presented in such a way as i wanted to know more and can't wait til i get the next book St. Nicholas' feast.
This is the first of this series. I had a hard time getting into the story with this author. There are a lot of Medieval words and expressions that are not explained. Another Medieval series that I read has a dictionary of those words and their definitions. I am hope that Ms. McIntosh adds that to the next book. It would be helpful. I do like Gil and his friends. I had more or less figured out the mystery by the end of the book. There were enough clues along the way that maybe you can solve it, too. Recommend
Good read. Unlike some reviewers, I didn't have a problem with the medieval terms, as most were explained by context, and the legal stuff was supposed to be complicated and confusing to moderns. Having the map helped quite a bit also. But I can see where a bit of introduction could be useful to people not very familiar with medieval life. I liked that it was set in Scotland rather than England, for a change. I didn't trouble my brain about the whodunnit part, because for me stories are all about the characters' journey, not the eventual destination, which is almost irrelevant. My only quibble would be that Gil and Alys seemed to have rather modern attitudes in some respects -- but I can't say they couldn't have existed either. I would recommend it for people who enjoy historical fiction.
