The Fifth Knight

A flawed thought-provoking “What If?” idea

A previously unknown protagonist added to a familiar historical event. This could provide for a fast moving and intriguing tale, I thought. Based on Thomas Becket's assassination, Sir Benedict Palmer (the fifth night) falls for Sister Theodosia, an anchoress. An anchoress, in case you didn't know, is a woman who chooses to withdraw from the world to devote herself to God. Add Henry II's mysterious mistress into the mix and it has the potential to be a sure-fire winner!

Unfortunately it all doesn't quite work. Limited two dimensional characters use wooden dialogue full of Pseudo-History-Dialogue. This is a mix of modern Americanisms and old English. And the mawkish Mills and Boon-esque plot all boils down to a chase and a romance. It jumps from one cliché to the next and it's all lack lustre stuff. On a positive note, the characters and story aren't all that complex, which allows the reader to plough on to the end. But on the flip side, this simplicity reduced the suspense and adventure for me.

Also, as the book progresses towards the conclusion, the reader is expected to suspend belief more and more. Sure, the escapades ramp up, but at the expense of the limited amount of period details. For these sorts of book to work, attention to the age in which the story is set is critical. These details have the effect of drawing the reader into the story. If they're not there then the reader stands outside of the story watching what's happening. You're not drawn in.

So in summary, a frustrating experience. The idea behind this novel was an attractive one. Historic fact mingled with intrigue, adventure and romance. With these sorts of novels research is everything. And the skill of the author is mixing this into the plot to create a rich, deep experience for the reader, without resorting to massive info dumps. Style and pace simply aren't enough.

Not bad for a first novel. Perhaps future installments in the series are better?