The Merchant's Tale

I love this series and enjoyed this latest installment as much as the others. This one focuses on the St. Frideswide's Fair, and the conflict between the townspeople and the Priory, which runs the fair. The plots are always pretty good, and I like the characters. But my favorite thing about these books is the depiction of daily life in medieval Oxford.

Unlike the other books, which have a lot of details about different occupations like scribing, candle-making, and farming, this one doesn't focus on any particular trade, but it does give a lot of information about how merchants participated in this kind of fair. Nicholas befriends a cloth merchant, who becomes a major character; it seems like he'll play a part in future books. Margaret and the other female characters sell jam and cheese at the fair. I like Margaret, because she reminds me of my grandmother; she's not a very loving woman, but she's utterly dedicated to taking care of Nicholas and his children. Jordain is not around a lot, although there is an absolutely adorable scene showing him and Nicholas meeting for the first time as children. Nicholas and Emma's romance moves forward a bit, and it's very sweet as always.

I also enjoyed seeing an interpretation of medieval theater, including Margaret's low opinion of traveling actors. There are a few other entertainments depicted too, such as a dancing bear. The plot has to do with spying and treachery, and there is a murder which is described pretty explicitly, as well as some other violence. Of course Nicholas saves the day. I really like that he is an ordinary man who always brushes aside any accolades, but I wonder if he'll see the Prince again.