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Title: The Cross-Legged Knight
ISBN: 0446691666
Author:
Candace Robb
Publicate Date: 2004-01-01
Publish: 2004-01-01
List Price: $12.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $5.04
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $2.50
Amazon Merchant Price: $10.36
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| Customer Review: |
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1: The Cross-legged knight by Candace Robb
Excellent addition to her medieval series which is very evocative of the era and place, to me. Fine storytellng and character continuity from book to book about Owen Archer and the mix of political situations and villany that is sorted out on several levels throughout the book.
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2: The Series may be doomed
Having read and enjoyed the other Owen Archer books, I want to concur with the previous reviewer who found this book disappointing. I found it extremely disappointing. With the exception of the wonderful character of Magda the Riverwoman, all the main characters are too old, too sick, too depressed, or too self doubting to be credible in their problem solving ability. Lucy's whining in particular becomes very tedious. The plot is also weaker than usual. Its seems to serve mostly as backgrund for expoloring the angst of the chracters, and the ending leaves a major puzzle piece unanswered. Perhaps it's time to retire the series unless the younger characters like Jasper and Alisoun can be developed to pick up the slack and without such religious and emotional baggage.
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3: Well Researched, Well Written
As I only live 20 miles from York where most of these books are set, I can perhaps visualise better than most the area of England the books take place in. Many of the streets of York mentioned in the books are still there and of the course so is the Minster.
Owen Archer the lead character in the book is a Welsh longbow man who works for a high church dignitary and spends some of his spare time helping in his wife's apothecary shop. He is called upon by William of Wykeham, the Bishop of Winchester, to help him with a serious problem. I myself am interested in this period of English history and the author's authenticity cannot be questioned and her excellent story telling is spellbinding. I cannot recommend her books too highly.
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4: Enjoyable Medieval Mystery
Owen Archer is called on by William of Wykeham, bishop of Winchester, to keep him safe. To appease the family of a man killed while being held prisoner in France, Wykeham returns the knight's heart. But a fire in Wykeham's house, a servant severly burned and a body of a dead woman, has Archer fearing for his own family's safety. While Lucie Wilton battles her own demons. Robb writes intricate plotted mysteries set in 14th century England by reading one you will become hooked.
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5: Good Owen Archer, not as good as previous novels
I love the Owen Archer series. However, I was a bit disappointed in the latest book after having read and loved the last one in which he travels to Wales.
The Cross-Legged Knight was very dark and depressing. Owen is unhappy and unfulfilled, Thoresby is old and depressed, Lucie is sad and depressed. Jasper's character was utterly unused as were Bess & Tom Merchet & Brother Michaelo (OK he spied a little).
I usually finish one of Robb's Owen Archer novels on a thrilling high, smacking the book shut with utter satisfaction. This time it was not to be. I can't help wonder if the author was distracted away from Owen's tales by her new baby, the scottish medieval series. What I disliked most about this one aside from the dark and depressed atmosphere was the dangling unresolved question of how did the murderer and victim know each other. I felt betrayed by the author, who's never left me the reader like that before.
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