NOTE FROM THE REVIEWER:

Sybil has been kind enough to let me post on the status of my blog: it’s down for the forseeable future, unfortunately. I will be posting the occasional review here at TGTBTU, if Sybil will have me. [Ed.: uh duh.. only been trying to get you here for a year.] Yes, I do plan to blog again and am working on that as we speak.

Thanks!
Keishon, Avid Book Reader

Now, on to the review…

Keishon’s review of The Serpent’s Tale by Ariana Franklin
Historical suspense fiction released 31 Jan 08 by Putnam Adult

This is the book following Mistress of the Art of Death. Ms. Franklin has a unique style of writing historical fiction because it’s about as close to time travel as you’ll ever get to medieval England. This second entry isn’t quite as dark as the first book in the series that features Salerno trained doctor of the dead, Adelia Aguilar.

Since the events of the last book, some 18 months have passed, Adelia is now a single mother, having gave birth to a daughter. Her companion, Gyltha and her manservant Mansur have all been enjoying life in the fenlands since being run out of Cambridge for being “interlopers.” The baby’s father, Rowley Picot, was absent at his daughter’s birth because he is now a bishop in King Henry II’s diocese. Arriving in Cambridge, Rowley comes looking for Adelia because someone was fool enough to poison’s King Henry’s favorite mistress, Rosamund Clifford. Rumor has it that it was King Henry’s wife, Queen Eleanor and if that is the case then Rowley must do whatever it takes to prevent civil war.

This story moves at a pretty good pace. Intrigue is in the air as to whether or not Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine took out her rival. If she did then Henry will be coming after her and everybody remembers the war between Stephen and Matilda; suffice it to say that no one wants to see that event repeated. Rowley and Adelia are reunited and together they try to investigate the facts surrounding Rosamund’s death; Queen Eleanor makes an appearance albeit her scenes are not quite as memorable as her husband’s. However, she doesn’t disappoint in doling out the insults to a dead courtesan who captured her husband’s fancy far longer than she would have liked.

Adelia is a woman well ahead of her time, stepping up even when faced with death in this rather harsh time period. There are other such forward thinking women in this medieval tale, women who contributed in their own way to a society where men viewed women as being less than their intellectual equal. Ironically, common women read as poor women, had more freedom than women who were rich or came from a well to do family. Marriages were made more for political gain than for love. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine is the most powerful woman in England yet we see her power trumped by a Baron of the realm.

The villains in here are much more plentiful, colorful and dynamically added their weight to their scenes; one villain was even cloaked in mystery and even surprised me a bit when the character was revealed later on in the story. The author has made King Henry II a larger than life hero. Henry’s scenes are few and far between but they are memorable. He’s charismatic and cunning; his physical appearance is often described as being understated yet when he walks into a room he commands respect and exudes power. The Church scorns him for his role in Becket’s murder and this has given him many powerful enemies. However, he has a secret weapon and her name is Adelia Aguilar.

Here are a few scene highlights: a multicursal maze that Adelia, Rowley and party get lost in that circles Wormhold Tower (Rosamund’s home). Another good one was when Queen Eleanor shows up at the tower with her henchmen and takes them captive. Of course, any scenes with Rowley and Adelia together as they often banter back and forth. I awaited King Henry’s scene with much anticipation as he so far has had some great walk on scenes. The meeting between the assassin and his employer in the opening of the story was intriguing since it offers up the first missing puzzle piece of the story. There are more but I’ll stop here.

Great pacing, great writing, great dialogue, great plot, memorable characters – great read. I read this book non-stop all during my days off and then slowed it down to savor the last few pages. I hope Ms. Franklin continues to write this series because I have enjoyed it very much. Historical fans won’t be disappointed because this author brings the medieval period to life . For romance fans, there is a subtle romance between Rowley and Adelia however in the first book she rebuffs his proposal of marriage instead choosing to keep her independence. However they still lust after each other despite the fact that Rowley now dons the miter’s robe. This was an excellent medieval mystery that no reader should miss.

Grade: A

From the back cover:

Ariana Franklin combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the drama of historical fiction in the enthralling second novel in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, featuring medieval heroine Adelia Aguilar.


Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poison-and the king’s estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund’s murder is probably the first move in Eleanor’s long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.


Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter, Allie. But Henry’s summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king’s trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of St. Albans, who is also her baby’s father.


Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan’s home, in a tower within a walled labyrinth-a strange and sinister place from the outside, but far more so on the inside, where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia’s investigation is cut short by the appearance of Rosamund’s rival: Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken captive by Eleanor’s henchmen and held in the nunnery of Godstow, where Eleanor is holed up for the winter with her band of mercenaries, awaiting the right moment to launch their rebellion.


Isolated and trapped inside the nunnery by the snow and cold, Adelia and Rowley watch as dead bodies begin piling up. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war . . .


Read an excerpt.

This book in available in ebook (1/2 off the cover price at Fictionwise!) and hardcover. The first book, Mistress of the Art of Death is available in ebook from Fictionwise and paperback.