Okay, so George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire notwithstanding, I'm not usually a swords-and-castles type of reader. (And even though I read the first SoIaF novel, A Game of Thrones, I ultimately decided not to read the subsequent books because I was already firmly ensconced in the TV series and enjoying it immensely. I'd rather read books I'm not seeing.)
I can't clearly remember what made me purchase the book I just finished, E.M. Powell's The Fifth Knight, but I'm definitely glad I did. I follow a lot of writers and agents and editors on Twitter, and I think maybe someone tweeted about this book, or perhaps its sequel, The Blood of the Fifth Knight. (Since I've only finished the first one, the title of the sequel makes me a bit nervous. I've grown attached to that Fifth Knight, and I don't want anything to happen to him.)
The story revolves around Sir Benedict Palmer, who has been sent with four other knights to murder the The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket and kidnap a nun and her daughter (also a nun, or more like ultra-nun, known as an anchoress). Finding he doesn't quite have the stomach for the task, he finds himself in league with the stronger-than-she-seems anchoress, Sister Theodosia. Together they seek out her mother and the truth behind the contract on the Archbishop and Sister Theodosia's past.
Being far removed from the life of a nun, I found the extreme piousness and guilt a bit unsettling at times, but that only added to the authenticity. Sir Benedict is an unlikely hero, swashbuckling as he is, simply because his original goals were simply monetary gain, but he is ultimately as likable as they come.
Historical fiction is becoming more and more interesting to me because of books like this. I got to enjoy a great story and learn some actual facts as well. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a fun mystery, and a chance to step out of the modern world. Five out of five.
