Review: For Medieval Literature and History Lovers
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 27, 2012
As someone who has enjoyed reading Dante's Inferno, and has a strong interest in Medieval Europe, I was looking forward to reading this book. I was not expecting the depth of knowledge of the period from the author. Mr. Wisehart obviously has a love for Medieval texts, and quotes from them often through the philosophical and theological arguments of William of Ockham (a noted English Franciscan friar best remembered for developing the principle of Occam's Razor) and the poet Giovanni Boccaccio (author of the Decameron, among others). Other notable figures from this era in Europe are also mentioned, or have small parts to play in the story. If you have an interest in Medieval literature or history, you will probably love this story.As other reviewers have noted, there are a fair amount of passages in Latin scattered throughout. Please don't let this deter you from reading the story and enjoying it. While I agree it would have been translation of the text (even in an appendix or footnote), the tale can be enjoyed without the Latin if you don't want to look it up yourself.I do also agree that some of the vocabulary and erratic writing style can be a bit disjointed. I think that with a bit of judicious editing, these problems could be fixed. I think the characters are fairly well-developed, although I did not feel terribly attached to any of them. I am reminded a little of Umberto Eco's writing, but without the dense and overly intellectual feel of his style that is a distinct turn-off for many readers. This novel is more accessible to the general public.Overall I enjoyed the story. Mr. Wisehart has an obvious passion for Medieval Europe, and this passion translates well in his work.  I am looking forward to reading more from Mr. Wisehart in the future.