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A review by samanthawattam
The Wine of Angels by Phil Rickman
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
““Tears are the Wine of Angels ...
the best ... to quench the devil’s fires.”
Merrily Watkins arrives in the town of Ledwardine in Herefordshire with her 15 year old daughter Jane to be the new Priest-in-charge of the local Ledwardine church. Her arrival inflames an already ongoing clash between the local people and those who are newcomers. A request is made to use the church as the site to put on a play to illustrate a lesser known aspect of local history - the story of Wil Williams a vicar from 1670 who was found hanged in an apple orchard.
Merrily finds herself struggling with her own past and the effect the new vicarage has upon her haunting her dreams. Her daughter has her own struggles to fit in and becomes friendly with a local woman Lucy Devenish who knows a great deal about the historical significance of the orchard.
*
I was interested in reading this as I had watched the TV mini series based on the 2nd book in the series Midwinter of the Spirit which I had enjoyed. I found the story slow getting started but that is not unusual with a new series as you need to establish the characters and the world they inhabit so a lot of time is spent introducing us to the characters and the village and the traditions versus the past. I think my expectations were of a story that would be a bit more paranormal and spooky but to me this was more of a mystery and a psychological thriller and I was a little disappointed as I had wanted something different from the mysteries I often read.
However, I did enjoy the journey and I found it an easy read and zipped through it quicker than I normally would for a book this length. I was not really sure I really liked the style enough to want to explore further but maybe I am being a bit unfair being a first in the series as I did like the characters and I am curious to see what will lie ahead for them.
the best ... to quench the devil’s fires.”
Merrily Watkins arrives in the town of Ledwardine in Herefordshire with her 15 year old daughter Jane to be the new Priest-in-charge of the local Ledwardine church. Her arrival inflames an already ongoing clash between the local people and those who are newcomers. A request is made to use the church as the site to put on a play to illustrate a lesser known aspect of local history - the story of Wil Williams a vicar from 1670 who was found hanged in an apple orchard.
Merrily finds herself struggling with her own past and the effect the new vicarage has upon her haunting her dreams. Her daughter has her own struggles to fit in and becomes friendly with a local woman Lucy Devenish who knows a great deal about the historical significance of the orchard.
*
I was interested in reading this as I had watched the TV mini series based on the 2nd book in the series Midwinter of the Spirit which I had enjoyed. I found the story slow getting started but that is not unusual with a new series as you need to establish the characters and the world they inhabit so a lot of time is spent introducing us to the characters and the village and the traditions versus the past. I think my expectations were of a story that would be a bit more paranormal and spooky but to me this was more of a mystery and a psychological thriller and I was a little disappointed as I had wanted something different from the mysteries I often read.
However, I did enjoy the journey and I found it an easy read and zipped through it quicker than I normally would for a book this length. I was not really sure I really liked the style enough to want to explore further but maybe I am being a bit unfair being a first in the series as I did like the characters and I am curious to see what will lie ahead for them.