Occasionally I read a book because it's just less hassle to do so. My work colleagues have been swooning and fawning over the Shardlake series of historical novels by C J Sansom for some weeks, and it was only a matter of time before they decided the collection would enrich my life too. While I'm not really one for the historical detective story, and despite my initial protests, I decided to take a couple of them with me on vacation, so I could at least join in on the current water cooler discussions. The Shardlake Series
My first read, Dark Fire (2004) was the second one in the Shardlake series. Fortunately for me, I found I didn't need to read them in sequence, although there were some references to the earlier adventure, Dissolution.
There are currently four books in the series, following the life of Matthew Shardlake, a fictional lawyer practicing in the turbulent times of King Henry VIII in the 1530's and 40's. Shardlake was something of a religious reformer, keen to see the removal of the influence and power of the Pope and the monasteries from religion and everyday life.
Having been schooled by monks, Shardlake saw the obscene wealth of the Church and its servants, and felt that King Henry's move to become the head of the Church in England and the dissolution of the monasteries would result in a more even distribution of wealth. Thus, prior to the adventures described in the books, Shardlake became a supporter of Lord Thomas Cromwell, one of King Henry's key advisors and one of the strongest reformers in the King's Court.
The period of the books find Shardlake a little jaded, as he realises that the King was simply intent on plundering the wealth of the Church and Monasteries for himself, rather than it have any philanthropic benefit to the poor.
Dark Fire Dark Fire finds Lord Cromwell in a difficult position. He arranged for the King to marry Anne of Cleves, only to find the King much displeased with Cromwell's choice. As Henry had a nasty habit of sending those who displease him to the Tower of London for beheading, Cromwell needs to ensure he stays indispensable in other ways.
Fortunately, during the dissolution of the monasteries, Cromwell thinks he has found it; he hears of a formula for an evil weapon brought back from the Crusades a couple of centuries earlier and buried amongst the secrets of the religious orders; Dark Fire. Unfortunately, others are also seeking the formula for their own financial gains, and Cromwell enlists Shardlake, together with a young trusted henchman of his, Jack Barak, to try to recover the formula, and to arrange a demonstration of the Dark Fire for the King.
The book follows Shardlake and Barak as they wander the London streets uncovering the mystery of Dark Fire. Shardlake is a methodical man, used to forming his opinions through fact and logic, while Barak is a more forceful character. Shardlake has a disability (a hunchback) and Barak helps him with the more physical aspects of the search.
Simultaneously, Shardlake has just taken on a murder case; a young woman is accused of drowning her cousin in a well. While the court of the age is willing to accept the woman as guilty, Shardlake has determined that all may not be as it appears. The plot hops from one story to another.
My thoughts
Unfortunately, I found the actual story for the search for Dark Fire to be rather weak, but this didn't reduce my enjoyment of the historical context of the story. The story is nicely written if a little flowery.
We follow Shardlake and Barak as they wander through the mean and disreputable London streets. Of course, as is the nature of books of this ilk, the mismatched pair end up firm friends, and Shardlake even makes admiring glances towards Barak's perfectly formed chest. That's about as close it gets to a steamy love scene.
Sansom is a historian by training, and his real strength is to bring out the everyday lives of the London residents during the 1540's, and the sheer pressure placed upon the royal court by King Henry VIII, a cruel and ambitious man. I liked the way Sansom weaves fact and fiction together to help give the fictional Shardlake stories some basis of historical fact. There are no real suprises in Dark Fire; it reads pretty much as you might expect.
The story isn't particularly earthy, but it does make reference to Barak playing the field, and contain a few other such adult references.
I understand that actor Kenneth Brannagh has been recently signed up to play Matthew Shardlake in a forthcoming BBC film based upon the first book; assuming its success, no doubt a version of Dark Fire will soon follow. ____________________________________
cr01 asserts his right to be associated as the author of this review -2009-
In this sequel to Dissolution, it is now 1540, and Shardlake has returned to practicing law in London. When he is called on to help a friend s niece, ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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