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C. J. Sansom Collection: Dissolution, Darkfire, Sovereign, Revelation (2000)

by C.J. Sansom(Favorite Author)

4.59 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

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review 1: Well, I read the books, not listened to CDs, but this selection means I can review the 1st 4 books in the Matthew Shardlake series. I was inspired to read them after finding the 5th in the series (Heartstone) in the local library. For some reason I'm liking historical fiction just now and these are good stories, about a London lawyer-cum-detective who is close to parts of the Tudor court. The books are well-written and plotted, with strong and rounded characters, set in a reasonably accurate historical context of Henry VIII's later reign (divorce of Catherine of Aragon to marriage to Katherine Parr). I really enjoyed reading the series pretty well back to back, and learned a bit about a time I knew nothing much about.
review 2: As historical novels go, this ... moreis the cream that rises to the top of my personal list.So, what is different about this particular collection?In a word, Atmosphere! Yes, there is murder, mayhem, wonderful plot and unforgettable love/hate characters. It is however, the skill of the author in bringing those same characters to life - many of whom, DID live - and building a tale around them, rather than dropping them into it, that for me, gives this collection of novels incredible substance.Set over a six year period (1537-1543)in the England of the Tudors, they not alone paint a wonderful picture of that era, but the reader feels less like an outsider, looking in and more like an insider, experiencing the sounds, smells and 'life' of that era.Although a 'historical' collection, history never feels obtrusive, or seem to 'control' the novels, though by definition, it must!It must be stressed, that it is not compulsory that the reader be a 'history nerd' to enjoy the novels, but I defy even the most disinterested punter to come away, not only more than moderately curious, but at the very least, more enlightened and educated about this fascinating era.The author, holder of a PhD in history and later becoming a practicing solicitor, writes in the first person character of Matthew Shardlake; a lawyer in the time of Henry VIII. 'Brilliant' is a term often bandied about Willy-nilly; in the case of 'Shardlake'(and indeed this collection of novels) it suits very well indeed. 'Impossible to put down' will be heard often, when readers refer/recommend this set of wonderfully addictive tales.The novels, in this series DO stand alone but I would strongly advise, reading in historical sequence. There is now a fifth novel, in this series; Heartstone. I am on my way out - immediately - to purchase same. less

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