These chapters are significant in the narrative of "Werewolf's Heartsong", each contributing to the development of the plot and characters. They offer readers a deeper understanding of the characters' perspectives and the dynamics of their relationships, making them some of the most engaging parts of the book . Recomendable? A ver, si ya estás metido en el quinto libro de esta saga es porque la disfrutas, así que en ese caso tienes que leerlo para seguir con ella, no es un calvario ni mucho menos, pero es cierto que comparado con los otros se te hará más tediosa la experiencia. I also loved the mythical creature plot line to this! The small town creepy vibes surrounding this mystery were fantastic. He wasn’t around much but I have a tendency to have a soft spot for this name. (I definitely blame Rhysand from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series).

Due to debasing of the currency in an effort to finance this war, the country will see the greatest militia raised against King Henry VIII. Tudor England is spectacularly brought to life, as it is in each Shardlake novel, this time including the stomach turning burning of Anne Askew. While Matthew still is struggling to cope with the loss of his friends on the Mary Rose, he is forced to face challenges and mysteries unlike anything he has so far. The result leaves him on course for big changes in his life, whether he is willing or not. So this was Anne Askew, who had left her husband in Lincolnshire to come and preach in London, and said the consecrated wafer was no more than a piece of bread, which would go mouldy like any other if left in a box." The other case Shardlake assumes on behalf of a woman he knows who is incarcerated in the Bedlam, the hospital for the mentally ill - known as 'mad' in his time. The woman has agarophobia, but possibly has developed other issues after living there for twenty-some years following certain traumatic events. She has developed an unreciprocated love for Shardlake who, out of a sense of guilt that he cannot return it and also desirous of decreasing her dependence on his visits, starts to investigate the events which led to her internment there, even though she is not keen for him to do so. He is able to combine the two cases, as the place where she used to live is on the way to the house where the wealthy man lives and the surviving ward, the sister having died of smallpox. The trouble is, that house is not far from Portsmouth where the French are imminently expected to invade.Fighting their way through blizzards, haunted forests, and their own growing fears, the Daireds find a new battle awaiting them in the capital, for the Tekari and ghastradi are not the only forces converging on the heart of the kingdom. Another moves toward Arle, riding the winds from the south: an ambassador from the Silent King of Els. Barak's character has evolved and aged, and we see he and Tamasin preparing for the birth of their second child after the loss of their first in Revelation. Though he is settling into married life, Barak still has his fighting spirit that leads him into trouble at times. He and Matthew are the perfect pair. I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The nitty-gritty: Another winning story in the Heartstone series, I was once again enchanted by White's lively storytelling and wonderful world-building elements. The writing maintained the same quality of the first book: it’s practical, easy to understand and read through while still maintaining the structure and semantics of an historic context. Safe romance for main couple. They are fully committed to their relationship, no others (orb even thought of others). Currently happily married (with ups and downs that I would judge normal and nicely handled).

I don't consider myself much of a fangirl. I never joined Team Edward or Team Peeta. Never even swooned at the thought of Mr. Darcy. But you can sign me up for Team Matthew. When I consider (in the bethinking of mine evil and wretched and former life) mine obstinate, stony, and untractible heart to have so much exceeded in evilness that it hath not only neglected -- yea condemned and despised -- God's holy precepts and commandments, but also embraced, received, and esteemed vain, foolish, and feigned trifles, I am (partly by the hate I owe to sin, whom I am content to edify even with the example of my own shame) forced and constrained with my heart and words to confess and declare to my creator, and how beneficial, merciful, and gentle he hath been always to me his creature, being such a miserable, wretched sinner. DRAGONSHADOW is a spellbinding tale of love withstanding all sorts of difficult trials. I love how the author’s writing style transported me to this fascinating world. I cannot wait to read more of Alastair and Aliza’s perilous adventures. This case Sahrdlake and Barak will be investigating in Portsmouth, and once there they will also investigate the mysterious past of Ellen Fettipace, incarcerated now in Bedlam, and to find out eventually that both cases of the young ward and that of Ellen Fettpace are connected to a certain degree. In conclusion, "Werewolf's Heartsong" is a captivating read that resonates with readers, evoking deep emotions and offering a rich exploration of personal growth and resilience.When I first learned of Dragonshadow, I admit I was taken a bit by surprise. I honestly hadn’t expected a sequel to Heartstone, mainly because the first book did such a good job of being a faithful retelling of Pride and Prejudice, albeit set in a high fantasy setting. Things ended well for our protagonists Aliza Bentaine and Alastair Daired, and I thought that was the end of that. Certainly the boxed set includes "the four books of the Shardlake series" and the focus of this latest addition to the Shardlake stories has a focus which although steeped in the political intrigues and court goings-on of the time is also far more illustrative of everyday life for the majority of the underprivileged population of the British Isles at the time. was stubborn. She wanted to go and be beside her husband besides not being a Rider. I definitely understand that. I just wish she would have trained a bit more for the dangers that she was willing to expose herself to. I admired her grit and kindness. She managed to have both without coming off as shrill or a doormat. Eventually as the book developed she even learned to listen to Alastair when it was smart to do so! Really, some heroines are dumb on that department, they go about it saying “I won’t let any man tell me what to do, not even the one I trust and love”, when that is the total wrong angle to have. It is not that Alastair is a man who wants to tell Aliza what to do; he was just an experienced warrior with countless battles who had an inkling of the imperilment of the life they lead. Listening to him (sometimes) was the intelligent thing. Thankfully, despite her mistakes, Aliza proved to be intelligent. Fans will need no introduction to Matthew Shardlake, the lawyer embroiled in dark secrets during the reign of Henry VIII. Newcomers can discover why Sansom’s Tudor mysteries exert such a pull., The Independent

Both of them are still reeling from the big battle against the worm, dealing with various levels of PTSD and the grief of losing their friends and family. A triumph of Tudor history and mystery. Heartstone, as bristling as its predecessors with outlandish deaths, suspicious behaviour, jeopardy and plots of fiendish deviousness, plunges you into catastrophic upheavals caused by Henry’s foreign policy. Throughout, Heartstone is a rousing tour de force of period re-creation, testifying to Samson’s fascination with history...Like all the Shardlake books, Heartstone winningly shows Sansom’s crafty flair for hoodwinking even the most hawk-eyed reader. -- Peter Kemp, Sunday Times CultureThere were tears in his eyes when he stood, and he laughed as we embraced. “You’re not fluent already?”

The year in 1545, and England is poised at the brink of war with France, and a huge French fleet is massing ready to sail across the channel. Dragonshadow is the second book in the Heartstone series by Elle Katharine White and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The first book was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice but with dragons and other fantastical beasts. It was a great start to the series and one that took me by surprise as retellings can be a little hit or miss especially when they’re using a favourite classic as inspiration. As it is Heartstone was a definite hit for me and so you can imagine how happy I was when I caught a whiff of No.2.In Lamentation, the sixth entry in the series, lawyer Matthew Shardlake is older and grumpier, the losses he experienced in the previous volume haunting him, compounded by domestic imbroglios at home and inevitable troubles at work. His current case involves a litigious, viciously antagonistic brother and sister, showing us how even in Tudor times, people sued each other over the silliest of reasons - in this case, a mural painted on a childhood home wall, which has the siblings at each other's throats, the sister in particular prone to strident accusations of heretical leanings and malevolent hints of a dark secret in her brother's past. Shardlake finds the entire case wearying, as well he should, but his life is about to get a lot more complicated when he's summoned to court by Queen Catherine Parr's brother to serve the queen once more. Now that I have read this book I am up to date with this series. I’m not sure if there are going to be anymore. I’ve not heard or seen anything to suggest either that this is the last one or if another will be written and published eventually. If one does come out then I will certainly read it. I will say though that the epilogue of this book seems to end the series quite well. It was rather bittersweet and brought so much change for Shardlake and those he loves. I am definitely satisfied if that epilogue is the last of we see of Shardlake and his life. This is where we find ourselves, with the threat of being reported as a heretic making people nervously careful about how they speak. That includes the Queen. She calls upon her old friend Matthew to help her with some missing writings that would displease the King - or worse.