{"id":13593,"date":"2020-11-21T17:55:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-21T22:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=13593"},"modified":"2021-12-15T21:21:23","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T02:21:23","slug":"a-vigil-of-spies-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/13593","title":{"rendered":"A Vigil of Spies"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Vigil of Spies<\/a><\/em> (2008) Candace Robb<\/a> (Owen Archer)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Set in England in 1373.<\/p>\n

Archbishop Thoresby of York is dying. <\/p>\n

There is about to be a power vacuum in York, and various power brokers are trying to influence the selection of his successor. <\/p>\n

Princess Joan, married to the heir to the English Throne, has come to York to ask Thoresby for advice, but a death in her retinue is possibly murder, and Owen Archer has to keep the Princess safe while helping to keep the dying Archbishop as contented and happy as possible.<\/p>\n

We get very little Lucie and those at the Apothecary in this story here, as the story is focused on Thoresby and everything happening around him.<\/p>\n

I particularly liked (that’s not quite the correct word) Michaelo’s story arc. <\/p>\n

\u2018My uncle took him as his secretary for reasons other than fondness,\u2019 said Ravenser, \u2018but over time I believe he\u2019s come to have a deep affection for him. It appears he symbolises for my uncle the power of penance, renunciation of sins, redemption.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Michaelo remains arrogant and fastidious, but he is a much better person than he was in the first book–and far more complex as time has gone on.<\/p>\n

I also loved the interactions between Thoresby and Magda Digby.<\/p>\n

\u2018But this Riverwoman is not a Christian,\u2019 Master Walter was saying, apparently intent on pursuing the topic. <\/p>\n

\u2018No, Dame Magda is not a Christian, but she would give her life for another\u2019s if that is what she deemed necessary. Perhaps she does not need all the prayer that most of us require to teach us to love one another.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Including telling Thoresby why she refers to herself in the third person (a quirk that has been with her since the beginning.)<\/p>\n

But also just being herself.<\/p>\n

\u2018Hast thou ever thought that what Black Swan feels for men is simply his nature? Nothing to punish him for?\u2019 <\/p>\n

\u2018God condemned sodomy.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\u2018Men wrote thy bible. Men lead thy church. Men create unnatural laws that cripple their fellow men so that they might control those they do not understand. Thy church has made many such laws, and good men who serve thy church suffer for no good cause.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One of the things the mystery does is emphasize precisely how much power the church held at that time–secular power as well as spiritual power. <\/p>\n

That people would kill for such power.<\/p>\n

It ends on a sad note, with Thoresby’s death, but he did not die before his time. He led a full life, he sinned and repented, and could hate as much as he could forgive. It is a sad ending, but it is fitting to close the book with the close of Thoresby.<\/p>\n

Publisher : Diversion Books
\nRating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Vigil of Spies (2008) Candace Robb (Owen Archer) Set in England in 1373. Archbishop Thoresby of York is dying. There is about to be a power vacuum in York, and various power brokers are trying to influence the selection of his successor. Princess Joan, married to the heir to the English Throne, has come […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12,30,292,33,8,41],"tags":[159,549,186],"class_list":["post-13593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-8-10","category-british","category-ebook","category-historical","category-mystery","category-reread","tag-candace-robb","tag-high-middle-ages","tag-owen-archer"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-3xf","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6083,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/6083","url_meta":{"origin":13593,"position":0},"title":"A Vigil of Spies","author":"Michelle","date":"September 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"A Vigil of Spies (2008) Candace Robb Set in England in 1373 Archbishop Thoresby of York is dying. He has lived far longer than most people in his time and place, and now he finishing all the little things left undone in the time he has left. Perhaps he was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"a-vigil-of-spies","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/A-Vigil-of-Spies.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13631,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/13631","url_meta":{"origin":13593,"position":1},"title":"A Conspiracy of Wolves","author":"Michelle","date":"December 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A Conspiracy of Wolves (2019) Candace Robb (Owen Archer) Set in York in 1374 It's been a year since Archbishop Thoresby died. Owen has spent the intervening time on the estate he was gifted because of Thoresby, but now both Prince Edward and York want him to decide what he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Conspiracy of Wolves","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/A-Conspiracy-of-Wolves-645x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12341,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/12341","url_meta":{"origin":13593,"position":2},"title":"The Lady Chapel","author":"Michelle","date":"December 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Lady Chapel (1994) Candace Robb Set in England in 1365. Owen Archer and Lucie Wilton are married. She has become master apothecary in her own right--inheriting the business from her previous husband--and Owen remains her apprentice, although he still owes favors to Archbishop Thoresby. \u201cMistress Archer is of noble\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Lady Chapel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Lady-Chapel.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12319,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/12319","url_meta":{"origin":13593,"position":3},"title":"The Apothecary Rose","author":"Michelle","date":"December 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Apothecary Rose (1993) Candace Robb Set in England in ~1363. Owen Archer was Captain of the Archers for Henry, Duke of Lancaster, until an attack takes his eye. Unwilling to continue as a solider, Owen becomes a spy for Henry until the Duke's death, at which point he performs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Apothecary Rose","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Apothecary-Rose.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12417,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/12417","url_meta":{"origin":13593,"position":4},"title":"The King’s Bishop","author":"Michelle","date":"January 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The King's Bishop (1996) Candace Robb Set in England in 1367. We see that Owen still struggles with his allegiance to Thoresby. \u201cWhy did you accept the posts if you meant to go into a rage whenever he called upon you?\u201d Owen met Lucie\u2019s eye and said simply, \u201cIt seemed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"The King's Bishop","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Kings-Bishop.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12742,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/12742","url_meta":{"origin":13593,"position":5},"title":"The Guilt of Innocents","author":"Michelle","date":"April 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Guilt of Innocents (2006) Candace Robb (Owen Archer) Set in England in 1372 Although this story is about the murder of a dockworker, beneath and beside that the story is about children. It's about Jasper, Lucie & Owen's adopted son, who is finally coming to accept Lucie and Owen\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Guilt of Innocents","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/guilt-of-innocents.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13593\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}