... medieval hustler vs the Great Heathen Army
Conrad Monk and the Great Heathen Army by Edoardo Albert
The travails of an opportunistic monk with a chequered past who rises in the church through lies, misdeeds and an eye for personal advantage. Conrad is a despicable rogue. A knave, whose rapid rise to importance is owed to his incredible self seeking antenna geared towards his own survival, his silver tongue and ability to turn dross into gold, metaphorically speaking.
When the marauding Danes come to call, Conrad looks firstly towards his own survival (most often at the expense of others), and then to lining his own pockets with a share of the loot.
His Machiavellian machinations made my head swim, let alone those he was shafting. He's accompanied by Brother Odo, a gentle foil to Conrad, without artifice who seems to survive all by the grace of God. I am never sure if Conrad's success is ultimately owed to some cosmic joke being played on him, or the otherness of the devout Odo.
A tongue in cheek, hilarious march through Anglo Saxon England, with a not so loveable rogue and his innocent sidekick.
History should always be this enjoyable.
A NetGalley ARC
*****
The travails of an opportunistic monk with a chequered past who rises in the church through lies, misdeeds and an eye for personal advantage. Conrad is a despicable rogue. A knave, whose rapid rise to importance is owed to his incredible self seeking antenna geared towards his own survival, his silver tongue and ability to turn dross into gold, metaphorically speaking.
When the marauding Danes come to call, Conrad looks firstly towards his own survival (most often at the expense of others), and then to lining his own pockets with a share of the loot.
His Machiavellian machinations made my head swim, let alone those he was shafting. He's accompanied by Brother Odo, a gentle foil to Conrad, without artifice who seems to survive all by the grace of God. I am never sure if Conrad's success is ultimately owed to some cosmic joke being played on him, or the otherness of the devout Odo.
A tongue in cheek, hilarious march through Anglo Saxon England, with a not so loveable rogue and his innocent sidekick.
History should always be this enjoyable.
A NetGalley ARC
*****
Thank you very much for the lovely review! I'm delighted you enjoyed reading about Conrad and his adventures. (Conrad tells me that it's all down to him.)
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