Book One: The Serpent's Tale

The Serpent's Tale, Ariana Franklin



Whew! It's good to know that my eyes can still scan pages and that my brain can turn letters into words and sentences that I am able to understand and make sense of. Because I seriously thought I had lost it. In my favor was the fact that this was a good old fashioned page turner, a medieval mystery with a tight plot and good characters. Yes, it's the sequel to a book that I read a couple of years ago and just looking back on that review, I'm surprised that I didn't like it more. Maybe it's better than I thought? Or better in my recollection of it? Because I was honestly excited to pick this one up and continue reading the adventures of Adelia, the Sicilian pathologist who goes to England to solve various mysteries at the behest of King Henry II. Sure, it still has its share of clunkiness, in the form of having to remind us every few pages that Adelia is a woman and that she shouldn't be practicing medicine and that people think less of her because she is a woman and isn't it awful the way women are belittled and oppressed. Okay, I get it already! Things suck for women in the 12th century! Yes, I'm proud to call myself a feminist but I don't need to be reminded of these things at every turn.