The Reckoning (The Welsh Princes) by Sharon Penman

From Storygraph: His father’s words haunt Llewelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales, who has been ruling uneasily over his fractious countrymen. Above all else, Llewelyn fears that his life and his own dream–of an independent, united Wales–might be lost to Edward I’s desire to expand his English empire.

Alive from the pages of history, this is the hauntingly beautiful and compelling tale of a game poised to play itself out to its bloody finale as English and Welsh cross swords in a reckoning that must mean disaster for one side or the other.

For anyone who has ever wanted to experience the rich tapestry of British history and lore, this bold and romantic adventure must be read.

My Thoughts: This is the third book in The Welsh Princes Trilogy. I still give this a four star rating but it my least favourite book in the trilogy. I’m not sure whether that is because the characters weren’t as interesting or I knew where the story ended and didn’t like that destination. I finished this in time to head off for our trip around Wales and I’m glad that I got to finish the series before I went.

Murder Before Evensong by The Reverend Richard Coles

From Storygraph: Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton. He has been there for eight years, living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother – opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey – and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda.

When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village.

And then Anthony Bowness – cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton – is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs.

As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together… and catch a killer.

My Thoughts: Our vicar gave this to us at the end of last year and I picked it out as the ideal read for when I was in the UK, with its setting in a small English village. I enjoyed the characters and the small village setting. It was a well written mystery where seemingly irrelevant details come to the fore in the final conclusion. 3.5 stars.

Babel: An Arcane History by R. F. Kuang

From Storygraph: Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world’s center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

My Thoughts:

My daughter picked this one up from the library for me while I was away so it was waiting at home for me when I arrived home. I loved this book, although I probably loved it more because I had so recently been to Oxford. Five-star read.

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin

From Storygraph: George Orr is a mild and unremarkable man who finds the world a less than pleasant place to live: seven billion people jostle for living space and food. But George dreams dreams which do in fact change reality – and he has no means of controlling this extraordinary power.

Psychiatrist Dr William Haber offers to help. At first sceptical of George’s powers, he comes to astonished belief. When he allows ambition to get the better of ethics, George finds himself caught up in a situation of alarming peril.

My Thoughts: I’ve had this on my TBR list for ages. I’ve devoured Le Guin’s Earthsea books several times and seen this recommended but hadn’t been able to get my hands on a copy until I visited Hay-on-Wye—the book town in Wales. The premise of the book is intriguing and allows for the exploration of the ethics of wielding great power. I loved this book. Five-star read.