My Review of The Saracen’s Mark by S W Perry
The Saracen’s Mark by S W Perry is an enthralling read that I can heartily recommend .
Perry is an evocative writer who is able to effortlessly immerse his reader in a journey through Elizabethan England. The opulence and intrigue surrounding Robert Cecil is contrasted beautifully with the poverty ridden Southwark and all its deprivations. The visceral terror generated by an invisible disease could not have been more apt in today’s pandemic but Perry’s writing would have provoked the same response at any time; I found myself searching my arm pits for buboes, such is the meticulous research that informs the narrative.
Perry is so masterful in his writing that I could almost taste the salt on the sea air and feel every roll of the ship during Nicholas’ journey to Marrakech. The beauty of the city with the smell of citrus wafting down from the mountains is the antithesis of the ever prevalent danger that resides there for Nicholas as he surreptitiously searches for clues in the disappearance of Cecil’s man.
Characters are realistically drawn and easy for the reader to invest in; there isn’t a buxom wench in sight. Even those that turn out to be villains are never stereotypically so. I was particularly fond of Bianca, her tentative relationship with Nicholas is something I’m looking forward to witnessing in the next instalment.
On a final note: The Saracen’s Mark is a salient reminder of the wonders and merits of other cultures that we lose out on if we have closed minds.
Thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to be part of this tour.
Perry is an evocative writer who is able to effortlessly immerse his reader in a journey through Elizabethan England. The opulence and intrigue surrounding Robert Cecil is contrasted beautifully with the poverty ridden Southwark and all its deprivations. The visceral terror generated by an invisible disease could not have been more apt in today’s pandemic but Perry’s writing would have provoked the same response at any time; I found myself searching my arm pits for buboes, such is the meticulous research that informs the narrative.
Perry is so masterful in his writing that I could almost taste the salt on the sea air and feel every roll of the ship during Nicholas’ journey to Marrakech. The beauty of the city with the smell of citrus wafting down from the mountains is the antithesis of the ever prevalent danger that resides there for Nicholas as he surreptitiously searches for clues in the disappearance of Cecil’s man.
Characters are realistically drawn and easy for the reader to invest in; there isn’t a buxom wench in sight. Even those that turn out to be villains are never stereotypically so. I was particularly fond of Bianca, her tentative relationship with Nicholas is something I’m looking forward to witnessing in the next instalment.
On a final note: The Saracen’s Mark is a salient reminder of the wonders and merits of other cultures that we lose out on if we have closed minds.
Thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to be part of this tour.
Huge thanks for the blog tour support Lynn x
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