The story takes place in the Dark Ages and I must tell you if you are looking for the beautiful gowns and fine feasts, you will not find them in this book. This book lays out the reality of the time. Women were not treated with respect. They were used for making babies and taking care of the households. Women weren't be educated and men were supposed to be smarter and more powerful. There's also war and gruesome deaths because as I said the time period we are talking is less than glamourous.
And that is one of the reasons I really loved this book. I loved that when I read the pages of novel that I could picture the the places in my head. I loved that I could feel the emotions of the people who lived there. Cross really makes me wish that I could write with such vivid descriptions.
What I also love is that I can see character development and growth throughout the novel. I mean the book does span from her childhood with the sentiments of her two brothers, her loving mother, and the father who was unable to love in the way he should have. Cross was able to give us a full picture of what made her want to disguise herself as a man and study to become a priest. I loved too how Cross was able to help us hear her reasoning for everything. Joan spoke to us in so many ways.
It was however Gerold that truly captured my heart. He was the love that Joan never fully grasped or understood until later. He was a good man who loved with everything he had and yes there were flaws but for some reason I could look passed them. Why? Simply because he was a GOOD man. You will know what I mean if you read the book. You'll feel something toward Gerold that makes you want him to be happy and to have the life he so desires. And then you will cry for him.
So now that I've gotten all the good things out, it's time to examine some of the things that made this book a little "eh" for me.
The first being all the knowledge about the Catholic Church. Now YES I understand that we are talking about the time when the church is being established but some of it just clouded my mind and kept me from the story. I need some information but all the information that was given was also partially forgotten. What I need are the facts without getting the whole, entirely too long story.
What I also disliked is the end. Now I won't give away the end but I will say that it could have been ended better. Cross explains why she did what she did but I still feel like she left us in the middle of nowhere. Endings of books should give us more than this one did.
Overall I think that this book deserves a 3.75 out of 5. It is a good piece of historical fiction and has plenty to sink your teeth into but at times it can read like a history book.
