Today I have a lovely story set in 14th century France. Please be sure to check the other tour stops, check out the trailer, and don’t forget to enter to win your chance for a $25 Amazon or Barnes Gift Card and one of 3 eBook copies of The Execution. Drawing ends at 23.59 on 25 January.
Book Review:
Set in 14th century France we are treated to a story that is a reflection on lives lived as twins, formerly unknown to one another meet and share their tales.
D’ata is the priest in this area, one of his tasks is to hear the confessions of the condemned. He enters the cell of a man convicted as a mercenary, that requires the confessional. When the two come face to face, they realize they are brothers, twins separated at birth and D’ata has questions.
Ravan was the twin raised with personal knowledge of the worst that human nature can become. Abused, beaten, mistreated and uneducated, he learned to survive on his wits alone: stealing is second nature and he holds no love for his fellow man. D’ata, on the other hand, was given opportunity: some he frittered away in his single-minded search for love, but his position is secure. Yet both men have regrets and wishes left unfulfilled. Told in alternating voice, the brothers share their stories. As you read, you are consumed with the life that is being laid bare before you: while Ravan’s stories are often more heart wrenching and full of surprise and adventure, D’ata is honest enough to expose his fears and concerns about his own misspent moments. What emerges is an interesting juxtaposition between similar events for both contrasted with often harrowing and shocking differences in their experiences. This story made me think throughout, finding the moments where each character became the most sympathetic, or frustrating, in turns as their stories unfold. With an ending that was hinted at throughout, I found the story intriguing and engaging.
Sharon Cramer has set an interesting yet darker tale that explores life in medieval France from two vastly different perspectives and has readers wondering just how the nature versus nurture argument will play out. Historical elements are less accurate than I would have wished; in fact this story seems to be better suited to the fantasy realm. As a lover of historical fiction, historical gaffes did not greatly detract from my experience: this book felt more fantasy/alternate realm, and I believe that other fans of historical fiction would also appreciate this title.
Title: The Execution
Author: Sharon Cramer
Genre: Literary Fiction /Historical Setting
Published by: B & F Publishing
Format:eBook
Source: Author via Tour Company
Pages: 356
Rated:
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Tomorrow…he would be dead
Fourteenth Century France
D’ata, a young priest, is a dark angel amid the death and despair of the medieval prison. As he enters the cell of the condemned man—the mercenary, the evil one—D’ata is immediately transfixed by the killer’s eyes. He is shocked to discover that the face of the murderer is his own—a mirror image of himself.
The twins, unknown to each other until now, reveal the life events that brought them to this fetid dungeon, creating an unbreakable bond sealed with their darkest secrets. But with only hours until the execution, D’ata begins to question which man should truly be condemned. Should it be Ravan, the ruthless killer—a boy from an orphanage who suffered the unimaginable? Or should it be himself, the man of God whose own tormented desires ended in tragedy for the only woman he ever loved…and in the inescapable darkness of his own soul?
As the sun rises, D’ata knows what he must do. Only one man would die…but two men would be free.
A copy of this title was provided via Author via Tour Company for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
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