Tyrant of the Mind

The Medieval Mysteries, Book 2

De: Priscilla Royal

Narrado por: Wanda McCaddon

In the winter of 1271, death stalks the corridors of Wynethorpe Castle on the Welsh border. When the Grim Reaper touches the beloved grandson of the castle lord, Baron Adam sends for his daughter, Prioress Eleanor of Tyndal, and her subinfirmarian, Sister Anne, to save the child with their prayers and healing talents. Escorting them to the remote fortress is Brother Thomas, an unwilling monk fighting his private demons.

Death may be denied once in his quest for souls but never twice. Soon after the trio arrives, an important guest is murdered. The prioress' brother, bloody dagger in hand, stands over the corpse. All others may believe in his guilt, but Eleanor is convinced her brother is innocent.

Outside her priory, in a world of armed men, Eleanor may have little authority, but she is determined to untangle the Gordian knot of thwarted passions and old resentments even if it means defying her father, a man with whom she longs to make peace. As passions rise with the winter wind and time runs short, Eleanor, Anne, and Thomas struggle to find the real killer.

©2004, 2005 Priscilla Royal (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Brilliant story set in a Norman castle

While I listened to this, I pictured Chepstow Castle in Wales. It is contemporary with this story's plot and fits the description. It helps you to get the setting in your mind's eye and enriches your enjoyment, so do look the castle up on Google!

The narration is, as always, top notch by Ms. McCaddon!! Her tempo, pronunciations and subtlety in her performance are a thing of beauty.

Priscilla Royal's mastery is well evident in the way she grabs your imagination with beauty, intrigue, delicate building of both the round and flatter characters along with the harsher realities of life in the post Norman conquest era.

A medieval mystery with a woman as the lead.

The Prioress is wise and kind and has power. It’s refreshing to have a woman as the leader before the Church stripped women of everything. As an agnostic, I can appreciate Elinor’s faith since it comes from love. But will she fall in love with brother Thomas?

I love listening to the storyteller

Her voice has a lovely cadence that makesbthe stoey seembto come alive as she manages the voices of the different characters. I am on to book 3!

A bit too raw for my tastes

Wanda McCaddon is a fantastic narrator.

However, the story was not to my taste: too violent in general, with emphasis on sexual violence, and way too much misogyny (I acknowledge that at least the misogyny likely reflects the beliefs of the time period). Plus, almost everything is steeped in licentiousness. I'm no prude but, when the rooster crows at dawn, a brother wonders that the rooster is not "still enjoying the lush pleasures of his favourite hen"......seriously? Seriously?

I found the same in the first book of the series but thought I'd give the second a chance. I won't be following the series any further.

No Comparison To Others of the Time Period

I tried book two of this series, believing things would improve, but instead they went downhill, opening with one of the monk's shaving and uttering the f work as if it gave him some kind of thrill. 🙄 The continued talk of sodomy, body parts and sex in crude ways for no good reason ruins any story that may be underneath. Brother Cadfael and Sister Fidelma are much better choices for interesting historical mysteries of a similar time frame.