Robb seems to be getting a little more morose with her writing, as we lost Brother Wulfstan in the last book and have another tragic demise here. We also see the return of an old frenemy of Owen’s – but no spoilers!
In A Gift of Sanctuary, Owen Archer (spy for the Archbishop of York), Geoffrey Chaucer (yes, that Chaucer), Brother Michealo (secretary for the Archbishop), and Owen’s father-in-law, Sir Robert D’Arby, are on their way to Owen’s homeland of Wales for a “pilgrimage” and a pilgrimage. While Sir Robert and Brother Michealo are making their way to a sacred pool, Owen and Geoffrey are on a mission. One of the king’s retainers has married an accused traitor’s daughter, and Owen has been sent to find out if the retainer could be a traitor as well. However, when Owen’s contact turns up dead, and another man missing, Owen gets sucked into a web of complicated secrets. Owen’s journey is further troubled by the loyalty he feels to his homeland, whose people are not deemed equal to the English.
In this novel, we get to know Owen better, which is positive for readers as he’s been pretty mysterious while we’ve known him. We learned all about Lucie’s background in the first book, but little about Owen’s. In A Gift of Sanctuary, we meet some of his family and he reveals some memories of his childhood.
Occasionally, I get confused when Robb covers politics in medieval England, so covering medieval politics in Wales was more complicated for me. But, as the story goes on, I could better identify the characters so it didn’t dampen the mystery much. Robb is kind enough to include a key to Welsh pronunciation in the beginning of the book, as well. It was also nice to be in a setting different from York and the local area, and to imagine what Wales is like. I’ve never been, but would love to see it someday.
Again, this was a great mystery, complete with treachery, robbery, and, of course, murder. There’s also the odd fair maiden thrown in! It’s great to see Owen grow and face more personal challenges as a character, and the addition of Geoffrey Chaucer was a stroke of genius. It’s amusing to think of Owen working with a man whose poetry will last for centuries.