Name: The Illuminator
ISBN: 9780312331924

Brenda Rickman Vantrease

Working in secret for a radical fourteenth-century Oxford professor who would translate the Bible into English, Reformation-era master illuminator Finn forms a dangerous alliance with Lady Kathryn, a widow desperate to protect her inheritance from the depredations of the church and the monarchy. A first novel. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.

The Illuminator

Lacy W

This was an interesting book to say the least. One of the first things I noticed with this entire book was just how many plots and characters there were. Every chapter seemed to introduce a new character or new twist. At times, it almost became confusing. I sometimes had to double back and figure out who I was reading about. This was a reason why this book as 4 stars when I normally give 5 stars to historical books like this.

If I could give another complaint of this book, it would be that it almost felt rushed. Kathryn and Finn become lovers. I mean it happened so fast. Where were the details? I feel like if the author had spent less time on introducing a multitude of characters, we could have gotten more details about Finn and Kathryn. 

Aside from the immense amount of characters and plots involved with those characters, I liked it. After King Henry VIII and his family, I don’t know much about the monarchy. I learned a lot while reading this book, which is always a plus. I love reading a book that gives me knowledge. Even though I know that Lady Kathryn and Finn are probably not real, I'm sure that their stories are similar to what happened to a lot of people. I'm sure there were a lot of people secretly working on the English translation. I'm sure there were lords and ladies struggling to stay about water in a turbulent country. 

Onto the actually story. Basically the story focuses on Lady Kathryn and Flinn. They are the primary characters. Kathryn takes in Flinn and his daughter so the church will stop hounding her for money that she really doesn't have. Finn is illustrating some stuff for the church, because that is his profession. But he is also doing something very naughty too. He's copying the Bible into the English Language. Back then, only priests were allowed to read the Bible because only they could understand Latin. Latin was what the Bible was written in.

There were people who believed that priests were liars. They believed that the Bible should be accessible to everybody and it should be in English, which was what a lot of people spoke by then. Even if the peasants couldn't read, I'm sure they knew people who could read the Bible. This was all started by a man named John Wycliffe. He is not a character that has a chapter in the book, but he is mentioned very frequently. 

Lady Kathryn drove me nuts about 99% of the time, although. Some of the decisions she makes like (view spoiler)[ not staying with Finn after he revealed he married a Jew  (hide spoiler)]. Just stuff like that annoyed me. I want everybody to have a happy ending But I guess I understand where she was coming from too.

I admired Lady Kathryn's loyalty to her staff. She truly cared about most of them and drived her best to make sure they were taken care even though she was working her way into the poor house. When she helps with one of her staff in taking care of the staff's husband's body, I felt a new respect for her. I know that a lot of nobility wouldn't do that. 

Overall, it was a great book, despite the few complaints. There is a sequel. I'm hoping to read it soon. Until then, happy reading!

The Illuminator

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