I loved Laura Carlin's first book and this one didn't disappoint! The medieval setting and story were engrossing, and the characters complex and fascinating. I didn't see the twist coming, and the handling of it greatly added to the story.

Set in the Middle Ages using a lot of ancient English vocabulary, Requiem for a Knave by Laura Carlin cost me some time to really get accustomed to. Until 20% or so in the novel, I could have halted my reading effort easily. Later on, when the first confrontation of Alwin of Whittaker with crimes against a young nun takes place, the plot gripped me, and never loosened again.

Raised as a boy, a farmer's son, a child that any father should be proud of, Alwin has been never been told about his true father and sex. All has to do with the patriarchal de Marshes family, and their urge to have a male heir. Alwin's sent on a quest by his dying mother. Father Oswald serves as a guide and protector. The endeavor brings many unexpected encounters, love, and temptations to kill mean men. This coming of age, becoming independent and finding true love historical fiction is composed well and kept me entertained for more than five hours.

I absolutely loved The Wicked Cometh so I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint. Another beautifully written historical novel that transports you back to the time it is set in. Very engaging characters that stay with throughout, really looking forward to book 3

Historical fiction set in Medieval times. Written as a biography it contains lovely lyrical prose, dark goings on and a mystery to be solved. My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Had I have had prior knowledge of the way Requiem of a Knave was written I probably would not have requested it. However, having done so I went on to read it. Instantly I felt myself transported back in time to the period of the story, it was quite uncanny. Laura Carlin uses a sort of olde worlde language to describe the tale. I don’t know how authentic it is but it certainly set the scene for me.
Alwin of Whittaker, a man blighted by disfigurement, goes on to discover, that was told to him to keep him safe from the perversions of his father. On his pilgrimage he discovers who his father is and who he is too! Alwin also falls in love with a young woman called Rosamund who nurses him back to health following an injury, furthermore she also advises Alwin he hasn’t got any disfigurement at all! I shall let readers discover for themselves what follows.

Well done to Laura Carlin for keeping a consistent voice through this. It's good fun - a dark, gender-fluid romp through medieval England - not as merrie as you might think. You really have to suspend your disbelief though - it's all a little too straightforward to ring true. Still, it's a read that keeps you hooked, there's lots of dark goings on, and a mystery at the heart of everything that has to be solved.

I deeply appreciate an author who writes a historical novel without subscribing to the received wisdom that all women were meek, subservient little creepmice and men were all oppressors who didn’t see women as real people. It’s been proven again and again that this was not the case and that while the Medieval era was very sexist by today’s standards, there was far more equality than the average GCSE in history would lead us to believe. The author gives us fully rounded, engaging characters, a compelling story and beautiful, lyrical prose. I loved this even more than the Wicked Cometh.

I enjoyed Carlin's debut novel, and have been equally impressed by her second. Although it is a historical fiction, set in medieval times, it also features a very modern commentary. Strong women, patriarchy, and how our lives are influenced by those around us. Requiem for a Knave is not what I expected, but it is a lyrical and engaging novel, with beautiful writing and a gripping storyline.

I've read some great books lately and this one fits right into that category.

Beautifully written, the language is rich with old and unusual words, all adding to the sense of time and place. The natural world is almost a character in itself and the descriptions are delightful.

Alwin of Whittaker is 18 years old. Though skinny, he is tall and strong, and he works the fields of his mother's farm. His grandfather helps out but doesn't think much of the beardless youth. When Alwin's mother is on her deathbed she warns him to get away because his grandfather has made veiled threats against him. WIth her dying breath she tells him to seek out his family in a place called Walsingham.

Alwin sets out on a pilgrimage along with the local priest, Father Oswald. Soon they join up with an older couple, two girls and a wise woman healer called Rosamund , who are also heading to Walsingham. He develops a wary fascination for Rosamund and is torn between belief and doubt when others mutter that she is a witch.

Dreadful things happen during the journey and Alwin begins to doubt everything he has ever known. His companions are not what they seem and neither is he. He discovers he carries secrets he was unaware of.

I loved this book. Having read Carlin's The Wicked Cometh -www.netgalley.co.uk/book/119926/review/167174 - I was not expecting this very different book. It is a magnificent follow up.

I must say first of all that I really enjoyed Laura Carlin’s debut novel and felt that she was a major new talent in the making. I was therefore really looking forward to her second book and it gives me no pleasure to say that I was generally very disappointed.

Ms Carlin has not taken the easy option of simply keeping to the same time period, but has set her novel in medieval England. Once again, she has clearly undertaken a huge amount of research into the period and in the opening chapters, there is a real sense and feel for the age and in particular for what we would now consider to be appalling attitudes to women and the way in which they were treated.

However, for me, where the novel fails is that the author has used exactly the same overblown and flowery prose which worked so well as a pastiche of a Victorian melodrama in The Wicked Cometh and simply transposed it to the Middle Ages where it seems totally out of place and quite frankly, boring. In addition, and unlike her first novel, the plot is very thin and basically involves the two main characters falling in love and then, indulging in a lot of cod philosophy and chasing around England after a very wicked Lord of the manor.

I shall continue to look out for Ms. Carlin’s books because I still feel she is a real talent. I also found Jane Harper’s follow-up to her wildly successful debut novel, The Dry, very disappointing. However, a third book was a real return to form and I very much hope I can say the same about Laura Carlin’s next effort.

My thanks to Hodder & Stroughton, the publishers, and to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Requiem for a Knave is a bit of a curate’s egg - it’s a fascinating study of medieval life before a concept like ‘class struggle’ is even conceived - the rich / nobility have all the power and the rest must cooperate or suffer - and the minimal choices open to women in a patriarchal and religiously motivated are well drawn. However, some of the dialogue, particularly after the midpoint when the lead character finally works out what makes him different, is rather on the nose.
Carlin creates a marvellous sense of place and time, but whilst it’s vivid and feels as dirty and bleak as one imagines these times would have been, it’s somehow less engaging than her previous work for me. That’s not to say it’s not a good read, or that it doesn’t offer a new perspective on gender, equality and freedom in medieval times. I’d recommend Requiem for a Knave, but with the caveat that the mid-section is a little dry.

Written as a biography that recalls the memories of old age it starts from when a fatherless young farmer is told by his dying mother that he must leave on a pilgrimage to Walsingham to learn of his family secrets. Having lived in a secluded hamlet all his life his journey provides a rude awaking to the harsh realities of the world. A world where he encounters murder rape and massacre where nothing is what it seems and danger lurks around and not knowing who to trust. At another level the story is a depiction of the lowly status of woman and a plea for their emancipation. It is also a mystery and a detective story with surprising twists. It is in parts a bit long winded in its philosophising.