A Maze of Death Paperback – April 16, 2013

This is an excellent historical novel set in an interesting period, the time of the first major English dynastic war about 150 years after the Norman conquest of England. Henry I has gotten his supporting nobles to agree to support his daughter Matilda as ruler of England and its French provinces. Upon Henry’s death a cadre of these nobles back out of the deal to support a woman and instead support her cousin Stephen as King. Thus begins one of the darker periods of English history, a civil war that is fought by not only knights supporting each candidate but also by mercenaries supporting the highest bidder. These competing forces wreak havoc on the countryside.The key character in this story is a pre-adolescent girl who is raped by a priest associated with one of the marauding mercenary bands. She is found by a mercenary archer from the other side, but has lost all memory of who she is. He adopts her and passes her off as a boy who is his nephew, teaching her to become an outstanding archer. The story follows their travels as they try to find the priest and become associated with Matilda and her supporters. This is not a battle novel, full of gore and clashing shields, though there is a lot of action. It is also not a romance, though there is a bit of that. What was appealing to me was the description of the times and people who suffered through them. As in any tale of war there are characters who are noble and some who are despicable. It is their interplay that drives the story and makes this an appealing historical novel.

I've just read this, now my favorite of Ariana Franklin's novels. It was unfinished when Franklin died, and was completed by her daughter Samantha Norman. This could have been awkward but happily it was not. I have no idea where one writer left off and the other began. The story takes place during the war between Empress Maud and King Stephen in the 1100's, the same setting as the Brother Cadfael mysteries, and has clearly been well researched. The characters were engaging and the plot was richly layered. Near the end I made a couple of accurate guesses. Cleverer readers than I may make them earlier, but the story had enough surprises to make it hard to put the book down earlier today when I had to take a break.

For the lovers of historical fiction, this book by Ariana Franklin is a must. It takes place during the anarchical times of King Stephen's war with Empress Matilda for the throne of England, after the death of Henry I.What I found compelling, apart from the history of a turbulent and brutal age, is the vivid pictures the author paints of a time so long, long ago. How did a castle function in 1145? Kenniford Castle is a microcosm of the medieval world and we are fascinated observers to the lives of its people, from the Lord and Lady, the vast hierarchy of of the common people, goose boy, thatcher, priest, knights and mercenaries.Apart from the historical facts of the ongoing war and the particular siege of the castle by Stephen's forces, there is the story of Gwyl, the mercenary, and the girl he protects, Penda. How did a young girl from the fen lands, named Emma, become the boy archer Penda? What unimaginable evil lurks and searches for her? There is also a charming love story between the Lady Maud of Kenniford Castle and the dashing soldier Alan, a staunch supporter and defender of Empress Matilda.I found this book to be a page turner and, ultimately, a very satisfying read.I have enjoyed Ariana Franklin's previous books but I think this one is her best. The hero of her stories is always a woman in an age when women were marginalized and, supposedly helpless. I was very glad to read the that Lady Maud, Empress Matilda, and Penda were able, courageous, and, at the end, triumphant.

I love Ariana Franklin’s books, and I’ve been looking for the ones I haven’t read. I bought, read, and enjoyed The Serpents Tale a few months before I bought Death Maze. There was no description of the story for Death Maze, but I bought it anyway. Just now getting to Death Maze. I wish I would have read the Death Maze reviews, where other readers warn - Death Maze and The Serpents Tale are the same book! Too late too return it, so I’ll donate the book for someone else to enjoy. Hope Amazon will address this issue.

I love historic fiction and especially love novels set in the Middle Ages. Having read several of Franklin's other books, I was hoping for more of the same; this book delivered. It took me a while to figure out the abbott's tale but when I did, it made for a fascinating finish. For the naysayers who think this book isn't up to Franklin's standards because it was finished by her daughter after Franklin's death, I say, "wrong!" It is a tightly written book with intrigue on every page. Loved it!

I'm part of a book club this summer so I have been reading a lot. This is the best book I have read so far this summer....and I have enjoyed all the books I have read. This is a story of survival, with the focus on Lady Maud of Kenniford and the lives of the people on this estate during the 1140s and the time of the war between Empress Matilda and King Stephen of England. There is murder, intrigue, war, happiness, and sorrow throughout this book. I have always liked Ms Ariana Franklin and, unfortunately, she passed away while writing this book and it was finished by her daughter, Ms Samantha Norman. I hope that Ms Norman continues to write books, because she continued the book without a hitch. I could not tell where her mother ended and she picked up the thread of the book. Wonderful job!