Review: City of Woe by AJ MacKenzie

Synopsis: Florence, 1342. A city on the brink of chaos.

Restored to favour at court, King's Messenger Simon Merrivale accompanies an English delegation to Florence, the powerful centre of European finance, to negotiate a loan to offset King Edward III’s chronic debt.

A top secret plot, one to decide the fate of European control.

But the delegation has another purpose: to set up an Englishman, Henry Stapledon, Bishop of Dorchester, as an anti-pope in Rome. If they can succeed, they will undermine the papacy and strike a hammer blow to French support across Europe.

But one devastating betrayal will shatter their hopes.

When disaster strikes, Merrivale finds himself alone, isolated and with a dozen different factions out for his blood. With no way to go but forward, he must plunge back into the seething torrent of Florence’s cutthroat streets, and dangers greater than any he has ever faced before, if he is to survive.

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The fifth in the series so I do advise reading the first ones prior to this as there is some continuation of the narrative.

In this outing, Simon Merrivale, the King's Messenger is being sent to Florence with two tasks: chase up King Edward III's missing treasury funds from banker Donato de Peruzzi (to whom Edward III owed considerable amounts), and to install Henry Stapledon, Bishop of Dorchester, as an anti-Pope in an effort to undermine the French.

There is plenty of detail to ensure that the reader is captured by the authenticity and complexity of the period. Florence was a city where bankers and merchants replaced the old noble families as the center of power. There had been a revolution of sorts, with a French aristocrat and crusader, Walter of Brienne, assuming Lordship of the Republic. How did this happen - well it seems that since 1339, Florence had been in the grip of a severe economic crisis brought about by immense English debts to Florentine banking houses, and by astronomical public debts incurred in trying to obtain the nearby city of Lucca. The Florentine nobility looked to foreign powers to solve the city's seemingly impossible financial problems. Unfortunately, Walter ruled like a despot and was ousted after less than a year in power, and once again Florence was a city in turmoil.

MacKenzie ensure that there is enough mystery, intrigue, jealousy, betrayal, political and religious machinations to keep the reader suitably engrossed.  For those with a penchant for historical fiction set in the 14th Century, this will not fail to keep you satisfied.

Books in the series:

• A Flight of Arrows
• A Clash of Lions
• The Fallen Sword
• By Treason We Perish

Review: By Treason We Perish by AJ Mackenzie

Synopsis: One lone detective faces down a twisted medieval web of spies and intrigue.

October, 1338. A great war has begun, one that will define Europe for a century. King’s Messenger Simon Merrivale returns to England in disgrace, his life barely intact, after a bid to create a pro-English state in Savoy goes disastrously wrong.

With the battle lines drawn, a new and overwhelming threat emerges. King Edward III has assembled an uneasy alliance of European powers to enforce his claim to the throne of France. But corruption is rife both at home and abroad, emptying the king’s war chest. Lack of money could cripple everything that has been built. Enemies lie hidden amongst the ranks of friends. Wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Faced with the difficult task of not only discovering the traitors but recovering his position and respect, Merrivale has a complex and potentially deadly mission at hand. For if just one conspirator escapes justice, all will fall.

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This series is set in the 14th Century, during the reign of King Edward III of England. In this particular tome, the newly burgeoning wool trade with Flanders and the trade in saffron is at the heart of the mystery that King's Messenger, Simon Merrivale must solve.

Wool became the backbone and driving force of the Medieval English economy between the late thirteenth century and late fifteenth century and at the time the trade was described as “the jewel in the realm”! And as such, it was heavily taxed and regulated by the English Crown. You can read more here: Britain Express - Edward III and the Development of Trade.  Saffron, as today, is a very expensive spice that was produced under certain conditions. It is still processed manually, the dried stigma of the saffron crocus flower is incredibly delicate, making it difficult to harvest, especially in great quantities, hence its high price. Like the wool and saffron trade, the medieval Italian Banking families are also comprehensively dealt with as well, especially England's links to the Bardi and Peruzzi - as they too play a role in this tale.

I will preface my review by saying that this is the first in a new series. However, upon reading it, I felt that much had happened (backstory-wise) that was not - again, my own thoughts - adequately covered off. It read like I had just jumped into the middle of a series - maybe a short prequel might be in order to set things right - or will this be explored more as the series progresses, I wonder.

The author, whilst providing much information on the key subjects that form part of the narrative, I think, assumes you have some idea of what was happening at this particular time in history. And a general read of the times would be an advantage, though the author does provide a list of characters at the beginning.

Having said that, there is much to admire in this book: a good mystery; themes of murder, corruption, medieval politicking, scandal; and the promise of a series.

I am looking forward to the next installment.