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A fire rolls through the city of Chartres, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Chartres is home to one of the larger Catholic churches and is thus of strategic importance. The inferno serves as an apt metaphor for the destructive forces dividing the church in 1134. Bishop Gauvain lives in Chartres and believes numbers can bring order from chaos. Gauvain is concerned by the recent upheaval in the church, but he is even more unnerved as he learns of the murder of a couple of monks. The monks' murders appear to be ritualistic in nature. Gauvain is further alarmed by the possible arrival of Peter Abelard, an alleged heretic being hunted, who is also the father of Gauvain's apprentice, Spica. Gauvain ponders the connections between the monks' deaths and the pursuit of Abelard.
Herin has crafted a fine historical novel that is epic in scope but never loses focus in grabbing the reader's attention. The main characters are men caught up in their loyalties between their duty owed to the church and the often forbidden love for women who come into their lives. The women who vie for Gauvain and Abelard's affections are strong-willed and keep the men on an even keel. Herin imbues her characters with a strong intellect and deep passion running through them. The mystery has a palpable feel to it as it revolves around the murders and the attached symbolism, the possibility that the schism within the church may be a factor, and the suspense over who might fall victim next. Herin does an exemplary job of keeping the story cohesive from beginning to end.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review