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The Brewer’s Tale (Karen Brooks, Harlequin)

Karen Brooks moves away from young-adult fantasy and into commercial historical fiction with her new book, The Brewer’s Tale. Faced with a bleak future after her father’s death, Anneke Sheldrake turns to brewing ale to support her family. It’s a decision with serious consequences, as Anneke faces a loss in social status and earns the ire of the local friary, which will stop at nothing to preserve its monopoly on the ale trade. Brooks’ ability to convey the detail of honest work tinged with a hint of mysticism (evident in her previous ‘Curse of the Bond Riders’ series) makes this a fascinating read. She also explores the precarious lives of women in medieval England in the early 1400s, but always with an edge of hope and a touch of romance that should keep readers satisfied. The women in The Brewer’s Tale may be subject to the caprices of powerful men, but they survive and thrive nevertheless. While Brooks takes some liberties with the grandness of Anneke’s eventual success, some more ambitious plot twists, and the use of modern language, readers looking for a page-turner rich in historical detail and generous in emotional justice will not be disappointed.

Kat Mayo is Booktopia’s Romance Buzz editor and blogs at bookthingo.com.au

 

Category: Reviews