The Bone-Pedlar (Paperback)

The story sounds straightforward, but it's the wonderful cast of characters [my favourite is Brother Celestius, who weaves in and out of the story with his band of loonies and proves to be an unlikely worker of miracles] together with the sights, sounds and [particularly] smells of the 13th century that make this novel. A terrific debut.

So begins Sylvian Hamilton's thoroughly readable and entertaining historical novel. Set in the thirteenth century, it is peopled with a panoply of colourful characters, the most significant of which is Sir Richard Straccan, the bone pedlar of the title.

Trading in relics was evidently a perilous business, for what begins as a simple errand on behalf of the Prioress at the nunnery where his young daughter, Gilla is being looked after, soon escalates into a quest to find his daughter's kidnappers, thereby retrieving his daughter, and overcome the evil sorcery that surrounded her abduction. Straccan is not left to fend off such wickedness alone, however, he has his trusty servant and loyal friend Bane to help him and sundry others who, through various routes, come to assist him on his mission.

These ought to be the ingredients of a cracking read. Unfortunately, Hamilton's novel is not quite that. As previously noted, she begins incisively enough, but, sadly, fails to maintain that standard. Some sentences are superfluous and I am not convinced that using such contemporary slang in the dialogue is a device that works terribly well. It jars. The opening piece, moreover, I think, could have been discarded altogether. It feels as if it has been tacked on, and is not really necessary for the outworking of the plot. The irreverent style of comedy which characterizes this section feels somewhat out of place and, indeed is not, for the most part, used after the quest begins in earnest.

Having said that, the characters are drawn exceedingly well, and the main plot line is strong so there is enough here to keep the reader engaged until this part of the story ends. That it is to continue gives me hope that Hamilton could fulfil the promise of this novel and become a truly magnificent writer. For, if she can build on all the good things in the Bone Pedlar and discard its faulty traits, then, truly, she will be a writer of great significance.

As others have said, the opening line just grabs you and shows that what you have isn't fluffy romanticism, but someone who has researched very well.

The modern speech might be a little irritating but, unless you want the whole thing in Middle English, why quibble? Oh, and Old Sawney and his family (the in-bred outlaws) are real historical people borrowed by Hamilton. No wonder they seem real, they were!

I liked the humour. Real life has humour and doing the entire thing straight would, I believe, have lessened the impact of the more dramatic episodes.