A Game of Sorrows
Following on from the excellent The Redemption of Alexander Seaton comes the next novel following the adventures of the teacher-hero of the first book. The year is now 1628, and Alexander’s life is completely changed when a family member he never knew he had turns up out of the blue and whisks him off to Ireland. Once there, he becomes unwillingly embroiled in deep family secrets and troubles.
Rebellion, poetic curses, hidden love, and violent passions all serve to make the story very exciting and enjoyable. The reader is often as confused and perplexed as Alexander is as he struggles to make sense of his new relations and the state of matters between Ireland and England, but the journey is riveting enough to mean that we follow along willingly. A family tree might have clarified matters, but might also have given away some of the plot twists, of which there are several, by the way. It isn’t absolutely necessary to have read the first book, but it would be a good idea, and anyway why only read one good book when you could read two? Both novels give a wonderful flavour of the time and are very much recommended. I’m looking forward to a third in the series.
