Dark Fire
A Compulsive Thriller of Treason and Deceit from the Bestselling Historical Series
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Dark Fire
Buy Now for £16.99
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Narrated by:
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Steven Crossley
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By:
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C. J. Sansom
About this listen
Winner of the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger, Dark Fire is the second thrilling book in C. J. Sansom's number one bestselling Shardlake series, perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory.
'When it comes to intriguing Tudor-based narratives, Hilary Mantel has a serious rival' - Sunday Times
‘Sansom has the trick of writing an enthralling narrative. Like Hilary Mantel, he produces densely textured historical novels that absorb their readers in another time’ - Andrew Taylor, Spectator
England, 1540: Matthew Shardlake, believing himself out of favour with Thomas Cromwell, is busy trying to maintain his legal practice and keep a low profile. But his involvement with a murder case, defending a girl accused of brutally murdering her young cousin, brings him once again into contact with the king's chief minister – and a new assignment . . .
The secret of Greek Fire, the legendary substance with which the Byzantines destroyed the Arab navies, has been lost for centuries. Now an official of the Court of Augmentations has discovered the formula in the library of a dissolved London monastery. When Shardlake is sent to recover it, he finds the official and his alchemist brother horribly murdered – the formula has disappeared.
Now Shardlake must follow the trail of Greek Fire across Tudor London, while trying at the same time to prove his young client's innocence. But very soon he discovers nothing is as it seems . . .
An internationally bestselling phenomenon, this gripping historical series continues with Sovereign, Revelation, Heartstone, Lamentation and Tombland.
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Critic reviews
One day, one of his old aquintances seek his help as his niece, Elizabeth Wentworth is charged by the murder of her cousin, Ralph Wentworth, who was the only son of a wealthy merchant. Elizabeth’s parents died earlier and she went to live with his uncle’s family, who didn’t treat her well. The only one who stands beside her is her other uncle, Joseph, who is sure she didn’t have anything to do with the boy’s death. But Matthew’s position is not an easy one as Elizabeth refuses to speak and plead either guily or not guilty, which just strengthens people’s believe that she was the culprit. The case is pretty much lost when a man, Jack Barack steps in to pressure the judge to give another hearing before the final decision. And so Matthew wins another 12 days to solve the mystery, but it comes with a price.
He finds himself once again employed by Cromwell, who tries to save his position and the king’s marriage with Anne Cleve by presenting him a substance called Dark Fire which can be a powerful weapon if they can find out how to produce more. Matthew has exactly 12 days to find the formula and the substance so they could be presented to the king. His investigation, however is paved with blood, death bodies and an intrigue which reaches the highest circles.
In this book we get a plethora of new characters introduced starting with Jack Barak, a servant to Lord Cromwell. He is brash, brave and doesn’t have much filters – he says what he thinks and owns a healthy dose of sarcasm. I always liked him and I think his character works even better in English. His relationship with Matthew is quite rocky, especially at the beginning. Matthew doesn’t approve of Jack’s attitude and unrefined manner while Jack doesn’t trust Matthew and thinks he is just as entitled as gossipy as all the other lawyers. But as they work together, they learn to respect each other and reflect on themselves.
Another important character in this story is the widowed Lady Honor who likes to held dinner parties and entertain herself by inviting guest with different views to listen to their debate. At this time in Henry WIII’s reign, tension doesn’t seem to go down as both catholics and reformants try to overpower the other side. And then there are fractions dividing the reformants and one has to be really careful about their beliefs and words. Lady Honor is a strongwilled woman whose family once been prestigious and her primary goal is to earn the family honour once again. All her decisions and acts are focused on that one goal, which makes her a bit narrow minded and though she is very friendly with Matthew I still can’t like her.
On the other side, there is Elizabeth who refuses to help herself and decides she deserves punishment because God turned away from her. The previously very religious girl loses her faith and decides death is still better than living like this. And her family takes advantage of that. But that doesn’t stop Matthew and Jack to find out the truth. And make powerful enemies along the way.
What I like about this series is that the mystery keeps me at the edge of my seat. I read the books long ago enough that I don’t remember the details anymore (I did remember one major thing though, but that didn’t spoil it for me) so it’s almost like I read it for the first time. C. J. Sansom is definitely a master storyteller who keeps you guessing until everything is revealed. Seeing a plot twist coming halfway through a book can be fun as it keeps you wondering whether you were right (I usually am), but what really thrills me if a book keeps me guessing. And all the while it doesn’t lose my interest. Dark Fire has everything which makes it a masterwork: intrigue, murder mystery, compelling and unconventional characters (Matthew Shardlake is a hunchback for instance, oh and there is a black apothecary, Guy who used to be a monk), and richly detailed world. I’m still amazed how Sansom managed to bring back the 16th century London with all its characteristics and details. It feels like I could walk on the filthy, smelly streets right beside Jack and Matthew, feeling the fear and uncertainty in the air which threatens the fragile peace as the religious wars brew under the surface as well as in the highest ranks of the kingdom.
If you love historical fiction or the Tudor era, or both, I highly recommend this series. You can read each book as a stand alone, though I still recommend reading in order because Matthew Shardlake goes through some great changes regarding his belief and views and that’s fascinating to watch, how he processes things as he grews older (he is 40 in Dark Fire) and as he witnesses the historical events we know from History books.
I'm amazed by C. J. Sansom
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If you could sum up Dark Fire in three words, what would they be?
Intricate, intriguing, satisfying.Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Shardlake seeking out a relationship with Lady Honour was sadly rebuffed. We felt for him as a modern audience. The final confrontation with the blind matriarch was particularly gruesome.Any additional comments?
The parallel plots of seeking Greek Fire and seeking evidence of the innocence of Elizabeth were particularly well executed. The introduction of Barak as the companion/foil for Shardlake bodes well for future stories - is it not an indication of the quality of the work that even half way through this I was planning on listening to the next instalment in the series, so good is the plotting and the execution of the story.Intelligent historical mystery
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Great book, great narration
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gripping
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Absolutely gripping
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