I am a fan of Laura Carlin (The Wicked Cometh), and this book was up to her excellent standard.

It's a pretty dark story of love, lies, and some downright nasty people to put it mildly. Alwin has led a pretty standard life, but when his mother dies she makes her deathbed confession and sends him off to Walsingham, away from his grandfather, the community and farm that he has never left before.

Things turn bad for Alwin pretty quickly, and the plot twists and turns in ways that I certainly didn't suspect.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it certainly kept me turning the pages.

My thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the advance copy

It's going to be difficult to review this book without giving away spoilers, but I'll do my best! The story is set in medieval times and is the story of Alwin Whittaker, who, at the request of his mother on her deathbed sets off on pilgrimage, aided by his Parish Priest. Before he even meets up with the other pilgrims he encounters a nobleman with his entourage. He unwittingly introduces these men to a group of nuns who are then defiled and murdered. Whilst the men are sleeping off their excesses of alcohol he escapes and joins up with the pilgrims. Initially the pilgrimage part had shades of Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' but this didn't last, these pilgrims were totally different! However one of the pilgrims becomes Alwin's friend and the book is really about their journey, (both in distance and as a couple) and their involvement with the nobleman and his family.
I quite enjoyed this book, it wasn't what I was expecting and it was different to any medieval fiction book I've read before but it didn't always engage me and for that reason I've taken a star off my score.

I had read The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin sometime ago and was interested to see what she came up with next.
Requiem for a Knave is set much earlier, in medieval England, in a time of saints, pilgrims and holy relics.
The main character is Alwin of Whitaker, a teenage boy who agrees to his mother's deathbed wish to go on a pilgrimage to the holy town of Walsingham.
The main focus of the book is on Alwin's journey, both physical and metaphorical, and the mysteries and secrets he uncovers on the way.
The book is told by Alwin in the first person, and I really liked the unique voice Carlin has been able to give this character. Alwin comes across as an innocent, wide eyed, and sometimes overwhelmed by the events going on around him.
I don't want to say too much about the plot, as it would give too much away, but the story is compelling and the sense of time and place is well researched and written.

DNF @ 15%

While the writing was very good, I personally struggled with the medieval-style voice. A case of me-not-you.

Rating reflects the part of the book I read.

This was just OK for me sadly. I did enjoy parts of the book but after reading the previous book by this author I think I was expecting more of the same. It is by no means a bad book and is very well written and I'm sure others will very much enjoy. Perhaps this will be a reread for me later down the line as I really so like how Laura writes.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

my second book by this author and she didnt let me down....

the life of a farmer is hard and back in this day when men were men and women were objects of ownership it wasnt that much different...here we meet alwyn and his mother and grandfather but life is about to take a turn for alwyn as his mother dies and sends him on a quest to find the answers that he needs but on her death bed she asks for forgiveness at what he will find....he seeks out father oswald who will help him on his way...

and with the letter off the priest alwyn sets off but he runs across a lord abound with his men and after showing the letter to this lord they head for their first stop...and alwyns life will never be the same again....

there is so much that alwyn will find out on his journey but no spoilers from me...as anything else i was to write will give away any clues on the journey that you take reading this one...it was different from what i thought it was going to be....slow and steady but a good read none the less

Beautifully written and very atmospheric of the time. I was looking for a novel which was different, this one certainly ticked that box.

Young Alwin of Whittaker is told by his mother on her deathbed that he must leave and go to Walsingham. Although 18, Alwin is an innocent, ignorant of worldly ways. As he travels he experiences life both good and bad and learns secrets from his past.

This is a well researched and crafted historical novel which I enjoyed reading.

I loved Carlin's first book Wicked Cometh, and this didn't disappoint either.
It's a historical fiction set in Medieval times this time. A young man goes on a pilgrimage to find about his father, as his mother requested at her death bed.
Her first book had great twists too and I found the same surprising effect in this one. LOVED it! Highly recommend to historical fiction lovers.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy.

This is an historical fiction set in Medieval times. It tells the story of a young man on a pilgrimage to find out more about his father. It was a request by his mother on her deathbed. Great twist in the story.

This book was interesting from a historical detail point of view and was written in what felt like close to authentic language choices. I didnt really take to the MC and I found the prose quite heavy handed. The story line was an original one but the pace was slow. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

The 14th century England that Alwin of Whittaker finds himself thrust into can be a bleak and brutal place; poverty, snobbery and indiscriminate violence- but Alwin is fortunate. His journey of discovery and transformation allows him to experience compassion, loyalty and kindness.

The death of Alwin’s mother necessitates a pilgrimage to Walsingham. Very soon, he is unlucky enough to encounter a band of marauding soldiers, whose predilection for gratuitous violence makes them the 14th century equivalent of Alex and his Droogs. Fortunately for Alwin, he is brought into contact with Rosamund, whom can teach Alwin a thing or two about passion, hope and the dangers of a judgmental outlook.

Like Laura Carlin’s debut, this is lively, hugely engaging stuff.

Carlin has, dare I say, bettered ‘The Wicked Cometh.’ There is no sign of the difficult second novel here, but an author finding confidence in her storytelling and an increasingly exciting talent.

I loved Laura's first book and this is another fun, dark historical novel full of twists and turns. Atmospheric and passionate.

Well I'm not sure how I managed to choose this book for reading/review given it is not one of my usual types. However, I did enjoy the book although I did find it a bit stretched in places.
To summarise, the book seemed to me to be a mix of Canterbury Tales with Lord of the Rings authored by Robert Goddard in his single, present tense way of writing. But in addition ….. you need to add in a modern take on gender plus how the relationship between male and female was so bad but it now becoming equal. I must admit that I didn't grasp Alwin's deformity so the revelation was a surprise to me!

Set in old England, Alwin is a young man on a quest to find out what his dying mother's last words mean. He leaves his rural home and travels to meet a group of other pilgrims. He gets caught up in terrible events. No-one is what they seem. Alwin can't tell who to trust and his innocence is stripped from him.

I loved this book. I have read a previous book by this author and liked that too, but I think I like this one better! It gets you thinking about men and women and how we view the different gender roles - very on topic. It's beautifully written with strongly portrayed characters, A very good read

An interesting novel, clearly very well researched. I found the style of writing hard to come to grips with but the story was still enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this medieval book. The writing is so poetic it just draws you to these simple times. The story is engaging throughout with beautifully crafted characters.

I enjoyed "The Wicketh Cometh" very much and was looking forward to reading Laura Carlin's new book and I wasn't disappointed .Requiem for a Knave is set in Medieval Times which I found quite interesting.The book is about Alwin of Whittaker a young boy who is sent on a mission by his dying Mother to find out who his Father is .He is protected on his travels by the local priest Father Oswald ,Alwin who has never left home before is an innocent in the world and comes across violence ,murder and love in his quest .I thought the descriptions of the travels and villages were very realistic and I felt I was on Alwin's travels with him.I really enjoyed this book it was different to my usual read but interesting and also thought provoking I am still thinking about Alwin now !Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review.

A gem of an historical novel with beautiful atmospheric writing. I previously read The Wicked Cometh by the same author and throughly enjoyed it so was delighted to review Requiem for a Knave. Although from a totally different period in history, there was exceptional research required to transport the reader to times when the very fabric of life was in stark contrast to anything we know today. The immense struggle to eat, to keep warm, to avoid conflict and to keep healthy are so difficult to comprehend, even the day to day language used seems somewhat alien to us. However, some things don’t change such as relationships and simple pleasures that warm the heart and are, after all, what we all crave. Alwin, a young farmer who has rarely strayed from his home finds himself in turmoil when his beloved mother dies. He finds himself on a journey of discovery that threatens, shocks and questions his very existence. He finds companionship and enemies in equal measure along the way. Who to trust? Eventually answers become apparent but only after absolute turmoil and strife that cannot have been foreseen when just a simple farmer.

She’s only gone and done it again - Laura Carlin charmed and bewitched me with her Victorian era debut “The Wicked Cometh” and here again I am willingly sucked into the dark medieval world (14th C) of pilgrims, lords and villains. Carlin shows an extraordinarily detailed insight into this period, creates a tangible atmosphere and makes her characters so life-like that they seem to jump out from the pages. The gently flowing poetic language make this story an utter joy to read.

This is a medieval mystery of a young boys birth, a corrupt lord, murder, hidden identity and finding love in unexpected places. It is also a discourse on what it means to be female or male. What traditions and social conditioning drive behaviour, and whether it is possible to challenge these expectations. This was both rooted in the events of the book, and felt surprisingly contemporary. I found this really interesting, and I enjoyed the story, but I just didn't think that the two were merged particularly well so it always felt that I was reading two separate books.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.