The Illuminator Audiobook (Unabridged)

" I listened to this one on CD and although I really liked some aspects of it and found it historically interesting, it was just too predictible and seemed like everything had to go wrong for everyone just to show the difficult times. I don't know how much of that is the plotline and writing and how much of it is my bias. It's also quite wordy and took some time to really get into it. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone that doesn't absolutely love this period in history and very sad and sensational drama. "

" A beautifully told story about a turbulent time in English history. It is a sad story but it was a sad time. I especially loved the quotes from and the material about St. Julian of Norwich whose life has always interested me. There is also a good deal of depth on the art of illuminated manuscripts and the paints and pigments used to create them. If you like this period of history it is a very worthwhile book. "

" It took me a while to process the ending. I wasn't sure if I loved the book or hated it. I decided I liked it. the characters and story stuck with me and were hard to "leave." it wasn't spectacular, but it was good. I'm interested to read the sequel. That says something, right? "

" a big disappointment -- despite the fact that it was set in England in the late 14th century and had a cast of characters who could have been fun to read about...except that it ended up reading like a medieval soap opera. A big waste of time as far as I'm concerned. (But it kept me reading nonetheless!) "

" To be honest, I didn't finish this book. I'm very interested in the premise behind the story, but the writing was trite, the characters inconsistent, and the smaller plot elements not credible. I could not read on. "

" 3.2 rating Jo-Ann "

" Wonderful premise ( book illuminating) but hated the fluffy romance inflicted on the pages. Readable. "

" i really enjoyed this story! am looking forward to reading the sequel. good research...felt like i was back in medieval england. "

" If you liked Ken Follett's, Pillars of the Earth , you will most likely enjoy this novel as well. "

" I enjoyed it! Somehow or other I am in the midst of a middle ages phase. This a bit reminiscent of the Pillars of the Earth. "

" Kinda corny, with the language (people calling each other 'whoresons', etc.), and the characterizations were cliched, but a nice, sad little romance. "

" Historical fiction with a love story. Well written, intricate plot line. Writer is from Nashville, TN. "

" 14th Century England - early translators of the Bible. Boy, what they had to go through to get the good book into the hands of commoners. Great historical fiction. "

" A good historical novel for a long flight!! "

" Good historical fiction mixing in real-life characters, most notably the Anchoress Julian of Norridge. Doesn't tip-toe around the corruption of church or the brutality of the 14th century. One of my favorite medieval reads. "

" Overall a good story. Moves kind of slowly at times, but is historically fairly accurate. Definitely does not turn out in the way you would expect. "

" Set in Medieval England. A librarian friend recommended it to me. We have the same taste in books. Excellent story! "

" Quite possibly the stupidest book I read all the way through. Oh wait, no, that was The Little Book. But just barely. "

" Very engaging story of the end of feudalism. Ending had interesting twist. Heroine , Lady Kathryn, well drawn and relatable. For a first novel very impressive work. I will put this on my list of favorite medieval novels, next to Judith Merkle Riley. "

" I read half of this, but it never really hooked me. I didn't like any of the main characters, and the story just seemed to be headed in a tragic direction from the very beginning. "

" I cried. Of course. "

" Really enjoyed this book. Well written and allowed me to visualize the scenery and people in my head beautifully! Fiction and history woven together well, and I plan on reading more about Julian of Norwich as a result!! "

" Takes place after King Edward dies and a widow walks carefully between religions "

" Great writing, but too predictable for me to like. It's me, not the author. "

" really liking this story so far.now that I finished it, I don't like the last third part of the story. Too many sad things happening and I kept on hoping it will work it out to a better happy ending. I just found out that there is a book two and I will read to see if it get better ending. "

" I discovered the WONDERFUL books by Brenda Rickman Vantrease quite by accident. Her research is impecible; characters are so well developed - all is a joy! If historical novels is your favorite genre', read all three! THE ILLUMINATOR THE MERCY SELLER THE HERETIC'S WIFE "

" An historical love story, beautifully rendered. "

" Brilliantly written first novel. Great building of all characters. "

" Historical fiction.... I enjoyed this. The characters are fairly complex and the setting is realistic and well-described. "

" This was a pretty interesting book, but the author killed off almost everyone of interest. Why? Who knows! It didn't really mesh with the book at all. It was set in the middle ages, so maybe she was trying to be realistic that a lot of people died back then. "

" The story of an illuminator in 14th century England, where the Bible is still only available in Latin and for priests, Church rules everyday life and women are always behind men... "

" Very interesting story. The time period is 14th c. in england where the seeds of reformation are being planted. This would be great to read before reading CJ Samson's Tudor series or before Wolf Hall. It is a quick & much lighter read, which is why I gave it only a 3. "