This is the second prequel novel the author penned to his Herries Chronicles, four novels set in the Lake District from the 18th century onwards. This prequel follows on more or less immediately from the enjoyable and dramatic narrative of The Bright Pavilions, with Nicholas Herries married late in life and with a young son Robert, at the beginning of the 17th century. Despite this, I did not enjoy it as much and I don't think really worked as a novel. There is a great deal of description of the lives and personalities of the various Herries family members and simply not enough plot and drama, despite the backdrop of the country sliding towards Civil War as some family members take up either the Royalist or Parliamentary side. Sadly the author died while writing this novel and the story ends ironically on a moment of high drama as Robert, who does not want to take sides, sees his house invaded by Parliamentary soldiers who see him as an enemy, as he had been knighted by the King. Had the author lived, the rest of the novel would very likely have lifted the story as a whole. But as it stands, despite being as well written, this is a much weaker story than its predecessor; I also found the title character rather implausible. ( )