The Heretic's Tomb.

Gregory Bryan is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

As a blend of historical fiction and modern fantasy, The Heretic’s Tomb is an interesting undertaking. On one hand, Simon Rose has attempted to portray the loss and heartache of the Black Death. On the other hand, he attaches to the topic so many magical elements that his novel seems almost bound to encounter trouble.

While exploring an archaeological site, the story’s protagonist, Annie, stumbles into the tomb of Lady Isabella Devereaux. In 1349, Isabella had been condemned to death as a heretic. Under the power of a magical amulet, Annie then travels back to the Middle Ages, where she rescues Isabella from death.

The book is generally well written and engaging, but the presence of finger-clicking magic distracts the reader from the gravity of the Black Death and detracts from the novel. The book also contains too many events of convenience—for instance, the way in which Annie discovers Will’s whereabouts, despite his alias, is too convenient, as is Annie having a hammer when she is trapped in the tomb.

While I accept the time travel story-telling device is useful in order to place a modern day protagonist in a historical setting, the ongoing existence of magic within the historical setting serves to deny the story of the benefits of that story-telling device. After all, placing a modern day protagonist in a historical setting should help the reader to relate to the historical events. The magical elements, however, contradict that purpose. As such, the book stumbles from one contradiction to another and the plot crumbles under the weight of the inconsistencies.


Not Recommended