[Belgarion]

In the last few months I managed to purchase all 21 books of Cadfael (includes "A rare Benectine" which explains how Cadfael became "tongued") for the price of £12.70 after visiting several 2nd hand bookshops.

I have currently been reading them and I must stress that the 20 books series is excellent.

For those of you who do not know Cadfael, like me summarise.

Cadfael is a benectine welsh monk who once in his earlier years travelled all around the world crusading. One day he finally decided to settle down back in humble England and join the Abbey and spend his pastimes collecting and nurturing plants and herbs. A quite boring life for a monk you may think! But Cadfael finds himself involved in umpteen murders and betrayals and insidious plots throught the 20 books!

Belgarion..it a murder mystery series not a fantasy series you may ask....well I have to personally disagree. Okay there are no dragons, magic or cross-worlds..but it contains knights, crusaders, medieval background, murders, betrayals, suspense, dark creepy plots and the whole area of Shrewsbury is relying on one humble welsh monk in his mid-sixties to sort out the evil essence of greed, jealously and insidious plots.

Bardos once described a fantasy book as something that can NEVER happen. Well no-one in the 12th century could ever be like Cadfael...so as far as I am concerned it is FANTASY. :-)

Ellis Peters in my opinion is better than Robin Hobbs, Sara Douglass and Kate Elliott.

Any Cadfael fans out there as well as Dennizm and myself? Yes, Dennizm I do know that you are besotted with Cadfael. ;-)

[Vitriol]

I've read most of them, and I enjoyed them a lot. I prefer Hobb, though (I haven't read Douglass and Eliott)

[Cadfael]

Belgarion... you have just become my bestest friend in the whole wide world http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Hell... I may just stop dumping on Eddings in total respect for you!...

... Nah!!! that would be going to far. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael are amazing. Here are a few more 'Mediaeval' murder mystery books...

The West Country Mysteries, by Michael Jecks
The Owen Archer Mysteries by Candace Robb
The Hugh Corbett Mysteries by Paul Doherty

I have a pet theory that these kind of books are often enjoyed by Fantasy readers because of the period in history, many Fantasy books are based in a mediaeval setting.

[Belgarion]

Dennizm, my new bested pal!! You may go ahead and critize Eddings just as long you don't critize Cadfael!!

I bought some Candice Robb/Paul Doherty books but never got around to read them. Are they any good? They are near the bottom of my huge "to read" pile. Should I cheat and put them up at the top of the pile?

[nicba]

21 books!?

...and to think that people continue to bash Jordan for writing too much http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[e-Morgana]

Ahhh........ but these are all stand-alone novels. Not at all like Jordan.

Yes I am another fan of the balding monk (thanks to my mate dennizm). I've only read about 4 of them so far though - keep getting side tracked. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Arty]

Oh yeah, Candace Robb is very good, but not near as good as Ellis Peters!!!
I think I finished all the Cadfael's in 3 weeks or something ridiculous like that! I was left all 21 books in an inheritance.
Has anyone ever seen the TV productions of then with Sir Derek Jacobi? I think they did 6. They were pretty good.

[Corwwyn]

I agree, the Cadfael books are excellent.

I've only seen a few of the Derek Jacobi tv episodes but liked them all.

Medieval mystery/whodunnits can be great reading, and often fit very well in and/or alongside the fantasy genre in general.

After all, a lot of fantasy novels draw from an idealized or modified medieval base.

If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend the Sean Connery movie The Name of the Rose as a good big-screen example of how well this kind of thing can be done.

Then read the book http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

[Lani]

Cadfael books are indeed really good http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif Definitely better than Kate Elliott! I didn't read the whole series, but only three or four novels, but I was greately impressed.

Nicba, I think if to look at the size of the books three Cadfael books would probably have the same size together as one book by Jordan. However, they are so infinitely better!!

[Barbarossa]

I'm Barbarossa and Im a Cadfaelholic too,

*Waits for the chorus of Hi Barbarossa*

I still have to read 4 or 5 though, still they are quite good easy reading, a bit formulaic at times, but who cares, with such great characters.