Customer Reviews

Jester Leaps In: A Medieval Mystery (Medieval Mysteries (St. Martins Hardcover))

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4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
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In JESTER LEAPS IN, Alan Gordon posits a medieval Jester's Guild responsible for bringing some sort of sanity to a world in trouble. Now a Crusade, dominated by Venice, is under weigh and all of the Jesters in Constantinople have vanished. Trouble-shooting fool Theophilos, along with his beautiful new wife (and Duchess and apprentice Jester) Viola are sent to find out what has happened and what it means.

What has happened is murder. Someone has killed all of the Jesters in Constantinople in an attempt to hide a plot to kill the Emperor. Theophilos has to find out who, why, and then decide if the world would be better off with a new Emperor.

Gordon does a wonderful job describing Medieval Europe and the role played by the Byzantine Empire at this time. The concept of a Jesters' Guild is wonderful and just believable enough to make the plot more enjoyable. Better is Gordon's character development. Both Theophilos and Viola are fully characterized, likable, and motivated. They may be fools, but they're no dummies and they're a joy to see in action...

In the thirteenth century, The Fool's Guild feels their underlying mission beyond entertainment is to quietly keep the political balance in a unreliable world. In that regard, the Guild sends Theophilas also known as Feste to Byzantium serendipitously to investigate two matters of concern to the peace of the continent. Theo is to look into the recent disappearance of six guild members. Additionally, he is to check into rumors that have spread across Europe (at least among the Fool's Guild members) that Crusaders will invade Byzantium not Jerusalem.

Only a fool would undertake this treacherous mission, but Theo, accompanied by his wife and fellow Fool Viola, still travels to Byzantium. As Theo and Viola begin to investigate both matters, they conclude that involvement begins at the highest levels of the Emperor's government. However, neither one of them knows that an unknown assailant plans to add Theo and Viola to the list of vanished Fools.

The second Fool medieval mystery (see the entertaining Thirteenth Night) is an exciting historical tale that makes the thirteenth century vividly come to life. The story line employs an enjoyable who-done-it accompanied by a high level conspiracy, starring two likable charcaters who define Fool as genius and athletic. However, sub-genre fans will devour this tale and its predecessor because Alan Gordon's picturesque descriptive plot turns back the clock seven hundred years.

Harriet Klausner

This is a good beginning to this series. Just enough introducation to place the setting and then very entertaining and funny with a nice plot, with several surprise events that helped the denouement along. Nicely written although a bit whimsical.

I found this book to be enjoyable, especially the medieval setting in Byzantium and the concept of the Fools. I had not read Alan Gordon's previous book, Thirteenth night, but did not find it a barrier to follow the story line.
The plot was intriguing, the characters believable and the dialogue very entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Jester Leaps In is the second installment of Alan Gordon's medieval series involving the mysterious Fool's Guild. This concept of jesters and fools belonging to a secret organization that infiltrates and manipulates European politics in the early thirteen century is both ingenious and intriguing. The fools in Gordon's world are very well-educated in different languages, know all manners of songs and physically adept for tumbling, juggling and many other acrobatic feats. They must maintain their abilities while subtly influencing the minds and opinions of the powers that be to keep the rules of Europe from assassinating each other or plunging the continent into war.

Feste is now married to the Duchess Viola, whose ducal responsibilities have ended. She is more than happy to be with him and learn the trade. Feste is recovering from the wound he received when an arrow pierced him through the thigh in Thirteenth Night, the previous and first novel in the series.

Feste and Viola are sent to Constantinople to investigate the disappearance of six fools, who haven't been heard from in months. Political intrigue surrounds the Byzantine throne. The current Emperor has imprisoned and blinded his brother, the previous emperor. His nephew has escaped his clutches and fled to the protection of his sister in Germany.

Feste is reluctant to bring Viola into such potential danger, but she is adamant to stay with him. However as a safety precaution, Feste insists she disguise as a man and continue her training. Viola is not happy with those conditions but understands the needs for the ruse, since it allows her to do some prying while Feste entertains the masses.

Gordon's choice of a fool for a sleuth/spy is interesting but it makes sense. As he portrays in this story, emperors and empresses enjoy the company of fools or jesters because of their entertainment. During these happy moments, rules let their guard down, voicing plans and opinions that otherwise would not be so freely given. A fool can influence decisions with jokes or quips, or hear about plots that others would pay dearly to learn.

The Guild in this series is intent upon keeping the peace and in Jester Leaps In, Feste and Viola prevent an assassination that could spark a vicious war for control of the Byzantine throne.

The plot is intriguing and very easy to follow with Gordon's ability to help the reader visualize the environs of Constantinople in the year 1202.

Jester Leaps In has some good surprises if not many twists but it is an exciting page turner for all medieval mystery enthusiasts.

Gordon continues with a wonderful series. Theophilos, the fool just keeps surprising the reader in each book by the gradual reveal of his past life. I just hope Alan Gordon keeps writing this series as I sure will be one of his many fans buying the books!

First sentence: The sun rose through the gap in the eastern ridge where the river cuts through.

Theophilos / Feste is a member of the Fool's Guild, recovering from a wound and newly married to Viola/Claudius, now apprentice to Feste. He receives word of his newest mission. He and Viola are to go to Constantinople.

A new crusade is being launched from Venice to Constantinople, which is in the midst of a power struggle among bothers for the Byzantine throne. Of more immediate concern is that all the Guild's agents in Constantinople have disappeared.

13th Century Constantinople is not a history with which I am familiar. For me, that made this book somewhat challenging. There were characters and incidents to whom I couldn't relate. There was very little character development, and an assumption that the reader had read the previous book, was a weakness.

What does work is the two protagonists and the relationship between them. Those characters are wonderful, particularly Viola who is a Duchess and has given up her life to be with Feste.

Gordon's powers of description add so much to the story, both in the sense of place and time he creates in brining us to Constantinople of the period and in his descriptions of the performances of Feste and Claudius. Those things, along with the humor off-set by the threat and some violence, did make this an enjoyable read.

This is a series with which I shall continue.

Jester Leaps In equals Gordon's Thirteenth Night in being an exceptionally entertaining and inventive story.

This is not because of what Gordon does with Shakespeare's characters from Twelfth Night, but because of how he uses history. Early thirteenth century Constantinople is brought to life, and the idea of a Jesters Guild continues to be a clever and original plot device.

I'll be eager to read the third book in the series, as the Fourth Crusade approaches Constantinople.

This book is great news for lovers of historical mysteries, but even better news for those who love books with a great setting, intriguing characters, crackling dialogue, and wit to spare. One of the best new series going.

I found it really difficult to keep reading this book since this is the second in a series and I didn't read the first one as it wasn't available as an eBook. But aside from that I had a really difficult time building any sort of rhythm while reading as the story was peppered with names of characters and locations that felt like pot-holes in my mind. And after about a hundred pages into it I simply decided to give it up as I had several books in my queue I wanted to move on to.