ShardlakeSeriesBR

Heartstone: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery | C. J. Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

Hey, Shardlakians~
@TexReader put this on my radar! Our next books is HEARTSTONE, and it's only $1.99 on Kindle right now! If you don't have a copy yet, here's your chance!

Looking forward to our discussion over the end of REVELATION on 2/28! 🤩

Daisey, Cuilin, Amiable, PurpleyPumpkin, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks Have a copy of it, and I paid 10.99 at the beginning of the month, bummer! 1w

dabbe @LiseWorks They should let you exchange for the lower price! 😱 1w

lil1inblue Hooray! Thank you! 1w

dabbe @lil1inblue YW! 😘 1w

65 likes4 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I would not like to live in these times at all. The people in charge are greedy, insane and are willing to kill anyone for power. The Monarch does not really have a say. Everyone doesn't trust, and they all lurk in the dark. 3w

Karisimo I feel for these people who are dealing with religious “rules” and traditions changing on the whim of a king. 3w

OutsmartYourShelf I feel for anyone living in those times who had a mental health problem. Very likely to either be denounced as being 'possessed' & killed or stuck away in a place like Bedlam. 3w

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dabbe @LiseWorks I can't even imagine what it would be like to walk on London Bridge and see all the heads on poles--especially for people once in favor with the king--like Cromwell. Maybe 2025 ain't so bad--even with our current horrific leader. 3w

dabbe @Karisimo IKR? It's like one day you're Catholic, oops, no, now you're Protestant, oops, no, back to Catholic. What the heck? 😳 3w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf To still use the word “bedlam“ today to mean “wild uproar and confusion“ from the original place kind of says it all, doesn't it? I really feel for Adam Kite and his family.😔 3w

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe I think it underscores that for Henry VIII (whether he wanted to admit it or not) the core issue wasn't so much the form of worship but the seat of power. If it was truly the religious side of things, he wouldn't have part walked it back as he did. 3w

dabbe Some characters set apart by isolation and loneliness: Shardlake (as a lawyer often at odds with the powerful figures he has to encounter), Guy Malton (as a healer and outsider due to his nationality having to work on the margins of society), Adam Kite (whose religious mania confines him to Bedlam), and Tamasin (whose gender limits her opportunities by forcing her to remain at home and deal with the loss of her child while Barak is elsewhere) . 3w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Get Catherine of Aragon out of my way to allow me to marry good ol' Anne ... whatever it takes. He pretty much stayed Catholic even though he changed the religion so he could divorce Cat. What a scumbag (imho). 3w

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Oh I could give Barak a good kick up the backside for how he's acting. Even if he is not out with other women, making Tamasin wonder where he is & what he is doing - I expected better from him. Grief makes people act out in funny ways but no wonder she is angry with him.

I hope Guy is not ill. He has to walk about a lot here & there for Shardlake in this book & at all times of the day & night!

3w

kwmg40 I really like how Sansom explores all the themes you mentioned in this post, especially the attitudes toward and understanding of mental illness at that time. 3w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf To use his favorite word, Barak is an ARSE! He needs to man up and learn that it takes two to make a marriage work. Hopefully, Shardlake will kick his butt. And Guy ... he just has to be okay, right? 🤞🏻 3w

dabbe @kwmg40 The description of the rooms at Bedlam where these poor people have to stay are almost as bad as the cells at the Tower of London. Just horrific. 😱 3w

AnneCecilie I‘m just happy that I live today and not in the Tudor area. The Tudor area was not a place for be for the poor and powerless which after all is what most people are. What comes across in this book is the confusion of all the religious back and forth, people hardly dare believe anything anymore. 3w

dabbe @AnneCecilie And how religion just flips on a dime at the whim of a king. 😳 Truly unbelievable! 3w

38 likes15 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks The king had syphilis and that disease brings on madness. 3w

OutsmartYourShelf @LiseWorks That is one theory but not proven as far as I am aware. Personally I tend to believe the head injury he suffered whilst jousting (the fall which was said to cause Anne to miscarry) altered his personality. After that he was more cruel & mean-tempered. 3w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf @LiseWorks ... and I'd add to that that he was in incredible pain most of the time due to his infected ulcerous leg and furious that he could no longer be the athletic self he once was. These issues might also have contributed to his later despicableness. 3w

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dabbe To me, Roger‘s murder in the churchyard is a richly symbolic act that sets the tone for the novel‘s exploration of religion, violence, and judgment. It underscores the killer‘s fanaticism, the corruption of sacred spaces, and the pervasive fear of divine retribution that characterizes the Reformation era. This event is the critical starting point for Shardlake‘s investigation and the novel‘s broader themes. 3w

dabbe The title REVELATION itself is symbolic, as the story revolves around a killer who uses the apocalyptic visions from the Book of Revelation as inspiration for their murders. The Book of Revelation symbolizes fear, chaos, and the end times, reflecting the anxieties of 16th-century England during the Reformation, when many believed the world was nearing its end. 3w

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Yes - head injury, chronic pain, & approaching mortality. That would do it. 3w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf More than enough, right? 3w

AnneCecilie I completely agree with @dabbe 3w

dabbe @AnneCecilie 🤩😂😘 3w

lil1inblue @dabbe Yes! I appreciate how Sansom weaves this theme throughout the multiple plot lines that are occurring. I also like how the title can work many ways - as reference to the Book of Revelation, but also the meaning of “the making known of something that was previously secret or unknown.“ 3w

dabbe @lil1inblue Excellent point re: the actual meaning of the word itself! 🤩 3w

25 likes11 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks I feel sorry for any young girl that He king is after now that he is old 3w

Butterfinger @LiseWorks it makes me angry toward the men who pushed the girls toward the king. Sorry, I am not part of the discussion, but I had been reading your comments. 3w

LiseWorks Oh, I agree. Women were property at the time. @Butterfinger 3w

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OutsmartYourShelf Piers - something shady about him.
Cranmer - seems a bit more human this time. Not so remote.
Catherine Parr - always felt sorry for her. Married to two old men (Latimer & then the King) & when she finally is able to marry the man she loves, disaster strikes. 3w

dabbe @Butterfinger No need to be sorry; chime in whenever you want! And if you'd like me to tag you, I'd be happy to! 🤩 3w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Excellent points. What a tragic life she had! She's my favorite of all of the wives for many reasons, which I'll wait to share because she'll be in the books more and more. 🤩 3w

dabbe @LiseWorks As a child I always thought how romantic it would have been to have been a princess/queen in Tudor times--even to dastardly Henry. Then I actually learned more about the time period. 😳 And now I am thrilled to be my 2020s free womanly self. 🤩 3w

dabbe Even Shardlake comments on the worthlessness of women: “A terrible thought occurred to me. Dorothy, like Roger, like me, was a lapsed radical. I told myself not to be so foolish; none of those murdered had been connected to each other and there was surely no reason why he should change his pattern and go after Dorothy. And she was a woman, whose opinions counted for less.“ 🤬
3w

dabbe Adam Kite is a deeply troubled and enigmatic character whose religious mania and psychological struggles play a significant role in the novel‘s exploration of faith, madness, and the human condition. His fanaticism symbolizes the darker side of the Reformation, where intense religious fervor could lead to psychological breakdowns. His vulnerability also makes him a sympathetic figure, even as his behavior becomes increasingly erratic. 3w

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Yes, & women were then also subdivided. When Shardlake looks up Strodyr, he notes that no-one really cared that much when he killed prostitutes, only when he started killing 'respectable' women. Shades of the Yorkshire Ripper there. (edited) 3w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Wowza. Had to look him up. Thanks for the information, and I agree 💯! 🤩 3w

kwmg40 I find the characters of Piers and Thomas Seymour interesting. They are definitely not likeable people but I'm eager to see what roles they end up playing in the story. 3w

dabbe @kwmg40 They definitely seem to be on the darker side in the 1st half of the book ... another reason to keep on wanting to read! 😂 3w

AnneCecilie Piers seems a little shady. Thomas Seymour doesn‘t come off that well and I feel isn‘t the smartest one. I just feel sad about Adam, but I hope we learn what happened to make him pray so much. 3w

dabbe @AnneCecilie Piers's insolence is what gets me. And I hope things with Adam turn out well. I've read it before (years ago) and can't remember! 😱 3w

AnneCecilie Me too, I read the the translation when it came out. And I have a feeling that there was something about Piers 3w

lil1inblue @dabbe I'm so intrigued by Adam's character. I feel like there is more to the story, and I'm anxious to see what has led to his fanaticism. 3w

dabbe @lil1inblue Me, too. His parents as well. 3w

25 likes18 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR
Wow! It's been two months since our last discussion! Forgive me if these questions are a bit open-ended. Now that we're in Book #4, it just seemed better than to rehash ideas we've already talked about before.
The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks I think these books are getting better with each book 3w

Librarybelle One of these days I will catch up! I‘m still on Dark Fire 🤦🏻‍♀️ 3w

OutsmartYourShelf I'm really enjoying this one so far. 3w

See All 11 Comments

dabbe @LiseWorks Agree 💯! 3w

dabbe @Librarybelle No worries. We'll be here! 🤩 3w

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Yay! Me, too! 🤩 3w

kwmg40 I'm enjoying this one so far. With the serial killings, it feels darker and more of a thriller than the previous books. I'm finding it hard to put down. 3w

dabbe @kwmg40 Ooh, I love that when a book just grabs you and won't let go! 🤩 3w

AnneCecilie I‘m agreeing with both @LiseWorks and @kwmg40 I also feel that Sansom is showing us different aspects of the Turdor area. In the last book the prison system, in this one the treatment of the mentally ill. And as the religious landscape gets blurrier, it‘s harder to navigate 3w

dabbe @AnneCecilie “Blurry“ is an excellent word to describe the religious landscape during this period. 🤩 3w

lil1inblue @AnneCecilie I agree! I appreciate that he is willing to look at the history of those that are often overlooked. 3w

26 likes11 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#shardlakebr #shardlakebuddyread #shardlakeseriesbr @LitsyEvents

Looking forward to Friday's discussion, Shardlakians! 🤩

Daisey Just saying . . . I teach middle school! The comic is great! 😂 🤣 3w

Mollyanna I am all caught up and ready to discuss. Thanks as always for hosting Denise. 3w

LiseWorks Let's hope I remember as I read the first half in December lol 3w

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LiseWorks I love that cartoon 3w

dabbe @Mollyanna YW! And thanks for that! 🤩😂🤗 3w

dabbe @Daisey I did, too! I moved to high school at the end of my career to get a so-called break from all the middle-school madness! 🤩😂🤗 3w

dabbe @LiseWorks Same here, m'dear! 🤩😂🤗 3w

lil1inblue What a great cartoon! I'm ready for discussion - no cramming needed this month! 😂 3w

dabbe @lil1inblue 🤩😂🤗 3w

58 likes1 stack add9 comments

Born.A.Reader

Dissolution: A Shardlake Novel | C. J. Sansom

Finished my first #AuldLangSpine today! Definitely going to find the rest in this series. Thank you so much for recommending this one @kspenmoll ❤️ and for matching so well @monalyisha 💗

kspenmoll I want to read the next in the series! 4w

Daisey I‘m currently in the middle of the 4th book of the series with the #ShardlakeBR. They‘re so good! 4w

dabbe @kspenmoll The next one is DARK FIRE. Feel free to join us! 🤩 #ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR 4w

31 likes1 stack add3 comments

Born.A.Reader

Dissolution: A Shardlake Novel | C. J. Sansom

Enjoying a quiet day on the porch, listening to the rain, before it's too 🥶 to do so. Starting this one next, for my #AuldLangSpine 📚 🌧
@kspenmoll @monalyisha

dabbe Ooh, you're in for a treat! #ShardlakeSeriesBR 🩶🖤🩶 1mo

TiredLibrarian Great series! 1mo

maich A great plan! Enjoy💛 1mo

30 likes3 comments

Texreader

Dissolution: A Shardlake Novel | C. J. Sansom

I love this series but my set of books just doesn‘t compare to this English version. I took this snapshot in a bookstore in England last summer. If I could afford it and manage carrying them back I would have bought them all. #shardlakeseriesbr #shardlakebr @dabbe

tpixie Beautiful 🤩 I frequently like the British covers so much better than the American covers! 1mo

dabbe Those are just lovely. 🩶🖤🩶 1mo

53 likes2 comments

ferskner

The Ultimate Reading Challenge: Complete a Goal, Open an Envelope, and Reveal Your Bookish Prize! | Weldon Owen

Help a Litten out! I'm wanting to get back into reading challenges this year but I'm having a hard time figuring out what Litsy is hosting these days. It looks like a few I used to do aren't active anymore. Are there any I should know about? (I'm planning to do #bookspin with @TheAromaofBooks and #agathachristieclubR3 with @Librarybelle, of course!)

Picture of my dog's dumb teeth for tax!

TheAromaofBooks I'm participating in - #Pantone2025 and #FourFoursin25 with @lauredhel
- #WickedWords with @AsYouWish
- #Roll100 and #GottaCatchEmAll with @PuddleJumper
- #FictionalTraveler and #ReadorDonate with @julieclair
and my own other challenges, #ISpyBingo and #BookChain

Have you checked @LitsyEvents ? That account does a great job reposting all kinds of shenanigans!! 2mo

Ruthiella You can follow @LitsyEvents for reposts of all the challenges, etc. Good luck! 😃 2mo

AmyG There is #authoramonth @soubhiville where one reads 1+ books from that specific author for the month. #TBRTarot is where a card is chosen and you pick a corresponding book. #readyourkindle is like Bookspin but just for ereaders. Last two are with @Cbee (edited) 2mo

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Jess861 Some of the ones I'm participating in and aren't listed above:

#BookedInTime @Cuilin
#FoodAndLit @Catsandbooks @Texreader
#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#OhCanada @jess861 (me) 2mo

Cuilin #HashtagBrigade @BarkingMadRead #NoPlaceLikeHolmes @Dabbe & @Cuilin #NaturalLitsy @alldebooks #WhatTheDickens @Texreader & @Cuilin #literarycrew @Librarybelle 2mo

dabbe Some others: #WithTheBanned2025 (host: @Jadams89); #NancyDrewBR (host: @Librarybelle); #ChristiesCapers (host: @Librarybelle); #teamlesmis (host: @TheBookHippie); #ShardlakeSeriesBR (host: @dabbe) 2mo

TheBookHippie I do #SUNDAYBUDDYREAD #CHILDRENSCLASSICREAD2025 #CHLOEGONGREADALONG #READLESMIS #JOURNALINGPROMPTS #KARENINAWINTER and #LITSOLACE with @AllDebooks & @Chrissyreadit 2mo

Librarybelle @Cuilin @dabbe —thanks for mentioning the buddy reads I host! This is the last year for #192025 , which is reading a book originally published in each year from 1920-2025 (I‘ll post details later in the year for the next challenge, #192030 ). 2mo

Texreader And #litsyatoz that I‘m hosting. 2mo

AllDebooks #SeriesLove2025 challenge is a good one, hosted by @Andrew65 2mo

AllDebooks Sorry, not finished. And @thelibraryview. I'm doing the Wild Moor reading challenge. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDKncU5i_Y7/?igsh=MXQ0a3U2cWZ1OHlieQ== 2mo

AllDebooks Series love is also hosted by @TheSpineView having a brain malfunction 😅 2mo

AllDebooks Thanks for the tags @TheBookHippie and @Cuilin 2mo

julieclair In addition to those already mentioned (thanks, @TheAromaofBooks 💙), I also host #ThematicCozies , #AllergicToChunksters , and #MonthlyNonfiction2025 . Others I participate in that haven‘t been mentioned yet are #KindredSpirits with @BarbaraJean , #LittensLoveRomance with @StayCurious , #JaneAustenThenAndNownwith @Crinoline_Laphroaig , #HitchToScreen with @JenlovesJT47 , #FurrowedMiddleBrow and #PersephoneClub with @LeahBergen . 2mo

julieclair Also #ClassicsChallenge with @Lunakay and #2025FairyTaleChallenge with @Charityann . Also Acquired Via Litsy #AVL25 with @MatchlessMarie . 2mo

Andrew65 This just shows how much is going on, an impressive list. 2mo

PuddleJumper Teeth! ❤️ I think my general ones have been mentioned. I also have #RiordanverseReadalong which is reading Rick Riordan books and #ReadYourDamnDanmei which is reading Chinese light novels. I also run seasonal challenges in October/December 2mo

PuddleJumper Also #QueerBC Monthly LGBTQIA+ authors and you can read anything they've written 2mo

LeahBergen @julieclair Wow, this is a big list! Thanks for tagging our little reading groups. 😘 2mo

MatchlessMarie When I have been away from Litsyland for a while I like to check out the @LitsyEvents page for most current things. But this is a great time of year to get back into them. It‘s hard to miss challenges since we are all abuzz with New Year wishful thinking 😂 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @Librarybelle - I will be so excited to tackle another long-term project!! I actually think I'm going to complete #192025 which is pretty thrilling! 2mo

Librarybelle That‘s so cool, @TheAromaofBooks ! I still have a bit to go but need to tally up my readings from the last half of 2024. I love the long term challenges! 2mo

julieclair @LeahBergen I think it‘s more of a “wishful thinking” list! 😂 2mo

LeahBergen @julieclair I think you‘re right. 😆 2mo

Lauredhel I'm doing #Pantone2025 (two grids) #Fourfoursin25 #WickedWords #MonthlyNonfiction2025 #Bookchain2025 #LGBTQIA2025 #urc2025 #FictionalTraveler #readharder2025 #LitsyAtoZ2025 #booklistqueenchallenge25 #ISpyBingo 2mo

Amiable Wanted to add #ChunksterChallenge2025, #DiseaseoftheMonthBookClub and #Nonfiction2025 (edited) 2mo

staci.reads Also #SheSaid hosted by @Riveted_Reader_Melissa highlighting books by female authors and women's topics! 2mo

ferskner @TheAromaofBooks @AmyG @Jess861 @Cuilin @dabbe @TheBookHippie @Ruthiella @Librarybelle @Texreader @AllDebooks @julieclair @PuddleJumper @MatchlessMarie @Lauredhel @Amiable @staci.reads thank you all for your help and ideas! I totally forgot about @LitsyEvents so thank you for that reminder too! I'll go through these and pick out a few. 1mo

Texreader So great to have you back!! 1mo

britt_brooke Joseph! 1mo

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