FitzDuncan’s Enlightenment
The FitzDuncan Series Book 3
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What do you do when skill with a blade is no match for the power of the Dark Arts?
Which is it? The skill of the sword or the magic of the woman?
His supernatural affinities unlocked by the presence of Lucy in his life, Caz sets out to learn how to use them. Upon his return to the city, Caz and Lucy are commanded to accompany the queen on a mission to investigate the possible emergence of the Dark Arts in a distant territory.
What they find is far more powerful than they anticipated. Survival requires all the strength and talent of the three, but in the end it is the power of Lucy’s love that tips the balance.
Emotionally drained after the harrowing experience, Caz wants nothing more than to relax and enjoy life with his fascinating fiancée. When man plans, the Gods laugh. An assassin leaves Caz bleeding on a dark street.
Who would want Caz dead? Well, there’s a list…
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Author John Spearman offers a whip-smart installment to his sword-swinging series with FitzDuncan’s Enlightenment, a savagely clever and entertaining adventure.
Still reeling from his last adventure with the broken nose and bruises to show for it, Casimir FitzDuncan plunges directly into his next job, one that will also involve Lucy, his “betrothed and beloved.” Caz’s reputation as a finder of lost things and a messenger of unusual retribution has spread to the highest halls of power in Aquileia, including the king, queen, and crown prince. Far superseding the status of his birth, they royally task him to accompany the queen and solve a worrying problem in Eatonford: the growing threat of a dark arts practitioner named Esme seizing power. Investigating and undermining the schemes of a grimoire-toting witch will require all of his cunning, and powers he is only beginning to understand.
Being thrown out of two inns within a day of arriving in town doesn’t bode well, but his tactics, as usual, are roundabout and wildly unpredictable. Caz also continues his journey of self-discovery, exploring his “affinity” – the supernatural surge of strength and energy that has proven life-saving in multiple conflicts. Gaining insight to unique skills from various priests at different shrines, he grows even closer to his full potential, and more pre-nuptially aligned with Lucy, who wields her own affinities of divination to assist in the royal quest. Along the course of this sharply penned tale, friends and enemies alike will cross their path, whether demanding duels for past wrongs, or offering much-welcomed aid in moments of dire need.
As has been firmly established in Spearman’s previous FitzDuncan novels, Caz is a rakish, eccentric, and incorrigible protagonist, quick with a witty turn of phrase in both his dialogue and narrative reflection. Bouncing gaily from comedic asides to intense exchanges, this chivalrous hero exists as naturally in sword-and-sorcery scenes as he does in a bawdy barroom. In other moments, however, his kindness and compassion shine through – his defense of the less fortunate, his unwavering love for his partner, and his flashes of selfless generosity. Spearman also casually notes his protagonist’s potency and passion as a lover, without spelling out those erotic scenes.
The technical aspects of the writing are impressive and neatly polished, with few grammatical or syntactical errors, which had been present in the previous installments. In an effort to progress the plot, however, Spearman sometimes jumps ahead quickly, such as passing a seventeen-day journey in the course of two paragraphs. While this demands that a reader consume every line, for fear of missing a leap in the story, it can also feel like the narrative flow is cutting corners. There is also some repetition of expositional elements, such as multiple mentions of Lucy’s abilities and references to his exploits in previous novels.
Overall, Spearman does a remarkable job of bringing this new chapter of his series to vibrant life, deftly handling a plethora of tangled storytelling knots. Combining elements of mystery, fantasy, romance, and action genres, this installment is endlessly creative and refreshingly self-aware, spinning out a wonderful story with vivid detail, and its tongue firmly in cheek.
Historical mystery readers will find FitzDuncan is set in medieval times and tells of P.I. Casimir FitzDuncan, whose latest case revolves around a woman seeking to escape an oppressive marriage contract with man who holds a reputation for abuse.
After their initial meeting, she is kidnapped, prompting FitzDuncan to embark on both a mission to recover her and an effort to clear his own reputation, called into question since he was the last person to see her.
When the story opens, however, it’s FitzDuncan who has been abducted, awakening in prison with a knot on his head and his quasi-friend Sir Oliver (Ollie) grilling him about the whereabouts of Miss Julienne Traval.
One satisfying feature of this story is that FitzDuncan operates on both sides of the law. Neither good nor bad guy entirely, his reputation for both brings with it a murky set of objectives and influences that cause many to doubt his word and intentions.
Despite his ancestry (he’s the eldest son of Duncan Barry, Earl of the Eastern March), FitzDuncan goes his own way and has developed a wry sense of propriety and impropriety that often lands him in trouble as well as lending him a reputation for fact-finding savvy.
Both get him into dire straits in this story, which excels in presenting a flawed hero who doesn’t always make the right choices.
As the tale progresses, John J. Spearman deftly juxtaposes history, fiction, and P.I. investigative tactics in a multifaceted story designed to please a diverse audience, whether they originate from historical interests or choose the story for its investigative mystery components.
It’s no light task to represent medieval politics, culture, and people in such a way that all come to life; especially for readers who may be unversed in this era. Spearman accomplishes both while viewing events from the first-person perspective of FitzDuncan, which lends a personal and immediate tone to the world around him and his choices.
As the mystery evolves, a surprise is embedded when FitzDuncan discovers that the target of the kidnapper isn’t actually obvious at all.
From the political conundrums he faces on who to trust and who is dangerous to his pursuit of a dangerous force steeped in deadly rituals, FitzDuncan interacts with royalty and dark forces alike.
His pursuit of a questionable truth and elusive justice is especially well written in the first person and presented through his encounters with friends, superiors, and those who confront him: “I thought quickly. “Your Majesty, I have prayed that you would listen to what I have to say with an open mind. Your willingness to dismiss your son from our meeting gives me hope that you will. I must also beg for your patience since it will take time for me to explain to you what I know. As for my innocence or guilt, I requested the King’s Justice. That will be for you to decide.”
Spearman does more than provide mystery readers with a detailed investigative probe. By setting his character in medieval times and thoroughly immersing him in the politics and processes of this era, he brings history to life, personalizing it with a first-person observational style that requires no prior familiarity with history in order to prove accessible.
The only prerequisite to enjoying this story is an interest in problem-solving and a rollicking good read that romps through cultural norms and politics, turning them on end as FitzDuncan struggles to arrive at the truth even as his beliefs get in the way of reality.
History and mystery collections alike should select the well-detailed FitzDuncan as a crossover title appealing to a broader audience than either genre alone.
OnlineBookClub.org
FitzDuncan’s Enlightenment is the third book in the FitzDuncan series written by John J. Spearman. This story continues from the events of the prequel, following Casimir FitzDuncan as he prepares for his wedding with Lucy, thwarts new threats, and learns more about his supernatural affinities.
Casimir FitzDuncan is the illegitimate son of the Earl of the Eastern March. After the king’s ultimatum regarding the inheritance of the earldom, his chances of being ennobled increase significantly. Meanwhile, his rescuing of Siobhan Harper from an unsavoury marriage prospect marks him as an enemy of Lord Barrowton, who challenges him to a duel for his interference. Casimir later heads to the temple of Bellona at Lucy’s behest to discover more about his affinities, planning to trek to the temple of Eir afterwards. Rumours of a practitioner of the dark arts appearing in Eatonford swirl about, catching the attention of the queen, who recruits Casimir and Lucy to help vanquish the evil. An old enemy resurfaces, but new friendships prove useful, giving him the upper hand. He still has to be on guard, however, as new threats arise from an unexpected enemy.
This book does great work developing an intriguing narrative in just a few pages. All the novels are relatively short, but there is enough meat, for lack of a better word, for all the characters to leave an impression. Caz discovers that, lo and behold, Prince Albert has a sense of humour, signifying the deepening of their growing bond. The female characters stood on their own, magical abilities or not. Greta, for one, left quite an image that I can’t quite get to leave my head, something she accomplished off-screen and with nary a supernatural aid.
I like guessing when it comes on to the major plot points, both subtle and blatant, of FitzDuncan’s Enlightenment. For instance, I suspected the culprit behind yet another of the assassination attempts on Caz’s life, and I felt vindicated when the person’s identity was confirmed. This is not a measure of the story’s predictability, more of an indicator that the subplots flow well and are not far-fetched. I also believe that Jerry, an orphan under Carl’s care, has a supernatural affinity with animals, though this theory has yet to be proven. I can only await the continuation of this series, in which I hope I’ll be correct, if even only marginally.
This instalment differs from the prequel in that the narrative took a more magical (or spiritual) direction. I felt the ladies had a more active, balanced role, with Queen Liliana and Lucy renewing their characters as forces of nature, able to match Caz in character appeal and memorability. Esme’s role in the story initially gave me strong He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named vibes, which I enjoyed. Some things remain the same, however. Hinge points are still being explored by Lucy and Caz, Theo still spices up his food with items of the faecal and insectile varieties, and sword fighting and combat made their appearances. Caz even dons his old Reg Ashe persona, though not for overlong.
The errors I noted in this book were few and far between. I do believe that this book has been professionally edited. The profanity was likewise of a minor sort, being just as surface level as the intimate scenes. The religious aspects present seem to be taken from the Roman and Norse mythologies, so I don’t think this would affect readers’ enjoyment.
I think FitzDuncan’s Enlightenment deserves a rating of four out of four stars. There was no element of the book that would hamper the reading experience or that proved detrimental to the overall finish. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people who enjoy medieval kingdoms and the sword-wielding gentlemen who inhabit them. As this book is the third in a series with events directly connected to one another, it would be best to read the other books in the collection.
Readers’ Favorite
Caz, or Casimir FitzDuncan, is a young man, who, after meeting the woman of his life, Lucy, discovers that he might not be as ordinary as everyone thought, including him. After realizing he possesses abilities given to him by the gods, he decides to learn more about them in order to be able to control them and use them to his advantage. After a pilgrimage to a monastery where he went looking for answers and tried to learn how to control his newfound abilities, Caz, together with Lucy, his beloved, becomes a part of a great mission to save humanity, set and organized by the Queen herself, asking for both of their helpful skills and services.
Well-paced, written in a clear and approachable style, with endearing and courageous characters, the novel FitzDuncan’s Enlightenment by John J. Spearman is a great read for relaxation and a quick getaway to the times past and imaginative old worlds full of magic, duels, and excitement. Caz’s journey into finding out who he is and what he can do to reveal his full potential as a living being, as well as witnessing and finding out what kind of people he is surrounded with, from horrid family members to amazing and loyal friends, leads him on paths he never even imagined he would travel. John J. Spearman’s FitzDuncan’s Enlightenment is a lovely, oftentimes intriguing and exciting journey of self-discovery and finding one’s own place in the world where evil often tries to destroy the innate goodness of mankind.