In A Vision of Light we are introduced to the ‘eccentric’ Margaret, and overhear a conversation she has with God, who tells her she needs to write her life story. Funny thing is she’s only about twenty (so how can she have much to say?), she can’t read or write, and she’s an English woman in the 14th century when it’s indecent for women to write much of anything. Fortunately she’s married to a wealthy mercer who indulges her, and she hires the intractable Brother Gregory to copy down her story. And what a story it is. It begins when she’s quite young, and at the age of fifteen married off to a rich, no-good fur merchant who mistreats her. When the plague spreads through England she’s abandoned as her husband tries to escape it. Near death, she witnesses a ‘vision of light’ and is given a gift that not only makes her glow when she thinks about God, but also the ability to heal others. She is taken in by the midwife Mother Hilde, from whom Margaret learns the trade, and we follow their adventures around the countryside and London. But those who learn (particularly the clergy) of Margaret's ability to heal are jealous and try her for heresy. The best thing about the books in this series is the setting. Riley pulls the reader into the time and place, talking about everyday things with ease and subtly, from household details to prejudices to cultural notions. For example, in the second book we understand that Brokesford Manor is broken down and unkempt, but we also actually believe that people live there; it’s not simply a place to put characters as they go about enacting the plot (you could almost say it’s a character in the story, too). London and the surrounding areas also take on a flavor I haven’t gotten from other historical fiction; Riley describes the people and the place with such clarity and quirkiness that it actually feels like it’s all real.A very close second to the setting is the characterization. Margaret and Gilbert are two of my favorite fictional characters because of their qualities and foibles. They grow and change as we move through the series, watching their trials, in particulary dealing with Gilbert’s family. What’s great about Riley is that her secondary characters receive special treatment, and while they aren’t as deep as the two main characters, we still get plenty of detail about them and their idiosyncrasies. As readers we hear a great deal about alchemy and religion in these books. Brother Malachi is an alchemist in search of the Philosopher’s Stone (aka Green Lion, hence the name of the second book), which is used to transmute base metals into gold. There are many times when his skills as an alchemist and charlatan come in handy, and even save the day. Among the characters is a wide-range of religious beliefs, from Brother Gregory/Gilbert’s desire to see God, Margaret’s almost saintly holiness (i.e., the vision of light), Gilbert’s brother’s fickle beliefs according to his needs at any given time, to Malachi’s downright atheism. The believers aren’t all sappy over-zealous types, and neither are the atheists strident. This, however, doesn’t mean that the characters don’t take jabs at each other regarding their faithful persuasions, but Riley obviously doesn’t have an agenda regarding religion (the Catholic Church isn’t exactly exemplary in the story, but that’s rather the author being true to the times, and not necessarily derogatory). But simply because God appears and many of the characters are faithful, doesn’t mean that strange and mysterious things can’t happen. There are ghosts, demons, psychotic nobility, poisoned rings, loaded dice, and a cross that Margaret wears around her neck which burns the hands of unbelievers. These things in and of themselves seem ridiculous, but Riley weaves these quirks into the story, which only makes the plot more interesting. I gush, I know, but I also realize that there are flaws to the books. Sometimes the plot seems to meander, and we are introduced to things in not-as-subtle ways that obviously will be important to the story later on. The point-of-view switches from first person to third person omniscient repeatedly, and it takes a little getting used to. But these flaws are easy for me to pass as I enjoy the prose, the quirks of Margaret’s nature, the zany people we meet, and Riley’s cunning observations about life and love.
From Publishers WeeklyIn this bouncy first novel, 14th-century Englishwoman Margaret of Ashbury heeds a "voice" commanding her to compose her colorful life story. "The minor characters are stiff and the dialogue is stilted at times," said PW , "but details of clothing, crafts and interiors, as well as period scenes peopled with robbers, flagellants and strolling players, are well realized."From School Library JournalYA-- An appealing novel about Margaret of Ashbury, a 14th-century Englishwoman, who is inspired in a "vision of light" to write her memoirs and tell a woman's story. Unable to write, she hires Brother Gregory to record her memories. He is contemptuous of her ambition, but hungry enough to accept her offer. Riley's ingenious plot then alternates between Margaret's and Gregory's clashes in their present and her telling of her past. The story is fast paced, and the medieval setting is authentically portrayed, whether Riley is describing life on London Bridge, alchemy, or the Black Death. The touch is light, and the characters are charming. Margaret's refusal to accept the place to which her society condemns her rings as true in our century as it does in hers.Now, when I first read this book, I found it what I call dense reading. When I read it several years later, I did not find it so, but I still don't know that I would recommend it as YA literature. In fact, in the book stores, it is kept with adult fiction. Not that some YA readers would not find it enjoyable, but it might be a little on the tough side for some. I just never thought of it as YA lit until I saw the above review.I find the characters to be interesting, especially Brother Gregory. He is not your typical hero, as he is gruff and cranky and really does not consider Margaret to be an equal, or anything close to an equal, at all. He's pretty much a snob about it, really, but he does grow on you after a while (and he kind of reminded me of my very own cranky sweetie at times). :)
Do You like book A Vision Of Light (2006)?
Grr. I was completely in love with this book until the last bit. I'm sure things will be fine...eventually...but what a rotten ending so far. I took my time reading this book which is unusual for me and an indication of how captivating the story is even though it's a 20 year old woman dictating her memoirs. I was right there with her as she grew up and had crazy things happen that are only crazy when you pull away from the book and think about it. Then thinking about how Margaret had to edit herself in order to avoid outraging the man hired to take down her dictation, the story is amazing all over again because Margaret walked that line perfectly. She's wise beyond her years but not beyond her experience. Also makes you want to smash the faces of those self-righteous mysogynistic pigs from the past seven centuries. I'll be picking up the next in this series unfortunately out of disappointment at the ending of this one but also with hope that it rises to the same level.
—Elizabeth
I only give this four stars and not 5 because of the ending which somehow seemed very jarring and not fit with the rest of the book. I met Margaret of Asbury right from the first and followed through her life along with her. I liked the relationship of the people involved in the more intimate circles in which she travelled. It was everyday thing, normal people of the times with plenty of intelligence and not always the education to go with it. And somehow it fit. I knew people, situations, and how one worked around some of the more dangerous and unpleasant and how one maneuvered themselves into better ones. Lofty thoughts were kept within reality; too much holy, holy, holier than thou and what really should be can get very tiring. And the "Ain't it a shame" game gets very worn and old fast. With that said, I would have no trouble recommending this book.
—Elli
This happens to be a pretty old book (copyright 1985-ish) which is odd because it was suggested reading in my book group and while we try to stick to books available in paperback, they generally aren't this old. The good news is that I got it for $.87 and store credit at the used book store. The cover leads one to believe that is it a period romance novel (ick!) but upon reading it, it really doesn't feel like it. The conclusion is rather contrite in the romance novel sort of way and that was disappointing. It was so abrupt it was almost as if the author decided he didn't want to write anymore and haphazardly tied any loose ends together. The rest of book, however, was pretty interesting. I happen to like period pieces (books and films) so with the exception of the ending, I enjoyed it. The story was about a woman in the 1300's who hired a man to write her life story. Women ranked not much higher than a pile of offal in those days, which was a running theme throughout the book (and a little prickly to swallow sometimes). The man whom she hired to do the writing, as women were not deemed intelligent enough to learn how to write, was very judgmental and self-righteous but in the moment when she needed him the most, he came around and saved her. In this case, the journey was much better than the destination.
—Keri
