The Miracle Thief by Iris Anthony

Title: The Miracle Thief

Author: Iris Anthony

Pages: 384

Year: 2014

Publisher: Sourcebook Landmark

Note: I received a free eBook of this novel through NetGalley for the purpose of writing an honest review.

     A well-written historical novel.

     This novel is set in the Dark Ages. There are 3 women each of which is looking to Saint Catherine for a miracle. For those who come in faith, saints offer the answer to almost any prayer. But other forces are plotting to steal Saint Catherine’s relic, to bend the saint’s power to their own use. Penitent, pilgrim, and princess – all will be drawn into an epic struggle where only faith can survive. But in a quest for divine blessings, only the most ruthless of souls may win the prize.

     The Dark Ages is a time period that I’m unfamiliar with. It was interesting to me to read a novel set in this period. I did have to take more time in my reading to try and understand the differences in culture because of my unfamiliarity.

     Each of the main characters is very well developed and presented. This doesn’t just include the three women but at least one additional character in each of the storylines. Each storyline is told from the point-of-view (POV) of one of the three women. It was not very difficult to follow the changes in POV because each one lasted for at least a couple of chapters before switching. During the time in each POV there was good advancement in that particular character’s story.

     Iris Anthony did a marvelous job of wrapping up all three of the stories by the end of the novel. I appreciated the fact that at the end of the novel she wrote a section explaining some of the historical background of the Dark Ages.

     I have decided to only give this book 4 stars because of the personal struggle I had with the time period. The decrease in the star rating is definitely NOT due to any failure by the author. It is very well written and I do recommend that you give it a try.