by Ellis Peters
Part of Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, book 0.1
First published 1988
Cadfael stands at a crossroads in his forties, his warrior days behind him as he returns to English soil. The former soldier carries decades of battle experience, but something stirs within him toward a different path. During this pivotal adventure, he encounters the Prior of The Abbey of St Peter and St Paul in Shrewsbury, a meeting that will reshape his destiny. The Prior represents everything Cadfael never knew he sought: purpose beyond warfare, service beyond self, and peace beyond the sword. As events unfold around them, Cadfael must weigh his past against an uncertain future. This is the moment when Brother Cadfael chooses the cowl over the sword, trading his soldier's life for the Benedictine order that will define him.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Shrewsbury, England
Period: Middle Ages
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