Shadows of Hemlock is the worthy sequel to K.M. Pohlkamp’s award-winning novel, Apricots and Wolfsbane. Both of these books feature a strong female assassin in Tudor England. That one line alone was more than enough to have me intrigued.
Title: Shadows of Hemlock
Author: K.M. Pohlkamp
Series: Apricots and Wolfsbane #2
First Published: November 19, 2019
Publisher: Filles Vertes Publishing
Categories: Historical Fiction
Acquired: from the author
*** Thank you to the author, K.M. Pohlkamp, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
In a desperate grasp for prestige, Aselin Gavrell betrayed her master to the execution block for the advantage of the onyx pendant now around her neck. Shelter from her master’s crimes comes with an unwanted allegiance and a list of innocents to murder. But the Guild of poison assassins will not be so easily pacified and charge Aselin to develop an antidote as retribution of her betrayal.
Unprepared for the independence she craved, Aselin is forced to seek aid from a fickle contact who wants only one means of payment: a ruby ring with a mare’s head. To save herself from her master’s fate, Aselin must navigate a growing list of debtors eager to toss her aside and confront her guilt in this fast-paced tale of growth and redemption in Tudor England.
The intrigue continues with Aselin in Shadows of Hemlock
The previous book by KM Pohlkamp, Apricots and Wolfsbane, introduced me to the shady Tudor world of death by poison. So this time I was a bit more used to the idea that the main character of the story was an assassin. And poison is a woman’s weapon, after all. After the shocking end to Apricots and Wolfsbane, it was interesting to pick up the story from Aselin’s point of view.
In Apricots and Wolfsbane, Aselin was just an apprentice, picking up knowledge from her master Lavinia. Now that Lavinia is dead, Aselin has to show her worth, both to herself and to the Guild of Poison Assassins. Proving that she is a capable poisoner is difficult enough, but she is also a woman in a man’s (Tudor) world, so must learn to survive with more than just her assassin skills. The nobles that hire Aselin’s services are more than happy to pay for her to murder their rivals, but they also do not care one bit about Aselin and would gladly sacrifice her in order to save their own skins.
In addition to a series of assassination assignments, Aselin must also find an antidote for hemlock in order to prove to the Guild that she deserves the title of Master Poison Assassin. The development of her character as she goes on her quest was much more satisfying to me than reading about Lavinia in the previous book, who was already a full-fledged Master.
Another stunning visit to the Tudor era
One of the things I enjoy most about reading a book by Pohlkamp is how easily she transports me to the Tudor era. The details of the people, the buildings, the surroundings are clearly well-researched but read so casually that you don’t even realize how much information you’re getting.
The characters in Shadows of Hemlock were also quite enjoyable and each had their own personalities and morals to guide them. I think one of the most difficult things about reading both Apricots and Wolfsbane and Shadows of Hemlock is that the main character is an assassin. A paid killer. Both Lavinia and Aselin take on assignments with no regard to the victim. The killing is a job. It’s interesting to see how the characters reconcile what they do with their beliefs and give themselves the strength to continue. It makes for some very complex and unique characters and Pohlkamp writes them all very well.
Read Shadows of Hemlock for yourself
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