by Dan Jones
SYNOPSIS
One winter, in the dark days of King Richard II, a tailor was riding home on the road from Gilling to Ampleforth. It was dank, wet and gloomy; he couldn't wait to get home and sit in front of a blazing fire. Then, out of nowhere, the tailor is knocked off his horse by a raven, who then transforms into a hideous dog, his mouth writhing with its own innards. The dog issues the tailor with a warning: he must go to a priest and ask for absolution and return to the road, or else there will be consequences...
First recorded in the early fifteenth century by an unknown monk, The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings was transcribed from the Latin by the great medievalist M.R. James in 1922. Building on that tradition, now bestselling historian Dan Jones retells this medieval ghost story in crisp and creepy prose.
REVIEW
The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings is a fascinating story which came to light after the discovery of twelve medieval ghost stories in amongst a catalogue of old manuscripts. These stories had supposedly been written down in about AD 1400 by a monk and then rediscovered by M.R. James in 1922. Author, Dan Jones then found them while researching old ghost stories and chose to give one of the tales a new lease of life.
At only 96 pages, I don't want to give too much away about the story itself. In fact, this page count includes an introduction as to how the book came about and also the original latin text with annotations. Snowball the tailor is riding through the woods when he encounters a ghost which can take on different forms. It is a really interesting and creepy ghost story (if a little bizarre!), but it was actually the historical information about the original manuscripts and various retellings that really caught my interest as it was so unusual compared to anything else I have read.
The format and design of this miniature hardback are absolutely gorgeous and would make the perfect gift for book lovers, fans of historical fiction, fans of horror and ghost stories or anyone with an interest in the medieval period.
A really enjoyable, atmospheric and engaging little tale of the supernatural, I will certainly be looking into the other Byland Abbey ghost stories over the spooky season!
Dan Jones is a historian, broadcaster and award-winning journalist. His books, including The Templars, Crusaders and, with Marina Amaral, The Colour of Time and The World Aflame, have sold more than one million copies worldwide. He has written and hosted dozens of TV shows including the acclaimed Netflix/Channel 5 series, Secrets of Great British Castles. His writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines including the
London Evening Standard, Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, GQ and theSpectator.
Thanks to @HoZ_Books and @dgjones for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Horror / Ghost story
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 978-1801101295
Pages: 96 pp
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