Point of View

The novel is written in third person from a series of limited perspectives. The majority of the story is seen from the perspectives of four characters – a monk named Aldred, a young builder named Edgar, a young noblewoman named Ragna, and a bishop named Wynstan. There are a few scenes in which the author varies from these characters, such as revealing what some other character is thinking. With those few exceptions, the reader knows only what these four characters know. The perspective is less limited than it might be because all four of these characters are perceptive and observant. They are often able to work out details about other characters and situations simply through those powerful skills of observation. However, these characters are not all-knowing, which means they sometimes misunderstand a situation or simply do not have all the information.

The limited perspective means the...