by Sara Douglass
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Product Description
The Black Plague. The Pestilence. Disease and death haunt every town and village across 14th century Europe and none are immune from its evil. Some see the devastation of their world as a sign from God for Man's wickedness.
But Brother Thomas Neville sees this swath of death as something much more. Neville is a man beset by demons. Or is it angels? He has had a visitation from none other than the Archangel Michael, who commands Thomas to a mission. This mission will take Neville across the length and breath of the continent in a desperate bid to find the means to stop the minions of Satan who have found a doorway out of Hell and are preparing to venture forth, to try and seize this world in preparation for an assault on Heaven itself.
As Thomas Neville encounters angels and demons, saints and witches, he comes to realize that the armies of God and Satan are arraying themselves for the final battle...and that his soul is to be the battleground.
The question is, has Neville picked the truly good side?
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 A fascinating time in English and French history, 2006-09-07
I enjoyed Douglass' "Threshold" a few years ago and looked forward to trying some of her series. This is the first book in the series "The Crucible," which takes place in the 14th century in the years following The Black Plague, an interesting and turbulent period in Europe. Thomas, a Dominican friar, is visited by St. Michael, who tells him that demons abound in Europe and that it is his life's task to stop them. Although I didn't love it, I'll definitely finish the series. Another wonderful book that takes place during this time period is "Katherine" by Anya Seton.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
A Well Crafted Story, 2006-07-15
While the first half of the book is very slow, the pace begins to pick up and by the end you definitely will want to read on. The story of this book is well crafted within the confines of real European history, and thus offers a fun and unique perspective on our own past. The addition of fantastical elements to our history sometimes does not work, but Sara Douglass did an excellent job making everything that happens believable. The character of Thomas is very intruiging. The character of Thomas is also well written. He's not the lovable main character you so often follow, but is instead a highly conflicted man who is at times loved and at others hated. I recommend this book to lovers of both fantasy and historic fiction. It is one of Sara Douglass' most interesting works.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Intriguing! I couldn't put it down!, 2006-06-13
The Nameless Day, by Sara Douglass, takes place in 14th century Europe. The Church is increasingly more corrupt, and it seems that all Hell is about to break loose. War is eminent between England and France, pestilence ravages across the continent, and the old man who throws the Earth's demons into Hell on "the Nameless Day" every year dies. The man, Brother Wynkyn de Worde, has a casket with his spellbook, but the casket is nowhere to be found after he dies. His successor, a young stubborn man named Brother Thomas Neville, is guided by an archangel's words. However, Thomas was previously an English lord with all of life's luxuries, and he was only driven to priesthood through guilt after he inadvertently causes the deaths of his mistress Alice and her children.
Douglass introduces many characters of nobility, which makes it a little confusing as to who is related to whom. There is, thankfully, a glossary in the back should the reader forget. I did not encounter any dull characters in this book at all, from the widowed Lady Margaret Rivers who entices both Thomas and his Uncle Raby; Jeannette (Joan) of Arc who supposedly will save the French; and of course the many demons that plague Thomas and the nobles.
Yes, Thomas is a jerk. Why? He so stubbornly adheres to how glorious the Church and the social order are (which probably has some readers crying foul), he seems to succumb to his lust all the time but berates women who do so, and he thinks EVERYONE is a demon or a witch while he is so holy, which is the most aggravating part! An unlikeable protagonist should not stop readers from finishing the book, though. All his bad characteristics push the intriguing plot along and make him explore new areas, even though (as some readers have pointed out) there are some very hard-to-believe moments in the plot. Don't worry, he may end up likeable just yet because The Nameless Day is only book one of the Crucible series.
I love the European history infused in the story and I love how even Chaucer himself has a minor role in this book! Even though Thomas and other characters may not be that lovable, their views and actions are characteristic of the time period in history: the Church is corrupt, but the Social Order is still the only thing they have. However, individuals are slowly realizing that maybe this Social Order is not fair, but Thomas ALWAYS excuses these individuals as heretics. Aggravating as it may be, this situation was characteristic of this time in history.
There are some problems with the plot. People seem to change their minds VERY (and unbelievably) quickly in this book. Important characters like Joan of Arc are often absent when I am wondering when Douglass will refer back to them again. I thought the war between the French and the English was about to happen, especially after pages of negotiations, but Douglass instead inserts many pages on alliances between nobles... Perhaps my questions will be answered in the next books in the series.
Despite complaints about the prickly protagonist and questionable plot details, I could not put down The Nameless Day once I started reading! There are some parts that are slow and/or disjointed, but as a whole, Douglass created a great fantasy novel. I am looking forward to the other books in the series!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Loved the setting, hated the characters, 2006-05-29
Thirty years ago, an elderly monk died of the plague before he could perform a ritual that would keep a portal to Hell closed, or pass on his knowledge to a successor.
Now, thirty years later, Brother Thomas Neville is chosen by St. Michael to reseal the portal. To do that, he needs to find the old monk's book.
Thomas is a man with demons of his own; a member of one of England's most prominent families, he forsook secular life for the priesthood after his mistress's death, which was a result of his own desertion of her. Returning to England to search for the book, he finds himself drawn to his old friends among the nobility, to worldly life, and to his uncle's former mistress, Margaret, whom Thomas magically impregnated while sleeping with a pregnant peasant woman. (Don't ask.) He is attracted to Margaret, but also considers her an abomination and suspects she is in league with the demons.
I was sucked into this story for two reasons: one, because I can't wait to find out who's really "good" and who's really "evil" in this cosmology. Right now, the angels and the demons both look pretty bad. Two, because I loved the real-history sections of the plot. Douglass has set her story during a tumultuous and fascinating period.
What I didn't like: I know he's meant to be that way, but Thomas is a loathsome character. Thankfully, he develops just a little toward the end of the novel, but not enough; he's still prone to making me want to slap him. Meanwhile, Margaret is rather spineless, becoming hysterical over her lover deciding not to marry her even though that was the agreement from the start, then imprinting on Thomas almost instantly. I can't figure out why she loves him so unrelentingly. It reminds me a lot of Hades' Daughter, with a self-righteous "hero" sleeping with, but treating like dirt, a clinging-vine "heroine." Ugh.
I hear the second one is better. I will probably at least check it out from the library.
Edit: I meant to put three stars on this, but I can't seem to change it, argh.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Slow story with horrible main character, 2005-12-30
I have yet to finish this book mainly because I find myself struggling to continue. I've made a third of the way through the book and I'm still not interested. The mainly character is hihgly unlikeable. Some say this is just like Hades Daughter but I found that I loved that book and that series.
If you're looking for an exciting, enjoyable read then don't choose this book. If you want to complete your read of all of Sara Douglass works then pick this up.
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