Before you get too far in (say, after book 2 or 3), you may want to read "A Rare Benedictine". Technically it's book 11 (or so), but it, or at least the first story in it -- it's a collection of three short stories total -- is actually a prequel to the series set at the moment when Cadfael joins the order., which shines a lot of light on that moment Other than that, though, it's really advisable to read the series in publication order, because almost with each successive book -- especially with the first 6, though -- Ellis Peters unveils more about Cadfael's personal background (plus, book 2 is also a really crucial basis for the series in a lot of other ways), and it's a wonderfully slow build-up of complexity.
Ok, now the series sounds amazing! :D And I'm liking it enough that the other books are going on my TBR pile. I have a Genre: Mystery square sitting right above Relics and Curiosities, so I might put another Cadfael book there.
(If you do, make it book 2 -- "One Corpse too Many". That's the book that, next to "A Morbid Taste for Bones", really should be read before all the others. Even before "A Rare Benedictine.")
Before you get too far in (say, after book 2 or 3), you may want to read "A Rare Benedictine". Technically it's book 11 (or so), but it, or at least the first story in it -- it's a collection of three short stories total -- is actually a prequel to the series set at the moment when Cadfael joins the order., which shines a lot of light on that moment Other than that, though, it's really advisable to read the series in publication order, because almost with each successive book -- especially with the first 6, though -- Ellis Peters unveils more about Cadfael's personal background (plus, book 2 is also a really crucial basis for the series in a lot of other ways), and it's a wonderfully slow build-up of complexity.
(If you do, make it book 2 -- "One Corpse too Many". That's the book that, next to "A Morbid Taste for Bones", really should be read before all the others. Even before "A Rare Benedictine.")