Ok, now I've probably over-sensitized myself, but Becky has just gained them access to their goal by solving two riddles and a puzzle; has saved the lives of three of them with her telekinetic power; and helped to capture the bad guy.

this is the accolade she gets:

"Then Edgar opened his massive arms and pulled Becky and Joe into a giant hug. ‘I will miss you both. And I shall always be your servant, your friend and your ally.’

His eyes found Joe’s. ‘Joe your bravery, your integrity, your courage is worthy of the most noble King.’

He looked at Becky. ‘And Miss Becky your kindness, your compassion, and your beauty would rival that of Artemis herself.’"

Still a very good book, but it's trying my patience.

As much as I love books and reading, and as much as I love all the positives that occur when you enjoy them, I regret that we still incorporate some things that are not so good.  Here we have one generation teaching the next that it's okay, not to mention entertaining, to ridicule, objectify, disrespect, and stereotype a particular subset of humanity.  In this case, it's women; but of course it happens across the entire spectrum.

‘‘Ah, Cleopatra, truly a fascinating woman,’ Butterby said, looking starry- eyed and distant. ‘And nothing like her traditional portrayal in popular culture, of course.’

‘What do you mean?’ Becky asked.

‘Well, if nothing else, she must’ve weighed a metric tonne.’

‘Really?’

‘Oh yes, her derrière was as big as this bus.’ Becky and Joe laughed.

‘Now, Charles,’ Uncle Percy said firmly. ‘Let’s keep it civil. These are impressionable minds, after all.’

‘I’m all about the truth, Percy, you should know that.’ Butterby winked mischievously at Becky. ‘Yes, there have been many distortions when it comes to Cleopatra, and none more so than the nature of her death. Do you recall how she supposedly died?’

‘Wasn’t she bitten by a snake?’ Becky offered. ‘An asp?’ ‘That’s partly correct,’ Butterby said. She was bitten all right. But not by an asp. No, she he was actually bitten by an ass … a donkey, the bite became infected and that’s how she popped her clogs.’

‘Really?’ Becky giggled. ‘And was she the most beautiful woman alive?’

‘Far from it,’ Butterby said. He lowered his voice so Uncle Percy couldn’t hear. ‘Between you and me she was a bit of a moose. Queen Nefertiti, on the other hand, now that was a different matter.’

I like this book, overall; but it makes me sad that we can't, somehow, do better.  (Steps down from soapbox.)

. . . This would be a really good historical fiction..

but a couple of things are annoying me so badly, it's ruining my enjoyment.

first of all, the almost unforgivable overuse of the word duly.

Forty-nine times in a four hundred page book?!?!

four times on a single page. Twice in one sentence.

"The two lords duly complied with their sovereign’s wishes and, upon reaching the gates of Cowbridge, the king duly emerged,"

it's very annoying.

the other thing is a tendency to explain multiple times in a single sentence.

"he knew of Madog’s reputation: none had bettered him in ten years of competition; no one had lowered his colours in a decade of combat."

 "Wave after wave of plague had swept the area, reducing the population by a good third; for every man, woman and child, one of their number had been condemned to the soil."

"In grief, they embraced, in sorrow they entwined; like ivy upon a tree, Athelena clung to Sir Roger."

"‘But of course, my son. You may go about your business. Rest easy; take comfort in the knowledge that I will take good care of her; I will look after her well.’"

"so why the moment of doubt, the moment of hesitation?"

"best to be comfortable, at ease, clear in your own mind."  (PLEASE, pick just one!)

"she had heard gruesome tales of Payn and his behaviour. But surely, no one could be that callous? No one could be that cruel?"

"the pitiless look within his eyes banished all doubt: he could be so cruel, he could be so callous."

"‘You are wounded; you are hurt;"

"the prior duly bowed, secreting a secret smile."

judicial use of this technique could be a strength, but at least once on every pair of pages -- it's starting to feel like A Thing.

Every single person so far, in the process of eating, has had to wipe drool from his chin!  What's that about?  Apples, wine, capons, it matters not -- saliva runs from mouth.

and the two Heroes in the book both just bit the dust.?  Who's supposed to save everyone, then?