England in the fourteenth century is dirty, raw and full of strife. Beyond that is also the witchcraft and necromancy. Elisha was marked as a child by a witch who transformed into an angel at her death. He grew up to become a healer, a barber surgeon, to be specific, due to his low social status. In the midst of a tragic moment his life changes and he finds himself facing the charge of murdering three people. In order to avoid jail, he serves as a battle surgeon in a bloody war. He soon finds out that he has an affinity for magic when he meets a witch who reminds him of the angel he saw as a child. Elisha will have to solve conspiracies in the magical and real world, all while he hones his magical skills.

This book hits on many different interesting elements that stood out at me: magic, medieval, surgery and healers. The subject of a medieval barber was one I hadn't explored, but once I finished this book, I was fascinated. Author E.C. Ambrose knows her stuff. Her knowledge and/or research of medieval procedures was brought to the page fantastically. I love a protagonist who is flawed, and Elisha Barber fits the bill. His dark, tortured demeanor fits well with his surroundings. He harbors a lot of guilt, and some of it seemed ill-fitting with the storyline, but the writing and the story itself detracted from my distractions. Elisha sticks to his guns and does what he feels is right, no matter what ugly consequence follows. This kind of strength and determination in a lead character cements his title.

Ambrose's ability to intertwine the gritty real life medieval flair with the magical barber in Elisha was well received. Whether you like historical, fantasy or medical thrillers, you might try ELISHA BARBER the first book of the Dark Apostle series on for size.