Book Log 2014 #34: Gutenberg's Apprentice by Alix Christie

A young scribe named Peter is recalled from Paris to his native Mainz in order to meet a man with a new way of getting words onto the page - Johann Gutenberg, whose press may revolutionize book making. Peter is then apprenticed to Gutenberg, with mixed emotions about the prospect as it will derail his promising career as a scribe and means leaving Paris for his provincial home.

Peter soon learns he has some talent for printing, and becomes a vital part of the team that will take on Gutenberg's lofty idea - a printed Bible. Producing the book will put Gutenberg's printers in jeopardy, as the city - and the churchmen who control it - have concerns about the new process. So the rush is on to produce and sell the copies before someone puts a stop to them.

All that said, the conflict in the book never quite feels like conflict. It's always looming, but even when a turning point comes, the resulting action is a little flat. That's probably more realistic - amping up the conflict is always better for sales - but it's a little unexpected.

I do recommend the book, as it's well-written and tells the story of Gutenberg's Bible from a unique perspective.