Reviews

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

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ninarg's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

What a twisty ride this turned out to be. I wish I had bought this book instead of borrowing it from the library. It deserves pride of place on my bookshelf. This book is so well written, the characters are engaging, there are nods and echoes to Dickens, Jane Austen, Don Quixote and Wilkie Collins, and we go from poor cunning-men and fortune-tellers to the richest people in the land. I can only quote Chris Whitaker: "A sprawling, exquisite, outright triumph." The Square of Sevens" dazzles with heart, mystery and breathtaking detail. I doubt I'll read a better book this year. "

flure's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

wee_eck_m's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

alanaalana's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

angelica_jardinerica's review against another edition

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5.0

The author describes her book as "mythical and magical, a sweeping Dickensian story with a twist...a tale of fraud, excess, illusion and the vagaries of fortune". That more or less sums it up. It's a long book, but as there's hardly a lull in the pace I didn't get the impression of ploughing through a tome; quite the opposite in fact - I was completely drawn into the colourful, dangerous and fascinating world of Georgian England. The story is extremely well thought out and written, following Red, who we meet as a poverty-stricken, fortune-telling child at the beginning of the novel, as she doggedly attempts to prove her right to inherit one of the largest fortunes in 18th Century England. The plot does get quite complex as more lies, half truths and deceit are revealed, and there were points when I needed time to assimilate all the information I was being given (although that might be the fault of my foggy menopausal brain). I also needed to consult the family tree numerous times to be able to follow the many twists and turns in the novel. The author's historical note at the end of the book is equally fascinating, revealing the reality behind events I could only envisage as fiction.