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cliterateur's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
allthembooks's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
nonbeanary98's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kendramichele's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I'd been searching for a read that satisfied a specific craving, for a fast-paced story with drama and intrigue, that felt original and entertaining ... and this novel filled that appetite nicely.
Set in eighteenth century London, amid a war with France, Genevieve Planché is desperate to fulfill her dreams of becoming an artist, not a mere decorator, the usual position allocated to a woman.
As her desire is denied, and arrangements are made for her to work at a porcelain manufactory, she crosses paths with a man who offers her the opportunity to achieve her ambitions, if first she succeeds at a special task: uncovering the mystery behind the color blue.
This novel is fascinating, and also very informative. Amid espionage, competing factories, and stolen formulas, I was riveted by the obsession, envy, and success surrounding porcelain.
It's clear that care and research went into this novel. I really enjoyed the exploration of pigments, the value of blue, and emphasis on the craftsmanship and dedication behind the discovery.
Plus, this story is simply a lot of fun. I appreciate how unexpected and original it was.
openmypages's review against another edition
3.0
I mean, how could there be such an intriguing story about the importance of color? I’ll admit, this one was a cover but for me but I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The main character’s development and growth during the story was fun to experience. As a scientist, I found the details on the color development to be so interesting. I wanted to give this a 4 but the romance aspect distracted me a bit. Overall a really great read.
salreads's review against another edition
4.0
What a story! This was a glorious and entertaining read which got me so fired up about history again..
Genevieve, from a Huguenot Family settled in London, is a talented painter - but women don’t paint in 18th Century England and she is thwarted in her ambitions..When a rather roguish but charming Sir Gabriel Courtenay presents her with the opportunity to work in the Derby porcelain factories and promises to further her ambitions..Genevieve is tempted. But there is a catch..The Factory is secretly working on creating ‘blue’ and Genevieve must find out the secret. This story takes Genevieve on some dangerous journeys and across the channel to the court of Madame Pompadour…
There was so much I loved about this. Firstly this is a really wonderful and entertaining story which twists and turns and is seriously difficult to put down. The history is absolutely fascinating and I found myself going down so many rabbit holes looking at the history of porcelain, Madame Pompadour, the creation of the colour blue..and I checked out each one of the characters to see which were purely fictional and which historical. Nancy has done such an incredible job of weaving in history, historical figures and places into an entertaining narrative…
And then there is Genevieve. What a great woman to spend time with. Sparky, brave, a bit irreverential, ambitious, savvy..prone to a bit of misadventure and poor decision making. This book buzzes with tension and adventure, fizzes with sexual chemistry and has a wonderful helping of humour mixed up in all the glorious history.
Definitely a book I would recommend! In fact I started telling my Dad, a lifelong historian, about it and he said he had already read and enjoyed it and was delighted to find out that Genevieve had returned!!
Genevieve, from a Huguenot Family settled in London, is a talented painter - but women don’t paint in 18th Century England and she is thwarted in her ambitions..When a rather roguish but charming Sir Gabriel Courtenay presents her with the opportunity to work in the Derby porcelain factories and promises to further her ambitions..Genevieve is tempted. But there is a catch..The Factory is secretly working on creating ‘blue’ and Genevieve must find out the secret. This story takes Genevieve on some dangerous journeys and across the channel to the court of Madame Pompadour…
There was so much I loved about this. Firstly this is a really wonderful and entertaining story which twists and turns and is seriously difficult to put down. The history is absolutely fascinating and I found myself going down so many rabbit holes looking at the history of porcelain, Madame Pompadour, the creation of the colour blue..and I checked out each one of the characters to see which were purely fictional and which historical. Nancy has done such an incredible job of weaving in history, historical figures and places into an entertaining narrative…
And then there is Genevieve. What a great woman to spend time with. Sparky, brave, a bit irreverential, ambitious, savvy..prone to a bit of misadventure and poor decision making. This book buzzes with tension and adventure, fizzes with sexual chemistry and has a wonderful helping of humour mixed up in all the glorious history.
Definitely a book I would recommend! In fact I started telling my Dad, a lifelong historian, about it and he said he had already read and enjoyed it and was delighted to find out that Genevieve had returned!!
book_lover52's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
historic_chronicles's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
There are times when historical fiction truly captures your attention immediately from the beginning and sets the bar that much higher for all the other books you will read in the future.
This is one of those times.
Set in 18th Century London with the war with France ever looming on everyone's minds, Genevieve, a descendant of Huguenot refugees longs to be taken seriously for her skill as an artist over her sex when she meets Sir Gabriel Courtenay and is offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Her mission? She is to become a spy and in the Derby Porcelain Works where a chemist is rumoured to be creating the most beautiful shade of the colour blue that has ever been known.
Riveting and incredibly well researched, I learned much from the book and was utterly fascinated by the history of porcelain.
With prose true to the time period, Bilyeau performs a remarkable job of interweaving real historical figures and events with that of her fiction and I was truly immersed in Genevieve's world.
The author is clearly a skillful and compelling storyteller and has created an enthralling blend of religious tension, espionage and romance that leaves you feeling as though you are a part of the story.
This is one of those times.
Set in 18th Century London with the war with France ever looming on everyone's minds, Genevieve, a descendant of Huguenot refugees longs to be taken seriously for her skill as an artist over her sex when she meets Sir Gabriel Courtenay and is offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Her mission? She is to become a spy and in the Derby Porcelain Works where a chemist is rumoured to be creating the most beautiful shade of the colour blue that has ever been known.
Riveting and incredibly well researched, I learned much from the book and was utterly fascinated by the history of porcelain.
With prose true to the time period, Bilyeau performs a remarkable job of interweaving real historical figures and events with that of her fiction and I was truly immersed in Genevieve's world.
The author is clearly a skillful and compelling storyteller and has created an enthralling blend of religious tension, espionage and romance that leaves you feeling as though you are a part of the story.
katejeminhizer's review against another edition
4.0
The Blue is an intricatley woven tale. It provides us with a tale of female desires amidst a male world, the passions of artists, and the ruthlessness that people will take to be the best. There was a fantastic use of historical elements intertwined within the plot. The characters were deliberate in their actions and were curiosities throughout. The relationship between characters was well developed and gave the book an added luster. The book is one that you have to take your time with but well worth the investment.