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kath61's review against another edition
3.0
Not necessarily gripping but quite original. I can imagine it could make a quite a good transition to the small screen too.
kittybarcs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
alexrafinski's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
If you are a fan of historical fiction where the writing immerses you in a world from the past, then this is not the book for you. There is no real description of anything at all from the past - not of the towns the characters pass through, nor of what people are wearing, nor of what rooms look like (etc). The author has simply taken a few people who existed in the early 1600s plus a few events from their lives, and written a simple story involving them. Other than the fact the story involves the King and Queen of England and Cromwell's armies, you could almost forget where the story was set.
The writing is pleasant enough, and the main character (the queen's "dwarf" - Nat) is quite likeable, although his "relationship" with Arabella gets quite tedious especially as it is obvious how it is going to end. So if you want a light, easy-to-read story this isn't a bad choice. If you want a serious historical novel, then not so much.
The writing is pleasant enough, and the main character (the queen's "dwarf" - Nat) is quite likeable, although his "relationship" with Arabella gets quite tedious especially as it is obvious how it is going to end. So if you want a light, easy-to-read story this isn't a bad choice. If you want a serious historical novel, then not so much.
cathy_alice's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-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
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
Visit the locations in the novel The Smallest Man
A novel to place you in the English Royal Court
I had never heard of the man this book is about but I can honestly say that his story was remarkable and I have since gone on to read a bit more about him. The main in question was Jeffery Hudson.
Jeffery was the court dwarf to Queen Henrietta Maria. The author does say that this is a novel and not a fictionalized biography’ and that Nat Davy is a ‘figment of her imagination’. Nevertheless, this is quite the story and quite a figment of the imagination!
I became quickly invested by Nat Davy and felt sad how, just because of his size, was ridiculed and bullied. He goes to court and is viewed as an object of fun as he has been his whole life. Howeever, things soon change and he uses his skills and wit to really find out about how the court works, who the main players of court are and uses this information to his advantage. Despite his own isolation, he is aware of that of others and I really began to like him more here. He was ignored and made fun of, but he was more aware of anything than the most astute observers of the time.
He becomes stronger and starts to become quite clever about his situation and the politics of the time. I was cheering him on as this little man suddenly became one of the biggest characters in terms of development, courage and bravery.
As the story of Nat Davey continues, there’s plenty of historical detail to enjoy. There’s the civil war and the end of the reign of King Charles for just two things which firmly make this a full and immersive novel
brewtifulfiction's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating debut that was both humorous and meaningful.
Part fact, part fiction, Frances has done a fantastic job of blending the two and making it all feel very realistic.
Part fact, part fiction, Frances has done a fantastic job of blending the two and making it all feel very realistic.
lucyp747d4's review against another edition
5.0
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an audio ARC of this book.
I have to say this story was fantastic! Everything about it was perfect from the narration to the characters, the plot and so much more. Alex Wingfield does a fantastic job of narrating the story, giving each of the characters a unique voice and making the listen as smooth as possible. This is probably the fastest that I have ever finished an audiobook.
Frances Quinn has given us an adorable, honest and clever witted character to route for. I loved Nat Davy and everything about his story. Whilst there were times that my heart broke for him I also found his tale to be uplifting. He took the very thing that made him different to everyone else and embraced it. He never let it defeat him and he showed what it truly means to accept and love who you are. I felt for his mother at the beginning of the story but I wished she had stood up to him more, I’d die before I let anyone sell my child.
Nat may not have been switched on when it came to romance and I often found myself smiling at how oblivious he was to Arabella but in my opinion, that made him more relatable and endearing. Their love story was my favourite part of the book and I couldn’t wait for that moment when they both realised their true feelings for each other.
I’ve always loved learning about the history of our Royal family and have a slight obsession with the Tudor period. The weaving of factual and information throughout this tale is done brilliantly, learning about King Charles I and the religious conflicts was fascinating and has only added to my obsession.
This was a brilliant, compassionate and heart warming debut about bravery, friendship and being true to ones self.
I have to say this story was fantastic! Everything about it was perfect from the narration to the characters, the plot and so much more. Alex Wingfield does a fantastic job of narrating the story, giving each of the characters a unique voice and making the listen as smooth as possible. This is probably the fastest that I have ever finished an audiobook.
Frances Quinn has given us an adorable, honest and clever witted character to route for. I loved Nat Davy and everything about his story. Whilst there were times that my heart broke for him I also found his tale to be uplifting. He took the very thing that made him different to everyone else and embraced it. He never let it defeat him and he showed what it truly means to accept and love who you are. I felt for his mother at the beginning of the story but I wished she had stood up to him more, I’d die before I let anyone sell my child.
Nat may not have been switched on when it came to romance and I often found myself smiling at how oblivious he was to Arabella but in my opinion, that made him more relatable and endearing. Their love story was my favourite part of the book and I couldn’t wait for that moment when they both realised their true feelings for each other.
I’ve always loved learning about the history of our Royal family and have a slight obsession with the Tudor period. The weaving of factual and information throughout this tale is done brilliantly, learning about King Charles I and the religious conflicts was fascinating and has only added to my obsession.
This was a brilliant, compassionate and heart warming debut about bravery, friendship and being true to ones self.
sophieannereid's review against another edition
4.0
This book was loosely inspired by the life of Jeffrey Hudson, court dwarf to Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I. It turns out that what we know of Jeffrey’s life was really quite fascinating and Quinn has done a fantastic job of filling in the gaps although this is clearly a work of fiction and by straying far beyond the what is known has created a very entertaining tale!
Jeffrey is replaced with Nat in Quinn’s story, a dwarf who is sold into the service of Queen Henrietta Maria by his father at a young age. He soon finds himself in favour with the Queen and a long way from the life he knew before. After the outbreak of Civil War Nat remains loyal to the Queen and follows her across Europe. The last part of the book focuses on the relationships Nat makes, an old enemy, friends he’s made a long the way and the family he left behind.
The reign of Charles I and the English civil war provides an interesting and dynamic backdrop. The intricacies of the time period are not explored but are felt throughout the novel, affecting the decisions and lives of every character.
Nat is an engaging narrator, generally he’s optimistic and overcomes many of the challenges he faces to help others but that doesn’t stop him experiencing self-doubt. For much of the book, Nat feels he is undeserving of a beautiful woman’s love. This made sense but the romance storyline became increasingly frustrating as it just took an incredible amount of time to come to fruition!
At times I felt the plot was a little disjointed, I think Quinn was trying to fit in all the key events we know of Jeffrey’s life and it’s tricky to fill the gaps in a way that flows. She did a fantastic job at maintaining the interest though and maintaining the drama.
I listened to the audiobook version and really enjoyed it, the narrator did an excellent job and gave Nat a really distinctive voice. It was read at a good pace and as the book is written in first person it only enhanced the experience.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jeffrey is replaced with Nat in Quinn’s story, a dwarf who is sold into the service of Queen Henrietta Maria by his father at a young age. He soon finds himself in favour with the Queen and a long way from the life he knew before. After the outbreak of Civil War Nat remains loyal to the Queen and follows her across Europe. The last part of the book focuses on the relationships Nat makes, an old enemy, friends he’s made a long the way and the family he left behind.
The reign of Charles I and the English civil war provides an interesting and dynamic backdrop. The intricacies of the time period are not explored but are felt throughout the novel, affecting the decisions and lives of every character.
Nat is an engaging narrator, generally he’s optimistic and overcomes many of the challenges he faces to help others but that doesn’t stop him experiencing self-doubt. For much of the book, Nat feels he is undeserving of a beautiful woman’s love. This made sense but the romance storyline became increasingly frustrating as it just took an incredible amount of time to come to fruition!
At times I felt the plot was a little disjointed, I think Quinn was trying to fit in all the key events we know of Jeffrey’s life and it’s tricky to fill the gaps in a way that flows. She did a fantastic job at maintaining the interest though and maintaining the drama.
I listened to the audiobook version and really enjoyed it, the narrator did an excellent job and gave Nat a really distinctive voice. It was read at a good pace and as the book is written in first person it only enhanced the experience.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rexiesmum's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read and review this book.
The time of the English Civil Wars 1642 to 1651 is often under represented in fiction in my experience, which is odd considering how much fiction is written around the American Civil War, and it is a period I find extremely interesting, so when I read when this book was set, I couldn’t wait and decided to request it despite it being a debut author, I’d heard nothing about.
The story is based on fact – Charles I’s wife, Henrietta Maria had a court dwarf and this man has quite a history. Frances Quinn takes the idea of a court dwarf from that era, changes his name and some of his life history, whilst keeping some of it intact. Clearly this allows her to put her own spin on the real-life characters, and her plot is therefore freer.
We meet Nat Davy as a young boy believing in fairies, only to find out the one at the local fair is just a dwarf like himself but one that is being treated as freak in a show. This starting point then leads Nat to be taken in by the real-life Duke Of Buckingham before being ‘given’ to the Queen. We then follow his life immediately as a 10-12 year old before we have a giant leap forward so that we can encompass the Civil Wars, and the ways in which they affected not only Charles I but also Henrietta Maria, who is portrayed in a very positive manner.
There are many things I enjoyed about the book. I particularly liked how the main character spoke directly to the reader, with asides like ‘I suspect you saw this coming’ and ‘as you probably know’, it was done with a gentle and subtle touch, and added to the warmth we felt for the character. In fact, Nat himself was a beautifully rounded character who charmed both the queen and his reader with his sense of humour, as well as his justifiable anger and lack of self-belief.
I also loved the queen and will be reading more about her as a result.
My main criticism would be the language – this is not as well written as it could be and phrases and words are not well chosen. We have phrases that sound as though they are from the TV show ‘Friends’ in the 1990s, e.g. ‘whoa, no need to be so prickly’ and they stand out and distract from the narrative. In fact, I would say the writer lacks a real sensitivity to how people would have spoken back then and the etymology of phrases. Whilst I understand that no one is going to want to read a work that is written in the exact early modern English that would have been spoken then, I also think most historical fiction writers do attempt to give a little flare as to how people would have spoken at the time. And think phrases such as ‘beats me’ and ‘chickened out’ where the etymology is so easy to find out should not be included in something told from a 17th century point of view. It smacks of laziness and lack of care for the reader. I don’t blame the writer so much as the publisher, as it is as though no body picked up on these things in their rush to put through a novel that they think may be as successful as The Familiars, and other recent chart-topping historical fiction.
Other things that show lack of historical research also annoyed me. One of the main characters, a royalist who helps the queen, is very rude to her at one point and says ‘no’ to her in a way that just wouldn’t be believable for a young woman at that time. This character also acts in a way that would be unacceptable for a young unmarried woman at the time. She’s also the daughter of a landowner with a big house and lots of servants yet is allowed by her father to marry a man who was born to a butcher and works as a court dwarf – whilst this is lovely in terms of the romance, it doesn’t reflect the mores of the times. It is not even an issue, although, it really would have been for the people involved at the time. Just because we think people can be married if they could from vastly different financial backgrounds, doesn’t mean they did in 1650. The whole romance sub-plot is undeveloped in reality, it feels false and tacked on.
The king’s stay in Carisbrooke Castle is never discussed, although we spend time with the queen whilst he is there, and a 40 journey by horse and cart is considered a ‘short’ journey, despite that it would be a 20 hour round trip.
This is an interesting story, with at least one very brilliant character and a plot that doesn’t stop at all, whilst also being very well constructed. But the lack of care taken with the language puts this book in a very average category when it could have been great. So for me, it is a 3 star book.
The time of the English Civil Wars 1642 to 1651 is often under represented in fiction in my experience, which is odd considering how much fiction is written around the American Civil War, and it is a period I find extremely interesting, so when I read when this book was set, I couldn’t wait and decided to request it despite it being a debut author, I’d heard nothing about.
The story is based on fact – Charles I’s wife, Henrietta Maria had a court dwarf and this man has quite a history. Frances Quinn takes the idea of a court dwarf from that era, changes his name and some of his life history, whilst keeping some of it intact. Clearly this allows her to put her own spin on the real-life characters, and her plot is therefore freer.
We meet Nat Davy as a young boy believing in fairies, only to find out the one at the local fair is just a dwarf like himself but one that is being treated as freak in a show. This starting point then leads Nat to be taken in by the real-life Duke Of Buckingham before being ‘given’ to the Queen. We then follow his life immediately as a 10-12 year old before we have a giant leap forward so that we can encompass the Civil Wars, and the ways in which they affected not only Charles I but also Henrietta Maria, who is portrayed in a very positive manner.
There are many things I enjoyed about the book. I particularly liked how the main character spoke directly to the reader, with asides like ‘I suspect you saw this coming’ and ‘as you probably know’, it was done with a gentle and subtle touch, and added to the warmth we felt for the character. In fact, Nat himself was a beautifully rounded character who charmed both the queen and his reader with his sense of humour, as well as his justifiable anger and lack of self-belief.
I also loved the queen and will be reading more about her as a result.
My main criticism would be the language – this is not as well written as it could be and phrases and words are not well chosen. We have phrases that sound as though they are from the TV show ‘Friends’ in the 1990s, e.g. ‘whoa, no need to be so prickly’ and they stand out and distract from the narrative. In fact, I would say the writer lacks a real sensitivity to how people would have spoken back then and the etymology of phrases. Whilst I understand that no one is going to want to read a work that is written in the exact early modern English that would have been spoken then, I also think most historical fiction writers do attempt to give a little flare as to how people would have spoken at the time. And think phrases such as ‘beats me’ and ‘chickened out’ where the etymology is so easy to find out should not be included in something told from a 17th century point of view. It smacks of laziness and lack of care for the reader. I don’t blame the writer so much as the publisher, as it is as though no body picked up on these things in their rush to put through a novel that they think may be as successful as The Familiars, and other recent chart-topping historical fiction.
Other things that show lack of historical research also annoyed me. One of the main characters, a royalist who helps the queen, is very rude to her at one point and says ‘no’ to her in a way that just wouldn’t be believable for a young woman at that time. This character also acts in a way that would be unacceptable for a young unmarried woman at the time. She’s also the daughter of a landowner with a big house and lots of servants yet is allowed by her father to marry a man who was born to a butcher and works as a court dwarf – whilst this is lovely in terms of the romance, it doesn’t reflect the mores of the times. It is not even an issue, although, it really would have been for the people involved at the time. Just because we think people can be married if they could from vastly different financial backgrounds, doesn’t mean they did in 1650. The whole romance sub-plot is undeveloped in reality, it feels false and tacked on.
The king’s stay in Carisbrooke Castle is never discussed, although we spend time with the queen whilst he is there, and a 40 journey by horse and cart is considered a ‘short’ journey, despite that it would be a 20 hour round trip.
This is an interesting story, with at least one very brilliant character and a plot that doesn’t stop at all, whilst also being very well constructed. But the lack of care taken with the language puts this book in a very average category when it could have been great. So for me, it is a 3 star book.