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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
After setting this aside for a while, I decided to try again and I *think* I'm glad I did? The writing wasn't really holding my attention and the author used a lot of embellished words, which is probably why I found myself sloughing through this at times. However, the story became more intriguing during Part 2, so I'm glad I stuck with this book in that sense.
The author's note really made this story more interesting because I learned that the countess this book is about was a real person who is known to history to be an infamous serial killer in the late 1500s to 1600s. It's suspected that she killed about 650 people in her day - however, there was no clear evidence to back up this claim.
After finding that out, the story made more sense. So it's worth it to read the author's notes, folks! I was kind of hoping the author would have put more a vampiric spin on her story, though, but that's just me 😅
I would only recommend this book to actual history lovers - not necessarily historical fiction readers. If you do read this, you HAVE to read the author's note at the end!
The author's note really made this story more interesting because I learned that the countess this book is about was a real person who is known to history to be an infamous serial killer in the late 1500s to 1600s. It's suspected that she killed about 650 people in her day - however, there was no clear evidence to back up this claim.
After finding that out, the story made more sense. So it's worth it to read the author's notes, folks! I was kind of hoping the author would have put more a vampiric spin on her story, though, but that's just me 😅
I would only recommend this book to actual history lovers - not necessarily historical fiction readers. If you do read this, you HAVE to read the author's note at the end!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Thank you to Hachette UK and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Nightingale’s Castle by Sonia Velton follows the true story of Hungarian Countess Erzsébet Báthory. In 1610, she was accused of murdering more than 600 girls, and this fictionalised version of events offers a sympathetic perspective to the circumstances that lead to this accusation. The Nightingale’s Castle is, by all intents and purposes, a feminist retelling that questions the legitimacy of such claims in retrospect.
The Nightingale’s Castle, while a multi-perspective story, follows the events as told by main character, Boróka, an adopted peasant girl who comes to work in the Cachtice Castle. Prior to Boróka’s arrival to the castle, rumours of the Blood Countess’s proclivity for the murder of peasant girls have already circulated so widely across the hamlets surrounding the castle that they are considered common knowledge.
Boróka, however, gives the Countess the benefit of the doubt and decides to judge her character for herself, showing such a great understanding of the way women are constantly and unfairly persecuted in their 17th century world. Through Boróka’s eyes, as well as the eyes of several more castle servants and the Countess herself, we experience plague, abuse by those in power, and the constant thought that went into every action of 17th century women and girls.
The Nightingale’s Castle is an incredibly immersive piece of historical fiction. I was so easily transported to 17th century Hungary and the plight of peasant girl and noble woman alike. This story is both infuriating and heartbreaking, but handled in a way that gives grace to even the most vile of characters. No villain is purely evil. Velton does a superb job diving into the rich backstories that inform her villains’ actions. Each character depicted is well-rounded in a way that shows the author’s immense skill in their craft.
Sonia Velton’s skill alone makes this a book worth reading, and the intrigue of the story is simply a nice bonus. This is a book I would happily recommend to anyone interested in historical fiction or feminist literature. This was the first novel of Velton’s that I have read; but based on this novel alone, I would be interested in consuming more of her work.
Content warnings: As a historical fiction novel, this story depicts a few challenging topics such as death, plague and sickness, violence against children and women, poverty and wealth disparity, and persecution on the basis of sex. While this story by its nature deals with these difficult topics, the author handles them in a way that is sympathetic to the sensitivities of the reader. Velton’s writing does not include these topics in an attempt to shock and horrify, but rather to lend truth to historical events.
#NetGalley #TheNightingalesCastle
The Nightingale’s Castle by Sonia Velton follows the true story of Hungarian Countess Erzsébet Báthory. In 1610, she was accused of murdering more than 600 girls, and this fictionalised version of events offers a sympathetic perspective to the circumstances that lead to this accusation. The Nightingale’s Castle is, by all intents and purposes, a feminist retelling that questions the legitimacy of such claims in retrospect.
The Nightingale’s Castle, while a multi-perspective story, follows the events as told by main character, Boróka, an adopted peasant girl who comes to work in the Cachtice Castle. Prior to Boróka’s arrival to the castle, rumours of the Blood Countess’s proclivity for the murder of peasant girls have already circulated so widely across the hamlets surrounding the castle that they are considered common knowledge.
Boróka, however, gives the Countess the benefit of the doubt and decides to judge her character for herself, showing such a great understanding of the way women are constantly and unfairly persecuted in their 17th century world. Through Boróka’s eyes, as well as the eyes of several more castle servants and the Countess herself, we experience plague, abuse by those in power, and the constant thought that went into every action of 17th century women and girls.
The Nightingale’s Castle is an incredibly immersive piece of historical fiction. I was so easily transported to 17th century Hungary and the plight of peasant girl and noble woman alike. This story is both infuriating and heartbreaking, but handled in a way that gives grace to even the most vile of characters. No villain is purely evil. Velton does a superb job diving into the rich backstories that inform her villains’ actions. Each character depicted is well-rounded in a way that shows the author’s immense skill in their craft.
Sonia Velton’s skill alone makes this a book worth reading, and the intrigue of the story is simply a nice bonus. This is a book I would happily recommend to anyone interested in historical fiction or feminist literature. This was the first novel of Velton’s that I have read; but based on this novel alone, I would be interested in consuming more of her work.
Content warnings: As a historical fiction novel, this story depicts a few challenging topics such as death, plague and sickness, violence against children and women, poverty and wealth disparity, and persecution on the basis of sex. While this story by its nature deals with these difficult topics, the author handles them in a way that is sympathetic to the sensitivities of the reader. Velton’s writing does not include these topics in an attempt to shock and horrify, but rather to lend truth to historical events.
#NetGalley #TheNightingalesCastle
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated