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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Zounds, I forgot just how much one can learn from historical fiction! What a well paced and entirely captivating story. Verily, I want to see this as a miniseries! When I screech during a book and have to hold it away from me in the middle of a chapter I know it’s a good one. I was surprised by the amount of violence in the book, but then again, it was a gruesome time for torture and it is a spy novel, of sorts, so it fits.
“Keeping silent doesn’t lessen the pain,” was an ongoing lesson experienced by many of the characters throughout the story. I found this sentiment cathartic and validating given my recent experiences. I always love when books reflect lessons that help you through your own trauma.
Spotify: After listening to far too much Elizabethan Tudor music I settled on “Cello Dark Cello” which suited the mood perfectly without tiring out my ear.
“Keeping silent doesn’t lessen the pain,” was an ongoing lesson experienced by many of the characters throughout the story. I found this sentiment cathartic and validating given my recent experiences. I always love when books reflect lessons that help you through your own trauma.
Spotify: After listening to far too much Elizabethan Tudor music I settled on “Cello Dark Cello” which suited the mood perfectly without tiring out my ear.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Abortion, Death of parent
Review originally posted here: https://courtneyreadsromancesite.wordpress.com/2019/02/11/review-of-the-locksmiths-daughter-by-karen-brooks/
I picked up The Locksmith’s Daughter by Karen Brooks on a whim, because the premise sounded intriguing, especially with its Tudor/Elizabethan setting, something I don’t see a lot of, apart from the occasional book about one of the monarchs or their consorts. And for the most part, it was a pretty solid read. My one complaint is that it is a little slow in places, and Brooks is a little heavy handed with the use of language, but on the whole, it contributed to an accurate reading experience that immersed me in the period.
I love the layers of Mallory’s story, especially the more I learned about the traumas and abuse she dealt with as a result of making one rash choice. Even though the environment was much more biased against women than today’s world is, I was moved by the way her reactions to what she suffered and felt that part of her character was incredibly well written. And in general, I love the other ways in which she proved her strength and intelligence as a lock-pick and a spy.
I was sure I wouldn’t like Nathaniel as a love interest at first, but his development over the course of the book changed my mind. He goes from being a bit nasty and boorish to Mallory to being one of the few people she can trust when Sir Francis comes to see her as a threat.
I would recommend this to people who are fans of richly researched historical novels.
I picked up The Locksmith’s Daughter by Karen Brooks on a whim, because the premise sounded intriguing, especially with its Tudor/Elizabethan setting, something I don’t see a lot of, apart from the occasional book about one of the monarchs or their consorts. And for the most part, it was a pretty solid read. My one complaint is that it is a little slow in places, and Brooks is a little heavy handed with the use of language, but on the whole, it contributed to an accurate reading experience that immersed me in the period.
I love the layers of Mallory’s story, especially the more I learned about the traumas and abuse she dealt with as a result of making one rash choice. Even though the environment was much more biased against women than today’s world is, I was moved by the way her reactions to what she suffered and felt that part of her character was incredibly well written. And in general, I love the other ways in which she proved her strength and intelligence as a lock-pick and a spy.
I was sure I wouldn’t like Nathaniel as a love interest at first, but his development over the course of the book changed my mind. He goes from being a bit nasty and boorish to Mallory to being one of the few people she can trust when Sir Francis comes to see her as a threat.
I would recommend this to people who are fans of richly researched historical novels.