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aaronboyes19's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting story full with lively detail and character development. There were times, however, when the plot needed to be moved along quicker. The ending was quite good considering the build up.
leslielu67's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent book, made excellent-er by the narrator. Set during the plague (bubonic, not corona) a group of 9 strangers band together to outrun the pestilence in England. But everyone has a secret they will be forced to confess along the way. And then there is the wolf that is following them.
jenmcmaynes's review against another edition
4.0
Creepy and atmospheric! Some of the "secrets" weren't all that hard to figure out, but the sense of dread kept me going.
aimeesbookishlife's review against another edition
4.0
This was an enjoyable read, probably more 3.5 stars but I rounded up because 3 stars felt a bit stingy. It takes a while to get into because the titular company of nine people grows slowly, so for the first few chapters they are just wandering around, avoiding the plague and meeting new people. As they get to know each other and tell their stories, accidentally exposing their lies in the process, the story becomes more compelling.
I loved Camelot as a narrator too. He was quite an unreliable narrator, which shouldn't be surprising given the book is all about lies, with a unique voice and a way of explaining the historical context without info-dumping.
The ending has been controversial on Goodreads, with some loving it and others hating it. I fall into the first category - I love endings that allow me to fill in the gaps for myself. But if you prefer neat, well-resolved endings then this isn't the book for you.
I loved Camelot as a narrator too. He was quite an unreliable narrator, which shouldn't be surprising given the book is all about lies, with a unique voice and a way of explaining the historical context without info-dumping.
The ending has been controversial on Goodreads, with some loving it and others hating it. I fall into the first category - I love endings that allow me to fill in the gaps for myself. But if you prefer neat, well-resolved endings then this isn't the book for you.
sigrundr's review against another edition
5.0
Ik hou van dit boek. Het is het soort boek waarvan het als een zonde voelt wanneer het eindigt, de personages in het verhaal sleep je mee in het dagelijkse leven en het verhaal blijft je bij. Zeer mooi geschreven, en een goede plot.
aelbergan's review against another edition
5.0
phenomenal! sinister, intriguing, well-written, and full of plot twists. overall an excellent read.
di_likes's review against another edition
4.0
This book is written like it may be made for a movie one day...
mariesreads's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the atmosphere and the characters, and what a great ending!
roseannmvp's review against another edition
5.0
Just finishing up this one. Read it in four days. Truly great read for me, likeable characters that you could follow easily, even when reading before bed, half asleep. A unique perspective on the "pestilence" and that time in history for peasants .... would not want to be them!....and "the pardoner", the "healer" the "Rune Reader" and the "Musicians" are all here with their story. A re-telling of the Canterbury Tales with a twist...A good read, for sure.
jkkb332's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so much creepier than I expected. I read a big chunk of it alone in a quiet house late at night and I was definitely on edge. I loved that about it, and a lot of other things too. I love how many times it surprised me with a twist, how it kept me just off balance enough that I didn't figure any of them out (but looking back, I can see the foreshadowing woven in so subtly and neatly). The characters were a mixed bag. Some were easy to root for. Some were tragic but annoying, and a few were just terrible, but still well developed and interesting. There were a lot of interpersonal dynamics at play in the group and Maitland did a good job of exploring them.
The pestilence was almost a character in its own right. It hunted them, haunted them. I've never read a book about the plague but what a terrifying, grotesque world to live in. I thanked the stars repeatedly that I live in the 21st century and don't have to deal with traveling in the cold rain, on foot, for months on end, or village streets filled with shit and filth, or rats in my bed, or wolves hunting me, or accidentally stumbling over a dead body and dying of the plague later that day.
The last thing I love about this book is that I'm descended from a line of Maitlands, so if this had sucked it would have been extra disappointing.
The pestilence was almost a character in its own right. It hunted them, haunted them. I've never read a book about the plague but what a terrifying, grotesque world to live in. I thanked the stars repeatedly that I live in the 21st century and don't have to deal with traveling in the cold rain, on foot, for months on end, or village streets filled with shit and filth, or rats in my bed, or wolves hunting me, or accidentally stumbling over a dead body and dying of the plague later that day.
The last thing I love about this book is that I'm descended from a line of Maitlands, so if this had sucked it would have been extra disappointing.