Take a photo of a barcode or cover
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Listened to each part as it was released each week. Not bad...pretty predictable though. 3.5 stars rounded up for the excellent narration.
The premise of the book sounded intriguing: secrets, England in the 1800s, etc. The ending was also decent and wrapped everything up nicely. My issue with this book lies in the slow-moving, dull bulk of the story. The characters are hard to connect with, and the writing isn’t exciting; every character’s emotions and thoughts are explained in detail, and the book lacks some serious “show not tell” energy.
The story also skips around the different characters’ viewpoints at random times and at least once it switches from third to first person narration, all of which made the book read as somewhat amateur-ish.
The story also skips around the different characters’ viewpoints at random times and at least once it switches from third to first person narration, all of which made the book read as somewhat amateur-ish.
I read this in one day, but after letting it sit for a week, I had some trouble recalling the specific plot points. A quick skim of the summary and other reviews brought it back, but it’s notable that the details didn’t stick in my mind independently.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was glad to read it in the midst of my Jane Austen project given the initial 1815 setting. I thought the intrigue was well-built and well-revealed, and almost all the characters were likable while complicated, which I found comforting and joyful to read. I was rooting for a happy ending for all, and that’s pretty much what we got, even posthumously. As for the mystery elements, most were wholly predictable, but for me, that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the novel.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was glad to read it in the midst of my Jane Austen project given the initial 1815 setting. I thought the intrigue was well-built and well-revealed, and almost all the characters were likable while complicated, which I found comforting and joyful to read. I was rooting for a happy ending for all, and that’s pretty much what we got, even posthumously. As for the mystery elements, most were wholly predictable, but for me, that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the novel.
It was like downton abbey with a little more scandal. I like the way the people and events all intertwined in the end but I will woefully admit that I was less familiar with this part of history than I probably should have been.
Certainly slow going at first, and it was tough to keep the characters straight. But I appreciated the attention to detail, and the story was quite rich in the end.
Julian Fellows is a master craftsman of stories, but no novelist! The dialogue would have been quippy on screen but was a little contrived and boring as a book.
The story held up decently to a second read, but again felt too much like reading episodes of a television series that made its ending obvious from the very first chapter. Some of the characters' motivations were so muddled that I still can't keep them straight, and other characters were so one-note that the intended "web of intrigue" became instead a paper-thin plot.
The story held up decently to a second read, but again felt too much like reading episodes of a television series that made its ending obvious from the very first chapter. Some of the characters' motivations were so muddled that I still can't keep them straight, and other characters were so one-note that the intended "web of intrigue" became instead a paper-thin plot.
Voilà, enfin fini ! C'était plutôt prenant même si assez prévisible. J'ai beaucoup aimé Anne, Charles et Lady Maria Grey. Caroline Brockenhurst un peu moins mais ça va. Sinon ça reste très agréable à lire, même si les chapitres interminables, bof quoi.
Historical fiction with just the right touch of drama
Got muddled down a little in the middle but I loved the last 100 pages.