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rebeccatcm's review against another edition
4.0
Holy moly! The first line and we’re off…
The Dangerous Kingdom of Love recounts the downfall of Francis Bacon, Robert Carr et al, which is fascinating in itself, but with Blackmore’s added, imaginings and behind closed doors frolics and filling in of blanks, this is superb.
It is narrated by Bacon in the first person and addressed to the reader, to whom he frequently speaks. There are wicked asides, confidences, stage whispers all for our ears (or is that eyes?) only, which create great intimacy and a feeling of being right at the centre of the machinations. Blackmore uses a mix of sixteenth century and contemporary language, which holds the flavour of the age but allows a modern flow; it also works extremely well for the asides.
A word of warning though…this is not for everyone; and I know some people will find the subject distasteful and the language unacceptable. There is much use of both the F and C words but remember, these were not considered offensive in the sixteenth century. There’s a fair amount of sex and sexual references, which whilst crude, are never graphic.
This book is shocking, scandalous, witty, sad, tender. The history is accurate, the portrayals convincing.
Neil Blackmore is a very skilled writer.
Neil Blackmore writes like Hilary Mantel on acid.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Cornerstone for the Advanced Reader Copy ofd the book which I have voluntarily reviewed.
The Dangerous Kingdom of Love recounts the downfall of Francis Bacon, Robert Carr et al, which is fascinating in itself, but with Blackmore’s added, imaginings and behind closed doors frolics and filling in of blanks, this is superb.
It is narrated by Bacon in the first person and addressed to the reader, to whom he frequently speaks. There are wicked asides, confidences, stage whispers all for our ears (or is that eyes?) only, which create great intimacy and a feeling of being right at the centre of the machinations. Blackmore uses a mix of sixteenth century and contemporary language, which holds the flavour of the age but allows a modern flow; it also works extremely well for the asides.
A word of warning though…this is not for everyone; and I know some people will find the subject distasteful and the language unacceptable. There is much use of both the F and C words but remember, these were not considered offensive in the sixteenth century. There’s a fair amount of sex and sexual references, which whilst crude, are never graphic.
This book is shocking, scandalous, witty, sad, tender. The history is accurate, the portrayals convincing.
Neil Blackmore is a very skilled writer.
Neil Blackmore writes like Hilary Mantel on acid.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Cornerstone for the Advanced Reader Copy ofd the book which I have voluntarily reviewed.
emmalibby's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jackbyne's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
stardustandstories's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lewis999's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The tale of the inevitable and scandalous fall from power of Francis Bacon. Read this in a day. Would recommend if into queer history.
For somebody who is not familiar with the story of Francis Bacon, this was very shocking. Bacon is an unreliable narrator- something hinted at from the start with "Everyone says I am the cleverest man in England" which undoubtedly is not true.. (there is no way everybody says that.. like he may think it.. but not in actuality..).
However, despite this glaringly obvious clue, I took his story at word. I believed the narrative - that he was a good guy, he was moral and trying to help. After finishing the book, I look back on the repeated comments about being moral, clever and creating a revolution as something he did to make himself feel better.. To try to convince himself of his innocence and goals.
I am so used to the narrator being the hero, to the narrator being the one in the right that when I got to the end and saw how Bacon fucked over Villiers.. how he groomed a child into becoming part of his political scheme and then seduced him.. I sat back and realised I need to question the narrators more often. Looking back, there are so many holes in his story.. so many obvious biases... And yet I was blind to them because Bacon voiced them in such a convincing manner.
I didnt realise how old Villiers was. The power imbalance was dodgy enough, let alone the age difference. Villiers had no choice.
I liked the technique of an unreliable narrator. Would definitely read similar books. Has changed my way of reading.
"And when I asked you to kill the Carrs, remember, you said yes, and why? Because of my arse. You almost killed people because of my arse. Sift that through your morality."
For somebody who is not familiar with the story of Francis Bacon, this was very shocking. Bacon is an unreliable narrator- something hinted at from the start with "Everyone says I am the cleverest man in England" which undoubtedly is not true.. (there is no way everybody says that.. like he may think it.. but not in actuality..).
However, despite this glaringly obvious clue, I took his story at word. I believed the narrative - that he was a good guy, he was moral and trying to help. After finishing the book, I look back on the repeated comments about being moral, clever and creating a revolution as something he did to make himself feel better.. To try to convince himself of his innocence and goals.
I am so used to the narrator being the hero, to the narrator being the one in the right that when I got to the end and saw how Bacon fucked over Villiers.. how he groomed a child into becoming part of his political scheme and then seduced him.. I sat back and realised I need to question the narrators more often. Looking back, there are so many holes in his story.. so many obvious biases... And yet I was blind to them because Bacon voiced them in such a convincing manner.
I didnt realise how old Villiers was. The power imbalance was dodgy enough, let alone the age difference. Villiers had no choice.
I liked the technique of an unreliable narrator. Would definitely read similar books. Has changed my way of reading.
"And when I asked you to kill the Carrs, remember, you said yes, and why? Because of my arse. You almost killed people because of my arse. Sift that through your morality."
hoodtaire's review against another edition
5.0
I have finally, after years of searching, found a depiction of George Villiers, the man with whom I am completely obsessed, that I love and believe and is fair.
I’ll keep it brief, but know I could go on for years and years about him. Buckingham was a man groomed from 20 by older, more powerful men, to be the lover of King James, and then prostituted, vilified, and assassinated. To find a work that presents him as both a victim of grooming, and also a powerful man who comes to understand his sexual worth and is finally able to wield this power himself, is so refreshing and long overdue. A man continuously straight-washed by media, vilified by historians and largely forgotten as the bisexual icon that he is, has finally been represented in a way that feels vindicating and avenging.
This book is so incredibly done, and Francis Bacon as a narrator is such a triumph, and his voice is lively and engaging and a thrill to read.
After having read The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle and now this, it’s safe to say I’m very much in love with Neil Blackmore and I eagerly await his next release. His commitment to shining a light on the queerness of history without the popular tendency to be overly optimistic or to romanticise a time in which queerness was a death sentence for so many, is so fucking cool, and I hope Neil knows how important his work is, and will stand to be.
I have finally, as self-appointed number 1 Buckingham stan, found a portrayal of him that I believe was done with good intentions and is accurate to him. Rather than a villainous power-hungry deviant, or a loser besotted with love for the king, Neil presents him as a complex and nuanced figure which feels much more fair to his legacy.
Neil I love you, can’t wait for the next one
I’ll keep it brief, but know I could go on for years and years about him. Buckingham was a man groomed from 20 by older, more powerful men, to be the lover of King James, and then prostituted, vilified, and assassinated. To find a work that presents him as both a victim of grooming, and also a powerful man who comes to understand his sexual worth and is finally able to wield this power himself, is so refreshing and long overdue. A man continuously straight-washed by media, vilified by historians and largely forgotten as the bisexual icon that he is, has finally been represented in a way that feels vindicating and avenging.
This book is so incredibly done, and Francis Bacon as a narrator is such a triumph, and his voice is lively and engaging and a thrill to read.
After having read The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle and now this, it’s safe to say I’m very much in love with Neil Blackmore and I eagerly await his next release. His commitment to shining a light on the queerness of history without the popular tendency to be overly optimistic or to romanticise a time in which queerness was a death sentence for so many, is so fucking cool, and I hope Neil knows how important his work is, and will stand to be.
I have finally, as self-appointed number 1 Buckingham stan, found a portrayal of him that I believe was done with good intentions and is accurate to him. Rather than a villainous power-hungry deviant, or a loser besotted with love for the king, Neil presents him as a complex and nuanced figure which feels much more fair to his legacy.
Neil I love you, can’t wait for the next one
meganjjang's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
alfie_and_books's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Francis Bacon teams up with the queen and seeks to find a new boyfriend for King James to protect their position at court. A funny, filthy and surprisingly quite moving queer, historical novel
timemm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75