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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
I liked this way more than I expected! I picked it up as a casual little audiobook between holds at the library and had a lot of fun. I am a sucker for a Tudor setting. I love witches. I love diversity in historical fiction. All these things were made for a positive start.
The Tudor setting ended up being way more relevant than I expected, with Anne and Henry becoming actual characters. Let me say now, I am PICKY about how they are portrayed in fiction, but I loved this version! I think McNee struck a perfect balance between Henry's dark side and his frustrating ability to be charming. She also struck a perfect balance between Anne being seen as "witchy" and "suspicious" but being this charming, interesting, and deeply introspective person. She was treated kindly by the narrative. She was not the scheming bitch some novels make her out to be, but she wasn't just a submissive two-dimensional character either. She was layered and frightened and human and placed in an impossible situation. My only personal problem is that I love her absurdly and therefore find it hard to be objective when characters have to make decisions that impact her safety, because my brain goes "she's a real person and you're just fictional, be kind to her" as if they could reach back through history and save her in real life. Which is truly not logical, I know.
Other notes on the history: McNee has clearly done her research on marginalised people in history, while also allowing room for creative licence. Rufus's gifted name pays tribute to a real Tudor-era Black man, and though the real man wasn't a trumpeter at court, there were Black trumpeters at court, just like Rufus! Attention was also given to the disabled people who were hired as "fools" and to how marginalised woman often ended up as wise women and witches.
Anyway, I was very fond of these characters. I've seen many reviews frustrated with Maude. Yes, she's selfish and she buys into all the lies she's been raised on regarding her value as a woman. I LOVED that she was like this though, because it allowed us to be completely immersed in her headspace. It allowed so much room for growth as she realised who would truly accept her for who she was. I also loved the lesbian witches so much. My own partner is deaf and seeing that representation obviously struck a chord with me.
The rating dropped a little toward the end though. The plot felt less cohesive when the royal court became the main focus. Maude's situation was heart wrenching and, putting my own bias for Anne aside, I understand the decisions she had to make. Yet they weren't necessarily as narratively satisfying as they could have been. I liked that she chose her found family... but I hated that a different kind of misogyny had to win for her happy ending. I would have felt much better if the main climax had been focused around how she learned to accept her "witch's mark" and love herself for who she was.
The Tudor setting ended up being way more relevant than I expected, with Anne and Henry becoming actual characters. Let me say now, I am PICKY about how they are portrayed in fiction, but I loved this version! I think McNee struck a perfect balance between Henry's dark side and his frustrating ability to be charming. She also struck a perfect balance between Anne being seen as "witchy" and "suspicious" but being this charming, interesting, and deeply introspective person. She was treated kindly by the narrative. She was not the scheming bitch some novels make her out to be, but she wasn't just a submissive two-dimensional character either. She was layered and frightened and human and placed in an impossible situation. My only personal problem is that I love her absurdly and therefore find it hard to be objective when characters have to make decisions that impact her safety, because my brain goes "she's a real person and you're just fictional, be kind to her" as if they could reach back through history and save her in real life. Which is truly not logical, I know.
Other notes on the history: McNee has clearly done her research on marginalised people in history, while also allowing room for creative licence. Rufus's gifted name pays tribute to a real Tudor-era Black man, and though the real man wasn't a trumpeter at court, there were Black trumpeters at court, just like Rufus! Attention was also given to the disabled people who were hired as "fools" and to how marginalised woman often ended up as wise women and witches.
Anyway, I was very fond of these characters. I've seen many reviews frustrated with Maude. Yes, she's selfish and she buys into all the lies she's been raised on regarding her value as a woman. I LOVED that she was like this though, because it allowed us to be completely immersed in her headspace. It allowed so much room for growth as she realised who would truly accept her for who she was. I also loved the lesbian witches so much. My own partner is deaf and seeing that representation obviously struck a chord with me.
The rating dropped a little toward the end though. The plot felt less cohesive when the royal court became the main focus. Maude's situation was heart wrenching and, putting my own bias for Anne aside, I understand the decisions she had to make. Yet they weren't necessarily as narratively satisfying as they could have been. I liked that she chose her found family... but I hated that a different kind of misogyny had to win for her happy ending. I would have felt much better if the main climax had been focused around how she learned to accept her "witch's mark" and love herself for who she was.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“I think you are a woman of power and intuition, Your Majesty.”
“Does that make me a witch?”
“Only if it gets in a man’s way.
It was an okay read for me. Our main character does change throughout the story, although she wasn’t exactly a model moral of human by the end either. But I do like that, somehow, that she is undeniably still unlikeable till the end.
At first I do think there is gonna be major changes from her pre-witch to her post-witch days, but alas theres not much I would say. Except that this time she gets to be true to herself.
As the setting is in the 15th century, please do expect that theres gonna be a load of issues prevalent to that period of time.
Patriarchy, monarchy, slavery, witchery, racism and so so much debauchery.
“Does that make me a witch?”
“Only if it gets in a man’s way.
It was an okay read for me. Our main character does change throughout the story, although she wasn’t exactly a model moral of human by the end either. But I do like that, somehow, that she is undeniably still unlikeable till the end.
At first I do think there is gonna be major changes from her pre-witch to her post-witch days, but alas theres not much I would say. Except that this time she gets to be true to herself.
As the setting is in the 15th century, please do expect that theres gonna be a load of issues prevalent to that period of time.
Patriarchy, monarchy, slavery, witchery, racism and so so much debauchery.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was an enjoyable surprise. I listened to it on audio without knowing too much about it because it was available and I was looking for some light reading to occupy my restless mind. It did exactly that.
Things I liked:
- The portrayal of magic. Is it magic? Or is a strong emotional intelligence. Is it magic, or just a woman knowing her way around a herb garden. Is it magic or just the belief that it is? This felt very true to the historical time.
- The narrator/main character. Definitely not always likable, but always funny and self aware enough that seeing the world through her eyes wasn't a punishment. Also, through background and her place in society at this point in history, you could kind of understand her flaws, if not forgive them.
- The portrayal of court and courtly society as this weird microcosm
Things I disliked:
- the language in this book was weird. All the 'verily' and 'art thou' combined with 'what the fuck' gave me history whiplash. I don't like it when the dialogue in historical novels is overly modern. People at that time did not say fuck all the time, and it took me out of the atmosphere of the book
- the romance element felt very sudden and underdeveloped. It just sort of happened, without getting to understand what brings these characters together. I wish the build-up to that had been better.
Overall, this is not a book I will be pressing into the hands of all friends and family, or ever reread, but it kept me company when I needed it and it was a fun ride. A solid 6,5 out of 10.
Things I liked:
- The portrayal of magic. Is it magic? Or is a strong emotional intelligence. Is it magic, or just a woman knowing her way around a herb garden. Is it magic or just the belief that it is? This felt very true to the historical time.
- The narrator/main character. Definitely not always likable, but always funny and self aware enough that seeing the world through her eyes wasn't a punishment. Also, through background and her place in society at this point in history, you could kind of understand her flaws, if not forgive them.
- The portrayal of court and courtly society as this weird microcosm
Things I disliked:
- the language in this book was weird. All the 'verily' and 'art thou' combined with 'what the fuck' gave me history whiplash. I don't like it when the dialogue in historical novels is overly modern. People at that time did not say fuck all the time, and it took me out of the atmosphere of the book
- the romance element felt very sudden and underdeveloped. It just sort of happened, without getting to understand what brings these characters together. I wish the build-up to that had been better.
Overall, this is not a book I will be pressing into the hands of all friends and family, or ever reread, but it kept me company when I needed it and it was a fun ride. A solid 6,5 out of 10.
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5. wish there was more of them doing day to day witchy shit in addition to the court section.
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-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:
Complicated
I'm bored. Nothing is gripping me and I can't take any more of Maude's whining.
Regrettably, I did not finish this book. I don’t remember from where I got this recommendation but I thoroughly disliked it. After 50% I gave up hope.
Maube was unlikable and hard to relate to as the MC, her character having been inconsistently written and flimsy. The rest of the characters felt very one dimensional and the writing over all was weak.
Maube was unlikable and hard to relate to as the MC, her character having been inconsistently written and flimsy. The rest of the characters felt very one dimensional and the writing over all was weak.