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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Story of main character Mallory in durin the reign of Elizabeth I and the time when catholics were seen as traitors. Paints a vivid picture of that time the good and the bad. Read the content warnings before you start this book. There are a few quite graphic tellings of torture, death and rape. I wish that in return we also got a more intimate scene of Mallorry and Lord N, but that was only insinuated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War
Minor: Slavery, Death of parent
I truly enjoyed this book. It's long, and I was a bit worried about reading it in time for my book club, but the story is well written and drew me in so the pages flew by. Our book club discussion was rich and there was a lot to talk about - women's roles, religion and acceptance of different beliefs, historical references, and more. The author did a great job of giving the reader a rich understanding of the time (1580s England), while incorporating that understanding into a story that had me anxious to see what happened next.
The author summarizes the book well at the end in her interview at the end, saying how she hopes the reader "feels a sense of history, but particularly, the humanity that links us across the eons - how, for all our differences and so-called advances we are more alike than not - we still love, laugh, make silly and great decisiions and gestures, suffer, long, grieve and triumph. "
I received this book as a member of the Harper Collins Book Club Girl book club.
The author summarizes the book well at the end in her interview at the end, saying how she hopes the reader "feels a sense of history, but particularly, the humanity that links us across the eons - how, for all our differences and so-called advances we are more alike than not - we still love, laugh, make silly and great decisiions and gestures, suffer, long, grieve and triumph. "
I received this book as a member of the Harper Collins Book Club Girl book club.
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
4.5 stars. The story wasn’t as compelling as The Brewers Tale, but it kept me interested. I knew very little about that time in British history and nothing about the history of locksmithing, so I found the author’s extensive research illuminating.
I listened to the Audible edition. It was well read.
I listened to the Audible edition. It was well read.
Book #7 - 2023
Title: The Locksmith’s Daughter
Author: Karen Brooks
Pages: 741
Started: 21/03/2023
Finished: 22/04/2023
🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Locksmith’s Daughter by Karen Brooks is a historical fiction set in the 1500’s when Queen Elizabeth 1 was in reign. At the time, being Catholic was frowned upon and was a punishable offence. The story is narrated by and follows the life of Mallory Bright, a locksmith’s daughter, whom is well educated and an excellent lock pick. Mallory returns home after disgracing her family, gains employment with Queen Elizabeth’s counsel as a ‘watcher’ under the disguise of a companion to the secretary’s daughter but questions her morals after watching the public executions of three Catholic priests. The story started slightly slow and to begin with I did find it challenging at times due to the language used, mainly the speaking. However, in no time the story was moving along nicely and I had settled in with the language well. It is a powerful story, with a slight twist and a small love story intertwined.
challenging
mysterious
tense
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
Ok. I gave it 100 pages, then closed it in disgust. I could no longer tolerate Mallory's whining self-pity. Maybe if it had varied a bit, but it was just the same dirge over and over again. This book had so much potential, but when you can't get beyond hating the main character, it's just another waste of a few good trees.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes