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rach345's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rotig813's review
4.0
For those who know me, know that I love historical fiction about strong females and almost anything Tudors. When I am not reading historical fiction, I do enjoy a nice "who done it" for a change of pace. This was like a 2 for 1 book, Tudor history and a murder mystery. It was a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon (plus the book needs to go back to the library).
hannah2186's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
augureader's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I decided 2023 would be the year of reading my bookshelf, rather than just getting seduced by all the pretty new books on the internet, and everyone else’s bookshelves. So, I went up to my unread books, picked 3 and decided to read a chapter to see which one took my interest the most.
I got this book in a Historical Fiction box I bought more than 2 years ago now, and it’s been prettying up my bookshelves ever since. The premise is so intriguing, and I thought the first chapter piqued my interest. (Also, the copy I have is a floppy paperback, which tipped the scales even further in its favour.) I loved that this had a dual timeline, and that it wasn’t centred around a world war. And, while the writing wasn’t quite exquisite, it was easy enough to read with its large print and lower page count (it ended on 367 rather than the 402 it promised due to an excerpt from another book taking up the last 30+ pages). So far, so good, but then… the repetition started. I got very tired of reading about how there was nothing between Lizzie and Dudley, and how everyone kept thinking there was. I found the characters (pretty much all of them) one-dimensionally insipid and vacuous, and the plot to take too long to actually… start. We get introduced to Johnny and then lose him for about 35% of the book. The logic used didn’t really make sense to me – Why everyone would react to what happened was beyond me… highlighting and underlining the “vacuous”. And I thought BOTH storylines started many things but didn’t finish them well enough for me to consider it a “good book”. So… It was OK, and I liked things about it, but I don’t know that I’ll be singing any praises from any mountain tops. It’s a very quick read and has a decent enough plot twist, if not well-developed characters to back it up.
megs004's review
2.0
I really struggled with this book. I don’t think the dual timelines work and I had no idea what I was reading most of the time. I had to force myself to keep reading. I thought the premise would be good going in but maybe this book was not for me.
drmuenke's review
4.0
Loved this book. It was a fast-paced dual timeline book where the modern day characters are replaying their mistakes from the 1500s. It was fun to see how royalty was re-presented as famous artists. Recommend for a interesting twist on historical fiction.
abby_reading's review
3.0
An enjoyable read, telling the real life stories surrounding the death of Amy Robsart, wife of Queen Elizabeth I’s favourite courtier, Robert Dudley. Then there is a parallel story of modern day counterparts, cleverly named and characterised to reflect the characters from the past. We have Lizzie Kingdom, a flame haired, clean cut celebrity and Dudley Lester, childhood friend of Lizzie and rather an unlikeable character, married to Millie (Amelia) Robsart, who dies in mysterious circumstances.
Throughout the modern day story, history repeats like an echo from the past, though it is not clear throughout whether our present day characters are descendants, ghosts, coincidental players.
I liked the idea of objects and buildings being able to ‘inherit’ memory from events, which allows the present day characters to glimpse details from the past, tying the two stories together. There are also other paranormal elements to the story, which add interest.
I felt that the story didn’t really pick up the pace until almost halfway through, I would have been hooked earlier on, although I’m quite familiar with the story of Amy Robsart so didn’t need so much scene setting. The historical chapters were an absolute pleasure to read and it was interesting to read present day parallels.
Thank you to HQ for sending me an advance copy to read and I look forward to reading more titles.
Throughout the modern day story, history repeats like an echo from the past, though it is not clear throughout whether our present day characters are descendants, ghosts, coincidental players.
I liked the idea of objects and buildings being able to ‘inherit’ memory from events, which allows the present day characters to glimpse details from the past, tying the two stories together. There are also other paranormal elements to the story, which add interest.
I felt that the story didn’t really pick up the pace until almost halfway through, I would have been hooked earlier on, although I’m quite familiar with the story of Amy Robsart so didn’t need so much scene setting. The historical chapters were an absolute pleasure to read and it was interesting to read present day parallels.
Thank you to HQ for sending me an advance copy to read and I look forward to reading more titles.
cmspeaks's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0