Reviews

Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee

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revelyn13's review

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dark

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

leilaxx's review

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1.0

DNF 300 pages.
I know I am close to the end, but I cannot do this anymore.

How shall I begin to encapsulate my disappointment?
I chose this book because I was ready to be blown away by the intensity of the women and their cunning ways of dealing with magic and witchcraft in this novel.

This was a love story. I don't usually go for a book based on love and romance. I prefer something else. The library marked this as fantasy, which was very misleading; essentially, this was just a romance that brewed between two characters after two interactions. The premise for their love was so uninteresting and did not make sense. You're telling me you fell in love with her because she's not like other girls? Her hair is wild, she has eyes like the sea, and she believed in you? When your whole town shunned them out, and you don't have the decency to better things for her family, only just hiding her as your milkmaid. Sir, go outside. You would have continued treating her like shit if she didn't compliment you. The writing made it very hard to stay connected with the story, and I did not understand the sudden love or connection that "blossomed" between the two main protagonists. Two interactions between them, and the next thing you know, they're professing their love for one another. So early on in the book, I did not expect it. I was hoping for a strong and fearsome lead and her connection to the lore about her family. Nothing magic related was introduced, just vaguely brushed upon.

I was expecting cunning women that took back their power and control, their use of witchcraft and the family history of strength.

Also, how does no one recognise her at her new job? Am I really to believe that just because she's wearing a new set of clean clothes and well-groomed hair, she's unrecognisable to everyone, yet we are constantly told of her unique ocean-madness eyes?

To summarise my thoughts:
The characters were vague and not very interesting
The writing was hard to read at times and lacked depth
The premise was just an instant love story
This narrative of Sarah felt like she was trying to be the next Vasilia Petrovna in all the wrong ways.

murrreads's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

cab15's review

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dark sad slow-paced

Loveable characters? No

2.25

Content Warnings

moominmama_11's review against another edition

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3.0

Set in 1620, just after the Pendle witch trials, Elizabeth Lee’s debut novel tells the story of witchcraft and twarted love.

The “cunning woman” is a healer and a witch, and she’s outcast from the village, forced to send her children out in rags to beg and peddle curses to the villagers. Sarah, her eldest daughter meets kind hearted farmer’s boy Daniel and, although they know they shouldn’t, they can’t stay away from each other. A new zealous magistrate and the iron fist of the patriarchy step in, and their blooming love is threatened…

The book is atmospheric, sad and enraging, but it was a slow starter and I felt there could have been more magic to the magic. 3.5/5 (0.5 for my homegirls, the witches)