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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
I really liked the idea of the story, but the writing felt like the author was doing a whole lot of telling rather than showing. It was over-explained, and the prose kept bouncing me out of the story.
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
sad
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
Two women, worlds apart, yet wrestling with the same pain of losing a dear one, linked together by a magnificent map. Freida is always afraid, running from a past that always seems to be coming back to haunt her. Robyn is hiding from her grief and doesn't know how to pick up the pieces of her life again. Both women have to learn how to reach for their hidden strength to carry on.
This book is heartbreakingly beautiful. Clare Marchant so beautifully brings out the pain and grief of these two women and so beautifully navigates their journey of healing. It is breathtaking. Add to that the element of mystery as Robyn researches the map's history and the wild adventure as Freida navigates the dangers of Queen Elizabeth's court and you have a book that is impossible to put down. The two different time periods and viewpoints were masterfully done.
I was fascinated by this piece of history, one that I don't know very much about, even though I am a descendant of some of those brave Huguenots. The writing is so descriptive that I feel as if I have walked every step of Freida's journey myself and I loved it. Definitely a new favourite book!
This book is heartbreakingly beautiful. Clare Marchant so beautifully brings out the pain and grief of these two women and so beautifully navigates their journey of healing. It is breathtaking. Add to that the element of mystery as Robyn researches the map's history and the wild adventure as Freida navigates the dangers of Queen Elizabeth's court and you have a book that is impossible to put down. The two different time periods and viewpoints were masterfully done.
I was fascinated by this piece of history, one that I don't know very much about, even though I am a descendant of some of those brave Huguenots. The writing is so descriptive that I feel as if I have walked every step of Freida's journey myself and I loved it. Definitely a new favourite book!
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved Clare Marchant two previous books The Secrets of Saffron Hall and The Queen’s Spy and was very excited when I saw she had a new dual timeline mystery out. I loved the setting of the 1500s and learnt so much about the persecution of the Huguenots in Holland and of their flight to London. I was fascinated by Frieda’s map making skills as I knew nothing at all about this craft, especially during this period. I loved being caught up in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, thoroughly enjoying all the descriptions of the clothing and the way people behaved around the Queen. I also enjoyed the mystery of the map in 2022. However I must admit that I found both main characters rather annoying. This hasn’t put me off the author at all, because I love all the historical details in her books and love being transported to another time.
This is a superb historical fiction, and I could have given it 5 stars were it not for the silly, nauseatingly trendy dual timeline. The 2022 side of the story was totally unnecessary and distracted from the beautiful and poignant 1580 tale. Authors, don't give in to literary fads. Tell your story, tell it well, and let it stand on its own.
informative
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes