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abbyboolin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Loved the format of a fictional reimagining of a real person still planted firmly in real history. Fiction but I still learned a lot . Let’s be real too - Joan of Arc did live and exist , but as we know her feels more of a mythology. This Joan somehow feels like what Joan should or could have been - she is not divine, the book places no value on the existence of god (interesting perspective of medieval religiosity) and she is an actual warrior. She fails and has flaws. The book captured me instantly. The author masterfully maintained and built upon threads of themes, motifs, memories throughout the entire story.
rachdotmoe's review
adventurous
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.25
kelseyholler's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
helen_is's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
te_books's review against another edition
4.0
I loved it! The author’s words are lyrical. She has a gift for capturing the haunting inner dialogue of Joan. The story is tragic, but interesting, and I went into it not knowing much about Joan of Arc or her childhood. Happy to see the author’s notes in the end explaining what was fictionalized versus the historical story.
haileymcn's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
antiqueyouth's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
2.0
I know the basics of the story of Joan of Arc, I've seen the TV miniseries and The Messenger and of course Ingrid Berman's tour de force performance. I've done some historical reading of Saint Joan, but all that being said, I had a hard time with this book. The author takes religion completely out of the book and the only time it is mentioned is in a negative way.. The Joan of history was deeply religious, the Joan of this book doesn't think of religion much if at all, except as a means to an end. Her visions don't appear in any form, and she only agrees to be called a holy woman in order to meet the king and raise troops to fight against the English, who have sacked her village.
I also think too much time was spent on Joan's youth. It was a real slog to get through, almost a third of the book, before it got interesting, because time had passed and she was old enough to be the Joan from the stories. IT was just story after story of Joan's father beating her, and her running away and finding solace with others. I don't think so much time should have been spent on her abuse by her father, which is, of course, from the author's imagination./
This book just didn't work for me, as someone who takes Joan of Arc and her legacy more seriously than the author.
I also think too much time was spent on Joan's youth. It was a real slog to get through, almost a third of the book, before it got interesting, because time had passed and she was old enough to be the Joan from the stories. IT was just story after story of Joan's father beating her, and her running away and finding solace with others. I don't think so much time should have been spent on her abuse by her father, which is, of course, from the author's imagination./
This book just didn't work for me, as someone who takes Joan of Arc and her legacy more seriously than the author.
sixcubes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
elysiumreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0