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aethelgifu's review
4.0
I'm partial to a bit of historical fiction and my tastes are quite catholic running as they do from Hilary Mantel to Emily Purdy via Rosemary Sutcliff, Jean Plaidy and Philippa Gregory. Sarah Gristwood, like Alison Weir, is a historian turned novelist and I've enjoyed her non-ficton ['Arbella' and 'Elizabeth and Leicester'].
I was enjoying this tale of a cross-dressing female Huguenot gardener unwittingly involved in Tudor espionage until I came to pg 130 and the following sentence:
'As her ladies followed hastily I heard an exasperated murmur - 'Philadelphia...' - spoken exasperatedly.'
I know we don't have copy editors any more but it's just sloppy.
I persevered and really enjoyed this book: it's an intriguing slant on the downfall of the Earl of Essex, and Sarah Gristwood's knowledge of the characters and period does not intrude. She also convincingly maintains her first person multi voice narrative structure throughout and there is no exposition of plot through dialogue ;->
I'm looking forward to her next foray into fiction.
I was enjoying this tale of a cross-dressing female Huguenot gardener unwittingly involved in Tudor espionage until I came to pg 130 and the following sentence:
'As her ladies followed hastily I heard an exasperated murmur - 'Philadelphia...' - spoken exasperatedly.'
I know we don't have copy editors any more but it's just sloppy.
I persevered and really enjoyed this book: it's an intriguing slant on the downfall of the Earl of Essex, and Sarah Gristwood's knowledge of the characters and period does not intrude. She also convincingly maintains her first person multi voice narrative structure throughout and there is no exposition of plot through dialogue ;->
I'm looking forward to her next foray into fiction.
jennp28's review
3.0
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
Interesting in that it focuses on one particular episode in the reign of Elizabeth I - Essex's downward spiral. Also interesting in that it is from the point of view of a commoner on the fringes, and even more so a girl masquerading as a boy.
I liked how the garden/flower theme was carried through the book, with descriptions of the changing seasons and weather all done in terms of flowers.
Interesting in that it focuses on one particular episode in the reign of Elizabeth I - Essex's downward spiral. Also interesting in that it is from the point of view of a commoner on the fringes, and even more so a girl masquerading as a boy.
I liked how the garden/flower theme was carried through the book, with descriptions of the changing seasons and weather all done in terms of flowers.
miramanga's review
4.0
This was a first for me! After decades of avoiding bodice rippers I finally succumbed to this after a friend recommended it. Totally not my style (no spaceships / aliens / unicorns or magic for start) and also it was a story told around historical events which normally I would avoid like the plague. (No pun intended - this is not about the black plague.)
This is the story of a young French orphaned disguised as a boy living in London who unwittingly stumbles into the middle of a circle of secrets and plotting revolving around the Earl of Essex and the Queen.
It shames me to admit that I had no knowledge of the The Earl of Essex Rebellion - I'm not a fan of history (as I am sure you can tell) but I loved learning about the human intrigue and the whole story. It just goes to show. Fiction can make anything fun.
The love triangle / story moves a little bit slowly for me and I found it a bit frustrating but it kept me gripped the whole way through. Very pleased that I stumbled across this.
This is the story of a young French orphaned disguised as a boy living in London who unwittingly stumbles into the middle of a circle of secrets and plotting revolving around the Earl of Essex and the Queen.
It shames me to admit that I had no knowledge of the The Earl of Essex Rebellion - I'm not a fan of history (as I am sure you can tell) but I loved learning about the human intrigue and the whole story. It just goes to show. Fiction can make anything fun.
The love triangle / story moves a little bit slowly for me and I found it a bit frustrating but it kept me gripped the whole way through. Very pleased that I stumbled across this.
stark_serenity's review
1.0
DNF. This book just isn't doing it for me. It's boring. I skimmed ahead to see if it gets any better but it doesn't seem to. I wanted to give it a chance before just giving up and I think I really did.
Just wasn't my cup of tea.
Just wasn't my cup of tea.
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