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sheaisaliterarywreck's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and KDP for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lying with Lions is a historical fiction family saga that follows the Bryant/Davenport family primarily from the perspective of Agnes Ashford, a young archivist with forged qualifications who is looking to make her place in the world. Agnes falls into an affair with Lady Bryant and finds herself catapulted into the family drama: no longer is she merely the orphaned archivist, she is now the dearest confidant and secretary to Her Ladyship. The drama that unfolds is brutal, and none are left unscathed.
LwL reads very much like a classic from the period, but lacks the social commentary I normally appreciate coming hand-in-hand with the style. I hoped I would find the family saga compelling enough on its own, but I instead found myself irritated with the success of Agnes' manipulations despite her regular lack of forethought (many of her actions seemed to be contradictory to her characterization—in an unbelievable way, rather than in an unreliable narrator way) and the stale chemistry between Agnes and Lady Bryant. The last quarter of the book did finally begin to change my harsh opinion of Agnes and her affair, but not significantly enough for me to rate the book a full 4 stars. The concept of the story and much of its plot I thoroughly enjoyed, but its execution less so.
Lying with Lions is a historical fiction family saga that follows the Bryant/Davenport family primarily from the perspective of Agnes Ashford, a young archivist with forged qualifications who is looking to make her place in the world. Agnes falls into an affair with Lady Bryant and finds herself catapulted into the family drama: no longer is she merely the orphaned archivist, she is now the dearest confidant and secretary to Her Ladyship. The drama that unfolds is brutal, and none are left unscathed.
LwL reads very much like a classic from the period, but lacks the social commentary I normally appreciate coming hand-in-hand with the style. I hoped I would find the family saga compelling enough on its own, but I instead found myself irritated with the success of Agnes' manipulations despite her regular lack of forethought (many of her actions seemed to be contradictory to her characterization—in an unbelievable way, rather than in an unreliable narrator way) and the stale chemistry between Agnes and Lady Bryant. The last quarter of the book did finally begin to change my harsh opinion of Agnes and her affair, but not significantly enough for me to rate the book a full 4 stars. The concept of the story and much of its plot I thoroughly enjoyed, but its execution less so.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Abortion, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and War
inkyteacups's review
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
§ I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley/the author to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this novel. §
"Lying With Lions" is a historical fiction novel with a LGBT+ element. The story revolves around Agnes, who is an archivist in the noble Bryant household. Slowly, she starts to uncover more secrets and is pulled into the family business. Especially those of Lady Bryant.
Agnes and Lady Bryant stand out not because they are extremely strong characters in their own ways. Agnes is the quiet one who is smart and knows exactly how to play people. While Lady Bryant was born into power, and carries the strength to keep it. Criticisms does not matter to her. Her motives are indomitable according to her, even as a new age starts to dawn.
While the blurb promises one big secret to uncover, it is hard to discover which one exactly that is supposed to be. During the the whole plot there are plenty of scandals. So it was hard to focus on either of them because up until halfway through the book, I realised that there is not going to be a single big one that the story was building up to. In 233 pages there appear to be five family dramas, which is a lot to ask of so few pages. Added to that, that the pace is rather slow. So you end up with a book you can put aside almost any time.
However, the ending is *chef kiss*. It is raw, and powerful. In the end, it remains a tragedy and I loved it. Then there is the difference between the outside view and what really happened.
In the end, a good ending could not save "Lying with Lions" from its rating. Unfortunately, it is let down by various mistakes as well as a plot that appears to be all over the place.
A FULL REVIEW IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE ON THE BLOG LATER THIS WEEK!
"Lying With Lions" is a historical fiction novel with a LGBT+ element. The story revolves around Agnes, who is an archivist in the noble Bryant household. Slowly, she starts to uncover more secrets and is pulled into the family business. Especially those of Lady Bryant.
Agnes and Lady Bryant stand out not because they are extremely strong characters in their own ways. Agnes is the quiet one who is smart and knows exactly how to play people. While Lady Bryant was born into power, and carries the strength to keep it. Criticisms does not matter to her. Her motives are indomitable according to her, even as a new age starts to dawn.
While the blurb promises one big secret to uncover, it is hard to discover which one exactly that is supposed to be. During the the whole plot there are plenty of scandals. So it was hard to focus on either of them because up until halfway through the book, I realised that there is not going to be a single big one that the story was building up to. In 233 pages there appear to be five family dramas, which is a lot to ask of so few pages. Added to that, that the pace is rather slow. So you end up with a book you can put aside almost any time.
However, the ending is *chef kiss*. It is raw, and powerful. In the end, it remains a tragedy and I loved it. Then there is the difference between the outside view and what really happened.
In the end, a good ending could not save "Lying with Lions" from its rating. Unfortunately, it is let down by various mistakes as well as a plot that appears to be all over the place.
A FULL REVIEW IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE ON THE BLOG LATER THIS WEEK!
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, War, and Sexual content
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