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spacearcheologist's review
2.0
I thought I was really going to enjoy this book, and I did, for the first half and then it slowly began to lose my interest. It turned out to be entirely different than I was expecting, and it didn’t appeal to me.
Agnes was a little too dull of a main character for me, she didn’t have a lot of personality and was very much a blank slate/mirror for those around her. There was a great deal of foreshadowing regarding her ‘past’ that was never really fleshed out properly and her romantic storyline was shallow at best. It wasn’t at all passionate and seemed to be held together by the finest threads of desire.
Some of the side characters, particularly the two surviving Bryant ‘children were slightly more interesting, but they barely had any interesting scenes. The conflict in the story was wishy-washy and I felt that the book just spanned too many years for what it was.
I didn’t hate it but I also had to push myself to finish it, it did nothing for me.
I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
Agnes was a little too dull of a main character for me, she didn’t have a lot of personality and was very much a blank slate/mirror for those around her. There was a great deal of foreshadowing regarding her ‘past’ that was never really fleshed out properly and her romantic storyline was shallow at best. It wasn’t at all passionate and seemed to be held together by the finest threads of desire.
Some of the side characters, particularly the two surviving Bryant ‘children were slightly more interesting, but they barely had any interesting scenes. The conflict in the story was wishy-washy and I felt that the book just spanned too many years for what it was.
I didn’t hate it but I also had to push myself to finish it, it did nothing for me.
I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
risingblind's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with the eARC of this book, Lying with Lions by Annabel Fielding.
Lying with Lions is a work of historical fiction that follows Agnes, an archivist, who works for the noble Bryant family and discovers secrets from their past which they would rather be left uncovered. It progresses as Agnes becomes more intertwined in their deceit and struggle for power over the course of several years.
Unfortunately this book just did not grab my attention, whilst I enjoyed the premise it just failed to live up to what I wish it could have been. I enjoyed the insights provided into the characters and their dynamics with each other but that was overshadowed by the fact that I heavily disliked the pacing of the book. I also felt that the timeline just wasn’t made clear and there was quite a lack of development for so long.
Lying with Lions is a work of historical fiction that follows Agnes, an archivist, who works for the noble Bryant family and discovers secrets from their past which they would rather be left uncovered. It progresses as Agnes becomes more intertwined in their deceit and struggle for power over the course of several years.
Unfortunately this book just did not grab my attention, whilst I enjoyed the premise it just failed to live up to what I wish it could have been. I enjoyed the insights provided into the characters and their dynamics with each other but that was overshadowed by the fact that I heavily disliked the pacing of the book. I also felt that the timeline just wasn’t made clear and there was quite a lack of development for so long.
finn_nn's review
2.0
I enjoyed the writing style and overall premise of the book but there were several outdated and offensive terms used throughout the story. Although the book is set in the Edwardian era, it would have been very easy to use non-offensive language, especially since it’s use was never pertinent to the story. Overall I’m giving the book 2.5 stars.
Tws:
-sexual assault
-child death
-homicide
(These are just ones I noticed, there could definitely be more)
I also received this book as an arc
Tws:
-sexual assault
-child death
-homicide
(These are just ones I noticed, there could definitely be more)
I also received this book as an arc
bookishreadsandme's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Lying With Lions is an intriguing and captivating tale of the privileged Bryant Family who hold some very dark secrets. Our protagonist Agnes discovers these shocking truths and find herself caught up in the family’s cunning ways especially her involvement with the powerful Lady Helen.
The main characters are selfish, greedy and even corrupt. There is a heavy gloom that shadows around the Bryant Family and you know from the very start that some twisted truths are going to be unleashed.
It has a bit of romance and I found it so refreshing having some LBTQ+ rep in one of the main storylines. I particularly loved the details the author wrote so beautifully about the era before the First World War whether it’s political events, descriptions of the everyday lives of people of that time to the immersive, vivid details of Hartfell Hall.
The author successfully keeps you gripped throughout with the tense atmosphere she creates and the suspense of each unravelling of truth that then escalates to a shocking ending.
A compelling and entertaining read that fans of historical fiction will revel in.
littlemonster's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
⋆⋆⋆⋆
Thank you to NetGalley and KDP for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: death (including that of a child), murder, arson, rape, sexual assault, misogyny.
Agnes Ashford has been taken on by the prestigious Bryant Family to work as an archivist. When she happens upon a piece of information that reveals the dark underbelly of the secretive family, it only leads her deeper into their thrall. It doesn't help that she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the charming Lady of the house, Helen, who is as equally beautiful as she is ruthless. If only Agnes knew just what this treacherous path would lead her to...
Darkly luxurious, teeming with secrets and malice, Fielding's Lying With Lions kept me enthralled until the very end. As someone who is a huge fan of historical fiction, I was only too glad to pick this one up, especially when I realized that it was a turn of the century Gothic. I've never read any Fielding's other books, although I've had a few on my to-read list for many years now, and I'll certainly be diving into them now!
In essence a character study, we follow the reserved, cunningly smart Agnes as she climbs through the ranks, making herself an invaluable tool for Lady Helen. Both of them are fascinating, oftentimes downright Machiavellian in their scheming, and it's these two that truly bring the the novel into vivid life. There's also Meredith and Harold, Lady Helen's children, who are equally interesting and show us the true dysfunction of the family through their eyes.
Funnily enough, the main criticism I have is that I actually think this could have benefitted from being longer! It's only around 230 pages, not very big at all, and while I think usually books need things to be cut or pared down, it was the opposite in this case. We skip ahead a few years several times throughout, but I would've liked a couple more chapters for each time span. I think that, with a bit more material, the relationship that blossoms between Helen and Agnes would've been even more engrossing and well-fleshed out.
I also must mention that Fielding has a truly beautiful way with words. Some of her descriptions are just absolutely gorgeous, and I loved feeling as if I were actually transported back to Edwardian England. I think some might, like myself, be a bit confused by some of the politics of the time (for example, there's a lot to do with Asquith, Home Rule and arms trades) but don't let that daunt you! Once you get fully into the novel, everything comes together, and you might end up learning more about the time, just as I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and KDP for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: death (including that of a child), murder, arson, rape, sexual assault, misogyny.
Agnes Ashford has been taken on by the prestigious Bryant Family to work as an archivist. When she happens upon a piece of information that reveals the dark underbelly of the secretive family, it only leads her deeper into their thrall. It doesn't help that she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the charming Lady of the house, Helen, who is as equally beautiful as she is ruthless. If only Agnes knew just what this treacherous path would lead her to...
Darkly luxurious, teeming with secrets and malice, Fielding's Lying With Lions kept me enthralled until the very end. As someone who is a huge fan of historical fiction, I was only too glad to pick this one up, especially when I realized that it was a turn of the century Gothic. I've never read any Fielding's other books, although I've had a few on my to-read list for many years now, and I'll certainly be diving into them now!
In essence a character study, we follow the reserved, cunningly smart Agnes as she climbs through the ranks, making herself an invaluable tool for Lady Helen. Both of them are fascinating, oftentimes downright Machiavellian in their scheming, and it's these two that truly bring the the novel into vivid life. There's also Meredith and Harold, Lady Helen's children, who are equally interesting and show us the true dysfunction of the family through their eyes.
Funnily enough, the main criticism I have is that I actually think this could have benefitted from being longer! It's only around 230 pages, not very big at all, and while I think usually books need things to be cut or pared down, it was the opposite in this case. We skip ahead a few years several times throughout, but I would've liked a couple more chapters for each time span. I think that, with a bit more material, the relationship that blossoms between Helen and Agnes would've been even more engrossing and well-fleshed out.
I also must mention that Fielding has a truly beautiful way with words. Some of her descriptions are just absolutely gorgeous, and I loved feeling as if I were actually transported back to Edwardian England. I think some might, like myself, be a bit confused by some of the politics of the time (for example, there's a lot to do with Asquith, Home Rule and arms trades) but don't let that daunt you! Once you get fully into the novel, everything comes together, and you might end up learning more about the time, just as I did!
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