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A review by rosebeccs
The Dangerous Kingdom of Love by Neil Blackmore
4.0
Oh this was very good and a complete surprise to me. Who knew the story of Francis Bacon could be told in such a beautiful but horrifying, gentle yet brutal way? I truly did not expect to be sitting here feeling torn apart after it but here we are. One thing I know is that this is going to stick with me. It sets up so many dichotomies – love and power, duty and reason, intelligence and hope. It really is a story where nobody ever quite wins.
The prose is stunning, I really found myself steeped right into this world. And it doesn't shy away from what was happening at court by any means. The grooming of young men for sex and the sheer wielding of power. The rage and cruelty across the board, and what people will do for a better position. Whether that leaves any room for real affection or tenderness.
I don't quite know how I feel about a lot of this yet but it will definitely be on my mind. In particular, the depiction of both Bacon and Villiers is just so fantastically complicated. In not trying to give us the easy answers, it's all the more harsh and supremely interesting.
Thanks to Random House UK for letting me read the ARC.
The prose is stunning, I really found myself steeped right into this world. And it doesn't shy away from what was happening at court by any means. The grooming of young men for sex and the sheer wielding of power. The rage and cruelty across the board, and what people will do for a better position. Whether that leaves any room for real affection or tenderness.
I don't quite know how I feel about a lot of this yet but it will definitely be on my mind. In particular, the depiction of both Bacon and Villiers is just so fantastically complicated. In not trying to give us the easy answers, it's all the more harsh and supremely interesting.
Thanks to Random House UK for letting me read the ARC.