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A review by theteaisaddictive
The Bookseller of Inverness by S.G. MacLean
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A very enjoyable read! This was a Christmas gift and not something I would’ve picked up for myself; I found it to be a real page-turner, and as my BA was in Literature and Scottish History I found the period setting really interesting as well.
The romance is definitely the weakest aspect of the novel, although understandably so as it’s nowhere near being the main focus. I did appreciate the diversity of experiences amongst the characters, and especially the prioritisation of women in what is on paper a very male-centric novel. There is, of course, a deep dramatic irony in reading about characters so devoted to the Jacobite cause and convinced that the next rising will work, in a contemporary Scotland that did not experience that successful rising.
The romance is definitely the weakest aspect of the novel, although understandably so as it’s nowhere near being the main focus. I did appreciate the diversity of experiences amongst the characters, and especially the prioritisation of women in what is on paper a very male-centric novel. There is, of course, a deep dramatic irony in reading about characters so devoted to the Jacobite cause and convinced that the next rising will work, in a contemporary Scotland that did not experience that successful rising.