A review by aabi_w
The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo

4.0

I enjoyed this! I loved the stylistic experimentation/stream of consciousness style told in verse. I think the balance between historical context and contemporary humour was perfect, and I haven't read anything like it prior to this. Evaristo is clearly very skilled in that respect. The coming-of-age aspect of this novel was also very well-executed; I could empathise with Zuleika's narrative while recognising its reality rooted in the archaic expectations of the novel's set time period. 4.5 stars.