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A review by bookfever
The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau
4.0
4.5/5★
At that moment I do not feel that I've agreed to a spying-for-money scheme but something finer something extraordinary. The quest for blue. And something more. This is our shared obsession now.
—The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau
I bought The Blue back in February because I saw fellow bloggers recommend the book and it wasn't until April when I randomly decided to start it because I was away at the time and only had my Kindle to read on but I'm so glad I picked it because I enjoyed reading it so much. And even more, I was actually really impressed by the story as well because it took some turns that I definitely didn't see coming. It's always a good thing to be pleasantly surprised by a book when you least expect it.
I'm a big history fan but I don't exactly read a lot of books that are set in the eighteenth century. I've read some but I wouldn't say they're the majority of the historical fiction I read. I'm more drawn to ancient history usually but I just couldn't get enough of the setting in this book. It was set both in England and France while both countries were at war with each other during the Seven Years War. I found this to be highly fascinating.
The main character, Genevieve Planché, was born in England but she's descendent of of Huguenot refugees and hates France and its king. This was another thing I found interesting to read about because prior to this book I wasn't familiar with the Huguenots at all. So The Blue was not only entertaining to read about but educational as well. Although not the most likable of characters in general, in my personal opinion, I did like reading about Genevieve. I loved her spirit and her passion for art and wanting to persue it even though nobody would take her seriously as a female artist in England in this time.
This is where Sir Gabriel Courtenay comes in the story when he offers Genevieve the opportunity to spy for him and in return he'll send her to Venice where female artists are more accepted than in London. In the eighteenth century porcelaine was one of the most sought after commodities, so a lot of people wanted to learn its secret and in the case of Sir Gabriel he needed Genevieve to learn the secret of a new and special color of blue, which could change the game entirely.
I never knew the color blue had such a complex and mysterious history. It fascinated me so much. I also really enjoyed reading about the industrial espionage where Genevieve got herself tangled up in. This made for an intense and thrilling read where I almost couldn't tear myself away from my Kindle. I'll definitely have to check out the author's other books because I definitely want to read more of her writing.
The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau was a very captivating read. It had espionage, romance, the writing was remarkable and everything I learnt and read in the book about the porcelain trade was so very fascinating to me. I know that at the end of the year this book will absolutely appear in my top ten of favorite books of the year. Go buy this book now. Seriously!
At that moment I do not feel that I've agreed to a spying-for-money scheme but something finer something extraordinary. The quest for blue. And something more. This is our shared obsession now.
—The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau
I bought The Blue back in February because I saw fellow bloggers recommend the book and it wasn't until April when I randomly decided to start it because I was away at the time and only had my Kindle to read on but I'm so glad I picked it because I enjoyed reading it so much. And even more, I was actually really impressed by the story as well because it took some turns that I definitely didn't see coming. It's always a good thing to be pleasantly surprised by a book when you least expect it.
I'm a big history fan but I don't exactly read a lot of books that are set in the eighteenth century. I've read some but I wouldn't say they're the majority of the historical fiction I read. I'm more drawn to ancient history usually but I just couldn't get enough of the setting in this book. It was set both in England and France while both countries were at war with each other during the Seven Years War. I found this to be highly fascinating.
The main character, Genevieve Planché, was born in England but she's descendent of of Huguenot refugees and hates France and its king. This was another thing I found interesting to read about because prior to this book I wasn't familiar with the Huguenots at all. So The Blue was not only entertaining to read about but educational as well. Although not the most likable of characters in general, in my personal opinion, I did like reading about Genevieve. I loved her spirit and her passion for art and wanting to persue it even though nobody would take her seriously as a female artist in England in this time.
This is where Sir Gabriel Courtenay comes in the story when he offers Genevieve the opportunity to spy for him and in return he'll send her to Venice where female artists are more accepted than in London. In the eighteenth century porcelaine was one of the most sought after commodities, so a lot of people wanted to learn its secret and in the case of Sir Gabriel he needed Genevieve to learn the secret of a new and special color of blue, which could change the game entirely.
I never knew the color blue had such a complex and mysterious history. It fascinated me so much. I also really enjoyed reading about the industrial espionage where Genevieve got herself tangled up in. This made for an intense and thrilling read where I almost couldn't tear myself away from my Kindle. I'll definitely have to check out the author's other books because I definitely want to read more of her writing.
The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau was a very captivating read. It had espionage, romance, the writing was remarkable and everything I learnt and read in the book about the porcelain trade was so very fascinating to me. I know that at the end of the year this book will absolutely appear in my top ten of favorite books of the year. Go buy this book now. Seriously!