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A review by _haggis_
The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor
Did not finish book.
I have mixed emotions about this book - might come back to it later.
I just really struggled with the pacing of the novel. At first, the intensity of the descriptions of the great fire were exhilarating and sympathetic, I thought Taylor did a really good job at bringing the audience into the setting and aligning you with the hopelessness, fear and adrenaline of the Londoners. And then at Cat's appearance.... it just felt really meandering.
The same scene is replayed with multiple, choppy perspectives, the characters go back and revisit it (fine we get it. You think her eyes are pretty. she's mysterious. who is she???) and the book overall seemed to dally between moments of intense climax and cliff hanger - and then meander down old streets and philosophise. There seemed to impetus to solve the murders and very little at stake.
I also thought the characterisation of Cat, from what I've seen, is completely cardboard and boring. She has no personality beyond her trauma and her goals (unusual for a woman at the time) which are meant to demonstrate her rebelliousness against the patriarchy just felt twee. She also suffered from male-author-writing-a-woman syndrome: her breasts and body are constantly talked about.
The Rape scene was just tropish. I'm frustrated at the number of books recently that use 'young woman raped' as her moment of self-discovery and empowerment, and the explicitness of it made it eroticised and uncomfortable to read. I don't think it really added anything to the plot (beside being a final straw that broke the camel's back) and there's a lot of victim shaming at the start -- but then towards the end of the book she sort of forgets? And it's never brought up again??? It just feels a very tired characterisation tool, and doesn't help anyone -- certainly not those who have experienced sexual assault/harassment.
I just really struggled with the pacing of the novel. At first, the intensity of the descriptions of the great fire were exhilarating and sympathetic, I thought Taylor did a really good job at bringing the audience into the setting and aligning you with the hopelessness, fear and adrenaline of the Londoners. And then at Cat's appearance.... it just felt really meandering.
The same scene is replayed with multiple, choppy perspectives, the characters go back and revisit it (fine we get it. You think her eyes are pretty. she's mysterious. who is she???) and the book overall seemed to dally between moments of intense climax and cliff hanger - and then meander down old streets and philosophise. There seemed to impetus to solve the murders and very little at stake.
I also thought the characterisation of Cat, from what I've seen, is completely cardboard and boring. She has no personality beyond her trauma and her goals (unusual for a woman at the time) which are meant to demonstrate her rebelliousness against the patriarchy just felt twee. She also suffered from male-author-writing-a-woman syndrome: her breasts and body are constantly talked about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape