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A review by mandym
The Blood Royal by Barbara Cleverly
4.0
First I must mention this is a book I won via the Goodreads First Reads.
Set in London during 1922, the author manages to describe the variety in life, from the poor to the very privileged in believable tones. The author uses the time period to good effect,(after a war that has affected most of the nation, the Kings' relatives in Russia executed, and Irish rebellion) developing her characters,making full use of this backdrop.
The language used was typical of that era, it helped transport and convince the reader they were "watching" events unfold in the 1920's.
Young ladies would follow the etiquette of the day, social graces which are part of byegone era are alive in this book.
The plot has many twist and turns, moving at a steady pace. The idea of a woman detective at this time was unthinkable, so Lily had to contend with a lot of negative attitudes. However Lily is portrayed as a bright and independant person, who at times manages to see clues and "deduce" ahead of her Commander.
On begining the book you are led down one path, only for that path to divert, several times before the truth can be discovered. Personally, I quite like a book with a historical backdrop, and at times it reminded me of stereotypes of that era, though stereo types exist because they are based on actual personal traits.
Nice book an I would certainly read more of the Ms Cleverly's work.
Set in London during 1922, the author manages to describe the variety in life, from the poor to the very privileged in believable tones. The author uses the time period to good effect,(after a war that has affected most of the nation, the Kings' relatives in Russia executed, and Irish rebellion) developing her characters,making full use of this backdrop.
The language used was typical of that era, it helped transport and convince the reader they were "watching" events unfold in the 1920's.
Young ladies would follow the etiquette of the day, social graces which are part of byegone era are alive in this book.
The plot has many twist and turns, moving at a steady pace. The idea of a woman detective at this time was unthinkable, so Lily had to contend with a lot of negative attitudes. However Lily is portrayed as a bright and independant person, who at times manages to see clues and "deduce" ahead of her Commander.
On begining the book you are led down one path, only for that path to divert, several times before the truth can be discovered. Personally, I quite like a book with a historical backdrop, and at times it reminded me of stereotypes of that era, though stereo types exist because they are based on actual personal traits.
Nice book an I would certainly read more of the Ms Cleverly's work.