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A review by anyaemilie
Lying With Lions by Annabel Fielding
3.0
Thank you to the author for the ARC! I was asked to take part in a blog tour (my first one!) and share my thoughts about this sapphic historical novel.
LYING WITH LIONS takes place in Edwardian England and follows Agnes, a young archivist who has been hired by the head of the Bryant family, the Baron of Willoughby, to organize the family’s extensive history. She is grateful for the work, having lost both her parents and with no other means of supporting herself. However, along the way she uncovers potentially dangerous family secrets, which brings her to the attention of the cunning Lady Helen, wife of the Baron. All of a sudden, Agnes is playing a much more important role in the lives of these important people and Agnes has to decide how far she is willing to go at the side of this ambitious woman.
One of my first overall impressions of this book is that Agnes inhabits a world where the men are all kind of silly, despite being the ones officially in power. The Baron is a ridiculous (and loathsome) man who doesn’t seem to care about anything beyond who will end up in his bed that night. Lady Helen’s brother, who raised her son Harold after an accident in his youth, is portrayed as a selfish cad who only really looks out for himself. Harold, who inherits his father’s title after an untimely death, is inexperienced and makes a fool of himself several times, having grown up far away from his family’s estate and unfamiliar with the ways of gentry life. These impressions are undoubtedly colored by the fact that Agnes is in love with a woman, Lady Helen. She has no patience for, or interest in, men and the ones that cross her path don’t particularly impress her.
In this world, the women are the interesting ones: Helen who hates her husband (rightfully so) and desires power, which she will do almost anything to get. Sylvia, sister of the late Baron, who tries to disinherit her nephew with a ridiculous, if clever, claim. Meredith, daughter of Lady Helen, who would much rather live in Ancient Greece than Edwardian England. Penny, a servant whose role in the story I don’t want to give away. And Agnes: at first a lowly archivist, but an ambitious, observant, and clever girl who rises to be Lady Helen’s companion and secretary, at least to the outside world. Agnes is in actuality her confidant, friend, and lover (she even refers to herself as Lady Helen’s wife after a few years).
Agnes is the connector between the servants and the family, occupying a sort of in-between place as the family archivist. This is a world where roles are clearly defined, so movement between the classes is not normal. Agnes’ ascent from hired help to Lady Helen’s companion is unusual--compare it to Tom Branson’s move from chauffeur to member of the household in Downton Abbey, which takes place around the same time. Agnes, of course, has ambitions of her own, so she will take any advantage she can get, and a close relationship with a rich widow is definitely advantageous compared to the life of an archivist-for-hire.
LYING WITH LIONS is at its core a story of ambition, and all the potential darkness that comes along with it. Lady Helen’s ambition, and Agnes’ own. As the tale goes on, it gets darker and darker and Agnes becomes more and more willing to do what Lady Helen asks of her to get and retain power in a world where a woman has very little. Also, the romantic relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen was interesting. The power dynamics and the age difference between them certainly played a part, whether it was acknowledged or not. Agnes often saw herself as Lady Helen's equal, having been intimately acquainted with her for years and having been trusted with secrets and deception. But Lady Helen never quite forgot that Agnes was at her mercy and a few decisions away from complete ruin.
Oddly, it’s also a quiet story. It’s rather slow-moving most of the time, with bursts of surprising action. There are times when the plot gets a little bogged down in description--the book is less than 250 pages but it took me a week to read it. The action was the most interesting part, and when Agnes was scheming with Helen or plotting behind the scenes, that was when the story was at its best.
As someone who doesn’t read much historical fiction anymore, it was still an enjoyable read! Like I said before, a little slow at times, but a well-rounded story. Fans of the genre would definitely like it, and it was clearly well-researched.
LYING WITH LIONS takes place in Edwardian England and follows Agnes, a young archivist who has been hired by the head of the Bryant family, the Baron of Willoughby, to organize the family’s extensive history. She is grateful for the work, having lost both her parents and with no other means of supporting herself. However, along the way she uncovers potentially dangerous family secrets, which brings her to the attention of the cunning Lady Helen, wife of the Baron. All of a sudden, Agnes is playing a much more important role in the lives of these important people and Agnes has to decide how far she is willing to go at the side of this ambitious woman.
One of my first overall impressions of this book is that Agnes inhabits a world where the men are all kind of silly, despite being the ones officially in power. The Baron is a ridiculous (and loathsome) man who doesn’t seem to care about anything beyond who will end up in his bed that night. Lady Helen’s brother, who raised her son Harold after an accident in his youth, is portrayed as a selfish cad who only really looks out for himself. Harold, who inherits his father’s title after an untimely death, is inexperienced and makes a fool of himself several times, having grown up far away from his family’s estate and unfamiliar with the ways of gentry life. These impressions are undoubtedly colored by the fact that Agnes is in love with a woman, Lady Helen. She has no patience for, or interest in, men and the ones that cross her path don’t particularly impress her.
In this world, the women are the interesting ones: Helen who hates her husband (rightfully so) and desires power, which she will do almost anything to get. Sylvia, sister of the late Baron, who tries to disinherit her nephew with a ridiculous, if clever, claim. Meredith, daughter of Lady Helen, who would much rather live in Ancient Greece than Edwardian England. Penny, a servant whose role in the story I don’t want to give away. And Agnes: at first a lowly archivist, but an ambitious, observant, and clever girl who rises to be Lady Helen’s companion and secretary, at least to the outside world. Agnes is in actuality her confidant, friend, and lover (she even refers to herself as Lady Helen’s wife after a few years).
Agnes is the connector between the servants and the family, occupying a sort of in-between place as the family archivist. This is a world where roles are clearly defined, so movement between the classes is not normal. Agnes’ ascent from hired help to Lady Helen’s companion is unusual--compare it to Tom Branson’s move from chauffeur to member of the household in Downton Abbey, which takes place around the same time. Agnes, of course, has ambitions of her own, so she will take any advantage she can get, and a close relationship with a rich widow is definitely advantageous compared to the life of an archivist-for-hire.
LYING WITH LIONS is at its core a story of ambition, and all the potential darkness that comes along with it. Lady Helen’s ambition, and Agnes’ own. As the tale goes on, it gets darker and darker and Agnes becomes more and more willing to do what Lady Helen asks of her to get and retain power in a world where a woman has very little. Also, the romantic relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen was interesting. The power dynamics and the age difference between them certainly played a part, whether it was acknowledged or not. Agnes often saw herself as Lady Helen's equal, having been intimately acquainted with her for years and having been trusted with secrets and deception. But Lady Helen never quite forgot that Agnes was at her mercy and a few decisions away from complete ruin.
Oddly, it’s also a quiet story. It’s rather slow-moving most of the time, with bursts of surprising action. There are times when the plot gets a little bogged down in description--the book is less than 250 pages but it took me a week to read it. The action was the most interesting part, and when Agnes was scheming with Helen or plotting behind the scenes, that was when the story was at its best.
As someone who doesn’t read much historical fiction anymore, it was still an enjoyable read! Like I said before, a little slow at times, but a well-rounded story. Fans of the genre would definitely like it, and it was clearly well-researched.