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emreadswithtea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I listened to this on audio and loved the narration. I first encountered this fabulous narrator in one of the Seven Sisters book series by Lucinda Riley, The Moon Sister. This is the first book since reading the Seven Sisters series that I found to be reminiscent of that unique genre: a sweeping story blending family lineage mystery, historical fiction, light crime/suspense, adventure, with a sprinkle of mystical themes, and a complex tale that all comes together in the end in ways you can’t predict. Getting to the end makes me want to add it back to my list for a re-read to have the experience of seeing all the foreshadowing of the twist that was different than all my predictions. For a 20 hour audiobook which is longer than I normally go for, I was hooked. I did get a little bit more lost in some of the 18th century court/legal details and complex storylines than I imagine I would have if I’d read the paper copy. At times I did almost want to speed ahead to find out what happens next but the story and narration made me fully committed to the full process until the very end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Incest and Sexual violence
bellarosereichart's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
heidi_grey's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
I really loved the historical setting and the structure of the book; the foreshadowing with each chapter card was incredibly fun. I also enjoyed how twisty the plot was, the reveals and the intricate web of different characters and plot lines were fantastically done (albeit a bit confusing at times 😄).
The book did drag quite a bit in the middle though (probably due to the required structure of 4x21 chapters) but still really enjoyed The Square of Sevens
The book did drag quite a bit in the middle though (probably due to the required structure of 4x21 chapters) but still really enjoyed The Square of Sevens
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Incest and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
heather_freshparchment's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Cancer, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Confinement, Incest, Mental illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Dementia, Stalking, and Murder
zzara's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Incest and Rape
pm_me_book_recs's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This historical mystery really hooked me and had such good twists.
A fast paced cat-and-mouse, lite courtroom drama, loaded with deception and intrigue! Red is a resourceful and clever main character, driven to unravel her family's history and secrets. From the Cornish countryside to the social court of London, we follow her from childhood to adulthood and experience all her heartbreaks and triumphs as an elaborate mystery unravels to reveal that not everyone is who they say.
The story is peppered with Tarot, as the key plot device is her Pellar father's signature technique, a little bit of star charts and mysticism. We get so many settings that all feel lived in and full- from her adolescent home full of antiquities, to creepy countryside manors, to grungy smelly London streets, and cozy but wretched taverns. The characters are believable, dogged, and loyal to their creeds. The dialogue matches the settings and historical context. There are little peaks into other characters perspectives, but the narration is mostly from Red's point of view, so the reader does build empathy even for the aggressors (sometimes).
The twists at the end had my head reeling! I don't usually get caught off guard, but dang!
I listened to this via Libro.fm, the narrator was excellent! The physical book is also gorgeous with card illustrations at each chapter head, and a few diagrams and a map of 1730's London.
A fast paced cat-and-mouse, lite courtroom drama, loaded with deception and intrigue! Red is a resourceful and clever main character, driven to unravel her family's history and secrets. From the Cornish countryside to the social court of London, we follow her from childhood to adulthood and experience all her heartbreaks and triumphs as an elaborate mystery unravels to reveal that not everyone is who they say.
The story is peppered with Tarot, as the key plot device is her Pellar father's signature technique, a little bit of star charts and mysticism. We get so many settings that all feel lived in and full- from her adolescent home full of antiquities, to creepy countryside manors, to grungy smelly London streets, and cozy but wretched taverns. The characters are believable, dogged, and loyal to their creeds. The dialogue matches the settings and historical context. There are little peaks into other characters perspectives, but the narration is mostly from Red's point of view, so the reader does build empathy even for the aggressors (sometimes).
The twists at the end had my head reeling! I don't usually get caught off guard, but dang!
I listened to this via Libro.fm, the narrator was excellent! The physical book is also gorgeous with card illustrations at each chapter head, and a few diagrams and a map of 1730's London.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Incest
Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicide
bessadams's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Incest, Racism, Rape, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
khall123's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Kidnapping
hoppma's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I won this in a giveaway and I'm so glad because it was a fun read. This is a multi-layered mystery with many twists and turns. And despite the length of the book nothing is wasted. Every piece and thread will come back and be important at the conclusion, but it didn't feel overwhelming. I have read a lot of mysteries - and a lot of historical fiction - but this felt unique.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Incest, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Mental illness
Minor: Rape
rhiannonafternoon's review
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The DRAMA this family has, I don’t know what’s worse; the deceit or the greed. It was hard to tear myself away with each chapter revealing something new and leading you to a new conclusion about everyone’s messed up relationships. What a journey!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Incest and Rape