Reviews

The Metal Heart by Caroline Lea

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kenautica's review

emotional informative inspiring tense medium-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? No

4.25

I had forgotten that I'd requested a copy of this, and when I saw the cover (the one with the woman looking out to sea) I honestly thought there had been a mistake. It looked like a generic romance, which is really not my thing. But reading the blurb refreshed my memory - this book is set in Orkney, and I'm a sucker for books set in my own country. I am glad the book now seems to have a new cover (the one with the lighthouse), I think that will have wider appeal.

This is the story of twins Dorothy and Constance, who have left Orkney for a bothy on an isolated island across the water after losing their parents. Constance has suffered a further trauma, one which we don't fully understand at first, but which has left her feeling like an outcast and unable to trust anyone but her sister. But their solitude is disturbed by the encroaching war, and the arrival of hundreds of Italian prisoners of war who are to be incarcerated on their island. With the camp comes the arrival of someone that Constance really doesn't want to have near her, and the outrage of the Orkney population at having their limited resources spread even further to support the prisoners as they construct sea barriers to prevent enemy ships accessing the water. When Dorothy volunteers to work in the camp infirmary, and feelings develop between her and a prisoner - Cesare, who builds and decorates a chapel for the prisoners - tensions build, with a devastating result.

I was really surprised with this book, from my initial low expectations. Yes, this involves a romance, but it is much more than that. This book looks at the treatment of prisoners, the danger of giving power to bullies, the impact of war and some Orcadian history. Though, I'll caveat that last part, as the author is open about how she changed details and rearranged timelines to fit her story. And as this isn't written by a native of Scotland, there are some issues with authenticity when it comes to the language. But overall, I found this a fascinating look into the history, and I really enjoyed the storyline. Lea has a really lovely writing style which invokes the atmosphere, and the characters felt well-rounded. I even enjoyed the romance, it didn't feel forced or unrealistic even given the situation. And the twists at the end were fantastic, it left me wanting to know what happened after the book closed.

I received a Netgalley of this title from Penguin Michael Joseph UK in return for a review. All opinions are my own.

alicem_23's review against another edition

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5.0

What a book

westanpotatoes's review

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dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

womanon's review against another edition

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4.0

This was heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

Italian prisoners of war are being held on an Island off Orkney, inhabited by two sisters escaping the mainland after tragic events leaving one sister traumatized. The island is said

to be bad luck, with disappearances, people driven mad, and strange creatures drawing people to their deaths in the waters below. Despite how dark the story is against the backdrop of WW2, there’s an underlying message of hope!

I was pulled in right away by the prologue. Despite the long chapters, I devoured this book! I loved The Glass Woman and it’s safe to say Carolien Lea is now officially an auto buy author 💗

The novel is split into 5 parts spanning from January to September 1942. Sections within each chapter contain switching POVs focusing on Cesare, Dorothy, and Constance. Plus the occasional third person sections looking at the community as a whole. I loved getting glimpses at what was happening within the community as well as getting inside each character’s mind!

The characters are well written and developed. Lyrical writing as always from Lea-I have many pages marked with quotes that I loved 🥰 I also liked the mysterious/spooky vibe surrounding the setting and ghost stories weaved throughout the story. Just like The Glass Woman, Lea does an excellent job of writing a dark and complex story of a small community!

The plot twists were incredible!! My jaw was on the floor and I loved how well written and unexpected they were. I didn’t think I could love a book from Lea more than The Glass Woman but wow this story has me floored 😍

Content Warnings