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raynorn's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I hadn't read Laura Shepherd-Robinson's debut Blood and Sugar, but after finishing her latest, Daughters of Night, I am keen to read it. I do love a historical fiction novel when it feels researched and clear and thankfully, Daughters of Night felt consistent and interesting, especially as it was mostly a crime novel, something I don't read too often.
The novel follows Caro Corsham, a woman who finds herself witness to a murder and takes it upon herself to solve it. The secret aspects of the society of all classes in Georgian London are uncovered and explored and the triller and crime aspect of the novel was unveiled perfectly showing dark and dangerous aspects to the city, interesting and disturbing.
While not being a usual read for me, I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would and now want to engage with the author's other writing!
I hadn't read Laura Shepherd-Robinson's debut Blood and Sugar, but after finishing her latest, Daughters of Night, I am keen to read it. I do love a historical fiction novel when it feels researched and clear and thankfully, Daughters of Night felt consistent and interesting, especially as it was mostly a crime novel, something I don't read too often.
The novel follows Caro Corsham, a woman who finds herself witness to a murder and takes it upon herself to solve it. The secret aspects of the society of all classes in Georgian London are uncovered and explored and the triller and crime aspect of the novel was unveiled perfectly showing dark and dangerous aspects to the city, interesting and disturbing.
While not being a usual read for me, I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would and now want to engage with the author's other writing!
amymariedoug's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goooooodness! Forgive me if my thoughts are a bit scattered – I finished this book at 1 am last night after devouring it in one sitting. It. was. Absolutely. Amazing. If you’re looking for a novel that combines Harlots with The Alienist, Daughters of Night is the perfect next read for you.
Despite these similarities, it stands on its own as an incredible read.
Daughters of Night follows a character familiar from Shepherd-Robinson’s debut, Blood and Sugar. I can say from experience that it is absolutely not detrimental to your read if you have not read the prequel. Caro is a fascinating character – her life is dictated by the men around her, but she does not let this stop her from searching for her friend’s murderer. I really admired her spirit!
Caro is not the only great character in this novel – I adored reading about the lives of Peregrine Child the Thief-Taker, Kitty Carefree the 10 Guinea prostitute and Pamela the maid-servant. The novel’s biggest strength really lies in that each character is fleshed out fully. For example, although Pamela could have been written as an innocent trying to earn a living, Shepherd-Robinson gives her a devious side as well. It is this sort of detail that really brings the novel to life.
I’ll admit that to my mind, the 18th century is a little overlooked. Between the fantastical adventure stories of the Medieval period, to Shakespeare’s work in the 16th and 17th centuries, to the widely loved Victorian era, it’s easy to see why. But Shepherd-Robinson absolutely excels at bringing the period to life. No word is wasted and the description exudes Georgian London in its very essence. There are so many tidbits of information (irrelevant to the plot, but essential to building the scene) that allow for a fully immersive read. It is obvious that Shepherd-Robinson put a lot of research into bringing to life 18th century London.
Towards the end, I began thinking that it was getting a little predictable. I had already guessed the murderer and wasn’t so shocked when I was proven right. But! I was quickly proven wrong when another twist was provided. Daughters of Night really is an engaging read – I can’t wait to read Blood and Sugar now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC copy of Daughters of Night.
Despite these similarities, it stands on its own as an incredible read.
Daughters of Night follows a character familiar from Shepherd-Robinson’s debut, Blood and Sugar. I can say from experience that it is absolutely not detrimental to your read if you have not read the prequel. Caro is a fascinating character – her life is dictated by the men around her, but she does not let this stop her from searching for her friend’s murderer. I really admired her spirit!
Caro is not the only great character in this novel – I adored reading about the lives of Peregrine Child the Thief-Taker, Kitty Carefree the 10 Guinea prostitute and Pamela the maid-servant. The novel’s biggest strength really lies in that each character is fleshed out fully. For example, although Pamela could have been written as an innocent trying to earn a living, Shepherd-Robinson gives her a devious side as well. It is this sort of detail that really brings the novel to life.
I’ll admit that to my mind, the 18th century is a little overlooked. Between the fantastical adventure stories of the Medieval period, to Shakespeare’s work in the 16th and 17th centuries, to the widely loved Victorian era, it’s easy to see why. But Shepherd-Robinson absolutely excels at bringing the period to life. No word is wasted and the description exudes Georgian London in its very essence. There are so many tidbits of information (irrelevant to the plot, but essential to building the scene) that allow for a fully immersive read. It is obvious that Shepherd-Robinson put a lot of research into bringing to life 18th century London.
Towards the end, I began thinking that it was getting a little predictable. I had already guessed the murderer and wasn’t so shocked when I was proven right. But! I was quickly proven wrong when another twist was provided. Daughters of Night really is an engaging read – I can’t wait to read Blood and Sugar now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC copy of Daughters of Night.
drdeepika's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
snakeling's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abortion and Alcohol
Minor: Antisemitism and Suicide attempt
mimi13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
aawethevenstar's review against another edition
Just didn't get on with the writing style
h4ppyp1ne4pple's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I didn’t believe in Peregrine Child’s conscience after Book 1, and found the vast number of male characters with similar names confusing, and the ending a little melodramatic, similar to Book 1 but overall loved the world she built, and thought the building of the characters of the sex workers was particularly strong - they are what captivated me. The twist at the end about Kitty kind of felt rushed and unexplained.
mollyhyland's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5