Reviews

You can tell by the title of this book that it is going to be quirky, and it sure is. If you like DeWitt then you will enjoy this. Very difficult to categorise the novel. It is even difficult to place it in time. Is it Middle Ages? The dialogue is terrific. Another reviewer described it as Wodehouse and that is quite a good comparison.
The story is unusual to say the least but DeWitt is so imaginative, I loved it. The characters are really believable and likeable from Barons to thieves, from priests to lovers, all great. It is a kind of fantasy novel in a way but don't let that put you off. I'm not a fantasy fan but I enjoyed this novel. And it is funny, really funny. Plenty of laugh out loud moments.
And dark, boy it can get dark.
But this is DeWitt on top form. So different to Sisters Brothers and Ablutions. Some authors struggle to write a follow up novel that differs from previous but DeWitt does it in style.
Highly recommended.

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1.0

Such a disappointment. The Sisters Brothers is by far a superior book. I got to page 125 and realized that I just didn't care about ANY of the characters, not one iota, enough to continue reading. I kept waiting for there to be a point to the story, but it's rather rambling and despite a rather inventive alternate universe a la Wes Anderson, much too generic.

Lucy is so flimsily written and the story is slight. There are elements of whimsy here, just like TSB novel, but seemed forced and rather charmless.

A dreary read.