Reviews

Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

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aritrigupta's review

3.0

The dreaded 3 star rating - I was hoping to end the year on a more definitive note.
[b:Blood & Sugar|40859099|Blood & Sugar|Laura Shepherd-Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546870074l/40859099._SY75_.jpg|63641504] is a historical crime fiction - and let me firstly praise how authentic the setting of the book was. The contrast between the sophistication of London, and the dready grubby slaving port of Deptford set the tone of the book. The plot was multi-layered, and what started as a simple homicide investigation, turned out to be mired deep in controversy and conspiracy. No part of the book seemed unreal or not practical, given the period it was based on.
However, I had two main gripes - the pace and the endless number of characters. The pace of story was inconsistent and that's always a put off. Add to that a flurry of characters that needed more work or needed to edited out. The book isnt a thin volume, and with the number of pages that it comes with, the book's narration could've been more engaging. It took me way more than usual to finish and I like historical fiction and crime. But the level of detailing in the story is commendable, and the author is definitely one to look out for.

zoer03's review

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2.0

I am not impressed with this. It has the elements of being fantastic but the characterisations and just really odd things bring it down. I found the main character odd I couldn’t work him out... one he seemed at first of his time then he had this naive out look at everything also apparently he (we are forced to wonder at this) whether he was hiding his sexual nature which apparently or maybe not he had feelings for his friend but never really amounted to much.. that bit is all vague and not really convincing.
I didn’t like how he went about looking for answers he seemed at times to be a dolt. Also I couldn’t see him being old it felt like he was a teenager rather than a captain also his Leon’s in his leg kept going from being apparent to wow he can do all this and yet still walking fine.. i just couldn’t get into the story because of the mess the author makes of just everything it just fell flat and cold for me.

anettseda's review

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adventurous dark informative tense fast-paced

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

4.5

shannenlc's review against another edition

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3.0

2.5.

Blood & Sugar is a decent piece of historical fiction. The 2.5 stars I give it are for the research that went into it and the attention to detail that was given to the plot. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very enjoyable read for a few reasons. The main one being that it was difficult to follow, both in terms of characters and plot. There's a character list at the front of the book, which is useful in theory, but didn't help me keep up with the various characters any easier. Since none of the characters have any distinguishing features or personalities, they were just names on the page. I didn't connect to any of them or even remember who they were or what importance they served to the story. Even as I'm writing this I can't recall the name of the main protagonist. That's how dull I found him.

Whilst, objectively, the plot was thrilling and well-written, it played out poorly, was difficult to follow, and as a result, I wasn't invested. Most of the plot was told from the perspective of the protagonist through an endless stream of internal dialogue in which he went over the same information over and over until he eventually (somehow) managed to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The pay-off at the end was underwhelming and the resolution wasn't very satisfying. In fact, it was the opposite of satisfying, since it felt like it played into the exact racial stereotypes about Africans that Shepherd-Robinson seemed to be fighting against throughout the rest of the story.

Overall, I wouldn't read this again, but appreciated Laura Shepherd-Robinson's efforts to write a piece historical fiction that is also a murder-mystery/thriller story.

gordonk's review

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5.0

I fell into a world I wasn’t prepared for, and it’s horrifying. A world where respect is based on the colour of your skin. A world where your freedom can be bought and sold and you don’t have a say. The derogatory racial themes here are hard to handle so approach with caution, but there are so many twists and turns that you can’t put it down because you just want to know what’s going on! This is an exceptionally well written story. I have never read a book quite like this; it hit me so hard, and yet I let it come back for more!

It all started with a man who wanted to change the world, to abolish slavery. His plans were cut short when he was found dead, murdered! It looks as though some people will do anything to stop the world from changing! Business is business after all. Is that what happened though? Was he murdered just because he wanted racial equality? Or did he discover something else entirely? Everyone has something to hide and while all slavers are guilty; not all slaves are innocent!

booklover_312's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.25

sandysmith's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad 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

It's an excellent if harrowing read. Historical fiction at its finest concentrating on the murder of Tad Archer and his friend Captain Henry (Harry) Corsham investigating what happened. The murder whilst gripping was a side story to the slave trade and the goings on of the 18th century. Very evocative, brilliantly written, and you could smell the unpleasant smells of London and particularly the slave ships in Deptford. Bringing into focus the bribery and corruption of the time at all levels of society. Racism, child abuse, classism and homophobia are explored. There are particularly unpleasant characters, with very few nicer characters that made you back Harry throughout his exploration of the murder of his friend. It was interesting, and in particular, the British involvement of the slave trade is laid unpleasantly bare. It packs its punches. Superbly researched and written, an investigation of a murder not for the faint-hearted. Excellent stuff

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