Scan barcode
A review by akallabeth
The Perilous Gard by Richard Cuffari, Elizabeth Marie Pope
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
delightful. charming. delightful!! mayhap a 4.5, in truth.
a fairly loose retelling of the tam lin ballad set in tudor england, this almost reads like straight historical fiction, with the magical element always teetering on the edge of 'maybe it's just sleight of hand! maybe it's just charisma! maybe they're just really good with herbs!' never quite tipping over. have the fairy folk truly just kept to the old pre-christian ways - so foreign to our heroes that they seem otherworldly - or are they actually supernatural and have magical abilities? hmmm.
either way, you end up with something surprisingly nuanced, both morally and emotionally - especially for ya. add in some very clever turns of phrase, a heroine that feels really distinct and strongly characterised, and some top-of-the-line banter, and it's just a little delight of a novel. to whoever recommended this to me on tumblr like a decade ago - thanks & you were right.
(there are a few oh you can't say that 1970s lines in here, but they're few in number and don't impact the plot much. it was far from a dealbreaker for me.)
(read for r/fantasy book bingo, square: myths and retelling. would also work for: druids, ya.)
a fairly loose retelling of the tam lin ballad set in tudor england, this almost reads like straight historical fiction, with the magical element always teetering on the edge of 'maybe it's just sleight of hand! maybe it's just charisma! maybe they're just really good with herbs!' never quite tipping over. have the fairy folk truly just kept to the old pre-christian ways - so foreign to our heroes that they seem otherworldly - or are they actually supernatural and have magical abilities? hmmm.
either way, you end up with something surprisingly nuanced, both morally and emotionally - especially for ya. add in some very clever turns of phrase, a heroine that feels really distinct and strongly characterised, and some top-of-the-line banter, and it's just a little delight of a novel. to whoever recommended this to me on tumblr like a decade ago - thanks & you were right.
(there are a few oh you can't say that 1970s lines in here, but they're few in number and don't impact the plot much. it was far from a dealbreaker for me.)
(read for r/fantasy book bingo, square: myths and retelling. would also work for: druids, ya.)