England Archives - The Quick and the Read

Book Review: ‘Victorian Psycho’ by Virginia Feito

This is such a hard book to review – it’s so dark and gruesome, disturbing and odd, Gothic and horrific, yet also strangely compelling. I found that I couldn’t put it down, even as I was being pulled into the twisted workings of the protagonist’s mind.

The novel follows Winifred Notty as she arrives at Ensor House, the home of the fairly odious Pounds family. Her role is to be governess to the children, Andrew and Drusilla, although her unconventional bedtime stories and tendency towards brutality are at first dismissed as merely eccentricities compared to their previous governesses. As she begins to draw the attention of the master of the house, strange things begin to happen – someone defaces the family portraits and even the staff start to go missing… When guests begin to arrive for Christmas celebrations, it becomes obvious that Winifred is going to continue on the path of destruction that led her to Ensor House in the first place.

Wow, this book is so dark – we are literally taken inside the mind of a killer whose twisted way of looking at the world means that no-one around her is safe. Her thoughts and actions are presented in graphic detail and her total lack of remorse or empathy is chilling for the reader – although her voice is also often humorous and knowing and so not totally alienating for the reader. The book often focused on the macabre and grotesque – this is a book where description is frequently visceral and repellent. There’s lots of blood, bodily function, gorging on stomach-churning things, decay and rot, filth and death. Yes, it’s disgusting, but also shocking and interesting and unlike much I’ve read before.

As is evident from the above, Winifred isn’t a character we grow to love – this isn’t a book for anyone who needs to like the characters in what they read. In fact, every one of the characters is awful in their own way. Indeed, we are shown a procession of greed and lust and any of the other deadly sins you can name – and it’s probably best you don’t get attached to any of the characters anyway as they don’t have long life expectancies!

The writing is clever, although references to ‘fall’ for autumn jarred a little within a story set within Victorian England – in an otherwise immersive book, I found this tricky to skim over.

So, if you’re of a strong disposition then there’s much to get caught up in within the world of ‘Victorian Psycho’ – I’m not sure it is a wholly enjoyable experience, but it’s one you won’t forget!

Photo by Aimee Vogelsang on Unsplash

Book Review: ‘A Power Unbound’ by Freya Marske

In this novel, we meet the mean and moody Jack Alston (Lord Hawthorne) who is living in the shadow of his sister’s loss and has renounced his magical skills. However, storm clouds are gathering for the magical society of Edwardian England; the pieces of the Last Contract need collecting and bringing together by those on the side of good – before those with evil intent can get there first. Along with the various characters from previous books, Jack gets caught up in the magical battle that plays out in the grounds of his family estate. Along the way, he has to fight his attraction to criminal and pornographer Alan Ross…

This is Book 3 of The Last Binding trilogy by Freya Marske – and it’s an absolute treat for those who’ve enjoyed the first two books. It might not be the place to start if you haven’t as Marske’s alternative Edwardian society with an undercurrent of magic takes some wrapping your head round, as does the Last Contract plot and the recurring characters across the trilogy.

Blog Tour: ‘Becoming Ted’ by Matt Cain

For anyone who loved Matt Cain’s recent novel, ‘The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle’, here’s another dose of uplifting, heartwarming and charming storytelling!

Thanks to the lovely people at Headline for my copy of the book and my spot on the blog tour – as always, opinions are my own.

This book is published on 19th January in hardback, ebook and audio.

(Audio)Book Review: ‘A Marvellous Light’ by Freya Marske

I’m so sorry it took me so long to read this!

The story is about a young baronet, Robin Blyth, who takes on a mysterious commission within the British government, not realising that he is expected to be the point of liaison between his world and the magical one. Given that he doesn’t know that magical society exists until he meets Edwin Courcey, his sexy-but-hostile magical colleague, this proves a challenge to say the least. Robin and Edwin find themselves thrown together in some dangerous situations…and working to uncover a plot that threatens the very existence of magical society.

‘The Revolt’ by Clara Dupont-Monod

Happy publication day to this fabulous book!

This looks like a gorgeous book, but I wouldn't usually have chosen it if it hadn't been for recommendations from people on Twitter. It's not my usual period for historical fiction and is actually set in an era that I knew very little about - Eleanor of Aquitaine's revolt against her husband and King of England, Henry Plantagenet (Henry II). The novel is beautifully translated from the original French by Ruth Diver.

The narrative covers the period of Eleanor's marriage to Henry II (after her first, to Louis VII of France, was annulled), the birth of their children and the revolt that Eleanor - supported by some of her sons - leads against Henry. The story then follows Eleanor's favourite of the sons, Richard I (the Lionheart), as he embarks on crusades in the Holy Lands.

What makes this book compelling is the fact that the narrative is delivered through monologues from the key characters; Eleanor and Richard lead the storytelling, but there are also chapters where we hear from the vanquished king Henry and others, including a poignant input from Alys, Richard's rejected fiancee. These imagined voices make the story vibrant and modern - this reads as real people exploring some pretty incredible events and emotions. The language is also striking in its beauty with some really vivid and striking imagery and snippets of songs recalled by the characters.

The character of Eleanor is a big draw for the novel. She is presented through her son's eyes as being absolutely formidable and majestic, something supported by the historical fact that she was Queen Consort to two kings and ruled Aquitaine in her own right. She is put in the impossible situation of a woman in that time period and patriarchal society, yet manages to find her own ways to gain power through her own determination and through her sons; however, we do also see her human frailty as in the scene when she is caught in the storm on board a ship, pregnant and afraid. The relationship between Eleanor and Richard is also explored in detail and seems a little claustrophobic and intense at times.

This is a highly engaging and fascinating book and I think can be enjoyed regardless of how much knowledge you already have of the time period. The voices are lively and feel authentic, linking us to these extraordinary events in history and an amazing woman at the centre of the French and English monarchy. The writing/translation is beautiful and this book is a short but sweet treat.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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