This book reads like a Monty Python screenplay; swinging wildly from sesquipedalian old-English into, oddly modern language.
I really had to make an efThis book reads like a Monty Python screenplay; swinging wildly from sesquipedalian old-English into, oddly modern language.
I really had to make an effort to stay committed in my reading as it was a little dry in places. When I first started I was put off by the tone and language, but was pulled into the story the more I read and was able to adjust to the style. I'm glad I stuck with it.
There were quite a few genuinely funny moments that made me have to stifle laughter reading at night and I learned quite a bit about Tudor England and the politics around the line of succession. Very cutthroat! The fate of the Duke of Clarence was the first instance -of many- where I had to look up something in this book to see if that actually happened. (Not concretely proven in the Duke's case, but honestly I'd believe it)
I like our main character Lambert. He adjusted quickly to his ever changing life and was generally good natured and level headed for being so young throughout the story. I'm happy his story didn't end in too much tragedy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the Advanced Copy....more
**spoiler alert** Please don't assume my rating is me being generous due to this being a review copy. The Expert of Subtle Revisions is an absolute 5 **spoiler alert** Please don't assume my rating is me being generous due to this being a review copy. The Expert of Subtle Revisions is an absolute 5 star read!
The story is inventive and complex but not convoluted. The plot pieces fell right into place as the story progressed, it was a great thing to experience. I was very impressed with how well researched the story was while I was reading it initially, and have even more respect for the author after seeing the amount of sources in the acknowledgments.
The characters are nuanced and individual. I love Anton as a character. He was as honest as he could reasonably be with Hase. He told her early on that she was named by her real father and mother. I kept this in the back of my mind when Sofia was introduced and it stopped my suspicions about anything developing between her and Anton. Also, the chemistry between Anton and Haskell was immediate, their romance adds a layer to the story that sets it apart.
I was thrilled for a few pages when I thought Josef had died but he was an irritant till the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy....more
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