Publisher: 2nd March 2022 by HarperCollins Australia
Pages: 655 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism
My Rating: 4 cups
Synopsis:
A sweeping historical epic with a thread of magic, perfect for readers of THE FAMILIARS, THE BINDING, and THE MINIATURIST.
'Power is not something you are given. Power is something you take. When you are a woman, it is a little more difficult, that's all'
1768. Charlotte arrives in Naples to marry a man she has never met. Two years later, her sister Antoine is sent to France to marry another stranger. In the mirrored corridors of Versailles, they rename her Marie Antoinette.
But the sisters are not powerless. When they were only children, Charlotte and Antoine discovered a book of spells - spells that seem to work, with dark and unpredictable consequences.
In a world of vicious court politics, of discovery and dizzying change, Charlotte and Antoine use their secret skills to redefine their lives, becoming the most influential women of the age.
But every spell requires a sacrifice. As love between the sisters turns to rivalry, they will send Europe spiralling into revolution.
Brimming with romance, betrayal, and the hidden power of women, THE EMBROIDERED BOOK reveals and reimagines a dazzling period of history as you have never seen it before.
My Thoughts
Being the lovers we are of historical fiction here at Great Reads & Tea Leaves, we were so excited to receive a copy of, The Embroidered Book, a clever twist of fantasy and magic in one of the most notable periods in history. To have a rich and complex historical tale interwoven with layers of magical realism would undoubtedly be something special.
‘The embroidered book is still lying open on the floor. Charlotte closes it gently, gratefully. The stitches of the book's cover are familiar to her fingertips: the hard knots at the centres of the forget-me-nots, the feathered chain stitch of the vine at the edge. She can even feel the slight change in the length of the stitches where her own work begins.’
In 1767 two young Hapsburg Princesses found an embroidered book left by their governess filled with spells and magic. Charlotte will soon journey to Naples and later Antoine (Marie Antoinette) to France. Both sisters have dreams of their futures but could never have predicted how their plans would play out in a magical war. I am well versed in French history and Marie Antoinette, so to bring in a correlating story with her sister Charlotte was inspired. This is a story of great drama and politics with royal intrigue and plotting.
The author has done a marvellous job of combining fact and fiction with sprinkles of magical realism! No mean feat! The writing is clever and flows well for the most part, although this is a big book and does get a little slow at intervals. However, you are sure to be swept away with the world these sisters find themselves in. Adding a magical element to this well known period of history was inspired. A story of sisters, power and politics, magic and mystery.
The Embroidered Book is a complex tale and one I most definitely recommend to lovers of historical fiction - a strong political tale with magical elements was something special to read.
‘… the spider-thread that connects sister to sister even now, the thread they have
chosen to preserve when it would have taken nothing but a thought to snip it and end it, and be enemies. She isn't quite sure how they managed it, she and Charlotte, or whether the thread itself is stronger than their wills and their regrets. She isn't quite sure what it will mean that, despite everything, they are sisters.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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