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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

BOOK REVIEW: The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Published June 22nd, 2023 by Mantle
Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Sunday Times Top Five Bestseller
A BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club Pick

‘A wonderfully inventive novel’ ― The Times and Sunday Times, Best Historical Fiction of 2023

Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s The Square of Sevens is an epic and sweeping novel set in Georgian high society, a dazzling story offering up mystery, intrigue, heartbreak, and audacious twists.

This is your story, Red. You must tell it well . . .

A girl known only as Red, the daughter of a Cornish fortune-teller, travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient method: the Square of Sevens. When her father suddenly dies, Red becomes the ward of a gentleman scholar.

Now raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendour of Bath, her fortune-telling is a delight to high society. But she cannot ignore the questions that gnaw at her soul: who was her mother? How did she die? And who are the mysterious enemies her father was always terrified would find him?

The pursuit of these mysteries takes her from Cornwall and Bath to London and Devon, from the rough ribaldry of the Bartholomew Fair to the grand houses of two of the most powerful families in England. And while Red’s quest brings her the possibility of great reward, it also leads her into grave danger . . .

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MY REIVEW:

Look at that impressive tome! Isn’t it gorgeous? Who wouldn’t want to buy it for the cover and spredges alone? Okay, it looks a bit daunting, but fortunately this book was written by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, an author who I know I can rely on to deliver a heart-stopping mystery that is as captivating as it is rich in historic detail.

Red, the daughter of a Cornish fortune-teller, travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient method of the Square of Sevens. When her father dies suddenly she becomes the ward of Mr. Antrobus, a gentleman scholar. They go to Bath where Red is raised as a lady, but uses her fortune-telling to delight high society. All the while, there are questions that gnaw at her she can’t escape: who was her mother? How did she die? And who are the mysterious enemies that her father was always scared would find him? Are they searching for her? Red sets out on a quest for the truth. But that quest brings her great danger alongside the possibility of great reward.

Gothic, mythical, suspenseful and complex, The Square of Sevens is a mesmerising tale. Spanning Cornwall, Bath, London and Devon, and traversing the raucous Bartholomew Fair, the glamour of high society and England’s most powerful questions, it is an ambitious and audacious tale. Exquisitely written, skillfully choreographed, intricately interwoven, full of misdirection and bold twists, this had me hooked. It did feel a bit long at times, but every time I started to feel like my attention was waning there would be another exciting turn that piqued my interest. It’s like Laura knew where we’d need those moments in this chunky book. There is a distinctly Dickensian feel that I enjoyed while Laura’s meticulous research is evident on every page and I enjoyed the small details such as the information about different cards at the start of each chapter. There is a large motley crew of characters that I loved reading and Red was a clever and compelling protagonist. She lived an unusual life that I enjoyed reading about and I was rooting for her to find the answers to her questions.

I highly recommend this sweeping historical mystery.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you Mantle and Bookbreak for sending me a proof copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laura Shepherd-Robinson is the award-winning, Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling author of four historical novels. Her books have been featured on BBC 2’s Between the Covers and Radio 4’s Front Row and Open Book. Her fourth novel, The Art of a Lie, will be published in Summer 2025.

Laura was born in Bristol in 1976. She has a BSc in Politics from the University of Bristol and an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics. She worked in politics for nearly twenty years before re-entering normal life to complete an MA in Creative Writing at City University. She lives in London with her husband, Adrian.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab

Published June 10th, 2025 by Tor
Fantasy Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Lesbian Literature, Contemporary Fantasy

Welcome to my bookish thoughts for this magnificent gothic chiller.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Heart-Stopping International Sensation!

Instant No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller
No. 1 New York Times Bestseller
The Radio 2 Book Club Pick

From V. E. Schwab, a genre-defying, unforgettable novel to sink your teeth into . . .

This is a story about hunger.

1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada. A young girl grows up wild and wily – her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

This is a story about love.

1827. London. A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow – but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.

This is a story about rage.

2019. Boston. College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.

This is a story about life . . .
how it ends, and how it starts again.

Utterly unmissable, this is a twisting, gothic tale of immortality and hunger. From the bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

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MY REVIEW:

“Bury my bones in the midnight soil, plant them shallow and water them deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth.”

Achingly beautiful, deliciously gothic, haunting and consuming, this dark and twisted treasure is one of the most magnificent books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I knew quickly that this would be a five star read and one of my favourite books this year. I was obsessed, beguiled from the first pages by this story that feels both ancient and modern, and felt utterly bereft when it was all over.

V. E. Schwab is an author I’ve heard so many great things about but her books sat on my shelves unread for years. But after hearing how passionate she was about her writing at an event this summer, I knew I had to finally pick up one of her books. And where better to start that with a vampire story during spooky season. Lyrical, poetic and descriptive, Schwab’s writing is sheer perfection. You can feel the love and attention that has gone into every word on the page. I get the hype. She is a phenomenal talent and after just one book I think I’d read her shopping list. 

And while it’s undoubtedly beautiful, buried within it is something dark and filled with malevolence, heartache, longing, rage and fear. This is a story about hunger. A story about desire. A story about women. And a story about vampires. It’s a story about dark secrets, depravity, fractured people, complex love, trauma, obsession and violence against women all wrapped up in a hypnotic bow. The trio of women at the heart of this story are richly drawn, vivacious, charismatic and deeply flawed characters that I loved reading. I was enthralled as Schwab slowly but expertly wove their stories together, revealing how their destinies tragically interlaced. And while I loved reading them all, I particularly enjoyed Marie as there is just something about a really dark character that I find captivating and she had me in her thrall as she took me to the darkest depths of inhumanity.

Seductive, sapphic, ferocious and menacing, this is a must for your spooky season TBR. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

VICTORIA ‘V. E.’ SCHWAB is the No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the international sensation The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the acclaimed Shades of Magic universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts trilogy, Gallant, and The Fragile Threads of Power. When not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx