Comment

ForgottenSeptember
Apr 18, 2016ForgottenSeptember rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I adored this book. I heard of it some time ago, but I didn't think I would like it, as I thought it was one of those books that splash some magic around in the real world, and that really isn't my favorite kind of fantasy. It wasn't until I read a quote from it on the Internet that I realized what this book actually was, and that I HAD to read it. Boy am I glad I did! This book is written purposely to mimic the style of books written at the end of the 18th century/beginning of the 19th (think Jane Austen ((In truth, the style sometimes reminds me of books written earlier than that, for example the spelling of "choose" as "chuse" (a commonplace usage in the 18th century), and the use of "discover" in ways we modern English speakers find odd)). For me, that was one of the best parts. The authors keeps a lighthearted tone that made me laugh out loud several times. Then there was the setting, Early Regency England. This book is like reading a well researched and written historical fiction in which magic just happens to be real. I adore the 18th century and the periods just before and after it, so this was my kind of book. Then there are the characters! Ms. Clark is a fantastic judge of human nature, and her characters, with all their truly human eccentricities and failings had me laughing and tearing up by turns. The ending sealed it for me, though. It had me in tears, and I'm not sure I've ever read an ending so perfectly bitter sweet. For me, it fit the characters very well, and just worked, for some reason.