3.5
This suffered from being too long - had it been edited way down it might have been a 5 star book - but it ambled on too much.
I also felt that this book was a little "too progressive" for its time period.
Other than that the characters are great - but the main love story was dragged out ridiculously due to both characters not having the guts to say anything about how they felt. They also could have saved themselves a lot of fear and worry if theyd bothered to investigate a possible marriage sooner. Everyone in this book drags their feet.
The book has a hint of magical realism - only one character though.

book channel: https://www.youtube.com/@starkissedstories ( )

3.5
This suffered from being too long - had it been edited way down it might have been a 5 star book - but it ambled on too much.
I also felt that this book was a little "too progressive" for its time period.
Other than that the characters are great - but the main love story was dragged out ridiculously due to both characters not having the guts to say anything about how they felt. They also could have saved themselves a lot of fear and worry if theyd bothered to investigate a possible marriage sooner. Everyone in this book drags their feet.
The book has a hint of magical realism - only one character though.

book channel: https://www.youtube.com/@starkissedstories ( )

A mysterious and clever novel. I loved the concept, the storytelling. I have knocked off a star from my rating because I was left with a lasting impression that the author, Sally Gardner, could have done so much better if she hadn't turned her two main protagonists into two very beautiful people. I found this such a tiresome cliche which was consuming my thoughts after I had finished reading the book - and I wanted to be left with so much more. If it wasn't for this distraction I would say this novel is a masterpiece and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a mysterious, atmospheric, other-worldly historical novel. ( )

Neva has always known she is different, she can sing the weather. After her parents' death Neva is adopted by Mr Friezeland and as she grows up they create 'The Weather Woman' to harness Neva's talents. However in order to succeed Neva has to adopt a male disguise. Henri Denoue is the son of guillotined parents, he may be a Comte but he has no money. When Neva and Henri meet so begins the strangest of love stories.
This is a lovely piece of historical fiction, not too taxing but gentle and enjoyable. the setting is great, post-French Revolution but with the threat of Napoleon looming and Regency London is well-imagined. OK, the reader does have to suspend belief a lot but that is the point, it is light escapist reading and no bad thing at that. ( )

A slightly whimsical but extremely enjoyable tale about a young girl called Neva, who is adopted by a clockmaker after her parents are killed when a disaster happens during the Frost Fair of 1789. It appears she can predict the weather but to enable her to do so in public, she takes on a male disguise and forecasts the meteorological conditions from inside an automaton, built by the clockmaker. “It can be very dangerous to be ahead of your time, especially if you’re a woman.”

This is an atmospheric story and it’s beautifully written. I thought it had a Dickensian vibe at times. There are certainly some Dickensian sounding characters. Ebenezer Ratchet for one! The descriptions are wonderful. There’s a definite sense of time and place, although with a little magic and hint of the supernatural thrown in. The author brought it all to life for me, I almost thought I was there walking alongside these marvellous characters. I was totally immersed in Neva’s story and was gripped from beginning to end. A real page turner! A captivating and engaging read which I would recommend to those who enjoy a combination of the historical and fantasy genres. ( )