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Sovay

by Celia Rees (Goodreads Author)

3.36 of 5 stars 3.36 · rating details · 2,375 ratings · 326 reviews

England, 1783. When the rich and beautiful Sovay isn't sitting for portraits, she's donning a man's cloak and robbing travelers in broad daylight. But in a time when political allegiances between France and England are strained, a rogue bandit is not the only thing travelers fear. Spies abound, and rumors of sedition can quickly lead to disappearances. So when Sovay lifts...more

Paperback, 416 pages

Published August 19th 2008 by Bloomsbury

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Sep 26, 2008 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of 'The Knight of Maison-Rouge' by Alexandre Dumas; 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' by Baroness Orczy

Shelves: fiction-historical, fiction-romance, fiction-ya

Sovay had the potential to be a great novel, but turned out to be an overly ambitious project that sadly misses it's mark. This book is full of wonderful plot devices, too full in fact; therein lies the problem. The story contains elements of Ann Radcliff's gothic suspense, Frances Burney's mannerly romance, and Baroness Orczy's mystery-laden intrigue; but the author seems unable to decide which of these themes demand dominance in the story, and the result is a confusing mess. Too many false sto...more Sovay had the potential to be a great novel, but turned out to be an overly ambitious project that sadly misses it's mark. This book is full of wonderful plot devices, too full in fact; therein lies the problem. The story contains elements of Ann Radcliff's gothic suspense, Frances Burney's mannerly romance, and Baroness Orczy's mystery-laden intrigue; but the author seems unable to decide which of these themes demand dominance in the story, and the result is a confusing mess. Too many false stops and starts to the action, too many possible romantic leads that fizzle off into nothing. The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, and left me wholly disappointed that I spent over two weeks forcing myself to finish it, hoping against hope that the rough spots would even out. They didn't.

I think this story could have been the basis for a respectable trilogy: Sovay's adventures as a highwayman, Sovay's adventures in the gothic abbey, Sovay's adventures in Revolutionary France; but cramming all of these story lines into one novel stifles the chance of allowing any one of them have the chance to develop fully. Further frustrating this reader (and I suspect, others), few of the numerous supporting characters introduced into the various subplots receive anything approaching resolution at the end of the story. The heroine gets a very contrived happy ending in the epilogue, and everyone else apparently disappears into inconsequence, including the family members she spends the better part of the book trying to rescue.

On the other hand, I must give credit for the good aspects of the book that kept me reading despite the meandering storyline--well developed characters, spot-on historical research, and very fine writing style from the author. Ms. Rees clearly knows how to tell a story, but in this case it would seem she couldn't quite decide on what story she wanted to tell. I'm sure if I were directed to another of her novels with a more clearly defined plot I may find her work most enjoyable.(less)

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Jun 16, 2009 Arlene rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2009, young-adult, just-awful

Sovay by Celia Rees is an ambitious novel with such a disappointing execution. There were too many characters introduced into the storyline to keep them straight. It was more work than what I wanted to commit into figuring out a book that was a hodge-podge of romance, suspense, intrigue, and historical recount of England and the French Revolution.

Sovay is an 18th century highwayman... err... woman in England. Her first armed robbery was motivated by revenge on her fiancé that was supposedly unfa...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Sinai rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Woot...what is there to say about this baby?

Not much to the positive side.

A-- The love interests. OMG! I didn't know who to ship with who! There was Toby and Sovay, but they ended up as friends. Greenwood would have been the most likely choice--but obviously he couldn't marry her because of status and his criminal status although he starts working HONESTLY by the end, there's Gabriel who's a perfect hottie devoted to her well-being except of course he has no space for a wife and kids in his lif...more Woot...what is there to say about this baby?

Not much to the positive side.

A-- The love interests. OMG! I didn't know who to ship with who! There was Toby and Sovay, but they ended up as friends. Greenwood would have been the most likely choice--but obviously he couldn't marry her because of status and his criminal status although he starts working HONESTLY by the end, there's Gabriel who's a perfect hottie devoted to her well-being except of course he has no space for a wife and kids in his life because he's so devoted to the revolution, and then there's the American who ALSO had a good chance and he seemed interested in her, but wow...he already has someone as they mentioned in ONE line at the end of the book. And so...who does that leave... >.> OH RIGHT! The French dude who shows up in the last fifty pages of the book!!! OBVIOUSLY! He's the least attractive but he and Sovay after sharing a romantic lunch start making out in the middle of somewhere and voila--*read in overly-dramatic voice* she is HIS, body and soul. Dude...like...NO. Like...NO! You don't do that to people! We barely got anything from him and already he claimed our heroine? -.-

B- Wow...nice way to end Dysart. Instead of our heroine defeating him, they go through a pointless scene with a forger who betrays them...and for what? For Dysart to get arrested and die anyway in something that had nothing to do with Sovay...she was SOME help. Spent most of that time being useless in prison.

C-- The way the story is told/writing style. Now, I don't mind descriptive language--but there comes a time...when you have to put story and not pointless detail to every.single.little.thing.that.exists. It slowed everything down.

D-- The characters. Talk...about...shallow, over-crowding, forgetful...

E-- Good-grief. I regret picking it up. I thought it would be full of action and adventure...but geez, it went so many places and did so many things and Sovay...I was just dissapointed.

I'm so sorry for not liking this book Ms. Rees :( (less)

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Jan 23, 2011 Books and Literature for Teens rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Historical fiction and Rees fans

Shelves: 1700s, adventure, books-ive-read-in-2010, british, historical-fiction, published-2008, romance, young-adult

The year is 1794 and it seems the world is yearning for revolution, even the British. For Sovay Middleton, life as the daughter of a kind, wise landlord is not very adventurous at all. When her father and brother’s lives are threatened by the scent of uprising against the King, Sovay is suddenly thrown into a thrilling ride of a lifetime. From posing as a highwayman, dodging a spymaster’s evil and intricate schemes, to facing the sideways traps of the French Revolution, Sovay will do whatever it...more The year is 1794 and it seems the world is yearning for revolution, even the British. For Sovay Middleton, life as the daughter of a kind, wise landlord is not very adventurous at all. When her father and brother’s lives are threatened by the scent of uprising against the King, Sovay is suddenly thrown into a thrilling ride of a lifetime. From posing as a highwayman, dodging a spymaster’s evil and intricate schemes, to facing the sideways traps of the French Revolution, Sovay will do whatever it takes to find her father and bring justice to light. From the author of Witch Child and Pirates! comes the epic story of one heroine’s quest for freedom and love amidst a fierce battle between revolution and power.
.........................................
Sovay is not just a tale of a highway robbery nor a daring story of villainous spies, but a tale more intricate than any reader would suspect. Many reviews of Sovay include disappointment. While the plot is very long and the characters many, Sovay is one of the best reads I’ve read this year. It is not only a heroic story of how justice is sought, but it also opened up a door to history, the history of both our own country and of the civil unrest that both England and France experienced as they too struggled for a People’s Independence. This book has robbers, spymasters, Patriots, and suave Frenchmen all combined in a daring race for freedom. The book jacket has everyone fooled into thinking it is just about a girl who “robbed for love”, when in fact this synopsis does not in any way do it justice. Sovay is a much grander story than that and its plot and scenery changes three times during the course of Sovay’s tale.

The first part is indeed about her escapades and highway robberies; the second takes places in London, where the evil spymaster Sir Dysart lurks in every alley. London is also where we meet some of the best characters and where we leave some of them behind. The third and final chapter in this story takes places in the heart of the Revolution–Paris, France. The characters are all very detailed in their own way and even though there are quite a few of them to remember, each one is unique in their own way.
Besides all the adventures and historical aspects, we have the romantic side. Some reviewers and readers were not satisfied with Sovay’s final decision. I, on the other hand, was glad the “romantic” part turned out the way it did–very surprising; I like to be kept guessing. Overall, I thought it was an excellent story. Perhaps a bit too much going on in the story all at once sometimes, but a historical masterpiece for young adults nonetheless. I was very sad when, at the end, everyone parted ways and the adventure was over. I do still wonder what happened to a few character that were never mentioned in the epilogue.... then again, you might could already guess.

Recommendation: I really enjoyed the historical detail throughout the novel. It was very surprising to me that Rees mentioned some of the things that were main points in the story. I'm very glad she did though; I believe Rees is speaking to her readers through many of the characters in Sovay. Keep her eyes peeled for great speeches from Gabriel, the Middleton's estate manager's son, and Virgil Bennett, "the American". I highly recommend reading Sovay for not only the exciting historical adventure, but for understanding why people fought for Independence and Freedom. I think many teens are not aware at how important history is. I hope that by reading Sovay, it will bring to life a history that shouldn't be left in the past. Ages 14+.

This Book is For: Young Adults who enjoy historical fiction or fans of Celia Rees
This Book is Not For: Those who get easily scared by 400 pages or those you don't like history (but you should!)

Content: Some graphic violence (PG) | Cover: I don't like faces on covers!

Courtesy of booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com(less)

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Jan 30, 2009 Linda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read this based on a review by blogger named Random Jottings of Book and Opera Lover. Disappointing. Too many characters led to early confusion. Too much silly occult stuff added when the era and the real issues are more than absorbing. We don't need to worry if she will pull off her rescues and raids, this is YA fiction so we know how it will end. However, all along it appears our heroine (who's masquerading as a highwayman in 18th C. England) will end up with one of two gentlemen. At the last...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Rachael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Young Sovay Middleton’s privileged life has been disappointingly lacking of adventure of late, so she does what any bold girl would to—she dons a man’s attire and poses as a highwayman. But what starts as a clever test of love soon turns deadly, especially after Sovay steals the wallet of one of the most powerful and dangerous men in all of England. But the information she also uncovers may be worth risking the law and her personal safety for—her father has been accused to treason. And now, with...more Young Sovay Middleton’s privileged life has been disappointingly lacking of adventure of late, so she does what any bold girl would to—she dons a man’s attire and poses as a highwayman. But what starts as a clever test of love soon turns deadly, especially after Sovay steals the wallet of one of the most powerful and dangerous men in all of England. But the information she also uncovers may be worth risking the law and her personal safety for—her father has been accused to treason. And now, with her family missing, it’s up to Sovay to set things right, but the odds are stacked up against her everywhere she goes. She is but a powerless woman in a male-dominated society, unsude of who she can trust because with the revolutionary fever catching from nearby France, London’s spy network reaches farther than ever. In this suspenseful and romantic historical novel comes an unforgettable tale of danger and love.

Obviously well researched and well referenced, historical drama Sovay takes readers back to the romantic era of Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The novel starts energetically and continues to pick up pace as mere adventure morphs into the real threat of death, keeping readers on the edge of their seat. I was so excited to be taken back to the turbulent times during the French Revolution, having enjoyed studying that period and reading one of the few classics I loved, A Tale of Two Cities; there was just so much mischief to be made during that time as Rees accurately portrayed. There is something so satisfying about reading a story in which all the pieces fit together so perfectly, as I felt happened in Sovay. Sovay’s character is so bold and independent in a Robin Hood-esque kind of way that readers are drawn to her spunky attitude and determination. There were some conflicting times when Sovay let her fear show through, but otherwise, I felt the character development to be sufficient, even if I wished some of the characters played larger roles than they did. Sovay’s tale of romance and suspense with a historical edge was a thrill to read.

Readers who enjoy the historical fiction and action genres will want to check out Sovay. Fans of A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and most especially, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens will also fall in love with this exciting tale.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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Dec 11, 2008 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this one a lot. It is about a female--young teen girl--highwayman. She didn't begin her life of crime out of need, or even for thrills. No, she began--her first armed robbery--solely for revenge. 1790s. England. Sovay is a young woman engaged to be married. When she learns that he has cheated on her, she begins plotting her revenge. But what she doesn't know is how trivial this will all seem within a few days. Sovay's family--her father, her brother especially--will soon be threatened; t...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Dawn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this up because I knew the ballad (at least in printed form) and have to say I was rather disappointed. It really doesn't follow the ballad and that part's over by the end of the 1st chapter, anyway. The rest is a passable adventure novel, if a little *too* jam-packed (very much along the lines of "hey, I read the ballad but didn't like how it ended, and hey look, I just did all this research on the French Revolution. Shame to let that go to waste..."). A longer book would have been wel...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Carrie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ummmm... what DID I think? Good question. Years ago (and I do mean yearS), I read "Witch Child", also by Ms. Rees. I seemed to remember liking it, so when this book popped up on my Kindle I thought Why not? I'll give it a try. After what feels like a Herculean effort, I have managed to finish this book. Whew! Not bad, but not what I expected.

The beginning of this story was interesting enough. Sovay is a young woman in 1790s; a daughter of a free-thinker and raised to be one herself. She doesn't...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Katlin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I saw the cover I instantly picked it up. The premise sounded really great and even though I usually don't enjoy historical fiction Sovay just looked too good not to read. Wrong. Sovay was one of the most annoying main characters that I have ever come across. She tries to kill her fiance when he isn't willing to die for a ring she gave him. Every single male character falls instantly in love with her and she likes most of them back. I spent almost the entire novel not really sure who the re...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Simone Kovacs rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Check out my blog: http://therealread.wordpress.com/

While the novel begins with the intriguing idea of a strong female character who braves the dangers of a secret life as a Robin Hood-like highwayman, I think it quickly spirals out of control as the plot becomes convoluted and unrealistic. When Rees reveals that the spy master, Dysart, is a part of the Illuminati, wants to take over English rule, and has plans to introduce a new age of scientific inquiry that disregards any ethics, the story a...more Check out my blog: http://therealread.wordpress.com/

While the novel begins with the intriguing idea of a strong female character who braves the dangers of a secret life as a Robin Hood-like highwayman, I think it quickly spirals out of control as the plot becomes convoluted and unrealistic. When Rees reveals that the spy master, Dysart, is a part of the Illuminati, wants to take over English rule, and has plans to introduce a new age of scientific inquiry that disregards any ethics, the story appeared to lose focus to me. All of a sudden, I was struggling with how to relate a large number of different plotlines:

1. Sovay keeps unnecessarily acting as a highwayman despite the high likelihood that she could get hung for it.
2. Sovay and Hugh do not have any real idea of how to rescue her ill father from France.
3. The American, Virgil Barret, is somehow deeply involved in the Revolution. (Which annoyingly never gets explained!)
4. Dysart is the spy master, an Illuminati member, a mad scientist, and has a number of powerful contacts with the leaders of the Revolution.

Oh, and, of course, romance has to be introduced, so

5. All the men in the novel love Sovay without her realizing it. And then she meets Leon, a soldier for the French Revolution, and suddenly falls in love without any real discussion of her emotion. In other words, it felt like an extremely unrealistic and unnecessary whirlwind romance.

Rees attempts to reconcile all of these facts by having Virgil and her rescued from the guillotine by Leon as Robespierre and Dysart fall to the death machine. I was extremely disappointed as the fates of her brother and father, what I felt should have been most important to her, were not addressed. However, Sovay is swept up into the arms of her one true love and makes out with him in front of a bunch of prisoners. Then Rees wraps it up with Hugh informing ‘us,’ whoever that is, that she has never returned to England. Instead, she marries Leon and becomes a social butterfly, which I felt was completely out of character from the life she enjoyed in England.

Altogether, the novel was lacking in a strong, focused plot line and a satisfying ending. However, it is entertaining enough to be worth a read if you aren’t looking for a historical novel with realistic characters and settings and don’t mind romantic cop-outs.(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Amy Bethke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-lit-256

I loved the way this book was written because I truly felt like I was transported back to the 1700's during the French Revolution. Sovay, the main character was very fun and free spirited, though she did bother me sometimes when she just went off doing something crazy without thinking. I found it super cool that the premise of her character came from an old traditional ballad. All of the random characters that cross her path are unique and bring to light a different aspect of what was occurring...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Katherine Gingrich rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 16-books

This was honestly one of the hardest books for me to finish. I think that part of it was it was too much girl power for my tastes. The book is set in the English country while the revolution is raging in France. It starts off with her holding up a stage coach to test her fiancee's commitment and goes downhill from there. The other passenger, an American, was bringing a warning for her father. This set her off to go hold up more stage coaches, immerse herself in secret societies, and throws her i...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Beccy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book had all the factors of a great plot, from the fiesty heroine,the romance, to the villan Dysart. However I felt that Rees failed to execute these point well. Also the blurb was missleading, for while it stated the book would be centered of Sovay as a highway man, it was more about her trying to save her family. Furthermore I found it frustrating having to go over some sections of the book again to remeber who everyone was, as so many charecters were introduced - many who turned out to be...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, novel, historical

This book was a bit of a hot mess. The first 50 pages (and the back and the cover blurbs) promise you one thing, but what you get is a book so chocked full of discordant things that nothing is ever consistent. Is Sovay a scorned rich bitch, a heroic highwayman, a politically shrewd proto-feminist, or an absolute moron? Well it depends on what page you are on. The antagonist that is introduced in the first 50 pages is not the real villain, he is not actually introduced until almost halfway throug...more

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May 21, 2011 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: based-on-folksong-myth, glbtq, historical-fiction, ya

Now I love historical fiction and most of Celia Rees' novels*, so I was pretty sure I would like this novel and I did, that it's based on a folksong is a happy coincidence.

Sovay is a British aristocrat in 1794 who goes highwayman to humiliate her unworthy fiancée, and his father who wants her father’s land, then to protect her brother and father from charges of treason, and to thwart a British spymaster. She has spent most of her life in their home in the countryside, but goes to the family's Lo...more

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Oct 28, 2010 Christina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 11, 2010 Hafsah Faizal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but "Sovay", by Celia Rees, caught my attention from the very first page. Sovay is a young woman of dark beauty living in England during the French Revolution. She lost her mother at a very young age, and when her brother and father go missing, she learns she can't trust anyone - not even the one she was betrothed to.

In the beginning of the book, Sovay dresses up in her brother's clothes, wraps a handkerchief around her face, and rides to the highway, wh...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sovay grew on me. The first time I read it I felt a little disappointed by the strange epilogue that seemed just tacked onto the end. It resolved things for me but was in a different point of view than the rest of the book and so it struck me funny. It still does but Celia Rees does so much right that I believe it makes up for the quirky things throughout the book that bugged me: wordy akward sentences, use of the word towards instead of toward, and some of the paragraphs not necessarily falling...more

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Jun 25, 2010 Lady Knight rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, regency, teen, 18th-c, england-uk, france

I bought this book based solely on it's jacket. On which it says that the story is about a girl named Sovay who rides out as a highwayman à la Robin Hood. The facts here are that while her name is Sovay, the book is not really about her occaissionally being a highwayman. It is much more about a headstrong girl, secret societies and Revolutionary France.

Sovay is wronged by her fiancé so she dresses up as a highwayman and accosts his carriage. After he discovers that it was she who shamed him, he...more

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Oct 22, 2009 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Didn't like this. Totally agree with what others have said about there being three ideas/stories crammed into one book when they didn't really seem to fit together. Plus, I thought Sovay was a nitwit and couldn't warm to her at all (perhaps it was the repeated descriptions of her amazing beauty, boundless courage, dazzling figure, silken hair etc ad nauseum) and the tacked-on romance at the end with Mr Monobrow was the last straw.

I couldn't really understand why she decided to become a highwaym...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Melody rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, ya

This has been sitting on my shelf for 4-5 years, and I decided it was probably time to finally read it. I now know why it's been sitting there. I should have enjoyed this book. I've enjoyed the other books I've read by Rees, even if I read them when I was much younger. The book billed a strong female protagonist at its head. The French Revolution played a part. Even molly houses showed up for a bit (although I have a problem with that considering the concept and horror of these weren't really de...more This has been sitting on my shelf for 4-5 years, and I decided it was probably time to finally read it. I now know why it's been sitting there. I should have enjoyed this book. I've enjoyed the other books I've read by Rees, even if I read them when I was much younger. The book billed a strong female protagonist at its head. The French Revolution played a part. Even molly houses showed up for a bit (although I have a problem with that considering the concept and horror of these weren't really developed at all). When it came right down to it though, this book was a half-hearted shadow of what it could have, or should have been.

The action was too easy. Things were set-up with what seemed to be high stakes, but the stakes never felt that high. We were kind of going along from one event to the next. What's worse, so was Sovay. For someone who was supposed to be so strong, she didn't really do a lot. Then again, maybe it was just the endless number of men she seemed to meet and make moon eyes at without really falling in love (and I'm fine with there being no romance, it just got repetitive) that said she was strong. Additionally, a lot happens in this book without anything really happening. We move from one thing to the next extremely quickly. We don't get the full picture of anything. There isn't time for events to resonate. I'm not saying we have to beat a horse to death. It would be nice for an action to be full developed however. Some ends were resolved too easily. Some were never solved, despite setting them up.

There was an endless cast of characters who didn't really seem to have distinct personalities for the most part. The "bad" guys were ridiculous caricatures. Of course the evil spymaster has a secret laboratory. Of course the backstabbing university buddy prefers to buy the company of poor boys forced to sell themselves dressed as girls, which was never really adequately explained or developed. It's as if Rees decided a simple whorehouse wasn't bad enough, but she didn't want to paint the picture of the Molly house. Of course, this novel seemed to be a lot of pictures not painted. You know, not counting the portrait of Sovay that really has no point in being there other than attempting to show that Sovay is an independent woman because she doesn't like to look at herself.

I have really fond memories of Witch Child from my earlier years, and now I'm afraid to revisit it, just incase it was something like this and I was too young to know better.(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must say, this was quite the lengthy story. I mean, in the beginning she's somewhere in England and she's bored so she tests her boyfriend to see if he really loves her, which he fails, and by the end of the book I'm like starting to forget all the chracters cuz Dysart to evil villain is accussing her of treson so she's going to die in some prison inFRANCE, and then she switches boyfriends and gets married. And along the way she meets three other possible boyfriends, which out of those three I...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Ava Black rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Sovay" ( il cui titolo italiano e' " la ragazza con le pistole " ) racconta la storia di una diciassettenne, Sovay, appunto, ricca bella e ribelle, che si traveste da brigante ( da uomo ) per rubare ai poveri e, all'inizio, per tornaconto personale volendo cosi' punire il fidanzato che l'ha tradita. L'anno e' il 1794 e in Inghilterra regna il caos come riflesso della Rivoluzione Frances e, quando Sovay scopre che il padre e' sparito e il fratello e' scomparso dal college si mette sulle loro tra...more "Sovay" ( il cui titolo italiano e' " la ragazza con le pistole " ) racconta la storia di una diciassettenne, Sovay, appunto, ricca bella e ribelle, che si traveste da brigante ( da uomo ) per rubare ai poveri e, all'inizio, per tornaconto personale volendo cosi' punire il fidanzato che l'ha tradita. L'anno e' il 1794 e in Inghilterra regna il caos come riflesso della Rivoluzione Frances e, quando Sovay scopre che il padre e' sparito e il fratello e' scomparso dal college si mette sulle loro tracce, temendo che siano a Parigi, dove regna il caos piu' totale e basta niente per venire ghigliottinati.
Allora, partiamo dalla protagonista, Sovay: ne ho lette di peggio, nei libri. A me piacciono le eroine forti, ribelli, strafottenti, non certo le principesse che hanno bisogno di essere salvate dal principe e soprattutto non amo le protagoniste insicure, eppure la letteratura, soprattutto YA pullula di protagoniste insicure, fragili, puramente perdenti che si reputano stupide e si innamorano del primo angelo/vampiro che vedono. Sovay non e' cosi': risponde per le rime ed e' sicura di se', l'insicurezza appare solo in ambito amoroso e pudico, ma forse anche a causa dell'ambientazione e del tempo in cui la storia avviene. Quindi, l'eroina va bene e, lo ripeto, e' un miracolo in un panorama di protagoniste senza spina dorsale.
La storia e' piuttosto confusionaria, e' come se fossero due o piu' storie unite: infiniti personaggi, che spesso vengono descritti minuziosamente nel look e nell'aspetto fisico, anche se non e' necessario. Le descrizioni abbondano ( di personaggi, luoghi, atmosfere ) e spesso sono lunghe e con parole troppo artificiose, tante infatti le ho saltate.
Un altro personaggio ben fatto e' il cattivo di turno, Dysart, al limite dalla pazzia. Ci sono diversi momenti di avventura e suspance, pero' penso che certi avrebbero potuto essere tolti in nome di un approfondimento del personaggio: infatti, nonostante i pregi che ho elencato sopra rispetto a Sovay, la ragazza non e' molto approfondita. E' bellissima, e l'autrice lo scrive ogni poco, ma la cosa non mi ha infastidita.
Le ricerche storiche sono ben fatte ed anche questo non e' da poco, visto che la maggior parte dei libri che ho letto - anche se non storici - sono scritti senza che le autrici abbiano cercato le informazioni di base. Il cast di personaggi crede in ideali che oggigiorno sembrano essere passati di moda, nessuno combatte piu' per niente e la storia da quel punto di vista e' quasi un sollievo, per avere a che fare con una diciassettenne che ha poco a che vedere con quelle dei tempi moderni che spesso si trovano in altri libri ( vedi le protagoniste di Twilight, Fallen e tutte le serie piu' acclamate degli ultimi anni ).
L'amore non e' certo il protagonista, per me non e' necessario che un libro abbia una storia d'amore ma, se la ha, deve essere bella e coinvolgente, qua, invece, sembra essere messa solamente perche' quasi tutte le lettrici non leggono i libri se non c'e' un amore di mezzo. Tutti sono piu' o meno innamorati di Sovay che, all'inizio, sembra provare interesse per un altro brigante, ma poi si fidanza ( dicendosi innamorata, ma cio' non trapela da nessuna pagina ) di un francese che incontra a Parigi, di cui ora non ricordo il nome. La loro storia e' proprio buttata li', tanto che non la definirei nemmeno una storia d'amore.
La parte finale ovviamente manca di coraggio. Avviso che c'e' uno spoiler: Sovay, a Parigi, viene arrestata e portata in prigione dove rivedere il padre, malato ma non messo malissimo, poi da li' viene portata ad un'altra prigione per essere ghigliottinata il giorno dopo. I processi allora erano pure formalita' e la condanna era sempre la solita, la morte, e molti non sapevano nemmeno perche' erano in carcere o di cosa fossero accusati. Sovay ha una lista di accuse lunghissima ( sedizione ecc ) e quindi sa che il giorno dopo verra' uccisa, con l'amico Virgil, americano, finito in carcere a sua volta per averla difesa inutilmente al processo. Li' l'atmosfera e' coinvolgente, perche' la protagonista e' ad un passo dalla morte, una morte palesemente ingiusta, questo e' un volume auto conclusivo quindi la protagonista avrebbe potuto morire ma, ovviamente, la scrittrice ha scelto la strada facile, facendo si che la prigione fosse svuotata proprio quella notte a causa di una serie di eventi e tutti sono liberi e vissero felici e contenti. Un altro tipo di finale ci sarebbe stato meglio, ma forse ci sarebbe voluto troppo coraggio per la scrittrice per scriverlo e per i lettori per leggerlo.
Comunque, consiglio questo libro a chi vuole saperne di piu' sulla Rivoluzione Francia e sugli effetti che ha avuto anche in Inghilterra, a chi non cerca per forza una storia d'amore ed a chi apprezza le protagoniste con le p...e.

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Jan 29, 2011 Ash E. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: young adult and adult fantasy readers

Recommended to Ash by: Cori Johnson

Shelves: review-complete, historical-fiction

REVIEW COMPLETE

Sovay, Sovay all on a day
She dressed herself in man's array
With a sword and a pistol all by her side
To meet her true love to meet her true love away did ride.

And as she was a-riding over the plain
She met her true love and bid him stand
Your gold and silver kind sir she said
Or else this moment or else this moment your life I'll have.

And when she'd robbed him of his store
She says kind sir there is one thing more
A golden ring which I know you have
Deliver it deliver it your sweet life...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Alex rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I saw this cover, I instantly picked it up because it was so pretty. Plus the story sounded so interesting and good.

Sadly, it fell short.

French Revolution, Spies, and Highway men. What could go wrong? A lot, surprising. It seem like every man fell in love with Sovay. Makes you feel jealous that so many men were falling at her feet, nor could you really tell who she was going to end up with and the one she did end up with, it happened VERY fast.

I also had mixed feelings about Sovay, I lik...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Angela~twistedmind~ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set in the late 1700's, this story is about the dangerous adventures of a strong-willed & brave, although sometimes hard-headed, young woman. Sovay is 17 and has been left to run the family home. When she discovers that her brother and father, accused of treason in their country of England, are both missing she resolves to find them no matter the cost. Thus begins a life of highway robbery and dangerous escapades disguised as a man. This story was not quite what I expected, beginning with wo...more

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Aug 07, 2009 Morgan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to like this book--it had all the ingredients I typically love in a novel: romance, intrigue, historical backdrops, fiesty heroines. But, the cover and jacket blurb are really misleading; the story is more about her quest to clear her father and brother of treason charges. However, Celia Rees has many overlapping plot lines happening, some of which she wraps up abruptly. Some plot lines happen so quickly and so close to the end of the novel that the reader wonders why she waited...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kate by: Teen Book Club selection

Shelves: teen-book-club, 2011, age-ya, historical-fiction

Sovay, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, has recently taken up the occupation of highwayman. Initially it is to test the loyalty of her fiance, who she finds lacking, but she begins to enjoy the danger and the freedom of posing as a man. When her father goes missing, Sovay travels into London with her manservant Gabriel to find him, and uncovers a vast conspiracy. The powerful aristocrat Dysart is trying to frame Sovay's family as sympathizers to the French Revolution. Along the way, Sovay joins...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Anne Kaufhold rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Given to me by my daughter when she was thirteen, this sat on a shelf until my sense of duty made me read it and give it back to her three short years later.

I thought it was forgettable and contrived, and would have given it two stars.

It gets the third star because the kid truly loved this book, loved it enough to give it to me with light in her eyes and tell me that I HAD to read it. Loved it enough to name her pet chicken Sovay. If you have a history-loving child, who reads historical fiction...more

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About Celia Rees

Celia Rees (born 1949) is an English author of children's literature, including some horror and fantasy books.

She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband and teenage daughter. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, dur...more

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