Book Review for The Belladonna Invitation by Rose Biggin

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form. 

The Belladonna Invitation, by Rose Biggin, is a gothic tale about a young woman who gets caught up in the snares of the Belladonna. The book is separated into 4 parts. Part I details a young woman named F, who decides to give everything up to join the Belladonna as her companion. Part II introduces Lucian, who falls prey to the Belladonna’s charm, and F’s subsequent jealousy of how easily the Belladonna plays with him. Part III shows the Belladonna’s compassionate facade unraveling, revealing an unfeeling woman who desires fame and immortality above all else. Part IV finally shows just how far the Belladonna would go to preserve said facade, even if it means giving up her life for it. 

I’ve got to admit; at first I was a little bit bored. I didn’t know what the book was going to be about, and those long winded “proper” phrases caused me to struggle. However, as I delved further into the book, it won me over. From Luce’s ill-fated desire for the Belladonna’s love, to F’s eventual desire to break free from the Belladonna’s strings, it goes to show just how much of a goddess the Belladonna has become in their eyes. And it’s not just them; everyone is tracking the Belladonna’s movements. And while F once considered herself to be grateful for getting so much of the Belladonna’s attention, it’s all she can do but realize just how much of a pawn the Belladonna treats her as. Nothing F, or rather Flora, wants matters; it’s only just how useful she is to the Belladonna. I don’t even think F knows the Belladonna’s name, and she’s obsessed with this woman. 

Thought I must admit; even the Belladonna seemed to have fallen victim to her own pride. She’d rather die perfect in everyone’s eyes then become human. And although F will now have to take on the responsibility, it seemed F will follow the Belladonna’s poisonous legacy. She was in love with the idea of the woman than the actual woman herself. It’s the same thing with Luce, and honestly, it’s kind of sad. It reminds me of a line from the movie, The Devil Wears Prada, in that everyone wants to be like the ones at the top, but no one wants to take the time to get to no them. It reminds me of old Hollywood  actresses like Marylin Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, in which it’s better to die young than to live old. Moreover, the Belladonna, or rather Atropa belladonna is a type of nightshade that’s garnered a reputation of being poisonous. Many practitioners, myself included, prize its hallucinogenic properties. It’s beautiful, and is often used in baneful magic, primarily those associated with glamours. It’s fitting for Biggin, then, to name our star prima donna the Belladonna. 

I thought this was a solid book. While it did take a while, it ended up being an important lesson on cementing beauty’s immortality, no matter how far you have to go to do it. The way that the Belladonna plays with her victims as well reminds me of the Affair of the Poisons, Hollywood, and other corrupt times that prioritized our perception of beauty. As such, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.