The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain
Some things are earned. Some things are worth fighting for…
It’s 1782, Daniel and his sister Pearl arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance.
But the city is not a place for men like Daniel and he is callously tricked and finds himself, along with his sister Pearl, in the rookeries of St Giles – a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty.
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The underworld labyrinth is run by Elias, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds. But under his dangerous rule is a brotherhood of Black men, the Blackbirds of St Giles, whose intention is to set their people free.
Can Daniel use his strength, wit and the fellowship of the other Blackbirds to overthrow Elias and truly find the freedom he fought for…?
My Review
I know very little about this period of history. I did a bit of research and discovered it was when William Wilberforce was involved in ending the slave trade in the UK. However, it was still rife across the pond, and our main protagonist Daniel has escaped a sugar plantation in Jamaica with his little sister Pearl. He has had to abandon his true love, Adanna, who was employed at the big house.
Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence, becoming a Lieutenant, and receiving his freedom and an inheritance. But when he and Pearl arrive in London, they are double crossed and there is no-one who can vouch for the authenticity of the will.
Having nothing but the clothes they stand up in, they find themselves in ‘the rookeries of St Giles – a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty.‘ What are they to do?
They soon find they are not alone, and are befriended by an apothecary called Jerome, and a woman named Jen. They discover that it’s not just poverty that is their enemy, but a character called Elias, who calls himself the ‘King of the Rookery’ and whose cruelty is unimaginable, even to his fellow Black men and women. An underground movement known as The Blackbirds of St Giles is ready to overthrow him and set their people free. But Elias has spies everywhere, and crossing him could result in torture and death if caught.
Wow! This book was epic! It would make a great film or Netflix series. I’m not sure who could play Daniel – Idris Elba is a bit too old (sorry Idris), but my personal first choice would be Regé-Jean Page from the original series of Bridgerton.
The Blackbirds of St Giles is a real page-turner, with a host of memorable characters, Daniel of course, Pearl, Adanna, Sparrow and Octavian, to name but a few. There’s only one thing I didn’t want to happen, but I can’t say because it would be a spoiler.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Authors
Lila Cain is the pseudonym for two authors writing together.
Kate Griffin won the Faber/ Stylist Magazine competition with Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders and went onto to write three more novels in the series before writing her first standalone novel, Fyneshade.
Born to Windrush-era Jamaican parents, Marcia Hutchinson worked as a lawyer before founding educational publishing company Primary Colours and was awarded an MBE for services to Cultural Diversity in 2010. Her solo debut novel Mercy is due for publication in summer 2025.
