Review: "Suspenseful, Mesmerizing, Vivid"
Review published Oct 29, 2012 — http://onfictionwriting.com/myspotlights/Sinful-Folk/55/
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While I expected “Sinful Folk” a story steeped in history and detailed description, to be a slow read, it sucked me in from the first page and held me until the very end. This story takes you way back to the middle ages, and the author shows enviable writing skill in keeping what could be a mind-numbingly sluggish pace fast-moving, exciting and engaging. The protagonist, Mear, is fascinating. I wondered numerous times how she managed to hide who and what she was, and how she’d possibly survive. I kept thinking the author would do the inevitable and kill her off, but her inventiveness kept her going each time I was certain she’d perish.
Hayes skillfully plots a suspenseful and mesmerizing tale full of rich and vital characters. The historical note in the beginning of the book (which I’d normally skip) actually served to pique my interest. The mystery is laid out immediately; why did these boys die in the fire and who caused it and why is this woman pretending to be a man? Instead of solving the mystery in a linear way, Hayes takes the reader on a journey that reveals more questions with every page.
In addition to the suspense, the reader gets a vivid picture of the historical period and people of “Sinful Folk.” I’m impressed that he was able to believably convey what it meant for a woman to live, love, and survive during this time. Hayes writes a narrative that is not only easy to read, it shows a devotion to craft in each word. He doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities of the historical period to play up the romanticism, which I applaud. Life for a medieval woman was harsh and brutal. People of that “class” were ignorant and superstitious and Mear’s position, an unmarried woman with a child, was perilous at best. Hayes successfully conveys the danger and uncertainty and burns those emotions into the reader’s heart.
Review published Oct 29, 2012 — “On Fiction Writing” http://onfictionwriting.com/myspotlights/Sinful-Folk/55/
