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The Guild Master's Daughter
Faith has the power to turn imagination into reality. The Guild Master has the power to stop her.
In 1816 New York City, there is no place for women in the world of art, especially not for Faith, the gifted step-daughter of a renowned artist. Her step-father expects young women to be dutiful, reserved, and respectable, traits utterly incompatible with Faith's innate nature and the attention her extraordinary talent would attract. Faith masks her feelings, holds her tongue, and hides her drawings.
But when her step-father draws an apple that Faith can pick up off the page and hold in her hand, she can no longer deny her calling. The mystical Ink he uses to bring the imaginary to life offers freedom and power she can never have on this side of reality. It may not get her out of an arranged marriage, but it might keep her from suffocating in it.
Denied access to the Ink by the Guild that guards it and the Guild Master, her own step-father, Faith finds a way to train in secret. As she learns to manipulate the imaginary world where fantasy and fear are equally real, she discovers that even her reality is not what it seems. As the lines between real and imagined blur, Faith's quest for self-agency may cost her everything she holds dear in both worlds.
The Guild Master's Daughter is the award-winning story of one young woman's journey to create her own destiny through courage, self-discovery, and the extraordinary power of belief. Lose yourself in her world of artistry and magic, where dreams take form, art becomes life, and the imagination knows no limits.
In 1816 New York City, there is no place for women in the world of art, especially not for Faith, the gifted step-daughter of a renowned artist. Her step-father expects young women to be dutiful, reserved, and respectable, traits utterly incompatible with Faith's innate nature and the attention her extraordinary talent would attract. Faith masks her feelings, holds her tongue, and hides her drawings.
But when her step-father draws an apple that Faith can pick up off the page and hold in her hand, she can no longer deny her calling. The mystical Ink he uses to bring the imaginary to life offers freedom and power she can never have on this side of reality. It may not get her out of an arranged marriage, but it might keep her from suffocating in it.
Denied access to the Ink by the Guild that guards it and the Guild Master, her own step-father, Faith finds a way to train in secret. As she learns to manipulate the imaginary world where fantasy and fear are equally real, she discovers that even her reality is not what it seems. As the lines between real and imagined blur, Faith's quest for self-agency may cost her everything she holds dear in both worlds.
The Guild Master's Daughter is the award-winning story of one young woman's journey to create her own destiny through courage, self-discovery, and the extraordinary power of belief. Lose yourself in her world of artistry and magic, where dreams take form, art becomes life, and the imagination knows no limits.
333 pages, Paperback
Published November 17, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 20, 2024
In a Nutshell: An ambitious debut historical fantasy that wanders through many paths not taken before. The ending (a bit too wild for my liking), the length and the pacing could have been better, but kudos to the author’s imagination for keeping the fantasy part rock-solid.
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Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
🤩 A historical fantasy that delivers on both the historical as well as the fantastical aspects quite well.
🤩 The concept of the Ink and the related magical dimension created by the author. I am amazed at how vividly she built this fantasy world that was so farfetched and yet so believable. Excellent creativity!
🤩 The historical setting is also written well, especially in its depiction of the varying societal standards for men and women.
🤩 Faith as a character, especially as a female lead of a historical fiction work, is unlike the typical FMCs of this genre. She is morally grey, but not in the way you would think. Her name suits her excellently.
🤩 The other characters are also sketched well, with artist Charles Ingham serving as a great supporting character.
🤩 There is romance in the book, but at no point does it overpower the core plot. The relationship is just budding and hence very understated.
🤩 The story tackles several powerful themes such as feminism, gender discrimination, the limitations on women in choosing their own future, parental gaslighting, marital discord, and wealth bias.
🤩 The writing is beautiful, being well balanced across inner monologues, descriptions, dialogues and action.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 The author’s research is commendable. An introductory note clarifies that every character in this book except Faith is a real person from history. The author explains her reasons well, and in a concluding note, give elaborate details about the real people and to what extent their lives had been included in or altered for the novel. However, I am not entirely convinced about the need to use actual artists such as John Trumbull or Charles C. Ingham as key characters, especially when the only vital factual points in their arc were their paintings. I feel that except for the true masters such as da Vinci and Blake, the storyline could have functioned nicely with fictional characters, and maybe performed even better without the personal clutter. That said, I am still impressed at how impressively the artists’ real lives have been transmuted to this fictional fantasy.
😐 The ending was way too wild for my liking! I wasn’t prepared for the direction taken by the story and hence was caught unawares at how it almost imploded. It was a brave trajectory, and though it didn’t exactly work for me, I must give credit to the author for surprising me. In many ways, the ending was perfect for the story, I guess.
😐 While I loved the fantasy-related content, the family strife, especially in the second half, was a little bit boring. I loved the first half of the book much more.
Bookish Nays:
😒 The pacing is extremely slow. It took me more than a week to complete this 400 page novel, more than double my usual time. The length is also a negative, as certain events, especially in the second half, seem too dragged out. This partly stems from Trumbull’s being a real person. Keeping his character fictional and cutting out the needless complications of the actual Trumbull family might have helped improve the pace and reduced the length.
😒 Certain essential details are skipped out. Faith’s age, for instance, is never revealed in the book. (I hope I didn’t miss it somewhere in the extensive descriptions!) Considering her rebellious behaviour, knowing how old she was would have helped us better understand her impetuousness. Also, the year that the story is set in is not directly revealed, though the blurb clarifies it to be 1816. I could have estimated it approximately because Trumbull is revealed to be in his early sixties, and a Google search reveals his birth year to be 1756. But seriously, who does maths while reading fiction?
😒 I am not a fan of adult novels having chapter titles, especially if they reveal key upcoming scenes, which basically creates a spoiler.
All in all, the pace and the extraneous content in the second half were downers for me. But the rest of this indie novel, especially the fantasy-related content, was exceptional. I loved the imagination of the plotline and how it brought the art world to life, literally.
Recommended to those who like historical fantasies and wouldn’t mind the slow pace. It is going to make you wish that the Ink were real!
3.5 stars, rounding up for the sheer innovativeness of the plot!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through StoryOrigin. This review is voluntary and contains an honest opinion about my reading experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Faith’s stepfather Colonel Trumbull, a renowned artist, has categorically told her that the art world is no place for a woman, and her only purpose is to get married and breed children. While Faith has learnt to curb her true nature in his presence, she can’t stifle her longing for art, especially when she seems to have a wild imagination and a talent for sketching.
When Faith learns about a mysterious Ink used by the Colonel, her curiosity surges, and she soon discovers how magical and powerful the Ink is. Will Faith give access to her inner artist and be able to use the Ink against the explicit instructions of her stepfather? Will her wilful nature be acceptable in the 19th century NYC?
The story comes to us in the third person perspective of various characters, with a majority of the narration being from Faith’s point of view.
Bookish Yays:
🤩 A historical fantasy that delivers on both the historical as well as the fantastical aspects quite well.
🤩 The concept of the Ink and the related magical dimension created by the author. I am amazed at how vividly she built this fantasy world that was so farfetched and yet so believable. Excellent creativity!
🤩 The historical setting is also written well, especially in its depiction of the varying societal standards for men and women.
🤩 Faith as a character, especially as a female lead of a historical fiction work, is unlike the typical FMCs of this genre. She is morally grey, but not in the way you would think. Her name suits her excellently.
🤩 The other characters are also sketched well, with artist Charles Ingham serving as a great supporting character.
🤩 There is romance in the book, but at no point does it overpower the core plot. The relationship is just budding and hence very understated.
🤩 The story tackles several powerful themes such as feminism, gender discrimination, the limitations on women in choosing their own future, parental gaslighting, marital discord, and wealth bias.
🤩 The writing is beautiful, being well balanced across inner monologues, descriptions, dialogues and action.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 The author’s research is commendable. An introductory note clarifies that every character in this book except Faith is a real person from history. The author explains her reasons well, and in a concluding note, give elaborate details about the real people and to what extent their lives had been included in or altered for the novel. However, I am not entirely convinced about the need to use actual artists such as John Trumbull or Charles C. Ingham as key characters, especially when the only vital factual points in their arc were their paintings. I feel that except for the true masters such as da Vinci and Blake, the storyline could have functioned nicely with fictional characters, and maybe performed even better without the personal clutter. That said, I am still impressed at how impressively the artists’ real lives have been transmuted to this fictional fantasy.
😐 The ending was way too wild for my liking! I wasn’t prepared for the direction taken by the story and hence was caught unawares at how it almost imploded. It was a brave trajectory, and though it didn’t exactly work for me, I must give credit to the author for surprising me. In many ways, the ending was perfect for the story, I guess.
😐 While I loved the fantasy-related content, the family strife, especially in the second half, was a little bit boring. I loved the first half of the book much more.
Bookish Nays:
😒 The pacing is extremely slow. It took me more than a week to complete this 400 page novel, more than double my usual time. The length is also a negative, as certain events, especially in the second half, seem too dragged out. This partly stems from Trumbull’s being a real person. Keeping his character fictional and cutting out the needless complications of the actual Trumbull family might have helped improve the pace and reduced the length.
😒 Certain essential details are skipped out. Faith’s age, for instance, is never revealed in the book. (I hope I didn’t miss it somewhere in the extensive descriptions!) Considering her rebellious behaviour, knowing how old she was would have helped us better understand her impetuousness. Also, the year that the story is set in is not directly revealed, though the blurb clarifies it to be 1816. I could have estimated it approximately because Trumbull is revealed to be in his early sixties, and a Google search reveals his birth year to be 1756. But seriously, who does maths while reading fiction?
😒 I am not a fan of adult novels having chapter titles, especially if they reveal key upcoming scenes, which basically creates a spoiler.
All in all, the pace and the extraneous content in the second half were downers for me. But the rest of this indie novel, especially the fantasy-related content, was exceptional. I loved the imagination of the plotline and how it brought the art world to life, literally.
Recommended to those who like historical fantasies and wouldn’t mind the slow pace. It is going to make you wish that the Ink were real!
3.5 stars, rounding up for the sheer innovativeness of the plot!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through StoryOrigin. This review is voluntary and contains an honest opinion about my reading experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
June 18, 2024
Geneva Price did a very good job of getting this reader to love, hate, love, despise, become exasperated with the heroine and finally enjoy the rather goofy ending of this tale of Victorian times where women were to be married, have babies and do nothing artistic but follow the direction of men.
The magic is in the ink. The ink, the imagination.
Faith, our heroine, is a gifted artist who threatens her father with her exceptional ability. Needless to say, artist "dad" does everything to subpress the talent. An interesting roller coaster of lies and deceit. Ink wins.
The magic is in the ink. The ink, the imagination.
Faith, our heroine, is a gifted artist who threatens her father with her exceptional ability. Needless to say, artist "dad" does everything to subpress the talent. An interesting roller coaster of lies and deceit. Ink wins.
May 30, 2024
A unique blend of history, art and fantasy in which a willful young woman triumphs over restrictive social mores.
The Guild Master’s Daughter is the story of Faith Trumbull, the fictitious stepdaughter of the real Colonel John Trumbull, a painter whose art graces the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. It is also a story exploring the furthest reaches of the imagination in a fantastical alternate history where mystical Ink becomes a gateway to the psyche of the artists who use it.
The book begins with a quick sketch of Faith’s relationship with her stepfather, whose Puritanical expectations squelch the girl’s hunger for creativity and affection at every turn. This stereotypical straitjacket is what drew me in, setting the stage for Faith to break the mold, and the story does not disappoint in that regard. Though she begins as a demure young lady determined to rise to (and thereby manage) her stepfather’s exacting standards, Faith quickly shows herself to be willful and conniving. In fact, the author confesses in the afterword that this story evolved from a previous idea in which Faith played the antagonist of a different tale—and it shows. Once the girl tastes the forbidden fruit of the Ink, she will stop at nothing to gain access to it, using whatever—and whomever—best serves her purpose.
Her desperation is entirely understandable, for the Ink is a phenomenal substance, as addictive as an opioid but with far more fascination. At first, Faith’s manipulations are unsurprisingly a little naive, almost innocent. But she descends past moral grayness into something a touch reprehensible as she fights against the general repression of the times, and the more specific oppression of her own circumstances.
Price does an astonishing job of bringing historical figures to life, weaving a compelling tale involving the painters and artwork of post-revolutionary America, England and the Continent, as well as highlighting the craft itself. The quotes preceding each chapter, many of which are from William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, are a propos. Price’s writing, while not remarkable, is lovely; my only peeve was the number of times the author began a sentence—sometimes consecutive sentences—with the name Faith.
The ending left me with mixed emotions. One character grows—in the vernacular of Gen-Z gamers—so “OP” (overpowered) as to become godlike. Though the structure of the conclusion offers a sound solution to the puzzles of the story, the execution seems overly dramatic—as if, like Blake, Price’s true intent was to turn conventional morality and religion on its ear. By the end, I felt the protagonist had been made into an archetype to drive home the author's point. This seemed less about Faith finding the right ending to her story, and more about all women—and creative artists—everywhere, in every era, triumphing over the stifling restrictions of social and religious restraint. While I can certainly support the message, the combination of pointed quotes from Blake and Faith’s dramatic, 12th-hour speech in front of the Guild oddly made me feel almost preached at.
This, however, is a minor irritation. Ultimately, the book is an artful rewrite of history, as well as a compelling fantasy adventure—and I think many readers will find the conclusion gratifying.
// Note I had the privilege of reviewing an ARC of this book on Reedsy Discovery. The above review reflects my honest opinion.
The Guild Master’s Daughter is the story of Faith Trumbull, the fictitious stepdaughter of the real Colonel John Trumbull, a painter whose art graces the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. It is also a story exploring the furthest reaches of the imagination in a fantastical alternate history where mystical Ink becomes a gateway to the psyche of the artists who use it.
The book begins with a quick sketch of Faith’s relationship with her stepfather, whose Puritanical expectations squelch the girl’s hunger for creativity and affection at every turn. This stereotypical straitjacket is what drew me in, setting the stage for Faith to break the mold, and the story does not disappoint in that regard. Though she begins as a demure young lady determined to rise to (and thereby manage) her stepfather’s exacting standards, Faith quickly shows herself to be willful and conniving. In fact, the author confesses in the afterword that this story evolved from a previous idea in which Faith played the antagonist of a different tale—and it shows. Once the girl tastes the forbidden fruit of the Ink, she will stop at nothing to gain access to it, using whatever—and whomever—best serves her purpose.
Her desperation is entirely understandable, for the Ink is a phenomenal substance, as addictive as an opioid but with far more fascination. At first, Faith’s manipulations are unsurprisingly a little naive, almost innocent. But she descends past moral grayness into something a touch reprehensible as she fights against the general repression of the times, and the more specific oppression of her own circumstances.
Price does an astonishing job of bringing historical figures to life, weaving a compelling tale involving the painters and artwork of post-revolutionary America, England and the Continent, as well as highlighting the craft itself. The quotes preceding each chapter, many of which are from William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, are a propos. Price’s writing, while not remarkable, is lovely; my only peeve was the number of times the author began a sentence—sometimes consecutive sentences—with the name Faith.
The ending left me with mixed emotions. One character grows—in the vernacular of Gen-Z gamers—so “OP” (overpowered) as to become godlike. Though the structure of the conclusion offers a sound solution to the puzzles of the story, the execution seems overly dramatic—as if, like Blake, Price’s true intent was to turn conventional morality and religion on its ear. By the end, I felt the protagonist had been made into an archetype to drive home the author's point. This seemed less about Faith finding the right ending to her story, and more about all women—and creative artists—everywhere, in every era, triumphing over the stifling restrictions of social and religious restraint. While I can certainly support the message, the combination of pointed quotes from Blake and Faith’s dramatic, 12th-hour speech in front of the Guild oddly made me feel almost preached at.
This, however, is a minor irritation. Ultimately, the book is an artful rewrite of history, as well as a compelling fantasy adventure—and I think many readers will find the conclusion gratifying.
// Note I had the privilege of reviewing an ARC of this book on Reedsy Discovery. The above review reflects my honest opinion.
April 1, 2024
4.5 stars. This was a really fun read. The imagery was great. The plot was great. The plot depth was fantastic. And the historical aspect was spot on with just the rigtht amount of fiction.
This reminded much of The Freemasons with a secret society that only men are allowed to be a part of. The main character is a strong female that is oppressed by her family, no support, and supposed to succumb to social norms, yet she just can't.
The only thing I saw with this book is that the main character is quite immature for 3/4 of the book, then all of a sudden becomes an adult and breaks out of the immaturity with ocnfidence and a lot of power. I feel that there was a gap to get from the immature girl to the mature woman, but I still loved it **POSSIBLE SPOILER** READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION: but I get the idea of Faith found her way form being under her father and no longer under the thumb of the social norms for how a woman should act in the 1800's. It felt just a little rushed and extravagant without the build up. ALSO **ANOTHER SPOILER** The fact that the romance didn't end up in a nice tidy bow was a great change from all other books where the guy get the girl at the end. The romance doesn't work out and that's how it goes sometimes AND the girl wasn't devastated rather takes that and runs with it to create her own world and live by her rules not everyone else's.
I think this would be great premise for a movie or series! The imagery is great; it has Disney Fantasia vibes without all the music or no words; and great story depth.
This reminded much of The Freemasons with a secret society that only men are allowed to be a part of. The main character is a strong female that is oppressed by her family, no support, and supposed to succumb to social norms, yet she just can't.
The only thing I saw with this book is that the main character is quite immature for 3/4 of the book, then all of a sudden becomes an adult and breaks out of the immaturity with ocnfidence and a lot of power. I feel that there was a gap to get from the immature girl to the mature woman, but I still loved it **POSSIBLE SPOILER** READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION: but I get the idea of Faith found her way form being under her father and no longer under the thumb of the social norms for how a woman should act in the 1800's. It felt just a little rushed and extravagant without the build up. ALSO **ANOTHER SPOILER** The fact that the romance didn't end up in a nice tidy bow was a great change from all other books where the guy get the girl at the end. The romance doesn't work out and that's how it goes sometimes AND the girl wasn't devastated rather takes that and runs with it to create her own world and live by her rules not everyone else's.
I think this would be great premise for a movie or series! The imagery is great; it has Disney Fantasia vibes without all the music or no words; and great story depth.
September 23, 2024
There were many things to love about this book. The plot was very interesting - artists with Talent can use Ink to make their art seem real, so that the observer can hear, smell, taste, feel, etc. However, the Ink and training in how to use it is tightly controlled by a secret guild. Faith is a very talented artist and when her step-father shows her the Ink, she is intrigued. However, her step-father is also the Guild-Master and he says women can't use Ink.
I enjoyed the writing, it was very detailed and descriptive. I enjoyed getting a few chapters from the step-father's POV. He is of course the villain, and a very villainous villain, but it was so nice to see some things from his perspective, to gain a bit of understanding why he does what he does. Otherwise, it would probably be blind hate and rage.
However, there were a number of things that didn't work for me. Faith is in a truly impossible situation, she has no good options, and few enough mediocre options. She has no one on her side, so she resorts to deceit and trickery to get what she wants. I completely lost respect for her at that point.
Also, chapters and chapters and chapters of learning what the Ink can do. I mean, it was interesting, and it served a point because her relationship with various characters was developed in this part, but it was too much for me. It's very obvious that everything will end badly, and I was more interested in the plot than the magic system. I get it, the only limit to what the Ink can do is your imagination.
And the ending. I didn't like the ending at all. Super spoilery spoiler:
So it just rates 3 stars, average. There were a lot of good things, but the negatives balanced them out enough that I can't rate higher. If you like very detailed magic systems and art, this will likely appeal to you more than it did to me.
I enjoyed the writing, it was very detailed and descriptive. I enjoyed getting a few chapters from the step-father's POV. He is of course the villain, and a very villainous villain, but it was so nice to see some things from his perspective, to gain a bit of understanding why he does what he does. Otherwise, it would probably be blind hate and rage.
However, there were a number of things that didn't work for me. Faith is in a truly impossible situation, she has no good options, and few enough mediocre options. She has no one on her side, so she resorts to deceit and trickery to get what she wants. I completely lost respect for her at that point.
Also, chapters and chapters and chapters of learning what the Ink can do. I mean, it was interesting, and it served a point because her relationship with various characters was developed in this part, but it was too much for me. It's very obvious that everything will end badly, and I was more interested in the plot than the magic system. I get it, the only limit to what the Ink can do is your imagination.
And the ending. I didn't like the ending at all. Super spoilery spoiler:
So it just rates 3 stars, average. There were a lot of good things, but the negatives balanced them out enough that I can't rate higher. If you like very detailed magic systems and art, this will likely appeal to you more than it did to me.
February 28, 2024
The Guild Master’s Daughter by Geneva Price
(4/5)
Received this on StoryOrigin in exchange for a review!!!!!
Synopsis: Set in the 1800’s, Faith goes on a journey on turning her imagination into real life using the Ink. However, women are forbidden to practice it and her father is in charge.
Review:
This was so good!!! The usage of imagery describing the Ink and how the images came to life through Phantasia!!! I was just eating up the descriptions of the world.
I honestly would forget this was a historical fantasy because I’d be so caught up learning about the Ink then it would mention 1800’s politics lol.
Faith was a badass. I was so proud of her for standing her ground every chapter about one thing or another. I loved reading her story!!!
(4/5)
Received this on StoryOrigin in exchange for a review!!!!!
Synopsis: Set in the 1800’s, Faith goes on a journey on turning her imagination into real life using the Ink. However, women are forbidden to practice it and her father is in charge.
Review:
This was so good!!! The usage of imagery describing the Ink and how the images came to life through Phantasia!!! I was just eating up the descriptions of the world.
I honestly would forget this was a historical fantasy because I’d be so caught up learning about the Ink then it would mention 1800’s politics lol.
Faith was a badass. I was so proud of her for standing her ground every chapter about one thing or another. I loved reading her story!!!
February 26, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The way some artists are able to capture the very essence of what they draw or paint does make the viewer of such seem as though they must have some source of magic. All good artists strive to be the very best and if someone tries to usurp them, even family, they must be stopped. Faith has a very vivid imagination and loves make it come alive. Her father on the other hand is good but Faith is much better and he feels threatened by that. If you love the world that your imagination can create you will probably love this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2024
this was a beautifully done story, it had everything that I was hoping for from the description. It had a great overall concept and that the characters worked well in this universe. I was invested in what was going on and how the story worked with what I was hoping for. Geneva Price has a great writing style and left me wanting to read more in this universe.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 29, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a fantastic mix of fantasy and history. The characters are relatable and the story is original. I especially appreciated the use of actual historic figures as characters in a fantasy book. This is the first book I’ve read by Geneva Price and I will definitely be reading more of her work!
January 15, 2025
New York City, 1816. Faith has Talent—the ability to use a special type of ink which can bring sketches to life. However, her stepfather, Colonel Trumbull, refuses to acknowledge her abilities. He sees it as a perversion for a woman to have such skill. Until he becomes a Guild Master, he decides an arranged marriage is the best way to keep her distracted from developing her latent abilities. But Faith has had a taste of what the Ink can do. When she uncovers her stepfather has deliberately lied to her, she decides to train in secret. With Colonel Trumbull away on business, Faith seeks help from an attractive young painter named Charles Ingram. Now Faith hopes she learns enough to earn her own pen before her stepfather finds out.
Faith is a young girl who’s learning to stand up for herself. I appreciated how her characterization feels true to the time period. The possibilities of imagination run beautifully wild within this story. As Faith begins to observe her world with an artistic eye, the author does a tremendous job of layering the setting with sensory and emotional stimuli. There is a glorious burst of world-building, artistic expression, and magical discovery. Faith begins to create the world she’s always dreamed of in secret. However, this freedom is balanced on a knife’s edge of being discovered by her stepfather. In her desperation to hold onto this world, called Phantasia, she will make choices that put others in the crossfire and threaten budding relationships. Undercurrents of more subtle themes boil beneath the surface, including stifling social mores, morally-gray choices, forbidden fruits, and secret societies. An exemplarily researched Regency-era fantasy tale about the passionate pursuit of realizing one’s dreams that swept me away with its prose.
Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
Faith is a young girl who’s learning to stand up for herself. I appreciated how her characterization feels true to the time period. The possibilities of imagination run beautifully wild within this story. As Faith begins to observe her world with an artistic eye, the author does a tremendous job of layering the setting with sensory and emotional stimuli. There is a glorious burst of world-building, artistic expression, and magical discovery. Faith begins to create the world she’s always dreamed of in secret. However, this freedom is balanced on a knife’s edge of being discovered by her stepfather. In her desperation to hold onto this world, called Phantasia, she will make choices that put others in the crossfire and threaten budding relationships. Undercurrents of more subtle themes boil beneath the surface, including stifling social mores, morally-gray choices, forbidden fruits, and secret societies. An exemplarily researched Regency-era fantasy tale about the passionate pursuit of realizing one’s dreams that swept me away with its prose.
Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
August 10, 2024
Great read. Not my genera but enjoyed book all the way to the end.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews