The Keep Within

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In this instance the book works so well because of all the great characters. The main protagonist is Larksdale, but the story is told from several perspectives including one of the Queens and a mysterious witch like character. We even get to see events through the eyes of the killer, Red Marie. There is magic and folklore weaved through the book, but also a grittiness. Worrad likes nothing better than to pop a character’s arrogance should it get too much. There are some great twists that the reader will not see coming. Thank you to NetGalley and to Titan Books for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review. The only thing that didn’t really gel for me was the tone of the book in some places. It’s a very darkly comic novel, which is fine, but when characters feel genuine emotion, it tends to veer a little too far into melodrama. Harry is the perfect example of this. He spends so much time being the butt of the joke, especially in the beginning, so that when he is genuinely feeling some emotion, it feels a little too comedic.

Larksdale works so well in this courtly drama as he is both part of it and not. He runs a theatre and loves the arts. His plays are what keeps him in the king's favour but also the drugs and ruffians he can procure. A deeply flawed character, but one who is more sympathetic than most. He finds himself thrust into a quest that he does not want and had no plans for. This makes his predicament even more exciting. Etymology and historiography [ edit ] A 19th-century reconstruction of the keep at Château d'ÉtampesThompson, M. W. (1994) The Decline of the Castle. Leicester, UK: Harveys Books. ISBN 1-85422-608-8.

Corp, Edward. (2009) "The Jacobite Court at Saint-Germain-en-Laye: Etiquette and the Use of the Royal Apartments", in The Norman keep (r) and prison (l) at Goodrich Castle, built to a square design in the early 12th century Pounds, Norman John Greville. (1994) The Medieval Castle in England and Wales: a Social and Political History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-45828-3. Provocative and decadent, crude and funny, and an altogether entertaining fantasy adventure.”—Edward Cox, author of The Relic Guild series

Worldbuilding is rich and compelling, full of small details that reference real historical facts (and examples appear really early). With some folk horror touches, it is really enjoyable to discover more of the world that also appeared in Pennyblade; each character has its own accent, even with different dialects. Schulz, Juergen. (2004) The New Palaces of Medieval Venice. University Park, US: Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 978-0-271-02351-9. I would like to thank Olivia from Titan for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review