132,956
edits
Changes
The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman (view source)
Revision as of 13:54, 11 August 2014
, 13:54, 11 August 2014no edit summary
Whilst fighting is what drives the main plot along, it is by no means the focus – whilst we are given a fascinating glimpse into this world, it is the characters who make one keep turning the pages, and they stick in the mind long after the final page is turned – particularly for me, Charlotte Dryer is utterly captivating. The world which they inhabit is also wonderfully depicted, with rich contrast between manor and brothel, town house and hovel. The writing does not shy away from the realities of violence, and depictions of injuries and death can be horribly vivid and wonderfully macabre.
An award winning poet, Emma Anna Freeman has written something wonderful for her debut novel, and whilst the first two thirds gripped me slightly more than the final third, this is a thrilling read, as I was so involved with the characters by then, I was loathe to put this down. Comparisons with Sarah Waters and with Michael Faber's ''The Crimson Petal and the White'' are very accurate indeed.
This book is set in a dirty dangerous time, but one I was very happy to be sucked into for an afternoon. Ruth and Tom, Charlotte and George are all characters I should love to meet again, and I would encourage anyone to jump in and to meet them for yourself.