Adela
Tilden has always been more ambitious than her station in life might
allow. A minor nobleman’s daughter on a failing barony, Adela’s
prospects seem dire outside of marrying well-off. When Adela catches
the eye of the crown prince, Edward, however, well-off doesn't seem
to be a problem. Thrown into a world of politics and intrigue, Adela
might have found all the excitement she ever wanted—if she can
manage to leave her past behind.
I
love Historical novels, and this book was no exemption. Adela Tilden
is very ambitious, and will do anything necessary to climb up the
hierarchy. Although Adela is the protagonist of the story, I had
mixed feelings about her. I usually love female characters with
ambition, but as Adela was seemingly dating men of high social
ranking to climb the ladder herself, I felt myself feeling sorry for
the men who fell in love with her. There are a few cases where it is
clear that she does not love them, although they love her, and
consequently she ends up breaking their heart. I did however enjoy
the ending, as she seems to come back down to earth slightly, even
though she is still ambitious and not altogether a likable character. Men are drawn to her beauty, and she uses this to her
advantage to get what she wants.
Sadly
Adela is not a character who I cared for, although I loved some of
the male characters, particularly Antony. At the start of the novel,
I thought that Adela and Antony would make a good couple, but as the
novel progressed and Adela's ambitions became more clear, I felt that
Antony deserved someone who did not sleep around to get what she
wants. Jessica Dall is a good writer, and I overall enjoyed the book,
but for a novel to really grip me, I have to fall in love with the
characters. Unfortunately, this was not the case with Adela, as I
disliked her lack of sympathy for the other characters, and
particularly that she was comparing her beauty to other women, and
silently mocking them for not being as beautiful as her. Adela is
vain and egotistic, and I feel that if she wasn't so beautiful, men
would not so easily fall in love with her. I loved the setting and
the overall plot of the book, but the characters let it down slightly
as a whole.
Copper Witch will be available from March 13th
For more information please visit http://jessicadall.com/about/the-copper-witch/