You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

A review by just_one_more_paige
The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 
It's been years, like so many that I think all of them were pre-book-blogging Paige, but I have read and loved a number of Kearsley's novels. The Winter Sea was a particular favorite - the first one I picked up - and I sped through like five more immediately after that. When I saw this most recent release come through the library, I realized I was definitely in the mood for another from her, after all these years. And so, I brought it home with me. (Ahhhh, the dangers of working in a library...) 

The King’s Messenger was a bit of a slower-roll read, compared to what I remember of her previous novels. It is very clear that her years of research and knowledge of these time periods and settings are vast, and she makes that known on every page, from character interactions to location description to the intricacies of court life and political nuance. (A note here: the afterword, on the historical characters and IRL research Kearsley did and how it informed her novel and where she diverged and why, was fantastic!) However, that being said, I am glad I had the audiobook to move me through some of it, as it may have been a bit too slow for reading with my eyeballs. Yet, with the help of a narrator, I sank right into this historical fiction world. 

I absolutely love a Scottish setting, especially historical ones like this (please see how many novels I read that are set there, from The Lost Queen to The Girl from the Sea to Shuggie Bain to City of Ghosts to Lady Macbeth, review forthcoming). It's sweeping and gorgeous and perfectly spooky. Which lends itself spectacularly to Kearsley's signature interweaving of the mystical/paranormal into her stories. In this case, Andrew Logan, one of our male MCs, has a variation on second sight and can see phantom spectres of the past, and some visions of the future. Speaking of Andrew Logan, his relationship with our female MC, Phoebe Westaway, was the romantic centerpiece of my dreams. It was a sweet and tender, softly fiery, slow burn romance that fit the mood of the story and setting perfectly. And to the plot itself, it was dramatic in nature, but quiet in delivery. A combination that again, I enjoyed in this context, but for which I was glad of the audiobook. 

Altogether, this was a sweet and tangible historical plot and HEA. One that I fell into fully and gladly and enjoyed my time with. 

“They’re not the same, though, are they? Education and intelligence. A learned man can yet be witless in all other aspects of his life, while an uneducated man who's never set foot in a classroom can possess a fine and gifted mind.” 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings