Blackbirds Sing

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Pub Date 01 Dec 2019 | Archive Date 21 Apr 2020

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Description

Four-and-twenty extraordinary women; one chance to save a kingdom.

What would you sacrifice to save your family, your loved ones, yourself?

In September 1486, the reign of King Henry VII of England is again threatened by York loyalists. The only thing standing in the way is a four-hundred-year-old sidhe with a promise to keep, and a group of London women with a lot to lose if England is plunged back into war.

But, in 1486, women have no power. Only the ability to make difficult choices and sometimes-heartbreaking sacrifices.

Become immersed in the fascinating, perilous lives of these women, as told through the medium of 25 interwoven short stories. A prostitute selling her daughter’s virginity to pay her debts; a nun returning to the world after 30 years; laundress whose son is murdered; a lady’s maid hiding her Jewish culture; a blind musician running from a forced marriage; and more.

Each story is a piece in the puzzle. Each woman faces her own trials as she plays her small part in the desperate attempt to protect King Henry and his wife, Elizabeth of York.

Because if they fail, England will once again be thrust into civil war between the Yorks and Lancasters. And these four-and-twenty women have already sacrificed too much.

Four-and-twenty extraordinary women; one chance to save a kingdom.

What would you sacrifice to save your family, your loved ones, yourself?

In September 1486, the reign of King Henry VII of England is...


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ISBN 9780994592866
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Featured Reviews

Set in the late 1400s, King Henry VII has a tenuous hold on his new throne and York loyalists are plotting to overthrow him. Despite their relative powerlessness, 24 women and 1 sidhe work together to undermine the nefarious plans.

Each of the 25 women is given a chapter, written with beautiful detail. Some of the stories were poignant, tragic, and others were forgiving and loving. While developing the characters of this ensemble cast, the author uses each woman’s story to also advance the plot line, cleverly unfolding aspects of the intricate York plot.

I loved the intersection between fantasy and historical fiction, and admired many of the women. I had difficulty putting this book down, devouring this book in a day. Though some of these short chapters could have easily stood alone, altogether, it was a satisfying and delightful novel!

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I love historical fiction that paints pictures of domestic life. This is a story of women, many women, set in the 1400s. At a time and place in my life where I am working with women in a variety of domestic situations, the short stories took on a whole new meaning. Like the Handmaids Tale, I see so many parallels to the lives of those around me. Excellent and thought-provoking.

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Blackbirds Sing by Aiki Flinthart

Intriguing, compelling, complex and enthralling this book drew me in and kept me reading till 3am. I could not put it down!

The idea of taking a nursery rhyme-song and then weaving a story around it was an interesting take but that idea, plot it out, create so many wonderful characters threading the whole into one large wonderful story was delightful beyond measure!

What I liked:
* The women...all but one
* The four and twenty blackbirds song and how it was used
* The bit of paranormal
* The concept of strength of women in an era when women were considered “less than” men
* The complexity of the story
* The unveiling a bit at a time
* Meeting a new writer and wanting to read more of her work
* The surprises, twists and turns
* That every woman had a purpose
* That I could feel myself in the story
* Everything about this book resonated with me
* Wondering about how some of the women went on after the last page meant I was invested in this story

What I didn’t like:
* The twisted men carrying out their evil plot
* That some good people suffered and/or lost their lives
* Being reminded of the evils of war, greed and human depravity
* Having the book end...I really liked this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, CAT Press, BOOKBUZZ, and BookSprout for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

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This was a treat of a book! Very unexpected in narrative and voice, which made for a very enjoyable read. Set in medieval times and told through twenty-four perspectives, the spiderweb of connections created a fine mystery. Great read.

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4.75 out of 5 stars!
Thank you, NetGalley and CATpress for the ARC during these self-isolated times.

First off, I loved how interwoven the stories were, and how the built to the deeper, larger picture. Many of the characters, in their short span of pages, seemed so extremely individualistic, and did not seem too alike. Twenty-five different points of view, with only one repeating point of view. Characters were mixed about and it was easy to trace reoccurring characters. The romantic LGBTQ sub-subplot wasn't necessarily a surprise to me (as a shipper, I'm used to living in hope), but one that was definitely a welcome surprise to see canon!

My only complaint with this is that the Jewish character refers to God as "Jehovah" in one of her lines. While I'm no scholar (only an aspiring history major with no set period), I am Jewish and that translation/that name is not said out loud, and is more associated with either Messiantics or Jehovah's Witnesses. While the writer's research may have reached different conclusions, seeing the name did cause me to cringe back-- I'm more familiar with HaShem (the Name), Adonai (My Lord) or simply God.

Overall, I highly enjoyed the book and the different characters,

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A triumph for the women of medieval Britain! I loved the individual short stories and how they linked together into a bigger picture. Normally with short stories, some are weaker, some stronger. However all of the individual women’s stories were interesting and unique, a fascinating insight into life for medieval women. I learned many new historical facts, and much of the language seemed authentic to the time period. Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this charming book.

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