Skip to main content

The Copper Witch (Book One of the Broken Line Series) by Jessica Dall: A Book Review

The Copper Witch
Author: Jessica Dall
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: 5 Prince Publishing and Books, LLC
Release Date: March 13th, 2014
Pages: 374
Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: 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.

     My Review: Jessica Dall’s debut novel tells the story of the impoverished daughter of a baron who manages to catch the crown prince’s eye. She then rises from her humble beginnings to become the most powerful woman in the country. This is a tale of ambition, romance, and betrayal that will be sure to delight fans of soap operas. But overall, there is an intelligent woman, who will do anything to achieve her goals.

     Adela at first seems to be a carefree, independent, bold woman, who loves to speak her mind. However, as the novel progresses, she soon shows her true colors. She is vain. She cares a lot about her own beauty, and she judges and makes fun of others who are not as beautiful as her. She is also cold, calculating, power-hungry and ruthless. She does not care about the harm she causes in others, and leaves them on the roadside if they are of no use to her, for she is focused on her own goal. Adela is the person spinning the web and all the other characters become entangled in the web she spins. 

     I found that it is because of these reasons that I did not like Adela, the protagonist. Adela is a hard woman to like, and she is hard to trust. The story also focuses on Antony, who is Adela’s former art tutor and an admirer of Adela. Sometimes, reading from his perspective feels like a very nice reprieve because it takes the focus off of Adela for a little bit.

     Overall, it is a very well-written story. The setting is beautifully well--developed that helps us understand the plot and Adela’s motives. Although the main character is not likeable, the author makes up for it by having a fast-paced and interesting plot. She keeps the reader eager to read what happens next. Adela reminds me of other literary ambitious gold diggers like Holly Golightly, Scarlett O’Hara, and Becky Sharp. This book will appeal to readers who love historical fiction, royal romances, and a female gold digger as the protagonist. The book is also recommended for fans of Vanity Fair, Gone With The Wind, and Breakfast At Tiffany’s.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath...

Tausret: Forgotten Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt Edited by Richard H. Wilkinson: A Book Review

Tausret: Forgotten Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt Author: edited by Richard H. Wilkinson Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, History Publisher: Oxford University Press Release Date: 2012 Pages: 168 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: ONE OF ONLY A FEW WOMEN who ruled ancient Egypt as a king during its thousands of years of history, Tausret was the last pharaoh of the 19th dynasty (c. 1200 BCE), the last ruling descendent of Ramesses the Great, and one of only two female monarchs buried in Egypt's renowned Valley of the Kings. Though mentioned in Homer as the pharaoh of Egypt who interacted with Helen at the time of the Trojan War, she has long remained a figure shrouded in mystery, hardly even known to many Egyptologists. Nevertheless, recent archaeological discoveries have illuminated Tausret's importance, her accomplishments, and the extent of her influence. Tausret: Forgotten Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt  brings together new work by distinguished scholars whose research an...

Dragon Lady: The Evil History of China's Last Empress by Sterling and Peggy Seagrave: A Book Review

Dragon Lady: The Evil History of China's Last Empress Author: Sterling Seagrave and Peggy Seagrave Genre: Nonfiction. History, Biography Publisher: Bowstring Books Release Date: 2010 Pages: 624 Source: Kindle Unlimited Synopsis: The author of The Soong Dynasty gives us our most vivid and reliable biography yet of the Dowager Empress Tzu Hsi, remembered through the exaggeration and falsehood of legend as the ruthless Manchu concubine who seduced and murdered her way to the Chinese throne in 1861.       My Review: Empress Dowager Cixi was one of the last empresses of the imperial dynasty. She is attributed to the fall of the dynasty. She is often portrayed as a cunning, manipulative, and power-hungry figure. However, in this biography of the Empress Dowager, the authors claim that the rumors surrounding Cixi are false. The people who started the rumors were foreigners who blackened her name for personal reasons. Thus, the authors conclude that Empress Dowager ...