this was a really good read, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading this story. I look forward to more from the author.

A fine read with strong female leads. I liked the narration and the story. While the pacing isn't breakneck, I've never felt bored or unmotivated to continue. Worth a read.

Well researched history is interwoven with magic in this book, in such a way that it all feels very realistic. I felt like I was there, watching from a small distance, instead of reading the story. I could almost smell the stench of the London streets, and hear the sounds.

Life was hard for women in medieval London. But together they made change happen, more than any man could have ever guessed.

The short stories were interwoven in such a way that they did not feel as short stories as much as one story from different perspectives. That the characters I started to care about from the start came back throughout the book made reading it much more enjoyable to me.

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.

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.

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

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.

I was unable to finish this book. The story was intriguing enough but the characters speech felt jarring to me as it was a mix of modern and medieval.
I'll probably pick it up again at some point but not anytime soon unfortunately.

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,