I had high hopes for this so I’m a bit disappointed. I can forgive a book that’s only been allowed to be 350 pages for having a rushed ending, but I can’t forgive a 650 page book for doing the last four years of Antoine’s life and basically the fall of Europe (which the book makes a big deal of pointing out that the Habsburg family have spread themselves out across) in 100 pages.

I really like that the characters of the book was Carlotta and her sister, Marie Antoinette. However, I didn’t really understand the magical element. I would have enjoyed this novel if there was no magic in the story.

The first half of this book is fantastic--intrigue, character development, conflict, and a unique magic system.

And then....the entire second half is a slog. The characters stop developing, the magic system becomes nonsensical (the entire country forgets how to tell time because enchanted flour was dumped into a volcano--like....really?), and the intrigue becomes boring and repetitive, as the same kinds of scenes play out and letters are written over and over with no real effect in the overall narrative. I stopped caring about anyone and anything around page 450, and with 200 MORE pages still to go.... I had to call it.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and Kate Heartfield for an advanced copy of this book.
I really enjoyed this one! It was also sad but that I still enjoyed that because of the beautifully crafted story. Following two queens and sisters in the 18th century, Marie Antoinette and Maria Carolina, with a bit of magic sewn in is a great premise that Kate Heartfield uses fully. I expected this book to use the magic to change history or lessen the pain of these two women's lives. However the story is far more interesting since it doesn't, exploring the idea of how a bit of magic does and does not change who a person is and if it could ever change fate.

While not biography this book is a great exploration into the political web of 18th century Europe and these two powerful and well know women. The politics are as accurate as can be hoped for and the rest of the world shows great attention to detail. Now to the magic! It is so so interesting one of the most unique magic systems I've seen. The two women are fascinating to follow with plenty of faults but still very lovable.

They had sad lives and the book respects that conveying the sadness in a deep way. So while this isn't a happy read it's a very worthy and beautiful one.

I think this book went over my head a bit. Unfortunately I am not a huge fan of overly flowery writing, and this book felt a little overwritten for me. I think that if that is something you tend to enjoy in historical novels, this one could be great, but for me it was more than I was looking for.

The Embroidered Book is a reimagining of Marie Antoinette's story focused on her (Antoine) and her sister. As children, they find a book of spells mysteriously left behind by a governess that they use to try to influence court politics and the lives of their siblings and families.

Definitely an intriguing concept, but this book was not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of The Embroidered Book for my review.

The Embroidered Book delves into the lives of Marie Antoinette and her sister Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples and Sicily, tracing their journey from their childhood in the illustrious House of Habsburg-Lorraine to their dramatic destinies. The novel explores their arranged marriages and the tumultuous end of Antoinette’s life.

In true Heartfield fashion, the story adds a magical twist: raised by a governess who taught them sorcery, the sisters inherit a mysterious collection of spells known as the embroidered book. The premise asks, "What if two of the most influential women in European history were witches, and their actions—and the course of history itself—were shaped by magic?"

Beautiful writing, A+ court politics, and a really interesting magic system. Probably could've been 4 stars if it were maybe 200 pages shorter, but the second half of the book was truly a slog.

Great concept for a fictional twist on real history for a unique historical fiction twist. Will admit that it took me a long time to finish because it's a lot to process with names and slower parts.

"The Embroidered Book" by Kate Heartfield was a disappointing read for me. The story follows Marie Antoinette and her sister Charlotte in a historical fantasy setting, but I found the execution lacking. Despite the intriguing premise, I struggled to connect with the characters and found the pacing to be slow.
As someone familiar with the real history of the French Revolution, I knew how the story would ultimately end, which made the lackluster character development and predictable plot even more frustrating. While I appreciate the author's attempt to breathe new life into this well-known historical period, I couldn't help but feel that the story lacked depth and emotional resonance.
Additionally, I found the fantasy elements to be underdeveloped and not fully integrated into the narrative. The magical aspects seemed like an afterthought rather than an integral part of the plot, which made the world-building feel disjointed and inconsistent.
Overall, "The Embroidered Book" fell short of my expectations. While the premise had potential, the execution left much to be desired. I would recommend this book to readers looking for a light historical fantasy read, but for those seeking a gripping and well-developed story, this may not be the best choice.
Low 3/5 Stars

As someone who started their reading journey in the historical fiction realm, I was immediately drawn to this book. I found the magic system to be unique and it related well to the personalities of our main characters and the overall story that was being told. While I don't feel like the fantasy portion of this book was necessary, it did make it more enjoyable and unique of an experience than if the story was told in a normal setting. I did find it hard to finish because I feel like it stalled at certain points and the story did not progress to what I knew should be happening as quickly as it could have.

Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of <i>The Embroidered Book</i> in exchange for an honest review. I went into this thinking it was going to be a fantasy novel, and while there is some of that with some magical components the bulk of this is historical fiction.

It seems well researched in that respect but made for a different experience than I was expecting. It’s long, which I expect of a fantasy novel, but this length with historical fiction was a bit much. I can’t say this really held my interest.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars
This book did nothing wrong. However, this is not the book for me.
Heartfield has clean, engaging writing in the narrative which humanizes these historical characters that many people know so much about, at least Antoinette and to a lesser degree her family and the other players of the French Revolution. Unfortunately, that familiarity wedged into my reading experience and created a disconnect for me, especially since I have read far too much about most of the involved players through my classes for my history degree as well as my other interest. Since I know that Heartfield does not change any of the major historical events, I did not feel compelled to keep reading this work of narrative speculation about these characters.
This is not a bad book at all. In fact, I think it's written quite well, hence the 3.5 star rating. It's just not the book for me.

This book is a fantastic combination of historical fiction and fantasy. It's centered around the lives of real historical figures and actual historical events with magic woven through the story.

It is a beautifully written book about sisters Antoin and Charlotte. They are princesses of Austria and go on to marry the heirs of France and Naples. When they were children, they discovered a book left by a former nanny that had magic spells in it. The Embroidered Book follows the sisters from childhood into adulthood as they learn more about the magic and how to use it. The magic greatly effects their lives and relationships.

Charlotte chooses a wiser path with her magic and ends up in a great position of power as queen. Antoin takes a different approach and is seen as vain and flighty.

One of my favorite parts of this book is that even though we know all along the fate of Antoin, later Marie Antoinette, this knowledge doesn't detract from the story. Instead, we know what's coming. We see the mistakes as she's making them and the web of intrigue that surrounds her.

This was an incredibly dramatic and intelligent book. The characters are wonderfully written, and the magic is well utilized. It was a little long, but I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sorry to say I had to DNF this book....this was just too much. The story itself could be interesting but the author has packed in so so so SO much unnecessary words and information that I ended up cross-eyed after every chapter. After chapter 12 I lost who was who outside of Charlotte and Antoinette, I had no idea who was good or who was evil. All the magisters blurred together to the point I just thought they were the same man and the author kept spelling his name wrong. This was just a hard NO for me.

The concept was something I would love to read about and you can tell the author did her research, as it seems she put EVERYTHING she found inside the book and didn't leave anything out. This is getting a 2 for me, because maybe if I was in a different mindset or had 0 other books left to read in the world I would come back to this one.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

A fascinatingly complex historical fiction novel, The Embroidered Book brings magic and secret magical societies to the eighteenth century. Following sisters Antoine and Charlotte, daughters of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa, as they grow up from Archduchesses into Queen Marie Antoinette of France and Queen Carolina of Naples, Heartfield adds a fascinatingly complex element to the historical narrative that readers may be familiar with. Add in a secret Order of 1326 and gender and organizational lines and rivalries between magical users to the already fraught political situation of the late eighteenth century, and readers are in for a fascinating story. Shifting perspectives between the two sisters, Heartfield’s characters are complex, well-intentioned, and realistic, with complex internal monologues, struggles and loyalties. The tension of the era, when combined with the magical society’s tensions, exponentially increases the significance of Charlotte and Antoine’s actions as they seek to make their ways in the world as magisters and queens. Heartfield’s novel is incredibly diverse and dynamic, and her characters are simply fascinating, while her magic system is clever and complex. The Embroidered Book is compelling from page one as it covers decades of historical drama and tension, and the magic weaving across the pages only heightens the stakes.

This book is just so dry. Just when I start to like it I turn the page and my eyes start to blur. For the past 4 months I have picked this book up just to set it back down. I think it might be time to call it quits. I’m not usually a DNFer… so this is kind of painful for me.

Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this book for an honest review.

I thought this book was really inventive - throwing magic into the midst of Marie Antoinette and her sister Maria Carolina. The historical references are fascinating and I found myself pausing to research more about the time and the family of Marie Antoinette in order to discern what was based on fact and what was fiction.

The magical system in the book was interesting and one that I hadn't read before - one in which a sacrifice was needed in order to complete the magic. The idea of a balance in having to give up a part of yourself to acquire or take magic was something new to me and I liked that element.

I did find the book to be extremely lengthy and overly wordy which left me a bit lost in the plot and stagnant at times. I think the story would be better told in a more condensed manner. While I really enjoyed what I read, I ended up not finishing it about 3/4 of the way through because it was so long and the pace had slowed.

As an avid reader of historical fiction, especially historical fiction that leans heavily into the *fiction* part of its genre, I looked forward to diving into The Embroidered Book. A book with magic! Marie Antoinette! Intrigue! It sounded right up my alley.

Alas, I think it was the wrong alley. I wanted to feel compelled by the characters, but the narrative style was so awkward that I couldn't quite connect to them. Of course, it's not a spoiler to say that Marie Antoinette dies in the end. But the circuitous journey from her childhood to her death is unnecessarily long, an encyclopedic journey through the intricacies of European politics in the 18th century. I learned a lot about the Habsburgs, about Naples, and about Swedish aristocrats. Without giving too much away, the addition of magic to the world of The Embroidered Book doesn't make the world more magical: It makes the existing disparities more stark, the contrasts between those with power and those without more harsh. And perhaps that is the reason to read this book: as a reminder that no matter how utopian your favorite escapist read is, the uncomfortable truth is that even magic doesn't change human nature.