My Thoughts on Viper Wine by Hermione Eyre
Viper Wine by Hermione Eyre was at the top of my "To Read" list and I was really excited when it was available on Blogging for Books. The cover is absolutely stunning and the synopsis really intriguing.
Venetia Stanley was the great beauty during the waning years of King Charles I. So popular that Anthony Van Dyck painted her three times. She was married to Sir Kenelm Digby who was a notable scholar who throughout the book kept receiving modern books and text like a Java Source Code (confused yet?). By 1692 however she realized that she's quickly becoming old and became obsessively interested in "viper wine" while Kenelm was equally obsessed with consuming more and more knowledge via the time travelling books.
Although the book is well researched and historically accurate to the time period (minus the whole time period stuff), I found the book to be quite dull and boring. While the book combines lots of different themes together: beauty, vanity, obsession, time travel, and magic (which should make for an interesting read); I found that the book often didn't make sense. I also have to note that the book is over 400 pages which is a tad too long in my opinion.
In the end I think it is a cautionary tale about a woman's fatal attraction to beauty and vanity and a good read if you are particularly interested in the Stuart Period.
I received this book through Blogging for Books. As always, thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Disclaimer: I received this product to consider for free in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was received. Most products on my blog have been purchased by me (unless stated like this one) and I will be honest about my reviews and will only work with brands who truly have great products. Please check out my full disclaimer page if you have any questions. Following guidelines provided under FTC 16 CFR, Part 225. I am an Amazon Affiliate, I may receive a small commission if you choose to use some of the links in this site and make a purchase.
Venetia Stanley was the great beauty during the waning years of King Charles I. So popular that Anthony Van Dyck painted her three times. She was married to Sir Kenelm Digby who was a notable scholar who throughout the book kept receiving modern books and text like a Java Source Code (confused yet?). By 1692 however she realized that she's quickly becoming old and became obsessively interested in "viper wine" while Kenelm was equally obsessed with consuming more and more knowledge via the time travelling books.
Although the book is well researched and historically accurate to the time period (minus the whole time period stuff), I found the book to be quite dull and boring. While the book combines lots of different themes together: beauty, vanity, obsession, time travel, and magic (which should make for an interesting read); I found that the book often didn't make sense. I also have to note that the book is over 400 pages which is a tad too long in my opinion.
In the end I think it is a cautionary tale about a woman's fatal attraction to beauty and vanity and a good read if you are particularly interested in the Stuart Period.
I received this book through Blogging for Books. As always, thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Disclaimer: I received this product to consider for free in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was received. Most products on my blog have been purchased by me (unless stated like this one) and I will be honest about my reviews and will only work with brands who truly have great products. Please check out my full disclaimer page if you have any questions. Following guidelines provided under FTC 16 CFR, Part 225. I am an Amazon Affiliate, I may receive a small commission if you choose to use some of the links in this site and make a purchase.
