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Olive (1 KP) rated The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock in Books

Jan 27, 2018  
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock
Imogen Hermes Gowar | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stunning prose (2 more)
Enjoyable plot
Interesting characters
It ended. (0 more)
This is the best book I've read in months, it immediately made my list of favorites on Goodreads and I'm sure that I'm starting to annoy people with my raving about this book.

Visually the book is a stunner and one you can definitely judge by its cover. It's rare to find a historical fantasy where the fantasy aspect takes more of a backseat. I love both genres but this was a perfect balance between the two. The Regency London setting rather than Medieval or Victorian was really refreshing as was the use of mermaids rather than vampires/werewolves/zombies/magic. I've read a few reviews where people complain that the mermaids are prolific enough considering the title but I think this is only the case if you enter it anticipating the focus to be mermaids. It's definitely a consistent theme from start to finish but it doesn't take center stage until the very end. If you go in expecting mermaids galore, you might be a little disappointed.

A lot of historical fiction written after the time it portrays attempts to emulate the formal language of the time and usually with cringe-worthy results. This book is an exception. The prose is lightly reminiscent of a Jane Austen novel and beautifully descriptive but not overly so. The plot isn't one you can guess from the first page and while you can make educated guesses, the journey there is full of delightful twists and turns.

Really though I cannot say enough about this book. The only word that seems to come close is 'sumptuous'. It's the sort of book you can easily reread because the enjoyment doesn't hinge on shocking plot twists or mystery and suspense. It was a sheer joy to read and I dreaded the ending from the very first chapter. I almost never reread books but this is one I actually look forward to rereading.