I didn’t love this book quite as much as I did Widowland. The first one felt much more immediate and urgent, with fast-paced action and a plot that juI didn’t love this book quite as much as I did Widowland. The first one felt much more immediate and urgent, with fast-paced action and a plot that just kept the pages flying under my fingers. While it was interesting to revisit Carey’s alternative history world where the Nazis have annexed Britain, this book felt a lot more hesitant. The build-up to the visit of the American President didn’t have the same immediacy as the plot to harm The Leader in the first book.
In this sequel, the Event, as it’s called, has pushed women far further into the caste system. Ever more rules are imposed upon women, and Rose continues her job of sanitizing literature of all of its “degenerate” messages. I did enjoy that Carey added quite a bit of material from Jane Austen, as it’s clear to me that patriarchal men would miss a lot of Austen’s feminist messaging. However, there are quite a few situations in this novel that are resolved a little too neatly. It’s interesting that Rose is asked to visit Queen Wallis, among all of the women at the Culture Ministry. She also never turns in her notes on the Queen, which you would think would have made her even more of a target. I also find it hard to believe that (view spoiler)[the government would have allowed Rose to live just to try to lead them to Oliver, when they’re so ruthless in every other respect (hide spoiler)].
One thing that I noticed off the bat and then verified in case I was wrong was that President Eisenhower and Mamie boarded an ocean liner to travel to the Alliance, and then at the end the presidential plane was seen leaving London. I understand what Carey was implying with the abrupt departure of the plane, but how did it even get into the Alliance if the President was on an ocean liner?
At any rate, it’s clear that there is at least one more novel in this series, and I will wait patiently for its release. I also prefer the alternate title of Queen High, as it describes the events of the book much better than Queen Wallis.
I became curious about the original Geli, Hitler’s beloved niece, and the fact that she was a real person, and one that died under mysterious circumstances, is fascinating and unsettling....more
Loading...
