What do you think?
Rate this book
The Quickening #3.5
The Scrivener's Tale
Fiona McIntosh returns to Paris and Morgravia, her popular fantasy world, with The Scrivener’s Tale, a thrilling standalone novel.
Ex-psychologist Gabe Figaret was done with patients for good, until he meets Angelina, a young mute woman he’s been asked to mentor. When she starts speaking about another realm called Morgravia, he doubts her, but soon comes under the spell of her compelling visions. As Gabe delves deeper into Angelina’s unsettled psyche, he learns more about his own soul, his past, and whom he can trust in his own troubled life.
Splendidly characterized and beautifully crafted, Fiona McIntosh’s The Scrivener’s Tale is an action-packed fantasy adventure that will leave you spellbound.
Ex-psychologist Gabe Figaret was done with patients for good, until he meets Angelina, a young mute woman he’s been asked to mentor. When she starts speaking about another realm called Morgravia, he doubts her, but soon comes under the spell of her compelling visions. As Gabe delves deeper into Angelina’s unsettled psyche, he learns more about his own soul, his past, and whom he can trust in his own troubled life.
Splendidly characterized and beautifully crafted, Fiona McIntosh’s The Scrivener’s Tale is an action-packed fantasy adventure that will leave you spellbound.
Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
82 people are currently reading
807 people want to read
About the author
Fiona McIntosh
70 books2,005 followersFiona writes best selling historical adventure-romance alongside the heroic-romantic, often brutal, fantasy she built her career upon. She lives in Australia but frequently roams the world meticulously researching the locations and gathering material for her historical novels that have international settings. Her books are published worldwide and in various languages.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
December 17, 2012
Reader's familiar with Fiona McIntosh's popular fantasy trilogy The Quickening will be thrilled with her latest release, a stand alone novel that is set in the same imaginative landscape. Though best known for her fantasy series I have only read McIntosh's stand alone historical fiction novel The Lavender Keeper and recently purchased the first two books of her crime fiction series. I am pleased I took a chance on The Scrivener's Tale as I found it to be a fabulous read. Moving from Paris, France, to the kingdom of Morgravia, The Scrivener's Tale is an extraordinary, epic fantasy adventure that involves a bitter curse, a vengeful demon and a magical prophecy.
In present day Paris, Gabriel is persuaded to assess the mental health of a young woman, Angelina, despite having abandoned his successful psychology practice some time ago. Though initially reluctant to become involved, Gabe finds himself intrigued by Angelina's delusions particularly when she reveals an odd connection to his own dreams.
In the Kingdom of Morgravia, Fynch senses the approach of a great evil that threatens the Wild and puts his long term strategy to protect the land into action. As Gabriel is pulled into the magical realm, Cassien, a warrior of great mental and physical strength, is dispatched to protect Queen Florentyna, soon joined by Hamelyn, a young orphan. Together the three unwittingly form a triad of power, destined to defeat the demon, Cyricus and save the land.
Though the story begins in our modern day real world, where Gabriel works as a bookstore clerk in Paris, it swiftly moves into Morgravia with all the elements of an epic fantasy including a daring quest, magic and a final battle between good and evil. Morgravia is a medieval society, reigned by royalty, neighbored by the kingdoms of Briavel and The Razors. Magic still lingers, tolerated but rarely acknowledged. The land will be familiar to reader's of Myrren's Gift though The Scrivener's Tale is set several generations after the events of The Quickening series and the novel is a stand alone.
Fynch is the enigmatic guardian in The Scrivener's Tale, charged with ensuring the demon, Cyricus, is unsuccessful in his plan to destroy the land. His manipulation of events has been centuries in the making, sometimes raising questions about if he is to be trusted.
I found myself drawn to Cassien's character more than Gabriel's, perhaps because Cassien as the warrior is the more active hero of the story. I would have liked to get to know Hamelyn a little more as I felt his his extraordinary gifts are never quite fully realised.
The royal Morgravian family has it's own intrigues, a poisonous step mother, a spiteful, envious princess and a young queen desperate to lead. I really liked Florentyna who is a strong, intelligent Queen, despite her vulnerabilities.
As a demon, Cyricus is of course utterly irredeemable as is his acolyte, Aphra. After escaping the void he was trapped in eons ago after trespassing upon the Wild, Cyricus seeks vengeance for his exile, possessing the bodies of those that advance his cause. His goal is to take Queen Florentyna's role and then order the destruction of the Wild while pitting kingdom against kingdom for his own amusement.
While The Scrivener's Tale is quite a lengthy tome at 500 pages, McIntosh sustains the adventure and intrigue through out. The novel moves at a good pace, weaving together the destinies of Gabriel, Cassian and Hamelyn, leading to a final pitched battle between good and evil.
The Scrivener's Tale is an entertaining fantasy novel which I really enjoyed, so much so in fact that I wish I could expect a sequel. Instead, I will be sure to seek out some of the author's earlier fantasy series.
January 12, 2013
I can't really say that I am overly thrilled to have chosen this book for my first book of 2013. Why am I not happy? Well... it was boring!
I just cannot put to words the feeling of the big giant MEH that kept flooding my mind while reading. To be honest, I wasn't really expecting much. I picked this up on a spontaneous trip to my local library, and as usual, the library wasn't supporting any book that I really wanted to read anytime soon, so I did the next best thing and picked up a book that I thought would justify the hours spent reading it. I can't honestly say if that was time spent well or not. MEH
Fiona McIntosh is not an author that I am familiar. I know that she is an Australian author, and living in Australia, this is no doubt the reason the library held many of her books. Why did I pick this book over her more popular series? It is a stand alone novel. I have started, and barely completed, so many series that I just wasn't interested in starting another one. But enough talking about me and my weird, and boring, selection of this novel. Let's talk about the novel itself!
This book is very well written. There wasn't a misspelled word, a weirdly-phrased sentence or even any distracting uses of words that I saw. That alone is why I have rated the books three stars rather than one or two. The problem I had was that nothing really spectacular occurred. Even the climax at the end wasn't really a climax. It was explained! Before it even happened! Ugh... Fynch explains to the three boys exactly what is happening and what they each have to do. And guess what?
Surprise!
*rolls eyes* Very anticlimactic.
Every problem had a neat little solution. Darcelle dies and cannot be wed to Tamas? SOLUTION! Make the queen Tamas' instant love of when he was a young man and she was an eight year old girl...sitting on his lap!
Yeah I bet you were enchanted, you pervert.
Here's another one. The cathedral guards are in the way of the queen, Cassien and Gabe's escape and Cassien must kill them? SOLUTION! Justify their death by making them raping, brutal idiots:
"The guard sighed. 'Do not hurt the woman unless she draws a weapon. The other two can be killed if they resist.'
It's just too convenient! The author took the easy out here and justified it by having the guards say this. Sigh
The characters were well developed, but a little boring. I wasn't too happy about the introduction of Cassien, in particular this paragraph:
Oh really! So,we are too distracting to make a life with, but bedding us is totally ok? Gentler sex? Healthy relationship in that women are viewed as sex partners only and are not deemed important enough or, dare I say it, smart enough to be part of this sexist world? Ok, it may actually not be as bad as that, but I am downright tired of reading historically based novels to find similar, and much worse, descriptions as these. We get it. Women were deemed as the lesser sex for most of our history in a lot of cultures. WE ALL KNOW. Now, can we please move on?! Not every historical novel has to rehash this every damn time.
There were other instances too (many more, in fact) such as the whole situation with Vivienne, which I will not go into, and Cyricus' outlook on women as a whole. For example, were given this awesome bit of thought after Cyricus switches bodies from a woman to a man:
OH REALLY! So, even the second most important woman in the land is still not good enough for this demon to possess?
And there are so many more instances like these that, again, I will not go into.
Despite the observations above, I still didn't really have a big reaction to the book as a whole. The remarks to women and the in depth explanation of situations before they even happen still didn't incite much feeling from me.
I don't really have much more to say other than what I have. It was on ok book, but I doubt I will venture into other McIntosh books. I just have a feeling that this very old cliche portrayal of women is going to be a constant in this world, and I'm just not that interested.
I just cannot put to words the feeling of the big giant MEH that kept flooding my mind while reading. To be honest, I wasn't really expecting much. I picked this up on a spontaneous trip to my local library, and as usual, the library wasn't supporting any book that I really wanted to read anytime soon, so I did the next best thing and picked up a book that I thought would justify the hours spent reading it. I can't honestly say if that was time spent well or not. MEH
Fiona McIntosh is not an author that I am familiar. I know that she is an Australian author, and living in Australia, this is no doubt the reason the library held many of her books. Why did I pick this book over her more popular series? It is a stand alone novel. I have started, and barely completed, so many series that I just wasn't interested in starting another one. But enough talking about me and my weird, and boring, selection of this novel. Let's talk about the novel itself!
This book is very well written. There wasn't a misspelled word, a weirdly-phrased sentence or even any distracting uses of words that I saw. That alone is why I have rated the books three stars rather than one or two. The problem I had was that nothing really spectacular occurred. Even the climax at the end wasn't really a climax. It was explained! Before it even happened! Ugh... Fynch explains to the three boys exactly what is happening and what they each have to do. And guess what?
Surprise!
*rolls eyes* Very anticlimactic.
Every problem had a neat little solution. Darcelle dies and cannot be wed to Tamas? SOLUTION! Make the queen Tamas' instant love of when he was a young man and she was an eight year old girl...sitting on his lap!
"And I was enchanted by you. You sat on my knee..."
Yeah I bet you were enchanted, you pervert.
Here's another one. The cathedral guards are in the way of the queen, Cassien and Gabe's escape and Cassien must kill them? SOLUTION! Justify their death by making them raping, brutal idiots:
"The guard sighed. 'Do not hurt the woman unless she draws a weapon. The other two can be killed if they resist.'
'Wait!' the queen said, stepping forward.
'She can die too, if she doesn't submit. I might even let you have some time with her,' the guardsman joked with his companions.
'I take it back, Cassien,' Florentyna said, her voice sounding like ice splinters. 'Do what you must.'"
It's just too convenient! The author took the easy out here and justified it by having the guards say this. Sigh
The characters were well developed, but a little boring. I wasn't too happy about the introduction of Cassien, in particular this paragraph:
"He never understood why he'd been sent away to live alone. He's known no other family than the Brotherhood - fifteen or so men at any one time - and no other life but the near enough monastic one they followed, during which he'd learned to read, write and, above all, to listen. Women were not forbidden but women as lifelong partners were. And they were encouraged to indulge their needs for women only when they were on tasks that took them from the Brotherhood's premises; no women were ever entertained within. Cassien has developed a keen interest in women from age fifteen, when one of the older Brothers had taken him on a regular errand over two moons and, in that time, had not had to encourage Cassien too hard to partake in the equally regular excursions to the local brothel in the town where their business was conducted. During those visits his appetite for the gentler sex was developed into a healthy one and he's learned plenty in a short time about how to take his pleasure and also how to pleasure a woman."
Oh really! So,we are too distracting to make a life with, but bedding us is totally ok? Gentler sex? Healthy relationship in that women are viewed as sex partners only and are not deemed important enough or, dare I say it, smart enough to be part of this sexist world? Ok, it may actually not be as bad as that, but I am downright tired of reading historically based novels to find similar, and much worse, descriptions as these. We get it. Women were deemed as the lesser sex for most of our history in a lot of cultures. WE ALL KNOW. Now, can we please move on?! Not every historical novel has to rehash this every damn time.
There were other instances too (many more, in fact) such as the whole situation with Vivienne, which I will not go into, and Cyricus' outlook on women as a whole. For example, were given this awesome bit of thought after Cyricus switches bodies from a woman to a man:
"On the plain outside Hynton, Cyricus, in his new guise, was feeling released from the increasing sense of entrapment he'd begun experiencing as Darcelle. It was a pity. He had wanted to be a Morgravian royal, had anticipated its many benefits, but the reality was that travelling as a woman had too many pitfalls... and travelling as only the second-most-important woman in the land was not good enough."
OH REALLY! So, even the second most important woman in the land is still not good enough for this demon to possess?
And there are so many more instances like these that, again, I will not go into.
Despite the observations above, I still didn't really have a big reaction to the book as a whole. The remarks to women and the in depth explanation of situations before they even happen still didn't incite much feeling from me.
I don't really have much more to say other than what I have. It was on ok book, but I doubt I will venture into other McIntosh books. I just have a feeling that this very old cliche portrayal of women is going to be a constant in this world, and I'm just not that interested.
November 22, 2021
I don't often read fantasy but I love this author. I lost track of some of the characters at times when I didn't read for a few days but it all came together. I read the last part when I was really tired, so re-read it again the next morning and was able to appreciate it more. A magical story of triumph over evil.
February 2, 2017
This book has left me this close to actually crying and that's something since I don't cry.
The book caught my interest easily at the beginning and it was steady paced, bringing the right things at right times and taking them away to allow the reader to miss those characters and scenes and read more to meet them.
Then close to the middle, or a bit before the middle, the book started to lose my interest and get quite confusing at many times. It was too slow and there was nothing exciting happening. It was all mostly planning for what will happen at the end of the book.
At about page 300 or a bit before the book really started catching my interest again. So many things were happening, some I had anticipated and some I had not and others I had anticipated the exact opposite !! At this time it starts getting confusing if u don't pay attention to everything said and done and by whom it's being said or done. So it was kind of hard to stay in tune with, but it's bearable I guess.
Also, the author keeps you thinking about some character(s). Thinking if they're on the good side or bad side. They act in way which makes you question their loyalty, I kind of liked that. The author wasn't straight forward, to put it in one sentence.
As for the ending, I had only guessed a fraction of it. All the other stuff caught me and seriously surprised me. I must say, the author was definitely not merciful, she used her powers and she used them a lot. It's a sad yet happy ending. There has to be a price for peace.
All in all, it was a good book and I do recommend it. If it weren't for the last 200 pages I wouldn't have given this book 4 stars. It's all about fantasy and stuff revolving around that, so if that isn't your type then I doubt you will enjoy the book.
The book caught my interest easily at the beginning and it was steady paced, bringing the right things at right times and taking them away to allow the reader to miss those characters and scenes and read more to meet them.
Then close to the middle, or a bit before the middle, the book started to lose my interest and get quite confusing at many times. It was too slow and there was nothing exciting happening. It was all mostly planning for what will happen at the end of the book.
At about page 300 or a bit before the book really started catching my interest again. So many things were happening, some I had anticipated and some I had not and others I had anticipated the exact opposite !! At this time it starts getting confusing if u don't pay attention to everything said and done and by whom it's being said or done. So it was kind of hard to stay in tune with, but it's bearable I guess.
Also, the author keeps you thinking about some character(s). Thinking if they're on the good side or bad side. They act in way which makes you question their loyalty, I kind of liked that. The author wasn't straight forward, to put it in one sentence.
As for the ending, I had only guessed a fraction of it. All the other stuff caught me and seriously surprised me. I must say, the author was definitely not merciful, she used her powers and she used them a lot. It's a sad yet happy ending. There has to be a price for peace.
All in all, it was a good book and I do recommend it. If it weren't for the last 200 pages I wouldn't have given this book 4 stars. It's all about fantasy and stuff revolving around that, so if that isn't your type then I doubt you will enjoy the book.
January 31, 2014
A new fan...
I've always liked Fiona McIntosh's lush and inviting book covers, but I've never managed to get past flicking through the books and reading a few a passages - my impression was the books seemed a bit too much aligned with some 'fantasy genre' for my preferences, that is, densely written with action a little slow, graphically descriptive torture and other nasty scenes and quite poor portrayals of women; many people love her books so I'm sure she didn't miss me. (I do enjoy quite a lot of fantasy, but usually YA and recent classics like the brilliant Game of Thrones, of course). This book has changed my opinion!
I really enjoyed the premise of the Scriveners Tale, the characters, the magic, and the influence of the landscape. Her sentient animals are fabulous, and I cried while reading the thoroughly enjoyable melodramatic ending/s. The boy Hamlyn and his strange gifts are a stroke of genius; I particularly enjoy how McIntosh allows the reader and Hamlyn to slowly uncover his particular magics.
I also love the cathedral and the idea of being called by a totem animal as spiritual guide.
This review is 4 stars rather than 5 just because some of the writing and some of the plotting is just a little loose, but a massively enjoyable read nonetheless.
I've always liked Fiona McIntosh's lush and inviting book covers, but I've never managed to get past flicking through the books and reading a few a passages - my impression was the books seemed a bit too much aligned with some 'fantasy genre' for my preferences, that is, densely written with action a little slow, graphically descriptive torture and other nasty scenes and quite poor portrayals of women; many people love her books so I'm sure she didn't miss me. (I do enjoy quite a lot of fantasy, but usually YA and recent classics like the brilliant Game of Thrones, of course). This book has changed my opinion!
I really enjoyed the premise of the Scriveners Tale, the characters, the magic, and the influence of the landscape. Her sentient animals are fabulous, and I cried while reading the thoroughly enjoyable melodramatic ending/s. The boy Hamlyn and his strange gifts are a stroke of genius; I particularly enjoy how McIntosh allows the reader and Hamlyn to slowly uncover his particular magics.
I also love the cathedral and the idea of being called by a totem animal as spiritual guide.
This review is 4 stars rather than 5 just because some of the writing and some of the plotting is just a little loose, but a massively enjoyable read nonetheless.
May 15, 2016
A bit more towards the tell end of the show/tell spectrum than is ideal, and at times a little dramatic (in a whimsical way), this light-hearted (despite "dark" subject matter it never feels very heavy) fantasy book is nonetheless an entertaining read. I enjoyed it!
Only found out after finishing it that apparently there is another book by the same author set in the same world that was written earlier - "The Quickening". Although this book is a follow-up, it reads absolutey fine as a standalone. I certainly didn't notice it wasn't while reading it!
Only found out after finishing it that apparently there is another book by the same author set in the same world that was written earlier - "The Quickening". Although this book is a follow-up, it reads absolutey fine as a standalone. I certainly didn't notice it wasn't while reading it!
May 4, 2022
I enjoyed The Scrivener's Tale enough to finish it but I'm not sure I would ever pick up the book (or the author) again. I feel like McIntosh dumbed this novel down from what it should have been. Everything was explained so many times, the dialogue was incredibly simple and 'clues' to an underlying mystery were given so frequently we would have to be fools to not understand it.
The first few chapters were really incredible, I wish the novel has continued in that vein.
The first few chapters were really incredible, I wish the novel has continued in that vein.
January 8, 2019
It was a decent enough book, but not one of my favorites. Not because it was a stand alone tied into a series. I don't know, just didn't hit all the right bells with me.
April 7, 2023
The good:
-There is a pretty interesting magic system.
-The idea of the villain being able to jump between bodies was interesting. That said, I think it would have been more interesting and thrilling if we didn't get his perspective and didn't know whose body he was in during the whole book.
-I thought some of the early sections focusing on Cassian and Ham were fun.
-I read Myrren's Gift before this, so the parts where characters talked about how the spell from that trilogy was actually a curse powered by Myrren's anger at the world and how it compares to the demon's magic were really fascinating to me.
The bad:
-The last 70 pages enraged me because it revealed that all of the men are basically the worst.
--Fynch admits that he forced his lover to give up all three of their kids, resulting in her losing the will to live. He then tell his son that (paraphrasing:) 'she always did what I said because she knew that I knew best, and she never blamed me for it'. Excuse me? Of course you would say that, when she's dead and can't say otherwise!
--There is this whole thing about Queen Florentyna having an unrequited crush on King Tamas since she was a child, which in itself is fine. But it turns out that HE ALSO FELL IN LOVE WITH HER WHEN SHE WAS NINE AND HE WAS A FULL-GROWN ADULT IN HIS TWENTIES. There is some really creepy stuff about "when you sat on my knee I fell in love".
--Cassian starts talking about his plans to go "rescue" a sex worker once he's killed the demon. Apparently he fell in love with the first person he had sex with on his way to kill said demon, even though she showed literally no signs of reciprocating that love. She did open up to him about her sister's death, but it came across as emotion bubbling over and not at all like she thought he was special. Maybe it's just my hatred of insta-love, but his obsession with going back and rescuing her from her life seems really creepy when she didn't really indicate that she felt the same way about him.
-There is an assassination plot that is very prevalent early on in the book that is never resolved. At first it looks like Darcelle did it, then it looks like she didn't, then she dies and it's never brought up again.
-There's some weird stuff about Gabe being attracted to a woman because she looks young in the beginning. That said, she's also possessed by what I understand to be an age-old spirit who can use some succubus like powers. I would have given him the benefit of the doubt if it didn't turn out that other creepy age-gap stuff is romanticized later in the book.
-There's about 300 pages of pretty boring stuff in the middle of the book. I am a chronic fantasy reader so I have a pretty high tolerance for that kind of stuff when the payoff at the end is good. Unfortunately, the payoff was not good.
-Going back to my first point, I don't understand why Fynch and his lover had to give up all three of their kids. I kind of understand Cassian because he had to go through intense Brotherhood training from a young age. But Gabe needing to get transported to a different world to learn how to conjure locations? Or Hamelyn needing to go to an orphanage to learn how to use the powers that his dad has? It seems like Ham in particular might have been better off with his parents. It was never made clear why they all had to be given up.
-There is misogyny, which doesn't make sense to me given that there have been so many queens. It just feels strange that a woman can be queen, but also is expected to defer to her husband for things, or is expected to do "womanly" things and not fight. In itself it's not a dealbreaker, but I want it to make sense in the world.
In short, I'd skip this one if you want to keep a positive impression of McIntosh's writing.
-There is a pretty interesting magic system.
-The idea of the villain being able to jump between bodies was interesting. That said, I think it would have been more interesting and thrilling if we didn't get his perspective and didn't know whose body he was in during the whole book.
-I thought some of the early sections focusing on Cassian and Ham were fun.
-I read Myrren's Gift before this, so the parts where characters talked about how the spell from that trilogy was actually a curse powered by Myrren's anger at the world and how it compares to the demon's magic were really fascinating to me.
The bad:
-The last 70 pages enraged me because it revealed that all of the men are basically the worst.
--Fynch admits that he forced his lover to give up all three of their kids, resulting in her losing the will to live. He then tell his son that (paraphrasing:) 'she always did what I said because she knew that I knew best, and she never blamed me for it'. Excuse me? Of course you would say that, when she's dead and can't say otherwise!
--There is this whole thing about Queen Florentyna having an unrequited crush on King Tamas since she was a child, which in itself is fine. But it turns out that HE ALSO FELL IN LOVE WITH HER WHEN SHE WAS NINE AND HE WAS A FULL-GROWN ADULT IN HIS TWENTIES. There is some really creepy stuff about "when you sat on my knee I fell in love".
--Cassian starts talking about his plans to go "rescue" a sex worker once he's killed the demon. Apparently he fell in love with the first person he had sex with on his way to kill said demon, even though she showed literally no signs of reciprocating that love. She did open up to him about her sister's death, but it came across as emotion bubbling over and not at all like she thought he was special. Maybe it's just my hatred of insta-love, but his obsession with going back and rescuing her from her life seems really creepy when she didn't really indicate that she felt the same way about him.
-There is an assassination plot that is very prevalent early on in the book that is never resolved. At first it looks like Darcelle did it, then it looks like she didn't, then she dies and it's never brought up again.
-There's some weird stuff about Gabe being attracted to a woman because she looks young in the beginning. That said, she's also possessed by what I understand to be an age-old spirit who can use some succubus like powers. I would have given him the benefit of the doubt if it didn't turn out that other creepy age-gap stuff is romanticized later in the book.
-There's about 300 pages of pretty boring stuff in the middle of the book. I am a chronic fantasy reader so I have a pretty high tolerance for that kind of stuff when the payoff at the end is good. Unfortunately, the payoff was not good.
-Going back to my first point, I don't understand why Fynch and his lover had to give up all three of their kids. I kind of understand Cassian because he had to go through intense Brotherhood training from a young age. But Gabe needing to get transported to a different world to learn how to conjure locations? Or Hamelyn needing to go to an orphanage to learn how to use the powers that his dad has? It seems like Ham in particular might have been better off with his parents. It was never made clear why they all had to be given up.
-There is misogyny, which doesn't make sense to me given that there have been so many queens. It just feels strange that a woman can be queen, but also is expected to defer to her husband for things, or is expected to do "womanly" things and not fight. In itself it's not a dealbreaker, but I want it to make sense in the world.
In short, I'd skip this one if you want to keep a positive impression of McIntosh's writing.
November 13, 2025
3.5*
Before I start I will preface and say I rate romances far different to fantasy. So 3.5 isn’t a horrible book but it’s also not a great one. I read this and did enjoy but I’m not sure I’d finish it if it wasn’t for the audiobook.
I liked the magic system and even the lore behind everything. I love the queen character (well come back to her) and also loved the three brothers alone as characters.
But what really annoyed me are the following:
- the first part of the book being a pov where a psychologist starts by explaining a girl as little and very young then also very troubled. Then him saying how curvy and sexy she was is CRAZY. Then he goes and sleeps with her ?!?! Are you joking didn’t like it. Hated reading it. BAD
- I loved following the queen and how she’s an independent woman. Great loved it. Then at the end we find out she secretly loved her sister’s betrothed. Are you kidding? There was absolutely no foreshadowing for this and ruined the character for me. Even the bloke definitely didn’t care for her at all. But worse he said he liked it when she was little and sat on his knee!!!!?!?? Excuse me. What!!!!!! This whole part felt very forced and like an editor said that Fiona couldn’t end the plot unless the queen found a husband. So she just quickly added this in. Yuck, hated it.
- finally, which wouldn’t have mattered but I’m already here complaining so let’s continue. I didn’t mind the relationship between Cassien and ‘the whore’. But also side note it was awful that even cassien called her that. However, the ending being the brother (gab) befriending ‘the whore’ then bedding her to ‘drown their sorrows together’ like what is that for an ending of a book.
Wow I really went off with this review.
Libby / physical
Before I start I will preface and say I rate romances far different to fantasy. So 3.5 isn’t a horrible book but it’s also not a great one. I read this and did enjoy but I’m not sure I’d finish it if it wasn’t for the audiobook.
I liked the magic system and even the lore behind everything. I love the queen character (well come back to her) and also loved the three brothers alone as characters.
But what really annoyed me are the following:
- the first part of the book being a pov where a psychologist starts by explaining a girl as little and very young then also very troubled. Then him saying how curvy and sexy she was is CRAZY. Then he goes and sleeps with her ?!?! Are you joking didn’t like it. Hated reading it. BAD
- I loved following the queen and how she’s an independent woman. Great loved it. Then at the end we find out she secretly loved her sister’s betrothed. Are you kidding? There was absolutely no foreshadowing for this and ruined the character for me. Even the bloke definitely didn’t care for her at all. But worse he said he liked it when she was little and sat on his knee!!!!?!?? Excuse me. What!!!!!! This whole part felt very forced and like an editor said that Fiona couldn’t end the plot unless the queen found a husband. So she just quickly added this in. Yuck, hated it.
- finally, which wouldn’t have mattered but I’m already here complaining so let’s continue. I didn’t mind the relationship between Cassien and ‘the whore’. But also side note it was awful that even cassien called her that. However, the ending being the brother (gab) befriending ‘the whore’ then bedding her to ‘drown their sorrows together’ like what is that for an ending of a book.
Wow I really went off with this review.
Libby / physical
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2022
I really enjoy McIntosh's writing. I absolutely loved the Quickening series. To be fair, McIntosh acknowledges that she didn't think she would have enough time to build a world in a stand alone novel but this book as a whole, it was a let down down. It just felt like a big nostalgia wank fest, that made waaaaay too many references to old characters, even ones that would not make ANY sense for the characters to know about like Romen Koreldy. Yeah the reader has affection for these characters but it really made it less believable. The book was overall fun, and I enjoyed it, especially as the middle of the book picked up but at the end of the day, the fight dialogue was some of the cheesiest Monty Python garbàge I've ever read, and I could barely drag myself through the last 15% of the book. If it were not up to me need to finish things, I would have dropped it, not really caring about the outcome. If you loved the Quickening Series, probably best to let sleeping dogs lie. If you haven't ready them, drop this book now and go read Myrren's Gift, you won't understand half the references without it anyway.
May 14, 2017
I don't read epic fantasy often anymore, because it's all pretty much cookie-cutter. I know what's going to happen and I can predict even the path the story will take. But every so often a book comes along that catches me by surprise. The Scrivener's Tale is one such book. I discovered it randomly, and as it's the first book by McIntosh that I've read, I had no idea it was set in a world she had already created. In fact, when I started the book, I thought it was going to be a modern-day fantasy, not largely set in another world. I'm so pleased by this book and by the twists and turns that kept me guessing. I appreciate the spare use of magic, which allows her to focus more on the story. And her very well-written characters kept me going. I look forward to reading more of her books and the worlds she creates.
June 3, 2025
I see what the writer tried to do, I see the creativity. I just also barely got through and was on the verge of putting it down. I really did not get it at the beginning, had q hard time connecting to the characters and understanding the story line. It felt like I was missing a lot of information and at the same time I got a lot of information which was of no use to me. Later in the book, when I started to understand some more I realized that it was both true. I never felt excited or was impressed by anything.
I do have to make 1 remark, It is a stand alone. I read it as a stand alone. maybe when you read her other books that you already have all this missing info and you are indeed excited. Then, my bad.
I do have to make 1 remark, It is a stand alone. I read it as a stand alone. maybe when you read her other books that you already have all this missing info and you are indeed excited. Then, my bad.
August 30, 2020
A captivating story with many characters that all managed to be strongly individual.
Way raunchier than I expected from the blurb.
I felt that sometimes it dipped a bit more into telling rather than showing the reader, and other times it felt like character decisions/thoughts were purely a tool to move the plot forwards. There was one inconsistency involving a character saying they didn't eat meat - before going on to eat meat later without addressing any of the earlier reasons they had mentioned - that felt like one of the latter cases.
Having said that, it was altogether a strong story and I did enjoy it
Way raunchier than I expected from the blurb.
I felt that sometimes it dipped a bit more into telling rather than showing the reader, and other times it felt like character decisions/thoughts were purely a tool to move the plot forwards. There was one inconsistency involving a character saying they didn't eat meat - before going on to eat meat later without addressing any of the earlier reasons they had mentioned - that felt like one of the latter cases.
Having said that, it was altogether a strong story and I did enjoy it
February 12, 2025
4 Stars
The Scrivener's Tale is Book #3.5 in The Quickening series by Fiona McIntosh. Even though it is part of the series, it can be read as a standalone if you really wanted- but in saying that, you would be missing out on 3 fantastic stories if you passed the others by.
This is an action-packed high fantasy with plenty of drama, intrigue, and adventure - a well-woven story that made for a fantastic read.
One of my go-to authors as I am always guaranteed of a great read.
As expected, she didn't disappoint!
Well worth the read!
Buddy Read - 2025
Happy Reading...
Thank you, Fiona McIntosh!
The Scrivener's Tale is Book #3.5 in The Quickening series by Fiona McIntosh. Even though it is part of the series, it can be read as a standalone if you really wanted- but in saying that, you would be missing out on 3 fantastic stories if you passed the others by.
This is an action-packed high fantasy with plenty of drama, intrigue, and adventure - a well-woven story that made for a fantastic read.
One of my go-to authors as I am always guaranteed of a great read.
As expected, she didn't disappoint!
Well worth the read!
Buddy Read - 2025
Happy Reading...
Thank you, Fiona McIntosh!
January 2, 2018
This was a fabulous winter read. Apparently this is set in the same world as the Quickening series, which I haven’t read. It works well as a stand alone story, though.
I will definitely read more Fiona McIntosh. She does a good job of blending familiar fantasy tropes with original storytelling to keep readers looking for a good story both comfortable and engaged.
I will definitely read more Fiona McIntosh. She does a good job of blending familiar fantasy tropes with original storytelling to keep readers looking for a good story both comfortable and engaged.
January 26, 2020
A Breath of Fresh Air
This book has a great storyline. Yes, it's all about heroes and heroines, but they all come together in unexpected circumstances. It's nice to not know what will happen next. The ending was bitter-sweet. I loved the book. I'll have to think about the ending. Which is as it should be.
This book has a great storyline. Yes, it's all about heroes and heroines, but they all come together in unexpected circumstances. It's nice to not know what will happen next. The ending was bitter-sweet. I loved the book. I'll have to think about the ending. Which is as it should be.
Read
August 20, 2021DNF--the writing style was a little too fantastical for me to really get interested in the characters (you can only go so high fantasy in your prose before it starts distancing your narration from whichever character you're following), and I'm not a fan of sex-as-plot-device, so I noped out after about 100 pages.
August 8, 2025
A bit slow to start with, but the ending was emotional. Good to revisit with Fynch and The Dragon. Cassien and Hamelyn were well-drawn characters, with their older brother, Gabriel, being a less important character. A great fantasy.
January 8, 2019
I think I'd like it better had I read the Quickening series first. Now I'm intrigued by the world and the other characters so may need to look into it.
July 20, 2019
Slow to get engaged, many characters. Liked the Paris connection and then moved in to pure fantasy genre. Satisfying ending.
March 12, 2021
A great and clever story, following on from the Quickening trilogy. Fiona is a real master storyteller.
July 16, 2021
Nope. Old dude preying on a young girl. Just creepy.
December 18, 2021
This book was a treat to read. It has everything: mystery, magic, love & dragons!
August 1, 2022
A great sequel to the Quickening series. An amazing trip into the world of fantasy. Thanks Fiona McIntosh
January 18, 2013
I tend not to read a lot of fantasy books, but after reading The Lavender Keeper and being captivated by Fiona McIntosh's superb storytelling, I had to give The Scrivener's Tale a go. I'm glad I did - I was soon transported from present-day Paris into medieval Morgravia and swept along with a fantastical adventure. Those familiar with McIntosh's writing will recall Morgravia from The Quickening series; however, this novel is not a continuation of that series but a stand alone.
Following the loss of his wife and son, former psychologist Gabe Figaret is trying to put his shattered life back together. He buries himself in writing and the cafes and bookshops of Paris, keeping his guard up, lest anyone see the hurting man within. When he needs to he escapes to an imaginary cathedral in his mind - it's a place he feels safe: "...his special, private, secure place where as a boy, he believed dragons kept him safe within." While he admits it sounds strange, he has this strong sense that the cathedral contains "towering, mystical creatures of stone" that act as totems for the people who visit. It is to this "cathedral" as well as the real-life Notre Dame that he goes after another doctor and acquaintance asks him to help a delusional female patient. Gabe has tried to put his past as a psychologist behind him; he is reluctant to invite any reminder of the past into his life.
Meeting Angelina soon makes him change his mind. She convinces him that Reynaud is not what he seems and Gabe is drawn to help her escape the clutches of a seemingly overbearing man. But escape, she reveals, means killing her and fleeing to a place she calls Morgravia. Horrified, Gabe refuses, but when she shows him that his imaginary cathedral is real and exists in Morgravia, he starts to wonder. Before long, his world is turned upside down and he is caught up in magical events that threaten to spiral out of control.
Meanwhile, in Morgravia, Cassien, a gifted warrior of the Brotherhood, is given a secret brief. He must protect Queen Florentyna from an imminent magical threat - that of the demon, Cyricus, who wants to destroy the land. On the way he meets the orphaned Hamelyn, a young boy who also possesses magical gifts. As the demonic threat grows, Gabe, Cassien and Hamelyn become bound in the mission to stop Cyricus and save Morgravia; it's as if destiny has called for the three to meet for this exact purpose. But will they succeed? And at what cost? And what does the cathedral have to do with it all?
With prophecies, dragons, evil stepmothers, quests, demons, warriors, curses and kingdoms, The Scrivener's Tale ticks all the boxes for epic fantasy. It's an extraordinary read set in a vivid and well-constructed realm, with some terrific, strong characters propelling a somewhat complex storyline through to its conclusion. I had no trouble getting caught up in this world and hoping that good would prevail. I also enjoyed the romantic thread throughout the action (though the match I had in mind did not eventuate).
Character-wise, I particularly liked Cassien, Florentyna, Hamelyn and Fynch's characters, though I did feel that Hamelyn was a little underdeveloped (perhaps there is room for him in a spin-off?). Florentyna was a wonderful character - I admired her strength, spirit and dignity, all beautifully befitting a Queen. As for Gabe, despite the early insight into his character, he remained in the background for a large part of the story, so I didn't feel as if I got to know him as well. And the demons, Cyricus and his side-kick Aphra? As expected, they were vengeful, bitter, evil and well ... demonic. McIntosh made it easy for me to be on the good side (not that I wouldn't be anyway).
I really enjoyed reading The Scrivener's Tale.; it was fun, imaginative, romantic and almost unputdownable once the action started. It's one of those books that on the one hand you don't want to end, but on the other hand, you do because the action has you in such a state that you just want to know that everything works out okay. (Or is that just me?) I'm pleased to say I did not skip to the ending just to end the suspense and calm my nerves.
If you love epic fantasy, read this and let yourself become part of the story. Available from good bookstores. This copy was courtesy of Harper Collins.
Following the loss of his wife and son, former psychologist Gabe Figaret is trying to put his shattered life back together. He buries himself in writing and the cafes and bookshops of Paris, keeping his guard up, lest anyone see the hurting man within. When he needs to he escapes to an imaginary cathedral in his mind - it's a place he feels safe: "...his special, private, secure place where as a boy, he believed dragons kept him safe within." While he admits it sounds strange, he has this strong sense that the cathedral contains "towering, mystical creatures of stone" that act as totems for the people who visit. It is to this "cathedral" as well as the real-life Notre Dame that he goes after another doctor and acquaintance asks him to help a delusional female patient. Gabe has tried to put his past as a psychologist behind him; he is reluctant to invite any reminder of the past into his life.
Meeting Angelina soon makes him change his mind. She convinces him that Reynaud is not what he seems and Gabe is drawn to help her escape the clutches of a seemingly overbearing man. But escape, she reveals, means killing her and fleeing to a place she calls Morgravia. Horrified, Gabe refuses, but when she shows him that his imaginary cathedral is real and exists in Morgravia, he starts to wonder. Before long, his world is turned upside down and he is caught up in magical events that threaten to spiral out of control.
Meanwhile, in Morgravia, Cassien, a gifted warrior of the Brotherhood, is given a secret brief. He must protect Queen Florentyna from an imminent magical threat - that of the demon, Cyricus, who wants to destroy the land. On the way he meets the orphaned Hamelyn, a young boy who also possesses magical gifts. As the demonic threat grows, Gabe, Cassien and Hamelyn become bound in the mission to stop Cyricus and save Morgravia; it's as if destiny has called for the three to meet for this exact purpose. But will they succeed? And at what cost? And what does the cathedral have to do with it all?
With prophecies, dragons, evil stepmothers, quests, demons, warriors, curses and kingdoms, The Scrivener's Tale ticks all the boxes for epic fantasy. It's an extraordinary read set in a vivid and well-constructed realm, with some terrific, strong characters propelling a somewhat complex storyline through to its conclusion. I had no trouble getting caught up in this world and hoping that good would prevail. I also enjoyed the romantic thread throughout the action (though the match I had in mind did not eventuate).
Character-wise, I particularly liked Cassien, Florentyna, Hamelyn and Fynch's characters, though I did feel that Hamelyn was a little underdeveloped (perhaps there is room for him in a spin-off?). Florentyna was a wonderful character - I admired her strength, spirit and dignity, all beautifully befitting a Queen. As for Gabe, despite the early insight into his character, he remained in the background for a large part of the story, so I didn't feel as if I got to know him as well. And the demons, Cyricus and his side-kick Aphra? As expected, they were vengeful, bitter, evil and well ... demonic. McIntosh made it easy for me to be on the good side (not that I wouldn't be anyway).
I really enjoyed reading The Scrivener's Tale.; it was fun, imaginative, romantic and almost unputdownable once the action started. It's one of those books that on the one hand you don't want to end, but on the other hand, you do because the action has you in such a state that you just want to know that everything works out okay. (Or is that just me?) I'm pleased to say I did not skip to the ending just to end the suspense and calm my nerves.
If you love epic fantasy, read this and let yourself become part of the story. Available from good bookstores. This copy was courtesy of Harper Collins.
January 10, 2017
I'm not sure what it is with getting a third of the way through a book and giving up these days (see: Code Name Verity, but apparently I just don't have the patience for books that don't grab my attention and hold it. This one isn't all bad, but the way characters explain exactly what is going on all of the time became tedious after a while. Characters had the same type of dialogue as well, making the bits with conversations between characters read somewhat like a one-man play. I'd like to say I'll go back to finish this one day, but I really don't think I have the fortitude for that.
August 25, 2013
I remember reading The Quickening series back when I was in high school. I loved it. The intrigue, the tightly woven plot, but most of all the agonising ordeal these now beloved characters went through had me frantically turning pages well into the early hours of the morning. I thought The Scrivenger's Tale, again on Morgravian soil, would reignite my love for this wonderfully rich world McIntosh had created.
I was wrong. God, how I was wrong.
It's obvious Fiona McIntosh loves Morgravia. Me? Well, I did. Now, not so much. McIntosh cut her epic fantasy open and instead of breathing fresh life into it, left it dead on the operating table.
From the outset, this book dragged. I wasn't much invested in Cassien, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Gabriel suffered a similar fate. By the time the story had even begun, I was almost 150 pages in and trudging along, making grocery lists in my head. I was bored! Every few conversations, I was told and retold basic plot points. First the prologue, then Cassien, then Gabe, Ham, Tamas, Florentyna. Any and all combinations thereof! It was as if McIntosh had fallen asleep writing and figured one more reminder, just one more, would keep everyone on track. Never mind I'd probably only read about it five chapters ago.
And it wasn't just the ultimate showdown with Cyricus against Fynch/The Wild/Morgravia treated with a heavy hand. Many important elements the story's intrigue hinged on were treated poorly. And by the time the action finally rolled around, I'd heard so much of what everyone was planning to do, when they finally did it, I was skipping ahead waiting for it to end. All the suspense had been sucked right out of the "high stakes" and it felt more like I was playing a round of poker with preschoolers. I wasn't interested. I didn't care. I was waiting for anything even slightly unpredictable to occur and I was sorely disappointed. Even the conclusion, which by this point I'd figured would be about as epic as a doing the laundry, fell flat. Rushed, really. The corny epilogue had me throwing the book down and shaking my head into my pillow.
(I'm sure I may be alone here, but I wasn't all too pleased with the female presence in this book either. I mean, what's the point in even mentioning the serving girl if her only real purpose is to blush prettily and invite all these supposedly attractive men into her pants? The only character treated with dignity was Florentyna and then all that was thrown at the window .)
That's not to say it didn't have it's moments. I especially enjoyed much of the interaction between young Hamelyn and Cassien. The confusion Gabe felt on his initial transportation to Morgravia is a stand out scene too. And I can't forget Emperess Florentyna whom was an interesting mesh of old and new world politics in a kind and strong woman.
I know it doesn't sound it, but I tried to like this book. For McIntosh. For Fynch. For Florentyna. For Wyl and Myrren and everything I loved about the original series. But I couldn't.
I was wrong. God, how I was wrong.
It's obvious Fiona McIntosh loves Morgravia. Me? Well, I did. Now, not so much. McIntosh cut her epic fantasy open and instead of breathing fresh life into it, left it dead on the operating table.
From the outset, this book dragged. I wasn't much invested in Cassien, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Gabriel suffered a similar fate. By the time the story had even begun, I was almost 150 pages in and trudging along, making grocery lists in my head. I was bored! Every few conversations, I was told and retold basic plot points. First the prologue, then Cassien, then Gabe, Ham, Tamas, Florentyna. Any and all combinations thereof! It was as if McIntosh had fallen asleep writing and figured one more reminder, just one more, would keep everyone on track. Never mind I'd probably only read about it five chapters ago.
And it wasn't just the ultimate showdown with Cyricus against Fynch/The Wild/Morgravia treated with a heavy hand. Many important elements the story's intrigue hinged on were treated poorly. And by the time the action finally rolled around, I'd heard so much of what everyone was planning to do, when they finally did it, I was skipping ahead waiting for it to end. All the suspense had been sucked right out of the "high stakes" and it felt more like I was playing a round of poker with preschoolers. I wasn't interested. I didn't care. I was waiting for anything even slightly unpredictable to occur and I was sorely disappointed. Even the conclusion, which by this point I'd figured would be about as epic as a doing the laundry, fell flat. Rushed, really. The corny epilogue had me throwing the book down and shaking my head into my pillow.
(I'm sure I may be alone here, but I wasn't all too pleased with the female presence in this book either. I mean, what's the point in even mentioning the serving girl if her only real purpose is to blush prettily and invite all these supposedly attractive men into her pants? The only character treated with dignity was Florentyna and then all that was thrown at the window .)
That's not to say it didn't have it's moments. I especially enjoyed much of the interaction between young Hamelyn and Cassien. The confusion Gabe felt on his initial transportation to Morgravia is a stand out scene too. And I can't forget Emperess Florentyna whom was an interesting mesh of old and new world politics in a kind and strong woman.
I know it doesn't sound it, but I tried to like this book. For McIntosh. For Fynch. For Florentyna. For Wyl and Myrren and everything I loved about the original series. But I couldn't.
books-mine-get-to
October 1, 2018~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book synopsis:
July 2, 2013
The Scrivener’s Tale is a return to the world Fiona McIntosh first wrote about in her Quickening series, set several hundred years later. When I first heard about this book and realised it was a stand-alone story in a previously created world, I was assured that I didn’t need to read the previous series to know what was going on.
This is true to a certain extent – there is quite a lot of story set-up at the start to help the reader to understand the history of Morgravia and the magic of Myrren and Wyl Thirsk (who, I understand, the Quickening is about). I did feel, however, that because this world has been written about before, I didn’t get a chance to explore the settings and really get much of a feel for the place. Instead I was given a set of locations – the Forest, the Wild, the city of Pearlis – without really getting any description of what they are like.
The slight lack of atmosphere was made up for by the characters – each of them are unique and endearing, and I especially liked Queen Florentyna and the kind way she rules Morgravia. Gabe brings a certain “down-to-Earth” nature to the story, but after the first few chapters where he features heavily we really don’t hear that much more from him. The way the cover blurb is written it sounds like the whole story is centred on Gabe, and I’ll admit I was disappointed by the fact that it really wasn’t. It was great to hear his confusion over ending up in a new world and I would have liked to read a bit more of that.
I’ve read a few reviews of this book describing it as having “non-stop action”. While there are exciting and action-packed parts, on the whole the story is fairly slow-moving and took me quite a while to read – it just didn’t grab me for some reason. Despite that, I felt it was very well written and I’d like to look into some of Fiona’s other works – perhaps her historical fiction. She certainly has a variety of genres on her shelf!
The Scrivener’s Tale is a well-told stand-alone story. I think I would still enjoy reading the earlier series, starting with Myrren’s Gift - not too much of the earlier story is given away in this one. Those that have already read the Quickening series should enjoy this return to Morgravia.
This review was originally published on The Oaken Bookcase as part of the Discover Aussie Fantasy event in July 2013.
This is true to a certain extent – there is quite a lot of story set-up at the start to help the reader to understand the history of Morgravia and the magic of Myrren and Wyl Thirsk (who, I understand, the Quickening is about). I did feel, however, that because this world has been written about before, I didn’t get a chance to explore the settings and really get much of a feel for the place. Instead I was given a set of locations – the Forest, the Wild, the city of Pearlis – without really getting any description of what they are like.
The slight lack of atmosphere was made up for by the characters – each of them are unique and endearing, and I especially liked Queen Florentyna and the kind way she rules Morgravia. Gabe brings a certain “down-to-Earth” nature to the story, but after the first few chapters where he features heavily we really don’t hear that much more from him. The way the cover blurb is written it sounds like the whole story is centred on Gabe, and I’ll admit I was disappointed by the fact that it really wasn’t. It was great to hear his confusion over ending up in a new world and I would have liked to read a bit more of that.
I’ve read a few reviews of this book describing it as having “non-stop action”. While there are exciting and action-packed parts, on the whole the story is fairly slow-moving and took me quite a while to read – it just didn’t grab me for some reason. Despite that, I felt it was very well written and I’d like to look into some of Fiona’s other works – perhaps her historical fiction. She certainly has a variety of genres on her shelf!
The Scrivener’s Tale is a well-told stand-alone story. I think I would still enjoy reading the earlier series, starting with Myrren’s Gift - not too much of the earlier story is given away in this one. Those that have already read the Quickening series should enjoy this return to Morgravia.
This review was originally published on The Oaken Bookcase as part of the Discover Aussie Fantasy event in July 2013.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews