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Doom Painting
Not yet published
Expected 24 Sep 26It is 1381. England, reeling from the Black Death and years of conflict abroad, prepares for harvest. Two childhood friends ride into the town of Brentwood, Essex, where they come upon an altercation with a local Justice bent on squeezing more coin from the masses. Thus begins a rebellion of the commons - loyal to the king, but not to those landowners who press to curtail their freedoms; the multitude finding common cause against the powers that threaten their livelihoods.
Set over sixteen days, from Whitsuntide to Corpus Christi, Doom Painting roves across England as the men and women of the southern counties, supported by the visionary poet-priest John Ball, march to London to take their demands to the child King Richard II. Out of the revolt emerges its enigmatic and charismatic leader Wat Tyler, an opportunistic and mercurial rogue whose morality is birthed by the cause, and who shapes an identity for the English which has never been lost.
Written in sinuous and exhilarating prose, with all the drama and tension of fated history, A.K. Blakemore's thrilling retelling of the Peasant's Revolt renders it as a definitive moment in British history. In the meeting of peasantry and nobility, new versions of England were born, and - for one bloody summer - the people of England seized control.
Set over sixteen days, from Whitsuntide to Corpus Christi, Doom Painting roves across England as the men and women of the southern counties, supported by the visionary poet-priest John Ball, march to London to take their demands to the child King Richard II. Out of the revolt emerges its enigmatic and charismatic leader Wat Tyler, an opportunistic and mercurial rogue whose morality is birthed by the cause, and who shapes an identity for the English which has never been lost.
Written in sinuous and exhilarating prose, with all the drama and tension of fated history, A.K. Blakemore's thrilling retelling of the Peasant's Revolt renders it as a definitive moment in British history. In the meeting of peasantry and nobility, new versions of England were born, and - for one bloody summer - the people of England seized control.
674 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 24, 2026
About the author
A.K. Blakemore
10 books377 followersA.K. Blakemore is the author of two collections of poetry: Humbert Summer and Fondue. She has also translated the work of Sichuanese poet Yu Yoyo. Her poetry and prose writing have been widely published and anthologized, appearing in The London Review of Books, Poetry, The Poetry Review, and The White Review, among other publications. Her debut novel, The Manningtree Witches won the Desmond Elliot Prize 2021. She lives in London, England.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
They have tried to cover his eyes, but he sees further than they know. It breaks on him like revelation: these rebels pose no danger to him. But they are a danger to them, to these men who would seek to control and to thwart their sovereign. He can see it! An anarchy, spread before him like a Doom painting, rendered in the clotting pigments of blood, smoke and rent flesh. And there is he, Ricardus, Rex Anglia, floating untouchable above this purliu of scorched earth and the bristle of heads-impaled-on-spikes. Gleaming in the infallible armour of his subjects' love. He laughs aloud. This future- this Doom - is his, if he wants it.
The poet AK Blakemore’s debut novel “The Manningtree Witches” was a winner in 2021 of the late, lamented Desmond Elliott Prize for Debut Fiction; her second novel “The Glutton” was shortlisted for both the Encore Award for 2nd novels and the Dylan Thomas Prize (for authors under 39).
Her two novels (and this her third) have a lot of commonality:
Historical fiction: set in a time of national revolution – Civil War Essex in her debut, revolutionary France in her second and now the 1381 Peasant’s Revolt; featuring a central male real life character – respectively “Witchfinder General” Matthew Hopkins, “The Glutton of Lyon” Tarare and now rebel leader Wat Tyler.
Immersive and multi-sensory writing and deliberately florid language (interviewed about her poetry in 2019 the author said “I feel like part of that comes from my obsession with words. The euphony of certain words, how they feel when you say them, or look at them. The resonances they have. Words are a basic unit of expression and this is something I enjoy playing with. Words like ‘dark’ may not be the best specific word, which leads me to use a really weird word as the juiciest word for that particular line. Thesaurus.com is my homepage!”
The use of a range of characters to examine the state of the nation - particularly as experienced by the dispossessed and poor, and this is perhaps truer here than even in the previous two novels.
Set in 16 daily numbered chapters over the period of the brief revolt from Whitsuntide to Corpus Christi, the novel roams of a series of point of view characters across the rebels (the main one being a soldier recently returned from France who reinvents himself as Wat Tyler after finding his rough charisma leads to him being the figurehead and then natural leader of a rebellion which he only was drawn into by his love of a brawl; as well as the famous preacher John “when Adam delved and Eve span” Ball) to officials (especially the Chancellor/Archbishop of Canterbury) the royal family (particularly King Richard II and his mother Joan of Kent).
And another key character is the omniscient narrator who roams across the action and who is signalled early on as a present day narrator when comparing their viewpoint to that of a drone retreating away from a scene – one of a number of deliberate modern nods such as: “'Aye, that's very good. That's a laugh, all right - the very novelrie in wit, telling a wight how you've gone and swived his mum. I wonder if that'll catch on?'”
What comes across really well is: the despair felt by the people of Kent and Essex at the unfair and unequal depredations placed on them, which if anything is only increased when their revolt causes them to briefly experience the luxury denied to them; by contrast the Royal parties general inability to really even contemplate the lives (and inner lives) of the common people – as well as horror at their appearance; the King’s temptation to play on the rebels professed loyalty for him (and him only) to come out from the influence of his advisors – and their sudden panic that it will occur; the involvement of a City merchant in the rebellion and his manipulation for his own processes – and more.
This is a lengthy book but one I think best read over a short period of time both due to its immersive nature, the cumulative nature of the imaginative language and due to the relative brevity and breathlessness of the rebellion itself.
Highly recommended.
My thanks to Granta for an ARC.
July 17, 2026
Crying in the club rn bc Wat Tyler’s dead
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2026
It’s been a long time since a novel has made me stare into the distance as I finish it. But this one did.
It’s majestic. I knew how the story of Wat Tyler ended, but I couldn’t put it down as I had to know how the story of Wat The Tyler ended…
Probably one of the biggest compliments I could pay this near on 670 page beast, is that it absolutely doesn’t feel like 670 pages. It’s beautiful. The prose is lyrical. The fact that Blakemore is a poet of some renowned is evident in the playful way she writes. I loved the juxtaposition of the at times olde English used, spliced with modern feeling conversations, and recognisable language. There were times, I had to re read certain paragraphs just to make sure I understood what was happening, but it never detracted from the experience.
The violence of the revolt, whilst evident and of course spoken about never over shadows the people at the heart of this story. This is very much about the characters, and how their lives ebbed and flowed over those 16 tumultuous days.
I know we’ve just had the Booker long list come out, but is it too late to add another?
It’s majestic. I knew how the story of Wat Tyler ended, but I couldn’t put it down as I had to know how the story of Wat The Tyler ended…
Probably one of the biggest compliments I could pay this near on 670 page beast, is that it absolutely doesn’t feel like 670 pages. It’s beautiful. The prose is lyrical. The fact that Blakemore is a poet of some renowned is evident in the playful way she writes. I loved the juxtaposition of the at times olde English used, spliced with modern feeling conversations, and recognisable language. There were times, I had to re read certain paragraphs just to make sure I understood what was happening, but it never detracted from the experience.
The violence of the revolt, whilst evident and of course spoken about never over shadows the people at the heart of this story. This is very much about the characters, and how their lives ebbed and flowed over those 16 tumultuous days.
I know we’ve just had the Booker long list come out, but is it too late to add another?
August 3, 2026
“I did what I could, but it was not enough. England's still fucked.”
.
A kingdom on the brink of ruction, a population seemingly fractured and thirsty for the blood of those who oppress them, led by charismatic and flawed men. Bucolic scenes of peasant life amidst the pastoral fields edged in thick hedgerows, interspersed with thatched-roof villages and a class of people rising against the oppressive ruling lords and those who seek to serve the system. A description that could easily be applied to today.
.
I am continually amazed at the ability of authors to make a fascinating moment in history so achingly dull. The biggest flaw is the verbose nature of the writing. It is a lead weight that suffocates the body; unable to breathe, we are left to trudge through thick, densely described, and undoubtedly beautiful descriptions of life in 14th-century England. When we have a moment of clarity and lightness in the often sharply witty dialogue, it is dragged back to its more ponderous element. I love beautiful writing, but this felt like it unnecessarily extended the word count. It is a big book full of dense and ornate sentences, for instance: “Rumour travels. It moves like the ripples in a pool when a stone breaks the surface of the still water: concentric circles, spasming outward from the point of disturbance. (Dead metaphor, perhaps, but somehow ancestral also: ancient as the matter scraped from mammoth teeth.”
.
There is stuff to like in this, but it is far too long. Weighed down by a sense of self-importance, the amount of dedicated research shines through in a rather forced manner. It begs the reader to admire the artfully curated sentences while forgetting the story itself. You can see the inspiration of Mantel throughout, and while Mantel is no stranger to a big book, she manages to instil in her writing a level of spark that completely envelops you. This, in many ways, felt like a poor imitation. A long-winded, if partially beautiful, book on what is a fascinating piece of history.
.
A kingdom on the brink of ruction, a population seemingly fractured and thirsty for the blood of those who oppress them, led by charismatic and flawed men. Bucolic scenes of peasant life amidst the pastoral fields edged in thick hedgerows, interspersed with thatched-roof villages and a class of people rising against the oppressive ruling lords and those who seek to serve the system. A description that could easily be applied to today.
.
I am continually amazed at the ability of authors to make a fascinating moment in history so achingly dull. The biggest flaw is the verbose nature of the writing. It is a lead weight that suffocates the body; unable to breathe, we are left to trudge through thick, densely described, and undoubtedly beautiful descriptions of life in 14th-century England. When we have a moment of clarity and lightness in the often sharply witty dialogue, it is dragged back to its more ponderous element. I love beautiful writing, but this felt like it unnecessarily extended the word count. It is a big book full of dense and ornate sentences, for instance: “Rumour travels. It moves like the ripples in a pool when a stone breaks the surface of the still water: concentric circles, spasming outward from the point of disturbance. (Dead metaphor, perhaps, but somehow ancestral also: ancient as the matter scraped from mammoth teeth.”
.
There is stuff to like in this, but it is far too long. Weighed down by a sense of self-importance, the amount of dedicated research shines through in a rather forced manner. It begs the reader to admire the artfully curated sentences while forgetting the story itself. You can see the inspiration of Mantel throughout, and while Mantel is no stranger to a big book, she manages to instil in her writing a level of spark that completely envelops you. This, in many ways, felt like a poor imitation. A long-winded, if partially beautiful, book on what is a fascinating piece of history.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
{ARC REVIEW} You're either going to like or dislike this book--no in-betweens. It's a book that probably deserves 5 stars, but on a personal taste level, for me it's a 3, which is why I've awarded 4.
As I had recently visited some local churches with medieval doom paintings frescoed onto their walls, the title of this book caught my eye (although any link to "doom paintings" is indirect in this book--perhaps the core similarity is the historical period). Added to this, I got into historical fiction from Laura Shepherd-Robinson's books and wanted to try another history author.
The plot centres around the revolt against the introduction of the poll tax in England in the 1300s. I had no prior knowledge of this event, and thus could not anticipate the cast or the outcome. In many ways I was hoping to learn about a piece of distant history through reading this book.
Overall, the flavour is very much like Hilary Mantel's writing. It is literary with liberal creative embellishment, and in both Mantel and in this book, I'm left doubting how meaningfully the writing style enriches the story. For me, I find the attempt to capture a sense of the era's language distracting and more challenging to read. (I personally failed to finish Mantel's The Mirror and The Light.)
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I felt like I plodded on for the sake of not feeling dumb. And, at over 600 pages, the plodding on was arduous and skimming parts was the only way I could stick with it.
I can recognize the writer's talent, however, as the medieval world is intricately crafted, and I know many history buffs will love the detailing and the characters.
Read a few pages first to decide whether it's for you.
As I had recently visited some local churches with medieval doom paintings frescoed onto their walls, the title of this book caught my eye (although any link to "doom paintings" is indirect in this book--perhaps the core similarity is the historical period). Added to this, I got into historical fiction from Laura Shepherd-Robinson's books and wanted to try another history author.
The plot centres around the revolt against the introduction of the poll tax in England in the 1300s. I had no prior knowledge of this event, and thus could not anticipate the cast or the outcome. In many ways I was hoping to learn about a piece of distant history through reading this book.
Overall, the flavour is very much like Hilary Mantel's writing. It is literary with liberal creative embellishment, and in both Mantel and in this book, I'm left doubting how meaningfully the writing style enriches the story. For me, I find the attempt to capture a sense of the era's language distracting and more challenging to read. (I personally failed to finish Mantel's The Mirror and The Light.)
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I felt like I plodded on for the sake of not feeling dumb. And, at over 600 pages, the plodding on was arduous and skimming parts was the only way I could stick with it.
I can recognize the writer's talent, however, as the medieval world is intricately crafted, and I know many history buffs will love the detailing and the characters.
Read a few pages first to decide whether it's for you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I think I have finally accepted that A.K. Blakemore is simply not an author for me. I read The Manningtree Witches and found it contrived and overwritten, and unfortunately I had much the same reaction to Doom Painting.
The subject matter certainly appealed to me. The Peasants’ Revolt is a fascinating period of English history, and there is plenty here that could have made for a gripping historical novel. Instead, I found the book increasingly hard work.
For me, the writing is the problem. There is a tendency to dress up almost every moment in elaborate prose, with descriptions and metaphors arriving at such regular intervals that I became more conscious of the writing than of the story. There are some striking passages, but too often I felt that the language was getting in the way rather than drawing me further into the world of the novel.
And at nearly 700 pages, that becomes rather wearing. I kept waiting for the pace to pick up, but the story seemed to move through treacle. I wanted to be caught up in the events and the characters, but instead I was frequently noticing the construction of the sentences and wondering when we were going to get to the point.
There is obviously a great deal of research behind the novel, and Blakemore has created a vivid picture of medieval England, but I never felt sufficiently engaged with the people at its centre. Everything felt just a little too deliberately literary and, for me, that made the whole thing feel contrived.
I know there are readers who love Blakemore’s distinctive style, and I can understand why. It is certainly ambitious and highly crafted. But having now read two of her novels, I think I can safely say that this is a case of the author rather than the book.
Sadly, Blakemore isn’t for me.
The subject matter certainly appealed to me. The Peasants’ Revolt is a fascinating period of English history, and there is plenty here that could have made for a gripping historical novel. Instead, I found the book increasingly hard work.
For me, the writing is the problem. There is a tendency to dress up almost every moment in elaborate prose, with descriptions and metaphors arriving at such regular intervals that I became more conscious of the writing than of the story. There are some striking passages, but too often I felt that the language was getting in the way rather than drawing me further into the world of the novel.
And at nearly 700 pages, that becomes rather wearing. I kept waiting for the pace to pick up, but the story seemed to move through treacle. I wanted to be caught up in the events and the characters, but instead I was frequently noticing the construction of the sentences and wondering when we were going to get to the point.
There is obviously a great deal of research behind the novel, and Blakemore has created a vivid picture of medieval England, but I never felt sufficiently engaged with the people at its centre. Everything felt just a little too deliberately literary and, for me, that made the whole thing feel contrived.
I know there are readers who love Blakemore’s distinctive style, and I can understand why. It is certainly ambitious and highly crafted. But having now read two of her novels, I think I can safely say that this is a case of the author rather than the book.
Sadly, Blakemore isn’t for me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is one of those books that completely consumed me.
The prose is something you linger with, and it demands your full attention. At nearly 700 pages it is not a book you can simply breeze through. But I think that is why I loved it, and it completely hooked me.
A.K. Blakemore has written something that feels unlike anything else I've read. It is brutal, beautiful, filthy, strange and unexpectedly funny. The medieval world feels so tangible that by the end I felt like I'd been living in it rather than reading about it. Every page is packed with gorgeous imagery, but it never loses sight of the people at its heart.
What I loved most was the ambition of it. It completely commits to its vision, and I admired that so much. Once I settled into the rhythm of Blakemore's writing, I couldn't imagine the story being told any other way. She is wonderful at writing the line between beauty and tragedy.
It's certainly not a book I'd recommend to everyone. You have to meet it where it is, give it your time and trust that it knows where it's taking you. If you're looking for something fast-paced, this probably isn't it. But if you love literary historical fiction that is rich, uncompromising and utterly immersive, I think this is something really special. Wat Taylor has taken over my body and soul forever!
By the end I was completely in awe of it. One of the most ambitious and rewarding novels I've read this year.
The prose is something you linger with, and it demands your full attention. At nearly 700 pages it is not a book you can simply breeze through. But I think that is why I loved it, and it completely hooked me.
A.K. Blakemore has written something that feels unlike anything else I've read. It is brutal, beautiful, filthy, strange and unexpectedly funny. The medieval world feels so tangible that by the end I felt like I'd been living in it rather than reading about it. Every page is packed with gorgeous imagery, but it never loses sight of the people at its heart.
What I loved most was the ambition of it. It completely commits to its vision, and I admired that so much. Once I settled into the rhythm of Blakemore's writing, I couldn't imagine the story being told any other way. She is wonderful at writing the line between beauty and tragedy.
It's certainly not a book I'd recommend to everyone. You have to meet it where it is, give it your time and trust that it knows where it's taking you. If you're looking for something fast-paced, this probably isn't it. But if you love literary historical fiction that is rich, uncompromising and utterly immersive, I think this is something really special. Wat Taylor has taken over my body and soul forever!
By the end I was completely in awe of it. One of the most ambitious and rewarding novels I've read this year.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to @netgalley and @bolindaaudio for allowing me to read this ALC.
This is an amazing fictional, historical novel set over the sixteen bloody days of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. I enjoy historical fiction, particularly when it is based on real people and events. It's even better when they happen in places I am familiar with. Written with a richly lyrical language, that matches the tense activity of the short period of the plot.
On audio Chris Harper's narration masterfully portrays a huge spectrum of characters with individuality. His tone and cadence creates an intense momentum as the rebels congregate and move from Essex to Kent and then onto London, gripping me thoroughly. The audio experience pulled me into an intense fever dream, a brutal, violent world of The Commons desperation to survive, and the nobilities fear and panic that this is happening. The language of Blakemore's writing and Harper's performance express the grit and gravity of the situation that the characters are embroiled in.
As I know the history of the Peasants' Revolt, listening to these names being given characters and voices made the inevitable ending hit hard. I can honestly say that the audiobook format definitely enhanced the way I experienced this tale. This book was very well researched, as much as can be done for an event in 1381, the characters brought the story to life in my mind. I thoroughly recommend the audiobook to immerse yourself in a novel of this period of history.
This is an amazing fictional, historical novel set over the sixteen bloody days of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. I enjoy historical fiction, particularly when it is based on real people and events. It's even better when they happen in places I am familiar with. Written with a richly lyrical language, that matches the tense activity of the short period of the plot.
On audio Chris Harper's narration masterfully portrays a huge spectrum of characters with individuality. His tone and cadence creates an intense momentum as the rebels congregate and move from Essex to Kent and then onto London, gripping me thoroughly. The audio experience pulled me into an intense fever dream, a brutal, violent world of The Commons desperation to survive, and the nobilities fear and panic that this is happening. The language of Blakemore's writing and Harper's performance express the grit and gravity of the situation that the characters are embroiled in.
As I know the history of the Peasants' Revolt, listening to these names being given characters and voices made the inevitable ending hit hard. I can honestly say that the audiobook format definitely enhanced the way I experienced this tale. This book was very well researched, as much as can be done for an event in 1381, the characters brought the story to life in my mind. I thoroughly recommend the audiobook to immerse yourself in a novel of this period of history.
Read
July 7, 2026A. K. Blakemore's Doom Painting is an extraordinary achievement in historical fiction. What impressed me most was the richness of the language: every page is beautifully crafted, with prose that feels both poetic and deeply immersive. Blakemore has a remarkable ability to evoke the medieval world and the characters she portrays through vivid, lyrical English..
The novel excels in its sense of scale. Its sweeping descriptions of the unfolding Peasants' Revolt create a powerful feeling of place, people and continuity. The broad historical canvas is balanced with intimate human moments, resulting in a novel that feels both epic and deeply personal.
For readers who appreciate elegant writing and expansive historical storytelling, Doom Painting is a richly rewarding read. It is extremely well researched, covering the sixteen days of the Peasants' Revolt with an unexpected intensity and a broadness of scope that I wasn't expecting. If I'm honest, I probably prefer faster paced fiction - Blakemore's prose is beautiful but I'm not sure that if I'd picked it up and read a sample before starting that I would have continued - which has more to do with my reading habits these days than the quality of Blakemore's writing.
The novel excels in its sense of scale. Its sweeping descriptions of the unfolding Peasants' Revolt create a powerful feeling of place, people and continuity. The broad historical canvas is balanced with intimate human moments, resulting in a novel that feels both epic and deeply personal.
For readers who appreciate elegant writing and expansive historical storytelling, Doom Painting is a richly rewarding read. It is extremely well researched, covering the sixteen days of the Peasants' Revolt with an unexpected intensity and a broadness of scope that I wasn't expecting. If I'm honest, I probably prefer faster paced fiction - Blakemore's prose is beautiful but I'm not sure that if I'd picked it up and read a sample before starting that I would have continued - which has more to do with my reading habits these days than the quality of Blakemore's writing.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Doom Painting, the third novel from A. K. Blakemore, like her previous works takes us to a distinct period of history to reveal it, bloody and brutal in its telling. Her first two novels - The Manningtree Witches and The Glutton I absolutely adored, and was fearful there might be a tumble with her next. I should never have doubted her - Doom Painting is not only an utterly fantastic novel, it is her best yet.
Wat Tyler is a figure you may know from The Peasants Revolt of 1381, although we know little about him. This grants Blakemore the opportunity to craft a fiction around the truth, and to dig into the psyche of the time and it's people.
Doom Painting is exquisitely written, with Blakemore luxuriating in language, poetically rich. She is also playful at times, concentrating the distance between those days and ours in a mere sentence before focussing back on her subject. She recreates the days of the revolt with sharp focus, evocative in style, and though this is not a fast-paced read - you take your time with it - for me it was worth it. Doom Painting is, for me, one of the masterpieces of the year.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and A. K. Blakemore for the ARC.
Wat Tyler is a figure you may know from The Peasants Revolt of 1381, although we know little about him. This grants Blakemore the opportunity to craft a fiction around the truth, and to dig into the psyche of the time and it's people.
Doom Painting is exquisitely written, with Blakemore luxuriating in language, poetically rich. She is also playful at times, concentrating the distance between those days and ours in a mere sentence before focussing back on her subject. She recreates the days of the revolt with sharp focus, evocative in style, and though this is not a fast-paced read - you take your time with it - for me it was worth it. Doom Painting is, for me, one of the masterpieces of the year.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and A. K. Blakemore for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I ended up DNF’ing Doom Painting at 61%. Blakemore is clearly doing something ambitious here, and there are moments where her language really shines, but overall the experience just didn’t work for me. The prose felt quite sluggish, and I often found myself struggling to keep track of who was who, which meant I never really connected with the characters or felt invested in their journeys.
It’s genuinely a shame, because I absolutely loved The Glutton — a rare 5‑star read for me, one I’ve recommended to so many people. This time around, though, the combination of pacing, density, and character clarity just didn’t land.
I also found the sheer length quite daunting. Had I realised how long the book was when requesting the title, I probably would have had second thoughts — it’s a commitment, and ultimately one I couldn’t sustain.
There’s plenty here that other readers will admire, but for me, this one simply wasn’t the right fit.
I'll still look out for the authors future work purely based on The Glutton.
It’s genuinely a shame, because I absolutely loved The Glutton — a rare 5‑star read for me, one I’ve recommended to so many people. This time around, though, the combination of pacing, density, and character clarity just didn’t land.
I also found the sheer length quite daunting. Had I realised how long the book was when requesting the title, I probably would have had second thoughts — it’s a commitment, and ultimately one I couldn’t sustain.
There’s plenty here that other readers will admire, but for me, this one simply wasn’t the right fit.
I'll still look out for the authors future work purely based on The Glutton.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was drawn to read this book by the description as I knew very little about Wat Tyler and the Peasants’ Revolt in the 14th century. The issue then was the imposition of a poll tax, to be revisited upon Britain in the 1980s (leading not to a revolt as such but to a great deal of discontent and protests). From that point of view, the book is well researched and I learned the background to the uprising and who the main characters were. I hadn’t read this author before and to be honest, had I read an excerpt of the book before requesting it, I probably wouldn’t have read it. Her lyrical, poetic prose is praised by many readers but for me it was unnecessarily verbose. I found myself skim reading great swathes with no resulting loss of understanding of the storyline or the motivations of the leading actors. It was an interesting experience but not one I’d wish to repeat.
With thanks to Granta Publications and NetGalley for a review copy.
With thanks to Granta Publications and NetGalley for a review copy.
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August 30, 2026This audiobook was excellently narrated by Chris Harper, a new-to-me narrator whose work I'll be seeking out more of - the quality of narration makes such a difference and here we have an absolute masterclass in voice and intonation, which are particularly important when the book - as in this case - features an ensemble of characters. And what characters! A.K. Blakemore has done their research into the social history of the Peasants' Revolt, and the listener reaps the benefits of that research distilled down into earthy, muscular prose. I saw vividly what daily life was like at that time, including the full tapestry of emotions and inner lives as well as bodily functions and social attitudes (especially in relation to causing the death of others). Richly evocative, and - speaking as a fan of Chaucer - a colourful and memorable portrait of the days of foment in 1381.
September 5, 2026
A book written for me, specifically, so I gave it five stars but acknowledge the things that made me love it will also ruin it for others. The prose is dense and chewy, revelling in description and atmosphere. The language choices are sometimes anachronistic, but as the story is told by an omniscient narrator rather than the close third point of view of the characters, I didn't mind. The pacing is slow - though the culmination of events are dramatic, it takes ideological development and growing social connection to build the foundations of a revolt. The time devoted to 14th century spirituality was a particular highlight for me. I received a free copy of the audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review, and I have to applaud Chris Harper for the fantastic performance, he handled the large cast masterfully and really brought the story to life.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Yet now the pilgrim holds in his hands a felling axe and blood is smeared over the lower half of his grinning face and looking down at the justice this man, this insolent red pilgrim, opens out his arms and says: "They call me Wat - Wat the Tyler-"
A fiercely ambitious literary novel about a medieval rebellion. It's written in an anarchic mishmash of language that surges and eddies, creating a vivid, spiky atmosphere rather than a conventional narrative. Sometimes the more esoteric vocabulary sent me to the dictionary (e.g. "psilocybe", "magniloquent", "cartularies"), but that's no bad thing, and the inventiveness and love of language were often a delight (e.g. "the wiffle-waffle of sword on whetstone").
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.
A fiercely ambitious literary novel about a medieval rebellion. It's written in an anarchic mishmash of language that surges and eddies, creating a vivid, spiky atmosphere rather than a conventional narrative. Sometimes the more esoteric vocabulary sent me to the dictionary (e.g. "psilocybe", "magniloquent", "cartularies"), but that's no bad thing, and the inventiveness and love of language were often a delight (e.g. "the wiffle-waffle of sword on whetstone").
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received by NetGalley
This book is beautifully written, I found the writing profound and illustrative.
I love historical fiction and long novels that I can really get lost in so this was perfect for me.
4* because I occasionally felt lost in the initial 15% of this book with characters and setting, but pushing through this and was really worth it towards the end.
I haven’t read this authors previous work but will definitely be bumping it up my TBR!
This book is beautifully written, I found the writing profound and illustrative.
I love historical fiction and long novels that I can really get lost in so this was perfect for me.
4* because I occasionally felt lost in the initial 15% of this book with characters and setting, but pushing through this and was really worth it towards the end.
I haven’t read this authors previous work but will definitely be bumping it up my TBR!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Such wonderful, chewy, gnarly language. Such a gripping tale. Wonderful characters. Constantly funny. A dream to read. Also politically groovy.
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