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Noble Beasts: The story of a famed artist, a scandalous affair, and the beasts that roamed his mind
'Rich, layered, and deeply thoughtful' - LUCY STEEDS
'A magnificent novel - vivid, moving and utterly convincing' - S.G. MACLEAN
In the suffocating summer of 1858, Sir Edwin Landseer faces the monumental task of sculpting the Trafalgar Square lions. The nation is watching, the Royal Academy is whispering, and the Queen herself expects brilliance. The press, his doctor and Edwin's inner demons predict disaster.
As the pressure mounts, beasts begin to stalk Edwin's increasingly alcohol-fuelled nightmares. His mind flees from stifling Victorian London to the freedom of the Scottish Highlands, the riotous days of the Regency and the woman who set his world alight. older, adventurous and irreverent. married to Edwin's most influential patron. the love of his life. The world called it a scandal, but the world didn't know what it was talking about. The world should have called it a tragedy.
Based on real events and rumours that burned like wildfire, Noble Beasts is a story of art, sacrifice, and enduring love, painting a vivid and passionate picture of the tangled relationships that helped make Edwin's career but broke his heart and his mind.
'Waverley immerses the reader in the lushly textured worlds of the sweeping Highlands and of a glittering, claustrophobic society.' - LUCY STEEDS, author of The Artist
'Passionate, sensual, profoundly moving . . . one of the best works of historical fiction I ever read' - A.N. WILSON
'A fascinating and immersive portrait of an artist driven by ambition, passion and addiction' JOANNA MILLER,
author of The Eights
'Impeccably researched and exquisitely written.' RACHEL BLACKMORE, author of Costanza
'A magnificent novel - vivid, moving and utterly convincing' - S.G. MACLEAN
In the suffocating summer of 1858, Sir Edwin Landseer faces the monumental task of sculpting the Trafalgar Square lions. The nation is watching, the Royal Academy is whispering, and the Queen herself expects brilliance. The press, his doctor and Edwin's inner demons predict disaster.
As the pressure mounts, beasts begin to stalk Edwin's increasingly alcohol-fuelled nightmares. His mind flees from stifling Victorian London to the freedom of the Scottish Highlands, the riotous days of the Regency and the woman who set his world alight. older, adventurous and irreverent. married to Edwin's most influential patron. the love of his life. The world called it a scandal, but the world didn't know what it was talking about. The world should have called it a tragedy.
Based on real events and rumours that burned like wildfire, Noble Beasts is a story of art, sacrifice, and enduring love, painting a vivid and passionate picture of the tangled relationships that helped make Edwin's career but broke his heart and his mind.
'Waverley immerses the reader in the lushly textured worlds of the sweeping Highlands and of a glittering, claustrophobic society.' - LUCY STEEDS, author of The Artist
'Passionate, sensual, profoundly moving . . . one of the best works of historical fiction I ever read' - A.N. WILSON
'A fascinating and immersive portrait of an artist driven by ambition, passion and addiction' JOANNA MILLER,
author of The Eights
'Impeccably researched and exquisitely written.' RACHEL BLACKMORE, author of Costanza
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First published May 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 21, 2026
[NetGalley Read #74]
5 ⭐️
"My mother says a broken heart doesn't love any less, it just hurts more."
A tragic tale of love, heartbreak, ambition and addiction.
This was incredible. On the surface, it didn't feel like a story I was going to enjoy very much. But that's something I find myself saying about a lot of historical fiction before reading and the authors always prove me wrong in the most wonderful ways. After reading this book, my respect for Historical Fiction as a genre has definitely gone up.
I could've read it quickly but I found myself wanting to savour the story. The prose is really good. And the chapters having this back and forth of the older, cynical, bitter Edwin and the young, ambitious, head-over-heels-in-love Edwin was a good move.
I liked a lot of things and have nothing negative to say about this story: The relationship of young Edwin with his family, with Jane, early encounters with the Duchess, their sittings for George Hayter and the trips to the Highlands, then the tragedy of Jane's death, Georgina's baby, the tension and anxiety about his potential selection to the Academy, and the fear of a scandal and the Duke's fury.
A special mention to the lovely descriptions of all the animals, nature, the Highlands, and the favourite English pastime: the weather. But seriously, it's written with such love for the places that you can feel it oozing out of the page.
I loved the romance and the emotional aspects of the story. The chapters and snippets with Georgina and Rachel are very touching. And funny. And, later, heartrending. The snippets of Edwin and Georgina's time together evoke this feeling of tenderness, I could feel the love through the pages, the heartbreak, the pain of wanting to be together and not being able to.
The contrasting chapters of younger Edwin and older Edwin with the Queen were done masterfully, the two of them trying to find their way through the grief, the Queen nudging him to go back to the huts.
The older Edwin chapters were heartbreaking. Themes of addiction, acceptance, and regret are explored really beautifully. I liked the ending with the book and the inscription that Edwin receives (it's incredible how much effect a few words can have on the character and the reader) and the vision of a roebuck in the mist, picking his way to join the doe and the calf.
To the author: you did not need to twist the knife with that epilogue. But I'm glad you did.
It's a medium length book (nearly 400 pages). Easy to read. Beautiful prose. Tragic story. Definitely worth your time.
Highly Recommended. 👍👍
Will definitely be on the lookout for upcoming books from this author.
5 ⭐️
"My mother says a broken heart doesn't love any less, it just hurts more."
A tragic tale of love, heartbreak, ambition and addiction.
This was incredible. On the surface, it didn't feel like a story I was going to enjoy very much. But that's something I find myself saying about a lot of historical fiction before reading and the authors always prove me wrong in the most wonderful ways. After reading this book, my respect for Historical Fiction as a genre has definitely gone up.
I could've read it quickly but I found myself wanting to savour the story. The prose is really good. And the chapters having this back and forth of the older, cynical, bitter Edwin and the young, ambitious, head-over-heels-in-love Edwin was a good move.
I liked a lot of things and have nothing negative to say about this story: The relationship of young Edwin with his family, with Jane, early encounters with the Duchess, their sittings for George Hayter and the trips to the Highlands, then the tragedy of Jane's death, Georgina's baby, the tension and anxiety about his potential selection to the Academy, and the fear of a scandal and the Duke's fury.
A special mention to the lovely descriptions of all the animals, nature, the Highlands, and the favourite English pastime: the weather. But seriously, it's written with such love for the places that you can feel it oozing out of the page.
I loved the romance and the emotional aspects of the story. The chapters and snippets with Georgina and Rachel are very touching. And funny. And, later, heartrending. The snippets of Edwin and Georgina's time together evoke this feeling of tenderness, I could feel the love through the pages, the heartbreak, the pain of wanting to be together and not being able to.
The contrasting chapters of younger Edwin and older Edwin with the Queen were done masterfully, the two of them trying to find their way through the grief, the Queen nudging him to go back to the huts.
The older Edwin chapters were heartbreaking. Themes of addiction, acceptance, and regret are explored really beautifully. I liked the ending with the book and the inscription that Edwin receives (it's incredible how much effect a few words can have on the character and the reader) and the vision of a roebuck in the mist, picking his way to join the doe and the calf.
To the author: you did not need to twist the knife with that epilogue. But I'm glad you did.
It's a medium length book (nearly 400 pages). Easy to read. Beautiful prose. Tragic story. Definitely worth your time.
Highly Recommended. 👍👍
Will definitely be on the lookout for upcoming books from this author.
May 5, 2026
A fascinating story of Edwin Landseer, the famous artist who created the lions in Trafalgar Square.
This meticulously well researched account of the life and love of Edwin Landseer moves between his emergence as an artist in regency London to Victorian England where as Sir Landseer, friend and artist to the Queen, he is struggling to create the famous lions for Trafalgar Square and teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
One of the things I enjoyed so much about this book is how much I learned about Edwin and the artistic movement during this period. The author crafts his story so cleverly without any info dumping (a historical fiction Cardinal sin). The rich detail makes you feel totally immersed in the period and in his life. The rigid Victorian era and class structures are brought to life through the account of the artist’s scandalous long term relationship with the (married and much senior) Duchess of Bedford. I was so invested in this forbidden love story, it was heart wrenching and beautifully portrayed. The vivid descriptions of the highlands through their visits and his paintings were also a real highlight. Gorgeous, evocative prose and a well crafted story. Loved it.
A very talented writer and an amazing debut. Can’t wait to read more from her.
Thank you to Netgally for the EARC.
This meticulously well researched account of the life and love of Edwin Landseer moves between his emergence as an artist in regency London to Victorian England where as Sir Landseer, friend and artist to the Queen, he is struggling to create the famous lions for Trafalgar Square and teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
One of the things I enjoyed so much about this book is how much I learned about Edwin and the artistic movement during this period. The author crafts his story so cleverly without any info dumping (a historical fiction Cardinal sin). The rich detail makes you feel totally immersed in the period and in his life. The rigid Victorian era and class structures are brought to life through the account of the artist’s scandalous long term relationship with the (married and much senior) Duchess of Bedford. I was so invested in this forbidden love story, it was heart wrenching and beautifully portrayed. The vivid descriptions of the highlands through their visits and his paintings were also a real highlight. Gorgeous, evocative prose and a well crafted story. Loved it.
A very talented writer and an amazing debut. Can’t wait to read more from her.
Thank you to Netgally for the EARC.
May 22, 2026
Rating: 4.5 stars
Noble Beasts is a historical fiction retelling the story of Edwin Landseer, following his career, life in London society, struggles with addiction and mental health and his forbidden romance with a Duchess. Edwin was the creator of the famous London Trafalgar Square lions and I was fascinated learning about his journey as an artist, his art is STUNNING.
This started off slow for me and I struggled with the long chapters at the beginning, but once the story picked up (and the chapters shortened), I couldn't put it down! This is an incredible debut novel, the writing is beautiful and did an amazing job of bringing the story to life. The dual timeline was so impactful and really helped to increase the pace of the storytelling. A highlight for me was his love of animals, especially dogs, and the Scottish Highlands. About halfway through I googled the painting he was working on and wish I'd done this from the start because I was blown AWAY with how stunning his work is.
This is by no means a happy, feel good story and my heart was breaking for Edwin through most of it. The author created such depth of character and I couldn't help but feel compassion for Edwin and his personal struggles. The romance in this book was a constant and was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking. A truly tragic love story.
Noble Beasts is a historical fiction retelling the story of Edwin Landseer, following his career, life in London society, struggles with addiction and mental health and his forbidden romance with a Duchess. Edwin was the creator of the famous London Trafalgar Square lions and I was fascinated learning about his journey as an artist, his art is STUNNING.
This started off slow for me and I struggled with the long chapters at the beginning, but once the story picked up (and the chapters shortened), I couldn't put it down! This is an incredible debut novel, the writing is beautiful and did an amazing job of bringing the story to life. The dual timeline was so impactful and really helped to increase the pace of the storytelling. A highlight for me was his love of animals, especially dogs, and the Scottish Highlands. About halfway through I googled the painting he was working on and wish I'd done this from the start because I was blown AWAY with how stunning his work is.
This is by no means a happy, feel good story and my heart was breaking for Edwin through most of it. The author created such depth of character and I couldn't help but feel compassion for Edwin and his personal struggles. The romance in this book was a constant and was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking. A truly tragic love story.
August 29, 2026
4.25/5
May 30, 2026
Noble Beasts by Lucy Waverley
Historical fiction | Hardback book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One of my favourite books of the year and the best historical fiction I’ve read in 2026. The author paints us the story of Sir Edwin Landseer, the famous artist from the nineteenth century. It begins in 1858 with his commission to sculpt the famous lions at the base of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. The enormity of the task threatens to derail him. Through a fog of alcohol and laudanum Landseer feels stalked by the lions and can barely hold the madness at bay.
The story then alternates to the 1820s where as a talented young painter Edwin Landseer seeks the patronage of the Duke of Bedford. However, he ends up falling in love with his wife, Duchess Georgina Bedford. She is quite a bit older than him but she was a remarkably intelligent and funny person. This book is based on real events and the affair based on gossip from the time. We follow the rise of his fame, his relationship with the Bedfords, his remarkable family and his fight with addiction and mental health. I appreciated the authors historical note at the end with recommendations for further books to read. Have been googling his paintings and those looks quite a lot.
I loved the descriptions of the highlands and could imagine myself there sipping whiskey with peat fires smouldering and glistening dew on the grass.
A remarkable debut.
#noblebeasts #historicalfiction #siredwinlandseer #fivestarread
Historical fiction | Hardback book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One of my favourite books of the year and the best historical fiction I’ve read in 2026. The author paints us the story of Sir Edwin Landseer, the famous artist from the nineteenth century. It begins in 1858 with his commission to sculpt the famous lions at the base of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. The enormity of the task threatens to derail him. Through a fog of alcohol and laudanum Landseer feels stalked by the lions and can barely hold the madness at bay.
The story then alternates to the 1820s where as a talented young painter Edwin Landseer seeks the patronage of the Duke of Bedford. However, he ends up falling in love with his wife, Duchess Georgina Bedford. She is quite a bit older than him but she was a remarkably intelligent and funny person. This book is based on real events and the affair based on gossip from the time. We follow the rise of his fame, his relationship with the Bedfords, his remarkable family and his fight with addiction and mental health. I appreciated the authors historical note at the end with recommendations for further books to read. Have been googling his paintings and those looks quite a lot.
I loved the descriptions of the highlands and could imagine myself there sipping whiskey with peat fires smouldering and glistening dew on the grass.
A remarkable debut.
#noblebeasts #historicalfiction #siredwinlandseer #fivestarread
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sir Edwin Landseer - famous artist, favourite of Queen Victoria, lover, drunkard. Despite a lot of resistance and primarily being a painter, Edwin is eventually persuaded to take the commission of sculpting the brass lions which are to stand on Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square. He's not a well man and knows it, but this is his shot at redemption...
This is a fictional re-telling of the life of Sir Edwin, a very real very prominent artist in the 1800s. He courted scandal, had dramatic rises and falls, and was both a troubled and gifted man. All of this comes across in this book, which narratively flits between his 'present' trying to finish the lion sculptures and his past doomed love.
There is a lot of subtext in this book and it is an interesting look at the life and status of a certain slice of society in a time when that society was changing rapidly. Edwin is associating with Duke's and royalty but is always separate from them, lauded for his skill but can never be accepted. There's a look too at the hypocrisy of the age where women are concerned - men can have dalliances and leave their families but for a woman to do the same would mean her losing all access to her children.
I have to say the writing of this is exquisite, the style is beautiful and the imagery evocative - absolutely the best thing about this book for me. The main reason for the star rating is that although it is beautifully written, I can't honestly say I enjoyed reading it. I didn't find any of the character particularly likeable or sympathetic and while there were genuinely tragic elements, I'm not sure they were balanced by enough joyful moments and because I didn't overly care for the characters I found it hard to engage with said tragedy.
While interesting and compelling at points, I actually think it would have worked better as a non-fiction.
- Thanks to NetGalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review -
This is a fictional re-telling of the life of Sir Edwin, a very real very prominent artist in the 1800s. He courted scandal, had dramatic rises and falls, and was both a troubled and gifted man. All of this comes across in this book, which narratively flits between his 'present' trying to finish the lion sculptures and his past doomed love.
There is a lot of subtext in this book and it is an interesting look at the life and status of a certain slice of society in a time when that society was changing rapidly. Edwin is associating with Duke's and royalty but is always separate from them, lauded for his skill but can never be accepted. There's a look too at the hypocrisy of the age where women are concerned - men can have dalliances and leave their families but for a woman to do the same would mean her losing all access to her children.
I have to say the writing of this is exquisite, the style is beautiful and the imagery evocative - absolutely the best thing about this book for me. The main reason for the star rating is that although it is beautifully written, I can't honestly say I enjoyed reading it. I didn't find any of the character particularly likeable or sympathetic and while there were genuinely tragic elements, I'm not sure they were balanced by enough joyful moments and because I didn't overly care for the characters I found it hard to engage with said tragedy.
While interesting and compelling at points, I actually think it would have worked better as a non-fiction.
- Thanks to NetGalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review -
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Click here for my full review
“The short hairs around the lion’s nostrils ripple as it assesses him, whiskers twitching. What can it smell? Oil paint and alcohol? Tobacco and dogs? Is that all he is now?”
The myth of the mad artist has lingered for too long. The painful lives and deaths of creatives like Vincent van Gogh have been romanticised into the dubious equation of genius with mental illness, using real suffering to sell paintings. Even now, we like the idea that art demands torment: think about all the actors who spend awards season tearfully recounting the toll that method acting has taken on them.
At first glance, Edwin Landseer’s life, plagued by alcoholism and depression and culminating in being declared legally insane, fits this pop-cultural pattern. However, NOBLE BEASTS backs up its fiction with detailed research to convey a biography that goes beyond the pain he endured.
We read about two phases of his career: designing the lions of Nelson’s Column, and flashbacks throughout his long affair with Georgina Russell, Duchess of Bedford. Twenty years his senior and married to his artistic patron, the Duchess nevertheless shares a love of animals and desire for genuine connection that battles constantly against the divides of class. “Dogs aren’t pretending to be something they’re not,” Landseer tells the Duchess, a stark contrast to their world of social ritual.
From the stench of Victorian London to the windblown Scottish Highlands, Waverley evocatively renders her setting, and how Landseer’s paintings show “tragedy and hope bound together in twisting, sinuous animal forms”. We see into his increasingly troubled mind, as a hallucinatory lion stalks him through his studio, taunting him for his failures as he tries to complete his final artworks...
“The short hairs around the lion’s nostrils ripple as it assesses him, whiskers twitching. What can it smell? Oil paint and alcohol? Tobacco and dogs? Is that all he is now?”
The myth of the mad artist has lingered for too long. The painful lives and deaths of creatives like Vincent van Gogh have been romanticised into the dubious equation of genius with mental illness, using real suffering to sell paintings. Even now, we like the idea that art demands torment: think about all the actors who spend awards season tearfully recounting the toll that method acting has taken on them.
At first glance, Edwin Landseer’s life, plagued by alcoholism and depression and culminating in being declared legally insane, fits this pop-cultural pattern. However, NOBLE BEASTS backs up its fiction with detailed research to convey a biography that goes beyond the pain he endured.
We read about two phases of his career: designing the lions of Nelson’s Column, and flashbacks throughout his long affair with Georgina Russell, Duchess of Bedford. Twenty years his senior and married to his artistic patron, the Duchess nevertheless shares a love of animals and desire for genuine connection that battles constantly against the divides of class. “Dogs aren’t pretending to be something they’re not,” Landseer tells the Duchess, a stark contrast to their world of social ritual.
From the stench of Victorian London to the windblown Scottish Highlands, Waverley evocatively renders her setting, and how Landseer’s paintings show “tragedy and hope bound together in twisting, sinuous animal forms”. We see into his increasingly troubled mind, as a hallucinatory lion stalks him through his studio, taunting him for his failures as he tries to complete his final artworks...
June 12, 2026
I loved this book! Even though this novel is about the great artist Edwin Landseer, there is another artist at work throughout the novel in the form of Lucy Waverley‘s expert painting of scenes varying from glittering balls and parties to the devastating floods that affected the Highlands in Victorian Britain. But she’s not just a big picture painter, she gets as close as humanly possible to her protagonists. We see Edwin Landseer as a young hopeful artist in Regency Britain who falls in love, hard, with a much older and utterly delightful Georgina Duchess of Bedford. Lucy Waverley details his fall and decline as alcoholism and stress cloud his later days- but it’s the memory of his wonderful courtship and flirting with the Duchess of Bedford as they meet in a field among cows that really linger for me after the book is over because this was their first meeting and it is one the most beautiful first encounters in fiction I have read!
Edwin Landseer was a complicated man, he was one of the most popular artists in Victorian Britain who was forced to paint pictures of dogs and horses for Queen Victoria, when he’d much rather be painting more serious subjects.
You already know Landseer - his lions are the most famous and beloved statues in London..his painting of Queen Victoria and John Brown achieved an odd fame - it’s in the last photo of Liz Truss and Queen Elizabeth — but read this novel to feel his passions and his angsts to know him even more.
Edwin Landseer was a complicated man, he was one of the most popular artists in Victorian Britain who was forced to paint pictures of dogs and horses for Queen Victoria, when he’d much rather be painting more serious subjects.
You already know Landseer - his lions are the most famous and beloved statues in London..his painting of Queen Victoria and John Brown achieved an odd fame - it’s in the last photo of Liz Truss and Queen Elizabeth — but read this novel to feel his passions and his angsts to know him even more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Noble Beasts is a retelling of the life of the famous artist, Edwin Landseer, through the prism of a complicated love triangle and the commission that almost broke him (to sculpt bronze lions for the plinths in Trafalgar Square.)
The book is well-written, the imagery is beautiful, and it was eye-opening to discover more about Landseer’s life. However, personally I found it a perplexing book. The characters are well drawn and believable, but I just didn’t care very much what happened to them. I also found the dual timeline tedious, as it jumped back and forward quite regularly, which broke up the flow of the story (for me at least.)
Pro: I had no idea Landseer was such a troubled person, and that he risked society’s censure to cuckhold a Duke’s wife; a perfectly decent read in this respect.
Con: to be honest, Edwin’s and Georgina’s lives came across as self-indulgent and self-centred, which left me short of being fully clutched into the story.
It may this is one of those books that I appreciate more on the second reading, but at first sight, more of a picture to be hung at the Royal Academy up near the ceiling, rather than at eye level. But this shouldn’t put you off – read the book yourself and make up your own mind.
The book is well-written, the imagery is beautiful, and it was eye-opening to discover more about Landseer’s life. However, personally I found it a perplexing book. The characters are well drawn and believable, but I just didn’t care very much what happened to them. I also found the dual timeline tedious, as it jumped back and forward quite regularly, which broke up the flow of the story (for me at least.)
Pro: I had no idea Landseer was such a troubled person, and that he risked society’s censure to cuckhold a Duke’s wife; a perfectly decent read in this respect.
Con: to be honest, Edwin’s and Georgina’s lives came across as self-indulgent and self-centred, which left me short of being fully clutched into the story.
It may this is one of those books that I appreciate more on the second reading, but at first sight, more of a picture to be hung at the Royal Academy up near the ceiling, rather than at eye level. But this shouldn’t put you off – read the book yourself and make up your own mind.
July 20, 2026
3.5 stars
An enjoyable historical read, featuring the real life character Edwin Landseer during 2 different times in his life. He's best known for creating the lions in Trafalgar Square so this is one of the timelines, along with 30 years before in his career where his love life is doomed to failure as he doesn't fit in.
It's brilliantly written, and the scenes created in your mind really help transport you back in time to watch over this man and the highs and lows of his life, both personally and professionally. you get a real sense of his declining wellbeing towards the end of his life, his life spiralling into addictions and you can't help but be sad for him considering his artistic talents.
Both timelines capture society at very interesting times in the world, and how he's trying to be part of high society and all the politics that comes with that. Tortured soul springs to mind and it's made me read up more about him as a person and artist. It's not a happy story but it was captivating and shows the struggles of a really talented man.
An enjoyable historical read, featuring the real life character Edwin Landseer during 2 different times in his life. He's best known for creating the lions in Trafalgar Square so this is one of the timelines, along with 30 years before in his career where his love life is doomed to failure as he doesn't fit in.
It's brilliantly written, and the scenes created in your mind really help transport you back in time to watch over this man and the highs and lows of his life, both personally and professionally. you get a real sense of his declining wellbeing towards the end of his life, his life spiralling into addictions and you can't help but be sad for him considering his artistic talents.
Both timelines capture society at very interesting times in the world, and how he's trying to be part of high society and all the politics that comes with that. Tortured soul springs to mind and it's made me read up more about him as a person and artist. It's not a happy story but it was captivating and shows the struggles of a really talented man.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Historical fiction is my favourite genre and this is one of the best historical fiction novels I've read in years! Intensely moving and deeply evocative, Noble Beasts is a stunning portrait of a man as well as an era. Rendered in luscious prose, the novel’s bold exploration of the price of ambition and the enduring strength of love against the odds had me gripped from its optimistic beginning in the late Regency through Landseer’s final days of disillusionment and mental health struggles as the Trafalgar Square lions stalked his dreams.
Reading this gorgeous novel felt like travelling in time. I felt as if I was there, watching it all unfold as the story followed Landseer from busy Regency and Victorian London to the Highland mountains. The love story was beautifully written, both tender and heart-wrenching and I now want to go see Landseer's paintings. It was such a treat and I can't wait to read more from Lucy!
Reading this gorgeous novel felt like travelling in time. I felt as if I was there, watching it all unfold as the story followed Landseer from busy Regency and Victorian London to the Highland mountains. The love story was beautifully written, both tender and heart-wrenching and I now want to go see Landseer's paintings. It was such a treat and I can't wait to read more from Lucy!
Review of advance copy
I loved the back-and-forth nature of the chapters but how despite this, the story still flowed. I really fell for Georgina and her joie de vivre and approach to life. And yet she was not without her difficulties and was, of course, a woman in a time when men held the power.
I was really sorry to get to the end of this book as it totally absorbed me, and I have already begun to read up around Georgina and also about Edmund. I’ll be heading to Trafalgar Square next time I’m in London too, to have a look at those noble beasts…
I was really sorry to get to the end of this book as it totally absorbed me, and I have already begun to read up around Georgina and also about Edmund. I’ll be heading to Trafalgar Square next time I’m in London too, to have a look at those noble beasts…
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
How I adored this book. A captivating historical novel by Lucy Waverley, NOBLE BEASTS moves from Sir Edwin Landseer’s early years as a young painter to his troubled later life, completing the bronze lions of Trafalgar Square while wrestling with alcohol and his inner demons.
Lucy’s prose is elegant and quick-witted, while the love story at its heart is achingly rendered, as is the Scottish Highlands, where much of the action is set. As beautifully crafted as a Landseer painting, NOBLE BEASTS is a stunning debut.
Lucy’s prose is elegant and quick-witted, while the love story at its heart is achingly rendered, as is the Scottish Highlands, where much of the action is set. As beautifully crafted as a Landseer painting, NOBLE BEASTS is a stunning debut.
May 30, 2026
One of my all time favourite historical novels - beautiful prose, subtle humour, immersive world building. A scandal, a sacrifice, love, betrayal, a knighthood, and the Trafalgar lions - what more could a reader ask for? Loved it!
June 22, 2026
Exquisite prose: lively, witty & illuminating.
June 24, 2026
This is a wonderful book and I'd highly recommend it for those who love historical fiction!
June 24, 2026
5 stars, what an amazing and ingenious work! Please write more!
June 30, 2026
This is great, 5 stars!
July 1, 2026
5 stars!
August 25, 2026
A beautiful, lyrical book
A fascinating insight into the life of an artist. This book had me hooked from the first page and will remain with me for a long time. The writing was beautiful and the story divine. A must read.
A fascinating insight into the life of an artist. This book had me hooked from the first page and will remain with me for a long time. The writing was beautiful and the story divine. A must read.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews