Sovay

by Celia Rees

It's England, 1783. When the rich and beautiful Sovay isn't sitting for portraits, she's donning a man's cloak and robbing travelers—in broad daylight.

But in a time when political allegiances between France and England are strained, a rogue bandit is not the only thing travelers fear. Spies abound, and rumors of sedition can quickly lead to disappearances. So when Sovay lifts the wallet of one of England's most powerful and dangerous men, it's not just her own identity she must hide, but that of her father.

A dazzling historical saga in which the roles of thieves and gentry, good and bad, and men and women are interchanged to riveting effect.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Romance, Fiction, Adventure, Teen

404 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Celia Rees (born 1949) is an English author of children's, YA and Adult fiction.

She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, during which time she began to write.

Since then, she has written over twenty YA titles. Her books have been translated into 28 languages. She has been short listed for the Guardian, Whitbread (now Costa) and W.H. Smith Children’s Book Awards. She is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She has been Chair of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group and on the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.

Her first book for adults, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook, was published by HarperCollins in July, 2020.

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sovay had the potential to be a great novel, but turned out to be an overly ambitious project that sadly misses it's mark. This book is full of wonderful plot devices, too full in fact; therein lies the problem. The story contains elements of Ann Radcliff's gothic suspense, Frances Burney's mannerly romance, and Baroness Orczy's mystery-laden intrigue; but the author seems unable to decide which of these themes demand dominance in the story, and the result is a confusing mess. Too many false stops and starts to the action, too many possible romantic leads that fizzle off into nothing. The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, and left me wholly disappointed that I spent over two weeks forcing myself to finish it, hoping against hope that the rough spots would even out. They didn't.

I think this story could have been the basis for a respectable trilogy: Sovay's adventures as a highwayman, Sovay's adventures in the gothic abbey, Sovay's adventures in Revolutionary France; but cramming all of these story lines into one novel stifles the chance of allowing any one of them have the chance to develop fully. Further frustrating this reader (and I suspect, others), few of the numerous supporting characters introduced into the various subplots receive anything approaching resolution at the end of the story. The heroine gets a very contrived happy ending in the epilogue, and everyone else apparently disappears into inconsequence, including the family members she spends the better part of the book trying to rescue.

On the other hand, I must give credit for the good aspects of the book that kept me reading despite the meandering storyline--well developed characters, spot-on historical research, and very fine writing style from the author. Ms. Rees clearly knows how to tell a story, but in this case it would seem she couldn't quite decide on what story she wanted to tell. I'm sure if I were directed to another of her novels with a more clearly defined plot I may find her work most enjoyable.

[Arlene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sovay by Celia Rees is an ambitious novel with such a disappointing execution. There were too many characters introduced into the storyline to keep them straight. It was more work than what I wanted to commit into figuring out a book that was a hodge-podge of romance, suspense, intrigue, and historical recount of England and the French Revolution.

Sovay is an 18th century highwayman... err... woman in England. Her first armed robbery was motivated by revenge on her fiancé that was supposedly unfaithful to her, but then led to a cause to uncover the reasons for why her family was being sought out for sedition and treason. The book attempts to provide some back story to English history and the French Revolution, but it’s simply too messy and confusing to enjoy as a novel or historical recount.

This novel was so frustrating for me because it fell completely flat and at times was a huge borefest. Such a disappointment because I had high hopes for it at the beginning of the novel. I can’t say I recommend this novel. There are better books out there to enjoy. Fail! :(

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a hot mess. The first 50 pages (and the back and the cover blurbs) promise you one thing, but what you get is a book so chocked full of discordant things that nothing is ever consistent. Is Sovay a scorned rich bitch, a heroic highwayman, a politically shrewd proto-feminist, or an absolute moron? Well it depends on what page you are on. The antagonist that is introduced in the first 50 pages is not the real villain, he is not actually introduced until almost halfway through the book. The first third is a love/adventure story, the second third is a spy story, and the third is some kind of wacky occult Frankenstein. Then there is a sloppy tacked on ending, which answers none of the real questions you have about what happens to the characters and bizarrely marries her off to some guy who only shows up at the very end after you have spent almost 300 pages reading about how every guy is in love with her. Gabriel is the best developed character and he is mysteriously dropped halfway through the book!

To be honest, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless you love YA historical fiction and you are stranded on a desert island with nothing but this. If you want better historical fiction, read Celia Rees "Pirates!". If you want a story set in the French Revolution, pick up "The Red Necklace".

[Miranda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like this. Totally agree with what others have said about there being three ideas/stories crammed into one book when they didn't really seem to fit together. Plus, I thought Sovay was a nitwit and couldn't warm to her at all (perhaps it was the repeated descriptions of her amazing beauty, boundless courage, dazzling figure, silken hair etc ad nauseum) and the tacked-on romance at the end with Mr Monobrow was the last straw.

I couldn't really understand why she decided to become a highwayman. Testing your fiancee is one thing (although personally I feel it's a little unfair to pull out a gun on your guy to see if he REALLY MEANT what he said about never parting with the ring you gave him, maybe that's just me). After that incident I thought her motives for going back to a life of crime were unclear. Seemed to me it was kind of just for the thrill of it, she chucked all the stuff she stole on the ground in the hope that poor people would find it anyway so it's not like she did it for the money. Maybe there was an explanation in one of the boring political bits that I skipped. And it irritated me that everyone kept admiring her behaviour and calling it brave and corageous instead of reckless and stupid.

[Books and Literature for Teens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year is 1794 and it seems the world is yearning for revolution, even the British. For Sovay Middleton, life as the daughter of a kind, wise landlord is not very adventurous at all. When her father and brother’s lives are threatened by the scent of uprising against the King, Sovay is suddenly thrown into a thrilling ride of a lifetime. From posing as a highwayman, dodging a spymaster’s evil and intricate schemes, to facing the sideways traps of the French Revolution, Sovay will do whatever it takes to find her father and bring justice to light. From the author of Witch Child and Pirates! comes the epic story of one heroine’s quest for freedom and love amidst a fierce battle between revolution and power.
.........................................
Sovay is not just a tale of a highway robbery nor a daring story of villainous spies, but a tale more intricate than any reader would suspect. Many reviews of Sovay include disappointment. While the plot is very long and the characters many, Sovay is one of the best reads I’ve read this year. It is not only a heroic story of how justice is sought, but it also opened up a door to history, the history of both our own country and of the civil unrest that both England and France experienced as they too struggled for a People’s Independence. This book has robbers, spymasters, Patriots, and suave Frenchmen all combined in a daring race for freedom. The book jacket has everyone fooled into thinking it is just about a girl who “robbed for love”, when in fact this synopsis does not in any way do it justice. Sovay is a much grander story than that and its plot and scenery changes three times during the course of Sovay’s tale.

The first part is indeed about her escapades and highway robberies; the second takes places in London, where the evil spymaster Sir Dysart lurks in every alley. London is also where we meet some of the best characters and where we leave some of them behind. The third and final chapter in this story takes places in the heart of the Revolution–Paris, France. The characters are all very detailed in their own way and even though there are quite a few of them to remember, each one is unique in their own way.
Besides all the adventures and historical aspects, we have the romantic side. Some reviewers and readers were not satisfied with Sovay’s final decision. I, on the other hand, was glad the “romantic” part turned out the way it did–very surprising; I like to be kept guessing. Overall, I thought it was an excellent story. Perhaps a bit too much going on in the story all at once sometimes, but a historical masterpiece for young adults nonetheless. I was very sad when, at the end, everyone parted ways and the adventure was over. I do still wonder what happened to a few character that were never mentioned in the epilogue.... then again, you might could already guess.

Recommendation: I really enjoyed the historical detail throughout the novel. It was very surprising to me that Rees mentioned some of the things that were main points in the story. I'm very glad she did though; I believe Rees is speaking to her readers through many of the characters in Sovay. Keep her eyes peeled for great speeches from Gabriel, the Middleton's estate manager's son, and Virgil Bennett, "the American". I highly recommend reading Sovay for not only the exciting historical adventure, but for understanding why people fought for Independence and Freedom. I think many teens are not aware at how important history is. I hope that by reading Sovay, it will bring to life a history that shouldn't be left in the past. Ages 14+.

This Book is For: Young Adults who enjoy historical fiction or fans of Celia Rees
This Book is Not For: Those who get easily scared by 400 pages or those you don't like history (but you should!)

Content: Some graphic violence (PG) | Cover: I don't like faces on covers!

Courtesy of booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com

[Sinai C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Woot...what is there to say about this baby?

Not much to the positive side.

A-- The love interests. OMG! I didn't know who to ship with who! There was Toby and Sovay, but they ended up as friends. Greenwood would have been the most likely choice--but obviously he couldn't marry her because of status and his criminal status although he starts working HONESTLY by the end, there's Gabriel who's a perfect hottie devoted to her well-being except of course he has no space for a wife and kids in his life because he's so devoted to the revolution, and then there's the American who ALSO had a good chance and he seemed interested in her, but wow...he already has someone as they mentioned in ONE line at the end of the book. And so...who does that leave... >.> OH RIGHT! The French dude who shows up in the last fifty pages of the book!!! OBVIOUSLY! He's the least attractive but he and Sovay after sharing a romantic lunch start making out in the middle of somewhere and voila--*read in overly-dramatic voice* she is HIS, body and soul. Dude...like...NO. Like...NO! You don't do that to people! We barely got anything from him and already he claimed our heroine? -.-

B- Wow...nice way to end Dysart. Instead of our heroine defeating him, they go through a pointless scene with a forger who betrays them...and for what? For Dysart to get arrested and die anyway in something that had nothing to do with Sovay...she was SOME help. Spent most of that time being useless in prison.

C-- The way the story is told/writing style. Now, I don't mind descriptive language--but there comes a time...when you have to put story and not pointless detail to every.single.little.thing.that.exists. It slowed everything down.

D-- The characters. Talk...about...shallow, over-crowding, forgetful...


E-- Good-grief. I regret picking it up. I thought it would be full of action and adventure...but geez, it went so many places and did so many things and Sovay...I was just dissapointed.

I'm so sorry for not liking this book Ms. Rees :(

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This can be summed up in one word... No, two... No, a fricken' SYMBOL = ♥

♥♥♥♥♥ A 5-star, definitely! I don't know why, or how, but as soon as I started reading this book, I was sucked into Sovay's world, and couldn't put the book down. Which isn't an easy feat to accomplish since it's not your usual 200-page novel. I sincerely enjoyed this book. I thought it was fantastic, and frankly, I'm surprised at the awful reviews I see here. Of course, it's all a matter of opinion. I read this in one night, and stayed up so late, that my mom had to come into my room and make me turn my light off. But low-and-behold, that's why flashlights were invented, right?? Anyhoo, I love, with a capital OVE, this book, and recommend it to everyone.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this based on a review by blogger named Random Jottings of Book and Opera Lover. Disappointing. Too many characters led to early confusion. Too much silly occult stuff added when the era and the real issues are more than absorbing. We don't need to worry if she will pull off her rescues and raids, this is YA fiction so we know how it will end. However, all along it appears our heroine (who's masquerading as a highwayman in 18th C. England) will end up with one of two gentlemen. At the last minute someone new is introduced and I found it very annoying as was the update/addendum at the end.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young Sovay Middleton’s privileged life has been disappointingly lacking of adventure of late, so she does what any bold girl would to—she dons a man’s attire and poses as a highwayman. But what starts as a clever test of love soon turns deadly, especially after Sovay steals the wallet of one of the most powerful and dangerous men in all of England. But the information she also uncovers may be worth risking the law and her personal safety for—her father has been accused to treason. And now, with her family missing, it’s up to Sovay to set things right, but the odds are stacked up against her everywhere she goes. She is but a powerless woman in a male-dominated society, unsude of who she can trust because with the revolutionary fever catching from nearby France, London’s spy network reaches farther than ever. In this suspenseful and romantic historical novel comes an unforgettable tale of danger and love.

Obviously well researched and well referenced, historical drama Sovay takes readers back to the romantic era of Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The novel starts energetically and continues to pick up pace as mere adventure morphs into the real threat of death, keeping readers on the edge of their seat. I was so excited to be taken back to the turbulent times during the French Revolution, having enjoyed studying that period and reading one of the few classics I loved, A Tale of Two Cities; there was just so much mischief to be made during that time as Rees accurately portrayed. There is something so satisfying about reading a story in which all the pieces fit together so perfectly, as I felt happened in Sovay. Sovay’s character is so bold and independent in a Robin Hood-esque kind of way that readers are drawn to her spunky attitude and determination. There were some conflicting times when Sovay let her fear show through, but otherwise, I felt the character development to be sufficient, even if I wished some of the characters played larger roles than they did. Sovay’s tale of romance and suspense with a historical edge was a thrill to read.

Readers who enjoy the historical fiction and action genres will want to check out Sovay. Fans of A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and most especially, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens will also fall in love with this exciting tale.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[Josie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt like the author had three ideas for three separate stories, but tried to mash them all into one.
First idea: Girl highwayman gallivanting around the English countryside.
Second idea: Creepy mystery surrounding equally creepy and mysterious cult/secret society.
Third idea: English noblewoman gets caught up in revolutionary France.
WHY? The first part is similar in type to Rees' Pirates!; take an idea that appeals to people for the dashing, romantic, adventure of it all (girl highwayman, girl pirates), but is unlikely to have ever happened (much less been at all romantic). She sets us up to believe that Sovay and the sauve robber Captain Greenwood will get together with many a spark, never to deliver.
The second part (which is thankfully the shortest), was just plain weird in comparison to the rest of the story, and didn't fit at all; a huge, towering mansion with millions of rooms, dungeons, science labs where sickening experiments take place, and where sadistic, murderous parties often play out. It felt like something out of a gothic-type fantasy novel.
And the final part sees Sovay in France during the end of the Reign of Terror, and saved from the guillotine at the last moment. Here is where the rushed romance of the novel actually occurs too, to a man not introduced 'til the last third of the story, and who sports a delightfully attractive monobrow. The evil antagonist from the second part of the story is dealt a hasty, 'oh-and-by-the-way' comeuppance (death by guillotine) that is only mentioned in the final 'tying up of loose ends' summary.
Oh, and another thing (because I haven't complained enough), Sovay spends considerable time disguised as a boy, and despite her 'beautiful face' and 'magnificent figure', no one notices... I mean honestly!

[Amy Bethke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the way this book was written because I truly felt like I was transported back to the 1700's during the French Revolution. Sovay, the main character was very fun and free spirited, though she did bother me sometimes when she just went off doing something crazy without thinking. I found it super cool that the premise of her character came from an old traditional ballad. All of the random characters that cross her path are unique and bring to light a different aspect of what was occurring to the majority during the French Revolution. Historically it does not go into major details about a certain event. What this book does is incorporate normal circumstances of the French Revolution and certain occurrences time wise and write about it. Basically, this book gives you the feeling of the French Revolution, without the full on history lesson.

Things to be aware of on a Scale of 1-10

Sex 4- Sovay offers herself over to Captain Greenwood, though nothing happen. Then, when she meets Leon they kiss a lot.

Violence 6- It is the French Revolution, there is violence all over the place, people dying and such.

Drugs 2- They drink wine a lot, and occasionally Hugh, Virgil and Greenwood get a bit drunk.

Language 1- Mild if any, there may be some swearing in French, though I wouldn't know.

[Sarah McC · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes I find myself wandering in the YA section of the library and just meandering about. I usually leave with a few books, some of which end up being epic and brilliant and amazing, and others end up being overly-complicated, overly-dramatic, and over-the-top. Unfortunately, Sovay is going to fit neatly into the latter category.

For those of you who don’t want to read spoilers, this book is going to get a 1/5. It was honestly fairly dreadful. The first 2/3 were at least readable, but by the ending I was actually dreading picking it up, and had to force myself to finish (hoping against hope that some miraculous end would bring everything together… but no.)

I will say that one of the things about this book that really did irritate me was the constant introduction of arbitrary homosexuality. Can the highwayman take Sovay to a regular whore-house to find her some clothes? No, he takes her to a whore house of young boys dressed as women. There are constant comments about so-and-so being thus inclined, etc. At one point, Sovay’s brother comes home from Paris and greets her and their old friend, Gabriel. They’ve grown up together like siblings, we’ve already been told. Sovay’s maid is convinced that Gabriel has feelings for Sovay, but Sovay isn’t so sure. This is how the author writes the touching scene of Hugh’s homecoming:

[quote]
“Hugh!” Gabriel burst into the room. ”Mrs. Crombie told me you were here! I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you!”

“Or I you!” Hugh went over to meet him. ”Old friend! I had not thought to see you here!”

Gabriel took his friend in a strong embrace and Sovay wondered if Lydia was right in her judgment of of exactly who was the object of Gabriel’s affection. [end quote]

Really? How is that even vaguely a necessary comment? How about, Gabriel and Hugh have been life-long friends and Gabriel thought Hugh was dead and he’s not so they’re glad to see each other? Could that be a possible interpretation to this embrace? But no, it’s like that the whole way through the book, this constant, nagging, unnecessary undercurrent of homosexuality, and it irritated the bejeebers out of me.

Before the story, there is a poem, supposedly lyrics from a “traditional ballad” about a woman named Sovay who dresses as a highwayman and holds up the carriage in which her fiancee is riding. She then demands that he hand over a ring, which happens to be the ring that she gave him to prove her undying love. Well, the dude says that he would rather die than give up the ring, because it was a gift from his truest love, and of course Sovay says that that’s the right answer because if he had given up the ring she would have killed him.

Let’s be honest here: just reading that little ballad was almost enough to prevent me from reading the rest of the book. Because really? If someone held up my husband and demanded that he hand over his wedding ring, I would really rather have a live husband minus a ring than a dead husband still minus the ring because the thief is going to end up with the ring either way. But I digress.

In conclusion, for those not interested in my ridiculously long and ranty synopsis below: so many dudes, and yet zero actual romance; so many plot ideas, and yet no direction; so many characters, and yet no conclusions; so many villains, and yet no real triumph from the heroine. DREADFUL.

(For those who enjoy my rants about books that drove me crazy, and don’t mind spoilers, read below. :-D Be warned, it’s long, because I really, really enjoy giving a summary of books I didn’t like. It’s cathartic.)

And so, the book Sovay begins much the same as the ballad. Sovay is, apparently, engaged to a dude, but she’s pretty sure that he’s cheating on her, so instead of just confronting him or something, she decides to disguise herself as a highwayman and hold up his carriage. And unlike the ballad’s dude, this Sovay’s dude proves himself utterly false by handing over the ring without a qualm. Giving a ring to an armed and threatening highwayman does not, in my book, equate sexual unfaithfulness, but what do I know? Sovay is so angered by his betrayal that she attempts to shoot him, but is prevented from doing so by the other passenger in the carriage. Exit Sovay, stage left.

The next scene presents us with a painful interview with Sovay and her erstwhile lover, in which their engagement is irrevocably broken. We don’t hear any more about the fact that the dude’s been cheating on her, however; what we are now supposed to be upset about is that the dude has actually been pretending to be in love with Sovay so that he can gather evidence of treason against her father. Because, by the way, this is England during the French Revolution and everyone is a bit uptight and sensitive. Sovay’s father is no radical who desires to throw the king from the throne, but he does believe in treating his tenants well and following the Golden Rule, so instead of liking him, everyone hates him because he makes them look bad.

Enter Dude #2, the other passenger from the carriage. Dude #2 is an American, who is in England and France making contacts with the French and doing other super vague things that apparently allow him to wander the country at will. We never find out why he’s hanging out with Dude #1, because Dude #2 is Dude #1′s polar opposite and it makes no sense. Dude #2 tells Sovay that her father is in great danger and no one knows where he is. The author also tells us that Dude #2 thinks Sovay is beautiful and attractive and she thinks he’s pretty good looking, too, so you think to yourself, “Oho! Love interest?” Exit Dude #2, off to his mysterious wanderings.

Okay, so at this point, Sovay’s solution to the fact that she isn’t sure what’s going on is to continue to dress up like a highwayman and rob carriages in hopes that at some point she’s going to rob somebody who has important papers (?!?!?!?) so apparently she just starts tooling around the countryside every morning on her recognizable horse and most of the servants seem to know what she’s up to but she thinks she’s being super sneaky when she’s actually pretty much the worst sneaker in the history of sneakers, and that’s honestly one of the things that annoyed me the most about this book. Sovay was so bad at being the type of person the author wanted us to think she was.

So this goes on for an indefinite amount of time, even though it seems like it would have been a good idea to try and track down Dad or Sovay’s brother before this point, but, you know. So finally, after robbing lots of carriages (don’t worry, she doesn’t keep the money–she scatters it all over the ground around the countryside where she thinks poor people will find it) she finally robs a carriage and finds those mysterious papers for which she was hoping. And–gasp!–they include a warrant for her dad’s arrest.

Sovay dashes home and runs into Dude #3. Dude #3 is the son of their steward. He’s too poor and not the right class to really be able to marry Sovay, but it’s obvious that he pines. Apparently, he, Sovay, and Brother have all been best buddies since childhood. And since Dude #2 is apparently gone from the picture, you think to yourself, “Oho! Love interest??” Sovay tells him what’s in the pipeline and he is suitably distraught. When the angry mob shows up to arrest Dad (even though he’s not there) Sovay is able to turn them away because, guess what, they don’t have a warrant! It was stolen by a highwayman! The head of the angry mob, who happens to be Dude #1′s dad, shakes his fist and cries, “Foiled again!” Exit angry mob, stage right.

Sovay decides that it’s time to find Dad and Brother. ”I must go to London!” she cries. In vain Dude #3 tries to dissuade her. In vain does he at least try to get her to ride there in the carriage like a decent woman. ”There is no time to follow convention and tradition!” cries our heroine. ”I must away!” And she dresses like a highwayman again, mounts her horse, and is off, telling her maid to follow ASAP in the carriage.

And that, my friends, is the first three chapters. From there, Sovay meets up with a legit highwayman (Dude #4), who is tall, dark and handsome (“Oho! Love interest??”) and he escorts her the rest of the way to London, where her maid is waiting (even though the reason Sovay couldn’t take the carriage with the maid was because the carriage would be too slow…???) and she finds out that Brother has disappeared, also, possibly to Paris.

At this point, we find out that Dude #1 and his dad are not the actual villains, as originally thought. Actually, it’s this random sinister dude named Dysart, who’s been creeping around creating a fiendish plot to take over England. Sovay has ended up with some of his important papers because of her highwayman adventures, and he doesn’t like it. After a whole lot more rambling around, and the reintroduction of Dude #2 (“Wait, is he going to be the love interest after all?!”) Dysart invites Sovay to a party out at his castle. Somehow, Sovay has managed to drag her lawyer into all of this, and the lawyer’s clerk, Dude #5. Meanwhile, the maid is in love with Dude #3 (the steward’s son, try to keep up here!) but she’s convinced that he actually loves Sovay. ”Nonsense!” cries Sovay. ”He is like a brother unto me!”

Well, Lawyer has realized that Dysart’s fiendish plot is to remove all of the moderate dudes who don’t want a full-on revolution but just a bit of tweaking to the system and get them all arrested for treason, so that the crazies can take over and start a revolution like the one in France and then Dysart & Co. can step in and take over whilst all is in chaos. Brother returns from Paris with word of Dad, who is ill and left behind in that ill-fated city. Brother is properly horrified by all that Dysart is planning. He, Sovay, Lawyer, Dudes 3 & 5, and Maid all decide that they’re going to go to the creepy house party Dysart has invited them to. Dude #4, who has been lurking in the background this whole time, toying with Sovay’s affections, has also decided to sneak in as well.

So you think this is going to be the big wrap-up, where they all end up in the villain’s castle and everything comes together. But instead, it all just muddles about and everyone wanders around in circles and Dysart has brought in all the boys from the gay whore-house because he’s going to have all the guests shag them and then he’s going to torture them to death or something? And turns out that Dysart is also an evil scientist and he’s been experimenting on people and torturing them and he’s got all this torture equipment in his basement and this lab up in a tower and pickled body parts and instead of just being a power-hungry villain, he turns out to be this insane, creepy, evil, disgusting, twisted, disturbed power-hungry villain with a fortress of a castle and it’s all a bit much.

And even though they’ve got the goods on him, Dysart wiggles out of the whole thing and Sovay, Brother, and Dude #2 all flee to Paris. There, they have to sneak around because everyone hates everyone. There, they meet up with Dude #6. (“Ha. She won’t fool me with any more of these potential love interests!”) Dude #6 is a misunderstood French soldier, caught up in the wild winds of change, yearning for the France he envisioned when the Revolution first began.

Well, turns out that Dad is now in jail and he’s super sick and they can’t go see them, so they basically just mill around Paris for a while. Sovay gets a letter saying that Maid has actually decided to marry Dude #5 (apparently, her love for Dude #3 has disappeared, which is good, because Dude #3 has decided that his life calling is to be a kind of traveling patriot who goes around helping people understand how amazing their lives could be if they all worked together.)

Meanwhile, Dysart has just kind of faded into the background. Like, they want to catch him and everything, but they aren’t sure how, and now the new villain is Robespierre and his evil henchmen and they arrest Sovay and she goes to jail but at least she gets to see Dad and then she’s going to get executed but Dude #2 pretends he’s her husband (oh, by the way, he just happens to remember at one point in the narration that he has a girl waiting for him at home?!) but that doesn’t work and they get sent to prison and are going to get killed the next day. Also in the meantime, Sovay actually did fall wildly in love with Dude #6 and they have like one lunch together and then he takes her out and snogs her and then she belongs to him “body and soul.” Say what!? Because I forgot to mention that there was this completely random scene when Sovay and Dude #4 (the highwayman) are running away somewhere and have to stay in the same room and she has a bad dream. Dude #4, who has been respectfully sleeping in the chair, gives her his coat as she suffers from the chill of fear.

He held her until she stopped shivering. ”I’m going back to my chair now,” he said gently. ”You should sleep.” He moved to disentangle himself from her. ”We will have to be away in a few hours’ time.”

“Do you not like me?” she said very quietly. ”Do–do you not want me?”

After the desolate horror of her dream, she longed for some human warmth, some show of affection. The darkness in the room gave her the courage to ask him for it.

What!? Dude #4 goes off on this speech about how he’s crazy about her but he’s a highwayman so he can’t make love to her and tarnish her pure (???) soul. And then like a month or two later, she now belongs “body and soul” to Dude #6. Whatever.

In the end, the night before their execution happens (conveniently) to be the night of Robespierre’s downfall, so they don’t get executed and everyone gets out of jail free and instead Robespierre gets the guillotine and guess who else just happens to be in town? Our old buddy Dysart, and he gets beheaded, too, and then that’s the end.

Yes, really. They walk away hand in hand. And then there’s an epilogue that says they lived happily ever after, and doesn’t bother to mention anyone else.

My conclusion was above in the pre-spoiler area, but in case you’ve forgotten it, since I’ve rambled on ridiculously forever–

So, in conclusion: so many dudes, and yet zero actual romance; so many plot ideas, and yet no direction; so many characters, and yet no conclusions; so many villains, and yet no real triumph from the heroine. DREADFUL, 1/5.

[ElsaMakotoRenge]

DNF at page 169. I’m just so bored and I don’t care about any of these characters to be honest. I have too many other things to read, so...moving on. I feel like ~170 pages is enough of a chance lol.

[Katherine Gingrich · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was honestly one of the hardest books for me to finish. I think that part of it was it was too much girl power for my tastes. The book is set in the English country while the revolution is raging in France. It starts off with her holding up a stage coach to test her fiancee's commitment and goes downhill from there. The other passenger, an American, was bringing a warning for her father. This set her off to go hold up more stage coaches, immerse herself in secret societies, and throws her into a world of more trouble. She later has to flee the country because plans have gone badly. She is reckless and doesn't think clearly.
I picked up this book because it sounded interesting, but while all the evidence adds up and some events are pretty dramatic, the book just drags on. There was a celebration upon finishing this book, because I never had to see it again. I finished it only because I had invested too much time to give it up. I thought that it would pick up and it never really did. The other books I have read by this autor far exceed this book's quality.

Sex 2/4 implication is there several times, several scenes of the book are at a brothel and there are a few comments.
Drugs 1/4 slight mention of alcohol
Violence 2/4 The book is set during the French Revolution, they go to Paris and she gets herself arrested
Language 1/4 hardly any period

[Katlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I saw the cover I instantly picked it up. The premise sounded really great and even though I usually don't enjoy historical fiction Sovay just looked too good not to read. Wrong. Sovay was one of the most annoying main characters that I have ever come across. She tries to kill her fiance when he isn't willing to die for a ring she gave him. Every single male character falls instantly in love with her and she likes most of them back. I spent almost the entire novel not really sure who the real love interest was. Sovay wasn't just stubborn, it was like she chose to do things she knew would worry and anger people the most. And when she refused to reconsider any action or choice what so ever, everyone was basically like "Oh that Sovay. Silly silly girl. Lets support her decision to do something in which she has a 5% chance of actually surviving. She is so beautiful that she must know what shes doing." Her beauty is brought up at least every 10 pages, if not more. I didn't see her as a strong female character, I saw a spoiled, hard-headed girl who could do whatever she wanted because of her beauty and wealth. That's not really a character I can relate to or even like.

I had to force myself to finish this book, holding out for some redeemable quality. There was none. Seriously, don't even try to read this book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it interesting that descriptions of this book focus mainly on her dressing as a highwayman, making it sound like she was a bored thrill-seeker. Not hardly! This is a grand, sprawling work of historical fiction, something you don't normally see in YA. Young Sovay does indeed dress as a man in the first part of the book to rob a stage . . . several, actually, but she has good reason to do so. Across the Channel, in France, the Revolution has degenerated into an unstoppable horror of violence and suspicion, where even thinking un-revolutionary thoughts can get you killed, and the mania is spreading to England. King George III is just beginning to suffer bouts of madness, and rumors of a regency or a revolution are in the air. There are spies everywhere, and Sovay's father has always been a champion of equality and human rights. In an effort to protect her family, Sovay, her brother Hugh, and various friends are dragged across the country and eventually to France, encountering spies, prostitutes, thieves, highwaymen, democractic aristocrats (both French and English), Americans, and all kinds of people, giving the reader a rich look at what made this era so fascinating and frightening.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read over a hundred pages of this before the heroine began to grate on my nerves so bad, I could go no further. It's a GREAT idea, a young woman in 1794 England decides to dress as a highway robber to get revenge on a cheating fiance and gets a thrill out of it enough to do it again.. BUT she is TSTL. (too stupid to live)

Come on. Seriously. Your dad and brother are wanted for treason against the King of England and you dress up as a boy, rob stagecoaches, and tell about 5 people your true identity, one of them your jilted fiance? Um, how dumb can you get? You then proceed to hook up with a strange highway man and travel with him to London and rob more stagecoaches just for the fun of it? Let's not forget this is 1700s England and you are a young WOMAN. Ever heard the word rape?

The book is most def aimed at the younger people. I enjoyed this author's Pirates and I love a little bit of preposterousness (pardon my spelling, not even sure that's a word but you get my gist) but this particular tale crosses the line into ridiculousness.

[Anne Osterlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Within the first 15 pages, Sovay hijacks a carriage, threatens her fiance, and steals back the ring she gave to him. Fabulous beginning! Like all of Celia Reese's novels, Sovay is full of rich, wonderful description that seems to flow so easily by despite the density of the language. The ending was not all I had hoped for, though this may be my own fault for imagining far too early on how the tale should go. Still, the book is full of wonderful hooks and fun drama, though Pirates remains my favorite by the author.

[Kaylynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, this was an awesome book and Celia Rees kept me guessing to the very end about what would happen to the heroine,Sovay. The book was set in the late 1700's England where unrest is happening because of the french revolution. Sovay's father is almost sentenced to death for treason, but Sovay refuses to give up and she rides to the rescue. I would definitely recommend this book. I didn't want to put it down.

[Valentina Morgana la fata · Rating 2 out of 5]

Questo libro è rimasto tra i libri da leggere per più di 10 anni, nel mio scaffale fisico dove vanno ad arenarsi tutti quei libri che compro spinta dall'ottimismo e che poi non riesco a leggere davvero.
L'avevo anche iniziato a dire la verità, ma poi per qualche motivo avevo deciso di dedicarmi ad altro.
Non che avessi avuto tutti i torti, questo libro della Rees che è un'autrice che in realtà apprezzo moltissimo, è veramente deboluccio, un lavoro che sembra tirato via così, senza grande voglia di fare.
Togliendo la poca storicità dei personaggi (anche perchè trovare nella storia una donna che fa le cose che fa Sovay è impossibile) che ovviamente è utile al libro, è una storia che parte con una tremenda lentezza, con pagine e pagine di descrizione di campagna o della libreria del padre della protagonista.
Bisogna arrivare più o meno al centinaio di pagine prima che la storia ingrani davvero, ma una volta che ha iniziato a correre non rallenta mai, fino ad arrivare ad un finale tremendamente affrettato e degno di una qualsiasi storiella Disney con tanto di: e vissero felice e contenti.
Vogliamo parlare dei personaggi?
A parte Sovay (e neanche troppo) gli altri sono accennati, appenna abbozzati, e sembra che l'autrice non abbia assolutamente voglia di approfondirli.
Eppure aveva avuto delle buone idee, soprattutto per il cattivo del libro e per gli interessi amorosi della protagonista.
Soffermiamoci un attimo su questo punto oltretutto, in nemmeno un anno di storia sta ragazzetta incontra una serie di bellocci con cui fa cose, un comportamento che in assoluto una ragazza di quell'età e quell'estrazione sociale non avrebbe mai e poi mai potuto tenere, per quanto provenisse da una famiglia particolare. Comunque, molla il suo fidanzato perchè è un demente e ok, poi incontra Greenwood, un capitano brigante affascinante e pratico nell'assaltare le diligenze, ok, va bene, se lo pomicia pure in mezzo strada, ok capisco. L'autrice ti fa capire che Sovay è initeressata, che le piace ecc ecc e poi che succede? Nelle ultime venti, debolissime, pagine di libro, Sovay va in francia e incontra un ex nobile capitano dei soldati della rivoluzione e decide di punto in bianco che è l'uomo della sua vita, si pomicia pure lui in mezzo strada e poi vissero felici e contenti. Ma stiamo scherzando?!
I cattivi, ahime, come stavo dicendo prima, erano anche interessanti, ma la Reese non li ha approfonditi e non si è nemmeno curata di dargli delle motivazioni decenti.
Questa volta sono rimasta abbastanza delusa.

[Nannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just want to apologize firstly because this review is not very kind, and I don't like posting this kind of review but I'm . . . doing it anyway.

Sovay has an excellent premise: a girl dressing as a highwayman to test the strength of her lover's devotion while her family is caught up in the French revolution.

First, I have to mention the characters, because they are the heart of the story and drive the plot (or, at least, they're supposed to). Sovay is a pure Mary-Sue. She's perfect, beautiful, intelligent, willful, etc. etc. etc. Somehow every male who's not The Bad Guy falls immediately in love with her. She has probably 8 different love interests in the story, and she chooses one introduced in the last 8th of the book, who's as characterless as her. The romance between them is rushed and without purpose. There are a hundred different characters introduced at once (and at length) that add absolutely nothing vital to the plot. One of the biggest crimes here is Gabriel. He's introduced in the beginning of the story, and I felt like he should have some importance to the story. But nope, he's forgotten. Gets captured by The Bad Guy (who's just SO Bad that I won't even acknowledge how terrible I thought he was as an antagonist) and then forgotten. Does he escape? Is he happy? Apparently he still loves Sovay (that's just mentioned, it's never actually show, but whatever) so I can assume he doesn't have that happy of an ending. And he really wanted to be part of the revolution, with his whole being, so what does Celia Rees do? Lock him up until the revolution's over and don't mention him! Yay!

Furthermore, the characters are just devices of the plot. Do they drive any action? No. Is the plot formed by their choices/fears/aspirations? No. It's all so contrived. Example: in what I thought was supposed to be a climactic scene, when everyone is looking at The Bad Guy, ready to catch him, suddenly Rees mentions a thought or two of Sovay and then suddenly: Whoa! Where did The Bad Guy go? Dangit, we lost him! Um . . . everyone was looking at him. . . just because Rees takes us into one person's thoughts doesn't mean everyone else in the scene is so diverted. Come on! And then The Bad Guy proceeds to escape via random hot air balloon. What?

Secondly, I'm going to address Rees's writing because it was the second most offending thing about this book. She writes to create the most tedious scenes that evoke no emotion other than boredom. And she repeated things constantly. It got on my nerves. I can't even explain how annoyed I was. She would write that Sovay rode all day, describing the ride and the hardships she endured during it, then once Sovay reached an inn, she would mention how "Sovay was very tired, given she had been riding all day long very hard and stuff." Okay. I got that from the FIRST PASSAGE. And she does this over. And over.

She writes emotions outside of the dialogue all the time. "She was nervous because . . . " "This made him angry . . . " "Then she became afraid, but showed her anger instead . . ." etc. She never SHOWS an emotion. Never. Not a single example comes to mind. In the end, she tells us about the characters so we could recite how everyone else in the story supposedly feels about them, but as a reader I don't even know how to describe how I feel about the character. Was Sovay willful? Well of course because it was only mentioned in every single dialogue. But did she prove this? Um . .. wait . . . gimme a sec. . .

No.

And point of view. EVERYBODY gets a point of view, even the most pointless of characters who are only shown once to the reader.
Example: "That's enough, Lydia," Mrs. Crombie said sharply. She was annoyed with the girl for making eyes at Gabriel and it was not for the likes of her to comment on visitors." Okay, the horrible adverb made even horrible after the dialogue tag aside, Mrs. Crombie is a character mentioned maybe once that I remember in the book; here actually, only remembered because it annoyed me so much. I really don't care what Mrs. Crombie thinks about Lydia. Her comment is enough. I don't need "sharply" and I don't need the explanation for why she said what she did when it was made ABSOLUTELY CLEAR. Why even bother entering the head of this Mrs. Crombie if this is the only time she's in the book basically and the only time we ever actually enter her head?

Which brings me the point to more of her tiring explanations. Every character mentioned in the book suddenly needs a half a page (or more) of backstory. Why? First off, it's confusing. And secondly, it's pointless. I really don't care about the backstory of this mentioned character and I hate knowing more than the main character suddenly. She meets this woman. Oh, she seems nice. Backstory: she's actually a villainess who's working with The Bad Guy. Then it goes back into the story. Wow. Way to kill all of the potential suspense that could have happened.

Rees also has this infuriating habit of switching from summary to scene ALL THE TIME. There's some dialogue, then she'll write "She asked him if he would like some tea" or something like that, instead of just continuing with the dialogue, "Would you like some tea?" (this is just an example outside of the text).


Thirdly, the plot itself. So twisted, so pointless. Things happen for no reason other than just to happen. I could go on more, but I've just realized how far I've already gone and think it's best if I just stop here. I don't like to be rude, but I just couldn't help myself on this one.

[ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really liked the first two hundred pages, then it dropped a bit for me. it came in a little too many characters which meant I was not so invested in their journey. but I liked the language very much and I was satisfied with the end, kind of. overall a nice book

[Makenzie Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone has choices, but they could be limited. Choices could also be very deadly if it is the wrong choice. The book Sovay by Celia Rees is a book that has romance, some adventure and is a historical fiction.This book captures a woman named Sovay, that lives in England, and her life during the French Revolutionary War. The book was very enjoyable and takes the reader back in time to 1794.

The setting of this book is in London and France in 1794. There are so many main characters but some are Captain Greenwood, Virgil Barrett, and Robert Dysart. A woman named Sovay is on a mission to get her family back at all cost. There may be some love on the way and new friendships that are created. There are also enemies that could be made. She could get in a lot of trouble with the way she tries to get her family back. There is also mysterious happenings going on around her that she is not aware of until later on. Secret meetings and public revolutions happen. Sovay gets in the middle of it all. Will she be captured? Will she get to her family? Read the book to find out what happens to Sovay in the end.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. The book really takes the reader back in time to the period of the French Revolutionary War. The characters are really descriptive too. The plot has a good story but it gets kinda jumbled from the many big events that Sovay goes through. There are so many twist and turns in the plot. They book was well written and very descriptive. The places that Sovay goes to are well written and could create a picture of what they went through.

[kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was bad. it made me cry at 3 am, which is typically a good thing, but i was actually crying to read anything else, but i’m not a quitter so i forced myself to finish it.

[marisa. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I liked a lot more when I was younger than I do now.

I still love the basics. An interesting female protagonist. An interesting setting and historical period. Highwaymen and politics. That's several cups of my tea.

Unfortunately, it suffers a lot in terms of suspense. When you're writing a story about spies in the London underworld, it's wise not to reveal the villain, their plans, and info dump everything that could have been an interesting plot twist up front. We find out the villain's nefarious plans through the narrative of a character just recently introduced - it's incredibly anticlimactic.

It'd have been a lot more interesting if the POV was limited to just the MC. If we didn't know who to trust. If the villains and betrayers weren't presented to us on a platter. The readers are given all this information freely. Someone is after the MC's father? Oh, this character knows exactly who it is! The villains are written so clearly as villains, but it wasn't all bad. I liked the interactions between Dysart and the other characters. I just wished there was more mystery and discovery given the inclusion of spies.

Speaking of POV switches, having them in the middle of paragraphs was completely jarring and took me out of the story. (Otherwise, I had no real problems with the prose. It was well-written.)

My biggest disappointment was the ending. Here we had a protagonist who was headstrong and raised by a man who instilled in her progressive values. She seemed well aware of injustices dealt to women, to slaved in America, and pointed these out given the chance. I enjoyed that this character didn't seem entirely focused on romance, could hold her own in a fight, was all-around intelligent and developed. The only downside was the whole "beautiful without knowing it" aspect and the fact that Gabriel apparently had a crush on her and yet, it was never really brought up again?

Anyway, Sovay had never seemed interested in many traditionally feminine things. Not much of a seamstress, certainly didn't know a thing about fashion. Yet in the end, when we learn this is her brother sharing her story, all we find out about her is that she married a handsome man and started a fashion trend and was living lavishly. That's all well and good, but I was hoping this character would have achieved something more in line with her interests. Maybe she'd have become an activist, a scholar - I would have liked to hear about that, especially since the epilogue seemed tacked-on and pointless. Which, after the anti-climax, was just insult to injury.

My other grievance is the lack of any other notable female characters. I enjoyed Lydia, but she seemed to be the standard sidekick character, the girly foil to Sovay's more sullen ""masculinity."" The only other notable women were villains, and not the most developed ones at that. Most of the characters weren't too developed, actually, but still enjoyable at the least.

Overall, I did enjoy the story. The author did a good job of world-building and giving me a YA protagonist that I mostly enjoyed, and for all its faults, it's still a decent read.

[JamalT · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly don't know where to start.

First, I guess, I want to briefly rave about Pirates!, another book by this author that I fell in love with growing up. It is a fun romantic adventure story, and still one of my favourite books.

So, it's with a pretty heavy heart that I write: Sovay is an insane, terrible book.

What starts as a good premise (rich girl dresses up as a highwayman) devolves into something so utterly mad that I literally starting laughing at it. I finished the book just to know what the hell was going to happen next. I almost considering recommending this book for how weird and bad it becomes--it does get to an entertainingly and sincerely horrible place that is fun.

But you have to slog through a lot of nothing to get there. This cast is too large, without anything really distinguishing any of our male characters except a sole adjective: the brother, the servant, the lawyer, the American, the highwayman, the prostitute with a heart of gold, the soldier.

There's also some frankly concerning stuff just sort of sitting out in the book--for example, we know the bad guy is evil because he hires little people? Who have dead, soulless eyes?
This was literally just one paragraph and it Never comes back up but boy it stuck with me.

All the men are in love with Sovay, naturally, because she is just so pretty--but our romantic lead is literally introduced 3/4 into the story. He's also weirdly the least likable of the 4-5 potential love interests. Sovay doesn't really have much going for her. She seems like a nice enough person, but she is extremely stupid.

I thought it was pretty telling that she contributed not one damn thing to the climax of the book. She just got lucky that things worked out exactly when they did.

The plot basically just meandered around, nothing really made sense--why is Sovay and here crew invited to an Illuminati murder-sex party? Why is there a Frankenstein scene? Why is there a hot-air balloon escape? Why is that tower on fire? Why do we spend the last 100 pages puttering around in France just sort of, observing things? Even the goal our characters set out to achieve is meaningless--if they sat on their hands in their stolen hot air balloon and did not one damn thing the ending would have been the same.

I'm also concerned with how the moral ambiguity of the story is presented. Sovay is supposed to be someone who does questionable things, and we should be invested in her reasons for doing them. The story focuses pretty hard of absolving Sovay of anything "wrong" and paints the villain as such a silly two dimensional villain who hates "ethics" and "empathy" BUT Sovay's grand plan in the end is to basically win by cheating. And that's not commented on, it's just what she's gonna do to get her own happy ending.

This was a really glorious mess, one I'm shocked got through an editor to be completely honest. I can't even recommend it despite how beautifully stupid it gets. If you want a great adventure/romance about young women dressing as men and living as outlaws in a period setting, just read Pirates!

[Xyra · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was horrible!

Yes, if you read my comment history, I started out with a negative point of view because the story opened with the happenings in the folk song/story. However, I put that aside and read on. It never got better. Too many characters, no character development, too many story lines, very little connecting the lines with the exception of every male character falling for Sovay and being described as handsome and worthy with doe-eyed innocence.

Sovay, herself, is no heroine. She is a spoiled girl of privilege who is petulant and impetuous. She feels she is better than polite society and yet knows nothing of how to act in polite society. She makes poor decisions and thinks of no one but herself...well, and her father.

The whole Dysart fortress and escaping in a...well, that would be a spoiler and I don't give spoilers. Let's just say the whole scene was ridiculous.

Getting from opening to denouement...moving from point A to B, etc. did not work well at all. mostly because the characters has very little development with regards to self or relationships with others. This skimming from scene to scene with little depth beyond what is happening in the moment kept the story from flowing nicely.

The other part contributing to the unsatisfactory plot flow was the verbiage. The author told the story one way then tried to mimic the style of the topic's historical time frame resulting in poor and stilted dialogue. Then she would throw in ten cent words causing "what the heck" moments for the reader. Then she started using French spellings for things! Not staying with a certain tone and structure made the story awkward as if a much younger person were writing and trying to impress a teacher. [Note: The author is a creative writing teacher - YIKES! Is she teaching this writing style?]

There is no true climax and an extremely weak denouement. Everything just skated across the top in a manner as frivolous as the main character and her many suitors and never sent out roots.

I very rarely fell I have wasted my time while reading. However, this crossed that line with 325 pages of drivel. If it had been a real book and not on my Nook, I would have thrown it on the ground when I finished. I highly suggest you not waste your time with this.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

A while ago, frustrated by poorly written YA fare, I'd gone into a local children's bookstore and requested some suggestions for good YA fiction. Of the books recommended to me, I've since read and enjoyed two (Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis and Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi)... so I thought I'd really like Sovay. But one of these books is not like the others... and Sovay was a huge disappointment.

It still boggles my mind that this was recommended to someone who specifically asked for a well-written YA novel. It is not a well-written book, and I have no patience for authors who don't understand the basics of writing dialogue... especially when said author has been publishing books for almost two decades and should know better by now. Characters cannot shrug their speech; no matter how many times you write it, it doesn't make it any less ridiculous. The text was also filled with redundancies that were surely the result of a lack of editing and long passages of exposition that came across as the author showing off how much she knows about history.

I read over a hundred pages and just couldn't get into the story. Actually, I didn't buy much of the premise. Sovay is supposed to be this beautiful young woman that turns heads... and yet she's easily mistaken for a man when she puts on a pair of pants. (I thought perhaps this was because she wore a mask over her face, but she can't have done that all the time when she was robbing people because it took the townspeople a while to figure out that this mysterious "young man" was actually a highwayman. I'd have thought the mask would've been a bit of a giveaway.) The whole highwayman premise was poorly done as well. I don't find it believable that a genteel young woman such as Sovay would have developed a taste for robbing stagecoaches just for the heck of it.

So, in the final analysis, the reasons why I didn't finish Sovay are as follows:

- bad writing
- too much telling, not enough showing
- seemingly endless (and boring) passages of exposition
- barely believable premise

http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sovay, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, has recently taken up the occupation of highwayman. Initially it is to test the loyalty of her fiance, who she finds lacking, but she begins to enjoy the danger and the freedom of posing as a man. When her father goes missing, Sovay travels into London with her manservant Gabriel to find him, and uncovers a vast conspiracy. The powerful aristocrat Dysart is trying to frame Sovay's family as sympathizers to the French Revolution. Along the way, Sovay joins forces with another highwayman, Greenwood, and a few other unlikely characters including an American and a lock-picker and cross-dresser named Toby.

I found this book to be very uneven. I was anticipating the story of a female Robin Hood, but Sovay's escapades as a highwayman merely serve to get the conspiracy plot rolling (she intercepts falsified evidence against her father). After about halfway through the book, her career as a highwayman is barely mentioned. The romance suffered in a similar manner; at first it seemed Sovay and Gabriel were destined to be together, then Sovay falls for Greenwood, but later, when they escape to France, Sovay falls for someone else entirely out of the blue. The plot itself felt like a number of random jumps. It took a long time for the story to start rolling, and by about midpoint in the book it finally began to pick up, but in the most improbable ways. I did enjoy the ride while it lasted, but there were many details that never seemed to have a real purpose in the story. And the afterword / epilogue felt tacked on, without any context before it to warrant it, although it was nice to hear what became of Sovay, I was still left wondering about many of the other characters.