The Ninth Child

by Sally Magnusson

A spellbinding novel of a young doctor's wife, Isabel Aird, struggling to make her childless life meaningful, unaware that the sinister Robert Kirke is watching her every move, by the Sunday Times bestselling author Sally Magnusson.

Loch Katrine waterworks, 1856. A Highland wilderness fast becoming an industrial wasteland. No place for a lady.

But Isabel Aird, denied the motherhood role society expects of her by a succession of miscarriages, is comforted by a place where she can feel the presence of her lost children and begin to work out what her life is for.

No matter that the hills echo with the gunpowder blasts of men tunnelling day and night to bring fresh water to diseased Glasgow thirty miles away - digging so deep that there are those who worry they are disturbing the land of faery itself.

New life is quickening within her again. While her husband is engaged with the medical emergencies of the construction site, Isabel can only wait.

But someone else is waiting too. The man in the dark coat, watching for the right moment with a huntsman's eye . . .

By turns spellbinding and heart-pounding, The Ninth Child is set at a pivotal time in the Victorian era, when engineering innovation and new ideas flourished but women did not. Through the dual lens of history and folklore it captures a woman's struggle to make her life matter, and a compromised man's struggle with himself.

*PRAISE FOR THE SEALWOMAN'S GIFT*

'I enjoyed and admired it in equal measure' Sarah Perry
'An extraordinarily immersive read' Guardian
'Richly imagined and energetically told' Sunday Times
'An epic journey in every sense: although it's historical, it's incredibly relevant to our world today' Zoe Ball Book Club

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Scotland, Book Club, Magical Realism

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 19, 2020

About the author

Sally Magnusson is a Scottish author and broadcaster.

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am grateful to Ms Magnusson for taking me on a wonderful reading journey to a place full of magic, inhabited by characters who will stay with me for a long time.
'The Ninth Child' is a novel that includes Victorian realism, magic, and sithichean, which is a Gaelic word for fairies. What an amazing combination! Two worlds, one that of Victorian industrial enterprises aimed at ridding big cities of contaminated water, the main reason behind cholera outbreaks, the other world, that of sinister, mysterious characters who travel across the centuries and whose fate bonds them with a woman who seems unable to have children, and her husband, a doctor hired by a construction company to deliver medical assustance to navvies - workers building canals for water transport to Glasgow.
The prose is beautiful, intriguing narration that requires a great deal of concentration, but so rewarding for a reader!
*A big thank-you to Sally Magnusson, John Murray Press and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Dem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having loved The Sealwoman's GiftSally Magnusson I was really looking forward to The Ninth Child but unfortunately this one really didn’t work for me for the following reasons.

A novel of fairies, Scottish folklore and the building of Loughrey Katrina Waterworks in 1856. The Ninth Child blends Folklore and historical realism to create an unusual and different story.

I struggle with magic realism in books and sometimes it works for me and sometimes it spoils the story and unfortunately this is one of those times. I enjoyed the historical aspect of this story, characters well well fleshed out and interesting but the plot fell flat and I lost interest half ways through. This was one of those books where I found myself skimming paragraphs and therefore made my decision to abandon this one half ways through.

I enjoyed the writing and think this will made an entertaining and spellbinding read for some readers but just a book that didn’t work for me.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-5 stars.

I’m still a bit stunned actually. I think this book is fantastical, magical and mystical and I love that it is set within real events and with characters of the time. The timescale is 1856 to 1859, the main setting is Loch Katrine and Loch Chon (which means dog in Gaelic) in the Trossachs. There is a huge public health scheme to provide clean water for Glasgow by building a series of aqueducts and tunnels from Loch Katrine 26 miles to a reservoir for clean water. Cholera is rife and Glasgow’s insanitary conditions are a perfect breeding ground. The central characters are Isabel and Alexander Aird, a surgeon hired by the construction company to care for injured navvies and Robert Kirke, a minister who died in 1692 and reappears in 1856. What????!!! You’ll have to read the book to find out where he’s been but I’ll give you a hint .... it’s all to do with the ‘sithichean’ or fairies. The story is told principally by Kirsty McEchern who’s husband James is a navvy, Kirsty goes to work for Isabel and a friendship develops and by Kirke, interspersed with letters from Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.

Where do I start to say what I love about this book as there so much! First of all, it’s so beautifully written and I am full of admiration for Sally Magnusson. The characters are good especially Isabel, Alexander, Kirsty and the enigma of Kirke - strange, menacing, malevolent and you can feel his restless energy and purpose. To my great surprise, I love the sithichean element too and I can understand how in a country as achingly beautiful as Scotland (which speaks deep into my soul) where the air has a mystical quality, the way that light shines on it’s many lochs and the way the wind moves the water, it’s no wonder that superstitions arose. The setting gives solace to Isabel’s aching heart as she has suffered the loss of many babies and it gives her an intoxicating freedom she didn’t have in stifling Glasgow society. As an historian it’s also no wonder that the social and medical history appealed to me as well as the marvels of the much needed public health schemes. The descriptions of Glasgow which has grown exponentially partly due to the industrial revolution and the clearances are graphic and the engineering aspect is fascinating too. There are some glorious descriptions of the opening of the works in October 1859 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and I do like their inclusion in the tale and it is relevant as Albert is a big supporter of such schemes. I really like the ending as people hurtle pell mell after Kirke to try to stop his evil intent. My only negative is that it is hard at times to work out who is narrating but it’s probably due to this being an uncorrected copy and hence 4 not 5 stars.

Overall, a wonderful, magical tale which is beautifully written and artfully weaves fact with fiction (or is it ...................)

With many thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the ARC.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sally Magnusson’s first novel, The Sealwoman's Gift, was excellent so I’d been waiting with baited breath for her second. The historical background is the building of the aqueduct system from Loch Katrine to the Milngavie Reservoir to supply the City of Glasgow with fresh drinking water. Cholera was rife so this was a very forward thinking public health programme for its time. The system was opened by Queen Victoria in 1859 and has been supplying clean drinking water to the city ever since so, from a local point of view, the historical details were really interesting. In particular, I enjoyed learning about the engineering difficulties encountered and overcome, and the dreadful living and working conditions of the 3,000 or so navvies whose temporary living quarters were nicknamed Sebastopol after the Crimean battle.

This wasn’t the main plot, however. It centred around the camp doctor’s wife, Isabel Aird, who has suffered a series of miscarriages, and her relationship with Robert Kirke, an Episcopalian minister who is famous for writing a book on fairy lore and superstition and whose grave is still to be seen in Aberfoyle churchyard, just a short distance from Loch Katrine. The problem is that he died two centuries before they met. Herein lies my problem with this book. I don’t like magical realism and that aspect of the story was just too silly for me and became ever sillier as the book drew to a close. When he died, it was rumoured that Kirke had ‘gone to faery’ and Doon Hill, Aberfoyle, where this is supposed to have happened, is still a place of fairy lore and superstition today. People still tie ribbons and favours to the tree at the top of the hill. Kirke’s reappearance 200 years later is a journey to seek rest in peace, away from fairyland, but to say any more would be to spoil the plot for other readers.

I also felt that some of the subplots were too contrived. Isabel’s visit to the Saltmarket to see Annie’s sister, Nancy, was a means to describe the desperate living conditions of the poor. Would a West End lady really have made the journey there at that time other than for philanthropic purposes? Isabel did nothing to help Nancy which did not ring true with her character. Nor, for me, did the personal lives of Victoria and Albert have more than a tenuous link with the storyline.

Sally Magnusson is an excellent, intelligent writer. In her first two works of fiction she has written about interesting historical events. The Ninth Child just didn’t work for me, however, and so I didn’t particularly enjoy it. 3 stars because it is a very well written book but it disappointed me. I will still be hoping Sally writes a third novel though.

With thanks to John Murray Press and NetGalley for a review copy.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1856

Isobel Aird is the wife of a doctor. Unfortunately, she seems unable to carry a baby to term. She's had several miscarriages and struggles to find a sense of worth. Isobel has had eight miscarriages and with her role as a Victorian Lady trying to fit in with the social norms of her time.

Theres also an aqueduct being built to being fresh water to Glasgow from Loch Katrine. It's hoped that this will put an end to the epidemic cholera that's rife in the city. Thenstory focuses on the engineers, their families and the doctor and his wife.

The author has researched the era that she writes about, it's a it of a mixture of Victorian history and an old fashioned dark fairytale. The ook is beautifully written and the descriptions of the Scottish scenery is spot on. The story is told from multiple points of view which I found a little confusing. The tension builds and the final events are shocking and tragic. This is my first read by the author but it won't be my last.

I would like to thank NetGalley, John Murray Press and the author Sally Magnusson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Hannah Kent’s The Good People and Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent, this is an intense, convincing work of fiction that balances historical realism with magical elements. In mid-1850s Britain, in the wake of a cholera epidemic, there is a drive to ensure clean water. Alexander Aird, hired as the on-site physician for the Glasgow waterworks, moves to the Loch Katrine environs with his wife, Isabel, who has had eight miscarriages or stillbirths. With no living babies requiring her care, Isabel spends her days wandering the hills and meets a strange scarecrow of a man, Reverend Robert Kirke … who died in 1692.

A real-life Episcopalian minister, Kirke wrote a book about fairies and other Celtic supernatural beings and, legend has it (as recounted by Sir Walter Scott and others), was taken into the faery realm after his death and continued to walk the earth looking for rest. It takes a while for Isabel to learn the truth about Kirke – though her servant, Kirsty McEchern, immediately intuits that something isn’t right about the man – and longer still to understand that he wants something from her. “Whatever else, Robert Kirke could be relied on to ruffle this mind of hers that was slowly opening to experience again, and to thinking, and to life.”

This was a rollicking read that drew me in for its medical elements (premature birth, a visit to Joseph Lister, interest in Florence Nightingale’s nursing methods) as well as the plot. It often breaks from the omniscient third-person voice to give testimonies from Kirsty and from Kirke himself. There are also amusing glimpses into the Royal household when Victoria and Albert stay at Balmoral and return to open the waterworks during the “heaviest, windiest, most umbrella-savaging, face-slashing deluge that Scotland had experienced in twenty years.” Best of all, it gives a very different picture of women’s lives in the Victorian period.

Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[SueLucie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do admire Sally Magnusson’s writing skills, displayed to terrific effect in this, her second novel. A work of fiction based on several factual strands - the engineering feat of bringing clean loch water to Glasgow, the pioneering work in anaesthesia and antiseptics, the teaching of Florence Nightingale, the attachment Queen Victoria felt towards the Scottish highlands - all interesting stuff. She is particularly good at writing in distinctive, individual narrative voices - from the ex-crofter Kirsty to the minister Kirke - and I applaud her for this, as so often books are spoiled for me by all the characters sounding the same. I took to the characters immediately, the redoubtable Kirsty of course but especially the doctor’s wife Isabel who struggles to cope with multiple miscarriages in a society where procreation is a woman’s sole function.

Based on a real person, Robert Kirke’s story was fascinating and, as Sally Magnusson writes in her afterword, she will be pleased if his inclusion prompts readers to research his life and discover what a thoughtful, humane man he was, whose tolerant views and scholarly achievements have been eclipsed by the legend that curled itself around him after his death. The faery element as depicted here, though, fell flat for me as a realistic threat.

And a final niggle. I had hoped throughout that Isabel was going to find her vocation among the poor women in the tenements of Glasgow and so she does, to a certain extent. What I couldn’t square with Isabel’s character, though, is that she didn’t rescue Kirsty’s sister Nancy when she had the chance. A little neat, perhaps, but that would have made me happy.

With thanks to John Murray Press via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1856.

Isobel Aird is the wife of a doctor. Unfortunately, she seems unable to carry a baby to term. She's had several miscarriages and struggles to find a strength of worth. Isobel has had 3ight miscarriages and with her role as a victorian Lady trying to fit in with all the social norms of her time.

There's also an aqueduct being built to bring fresh water to Gkasgow from Loch Katrine. It's hoped that this will put an end to the epidemic of cholera that's rife in the city. The story focuses on the engineers, their families and the doctor and his wife.

The author has researched themes that she writes about. It's a bit of a mixture of Victorian history and an old fashioned dark fairytale. The book is beautifully written and the descriptions of the scottish scenery is spot on. The story is told from multiple points of view which I found a little confusing. The tension builds and the final events are shocking and tragic. This is my first read by the author but it won't be my last.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

this novel took awhile to get going and based on myth and real events , found that the latter part of the book more interesting but maybe that's just how I felt

[Ends of the Word · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ninth Child, Magnusson’s second novel, is inspired by a true event in Scottish history – the construction of the Loch Katrine aqueducts, meant to supply fresh water from the loch to the city of Glasgow, thirty-five miles away. This ambitious project was commenced in 1855 and was inaugurated by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1859. The protagonist of Magnusson’s story is the fictional Isabel Aird, whose husband Dr Alexander Aird is assigned to the project to cater for the workers’ medical requirements. Isabel joins her husband and is, at first, not particularly enthusiastic about her new life in the Highlands. She also battles with the pain of consecutive miscarriages. As she settles down, however, not only does she start to appreciate the countryside and the company of the locals but, inspired by the recent exploits of Florence Nightingale in Crimea, she also nurtures the ambition of working side by side with her husband in the medical profession.

Magnusson weaves into Isabel’s story the legend associated with the Reverend Robert Kirke (or Kirk), a 17th Century Scottish Episcopalian minister and Gaelic scholar. Kirke wrote the first complete translation of the Scottish metrical psalms into Gaelic, and was also involved in the publication of one of the earliest Gaelic editions of the Bible, whose printing in London was funded by scientist Robert Boyle. However, Kirke is nowadays best known for The Secret Commonwealth, a book which he left unpublished at his death. Its lengthy subtitle gives a good indication of the subject of Kirke’s studies: an Essay on the Nature and Actions of the Subterranean (and for the most part) Invisible People heretofore going under the names of Fauns and Fairies, or the like, among the Low Country Scots as described by those who have second sight. The fairy realm is hardly the typical area of study of a religious minister, and Kirke’s dubious dabbling in this “occult” fare gave rise to the legend that he was spirited away by the fairies at his death, his body replaced with that of a stranger. Sir Walter Scott refers to this legend in his Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft: Scott, it should be said, published the first edition of The Secret Commonwealth in 1815, more than a century after Kirke’s death.

Magnusson imagines Kirke returning from fairyland and striking up a friendship of sorts with Isabel Aird. Fairies and Elves in Gaelic folklore are hardly the cute spirits found in children’s books, and we soon learn that the sìthichean are asking from Kirke a nefarious deed in return for being released from fairy captivity.

The Ninth Child is a well-researched historical novel with supernatural elements – and it should have been right up my street. Yet, I struggled to finish it, leaving it to the side for several weeks before returning to it in earnest. I can’t really put my finger on why this was the case, particularly since so many readers have been really enthusiastic about the novel. It might be that I simply was not in the mood for it. That said, I could not shake off the impression that the book was somewhat all over the place. Isabel’s story is already compelling on its own, and with introduction of Kirke, we get some supernatural frisson as well. However, Magnusson also introduces several other characters, including historical figures such as Victoria and Albert and scientist and polymath William Rankine. Their stories and voices intertwine – sometimes in unlikely ways, such as Prince Albert’s meeting with Robert Kirke. I felt that these subplots sapped the punch from what could have been an interesting and captivating story.

Related to this, there’s also the issue of the multiple and rapidly changing viewpoints. The novel’s “anchoring” narrative is Isabel’s story, as recounted by Kirsty McEchern, Isabel’s Scottish helper and friend. However, the novel often switches to omniscient third person narration, showing us scenes between the Airds (and between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) which, of course, Kirsty would not have been privy to. We then get Kirke’s ruminations, answered by the fairies’ insolent replies. This, apart from various letters and diary entries of the various figures, some of whom make little more than a cameo appearance. Again, I felt that this blurred the novel’s focus.

This book then, has plenty to recommend it, but I would have liked it leaner.

[Mridula Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story based on the building of the aqueduct system in the City of Glasgow that carried fresh drinking water during the cholera epidemic, the story highlights the difficulties in building such an efficient system which was later inaugurated by Queen Victoria.
Our protagonist, Isabel Arid, the wife of a doctor falls in love with a writer and an Episcopalian minister, who dies two centuries before. As you can guess, the story has elements of magical realism, which didn't always sit well with me.
This is clearly a well-researched novel that is partly true and partly fictional. Magnusson is a terrific writer but it was the plot that let me down, The author, however, gave me memorable characters and a fragile backdrop that was enlightening and entertaining.

[Richard Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came back to this review after a week and have upgraded it from 4 stars to 5. What I realise in retrospect is that this book deserves 5 stars for one main reason - the author is a fantastic writer, and almost irrespective of the storyline it is a pleasure to read a work by someone who writes so well.

I enjoyed this tale of Victorian progress mixed with the realm of fantasy. Such a mixture is easy to get wrong, but the author has a great style which makes it all seem believable. It engages to the end. If you like books that combine the historical with the fantastical the I expect you will enjoy this, or perhaps simply if you enjoy well written books.

[Kat Steel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how this book had history to it with the waterworks and Queen Victoria. I liked the setting and how the accents of the characters made me able to imagine being in the part of the world more.

Its 3 stars because I thought it dragged on. I wanted it to get to the point yet thats hard to do what its a 300 page book as that length is basically normal length for a book. I think the dragging on is why it took me soo long to finish it.

I enjoyed certain aspects of it yet found myself skipping paragraphs near the end even though I hate doing that.

[Joy Perino · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this book, and couldn’t wait to read it. However, I found I just couldn’t get into it.

The narrative jumped confusingly from one person to another, so that a lot of the time I had no idea who was narrating. The style was at times quite dense and not very readable. In all, the story pretty much vanished under the weight of these issues.

Although the descriptions were lovely and the idea an intriguing one, it was too erratic in narrator, style and storytelling to hold my attention.

Three stars for an appealing idea, but it just didn’t keep me glued to the page.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the review copy

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glasgow's health in Victorian Times was very poor, not helped by the lack of sanitation & clean water. An ambitious plan to pipe clean water from Loch Katrine in the Trossachs. It is a hard & difficult enterprise which will means lots of pipework & blasting through the hills to provide the tunnels & aqueducts required for the waters to flow freely. Alexander Aird goes to be the site doctor, bringing with him his wife Isabel. She has never been particularly at home in Glasgow society, preferring ro read & walk & mourn her inability to bring a living/surviving child into the world. Whilst wandering the hills round Loch Katrine it is easy to believe tales of faerie folk. She meets a strange man who does not seem entirely of this world- why is he so interested in her?

Mixing fact with fiction, the author creates spell binding tale that I really enjoyed. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not a particularly lively, “edge-of-your-seat” novel, this well-written historical journey was ultimately worth the effort of reading. The characters were well-developed and the setting flawless. The varying points of view could be tedious at times but the author managed each with talent and finesse. The reader was absolutely transported to the dawn of industry and emerging public health in nineteenth century Britain and the author did an outstanding job of researching her subject matter. Recommended.

[Zoë Marriott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A finely wrought and exhaustively researched work of historical fiction which brings together many disparate elements, including real historical events and figures, and a thread of magic realism, and weaves them into a fascinating, bittersweet and ultimately satisfying whole.

[Cit Lennox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book aspires to be a James Robertson or James Hogg-esque tale neither grounded in reality or myth, but falls sadly short for me, lacking much of the contrast between bleak and glorious and with a protagonist I just couldn't like

[Emy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the characters and the setting, but didn’t care for the story.

[Alex (Gadget Girl 71) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading historical fiction and I enjoyed this book too, but I did find it a bit hard going. I couldn’t really get in to it. I enjoyed the historical fact about the building of the aqueducts to supply Glasgow with fresh water, to try and stop disease in Glasgow especially in the slums as cholera was rife. However I didn’t like the parts about the faeries as it just didn’t seem to fit in to the story for me.

Isabel Aird is a doctor’s wife based in Glasgow. Her husband feels that he wants to do more than just look after the over privileged in Glasgow. So he becomes the on site doctor looking after all construction workers in the Trossachs. This keeps him very busy, which leaves Isabel alone most of the time until she meets a wife of a construction worker. Who keeps her company and does some chores for her.

Isabel finds herself wandering the hills around Loch Katrine, where she finds herself still coming to terms with loosing 8 babies. On these walks she feels as though her lost children are with her as she wanders around.

Eventually Isabel finds herself pregnant again for the ninth time, but this doesn’t stop her from wandering all over the place. On one occasion she meet a strange man who she strikes up a conversation with. People warn her to stay away from him as they say there is something evil about him.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visit the site and Isabel insists that she is allowed to attend the party. Her husband doesn’t want her to go but he ends up taking her. After Queen Victoria and Prince Albert leave Isabel goes in to labour. She actually ends up using the room the was set up for Queen Victoria.

A few days after the baby is born the strange man that she came to know, turns up in her room and steals her baby. Everyone chases after him. Will Isabel find herself heart broken again with the loss of another child?

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s 1856 in Scotland it’s the start of the Industrial revolution where they are planning to build a aqueduct between Glasgow to Lock Katrine to bring fresh water and stop the Cholera epidemic.
Isabel Aird is a doctor’s wife who helps patch up the construction workers while her husband is out in the field. She is also a woman coming to terms with the loss of her children she can’t bring a child to term. She has lost 8 children. The story also includes the story of Queen Victoria and the time when she gave birth to her ninth child Beatrice.
Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the Ninth Child. This book was well written and researched regarding what happened in the 1800’s. Although say that for me personally I just couldn’t get into this book. There wasn’t anything grabbing me, and I found it quite slow.

[Nicola Whitbread · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this via audiobook and it was an EXCELLENT narration, there were different Scottish narrators reading each chapter, instead of one narrator trying to do all the different voices. It really transported me straight to 1856 Scottish Highlands, where this book is set.

The Ninth Child tells the story of Isabel Aird and her miscarriages, and the unexpected attentions of the intense, sinister minister Robert Kirke who should not be walking this earth. It’s a gripping blend of industry, loss, Victorian society, historical realism and faery folklore.

[rubywednesday · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fuck you, Robert Kirke.

Talk about ruining a nice concept and nice characters with irritating narration and meh characterisation. it was as if someone made geoff from coronation street a protagonist.i can see how this worked for other people but for me, it ultimately fell flat

[Hannah Snell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using a clear historical framework during an interesting period in history, The Ninth Child ties together themes around Victorian sensibilities - childbirth, public health, the role of the woman and the realm of something ethereal - against a backdrop of the Scottish Trossachs.

Set in Glasgow, during a time of cholera outbreaks and public health concerns, Isabel Aird, and her doctor husband, Alexander, their marriage unravelling after multiple miscarriages, decide to follow the public health works and reside in the Trossachs, where a new clean water supply is being linked up from Loch Katrine to Glasgow.

Isabel is struck by the ethereal beauty of the place, a place where she starts to see her lost children playing around the Loch. It's also a place where she learns to explore her role and intellects, if becoming a mother isn't one of them.

But there is a strange man, Robert Kirke, roaming the hills, who has nothing to do with the water works. He is strangely intense and forthright, which captures Isabel under some kind of spell. Is that so surprising, in a land where the realms of faerie are not so far from our own?

The historical aspects of this novel were well-researched, well written and the physical and geographical setting of the novel was really well-imagined. It's hard to write about physical spaces, particularly when your characters are walking all over them, without making them sound muddled or confusing, and Magnusson does this particularly well. I particularly liked the idea of the powder blasts etc disturbing the fae and forcing them to disgorge Kirke.

However, I didn't particularly warm to the characters, and found Kirsty's wifie voice somewhat annoying, and the various narrative voices jumping around each chapter sometimes made it hard to follow what was going on - sometimes you had to look ahead for a particular accent or style of speaking to understand who that section was about, before reading back to actually understand what was happening.

Isabel also showed a level of acceptance for all the 'faerie' goings on around her that seemed semi-unbelievable. Hearing that someone is dead but not dead but not reflecting on that at all - only to then spend the next few months doing nothing except focusing on being pregnant, with plenty of time for reflection, seemed somewhat jarring.

I enjoyed the inclusion of the letters from Prince Albert/Queen Victoria but feel as though they weren't as much of a decoy as intended - they weren't given enough air-time to feel like a viable option in the story, although I did like how their story crossed with Isabel and Alexander's.

I did enjoy reading the Author's Note about the fact in the fiction, and what she had used for her research, as well as where she had done her research - much of Magnusson's time writing was spent on the edge of the Lochs, where her own characters lived, and this really comes through in the writing. It was also interesting to read about the factual grounding behind Robert Kirke - once you read this, then the whole story seems to tie together much more impressively.

Overall, 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written book with intertwining threads of history and fantasy that work well together, even when you think they shouldn't. Set in the mid to late 1850's, The Ninth Child sits squarely in Queen Victoria's reign as the country suffers from epidemics of cholera with death tolls rising. Isabel and her husband Alexander Aird move to Scotland, where there is a huge public health scheme to build aqueducts and reservoirs in order to improve the quality of water in Glasgow. I found this look at history fascinating as there are various threads that are all drawn upon and expanded upon; you have the history of cholera and the various guesses as to how it spread and how it can be prevented, there is the medical expertise at the time and the differences in operating procedure and wound care. There is also a glance at the mechanics of the water project and it is interesting to see just what went into the endeavour all those years ago.

I felt the merging of the fantastical and the realistic was done well to a point. There is a real sense of being in that historical time with all the value clashes that go with it, and in Isabel's character you find an examination of what gives her value when she can't bear a child to term. The aspects of faerie are perhaps glossed over, with background being given sparingly which I suspect is a sign of the time period - having moved headlong into the industrial ages, stories of fae and their kin would have been seen as superstitious and perhaps childish. But when contrasted with the rich and vibrant tapestry of life in the Scottish highlands that Magnussun presents the reader with, there did seem to be a lack of depth to the fae and that made some of the plot feel weaker than it should have. The character of Robert Kirke is quite well fleshed out, but his time in the world of the fae and their motives for his burden are left up in the air.

Told in four perspectives though, one of the failings of the book is that it is often difficult to know when you have switched and in fact who is talking. Part of this is going to be because I received a review copy and the shifts aren't well defined with occasional shifts happening without even a paragraph break. The perspective of Kirsty, a local women, recently moved to the area with her navvies husband for work, makes up the majority of the novel with periodic third person view for aspects of Isabel's life that Kirsty isn't present for. By and large, these two perspectives work well; the difference in first person and third person point of view easily differentiates them and the voices are quite distinct. You particularly feel for Isabel as she finds a connection to her lost babies in the serenity of the isolated Loch Chon and as she tries to find her footing in the world. The interactions and dialogue are well depicted as well, with the nuances of complex relationships captured well.

The characters and the places come to life and whilst much of the novel is slow, you can't mistake the winding tension as it builds towards something that you can't quite grasp. The perspective of Robert Kirke is a little more baffling; he often only has a paragraph or a couple of lines and there's an opportunity for depth here that is missed. But the most out of place is the perspective switch to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert; the only link to the narrative is that the Queen has her ninth child around about the same time but there is very little crossover between the two perspectives and it ends up feeling rather pointless. Some of the interludes are vaguely interesting, but I have to say that they don't really bring anything to the book as a whole.

So, this is a slow piece of work but it is one that is well crafted and well researched. The build up is gradual and takes much of the novel to reach the climatic result, but the vibrant characters and the almost whimsical descriptions of the remote and beautiful landscapes are worth your time. There are some missed opportunities here; I feel more could have been made of the strange and cruel world of the fae and the folklore that lies behind it, which in turn would have given a depth to the fantastical elements that could match the historical. The thread that follows Albert and Victoria seems to have no real place in the story as a whole, and if it's something the author really wanted to include it needed to be more closely tied to the events at Loch Chon. But it's an interesting work and one that I'm glad to have read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my review copy of this novel.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story which is based partly on real characters and real events. Sally Magnusson has managed to weave a narrative that includes a supernatural element (the world of the faery) into the lives of the people who lobbied for, designed and built the system that brought clean water from Loch Katrine to Glasgow in the middle of the nineteenth century. It is totally credible, engrossing, enjoyable and very creepy at times.

I loved the inclusion of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the title of The Ninth Child refers to two babies; I wondered for quite a while which of the two children was going to be most affected by the sinister character of Robert Kirke, a minister who really existed and was known to be fascinated by the beliefs of the old Celtish peoples, including the world of the faery . Along the way we learn more about Florence Nightingale, Sir Walter Scott, the Listers and their work on medical practices and the methods used in constructing the waterworks.

This is a well-written novel which is clearly based on a lot of research. Sally Magnusson’s afterword on some of that research was very interesting too and lead me to do some research of my own. This would make an excellent choice for a reading group.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

[Haley The Caffeinated Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2020...

I loved the blend of folklore and historical fiction set in Victorian times, it gave a really nice contrast and depth to the story. Though it was enjoyable to read and had just enough hint of foreboding to keep you intrigued, the formatting was quite difficult to keep up with. There were times I had to go and reread sections because they switched POV in the middle of the paragraph.

I felt maybe the parts with Queen Victorian and Consort Albert were, in the end, unnecessary, yes they were fun to read but didn't really enhance much.

I did enjoy the narration style and as I said, it was certainly an enjoyable read with a blend of folklore and Victorian presence.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion, I look forward to reading more by Sally Magnusson.

[Carole Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is 1856 and Isobel Aird follows her husband from Glasgow to the Trossachs. He is the doctor to a group of navvies who are drilling through the mountainside from Loch Katrine to bring clean water to the tenements of Glasgow. Out walking, Isobel meets Robert Kirke, who is both mysterious and sinister, but she feels a certain sympathy for him. Isabel is expecting another baby - she has never been able to carry any of them to term, and expects no less this time. But who is Robert Kirke, and what does he want of her? I understood from the blurb that this is a fairy story - but it is a fairy story with a difference - no sweet little people flitting between toadstools, thank goodness.
I became absolutely enthralled with the story and have become a real fan of Sally Magnusson’s books - likewise The Sealwoman’s Gift - I recommend both.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very different read from what I was expecting. The story itself was intriguing, I’ve not read much about Scottish myths, legends, faeries, so I was looking forward to that aspect of it. I had to read the first 40 pages twice, then force myself to carry on, I just couldn’t get going with it - and would likely have given up had it not been a book club pick. There were parts I flew through, wanting to know more, I enjoyed Dr and Isabel Aird’s (sad) story, I enjoyed the parts about Robert Kirke and how his story came to be, but all in all, I found this a real chore to get through. I am Scottish, and although I could read and understand it all, it grew old quickly. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 - excellent writing, obviously an amazing amount of research put into this book, just not my cup of tea.

[Rhona139 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful tale of hurt, nature, the industrial revolution and fairies all wrapped up in beautiful language and a light touch to the prose.

Isabel is a poor soul who you yearn to comfort and support which makes the friendship with Kirsty both surprising, given their different social status, and welcome. As a woman I really felt that Kirsty was exactly what Isabel needed.

The land around Loch Katrine is expertly portrayed and you can feel the healing balm of the low highlands work on Isabel.

Each tells his/her own story - there really is not much not to love about this book - a classic in the making