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Nettleblack
Subversive and playful, Nettleblack is a neo-Victorian queer farce that follows a runaway heir/ess and an organisation of crime-fighting misfits as they struggle with the misdeeds besieging a rural English town.
The year is 1893. Having run away from her family home to escape an arranged marriage, Welsh heiress Henry Nettleblack finds herself ambushed, robbed, and then saved by the mysterious Dallyangle Division - part detective agency, part neighbourhood watch. Desperate to hide from her older sisters, Henry disguises herself and enlists. But the Division soon finds itself under siege from a spate of crimes and must fight for its very survival. Assailed by strange feelings for her new colleague - the tomboyish, moody Septimus - Henry quickly sees that she’s lost in a small rural town with surprisingly big problems. And to make things worse, sinister forces threaten to expose her as the missing Nettleblack sister. As the net starts to close around Henry, the new people in her life seem to offer her a way out, and a way forward. Is the world she’s lost in also a place she can find herself?
Told through journal entries and letters, Nettleblack is a picaresque ride through the perils and joys of finding your place in the world, challenging myths about queerness – particularly transness – as a modern phenomenon, while exploring the practicalities of articulating queer perspectives when you’re struggling for words.
The year is 1893. Having run away from her family home to escape an arranged marriage, Welsh heiress Henry Nettleblack finds herself ambushed, robbed, and then saved by the mysterious Dallyangle Division - part detective agency, part neighbourhood watch. Desperate to hide from her older sisters, Henry disguises herself and enlists. But the Division soon finds itself under siege from a spate of crimes and must fight for its very survival. Assailed by strange feelings for her new colleague - the tomboyish, moody Septimus - Henry quickly sees that she’s lost in a small rural town with surprisingly big problems. And to make things worse, sinister forces threaten to expose her as the missing Nettleblack sister. As the net starts to close around Henry, the new people in her life seem to offer her a way out, and a way forward. Is the world she’s lost in also a place she can find herself?
Told through journal entries and letters, Nettleblack is a picaresque ride through the perils and joys of finding your place in the world, challenging myths about queerness – particularly transness – as a modern phenomenon, while exploring the practicalities of articulating queer perspectives when you’re struggling for words.
420 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2022
45 people are currently reading
4610 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
October 29, 2022
Cipher Press is a hidden gem, launched in 2020 with the mission to amplify the voices of queer and trans authors. In that vein, Nettleblack by Nat Reeve is a quirky, subversive romp through Victorian England, upending expectations and deconstructing genre conventions as it goes along. The story is primarily told through letters, journal entries, and other forms, which does occasionally wear thin over the course of 400 pages. But the over-the-top farce and sheer chutzpah of the writing makes this a largely enjoyable ride.
May 19, 2022
Good lord. This book, this book, this book. I have never read anything quite like it. It was a joy, an undertaking, a dedication, an absolute delight. It was like reading a queer anxiety-ridden Jane Eyre - not just time-period and style wise, but because there was too much description for my personal taste but all of it beautiful and worth persevering through for the rest of the wonderful thing. It was just so much FUN. A true romp of a queer satire, full of Shakespearean-level drama, swooning, forbidden love and hidden identity and hilarious ineptitude and nobody ever doing anything by halves because where would the fun in that be? And like all really good satire, it balances between the hilarity and tragedy of its similarity to real life on a knife-sharp edge. I’ve never read anything like it, and until this exact moment I couldn’t even conceive of the tragedy of that.
The first few pages were fantastic, and while the story itself took a little getting used to and getting going, it was twisty and ridiculous and utterly willing to make fun of itself without ever losing you because you cared so damn much about the characters. (Do I love them? Do I hate them? I still don’t know and I love it). I wish I could time travel and hand this book to so many of the visibly queer people in our history, because it would rival the Dickens of their time. It almost felt like it had been pulled out of that time period, and just happened to have lain forgotten in a draw for the last few centuries. It was almost cathartic to read - this is the kind of thing that would have blown my mind if it were on the wider reading list when I did my A-Levels. Which is precisely why such things were never allowed to be written and published and the time - and precisely why it’s so important, as well as so much fun, to imagine them now.
Also I do love a good smattering of Welsh in my novels. Just to keep me on my toes.
The one thing I will say - it was very much to my personal taste, and I loved it. But this is the kind of book that absolutely will not work for some readers.
The first few pages were fantastic, and while the story itself took a little getting used to and getting going, it was twisty and ridiculous and utterly willing to make fun of itself without ever losing you because you cared so damn much about the characters. (Do I love them? Do I hate them? I still don’t know and I love it). I wish I could time travel and hand this book to so many of the visibly queer people in our history, because it would rival the Dickens of their time. It almost felt like it had been pulled out of that time period, and just happened to have lain forgotten in a draw for the last few centuries. It was almost cathartic to read - this is the kind of thing that would have blown my mind if it were on the wider reading list when I did my A-Levels. Which is precisely why such things were never allowed to be written and published and the time - and precisely why it’s so important, as well as so much fun, to imagine them now.
Also I do love a good smattering of Welsh in my novels. Just to keep me on my toes.
The one thing I will say - it was very much to my personal taste, and I loved it. But this is the kind of book that absolutely will not work for some readers.
March 7, 2025
Utterly delightful!
January 10, 2023
1. IN WHICH I COMMENCE ON READING A BOOK WHICH SEEMS TO APPEAL TO THE TASTES OF OTHERS BUT WHICH LEFT ME SOMEWHAT UNCONVINCED
Grapefruits.
I – oh, sweet easy peelers – I like to support small presses but a Wilkie Collins inspired Victorian picaresque pastiche novel with queer characters, detective elements, female heiresses, journal entries does not strike me as non-commercial experimental fiction (Sarah Waters anyone – who also incidentally wrote her books alongside a PhD at a London University researching Victorian culture – has become a bestseller writing a more explicit version of this type of book)
2. IN WHICH I ABANDONED THE BOOK AFTER 100 PAGES
Blackberries and Bore Da. The fructal, ferrety and cymraeg references also were not to my tastes.
3. IN WHICH I NEVERTHELESS CONCLUDE
ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT FOR ME
BUT A FAIRLY REASONABLE BET IT WILL APPEAL TO MANY OTHER READERS
Grapefruits.
I – oh, sweet easy peelers – I like to support small presses but a Wilkie Collins inspired Victorian picaresque pastiche novel with queer characters, detective elements, female heiresses, journal entries does not strike me as non-commercial experimental fiction (Sarah Waters anyone – who also incidentally wrote her books alongside a PhD at a London University researching Victorian culture – has become a bestseller writing a more explicit version of this type of book)
2. IN WHICH I ABANDONED THE BOOK AFTER 100 PAGES
Blackberries and Bore Da. The fructal, ferrety and cymraeg references also were not to my tastes.
3. IN WHICH I NEVERTHELESS CONCLUDE
ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT FOR ME
BUT A FAIRLY REASONABLE BET IT WILL APPEAL TO MANY OTHER READERS
October 3, 2022
Welcome to your new fave witchy, sapphic book. This is Nettleblack- a chunky read that I gave a massive five stars.
It’s 1893 and Henrietta has been told she’s to marry a rich and very beige male. Her sister - in charge since the death of her parents - has arranged this marriage for a status boost, but Henrietta is not happy. So much so, this evening she’s running away.
This is where the book opens; a fleeing girl running for freedom. Without any major spoilers, a name name is taken on of Henry, paired with a new role working in a division, and a new appearance due to two thieves lopping off her hair.
This new image and independence means that Henry can explore herself, leading for a fucking beautiful book. Additionally, the role of the division - stopping crime - gives this mysterious adventure element. Without sounding mental, if you’ve seen the film Puss In Boots (which I would argue is on par with Shrek 2), the book feels very hunting Jack and Jill, sisters are doing it for themselves, Nancy Drew *voice tails off*.
I’m just repeating words now, but trust me. The tiny font requires effort and as do the many many pages, but the Nettleblack world is really bloody special. Queer rep is always so nice to see in books, and a female focus is always lacking. Seeing this, with a witchy feel, about action instead of heartbreak? My HEART.
If you can’t tell, I fucking loved this book.
It’s 1893 and Henrietta has been told she’s to marry a rich and very beige male. Her sister - in charge since the death of her parents - has arranged this marriage for a status boost, but Henrietta is not happy. So much so, this evening she’s running away.
This is where the book opens; a fleeing girl running for freedom. Without any major spoilers, a name name is taken on of Henry, paired with a new role working in a division, and a new appearance due to two thieves lopping off her hair.
This new image and independence means that Henry can explore herself, leading for a fucking beautiful book. Additionally, the role of the division - stopping crime - gives this mysterious adventure element. Without sounding mental, if you’ve seen the film Puss In Boots (which I would argue is on par with Shrek 2), the book feels very hunting Jack and Jill, sisters are doing it for themselves, Nancy Drew *voice tails off*.
I’m just repeating words now, but trust me. The tiny font requires effort and as do the many many pages, but the Nettleblack world is really bloody special. Queer rep is always so nice to see in books, and a female focus is always lacking. Seeing this, with a witchy feel, about action instead of heartbreak? My HEART.
If you can’t tell, I fucking loved this book.
October 24, 2024
Divisionary admin
Dallyangle Division
3 Market Square
Dallyangle
Surrey
Recruit Information
NAME.‘Henry Hyssop’ AGE.One-and-twenty HEIGHT. 5”7, probably
RANK. Apprentice JOINED. October 1893 SALARY. 15s p.w.
ADDRESS (HOME). The University of Cambridge (Girton College)
ADDRESS (WORK). The Dallyangle Division
EDUCATION. Girton College (!!)
PREVIOUS OCCUPATION(S). Student?
ADDITIONAL NOTES. Claims to be ‘proficient with firearms’ – credentials (at least) would suggest intelligence, even if she doesn’t have a degree – some sort of stammer – uses fruit as curses (?)- Javert Septimus appointed as governess mentor
ISSUED. 1 bed (dorm), bedlinens & spare; 2 regulation shirts; 1 split skirt; 1 uniform jacket w/ belt; 1 hat; to be issued additional jacket & skirt after two weeks’ work; probably wise not to give this one a lantern until we’re sure she won’t drop it
* * *
SIGNED. Henry Hyssop
WITNESSED. Division Sergeant Cassandra Ballestas
DATE. 29th Oct 1893
Nettleblack is a joyfully riotous, farcical and queer subversion of neo-Victorian sensation-fiction in the spirit of Wilkie Collins.
The novel is based around, and largely, but not exclusively, narrated by Henry Nettleblack, interchangeably known as Harriet or Henrietta, occasionally known as Henry Hyssop, perennially known as my own incompetent and feeble self, christened as Harriet Morfydd Hyssop Nettleblack, the third of three heirs to the Nettleblack family fortune, built on the family's eponymous tincture, English and Welsh-speaking, Girton educated, a crack shot courtesy of her rather wild middle sister, little exposed to society, far more articulate on paper than in person, and with a predilection for fruit-based mild curses.
As the novel opens, in 1893 and in the small Surrey town of Dallyangle, Henry has discovered that her elder sister has plans to introduce her into society via an aristocratic neighbour and thereby marry her off - this exchange with the 2nd sister, Rosamund:
“Well – the two of them want to – erm – send me to her brother’s – cousin’s – uncle’s – oh, plums, I don’t know! – some relation – with a title – their country estate – for a month – and –erm – they’re quite not intent on letting me leave until – figs! – until I’ve – I – ”
“Until you’ve married us into the nobility,” she muttered darkly. I was feebly grateful she’d spared me the trouble of wrestling out the sentiment myself.
Henry decides to flee but, as the blurb says (so no spoilers), "leaving the safety of her wealthy life isn’t as simple as she thought. Ambushed, robbed, and then saved by a mysterious organisation - part detective agency, part neighbourhood watch – a desperate Henry disguises herself and enlists."
The publisher is the small independent Cipher Press and this book feels perfect for their ethos:
And the author is Nat Reeve, their PhD at the University of Holloway described as:
In the tangled tale that follows Henry's enlistment with the Division, a male-free private police-force of sorts, mistaken identity is key, as it so often was in the Victorian thrillers. But here these identities are typically concealed from society, even from the person themselves, with almost every character queer, and with some, particularly Henry, in search of their sexuality and gender identity, with race and class also front and centre. The many different names and nicknames by which Henry is known indicative of this. As the newly-confident Henry says to her elder sister toward the novel's end as she has discovered more of herself through her adventures:
I've entirely no intention of being a married woman - in fact neither of those words fit me in the least.
The story is told via journal entries, transcripts and letters, and in Reeve, N (2022) they explain how the use of the first-person epistolary form, originally characteristic of Wilkie Collins et al doesn’t just give ‘non-normative characters’ a (written) voice – it lets them take it for themselves. If this that academic reference makes this sound rather dry and academic then, rather like the work of the UK's finest author, Isabel Waidner or the Republic of Consciousness Prize winning Shola von Reinhold, it is anything but.
Recommended. And I believe a sequel is in the works, which I eagerly await.
References:
Reeve, N. (2022) ‘The Gumption I Write With’: The Chaotic Journals of (Neo)Victorian Characters [Blog post]. CLiC Fiction Blog, University of Birmingham. Retrieved from [https://blog.bham.ac.uk/clic-dickens/...]
Dallyangle Division
3 Market Square
Dallyangle
Surrey
Recruit Information
NAME.‘Henry Hyssop’ AGE.One-and-twenty HEIGHT. 5”7, probably
RANK. Apprentice JOINED. October 1893 SALARY. 15s p.w.
ADDRESS (HOME). The University of Cambridge (Girton College)
ADDRESS (WORK). The Dallyangle Division
EDUCATION. Girton College (!!)
PREVIOUS OCCUPATION(S). Student?
ADDITIONAL NOTES. Claims to be ‘proficient with firearms’ – credentials (at least) would suggest intelligence, even if she doesn’t have a degree – some sort of stammer – uses fruit as curses (?)- Javert Septimus appointed as governess mentor
ISSUED. 1 bed (dorm), bedlinens & spare; 2 regulation shirts; 1 split skirt; 1 uniform jacket w/ belt; 1 hat; to be issued additional jacket & skirt after two weeks’ work; probably wise not to give this one a lantern until we’re sure she won’t drop it
* * *
SIGNED. Henry Hyssop
WITNESSED. Division Sergeant Cassandra Ballestas
DATE. 29th Oct 1893
Nettleblack is a joyfully riotous, farcical and queer subversion of neo-Victorian sensation-fiction in the spirit of Wilkie Collins.
The novel is based around, and largely, but not exclusively, narrated by Henry Nettleblack, interchangeably known as Harriet or Henrietta, occasionally known as Henry Hyssop, perennially known as my own incompetent and feeble self, christened as Harriet Morfydd Hyssop Nettleblack, the third of three heirs to the Nettleblack family fortune, built on the family's eponymous tincture, English and Welsh-speaking, Girton educated, a crack shot courtesy of her rather wild middle sister, little exposed to society, far more articulate on paper than in person, and with a predilection for fruit-based mild curses.
As the novel opens, in 1893 and in the small Surrey town of Dallyangle, Henry has discovered that her elder sister has plans to introduce her into society via an aristocratic neighbour and thereby marry her off - this exchange with the 2nd sister, Rosamund:
“Well – the two of them want to – erm – send me to her brother’s – cousin’s – uncle’s – oh, plums, I don’t know! – some relation – with a title – their country estate – for a month – and –erm – they’re quite not intent on letting me leave until – figs! – until I’ve – I – ”
“Until you’ve married us into the nobility,” she muttered darkly. I was feebly grateful she’d spared me the trouble of wrestling out the sentiment myself.
Henry decides to flee but, as the blurb says (so no spoilers), "leaving the safety of her wealthy life isn’t as simple as she thought. Ambushed, robbed, and then saved by a mysterious organisation - part detective agency, part neighbourhood watch – a desperate Henry disguises herself and enlists."
The publisher is the small independent Cipher Press and this book feels perfect for their ethos:
Launched in 2020, Cipher Press is an independent publisher that amplifies writing by queer and trans-identified authors. We came about as a response to the lack of dedicated queer publishing in the UK and the fact that there are so many queer voices still unheard and so many queer stories still untold.
We’re interested in books that tell old stories in new ways. We publish writers whose work confronts the ways in which the queer experience has evolved and changed. We’re really keen on the idea that queer and minority stories are for everybody, and we want to make our books – and the stories they tell - accessible to all.
And the author is Nat Reeve, their PhD at the University of Holloway described as:
For my thesis, I'm queer reading the work of the Pre-Raphaelite artist-poet Elizabeth Siddal (1829-1862), and hoping to show how a combination of queer theory and creative close reading can illuminate Siddal's art and poetry beyond cisheteronormative interpretative lenses. My work on Siddal can be found in Word & Image, the forthcoming Pre-Raphaelite Sisters collection (eds Glenda Youde and Robert Wilkes), and online talks, blogs and podcasts.
My research interests currently include:
The practice and practicalities of queer historical fiction
The Victorian period
Elizabeth Siddal and the Pre-Raphaelites
Queer theory and queer critical practice
Medievalism
The supernatural
Ecocriticism, especially when plants are involved
In the tangled tale that follows Henry's enlistment with the Division, a male-free private police-force of sorts, mistaken identity is key, as it so often was in the Victorian thrillers. But here these identities are typically concealed from society, even from the person themselves, with almost every character queer, and with some, particularly Henry, in search of their sexuality and gender identity, with race and class also front and centre. The many different names and nicknames by which Henry is known indicative of this. As the newly-confident Henry says to her elder sister toward the novel's end as she has discovered more of herself through her adventures:
I've entirely no intention of being a married woman - in fact neither of those words fit me in the least.
The story is told via journal entries, transcripts and letters, and in Reeve, N (2022) they explain how the use of the first-person epistolary form, originally characteristic of Wilkie Collins et al doesn’t just give ‘non-normative characters’ a (written) voice – it lets them take it for themselves. If this that academic reference makes this sound rather dry and academic then, rather like the work of the UK's finest author, Isabel Waidner or the Republic of Consciousness Prize winning Shola von Reinhold, it is anything but.
Recommended. And I believe a sequel is in the works, which I eagerly await.
References:
Reeve, N. (2022) ‘The Gumption I Write With’: The Chaotic Journals of (Neo)Victorian Characters [Blog post]. CLiC Fiction Blog, University of Birmingham. Retrieved from [https://blog.bham.ac.uk/clic-dickens/...]
July 29, 2023
This is one of those books that hovers on the edge of being overly-quirky. For instance, we have a protagonist accurately described by her new colleague thus: "credentials (at least) would suggest intelligence, even if she doesn't have a degree - some sort of stammer - uses fruit as curses (?)" So if you're sensitive to that, this might not be for you. However, I found myself won over pretty quickly by the humor and the queerness of it, as well as the use of some less common Victorian tropes (very few contemporary authors seem to work in dissipated Byronic characters, for some reason).
For some reason, I didn't expect that the organization Henry Hyssop (originally Harriet Nettleblack) ends up finding refuge in would be a mostly-ladies semi-official detective agency. I had to suspend a good bit of disbelief here, particularly regarding the idea that no one in this small town recognizes Henry just because some hair-thieves gave her an involuntary makeover. True, she didn't get out and about much before...but this lack of immediate recognition even extends to her middle sister!
However, it is important to recognize that this isn't a serious murder mystery, despite the appearance of a severed head, but more like the 'Pirates of Penzance' performance in which that head makes an appearance. That is, it is a farce about convoluted personal relationships. And BOY are there convoluted relationships aplenty - particularly forbidden love, but also various secret identities, backstories of betrayal and jealousy, etc. And, speaking of the romantic sub-plots...also true to its Victorian inspiration, this story really milks the swoonworthyness of very-innocent-to-modern-eyes forms of contact. For example, Matthew Adelstein being happy about a rainy day because it means he can touch his boyfriend's hand in public under the guise of sharing an umbrella - gah, my heart!
Speaking of which, this might be one of the few books I've seen that illustrates the difference in risk faced by different segments of the queer community during this time period. A late-Victorian "Sapphist" would of course face serious social consequences if her relationships with women became known...but she couldn't actually be arrested. And we see some glimpses of how those similarities and difference in situation might build but also impede solidarity.
IDK how I feel about the nonbinary rep in this book. Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed Pip Property as a character. But...one could have some issues with them being the one to play the role in the story that they do, even though we might have another NB character to offset them (who at the end eschews the titles of "Miss" and "woman"). However, this being a book written by a non-binary person who apparently was figuring that out DURING the writing - I'll cut it some slack there.
For some reason, I didn't expect that the organization Henry Hyssop (originally Harriet Nettleblack) ends up finding refuge in would be a mostly-ladies semi-official detective agency. I had to suspend a good bit of disbelief here, particularly regarding the idea that no one in this small town recognizes Henry just because some hair-thieves gave her an involuntary makeover. True, she didn't get out and about much before...but this lack of immediate recognition even extends to her middle sister!
However, it is important to recognize that this isn't a serious murder mystery, despite the appearance of a severed head, but more like the 'Pirates of Penzance' performance in which that head makes an appearance. That is, it is a farce about convoluted personal relationships. And BOY are there convoluted relationships aplenty - particularly forbidden love, but also various secret identities, backstories of betrayal and jealousy, etc. And, speaking of the romantic sub-plots...also true to its Victorian inspiration, this story really milks the swoonworthyness of very-innocent-to-modern-eyes forms of contact. For example, Matthew Adelstein being happy about a rainy day because it means he can touch his boyfriend's hand in public under the guise of sharing an umbrella - gah, my heart!
Speaking of which, this might be one of the few books I've seen that illustrates the difference in risk faced by different segments of the queer community during this time period. A late-Victorian "Sapphist" would of course face serious social consequences if her relationships with women became known...but she couldn't actually be arrested. And we see some glimpses of how those similarities and difference in situation might build but also impede solidarity.
IDK how I feel about the nonbinary rep in this book. Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed Pip Property as a character. But...one could have some issues with them being the one to play the role in the story that they do, even though we might have another NB character to offset them (who at the end eschews the titles of "Miss" and "woman"). However, this being a book written by a non-binary person who apparently was figuring that out DURING the writing - I'll cut it some slack there.
November 3, 2023
A whimsical queer delight. I adored the characters, the world-building was so vivid and immersive. So refreshing to read about queer characters living their lives in historical fiction, without homophobia being a major issue. Sometimes historical fiction can suffer from the characters feeling quite dusty and too serious -- this definitely wasn't the case in Nettleblack! The characters are full of wit and warmth, whilst still feeling largely true to the period. My only complaint was that it's a bit unbelievable that the entire book takes place in a week (!!!!), and that there were a few moments where I was quite confused about what was going on, and had to re-read a few times. But all in all a delightful read - can't wait for the sequel!
September 11, 2025
4 1/2 stars. Take two parts Oscar Wilde, one part Monty Python, one part Charles Dickens, and a sprinkle of PG Wodehouse, and you have the voice of this delightful, queered-up late Victorian romp. Can this voice sustain itself for 526 paperback pages? Yes! I'm looking forward to the follow-up, Earlyfate.
March 20, 2023
a delightful (and delightfully) queer romp!
the beginning's a bit slow or otherwise it was the tiny font that did me in, but still, once it gets going it really gets going, and i do adore henry and septimus with my full heart, and particularly henry's discovery of who and what henry nettleblack – or henry hyssop, or morfydd, or my own incompetent and feeble self – is and could be. truly hoping for a sequel, one that ideally also includes the ferret.
the beginning's a bit slow or otherwise it was the tiny font that did me in, but still, once it gets going it really gets going, and i do adore henry and septimus with my full heart, and particularly henry's discovery of who and what henry nettleblack – or henry hyssop, or morfydd, or my own incompetent and feeble self – is and could be. truly hoping for a sequel, one that ideally also includes the ferret.
October 18, 2022
Nettleblack took me a while to get through (the tiny font is partly to blame for that; my poor eyes), but it is one of those books that is worth working for. It's an utterly delightful, very queer romp through the imaginary Victorian town of Dallyangle, and precisely what I was looking for (I love plenty of Victorian lit, make no mistake, but there are times when I prefer neo-Victorian lit, if only because it can be so openly diverse). Very curious to see what Reeve will come up with in the years to come, whether that is a continuation of the captivating world of Nettleblack, or something new entirely.
August 27, 2022
not reading much right now. but fuck this is spectacular.
November 3, 2022
From now on I’m going to start every journal entry with ‘my continuing catastrophe’. What a mood
July 6, 2022
A really fun escapade about a group of crime-fighting people in a small town that manages to also explore historical queerness and finding space in 1890s society for a broader range of relationships. I'm not usually one for historical novels but got this as part of my Cipher Press subscription and it was well worth it, told in journal entries and letters and doing something a bit different to a lot of historical novels.
March 7, 2023
Quite! This book was a bit of an undertaking. The beginning is slow and it takes time to piece through Henry and her words but I do believe it’s quite worth it.
This book is niche. A very specific type of person will adore this book and deem it their most favorite of all time. I, admittedly, am not that person, however, I do consider it a joy to have read this book. You grow with Henry, et al, and solve some crimes along the way.
This book is niche. A very specific type of person will adore this book and deem it their most favorite of all time. I, admittedly, am not that person, however, I do consider it a joy to have read this book. You grow with Henry, et al, and solve some crimes along the way.
did-not-finish
January 26, 2024DNF: The author uses - almost incessantly which got tedious, fast. I disliked the main character, I found their constant use of random fruit instead of swearing reminded me too much of the quirky Disney heriones I'm tired of and the plot just didn't feel unique enough for me to want to keep going.
October 23, 2023
Rip-roaring fun that seems uniquely designed to appeal to all of my favourite things!! Bendegedig!
June 27, 2023
Possibly maybe 3 stars? I’m very unsure of my thoughts on this book. I spent my time veering into absolute annoyance at the over the top prose when it just got too much, but when the mystery really got its hooks in, I could read 200 pages in one sitting and I almost got used to the prose? Or did I? Still unsure of my feelings! It’s certainly different!
I did love the epistolary style of this book, written through journals, letters and other forms. I particularly loved the exploration of identity and family and finding your queer self.
I did love the epistolary style of this book, written through journals, letters and other forms. I particularly loved the exploration of identity and family and finding your queer self.
November 5, 2022
If I could give this book 4.5 stars, I would. As a debut novel, it is everything I could have ever hoped for and more - both the setting and the characters snatched my heart up and whisked me right away into the centre of this very whimsical (and very queer! delightfully so!) story. The gripes I have with it really aren't big enough to affect my overall impression of the book, or how much fun I had reading it.
Also, I'm still obsessed with Pip Property.
Also, I'm still obsessed with Pip Property.
Read
August 16, 2024its a bit slow at the beginning and its not perfect but its SO MUCH FUN! I love the characters and the setting, i want more queer historical fiction like this!
June 4, 2023
A seconda dei propri gusti, si tratta di un libro che può piacere molto o apparire noioso e ripetitivo. Personalmente faccio parte delle persone della prima categoria: il mix tarda epoca vittoriana–queerness–avventura mi fa impazzire (e se è così anche per voi, date un'opportunità a Nettleblack. Magari non sarà il libro della vita, ma vale la pena tentare).
Parlando di queerness: ce n'è tanta. Personaggз non binary – fra cui unə dandy italianə –, ragazze saffiche e lesbiche, una coppia gay ben stabilita senza drammi che non abbiano una vena umoristica in linea col resto del romanzo. Troppa felicità in un colpo solo.
Nettleblack, inoltre, si rifà in piccolissima parte alle situazioni paradossali dello humor inglese, un dettaglio che ho apprezzato.
L'inizio è un po' lento, e l'azione prende piede solo dopo una settantina di pagine. Ma, come nella maggior parte dei libri con una componente avventuriera, la seconda metà è scorsa a un ritmo molto veloce, da tener attaccatз alle pagine.
O allo schermo, in questo caso, perchè non sono riuscita a trasferire il file sul kobo. Go, me.
L'unico aspetto del libro che mi ha deluso è stato il personaggio di Rosamond, una delle sorelle della protagonista. Partita come figura affascinante e piena di potenziale, non ha avuto uno sviluppo vero e proprio, il che mi ha fatto mal sopportare le scene in cui compare nella seconda metà del libro.
Then again, forse quelle scene sono state scritte per mostrare che la nostra protagonista fosse alla fine riuscita a maturare più di Rosamond, un paragone molto conciso e per niente esplicito.
Comunque sia, ha lasciato un'impressione finale di egoismo random, quindi a voi la sentenza.
Parlando di queerness: ce n'è tanta. Personaggз non binary – fra cui unə dandy italianə –, ragazze saffiche e lesbiche, una coppia gay ben stabilita senza drammi che non abbiano una vena umoristica in linea col resto del romanzo. Troppa felicità in un colpo solo.
Nettleblack, inoltre, si rifà in piccolissima parte alle situazioni paradossali dello humor inglese, un dettaglio che ho apprezzato.
L'inizio è un po' lento, e l'azione prende piede solo dopo una settantina di pagine. Ma, come nella maggior parte dei libri con una componente avventuriera, la seconda metà è scorsa a un ritmo molto veloce, da tener attaccatз alle pagine.
O allo schermo, in questo caso, perchè non sono riuscita a trasferire il file sul kobo. Go, me.
L'unico aspetto del libro che mi ha deluso è stato il personaggio di Rosamond, una delle sorelle della protagonista. Partita come figura affascinante e piena di potenziale, non ha avuto uno sviluppo vero e proprio, il che mi ha fatto mal sopportare le scene in cui compare nella seconda metà del libro.
Then again, forse quelle scene sono state scritte per mostrare che la nostra protagonista fosse alla fine riuscita a maturare più di Rosamond, un paragone molto conciso e per niente esplicito.
Comunque sia, ha lasciato un'impressione finale di egoismo random, quindi a voi la sentenza.
Read
November 24, 2025DNF at 50 pages. The constant misplacement of the word ‘quite’, combined with the florid overwritten style of the main journal sections, is just too much for me.
April 20, 2023
Figs, where to start. Nettleblack was a fucking delight through and through.
September 7, 2022
The most delightful thing I’ve read in a while - very fun, practically every major character is queer in some way, and I have an absolutely colossal crush on Property, the non-binary dandy & cravat-designer. And oh my god (mild spoiler) the relationship between Matty & Nicholas was the cutest thing ever, and I looove Rosamond. In general all the characters grew on me so much - the ending was quite open and I really hope we’ll get to see more of them at some point.
July 29, 2023
Nettleblack was a true delight to read. I loved every character, the premise was fun and unique, and the world was well fleshed out. It was a fun journey to go on!
August 17, 2022
This was pretty fun. Historical fiction is always kind of hit or miss with me, but once I settled into the setting and the dense writing style, I got very invested in the story. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that this was probably one of the queerest works of historical fiction I've ever read, and I appreciated that it focused mostly on the joys of queer romance and identity rather than being entirely about the torture of keeping one's "clandestine loves" and "forbidden vices" in the shadows, and it was able to achieve this without coming across as anachronistic or unrealistic. This book has a really strong and unique cast of characters, and I adored so many of them - Septimus, Lorrie, Nick, Pip, Rosamund. They all had their own little dramas going on throughout which prevented them from fading into the background, and most of these side stories very cleverly ended up weaving into the main plot, which made for some fun twists and unexpected connections.
I will say that this took about 100 pages to fully grab me, and I think that was mostly because I struggled with Henry as the primary narrator at first. I thought in the beginning her more irritating quirks (using fruits as curse words, an obsession with the word "quite," never being able to finish a complete sentence) were way too overdone. Like, I'm hopelessly socially awkward and perpetually anxious, too, but even I was starting to get fed up with how totally inept she seemed to be. But after she got to the Division, between her slowly evolving sense of self and the presence of additional characters to balance her out, she started growing on me. By the end, I liked her a lot more and was definitely rooting for her happy ending. The book finished in an open-ended enough way that I could easily envision an entire series documenting the Division's various adventures unfolding, and I definitely wouldn't mind spending more time in this world with these characters. That being said, it's also satisfying enough to work perfectly well as a standalone.
I will say that this took about 100 pages to fully grab me, and I think that was mostly because I struggled with Henry as the primary narrator at first. I thought in the beginning her more irritating quirks (using fruits as curse words, an obsession with the word "quite," never being able to finish a complete sentence) were way too overdone. Like, I'm hopelessly socially awkward and perpetually anxious, too, but even I was starting to get fed up with how totally inept she seemed to be. But after she got to the Division, between her slowly evolving sense of self and the presence of additional characters to balance her out, she started growing on me. By the end, I liked her a lot more and was definitely rooting for her happy ending. The book finished in an open-ended enough way that I could easily envision an entire series documenting the Division's various adventures unfolding, and I definitely wouldn't mind spending more time in this world with these characters. That being said, it's also satisfying enough to work perfectly well as a standalone.
September 10, 2024
Oof.
On paper, this should be right up my alley - I love queer historical fiction, Victorian pastiche, and witty intrigue plots. Unfortunately, the more I read, the less I could find to like about this one. I was willing to overlook the feeling of forced quirkiness - which was grating - if the characters and plot were good, but... they weren't.
This is not a tightly plotted book; the mystery is incredibly thin, and it's mostly made up of 400 pages of people waffling and not making any progress nor being terribly set back. Almost nothing seems to actually advance the plot; we're basically treading water the entire time. When something does happen, there are too many convenient coincidences, too many instances of someone stumbling into something at exactly the right moment to save someone in peril, too many moving parts that don't seem to matter. SO! MUCH! of the plot hinges on expository dialogue, which seems to me like an obvious sign of inept writing. I'm not someone who requires a plot-heavy book, but this one is definitely billed as fun and plotty - a romp, I guess. But it's not!
Additionally, I found the characters dull to actively irritating. I've already mentioned the excessive quirkiness, which seems to infuse most of the characters' dialogue. Because they're not differentiated very well, I could not buy into the romance; the love interest didn't feel like she offered the protagonist anything special because she felt like every other character. The relationship between the sisters was incredibly underwritten, and would could have been the complex, knotty heart of the story was entirely surface-level. Overall, there's a total lack of character development, except at the very end when we get some rushed explanation about Henry's emotional growth. A classic case of telling instead of showing. If there's not going to be much in the way of plot, I want characters who I can sink my teeth into, and I just didn't find that here. I know this was supposed to be about queer identity and finding yourself, but it truly felt so shallow to me, and Henry's identity is figured out pretty early on, at which point we... don't really have anywhere to go.
The worldbuilding is also basically nonexistent, and the political atmosphere of this imagined Victorian town is confusing. It's like, racism and sexism and homophobia and transphobia DO exist, but they don't actually seem to have much bearing on the social worlds these characters navigate and are instead just expressed in passing comments by one (1) villain. I'm not saying we need a novel full of bigotry, but there's a lot of inconsistency with how these social forces are treated, and it's unclear if they're supposed to be understood as systemic or just aberrant beliefs (but coming from where?). I don't really want to do an entire Sarah Waters comparison because it's like shooting fish in a barrel, but her novels take up historical attitudes towards queerness in productive ways that actually drive the plot and development of the characters.
I was going to give this 3 stars, but I talked myself into a 2. Sorry!
On paper, this should be right up my alley - I love queer historical fiction, Victorian pastiche, and witty intrigue plots. Unfortunately, the more I read, the less I could find to like about this one. I was willing to overlook the feeling of forced quirkiness - which was grating - if the characters and plot were good, but... they weren't.
This is not a tightly plotted book; the mystery is incredibly thin, and it's mostly made up of 400 pages of people waffling and not making any progress nor being terribly set back. Almost nothing seems to actually advance the plot; we're basically treading water the entire time. When something does happen, there are too many convenient coincidences, too many instances of someone stumbling into something at exactly the right moment to save someone in peril, too many moving parts that don't seem to matter. SO! MUCH! of the plot hinges on expository dialogue, which seems to me like an obvious sign of inept writing. I'm not someone who requires a plot-heavy book, but this one is definitely billed as fun and plotty - a romp, I guess. But it's not!
Additionally, I found the characters dull to actively irritating. I've already mentioned the excessive quirkiness, which seems to infuse most of the characters' dialogue. Because they're not differentiated very well, I could not buy into the romance; the love interest didn't feel like she offered the protagonist anything special because she felt like every other character. The relationship between the sisters was incredibly underwritten, and would could have been the complex, knotty heart of the story was entirely surface-level. Overall, there's a total lack of character development, except at the very end when we get some rushed explanation about Henry's emotional growth. A classic case of telling instead of showing. If there's not going to be much in the way of plot, I want characters who I can sink my teeth into, and I just didn't find that here. I know this was supposed to be about queer identity and finding yourself, but it truly felt so shallow to me, and Henry's identity is figured out pretty early on, at which point we... don't really have anywhere to go.
The worldbuilding is also basically nonexistent, and the political atmosphere of this imagined Victorian town is confusing. It's like, racism and sexism and homophobia and transphobia DO exist, but they don't actually seem to have much bearing on the social worlds these characters navigate and are instead just expressed in passing comments by one (1) villain. I'm not saying we need a novel full of bigotry, but there's a lot of inconsistency with how these social forces are treated, and it's unclear if they're supposed to be understood as systemic or just aberrant beliefs (but coming from where?). I don't really want to do an entire Sarah Waters comparison because it's like shooting fish in a barrel, but her novels take up historical attitudes towards queerness in productive ways that actually drive the plot and development of the characters.
I was going to give this 3 stars, but I talked myself into a 2. Sorry!
August 23, 2022
Absolutely fucking delightful
July 12, 2024
I must say that it really took me a while to get used to the stylistic choices, figs, persimmon, apricots and all. But then, about 2/3 through, I really began to enjoy the book and was fond of the characters, giggling along at their antics and the budding romance.
However, I think it lost me again towards the end. This has quite a lot of strands of plot and not all get resolved in the end. I think by now, a sequel has been announced, but I thought this would be a standalone book. So I found it quite unsatisfactory to be left with not everything resolved.
First, and the worst offence: why does no one actually care about that ferret that's not a ferret. Why did the main character not give a fuck about getting rid of it and it just "had to save itself" at the end??? Not sure if it's just me but if I had to choose between my pet and a place to live, well. Let's just say I wouldn't have gotten rid of it.
Also, I'm not sure that putting every sister's romance in this was the right move. Maybe just hinting at and not revealing them might have been better, to then focus on each relationship per book. That way, there would have been more suspension and also more time to truly dedicate to each character.
Anyway, I also found that the sisterly relationships seemed lacking and the resolution completely non-existent, which is weird, since the whole plot hook was the disappearance/running away? There is a weird lack of consequences in this book.
However, I found Pip Property quite compelling and I can see myself reading their sequel when it comes out!
However, I think it lost me again towards the end. This has quite a lot of strands of plot and not all get resolved in the end. I think by now, a sequel has been announced, but I thought this would be a standalone book. So I found it quite unsatisfactory to be left with not everything resolved.
First, and the worst offence: why does no one actually care about that ferret that's not a ferret. Why did the main character not give a fuck about getting rid of it and it just "had to save itself" at the end??? Not sure if it's just me but if I had to choose between my pet and a place to live, well. Let's just say I wouldn't have gotten rid of it.
Also, I'm not sure that putting every sister's romance in this was the right move. Maybe just hinting at and not revealing them might have been better, to then focus on each relationship per book. That way, there would have been more suspension and also more time to truly dedicate to each character.
Anyway, I also found that the sisterly relationships seemed lacking and the resolution completely non-existent, which is weird, since the whole plot hook was the disappearance/running away? There is a weird lack of consequences in this book.
However, I found Pip Property quite compelling and I can see myself reading their sequel when it comes out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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