It was hard for me to stay invested in the storyline of this book. The description (about a bourgeois man who finds himself attempting to help France avoid civil war armed with his humanist books) immediately got me interested, as I have always been into revolutionary history.

I was impressed, from a historical point of view, at how well placed in time and in events this story was. But, and it is a big but, I found the main character (Maurice) completely jarring as a character. I understand that times were different back then, but the way the man approaches women is just… uncomfortable.

Aside from Maurice, I also couldn’t get attached to any of the plot or characters. Everything just missed that little bit of depth that keeps you invested in what happens next.

It’s a shame, because the setting and the idea were good! Just needs a bit more depth of character.

I read this for free through the Niche Reader, and I am glad I read it for free because I think if I had paid for it I might be disappointed. No shade towards the author– maybe it just didnt hit the chords right for me.