In the generic past, on a remote island off the coast of Britain, an unsuspecting vicar doesn’t realise he’s up for sacrifice by the still-pagan locals. Barmaid Dora does her best to save him but her attempts become more outlandish, more hilarious, and somehow less effective as the clock ticks closer to the equinox.

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It took me a couple of chapters to settle into the story, but once we got going I had a brilliant time with this one! Historical fiction tends to be either dark and miserable or outlandishly romantic, and this book managed to combine the two while lovingly poking fun at the genre. There are plenty of chuckles to be had and while historical accuracy is nowhere to be found, it somehow doesn’t matter one bit.

There’s a wonderful cast of characters, all resembling archetypal historical fantasy figures; Dora the awkward heroine, Molly the buxom barmaid, and the titular bumbling vicar. Their characters don’t go in quite the direction we expect, and there are plenty of surprises right up to the last page.

If you enjoy Upstart Crow, this book will have the atmosphere and humour for you. It’s a nice bit of light relief for historical fiction readers, with bags of character and plenty of witty observations.

I received a copy for free from Kaleidoscopic Book Tours. All opinions are my own.