I adored this book. I loved the new take on the history of Marie Antoinette Queen of France and her older sister Maria Carolina, Queen of Naples and Sicily but mixing in magic. The magic system was interesting and I liked how it was entwined in a book. I liked the way the characters interacted with each other. I will definitely be reading more from Kate Heartfield.

I really loved this book and how magic was added into historical events. I really loved seeing that the main relationship in the story was that of sisters and how their love for each other affects major historical events. We see them as kids and growing up and getting married and then as queens.
I did find it dragged at times in the middle but knowing how the story ends for Marie Antoinette had me racing through and knowing what will happen but also wanting it to change because I truly felt for her.
I definitely recommend this book to all historical fantasy readers!

I didn't get to this in time, and I didn't want to rush it so I bought it. :)

It's exactly my kind of book.

If, like me, you loved A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAGICIANS, but wished there were more women in it, then THE EMBROIDERED BOOK is for you! This historical, political fantasy follows two daughters of Empress Maria Theresa as they are sent to be wives and secure alliances - and get embroiled in a covert war for the control of magic that becomes entangled in revolution.

I love historical fantasy that takes real life events and add a new subtext to it, shows it through a new lens. "Historical" is not set dressing here, it's a key part of the premise - this is the story of the sisters in the roughly twenty years leading up to the French Revolution (and the opening year or so.) I thoroughly appreciated that it was the story of the sisters, not just Marie Antoinette. She often gets the attention, overshadowing many figures like Charlotte.

I think I did prefer Charlotte, partly because she felt "new" but also because she was involved in the politics more directly. Give me women punching in the political arena any day (in both subtle and less subtle ways!)

I also really loved the way the magic was used here. Magic is practiced covertly, but the magicians are split into factions over what should be done with magic and who should have it. Those factions split further over the course of the book as they get involved in the revolutions. It was a really neat way of bringing the magic into the story (and also some of the ways it altered the events as we know them were WOWOWOW! I shan't say which was my favourite, but you'll probably know it when you get to it!)

Magic is comprised of spells that anyone can do, IF they're told the spells and are willing to make the necessary sacrifices. And the way the spells have been recorded mean the sacrifices aren't always clear. It made it into a magic system that was both really regimented with clear rules (a "hard" magic system) but also had some flexibility in it that gave it some leeway for emotional punch. It just worked so well within the politics and tensions of the time, and gave a reason why it was not known to everyone.

I kept wanting to charge through the book, devour the words, as it is the sort of book that feels so uniquely designed for me, but the book did not want me to do that. It wanted me to savour it, draw out the reading experience over several days to appreciate and take it all in. And it was absolutely worth it!

This was such a good book. I love historical fiction, especially when it is about eras/ situations that I previously knew nothing about and this was definitely one of those books. It was so well researched and so compelling in its narrative that not only did I love reading it but I felt that I learned too. A really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This was a truly epic book that spanned from 1768 right up until the French Revolution. At its heart were sisters bound together by blood, love and a secret magic.

I loved the scope and the idea of magic existing in secret cabals across the Habsburg (female) empire. There are two sides battling out this magic. The first was an organised group that hid as Freemasons, sharing their magic and trying to stop “unworthy” mages gaining access. The second were individual mages who found each other and traded secrets.

The sisters are separated when they are married off as young adolescents. Antoine (Marie Antoinette) to France and Charlotte to the King of Naples. They end up loyal to the different sides of the magical divide, endangering the relationship that has already been fractured by physical distance.

You are left waiting for the historical events to unfold, wondering if they’ll be changed to suit the story. This is both a strength (your heart is in your mouth, hoping history will change) and a slight negative – the story is so far ranging I could have read this over more than one book.

Those with an interest in history or political fantastical dramas (think Game of Thrones intrigue) will enjoy this book.

A sprawling - in terms of time, place and characters - beautifully written alternative history/historical fanatsy.

DNF at 20%

This book was supposed to be my new favourite book. An alternative history with magic? But no. Sadly this book is utterly charmless, devoid of any humour. Everything serves the plot and convenient incidents happen...to serve the plot. We don't know who the protagonists really are. They exist like dolls...to serve the plot. And what is the plot? I guess the plot is also there to serve the plot!

Another pretty cover that drew me in straight away. Thank you Harper Voyager for nailing it; I was sold straight away.

This was such a wonderfully detailed historical fiction embellished with a touch of fantasy that I didn't know I needed. We see Antoine and her older sister Charlotte grow up utterly devoted to one another. They are the daughters of the Habsburg Empress, Maria Theresa and know that one day they will be married off to secure the future success of their line. The discovery of an embroidered book that once belonged to their recently deceased governess changes their lives dramatically and binds them in a way not even blood can.

Soon, the sisters will be forced to part; . One will become Queen Maria Carolina of Naples, the other Queen Marie Antoinette of France.

What I liked:
- The intricate weaving of history with fiction in this fantasy is superb. There's a universal knowledge of the outcome of the French Revolution and what became of Marie Antoinette, but this was such a unique take; loved it!
- The evolution of the relationship between the two sisters was so believable.
- The magic system in this was so thought out and new to me; I enjoyed learning and guessing at how each spell might be created.
- Louis. Louis was such a sweetheart; I wish we had seen more of him.
- SECRET SOCIETIES!!! Need I say more?!

What I didn't connect with so much;
- The pacing felt a little off to me. There was quite a chunk in the middle that went in to great detail about political alliances that didn't really feel relevant overall to the story being told.

Read if you enjoy:
- Watching: Reign, The Tudors, Medici, Cursed, Practical Magic
- Reading: Circe, The Familiars, The Essex Serpent
- Strong sisterhood
- Secret Societies
- Found Family

Harper Voyager excel at designing book covers that catch your eye and lure you in as if they are enchanted like many of the articles in this book. The cover made me need this book even before I became intrigued by the blurb. I love books with a magical twist but my European history is dire and my knowledge of Marie Antoinette is patchy so I did worry the plot would go over my head. I love historical fiction but with an attention span of a gnat, I have a tendency to get confused. There was no need for my concerns. With a list of main characters at the front and immersive plot I was thrown into the lives of Charlotte and Antoinette after they discover an embroidered book of magic. The spectacular blend of magic, history and sense of place kept me enthralled.

It is an epic read of 656 pages where the two sisters have to journey through the complex politics of these turbulent times while balancing family and societal expectations when their central reason is to do anything is to do the best for their respective countries. It’s told with empathy and made me consider questions about power, class and influence.

The palaces and characters were brought to life and it was a highly visual experience reading it and would make a wonderful tv series under the right director.

Would I recommend?

Oh yes, The Embroidered Book is one to read, keep and treasure. It is as beautiful inside as out and though it’s a work of fiction it gave me a platform to build my knowledge of this era while I was immersed in magic. Full of imagination, magical world building overlaid by historical fact it is a must for fans of both history and fantasy.

I really wanted to like this book but I found it too difficult to follow as the there were two major plot drivers and they did not sit well together. I was interested in the story of the two sisters but I found the 'magical' element jarred too much.

I was sent a copy of The Embroidered Book by Kate Heartfield to read and review by NetGalley. I had such high hopes for this book and I couldn’t wait to read it. Unfortunately my expectations were rather overblown. I have to admit that I got just over halfway through the novel and had to give up. I just found that I couldn’t go on. While the subject is interesting and the added aspect of magic was at first very beguiling, the story itself (to me at least) wasn’t so much a story as snippets of information which didn’t engage me or involve me as a novel normally would. I am sure that the historical facts are very well researched and I admire the author for being so ambitious as to try and weave a mystical aspect through the plot, however, it just really didn’t work for me. In fact by the time I decided to stop reading I had become to find it all quite tiresome.

The Embroidered Book is a beast of a book, but despite its size, I found I read it quite quickly as I was captivated by the story. Part historical fiction, part fantasy, The Embroidered Book is full of magic and intrigue, all based around one of the most interesting and turbulent periods of European history.

Kate Heartfield’s attention to detail and the level of research that must have gone into this project is incredible. It must have been a real labour of love, and I felt that this comes through in the writing.

I think Charlotte and Antoine’s stories would have been fascinating enough on their own, given their place in history, but the addition of magic and a secret society made this all the more appealing to me. Kate Heartfield weaves magic and history together so artfully that it seems more than plausible that these two astonishing women had access to hidden skills. It would certainly explain a lot of what went on throughout the period!

Despite knowing how this story must end, I still found myself on the edge of my seat, willing the sisters on to a different ending to their tempestuous relationship. I was totally under their spell from start to finish. Kate Heartfield is, quite simply, a genius.

My thanks to HarperCollins HarperVoyager for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Embroidered Book’ by Kate Heartfield in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book. It was a brilliant blend of historical fiction with elements of the fantastical, including magic.

It opens in 1767 and covers events in Europe through to the end of the century. It is the story of two royal sisters: Charlotte and Antoine, daughters of Marie Theresa, the Habsburg Empress.

When the sisters were young their governess, Countess Ertag, was killed. Among her possessions they find the embroidered book, containing details of magical spells. They work together to decipher these spells, including the sacrifices each one requires. However, the spells often have dark and unpredictable consequences. They seek to master them in order to negotiate the complex world of court politics.

Yet their destinies as royal princesses is to marry in order to strengthen their family’s influence in the royal courts of Europe. At the age of fifteen Charlotte leaves for Naples where she will marry its ruler, Ferdinand, a man she has never met. Two years later Antoine is sent to France, where she will marry the Dauphin and be renamed Marie Antoinette.

This was an amazing novel in which Kate Heartfield convincingly blends her magical system and its hidden world of magisters, alchemists, and secret societies with historical events including the eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius and the French Revolution.

Kate Heartfield clearly had done a great deal of research into the era and these queens and this translated that into a compelling tale that proved a totally immersive experience.

I was very pleased that the novel opened with a list of Dramatis Personae, which came in very handy. Kate Heartfield has also provided a reading list and content notice on her website and notes via Goodreads. Such extra background material is something I always appreciate.

Overall, I found ‘The Embroidered Book’ simply amazing.

Highly recommended.

'Power is not something you are given. Power is something you take. When you are a woman, you must find a way to summon it...'

This book was incredibly unique - a fascinating mix of history and fantasy, evidently written by someone with a sincere passion for all things 18th century. It is truly captivating - I was under its spell for days!

I found this engrossing and immensely enjoyable. The weaving of real events with magic worked for me and I found both Antoinette and Charlotte characters with a lot of depth.

My favourite weaving of real-life events was the diamond necklace fiasco with Marie Antoinette.

Basically the story of two small girls who discover magic and use it as they take up positions of power in the world, with consequences that are unexpected.

While not being a supporter and believer in royals I did find myself quite sympathetic to both women which I think was cleverly done - Marie Antoinette has always attracted derision.. I think Heartfield's creations are probably not anything like their real-life counterparts were, but this novel is really asking a big what if, and part of feeling satisfied with the story relies on us sympathising with them.

I was quite moved by the end and I eagerly await Heartfield's next novel.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, The Embroidered Book is a very comprehensively researched account of the lives of Marie Antoinette and her older sister Maria Carolina (Charlotte). Marie Antoinette’s life is well-chronicled, but I knew basically nothing about Charlotte coming into this book, and there were lots of interesting tidbits that had me pulling up Wikipedia. (Though I am still struggling a little with the concept of her giving birth 18 times, especially given what an awful person her husband was). There’s also some cameos from other historical figures, most notably Lafayette.

Overall, I thought Heartfield did a good job with making her subjects seem like the flawed humans they were; she doesn’t shy away from the failures of all of Europe’s monarchs during this period, while also acknowledging that the challenges that female rulers faced in terms of sexism and their lack of preparedness to rule. I both felt bad for them, and completely understood why their subjects hated them. The relationship between the sisters isn’t quite as passionate (for good or bad) as the blurb suggests. Heartfield tries her best, but there’s only so much that can be done when the characters in question only interact by correspondence and enchanted portraits for three decades, and have greater interactions with characters that are ultimately secondary at best. But for the most part, it’s an interesting character study.

Where this book fell flat for me is… well, I’m still not sure why this was a historical fantasy, because the magic system and the associated conflicts don’t really add anything to the story except a cool concept, and a few hundred extra words. The magic system is genuinely one of the more interesting ones I’ve come across, as it requires the magician to make a sacrifice, typically in the form of an emotional connection or a memory. The more powerful the magic, the greater the sacrifice. There’s some interesting musings about what this might mean, but for the majority of the book I’m not actually sure it means much… except that occasionally the characters might forget a previous conversation, or feel no real love for a pet.

The Embroidered Book also tries to introduce a broader conflict – between those who want to keep magic secret tightly controlled, and only taught to a select few, and those who want to throw open the floodgates and make magic more freely spoken about. There’s lots of skulking about, and threats to both queens’ lives due to their knowledge of magic, but it ultimately goes nowhere. The network of magicians and the consequences of their actions for the wider world are too broadly sketched to be really meaningful, and the book introduces people who could be dangerous, but then forgets about them. And meanwhile, the real problems that led to the French Revolution truck along, and we end up exactly where real history took us, without magic really changing a thing.

All of which led to a book that for me was interesting, with real potential, but ultimately not as satisfying as I might have liked.

The Embroidered Book is a magical, captivating book re-imagining a key period in European history and focussing on two pretty remarkable sisters.

Charlotte and Antoine are daughters of the Habsburg Empress and they have always known that their lives would be spent in service of their mother’s wishes to strengthen their empire. Still, when they find an embroidered book containing mysterious spells, they spend their childhood growing closer and closer together as they try to unveil its secrets.

Time passes quickly and very soon they will be sent away from home to marry complete strangers: Charlotte will go to Naples to marry a hard and cruel man; while Antoine is destined to France, where she will have to shed all traces of her Austrian origins, including her name. In the lavish mirrored corridors of Versailles, she is renamed Marie Antoinette.

Very soon, the two sisters find that the book and its spells are the only way for them to take control of their lives. But all magic comes at a price and, as sisterly love slowly turns to rivalry, all of Europe may have to pay it in blood.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish! The late 1700s are a fascinating historical period in their own right and become absolutely irresistible when paired with magic and a focus on women’s lives and experiences.

Charlotte and Antoinette were wonderful characters to read about. They’re complex, flawed women who are trying hard to carve out some space and power for themselves in a world where they are seen as little more than ornaments and whose primary purpose is producing an heir for their powerful husbands. The magic system was fascinating and very clearly explained and coherently maintained throughout. Nothing is free, as every spell requires a sacrifice: the bigger the spell, the higher the sacrifice.

Seeing the two sisters adopt competing approaches to the use of magic was incredibly interesting. While Charlotte joins a secret brotherhood that advocates keeping the use of magic restricted to a select few, Antoinette forms her own inner circle with the goal of ultimately making magic accessible to all. Both approaches have their flaws, and treachery abounds on both sides as certain individuals pursue their own individual power over everything else. Watching it all slowly unfold into the big historical events we all know (and knowing where the road would end for some of the characters) was extremely satisfying, even if painful as I grew attached to these characters more and more.

My only problem with this was that, even though I was mostly glued to the pages, certain sections (especially towards the middle) felt slightly too slow-paced and dragged a bit for me. This isn’t necessarily unexpected in a book as long as this, but it was just a bit too much for my taste. Still, it more than made up for it in the rest! Definitely a must-read for historical fantasy lovers.

I deliberately didn’t look too much into the historical background of this story before or during reading, as I wanted to come to the characters as ‘fresh’ as possible, but even I (with my scanty, pop-culture knowledge of the French Revolution) couldn’t avoid knowing that poor Antoine’s fate would not be a happy one.

After finishing the book, I immediately set off to do the research I was lacking, and was amazed at the author’s skill in weaving the real people, places and events so deftly into her fantasy fabric. In fact, even while reading I found the magical elements of the book so well-thought out, so compelling, that I often forgot that this wasn’t actually how the world worked!

Here, Kate Heartfield presents an alternate European history, in which Habsburg daughters Charlotte and Antoine stumble upon the titular book of spells as children, but can only manage small enchantments as the working of magic calls for sacrifices of the body, of love and affection, of hopes and dreams and of treasures, and such resources are slim for the tightly-monitored young duchesses. We follow them as they are separated by political marriages – to France and to Naples – and both attempt to make the best of the positions they find themselves in, using all of the resources at their disposal: intelligence, social skills, appearance and, of course, magic. And with access to the hopes, loves and treasures of a Queen, they have more to sacrifice, for bigger stakes.

Charlotte is the stronger character of the two, and I found myself firmly rooting for her to overcome all obstacles and survive against all odds. Antoine is a gentler, more helpless soul, and while she does her best throughout, I simply ached with pity for her as she sacrificed over and over again in her desperation to do some good for her adopted country and win the hearts of its people. Either way, I was utterly hooked on both story threads, and the ways in which they intertwined across the distances.

Exploring the dynamics of female power, motherhood, sisterhood and conflicting loyalties to the personal and the political, The Embroidered Book is an intricately woven, magically realistic tale, ideal for readers of historical fiction looking for something on the fantastical side but which remains somehow true to its source nonetheless.


'If only Antoine could find a love spell. A potion, a ribbon, a ring. With the right magic, she’d open Mama’s heart, and save her sister from marrying the beast of Naples.'

– Kate Heartfield, The Embroidered Book


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

I would classify this type of novel as possibly history adjacent, dealing as it does with real people, sprinkled with historical characters such as Salieri and Mozart. However, in the best tradition of speculative fiction, who is to say that the events in this book did not happen? And isn't it delicious to re-imagine and recreate one of history's most famous, misquoted and possibly misunderstood women?

In doing so, Late Heartfield has created the most sweeping and engaging of novels, one which embraces witchcraft, the power which one gives, and the power which one one steals away.

The widow of the Holy Roman Emperor is clinging to the vestiges of her public position by dint of her children-one of them, Joseph, is the new Holy Roman Emperor which brings with it its own challenges, he wants to radically change the ability of individuals to be able to worship in the way they feel most speaks to them, and is of a philosophical bent . Her other children, all girls apart from the youngest boy, are seen as political pawns to strengthen alliances with other countries through marriage. Joseph's twin, Josepha, is to be sent to France whilst another daughter, Charlotte, is to be sent to Naples.

There are various other children who have been lost to sickness, or are unmarriageable because of it-poor Liesl with her smallpox scars is destined for a holy life in a cloister-however, sisters Charlotte and Antoine are determined to use the book which they found in their governess' sewing basket, after her violent and untimely death, to change the future for something better.

The embroidered book of the title was a work which the sisters had seen their governess, Erdag, working on until her death left one part unfinished. On determining to conclude  Erdag's creation, the blank pages held within the book become filled with her handwriting, and instructions for magical spells. Working together, Antoine and Charlotte manage to master thirteen of them, to make small things happen such as possessing dolls, until they realise that so much more is at stake.

Each time they use the book to create magic, they surrender one of their memories and although they are young and have the idea that they have time to make more, they quickly realise that memories are a high and irreplacable price to pay for an unknown outcome.

Their mother tries to keep them apart, believing them to be bad influence son each other, and finally succeeds when after Jospeha dies, Antoine is to be sent to France to marry the dauphin, and become, Marie Antoinette.

Their need for a voice and to be listened to is so very apparent, they feel they have no agency except through witchcraft through which they try to subvert the wishes and actions of their implacable matriarch. However, dabbling in the contents of the embroidered book without any governance or guidance, especially given the mysterious nature of Erdag's death, could come with provisos that no one could foresee.

The mixing of historical and fantastic is absolutely perfect, I had no trouble at all falling down this well of belief, religious extremism and historical fact whatsoever. It was entirely fascinating how these children were all seen as political currency and therefore why their mother kept that deliberate distance from them-with children dying so quickly and so young from the various diseases which plagued these times, you would be effectively handicapped by each death and therefore unable to do your regal duty. With great power comes great responsibility, and it is greatly evident here that starting as young girls, on the cusp of realising who and what they are to become, the witchcraft allegory represents the sacred feminine, the voice which they do not feel they are able to say out loud because women were not listened to or their wishes taken into account. Without a female role model beyond their stiff, remote and duty inclined mother, they only have each other to look to.

But when they are separated, who is going to take the book?

And what will happen as they get older and look further into the spells contained within the embroidered book?

Each page is beautifully rendered and Kate Heartfield stitches you into the story, sentence by sentence, until your imagination is seamlessly interwoven into this epic narrative.

It is gorgeous, heartbreaking and intimate as if you are being read a story just for you, and you alone. The book transcends itself in order to be more than what it is and I truly and eagerly devoured every single page.