This was a beautifully written exploration of the French Revolution and how that period in time intertwines with Irish history. Rich and complex, this was a joy to read. Bergman writes with a delicate touch, but with such conviction that you can't help but be swept along. The use of Tarot brings an added dimension which I greatly enjoyed, and helps to break up the (sometimes brutal) story. My only criticism would be that it's a little lengthy and might have been stronger for being just a little condensed, but a worthy follow up to The Witches of Vardo (which I HIGHLY recommend) and I'll be on the look out for whatever Bergman writes next.

Enjoyed this historic fantasy exploring real events through the lens of two (supernaturally) gifted women from humble backgrounds. IMO wasn't as strong as The Witches of Vardo but I look forward to reading more from Anya in the future.

Thank you to Anya Bergman, Bonnier Books UK | Manilla Press, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was unfortunately disappointing and I had to dnf. The writing style didn’t work for me - jumping between 1st person and 3rd person with multiple POVs was jarring. The characters were one dimensional and often felt juvenile, and the characterisation of Cait, a scullery maid, made almost no sense. The pacing was off and the book could have been majorly edited down.

I will definitely try The Witches of Vardo though!

Set against the fevered backdrop of the French Revolution, The Tarot Reader of Versailles is a rich, immersive historical novel that blends fact and fiction with a deft, intuitive hand. Inspired by a real-life tarot reader at the court of Versailles, Anya Bergman brings to life a world on the brink of transformation, where womanhood and war collide.

At the heart of the novel are two compelling female protagonists, whose duality becomes the novel’s central architecture: Adelaide Lenormand, a renowned tarot reader with the ability to communicate with the dead, and Cait Molloy, a young Irish scullery maid who can see people’s pasts. Rather than offering a binary of good and evil, Bergman gives us two women with deeply held convictions, both righteous in their own way, both fallible. Their mirrored arcs speak to larger themes of fate and agency, with each navigating a world determined to define them.

The use of tarot, goddess archetypes, and esoteric practices is one of the novel’s most fascinating elements. There’s a real reverence for the intuitive arts here, woven through with historical sensibility. The book balances the magical and the historical with remarkable finesse.

There are perhaps a few characters that could have been omitted for the sake of pace, particularly the inclusion of the Morrigan, whose presence felt a touch out of place in the otherwise tightly plotted world, though this didn’t detract significantly from the overall impact. The political backdrop of revolutionary France is both enthralling and challenging. As someone with limited prior knowledge of the era’s politics, I found myself eager to learn more. That a novel can ignite that kind of curiosity is a testament to its power.

The Tarot Reader of Versailles is an enjoyable work of historical fiction, a study in duality, belief, and the stories people tell themselves in times of chaos. A layered read that will appeal to lovers of history, mysticism, and morally complex women.

This book would have been excellent had it been a third shorter - I found the same with the first novel about the Nordic witches. I love French history, and Tarot, and was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately, it was so slow, I was struggling to stay invested in the story, and skimmed through the last third.

I really enjoyed this book. It's exactly the kind that I love. The characters were superb and the mysticism was brilliant.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and it’s a NetGalley book. But I knew I was never going to be able to read it anytime soon, so I just Xigxagged it! And I’m really glad that I did. When a book is from more than one perspective, it’s good to hear the characters in their “own” voices, I always think. I don’t know if I an even explain the storyline of this one – there’s a lot going on. French Revolution, a tarot card reader (Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand) discovers an Irish woman (Cait) on the streets of Paris who also has extraordinary powers. Lenormand reads futures, Cait sees their pasts. Cait wants to return to Ireland and help free the Irish from the yoke of British rule, and this is how she goes about getting there. There’s a lot of detail about the French Revolution, and Lenormand has a close relationship with those around Marie Antoinette (unfortunately for her). It’s pretty brutal at times, but those were the times in which these people lived. It’s a real adventure story, with magic and sapphic love thrown in to the mix as well. I loved this one – highly recommended!

I loved this book! The two pov characters are clear and distinct, and there is a good feeling of the epoch in the style of the writing. I felt that Marie Antoinette herself was a little two dimensional, but not problematic as she's still believable. The other historical characters felt real too.
Definitely recommended.

I struggled with the jumping timeline/POV with this book. I love a historical fiction, and especially magical realism/paranormal themes, but it just felt muddy for me. There was no real focus on anything in particular for me.

I ended up DNfing as it started to feel like a chore to read.

I was hooked on Anya Bergman’s writing after reading The Witches of Vardø, so I couldn’t wait to dive into The Tarot Reader of Versailles. It absolutely delivered—a rich, immersive story that blends history, mysticism, and politics in the most captivating way.
There’s a lot going on at the start: different timelines, multiple points of view, and loads of historical detail. It takes a bit of concentration, but it’s 100% worth it. Once you get into the rhythm, it all clicks into place—and what unfolds is a gripping, layered story that constantly surprises you.
The French Revolution is a period I thought I knew fairly well but this book gave me a fresh perspective. It made me realise just how much women were pushed to the sidelines during that time. And the connection with the Irish rebellion was completely new to me I learned so much, and it definitely sent me down a few historical rabbit holes after reading.
What really stood out was the way Anya wove tarot into the story. It’s not just a background detail it’s central to the plot and adds a sense of danger, mystery, and even fate. I loved how the story explored the idea of destiny, and how much control we really have over our own lives.
The characters are compelling, and I was really drawn to both main voices. Their stories are distinct but beautifully layered together. And the settings whether it’s the lavish French court, the gritty streets of Paris, or the windswept beauty of Ireland are described so vividly that I felt completely transported.
Knowing it’s inspired by the real-life Marie-Anne Adelaide Lenormand made it even more fascinating. Her story, combined with the political upheaval and the mystical elements, makes for a really unique read.
This book has everything I love in historical fiction: strong characters, real emotional stakes, a sense of place, and that magical feeling of learning something new without it ever feeling like a history lesson. If you're into historical fiction with a bit of intrigue and mysticism, definitely pick this one up.

The Tarot reader of Versailles is an evocative and captivating read written so well I forgot I wasn't in Paris. If love and betrayal are your cup of tea then this book is for you

Hmm.. I’m torn on this one. Whilst this was a clearly well researched and heart filled story with lots of interesting twists and turns and mystical elements, I was often left feeling it was either all a little too much or just not enough.

So many things were crammed into this book. Love triangles, murderous plots, feminist movements, mystical creatures, kidnappings, sapphic romance, tarot readings, spirits, revolutions, treachery, royals, imprisonments… the list goes on and on! And most of these themes, I really did enjoy. The idea of fate vs choice, the revolution raging in France and the similar revolts in Ireland, the mythological mixing with the historical, the secrets, the hidden alliances, the brutality! This was all really interesting and kept me intrigued right to the end. But to be honest, I just think the author tried to cover far too much whilst also trying to give an accurate timeline of events from the very real backdrop of the story. There were a few elements of the story that I just found frustrating or downright pointless, lots of side plots and repetitive scenes, and my biggest gripe was the characters murky motivations.

It often felt like they would change their core beliefs on a whim or would love people without foundation which I really can’t stand. Cait especially seemed so all over the place and her motivations so weak. It was disappointing as she started out so self assured only to lose her agency and crumble depending on her love interest or mood essentially. Lenormand had all this backstory of starting out with nothing and having a hard time, but I didn’t really understand the influence it had on her motivations in the end. She never seemed to question her own loyalty despite her past and the facts in front of her. And really don’t get me started on Reilly because… who knows what that guy was thinking truly.

Overall I did enjoy the story, and I did learn a lot about the real historical events portrayed! But a lot of repetitive moments and weak character motivations took too much enjoyment out of it for me. Middle of the road star rating of about 2.5/3 stars.

Thanks to net galley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Having enjoyed Anya Bergmans writing in The Witches of Vardo, and been intrigued by the synopsis for this novel, I started this ARC with eager anticipation. It should be the sort of novel I would get lost in. Unfortunately on this occasion I did not feel invested in the story, and found the level of description unnecessary. After a slow, and slightly confused start due to the time jumps, I never reached a point where I was rooting for the characters, or felt particularly interested in the outcome (which was rather predictable).

Having said that, this is my personal opinion, and perhaps at another time I'd have enjoyed it more. Seeing other early reviews I know I'm in the minority, and on publication I'm sure others will enjoy this historical fiction story. I am grateful to netgalley, publisher and author for the oppurtunity to read this ARC.

What an absolute joy this book was to read, this has instantly gone to my favourite book of the year!

This story covered themes of love, loss, betrayal and belonging each with such heart. I felt each emotion deeply as the character felt it. I enjoyed the dual perspectives from Lenormand and Caitlin, and how the story unfolded with the teachings of the different kind of tarot readings leading us to the next part of the story. I have always been intrigued by tarot but knew little of it myself so greatly enjoyed learning of each through Caitlin's diary entries.

The relationship between Lenormand and Caitlin was beautifully written. Caitlin's character development throughout was thoroughly enjoyable, and I found myself riding the waves of her emotions and split loyalties. I enjoyed the mystical elements of the story and Lenormand's guidance from the spirits. I also loved the true historical elements that were woven in with the fictional and felt this was very well done. I enjoyed reading of the French Revolution through Lenormand and Caitlin's experiences, offering a peek behind the curtain to Marie Antoinette's experience during this time.
The descriptions of both Paris and Ireland were thoroughly immersive and helped bring the whole book together into a truly thrilling read. I feel this book would appeal to any fans of historical fiction and mysticism.

I cannot wait to have a physical copy of this book and read again with the tarot illustrations included!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for the advanced e-copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

A deeply researched historical fiction novel and a really unique take on the French Revolution. That said, I think I knew too much about the time period to find it gripping - since there's a lot of explanation - and I really struggled with the 'telling not showing' the author does, skipping ahead months and having the characters say 'I felt X' instead of diving into their heads. I found it hard to really engage with them as characters since it felt like we skimmed the surface. That said, the idea is really interesting and I did enjoy it.

I love historical fiction with a magical twist, which means this book should have been perfect for me. However, there was something about it that just fell flat, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

The writing was beautiful, but I found the beginning a little confusing as we were skipping back and forth in time. The diary was a good device to keep the two voices distinct and giving it a reason to go from first person to third person, but Caitlin didn’t convincingly sound like an Irish kitchen maid in my opinion. I know Reilly tutored her, but she sounded very educated and not all that different to El.

Part of the problem was likely that the author was trying to cover far too much time in a single book. Huge swaths of time were skipped and events summarised in a sentence. I did not believe Caitlin’s and El’s affections for each other, as their developing feelings were skimmed over. Much more time was spent building up Caitlin and Reilly. He came across as an awful and manipulative person, and Caitlin was not very likeable either as she was stringing both him and El along. To be honest, none of the characters were likeable — the prose and the idea were good enough to keep me reading, but I didn’t feel like I was rooting for anyone.

It was also hard for me to believe in anyone’s motivations, particularly Reilly’s at the end. Sacrificing himself felt very much out of character and just a device to get the boy out of prison.

The real life connection between the Irish and French struggle for independence was fascinating, and something that I did not know about. However, the supernatural element to the plot felt more like a shortcut to squeeze in information at times. The ending was rather disappointing, and I felt that it was too abrupt. I’m not expecting a happy ending given the subject matter, but the story feels a little incomplete to me. I also did not enjoy the parts where the tarot spreads were explained and felt they could have been cut without losing anything from the novel.

Overall, it was an interesting premise but not quite the one for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

This had all the elements I should love. Magic! Irish pagan goddesses! French revolution! Irish independence! The description hooked me in immediately and the two heroines were fantastically flawed. It felt well researched and covered an interesting and lesser known part of history, which was very satisfying. The tarot spread descriptions were beautifully written and imaginative.

Unfortunately I found the rest of the execution lacking (no pun intended). The dialogue and exposition were clunky, with some details (e.g. Caitlin's mysterious future, Adelaide's unofficial title) repeated over and over again. On the flip side, crucial plot points (like El's inexplicable loyalty to the queen and the instant connection between the two women) were explained in a mere sentence or two and by a supernatural occurrence. Similarly, we zoomed past lots of potential plot holes by virtue of El's spirits telling her something or the Morrigan appearing and taking care of it.

Both the French revolution and Ireland's long struggle for independence are incredibly complicated and can make for unsatisfying story arcs by themselves. At all times the author treated them with respect and well researched detail. The terror post Revolution felt real and the Ireland parts never fell into cliche. However, I felt the fantastical elements were used as an unsatisfying shortcut for both the plot and the relationships in what tried to be a richly layered and complex story. Overall the impression I got was that it needed one more revision to polish it up.

‘The Tarot Reader of Versailles’ follows two young women has they navigate life during the political turmoil of eighteenth-century Paris undergoing revolution. Caitlin, alone in Paris after leaving Ireland to seek the man she loves as well as a way to oust the British from her home country, meets Lenormand, a young woman with a gift for Tarot and connections to the French royal family. Together, with Caitlin’s own palm reading talents, the women become wildly successful, but all the while become entangled in increasingly terrifying and deadly circumstances. Who can they trust as all around them fall? Each other, surely?

This is a long book and I enjoyed the tale from start to finish. It reminded me of ‘The Embroidered Book’ by Kate Heartfield, set at the same time and featuring Marie Antoinette, so it was nice to be back in a time and place that I have read about before.

As ever, the first half of the novel felt longer than the second, and in the first few pages I did find myself having to go back to check the dates that things were taking place and also the names of the characters, which changed frequently in the early chapters. Once I had been reading for longer, both of these became a lot easier to navigate.

I can’t say I particularly warmed to either Caitlin or Lenormand. In fact, it’s possible the opposite is true. As the story progressed, I began to like them less. Without giving too much away, I think this was because of Caitlin’s duplicitousness and Lenormand’s stubbornness. That being said, I don’t subscribe to the view that characters must be likeable for a book to be enjoyable, so my review score still stands!

I did feel that some of the mystery was lost by sharing that Lenormand knew she would live a long life from her reading of her cards; this took some of the interest in the conclusion away for me. I was intrigued, however, after finishing the book, to learn from the author’s note that Lenormand was a real person.

I have previously enjoyed the author’s first novel, ‘The Witches of Vardo’, which I would recommended above this, but the writing in both is extremely vivid and I will look forward to see whatever Anya Bergman writes next!

Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read ‘The Tarot Reader of Versailles’ ahead of its publication.

An amazing insight into the French Revolution. I had no idea about the Irish connection for Irish independence.
This was absolutely fascinating. A real gem of a book combining history myth and fantasy. The book had me hooked from the first chapter. Each chapter a different characters story had me hanging on a cliff and reading late into the night to catch up on the previous chapters story of the heroine and interspersed with tarot card spreads and their meanings adds a whole other dimension to the book. I would have given it five stars but I felt it was a little longwinded and probably could have had my attention more if it had been a little shorter but that could just be me as I don't like books to be too long. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. I read on my kindle for NetGalley. With thanks to the author publisher and NetGalley.

Check out this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for an advance reader copy of the Tarot Reader of Versailles. This book captivated me from the outset, it is full of love, allegiances, treachery and betrayal and it made me think about how much control we have over our own fate and destiny.

I engaged with the main characters and really enjoyed the tarot theme throughout this story. The book is set during the time of the French Revolution and it is the first book I’ve ever read that is set during this period. I love books that make the past come alive and this book really did that for me. From the opulence of the French Court, the poverty on the streets of Paris, to the wild beauty of Ireland this book really captivated me. It is inspired by the true story of Lenormand too which makes it even more interesting. Ironically, the plotting to overthrow the French monarchy and create equality between all men really did mean all men, whilst the women were kept in their place and still not seen as equal.

The blurb:
“Two women. An extraordinary power. An explosive bond.
In a time of revolution, their fates will lie in the turn of a card . . .

It is the early days of the French Revolution and, on the streets of Paris, terror reigns.

Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand is a young woman with an extraordinary power - through her tarot cards, she can commune with the dead, revolutionaries and the aristocracy alike seeking her out to divine their fortunes. Lenormand is loyal to Marie Antoinette and the dauphin of France, but she has seen the queen's fate in the cards and must take care that it doesn't become her own.

Then, one fateful day, she comes across Cait, a scullery maid from Ireland who has travelled to Paris for love. Cait has powers too - she can read people's pasts as Lenormand reads their futures. The two young women share an electrifying connection, drawn to each other's abilities. But Cait is hiding something. What will she do - and who will she betray - to bring revolution to the shores of her beloved Ireland too?

Inspired by the astonishing true story of Marie-Anne Adelaide Lenormand, The Tarot Reader of Versailles is a sweeping, powerful novel where allegiances, betrayals and even fate itself can be forged or broken by the turn of a card . . .”


REVIEWED ON FABLE, GOODREADS AND WATERSTONES https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-tarot-reader-of-versailles/anya-bergman/9781786582560#write-review