A fresh new work of historical fiction with a gripping tale of murder, romance, greed, power, and scandal.

In 18th-century Dresden, King Augustus has taken to a new mistress, Fatima, and a new obsession, porcelain - a.k.a. white gold.
1703: Fatima was taken from her home to live in the palace. To survive this new world where beauty and power are valued above all, she curates a personal menagerie of animals that she loves and cares for. She is constantly walking the boundary line of when to speak up and when to be quiet. And when a porcelain maker is brought to work on the palace grounds, her life will change.
1732: Johann Kändler is becoming Europe's most accomplished porcelain maker when he presents the King with his first handcrafted porcelain eagle. If he can continue to please the King by creating a rare porcelain menagerie of animals, he could secure his future. He will find solace in the friendships of Maria and Katharina.
As these two non-linear timelines weave a tapestry of survival, they become beautiful stories told through art and perseverance.

I first need to say that Caroline Hewitt was the PERFECT narrator for this work. Her accents and characterization are some of the best I've ever heard. I was caught up in her emotional depth and naturalism.

I was not expecting this book to be as good as it was. I love it when I'm drawn into a subject I wouldn't ordinarily be interested in. Reading historical fiction like this does that very thing! I have travelled to Dresden and learned the delicate process of creating porcelain. I was caught up in the scandal and drama of this tale. I came away in disbelief that this was based on a true story. This author will be one I continue to follow.

Thank you NetGalley, History through Fiction, Jillian Forsberg, and Caroline Hewitt for this beautiful eARC in exchange for my honest review.

October 21st, 2025
In a house of quiet echoes and porcelain dreams, the past tiptoes through shadowed halls, whispering secrets into the ears of the forgotten. Each figurine, delicate and still, holds a memory too fragile to speak aloud—a love lost, a betrayal sealed, a truth buried beneath layers of dust and denial. Forsberg paints with words like brushstrokes on bone china, crafting a world where beauty masks sorrow and silence is louder than confession. The walls remember what the heart tries to forget, and in their remembering, they beckon the reader to listen.

As the story unfolds, the porcelain menagerie becomes more than decoration—it is a mirror, a mausoleum, a map of emotional terrain. Characters move like ghosts through their own histories, drawn to the fragile edges of what they once were and what they fear becoming. Forsberg’s prose glimmers with restraint and revelation, inviting us to trace the cracks in each soul and wonder what lies beneath. It’s a tale of haunting grace, where every fracture is a doorway, and every silence, a scream waiting to be heard.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and History Through Fiction LLC

Rich characters and culture surround the story of The Porcelain Menagerie. This follows Fatima, or Maria (handmaiden turned mistress to the King), and Johan (a porcelain apprentice) in dual timeline historical Dresden.
The narrator did a marvellous job at bringing all the characters to life. Each one with a distinct voice/accent. The pacing was brilliant, there were no skips, and I felt that the performance was quite immersive.
Johan apprentices at the palace to be an artist for the Porcelain Factory. The kings unsustainable expectations show how selfish and cruel he really is. But Johan is determined to make his career.
We see more of this when he is with Fatima (Maria). The small reprieve she receives from her animals and the porcelain maker is in stark contrast to the use and abuse she receives from King Augustus.
There is a chapter that depicts animal abuse, which i found more descriptive than any of the rest of the book. I felt that this chapter was focused on the most. I can understand why people would be disturbed by some of this content.
Overall, this book started out well, drawing me into the intrigue of the 18th Century. But unfortunately i found the story, for the most part, to be forgettable.
Thank you to Netgalley and History Through Books for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

⭐⭐⭐✨3.75/5 stars, so I have rounded up.

First things first, please check the trigger warnings before diving into this one. There’s animal cruelty and some very confronting treatment of women, which can make parts of the story hard to listen to. And if you do decide to continue, just be prepared… Chapter 30 is a wild ride.
This beautifully written historical novel takes us deep into 18th-century Dresden, following two intertwined timelines that flow seamlessly together.

In the 1730s, we meet Johann Kändler, a talented porcelain sculptor given the opportunity of a lifetime: to create lifelike porcelain animals for King Augustus the Strong. At court, he meets Katharina, the daughter of a former royal mistress, who is seeking a divorce from her abusive husband. As Johann works on his intricate creations, political and personal tensions rise — and a quiet romance begins to bloom between him and Katharina.

The second timeline, set around 26 years earlier, follows Fatima, later known as Maria. Taken from her family to become the King’s mistress, Fatima quickly learns that Augustus is fickle with his affections, but with her, he becomes unusually obsessed, granting her anything she desires. After witnessing the mistreatment of animals upon her arrival, she requests a living menagerie not for show, but to protect the creatures. Over time, she finds herself drawn to a porcelain maker, adding another layer of intrigue and emotion to her story.

The way these two timelines are woven together is one of the book’s strengths. Despite shifting between decades, the flow feels natural, and the connections between characters are revealed in a way that keeps you invested.

Since I experienced The Porcelain Menagerie as an audiobook, I have to say Caroline Hewitt’s narration was spot on. Her pacing was perfect, her delivery engaging, and she gave each character a distinct voice, which is crucial in a dual-timeline story. Even with the jumps between eras and multiple characters, it was always easy to follow along.

Overall, this is not an easy listen. The animal cruelty and societal attitudes towards women in this era are difficult to hear at times. But given the historical setting and the fact that it draws on real events, those elements feel authentic rather than gratuitous. I truly appreciate how the author didn’t shy away from those realities and how the narrator brought every emotional beat to life.

Thank you, NetGalley and History Through Fiction, for supplying an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Going in, I thought this was a fantasy, but in fact this is a fictional take on actual history. And it's a wild, heart-breaking one.

We follow the lives of two people brought into King Augustus the Strong's court. Augustus of 18th-centry Dresden was, to put it bluntly, a maniac. Fatima, later Maria, is forced to be his concubine ... and create a managerie of rare animals. Sculptor Johann Kändler, decades later, is tasked with creating another managerie ... of porcelain creatures. Their lives intersect as the tyrant king moulds his court and flexes his influence.

Fatima's story was the centrepiece here. A foreigner in a foreign land, with almost no power of her own, "wed" to the king, a sociopath with obsessive tendencies. Yet, her fierce spirit and true-to-self drive nets her a surprising outcome in the end.

I appreciate this book for what it does: highlight and breathe life into overlooked and forgotten people, the ones who quietly shaped history. At the same time, I found it overlong and meandering, as I often do when it comes to tales for which we have little historical fact to go on.

There's also a lot of animal cruelty. I know it's fact, but it might be a bit much (it was for me).

Caroline Hewitt's narration was impeccable.

Thanks to History through Fiction for gifted access to this audiobook via NetGalley. All opinions below are my own.

This story is about the lives of two people pressed into service in the king’s court in 18th century Saxony. Johann is a young boy when we meet him, his deformed brother has just passed away and his pastor father sends him off to work as a sculptor for the king. There he meets Maria, the king’s mistress, a Turkish woman who was sold off to the king. Both live in impossible circumstances under a tyrant with unrealistic expectations for them both.

This is the kind of historical fiction I really enjoy. It is not a setting or plot that has been overtrodden in mainstream publishing. The king is recognizable in his desires and control as any of this time period but we get a detailed glimpse of the smaller lives around him that must live up to his every whim. The desires of these individuals to be just that, a person with some free will, some chance to chase their own hopes and dreams but also protect their family and their life. We often hear of artists and women in the king’s courts but those are often stories of political manipulation, I liked this quieter tale of survival and danger. The author’s note at the end was great providing a little depth to her story. The writing reminded me of Nancy Bilyeau and her story The Blue

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this story. As someone who loves both art and history, this book was right up my alley. The historical elements were rich and immersive, and I appreciated how unique the premise felt, like uncovering a hidden layer of the past.

The dual POVs worked so well to draw me in and keep me curious, and I loved getting glimpses into different facets of the society portrayed—especially how dark things could become in the name of entertainment. There were many parallels of how the animals were treated similarly to the people in the story, especially the women.

The bits of the love stories were touching simultaneously added warmth and hope but also fear, making me nervous for the outcome for our characters. I only wish there had been more since I didn’t want it to end! I found myself wondering what happened next, and especially what’s taken place in the 14 years since the main events of the book. But overall, I’m so glad I read it and would definitely recommend it.

The Porcelain Menagerie is a rich historical fiction novel that immerses you in its time and place, you can really feel the greed and lack of empathy that shapes the characters and their world. Jillian Forsberg does a great job showing how ambition and self-interest impact family ties and individual lives. Caroline Hewitt’s narration adds emotional depth, making the characters’ struggles more vivid.

I love how the story is atmospheric and the historical setting is well done, but the tone can feel heavy at times, reflecting the harsh realities the characters face. If you’re interested in a story that doesn’t shy away from the darker sides of human nature within a historical context, this one will stick with you.

The author molds such a compelling story of the history of King Augustus and his porcelain addiction. King Augustus's need for larger and extremely intricate sculptures pushes his workers to discover the secrets of making porcelain . Mix in a dash of romance and intrigue and this book keeps you spell bound. I couldn't put it down. Who knew porcelain could cause such drama! After finishing this book I searched for the porcelain menagerie online and the collections is at the Meissen Porcelain Museum. The sculptures are beautiful.

Most of this review is identical to my comments about the print version of The Porcelain Menagerie. However, listening to the book was slightly more confusing than reading because there wasn't a clear demarcation when the narrative changed from Fatima c. 1706 to Johann c. 1732. Having said that the reader was excellent and it was exceptionally well done.

In The Porcelain Menagerie, Jillian Forsberg examines how the 18th-century European pursuit of porcelain, long mastered in China, highlights the dangers of absolute power. In this case the power is held by Augustus II, Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. King Augustus possessed great physical strength and is also notable for fathering a very large number of children – he was a womanizer extraordinaire. However, he is perhaps best remembered as a patron of the arts and architecture.
Forsberg deploys two timelines – 1706 and 1732 - to craft a narrative around two protagonists. The first, Fatima Karima, better known as Maria, is the King’s mistress and captive whose passion was her menagerie of exotic animals. The second, Johann Kändeler, is an artisan and detainee, tasked with creating a life size menagerie out of porcelain. Both Maria and Johann, along with the caged animals experience cruelty, control and the consequences of the King’s obsessions.
The book is rife with trigger warnings, perhaps none more distressing to modern readers, than the outright cruelty to animals. There is an entire chapter about “fox tossing, “a cruel sport where the animals are thrown into the air (whoever gets the highest fox is the winner). If the subsequent fall doesn’t kill the fox, dwarves and children are given the opportunity to club them to death. Equally troubling is the King’s habit of valuing things more than people. An example of this is his trade of 6000 soldiers for 1400 pieces of Chinese porcelain. It is a given that his mistress Fatima and his porcelain maker Johann are also viewed by the King as objects.
Thank you to NetGalley and to History Through Fiction for the eARC in exchange for my review.

TW: sexual assault, animal abuse, intimate partner violence

Well, I can honestly say that I don't know what really happened in this book. I found the narrator's German accent to be incredibly distracting, especially the way she kept hitting every syllable of "Augustus" so hard. ("Ah-ooh-Goos-Toos". It never actually seemed to flow when she said it.)

The jumping back-and-forth between timelines was confusing because it featured many of the same characters in both timelines, and the other characters still have the same jobs as people from the past timeline. I kept forgetting which porcelain makers existed in which timeline, and I was getting all their names mixed up. (Half the time, the artists were just called "porcelain maker" anyway, which did NOT help me keep track of which one we were following at that moment.) At one point, there was a reference to a shipwreck, and then a little later someone else was taking care of a little boy from a shipwreck and I thought, wait there were two shipwrecks? But it turns out we were referencing the same shipwreck in a two different timelines.

Perhaps this one is better in printed form than audio.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for access to an audio ARC. My honest review is my own opinion.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

The author has a great writing style that draws in the reader. She does a great job of depicting the characters and making them pop off the page. This was a well written book.

Fascinating tale set in the 1700’s. An unhinged ruler, porcelain art, Dresden, the treatment of women as objects. It’s disturbing in many ways, yet remains hopeful. Very interesting story - the audiobook was very well done.

Dresden is ruled by King Augustus the Strong and he values porcelain above gold or h7msn lives. He is a cruel man who treats women terribly. Johann Kändler has skills as a sculptor and is tasked with the creation of a Porcelain Menagerie. Life under the rule of Augustus is complex and unsafe. You must keep the King happy no matter the personal cost.

Very well written and well narrated historical novel (I listened to the audiobook). Excellent characters in this novel set in the 18th-century. We follow two timelines, 5he first with Fatima when she becomes the King’s mistress and the second when Johann starts to create the menagerie. We follow the King’s obsession, ambition, art and human dignity. Well paced and very informative.

The narrator in this could not have been more perfect. She is up there in the Moira Quirk, Julia Whelan, Natalie Naudus category for audio narrator for me. The narrator's ability to transition seamlessly from one language to another and nail the accents, added a layer or richness to a story already steeped in artistry! She beautifully brought the characters, their emotions and the environment to life. I will absolutely be looking for more audio narrations from Caroline Hewitt.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 x infinity
ARC Reader Review – *The Porcelain Menagerie by Jillian Forsberg

I had the absolute honor of receiving this physical ARC directly from History Through Fiction, and let me just say—it means the world. My *first ever* physical ARC, and it couldn’t have been more special. Following Jillian’s journey over the years has been nothing short of inspiring, and this book is the perfect example of how she pours heart, detail, and historical richness into every page.

*The Porcelain Menagerie* is a spellbinding tale that lingers. I found myself utterly attached to Fatima—a character so vividly alive and full of silent resistance, grace, and strength. Her quiet rebellion against the shadows of power-hungry men, particularly King Augustus, is both heartbreaking and deeply empowering. She doesn’t fight with swords or loud speeches—she transforms her world through love, compassion, and her connection to the delicate animals in the menagerie. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I still can’t.

King Augustus was a brilliantly written contradiction—one moment captivating, the next deeply unsettling. His obsession with “white gold” (*porcelain) felt like a character of its own, symbolic of greed, control, and a desire to possess beauty rather than understand it.

And then there’s Johann—the silent thread holding it all together. He bridged the emotional gap between Augustus, other porcelain masters, and the court, embodying both the awe and tragedy of their world. His arc was masterfully woven and ultimately, painfully inevitable. His bond to his brother was a touch of purity, and his determination through his art whether sketching or sculpting from his impeccable memory, you could feel connected to this character wherever your path in life.

Important note: This book contains very distressing topics including forced intimacy, fox tossing (which hurts my soul to even think about), and physical abuse. These scenes are difficult but handled with care to reflect the brutal historical reality and emotional depth of the characters. If you're a sensitive reader, it’s worth being prepared—because this book will grip your heart and twist it.

This book isn’t just historical fiction—it’s a portrait of obsession, beauty, control, and resistance. Jillian Forsberg’s writing is lush, immersive, and emotionally *stunning*. I feel lucky to have held this one in my hands early—and I’ll be recommending it to everyone.

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✨ Thank you to **History Through Fiction**, the **author Jillian Forsberg**, and the team behind this incredible story for this physical ARC. I’m beyond grateful. ✨

Let me start by saying that Jillian Forsberg’s stories never disappoint. The Porcelain Menagerie was one of my most anticipated releases of the year after reading the companion novel and author’s debut, The Rhino Keeper.

Right off the bat, the tone is set to be much darker than its predecessor. We first meet Johann Kändler as a young boy alongside his family. Throughout the first chapter, we see Johann grow into a curious young man who yearns to make art. From this point on, the book slowly gets darker and feels heavier on the soul as the story progresses.

While this book covered dark themes and faces the atrocities that happened in this court in the 18th century, I can’t help but note how Forsberg’s writing makes scenes jump off the page. Every scene in the menagerie itself was written in such a way that I could see it vividly in my mind. This location almost felt whimsical - like an enchanted forest full of creatures. A true escape for Fatima, Johann, and other characters. And as a zookeeper, I related to Fatima’s love of her animals and her determination to offer them the best life she could in such a cruel world.

The last 10 or 15 chapters bring the reader face to face with many of the cruelties of King Augustus the Strong. While this is historical fiction, history has a funny (or maybe not so funny) way of repeating itself. I found many quotes to be hard hitting and sadly relatable to what is going on in our world today. I don’t wish to spoil anything, but one quote I would like to highlight is quite simple, but very impactful:

“We are foxes, aren’t we?”

This story was heartbreaking, haunting, and beautiful in so many ways. I cannot wait to see what Jillian has in store for us next.

The audio performance was superb and I can’t imagine a better narrator choice for this story.

Thank you to Jillian Forsberg and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Porcelain Menagerie is a historical fiction novel following two timelines: one follows Johann Kändler, an artist, and the other follows Fatima (also known as Maria), a handmaiden who is forced to become the king’s mistress. Both these characters must survive the reign of King Augustus the Strong and his obsessions with women, porcelain, and control.

I really enjoyed this book! Forsberg’s prose is beautiful. I really enjoyed both timelines/POVs and how they seamlessly intertwined with one another throughout the story. Both characters were interesting, and I was invested in their stories, though I found Fatima’s story more compelling. The premise of the book was fascinating and felt really unique, though that may be because I am not familiar with the historical figures/events that inspired this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it! I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. She did a much better job of pronouncing the character and place names than I would’ve been able to!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.