THE SQUARE OF SEVENS by Laura Shepard-Robinson
I received the digital ARC of this last year, but I knew I wanted a hard copy so I waited to read it. As a causal tarot reader, this was right up my alley. Also, whenever a book has maps and images throughout, it’s best (IMO) to have a physical copy. That’s part of the whole reading experience y’know?
This story has it all; two wealthy and influential families fighting over an inheritance, a large manor house with multiple hidden passageways and rooms, astrology, suspicious deaths, scandals, gossip etc. At the center of it all is Red, a young fortune teller who desperately wants to learn more about the mother she’s never known.
What this book also has is a large cast of characters and multi layered twists and turns interwoven into the plot. There are details you’ll need to keep track of and people you can’t quickly forget. While I felt the story lost its momentum at the midway point when it became bogged down with too many details, the ending made up for it.
I loved how all twenty one cards (and its meanings) were shown at the beginning of each chapter. The author’s historical note at the end was also quite insightful. I appreciate when historical fiction incorporates divination and astrology without it feeling too “woo woo” or contrived.
Overall, this is a worthwhile story to get into if you love a good historical mystery with the added bonus of cartomancy.
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
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