The Square of Sevens: A BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club Pick

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I loved the way the author integrated the Square of Sevens itself into the book, with each chapter bearing an illustration of a card whose accompanying interpretation may give clues to the events about to unfold. Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. I really loved the premise to this book and I was really excited to read it. It promised to combine Georgian England, high society and a touch of magical realism. Just up my street! The Square of Sevens is expertly crafted and full of details that pull you into Red's world. I loved every interaction and encounter Red had and I loved that we knew she wasn't entirely a reliable narrator. I couldn't put this book down and I am still thinking about it now even though I finished it a few weeks ago. Our protagonist, Red, spent the first seven years of her life on the run with her father, evading the eyes of those who, according to her father, intend to harm them. Red’s father, who goes by the name of George the Tenth of Kernow, is a "cunning-man" who comes from a long line of pellars. Using an ancient method of card reading that has been passed down through generations, father and daughter make their living telling fortunes using the Square of the Sevens method. Red is a gifted fortune teller. She never knew her mother, having lost her when she was a baby, and her father hadn’t shared much about her with Red. After her father dies, seven-year-old Red is left in the care of an antiquarian from Bath to whom he also entrusts the manuscript detailing the unique Square of Sevens technique. However, she remains curious about her parents, a quest that is discouraged by her guardian. Red spends the next ten years in Bath until her fortunes change after the demise of her guardian. She runs away from Bath and the clutches of her guardian’s shady nephew and tries to support herself, telling fortunes – a risky venture after the passing of The Witchcraft Act of 1735, which could result in imprisonment. She follows the clues of her mother’s family history from her father’s documents which lead her to London and Devon amid two feuding but influential families who would rather their secrets stay buried but also wouldn’t hesitate to use Red as a pawn to further their own motives. Will Red discover the truth about her family connections and finally find out why she spent her early childhood on the run with her father? Will she be able to see through the lies, deceit and manipulation?

Ever since her bestselling debut, Blood & Sugar, Laura Shepherd-Robinson has made the Georgian era her own. In her latest, The Square of Sevens, she revisits the period, this time following a young girl named Red as she navigates the dark mysteries of her own past and the convoluted – and murderous – machinations of two of the country’s most prominent dynasties warring over a disputed inheritance.A big, meaty, meticulously researched and unashamedly ambitious historical novel Vaseem Khan, author of The Malabar House series Intricate, compelling and stuffed full of intrigue, The Square of Sevenswill sweep you into its world Fiona Barton, bestselling author of The Widow There was quite a large, diverse cast of characters and each of them played a role in Red’s quest for answers. I loved that I never quite knew who to trust. There are clues, red herrings and mis-directions thrown at the reader as the mystery unfolds. I’d think I had it all figured out and then realise I was completely wrong. The final twist took me by complete surprise.

Laura Shepherd-Robinson opens with a note about the method of fortune telling known as the Square of Sevens and where to find information about the cards’ meanings. Shepherd- Robinson presents perennial themes of truth and lies, love and loyalty, and chance and fate . . . This is a captivatingly complex tale of intrigue set in a world hesitantly blundering its way to being post-Newtonian. Publisher’s Weekly

There was quite a large, diverse cast of characters and each of them played a role in Red's quest for answers. I loved that I never quite knew who to trust. There are clues, red herrings and mis-directions thrown at the reader as the mystery unfolds. I'd think I had it all figured out and then realise I was completely wrong. The final twist took me by complete surprise. brilliant young female protagonist, Red, who has a unique skill in fortune-telling and cunningly uses it to her advantage, showing the reader a morally grey character that is not shy of deploying certain tactics to get what she wants.

Red is now known as Rachel Antrobus and is plunged into society circles in Bath. Rachel enjoys her new life but she can't help wondering about her father's mysterious enemies. When I finished this book I had to sit and think for a few minutes because WOW. I mean, I love historical fiction books, and I love mystery aspects intertwined with that as well. Think Kate Mosse! Shepherd-Robinson does an excellent job of piecing together this story, and leaving you wondering. The Square of Seven’ has an interesting narrative structure inspired by this fortune telling system. The novel has four parts, each comprised of twenty-one chapters. Every chapter is headed by a playing card and the meaning of the card mirrors the events of that chapter. In addition, each of the four parts corresponds to a fortune that Red tells during the course of the novel. I felt like Red’s character was realistic and her character development was in keeping with her young age. However at the end of the novel I was wondering whether some of her actions were realistic considering her age and upbringing.