Out Front the Following Sea

The first half of this book I found to be promising historical fiction. The heroine is spirited and educated and I enjoyed the use of the archaic language, it felt authentic. If you are looking for something with a breakneck pace and a cast of thousands, this might be for you.

However, as the plot was so intense I found that the book sacrificed on the emotional intensity. Ruth goes through a variety of horrific events but they scarcely register before Ruth moves on to the next horrific event. What should be devastating flies by without much feeling. The villain of the piece is also unredeemably bad, and personally I prefer my villains with a bit of nuance! I was also not a fan of the ending, but that goes down to personal taste.

I received an advanced review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.