Tyranny is in the air in the city of Finer Bay, and Professor Wendowleen Cripcot would like to be left alone, thank you very much. The memories of the last one hundred years are quite enough to be getting on with, if only these young upstarts from the government body, The Finery, would stop trying to control her every move.
With the eyes of a dictator upon her, there are not many places to hide...but Wendowleen has never been one to back down from a fight (just ask her pet wolf), and insurrection is brewing underground.
What did I think?
It's always a little daunting when I start a book in an unfamiliar genre but I knew from the very first page that I was going to love The Finery. So, if you say you don't read fantasy then definitely make an exception for Rachel Grosvenor's fantastic debut novel.
Professor Wendoleen Cripcot is almost 101 years old but she still has her wits about her and she refuses to be told what to do, especially by that young whippersnapper, the Dictator. Wendoleen is such a feisty character and I absolutely loved her and her pet wolf. The character of Wolf is easily one of my favourite fictional animal characters and I loved his voracious appetite that added a wonderful sprinkly of humour throughout the novel.
As Finer Bay is a dictatorship, there's more than a hint of revolution bubbling beneath the surface and when The Finery captures Wendoleen in their crosshairs she has no alternative but to join the revolution. I absolutely loved this part of the story and I could almost 'hear the people sing' as they rose up and made their voices heard.
Incredibly entertaining and so vividly written, it's very easy to forget that The Finery is a fantasy novel as I was so completely immersed in the story from start to finish. The Finery isn't just a magnificent debut, it's a groundbreaking novel that has put fantasy firmly on my list of genres. Put Rachel Grosvenor on your bookshelf and your watch list, readers!
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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