Katharine McMahon

I enjoyed the story that is woven through The Rose of Sebastopol. We get a sense of what people at home heard and thought of the war, but also what it was like living and working in the war zone. It is told in dual narrative, with the primary narrative told during the Crimean War, and the secondary narrative consists of Mariella's memories of past events. If you have trouble following multiple timelines, this book may give you difficulty. Part of Mariella's tale of past events can be of her life just before she heads to Italy, from when she meets Henry, and later when she meets Rosa. Eventually the "present" timeline, and the rememberances of life just before she leaves for Italy catch up together, so there is one less time frame to keep track of. Since I had an audiobook, I missed having a printed copy that I could flip back and check at times.

One biggest problem with this audiobook how the chapters end. I would be sitting, listening happily along, and expect the chapter to continue, except it goes launching into a new one. I am not sure if the author wrote it that way, or if the narrator read it in a way where the phrasing sounded like the chapter should continue instead of stopping. This might not have bothered me much, except that I would say at least half of the chapters in the novel ended that way. The other major problem I had with the book is Mariella's voice. When she would get to thinking about how Henry is, or where Rosa was or some decision she has to make, she starts to sound whiny, weak and spoiled. I simply can't stand whiny, weak female lead characters, and this began to get to me. It may have been exaggerated, since I was listening to the book, but not seeing it in print, its hard to say how much. It may also be done to exaggerate the difference between Rosa and Mariella, since Rosa is decisive and fearless, but if this is the case, it could have been done so Mariella didn't sound so weak.

Some of the events covered in the last disk or two seemed hurried, and thrown in almost like an afterthought when compared to the long period in getting to the Crimea and looking for Rosa there. Some of these events would have made the story more interesting, in terms of the characters and their relationships with each other, but being hurried in near the end, they felt more contrived.… (more)

This book was an interesting change from a lot of the fictional books on alchemy that I have read. And although it was a nice change to see real alchemists and physical alchemy being referenced instead of spiritual alchemy, I have issues with this book.
Maybe it was the lack of care which I had for all of the characters, including those ones that we are suppose to be feeling sorry for (who ever they may have been, I really do not know). Or maybe it was the unfortunate lack of surprise in the story. Most of the events that occurred were predictable, easily guessed long before they were ever actually explained. I was expecting more surprises since alchemy is such a fascinating and unpredictable science; instead I get to read about a mundane love interest and emotionally flat beings, where alchemy only enters into the story on the peripheral.
The ending was another point that bothered me, although I was happy that the main character finally got her act together I could not help feeling unsatisfied by the conclusion, in fact I skim read it because I jut got to the point where I felt that enough was enough.
It started of well and got better as it went on, it was just the conclusion that I felt dragged on. All of that said, the book was engaging enough to hold my attention long enough to get me through to the 'almost' end. Definitely a book that I would pick up a second time, even if it is only to enjoy a few select scenes and events.
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What an embarrassing read for the most part. How any of the characters could be in love with each other is a mystery, and spending so much time with Mariella, the narrator, is hard-going, she's such a sop, until the Irish nurse Nora giver her the verbal 'fecking' slap she needed and she bucks up. I picked it up because of the embroidery element, but this was no fabulous Penelope or Arachne story which I was hoping for, and the speed at which Mariella sews and embroiders is frustratingly not remotely credible. Still, once she's had her 'fecking' slap,the narrative improves and it's a fair old romp to the end - albeit a soppy one. Crimea wasn't badly depicted throughout, both at the scene and at home through the Times, which was a relief! But all in all, time spent with some hopefully forgettable characters.… (more)