Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A clever re-imagining of the life of Jeanne d’Arc, La Pucelle D’Lorraine.
I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s previous novel featuring an alternative history of Maid Marian so her new offering was a must-read. Once again taking a fantasy approach, it focusses on the voices and visions revealed to Jeanne, the toll they take and the repercussions they have. It’s a great read and has certainly piqued my interest in learning more about the “real” Jeanne d’Arc.

Last September I read Jaime Lee Moyer’s brilliant reimagining of Maid Marian’s life, Brightfall. A year later and her latest novel explores the life of Jeanne d’Arc; from her humble beginnings to her key role in the history of France.

Like Brightfall, this is very much a character driven piece. Jeanne is at the centre of everything, all the action revolves squarely around her. Moyer does an excellent job of defining the shape of the conflict around, and also within Jeanne. On one hand, Jeanne is just a young woman who wants nothing more than to make her own decisions about her life. She just wants the opportunity to find her own path. As a counterpoint to that, the voices that have haunted her for years have far loftier goals. Jeanne’s divine friends seek to define the shape of nations. Throughout the narrative, there is always that constant juxtaposition between the ideas of destiny and choice.

While the internal battle consumes our heroine events around Jeanne also spiral out of control. France and England are in an increasingly bloody war and the French leaders require a symbol to ignite their nation’s patriotism. Can Jeanne act as a lightning rod who can stir the hearts of men?

One of the things I found most interesting and kept coming back to was the idea of the voices in Jeanne’s head. They are the key driver to many of Jeanne’s actions and reactions. It got me thinking about their nature. Are they angels as they claim to be, or harbingers of a more primal supernatural force? There is another argument that they could even be viewed as some by-product of Jeanne’s own damaged psyche. There is a level of ambiguity there that I like. The voice’s existence can be explained in a variety of ways, and each different interpretation will impact how any reader perceives the rest of the book.

There is a genuinely intimate quality to Divine Heretic I very much enjoyed. The idea that a single person shapes the direction of a nation, and the burden that power carries, is examined in a very unique way. I was left with a lot to mull over. Moyer’s novel covers a whole lot of ground; politics, religion, gender inequality are all explored within the bounds of Jeanne’s life.

Power is an interesting dynamic; some people want it, whilst others have no interest at all. Joan of Arc had a lot of power for a while but then it went (being burned at the stake will do that to you). Was she a heretic and a witch that craved this power, or was she someone caught up in events? Part of studying history is being able to reinterpret events and explore them from different angles. Jamie Lee Moyer suggests that Joan may have been a slave to her angels, or are they demons?

Jeanne d’Arc was born into a perfectly normal life in rural France. Most of the villagers believed her destiny was to help her family of shepherds until one day getting married and starting her own family. From a very young age three powerful beings felt otherwise as Archangel Michael and his cohorts believe Jeanne to be the fabled Warrior Maid of Lorraine who is destined to rid France of the British. This is not the future that Jeanne wants but will she have any choice?

The story of Joan of Arc is an interesting one to reinterpret as it incorporates elements of fantasy/religion even in its first retelling. Depending on your beliefs, the story suggests that angels spoke and guided Jean. Things do not come more supernatural than that. Moyer just continues this theme and suggests that perhaps Jean was not divinely inspired but instead manipulated and forced into the direction these entities wanted.
Divine is a very personal story and it concentrates on the character of Jeanne and not the famous days of Joan of Arc. If you are expecting pages of battles between the French and British, you will be disappointed. Moyer is far more interested in how Jeanne’s personal angels/demons shape her life. The parts of the story that concentrate in her childhood and travels are given far more weight than the war years. In fact, the many victories that Joan of Arc was part of are covered in mere paragraphs.

Therefore, it is the dynamic between Jeanne, the supernatural entities and her surroundings that dictate if the book works. I found the relationship between Jeanne and the Angels very interesting. There is a mistrust from the very beginning between the two. I liked the idea that Jeanne was never going to roll over and do as she has been told (foretold). This does make the book a little harrowing in places as the Angels sometimes blackmail or gaslight this poor woman. All this bullying his made worse as it is coming from within her own head.

The other element is how Jeanne talks to others about what she can see. She is scared to talk about it, should people describe her as a witch, but when she does, they believe her. The French army are craving for the Maid of Lorraine to arrive and will grab at any chance they have. Even her nearest and dearest are willing to believe. This is because this is a France still steeped in the Pagan ideas as well as Christianity. Moyer does a wonderful job of making the idea of woodland folk and supernatural beings a known quantity at the time. That is not to say that Sprites are prancing around the clearings, but the peasant population certainly believe they remain hidden around them.

A reader’s enjoyment of Divine will depend mostly on how much character development and introspection they like in their books. This is truly a character study of Jeanne d’Arc. You spend a lot time watching her wrestle with her conscience. The battles and major historic events are background to Jeanne and her close relationships. Some liberties have been taken with history but in most cases, Moyer sticks to what is believed to have happened and is able to evoke a sense of France at the time, especially in the smaller village setting. An interesting and different historic read.

This is Joan of Arc as you have not read her before. A girl with a mind of her own, agency, and doubting the voices in her head as she lives her life. Full of surprising twists and subversion of the legend as it is traditionally told, Jamie Lee Moyer manages to make the story truly her own with Divine Heretic. You might think you know the plot, but trust me, this is a different story, using characters and elements, but weaving it into a new tapestry worth discovering for itself.

Jeanne is a nuanced character, full of life in a well-crafted world. Ethan, Pierre and Sarah, the other main characters are just as interesting and it is refreshing that religion is only important in the more abstract sense. Yes, Jeanne hears voices, but she is not a zealot. And that is probably the most important thing to know going into Divine Heretic. It is not a novel about a religious warrior. It is a book about a young woman figuring out who she is and what her place in the world and the war going on is. She just happens to hear voices, and these voices claim to be saints and an archangel.

Divine Heretic has cemented Jamie Lee Moyer as an author to watch for me, and I’m excited to see what she comes up with next.

I really like Brightfall and had high expectations for this book. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed as I found the story less gripping and more slow paced than the previous book.
It seems to be on the fence as it's not historical fiction nor fantasy. The historical background is left undefined, we know what it should be but we are not given any specific details. The fantasy side has no specific world building and a lot of details are left undefined.
I also found the character development lacking depth and a lot of characters are a bit flat.
All in all it was an entertaining read but not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

My thanks to Quercus - Jo Fletcher Books for an advance reading copy via NetGalley of ‘Divine Heretic’ by Jaime Lee Moyer.

Last year I was enchanted by Jaime Lee Moyer’s Robin Hood themed fantasy, ‘Brightfall’, and so was very excited to read her latest novel that reimagines the story of Joan of Arc. I have to admit that I knew very little about her life.

In the first part of the novel the focus is upon Jeanne d'Arc’s relationship with the three holy beings that told her that she was the foretold Warrior Maid of Lorraine, fated to free France and place a king upon his rightful throne.

She initially believes their claim of being the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine and promises to obey their commands and embrace her destiny, allowing them to guide her.

As time passes she starts to question their motives and even their true natures as they don’t hesitate to punish her cruelly when she disobeys them. She begins to believe that they are Fae, passing themselves off as saints and an angel. Eventually she begins to refer to them as ‘my monsters’ and seeks only to survive their plans and gain her freedom.

However, in due course she comes into the orbit of the Dauphin and takes up his cause. She also finds a protector in Ethan, one of Charles’ knights who embodies nobility. I won’t say more about the plot in order to avoid spoilers.

Jeanne is the narrator for the novel and there are many moments of trauma in her young life, some made quite uncomfortable reading, especially in the final chapters.

I did feel that some of her narration and the dialogue was quite modern though trying to recreate the thoughts of a fifteenth century French peasant girl and her interactions with others would not likely make for an accessible reading experience.

Overall, this proved an interesting and engaging novel negotiating the territory between historical fiction and fantasy.

Jeanne d'Arc is a regular girl, a farmers daughter, a younger sister. There is nothing outwardly special about her, so when three creatures disguised as angels appear to her and inform her she is to be the Maid of Lorraine destined to lead France and ensure the Dauphin is crowned five year old Jeanne is to scared to deny their claims and promises to fulfil the prophecy. As the years go by Michael, Margaret and Catherine are constant shadows in Jeanne's life, reminding her of the promise she made and pushing her to do more to fulfil it. Eventually Jeanne's path crosses with the Dauphin and his army, taken in by Ethan, a loyal Knight and friend to Charles he vows to protect her and the 'Angels' tell her to keep him close, he is to be one of her champions, someone who will not let her fall. But things are not always as easy as they seem, when her prophecy as the Maid of Lorraine is brought to light the Dauphin wants to use Jeanne to buoy his army, to actually put her into the battle. Jeanne tries to resist both the Dauphin and the Angels on her shoulder reminding her of her purpose, but both forces have the ability to harm the people that Jeanne loves and she will need to accept the prophecy and put herself in danger to ensure everyone she loves makes it out alive.

I will admit going into this knowing very little about Joan of Arc, apart from her death, so I had little to no expectations or ideas on where the story would go. Divine Heretic gives us a look into the life of Jeanne, an insight into her inner battles with the demons and the relationships both familial and romantic. We spend a large amount of time with Jeanne growing up, seeing how the demons influence not only her, but the people around her to ensure that she fulfils their purpose. She is incredibly strong willed and fights for those she loves. She only really gives into the Demons once they start taking their frustrations with her out on those she loves.

This is a weird one cause I enjoyed the book as a whole BUT there were a lot of things that just fell a bit flat. The pacing of the book seems to jump around. We get a large portion of the book set before Jeanne meets the Dauphin, when she is a simple farmers daughter, and I will admit that the first few chapters were a bit of a drag to get through. But there are also bits that seem to fly by. I would have liked more time with Ethan and the Dauphin and just felt the first part of the book went on a little longer than necessary. My other main issue was there were no real stakes, at no point did I feel my heart speed up a little, I was never worried for the outcome of the characters. Because of this I felt the book lacked a little something, I didn't struggle to bond with Jeanne and I loved her interactions with the other characters, but there was no spark, no WTF moments, it just kind of ended.

There is a great and sweet romance in Divine Heretic and this was one of my favourite parts of the book. It was bittersweet, and though it was easy to guess who would end up with who, I still enjoyed their interactions. Jeanne's lover is the one haven she has from the demons, her one ability to act out and twist the prophecy they have woven and I loved that addition to her story.

Like I said, I did enjoy this overall and the pacing definitely picked up in the second half. It's not the story I expected, more a bittersweet story about how promises can be twisted, how they can break you, but also how they can save you. It's about how we shouldn't have to shoulder our responsibilities alone and how much of a weight can be lifted when you share your burden with others. I may not have enjoyed this one as much as Brightfall, Moyers Robin Hood retelling, but Jeanne d'Arc will always hold a special place in my heart.

Following from last year's Brightfall, which gave us a fantasy focussed on Maid Marian, Moyer moves into more historical territory with a story inspired by the life of Jeanne d'Arc, Joan of Arc to the English although as they (we) were her enemies I will stick to Jeanne.

When I heard about this book I was really intrigued and keen to see how, exactly, Moyer would treat the subject. It was clear that there would be fantasy elements. It's equally clear, if you think for a moment, that the religious and social atmosphere of the medieval wars between England and France - let alone the specific subject matter of Jeanne's life and terrible death - makes for quite difficult subject matter. It would be easy, on the one hand, to avoid this and completely fantasy this story up - but also easy to write something very, very grim indeed (grimdark doesn't have to be made up!)

Moyer manages, I think, to tread a middle course here. She resists making the book too genre-y. Her Jeanne's world is one with definite magical and fantasy elements. In an early scene we see tree-spirits in a grove, and the rural people make offerings in remote shrines to vaguely described spirits or saints (with one eye out for the baleful local priest, Father Jakob). But Jeanne is no kick-ass fantasy heroine, there's no route for her to learn magic or turn all this to her advantage (other than making those hopeful offerings, alongside her prayers to the Blessed Virgin). And when three spirits turn up, claiming to be Saints Michael, Margaret and Catherine, though Jeanne immediately sees through them and henceforth refers to them as "monsters" she has no special powers or knowledge to resist them.

Nor, though, is the grimness celebrated. It's there - the heart of this book is the extent to which Jeanne is constrained, compelled, abused both by the society around her - most dramatically in an attempted forced marriage and rape - and by the monsters. (They wish to use her for their own strange ends, influencing history and the war but for reasons that are never really explained.) But it doesn't, in the end, predominate.

Jeanne's trials are many. The foretold martial role of Maid of Lorraine which the three spirits want to force her into (almost like an inversion of Macbeth) is not one that suits her nature or upbringing and the deceptions it entails strain her conscience. She is the subject of vicious, misogynistic rumour and of jealousy and she feels guilt over joining in the war and particularly leading men to her death. (I think this latter aspect is something that we could have been shown more of - while the stunning cover art shows Jeanne holding a bloodied sword, and there are scenes of her trying to use it, much of the battle is skipped. I'm not saying I want to see lots of bloodshed but it seems a central aspect of the story and key to creating the wearied, jaded Jeanne we see in the later sections of the book).

Through all this though she struggles to own herself, to be more than the puppet that the three spirits or the Dauphin want. The story is nicely calibrated here, demonstrating just how little agency Jeanne has, her life and future in the hands of men - the priest, the village council, various nobles, ultimately the Dauphin Charles himself - as well as those manipulating spirits. Her achievement is to endure, to love even when it is forbidden, to remain loyal to those who are loyal to her, above all to retain some sense of herself, some control over herself and her actions. It is a constant fight and one that can never be fully successful involving sacrifice both physical and spiritual - this isn't just a matter of Jeanne and her fate, the wicked spirits bind up others, too, people she cares for, and they are ruthless in leveraging this.

As I grew more and more absorbed in Divine Heretic, I came to love the way it isn't conventional fantasy. There aren't, as I have said, tools and techniques to be sought to achieve a neat solution. Many questions are left unanswered (the three spirits operate to a strangely specific schedule - why?) But that leaves the story space to grow, to breathe, to show us Jeanne's courage and to show her growing and becoming more assured and understanding. It's that portrait that is at the centre of the book, really, and it is a masterpiece of storytelling. Moyer gives us a fully rounded and complex portrayal of a figure who tends to be viewed, in a very one dimensional sense, as merely a tragic victim.

In short Divine Heretic fully lived up to my expectations and I'd strongly recommend it.

‘Divine Heretic’ is the story of Jeanne d’Arc, more commonly known in the UK as Joan of Arc. Jeanne is a saint of the Roman Catholic church for her role in the Hundred Years War, a battle between the French and the English for dominion over France. Jeanne claimed to have visions of angels – specifically the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine – instructing her to support the incumbent King Charles VII in his quest to reclaim France. Her actions aided him in ascending to the throne, but she herself was captured by the English and burnt at the stake for witchcraft.

The book more or less follows the common story, but diverges on Jeanne’s opinion of the angels. Here, the angels are more like demons who plague her. It starts with their first visit, when Jeanne is five, and follows as they torment her, cursing her with pain and horror for her family until she agrees to carry out their will. They claim she is the fabled Maid, but Jeanne doesn’t believe herself to be the Maid – she’s just a peasant girl. As time passes, the control these demons have over Jeanne appears to wax and wane – but they’re determined to ensure she fulfils her destiny no matter what the cost.

Jeanne is an intriguing protagonist. She’s exceptionally devout, but equally sure that these beings are not divine. She’s a strong character with clear desires – even when she seems powerless to achieve them. Her life is regularly awful, and she hates the demons she blames this on with burning passion. There’s a certain level of detachment between her and the reader – this seems to be common in historical novels – which can make her hard to connect with, but it’s hard not to sympathise with her inability to control her own life.

Unfortunately, the secondary characters are particularly two-dimensional. Her Grand-mere is an intriguing character – chosen to be the Maid before Jeanne until circumstances prevented her from fulfilling her destiny – yet this thread, and the impacts on her character, are never explored. Jeanne’s sworn protector, Ethan, also has brilliant potential – mixed-race in an era and place where that’s uncommon, he’s a strong knight with a heart of gold. However, he’s reduced to the cardboard love interest, never doing anything for himself. This would be a much stronger story if anyone except Jeanne felt like a real person.

I enjoyed the plot – despite telling a well-known tale it maintained interest, with less predictable twists thrown in alongside the predictable ones. However, I disliked what was done with the ending. It felt unnecessary – after the darkness of the rest of the book, throwing in fluffiness felt trite.

I struggle with historical fiction more than many other genres because it’s often written in a very detached style, and I need to connect with the characters to really enjoy a story. This is no different. It’s well-written, but the impersonal nature of it lessens its appeal. Fans of historical fiction and plot-driven novels likely won’t mind this, or may even prefer it – but I want it to delve deeper.

Overall, this is a solid historical fiction novel about an interesting, well-known figure that takes a slightly different spin to what is often portrayed. Recommended to fans of historical fiction, especially Roman Catholic history, and strong female characters.

TW: Sexual assault, attempted rape of a minor.

Divine Heretic tells the story of Jeanne d’Arc. It’s marketed as fantasy but reads more like historical fiction - yes, the angels that Jeanne hears are “real”, but they play a relatively small part in the story, and the prophecy that Jeanne will lead the French army to defeat the English is treated as just another story that the soldiers believe.

I did enjoy elements of this book. Divine Heretic is a thorough retelling of Jeanne’s life that fills in a lot of the gaps in her history, including the addition of a sweet romance between Jeanne and a French mercenary, in which Jeanne is treated like an equal (a rarity in the 15th century).

But where it fell flat for me was that it never felt like there were any stakes. Jeanne longs to break free of her angels (oddly referred to as Fae despite having no faerie characteristics), but they also spend large parts of this book hovering in the background doing nothing or making empty threats. The Hundred Years’ War is raging, but the English enemy is largely in the background, and the majority of clashes between the two armies are over in a few sentences. And Jeanne is destined to see Charles crowned as King, but there is no background on French history or politics in this book, so it’s never really clear why this is such a big deal, or what it will mean for Jeanne to fail in her mission.

There are some interesting glimpses into what it’s like to be a woman in medieval Europe - the most terrifying villain in this story is actually the local priest who is hell bent on saving Jeanne from sin - but these are few and far between and often rely on sexual violence as the primary threat to Jeanne’s safety and personal agency.

I wish I could recommend this book more highly since the story of Joan of Arc is ripe with possibilities, but this version was a bit too bland for my tastes.

This is an amazing book, that helped me see Jeanne d' Arc from an entirely different perspective.
Jeanne is tormented by visions, but the 'angels' that appear to her in these visions are not what they appear to be. What they are she does not know, but she surmised they might be the Fae. Either way they show her little or no kindness, until she agrees to do their bidding, and get the dauphin crowned as king, even involving others she cares about in their plots, till she has to give in..
A good read, and highly recommended.
I looked up more of the author's work after this book.