This was a strong start to the Theo Sterling series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the historical setting in this. The characters worked well in the setting and it was a strong overall package. Simon Tolkien has a strong writing style and left me wanting to read more.

*Many thanks to Simon Tolkien, lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I enjoyed one of the Author's other novels, so was thrilled to have been granted a copy of his latest offering. Unfortunately, I did not find much that appealed to me.
Theo Sterling as a child finds out about his background that is denied by his father, and over next years he tries to define his identity. The story starts in New York just before the Depression, and continues in Europe where, thanks to his mother's second marriage, he is given an opportunity to observe different environments.
The novel is easy to read, but characters do not develop as the story progresses, and I found them rather unbelievable, for instance Theo's mother and his step-father's relationship or de Lisle's fascination for Bolshevik Russia seemed implausible, or perhaps as a reader I was not fully convinced by the Author.
This book is Volume 1, and I hope Volume 2 is more captivating.

i was not really a big fan of this book. it was too political and war heavy, and I know the synopsis mentioned it, but it was still too much in here where it was like a textbook at times. It was overbearing to the entire storyline'

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Incredible historical fiction from a time period other than WWII which is hammered in so tightly compared to so many other incredible pieces of history that also should be focused on. I absolutely enjoyed this book and all that was told. Masterfully told.

Brilliantly immersive historical fiction. I’m not sure I’ve enjoyed a historical fiction novel so much since Follett.
Through the protagonist Theo Starling you viscerally feel all the contradictions and paradoxes of 19th century politics. My first experience of this author but definitely not my last.
Thank you NetGalley for the eArc

This novel follows Theo Sterling through his adolescence. His journey starts in New York when he gets taken by his paternal grandfather and learns that he is part Jewish. His father comes to get him when he realizes where he is. Theo is a very intelligent boy who doesn't feel close to his father, who runs his own business, nor does he feel support from his mother, who is a Mexican refugee. Theo is forced to leave school at the young age of 14 to join his father in running his business during the Great Depression. From then on, Theo is challenged throughout his journey in life as he moves to England and becomes friends with a Communist student at his boarding school.

I find this novel at times to be incredibly boring. I love historical fiction, but for the first novel in the series, I felt like too much was going on at times while also giving nothing exciting or impactful. Theo is going through life learning to determine who he is and what type of person he is going to be, but he just came across as wishy-washy and sort of limp as a character at certain times in the book. I kept forgetting this is going to be a series of books, so I am keeping an open mind and I'm still interested to see where this series goes in regards to development in story line and character development. I did not like the ending however, it just felt like it was cut off short, but once again had to remind myself this is the first book, so maybe that was on purpose.