Author:India Holton
TIKTOK MADE ME BUY IT! The THRILLING Victorian fantasy romance that you didn't realise you needed in your life . . .
'SPECTACULAR. just the sort of absolute madness which one needs in a book!' 5***** Reader Review
'Victorian lady assassins fighting the patriarchy, flying houses, AND...an ONLY ONE BED trope?! Fun fun fun' 5***** Reader Review
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Cecilia Bassingwaite belongs to The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels.
Yet this is no ordinary Victorian lady's society . . .
Full of pirates, thieves and ne'er-do-wells, these women spend their days pickpocketing and blackmailing their way around the country all before their afternoon tea.
But when Cecilia meets Ned Lightbourne her world is set to change forever.
Because he's a paid assassin and she's his next hit.
Under the employment of the dastardly Captain Morvath - who wants to rid the world of these Lady Scoundrels - Ned knows he has one job to do.
But when he lays eyes on the feisty, beautiful Cecilia he's faced with a conundrum:
Does he kill her . . . or fall in love with her?
Bridgertonmeets Peaky Blinders in this swashbuckling tale of scoundrels and society, crime and crumpets. As these enemies turn to allies and might just fall in love along the way . . .
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'Witty, entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny and adventurous . . . Everything I need in a historical romance' 5***** Reader Review
'The best romantic humorous adventure fantasy of manners you will ever read!' 5***** Reader Review
As much fun as the English language will permit
—— New York Times Book ReviewMelds the Victorian wit of Sherlock Holmes with the brash adventuring of Indiana Jones . . . A sprightly feminist tale that offers everything from an atmospheric Gothic abbey to secret societies
—— Entertainment WeeklyA joyride of a debut . . . As if The Parasol Protectorate series met The Princess Bride and a corseted Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
—— Kirkus ReviewsWith secret identities, secret doors, and secret histories to spare, this high-octane layer-cake of escapism hits the spot.
—— Publishers WeeklyIf books are truly a portable magic, then The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is a satchel full of powerful spells and glittering fairy dust
—— Lynn Painter, author of Mr Wrong NumberThe most delightfully bonkers historical fantasy romance of 2021! I enjoyed every absorbing moment
—— Jen DeLuca, author of Well PlayedThe most charming, clever, and laugh-out-loud funny book I've read all year . . . India Holton's utterly delightful debut is pure joy from start to finish.
—— Martha Waters, author of To Have and to HoaxIndia's debut is charming, clever, action-packed, with masterful bantering-while-dueling choreography: it reminds me of The Princess Bride, except swoonier and more fantastical. It's an instant beloved favorite.
—— Sarah Hogle, author of You Deserve Each OtherThe perfect diversion for a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea. What fun!
—— Manda Collins, author of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and MayhemMagnificent in every sense. India Holton's writing is gorgeous and lyrical, her dialogue clever and witty, and her characters loveable and unforgettable
—— Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, author of Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of EverythingA tongue-in-cheek swashbuckling adventure
—— Library JournalTranscendent prose and vividly described settings bring to life historic events, from the Crusades to the papal interdict of 1208. Groff has outdone herself with an accomplishment as radiant as Marie's visions.
—— Publishers WeeklyFrom the moment you're introduced to Marie, a queer, fierce warrior woman riding across the countryside on her warhorse, you feel as though you've time-travelled back to the Middle Ages. Groff's prose is arresting and unforgettably visceral . . . It's impossible not to feel galvanised by Marie's resilience, independence and determination to make her mark in a world ruled by men. I'll be thinking about Matrix for a long time to come
Enchanting and intriguing, Matrix absorbs the reader into the medieval period without compelling them to depart entirely from the present
—— iNewsIt's a bold, luminous tale that captivates from first to last.
—— Mail on SundayA robust and pleasingly strange slice of historical fiction
—— Times, Best Fiction Books of 2021Lauren Groff's Matrix is just marvellous; vivid and vibrant, it hums with the lives of those contained within the convent walls, as Marie becomes the ambitious and canny hub at the heart of this female utopia.
—— Daily MailNo doubt a mini-series beckons
—— Catholic HeraldGroff offers a world that is rapturous, rapacious, ecstatic, profane; a novel of seismic revelations.
—— Eley WilliamsMatrix explores the story of Marie de France, a young woman sent to languish in a struggling convent that she begins to transform through her own leadership. Both epic and intimate, this sweeping novel explores questions of female ambition, creativity and passion with electrifying prose and sparkling wit. A propulsive, captivating read.
—— Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing HalfMatrix is alive with lust and glory. In the incandescent Marie de France - visionary, cantankerous and uncowed by the constraints of her sex - Groff paints a portrait of sisterhood that shines out of the past and into the lives of women today.
—— C Pam Zhang, author of Booker-longlisted How Much of These Hills is GoldAnimated with sensual detail on every page and filled with lush, gripping storytelling that cuts to the bone, MATRIX resonates right into the present moment. I never thought I would find myself longing to be a medieval nun but Groff is a worker of wonders. This book is a ferocious joy
—— Madeline MillerLushly textured and uniquely vivid, Matrix settles itself on your mind like a dream or vision - it's absolutely stunning
—— Sophie MackintoshWhat a book. Perfectly done. I adored it
—— Max PorterIt's as brightly lit as an illuminated manuscript and would make the most perfect Christmas present imaginable
—— Naomi AldermanFull of sharp sensory detail, it's balm and nourishment for brain, heart and soul
—— GuardianMatrix takes the mysterious life of the late 12th-century poet - known today for her romantic lais - and runs with it . . . Groff explores themes of domination, death and desire in compelling (if at times, stomach-turning) detail
—— Financial Times, Best Books of the YearHowever, like Groff's earlier novel, this becomes a vivid, immersive and at times wild account of female agency
—— Sunday TimesIn Lauren Groff's hands, the tale of a medieval nunnery is must-read fiction
—— Washington PostA marvelously told story of devotion, desire and ambition in the heart of a female utopia
—— Daily MailMatrix is another masterpiece from a writer whom few at this point can best
—— The AtlanticThrough Marie, Groff explores how a society's religious and gendered constraints can be turned on their head to create a utopia
—— The New Yorker[A]n electric reimagining . . . feminist, sensual, magisterial, de France's saga is one of hardship and triumph, an unforgettable character whose far-seeing vision and devotion to the nuns in her community enable them to transcend what threatens to erase and silence them
—— Oprah MagazineMatrix focuses less on Marie the author and more on Marie the abbess - and if you think that doesn't sound like the obvious angle for a fun and engaging story, you underestimate the scope of Groff 's imagination and talent
—— The Daily TelegraphIn these incandescent pages, Groff reverently imagines her way into the life and lore of Marie de France . . . Woven from Groff's trademark ecstatic sentences and brimming with spiritual fervor, Matrix is a radiant work of imagination and accomplishment
—— EsquireThrilling and heartbreaking, Groff crafts an electric work of historical fiction
—— TIME, Most Anticipated Book of the FallA transportive and meditative tale that will swallow you up from the very start
—— NewsweekGroff, a premier stylist . . . .continues to grow, taking on a medieval foremother's story in her latest novel. The voice she finds for Marie de France . . . .will hold readers fast as the exiled Angevin royal becomes abbess of a convent, leading her charges through historic upheavals
—— LA TimesFeverishly exhilarating stuff
—— Chicago TribuneWith her unparalleled gift for sumptuous, sublime prose, Groff paints an engrossing portrait of a woman who, despite living in a world bound by constraints, experiences a life rich with passion and creativity. Surrounded by a supportive sisterhood, Marie uses strength and ingenuity to subvert the oppression of the patriarchy
—— Atlanta Journal ConstitutionUtterly absorbing
—— VogueSplendid with rich description and period vocabulary, this courageous and spin-tingling novel shows an incredible range for Groff (FLORIDA, 2018), and will envelop readers fully in Marie's world, interior and exterior, all senses lit up. It is both a complete departure and an easy-to-envision tale of faith, power, and temptation.
—— BooklistIn this bildungsroman about the real-life 12th-century poet Marie de France, a teenage Marie is exiled to a blighted Benedictine nunnery, where she finds strength and power as a prioress
—— Vanity FairPowerful, sapphic historical novel . . . Richly realized with historical details that don't overwhelm
—— BuzzFeedReaders will recognize her stunning prose and grand, mythic perspective. . . . in a tale that feels both ancient and urgent, as holy as it is deeply human
—— Entertainment WeeklyThe pages are almost completely devoid of men - seen, but not heard - with Groff using poetic, melodic and yet fierce writing to breathe volume into themes of power, ambition and success from the perspective of women
—— Press Association[A] propulsive, enchanting, and emotionally charged read
—— Washington Independent Review of BooksA clever spin on the story of Marie de France
—— BustleI loved this accomplished piece of storytelling. So much so, I added it to my Booker wish list at the last minute, a wish not fulfilled, of course
—— A Life In BooksMatrix is a rich, beautifully written novel about ambition and desire, and also witchy separatist medieval nuns
—— VoxMesmerizing and inspiring
—— NewsdayMedieval life can seem far from our modern grasp, but Groff vividly describes the daily workings of the convent, from prayers to practical chores. She has done her research and it shows in the rich details she provides of working the fields, preparing meals, governing novices . . . magical, a beautiful evocation of what women can achieve and what they can mean to each other
—— NY Journal of Books[A] feminist foray into a medieval nunnery that is stunning in its labyrinthine artistry and sensual tracing of life as lived during the era of the poet Marie de France and the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine
—— Lit HubMust-read
—— HuffPostA[n] artful writer, Groff has no need for fantastic artifice to construct a world without men. She . . . gives us an extraordinary protagonist . . . Anyone who has read Groff's previous novels and stories knows that this author's greatest virtue is her economy of prose. A disciplined writer . . . If "Eleanor's best currency is story," that goes double for Groff . . . Groff's "Matrix" simultaneously transports us to a backward world that once was and the grim future that seems inevitable. And all this through the eyes of a group of extraordinary women who decline to live lives of quiet desperation
—— Gainesville Sun[A] transcendently beautiful novel with sensuality, religious ecstasy, gender and power explorations, and a fair bit of tasteful gore. It's surprisingly delicious to read fiction about a historical figure we know so little about
—— ShondalandI'm on page 17 and now nothing else matters . . . Once you have this book in your hands I feel certain you too will be consumed
—— Sarah Jessica Parker[D]reamy prose . . . At its heart, the book's message is simple: joy can exist in darkness
—— PopsugarRichly imaginative
—— AP[A] relentless exhibition of Groff's freakish talent . . . an unforgettable book . . . ecstatic, refulgent, God-struck, heretical
—— USA Today[A] creative, intelligent work that will last
—— Boston GlobeThe real Marie de France may continue to elude historians but the speculative fiction in Matrix combine to produce an unfailingly absorbing novel
—— TLSAn uplifting novel in its own unique way, and up there with Groff's best work
—— iNewsMatrix forms an intensely focused character study, but also succeeds as a probing exploration of female power
—— Literary ReviewA beautiful and beguiling novel that transports the listener utterly and completely to another world
—— Irish ExaminerAgainst a convincingly filthy and precarious medieval backdrop, Marie is a figure of dazzling complexity
—— The Times