We meet Dr Aird and his wife, Isabel, in Glasgow where he is in practice but frustrated by the levels of cholera. He is sure that contaminated drinking water is the cause. There are plans to pipe fresh water from Loch Katrine in the Highlands and Dr Aird expresses interest in becoming the resident site doctor during construction of the new Works. Isabel is neither amused not impressed. She desperately would like a child following eight earlier attempts resulting in none surviving. (The book here, introduces am interesting 'anti' parallel with Queen Victoria who has a ninth child.) Pregnant again Isabel needs to take especial care but to the Highlands they go where we follow their life. The Doctor works hard supporting the workers and their families whilst Isabel develops her own life enjoying walks and the clean fresh air. The locals are both surprised and uncertain about this. Such displays of independence by women are not the norm in the Highlands. Isabel comes across a seemingly old man, poorly dressed but probably a retired Minister. But who is he and where does he live? The Highlanders know of him and his reputation.
The book moves on to the Opening of the Waterworks by Queen Victoria, the birth of Isabel's baby and potentially catastrophic happenings when the baby is stolen.. Can the child possibly be found alive and well?
It is hard to do justice to The Ninth Child.. It vividly captures events, attitudes and conflicts prevalent in Victorian Scotland., with cultural differences between young and old, rich and poor, Highland and lowland attitudes. Oh and then there is a view of supra natural beliefs and mythology about the place and role of fairies.

Sally Magnusson has produced a rich, high quality text which you wont want to put down I didn't.

Highly recommended.

This book combines Scottish folklore with real figures from history to tell a story centred around the development of the waterworks around Loch Katrine in the mid 19th Century.
The writing style is beautiful and evokes the dark and mysterious atmosphere perfectly. The shift in narration between characters was quite confusing at times but overall gave the impression of floating above the highlands and zooming in on moments in time to tell the story. I liked this style and found the story immersive and gripping with themes of magical realism, pregnancy and childbirth, industry versus nature and the gothic setting which are all very much to my taste.
Thank you to Netgalley and Two Roads for the ARC.

With thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the ARC

I hadn't read Sally Magnussons previous work so was going in to this blind.
My eyes have now been opened wide.

The writing is flawless, the characters are engaging and fully formed, the story is mystical, engaging and very, very real.

I was won over completely.

The story is set in the 1850's in the Trossachs area of Scotland. There is a massive engineering project underway to bring fresh water to the citizens of Glasgow.

Part history lesson, part folklore and part spiritualism, the story follows the trials and tribulations of Isabel Aird who follows her Doctor husband to the site of the largest engineering project Scotland had ever seen. She is tried and tested time after time by a series of events which climaxes with a heart pounding finale.

I absolutely loved it.

Women’s fiction that describes the Highlands beautifully, and demonstrates good knowledge of both the historical background and the folklore behind the plot, while providing a touching account of the plight of a woman who has difficulties to conceive and suffers too many losses.

In 1856, having witnessed several outbreaks of cholera in Glasgow, Dr Alexander Aird decides to work as a physician at Loch Katrine where the great engineering project that will supply Glasgow with fresh water has just begun. With him to the vast building site comes his wife Isabel, a city flower with her petticoats and parasols and dainty kid shoes. At the first view of Loch Chon, she falls for this place, hoping its serenity will give her a longed-for sense of calm and - hope beyond hope - may even halt the stream of miscarriages she has had to endure.
Their tale is interspersed with the musings of the sinister Robert Kirke, a minister seemingly born two centuries ago who witnesses their arrival and who seemingly has conversations with faeries or sithichean. A third voice, my favourite, is that of Kirsty McEchern, a labourer in the Airds’ employ.
The essence and rawness of the Victorian Industrial Age, the grime, steel and noise of it is beautifully captured with a haunting otherworldliness. The mingling of fact with folk tales is an ambitious one and Magnusson pulls it off with a flourish! Thoroughly engrossing!
The only niggly bit: My hope is that the different POVs will be separated by paragraphs, asterisks or similar in the final print version, otherwise it can be confusing as to who is speaking.

I loved how original and mystical this book is, how it weaves Scots folklore in with historical figures/accounts and adds some brilliant fictional characters that make you feel like you are there listening to Kirsty's story.
It was a slow start and it took a couple of determined goes before I sank in to it but once I could see the characters and who was each giving the narrative it grabbed me (it is split prose with different perspectives and the Netgalley I received didn't have any dividing subheadings to indicate the prose had changed so until I got used to the linguistic differences that was a confusion, I'm hoping the edited version has some dividing picture that makes it clearer who's talking).
I like books that use vernacular and accents for the characters; there are distinct changes between the characters as to who uses Scots and who uses English, and you understand more about the backgrounds and classes and eras of the characters from this rich language difference.
It cleverly uses the love of Queen Victoria and Albert of Balmoral and their Scottish hideaway to show the feelings of the times, the way cholera and illness in general was still a big concern and how historical figures such as Florence Nightingale were approaching improvements to medical care and sanitation. I thoroughly loved the way Albert's and Victoria's experience was written, so full of the same humour, love and respect that the TV program Victoria captivated. And knowing what is soon to come to Albert made it all the more poignant.
The comparisons between Queen Victoria and Isabel Aird and Kirsty highlight the struggles of women in that era, and how fortunes favoured some but also how some things transcend any class boundaries including work, childbirth, power, how they are treated by men, their dreams etc.
The tale of Robert Kirke is based on a true story and the tales of his fate that have been passed down in folklore. I found his passages to be written with such conflict between his heart, faith and his haunting voice from the Faery, and his desperate situation longing for his lost wife and to be at peace, but also the realisation of what choices he had made in his past.
This combination of historical times of change, the gothic background of the loch waters, and the folklore mysticism reminded me of Once Upon A River (by Diane Setterfield), and I think if you enjoyed that book you will love this.
The dramatic conclusion leaves you thinking and playing out what fates are ahead for all of the characters, it was brilliantly done

Not fairies but faeries, evil manipulative beings.
Loved the desolation of the climate and living condition descriptions. Isabel and Alexander go to live in a Scottish village where he is to be a doctor for the navies who are building a waterway to pipe clean water to cities in the belief that dirty, contaminated water is the source of cholera.. Story is told from different points of view, which makes it interesting. The evil pastor Robert is intent on stealing Isabel's child to free himself from the faeries curse. Very enjoyable and page turning read.

As this is a NetGalley, I appreciate that formatting can sometimes be a real issue, and it is in this, it needs a lot of work before release, but I don't know if its a formatting issue or just a way it is going to be issue. The problem is, if it's the latter, you will spend good portions of your reading time going back to see where the character change was. It does get a bit easier to tell, but initially, it's incredibly hard to pick up on especially Kirke, as his bits start off being just one or 2 lines in amongst someone else's narrative.
Between Isabel and Kirsty however, the speech is different, as is the tense so they are easy enough to distinguish.
I really loved the scenery. I really like Kirsty and I feel for the Dr and Isabel. They skirt around each other so much because they just don't know how to be after so many losses.
Kirke creeps me out. To start with it was mostly because I had not figured out what he was there, and as it became clearer, his anguish became more apparent, and I started to sympathise with his plight, but it did not make it any more agreeable or justifiable. I am gratful that Isabel figured it out, I am sorry that it wasn't enough.
I think I would have enjoyed this a whole lot more if I hadn't had to keep double checking where a character POV switched, I sincerely hope this is fixed as it really does take away from an otherwise lovely story, with a great cast characters and wonderful scenery.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this novel, and to be honest for the first 20% I wasn’t sure whether I was enjoying it! However, once I had gotten used to the changing narrators and the story really got started I enjoyed the story.

The ninth child tells the story of Isabelle Aird who moves near to Loch Katrine in Scotland with her Doctor husband so that he can provide medical care to those working on the waterworks project designed to transport fresh water to the city of Glasgow.

Unsure at first she begins to thrive in the highland environment and feels a connection to the babies she has lost during her marriage.

However, a strange presence lingers in the form of Robert Kirk who is drawn to Isabel.

I enjoyed the way the story interspersed history, folklore and fiction. Despite what I felt was a slow start the end was gripping and I didn’t want to put the book down.

I’m so sorry but I just couldn’t get into this story. From the first chapter I found it difficult to get invested and even I had to stop several times to understand what’s happening.

I enjoyed the previous novel by Sally Magnusson but I am sorry to say that i did not really get on with this one. From the start I found it difficult to read and get into. When I read a novel I like to create pictures of what is going on in my mind> I'm sure that most of us do. But with this one I just couldn't work out what I should be imagining. The form of language was not easy to follow and so I must admit I never got to the end. Sorry.

I really wanted to enjoy this as the premise seemed intriguing, but it sadly didn’t work out for me.

Everything felt a tad confusing. The plot just didn’t flow well and the jumps between different POV weren’t clear enough to the reader. Initially I thought the pacing was ok, but it turned out to be very slow and I found it a bit of a chore to read. Out of everything I took away from this book, I still struggle to understand why we were given the POV of Victoria and Albert, as their POV’s didn’t seem to add anything extra to the story at all.

Overall it was clearly a very well researched book, just a shame that it didn’t do it for me!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Isobel, the wife of Dr Alexander Aird, lives comfortably in Glasgow having suffered many miscarriages. Pregnant again she is persuaded to visit the the area of Loch Katrine, north of Loch Lomond, as Alexander is keen to become the official Doctor for the Glasgow Waterworks project to pump pure water from the Loch to Glasgow. Dreading the prospect she finds herself falling in love with the area and settles into her new home aided by Kirsty, a local whose husband is a navvy on the site. Kirsty, a mysterious woman, is full of fear when Isobel encounters Robert Kirke, a minister from two centuries ago. Eventually a ninth child is born alive - but - - - will it survive?

A gripping novel combining folklore and certain truths with fiction.

The Sealwoman's Gift was my favourite book of 2018 so I was super-excited to read Sally Magnusson's new novel, The Ninth Child.

A re-imagining of two historical eras converging to one point, this is an ambitious, bold and original novel. The mysterious death in 1692 of real-life church minister Robert Kirke, famous for his work 'The Secret Commonwealth' about faeries, daemons and folklore, provides the plot device that sustains The Ninth Child through some pretty hardcore Victorian waterworks engineering nearly two centuries later.

I loved the scenes with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, which allow Magnusson to display her talent for wry humour and I felt offered a fun and fresh insight into this most famous of marriages.

The other, fictional, marriage which spans the novel is that of Isabel and Alexander Aird - he the doctor sent to the physically brutal waterworks at Loch Chon to heal the frequently injured navvies; she his bored, unhappy wife who has suffered a total of eight miscarriages.

Meanwhile, Queen Victoria is popping out babies like ping-pong balls - her ninth child arrives during the story; mirrored by Isabel's ninth pregnancy. The reader anxiously awaits the outcome of this pregnancy alongside Alexander, Isabel and her unofficial maid, Highlander navvy's wife Kirsty who has a knack of seeing faery danger ahead in the form of the resurrected Robert Kirke.

The narrative switches were at times hard to follow on the ARC kindle edition as the formatting clearly needs more work - there was sometimes not even a line space to differentiate the perspectives of Robert Kirke and Kirsty, who both narrate in first person (it took me a while to work out it was Robert hearing faery voices in his head, not Kirsty). But I'm sure future readers won't encounter this problem.

I did feel the novel sags a little in the middle, with a lot of historical fact to process and little in the way of character depth to hold my interest - I felt sorry for Isabel's losses in the way I would pity a stranger but never really held her close to my heart or cried for her unbearable suffering. In fact Kirsty garnered my sympathy more, with more bairns than she can keep track of or adequately feed and a beloved sister dying in appalling conditions in a Glasgow tenement.

The faery element, which lends an unseen hint of magic realism, is dark and feels weirdly authentic; lurking beneath the surface (in one sense, literally, of Loch Chon) - I think this will be somehow much more evocative in the beautiful hardback edition of the book than on my kindle.

However The Ninth Child really comes into its own in the dramatic denouement, as though Magnusson was saving all the best bits 'til last. Here my heart rate increased and I suddenly cared about all of the characters, almost equally. The final pages lift the novel out of the Victorian industrial revolution and into a place more recognisable and relevant, with a quick fanfare of familiar social issues.

So as I finished The Ninth Child I found myself still happily in love with Sally Magnusson's writing and look forward to reading her future novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1856, The Ninth Child follows the story of Isabel Aird. A woman lost and struggling to come to terms with the realisation that she may always be childless. After multiple miscarriages, Isabel is searching for meaning in her life and struggling to find her place. Enter Robert Kirke. A mysterious stranger than seems to have his eye on Isabel.

The story is told from a number of POVs but the tale really belongs to Isabel, and Kirsty McEchern, to whom Isabel forms an unlikely friendship.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. The voices in the different POVs were so well done. Isabel was a wonderful character, way ahead of her time, strong and fierce through some difficult times thrown her way. Her husband Alexander was a delight to read about and I enjoyed their exchanges immensely.

Kirsty was my favourite character. She jumped off the page with such clarity. A wonderful personality and I really enjoyed her narrative.

The story was a little slow to get off the ground but overall, a thoroughly fascinating read. Expertly written with great depth of character. The ending had me tearing up but it was a satisfying conclusion.

Actual rating 4.5 stars


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Ninth Child combines history and Scottish folklore & is set in the 1800s. It follows the story of Isobel and Dr Alexander Aird who move to the Scottish Highlands for his work. Although she is initially reluctant, she soon comes round to the idea of a fresh start. The Airds have suffered the loss of miscarriages way more than anyone ever should & sadly, these losses form a gap between them. While Alexander throws himself into his work, Isobel struggles to find meaning and a purpose for her life. Whilst in this search, she strikes up a friendship with Robert Kirke; a man who doesn't quite seem right. Although, all isn't what it seems with Robert, will Isobel pay attention to warnings or will her stubbornness leave her blind to things she should be paying attention to?

I gave this book 3 stars because while I enjoyed the premise and the storyline, I found it took me a long time to read. There was a lot of description to get through and although the author paints a beautiful picture, I found myself skimming some parts just so I could make some progress through the chapters. The book definitely started to pick up just over half way through and even though it took me hours, I found myself finishing the rest in one sitting as I was determined to see it through to the end!

Isabel Aird, a Scottish woman who has suffered a series of stillbirths and miscarriages, relocates to Loch Katrine where her husband will tend to the workmen building a vast new water system. As Alexander Aird thrives in his new role, Isabel also finds that the landscape and a new friendship with labourer's wife Kirsty, gradually bring her strength and healing. But complicating matters, she is befirended by Robert Kirke, a supernatural being who does not have her best interests at heart. What is his interest in Isabel and where will it end?

I enjoyed the element of gothic in this novel and thought it combined well with the geographical setting and the historical background, where the building of the waterworks is bringing modern industry into contact with much older ways of life. What i felt was less successful was the sub-plot involving Victoria and Albert - which does not fully develop . I felt that Magnusson wanted to include Queen Victoria (and she writes her very well) but it doesn't integrate well with the rest of the story. Nevertheless it was an enjoyably spooky novel with two impressive women at the core.

The Ninth Child is set in the Highlands of Scotland on the shores of Lake Katrine in 1854. This unspoiled area is the location for a vastly disruptive engineering project to tunnel through the mountains to bring clean water to the festering tenements of Glasgow. Dr Alexander Aird takes up a position of ministering to the workmen injured in this dangerous undertaking. He brings with him his wife, Isabel who is grieving for her eight stillborn infants. The subject is never discussed between them and their once-happy marriage is suffering.

The story begins with a sparkling examination of the power plays within the established marriages of Isabel and Alexander and also of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who are visiting the Highlands, illustrating a realistic picture of the irritations and joys of an established marriage.

In this wild and lonely place, Isabel attempts to navigate her grief by taking comfort in Nature. There are poignant scenes of her roaming the Highlands and imagining she catches glimpses of her still born babies living in the land of Faery on the shores of the lake. She forms guarded and unlikely friendships with rough-spoken, second-sighted Kirsty McEchem, the wife of one of the labourers and also with the gaunt and shabby clergyman, Robert Kirke. But all is not as it seems with Kirke who, over one hundred and fifty years before entered into an unholy pact with the sithichean, the faery people of the underworld. Unable to die and be laid to rest with his beloved wife until he has completed a sinister quest set by the faery people, it gradually becomes apparent that he is a significant threat to both Isobel Aird and Queen Victoria.

The Ninth Child is an intriguing mix of fact, fiction and fairy-tale fantasy. Sally Magnusson writes in beautiful lyrical prose, evoking an ominous atmosphere from dangers unseen.

I read this novel as an e-book and found it disconcerting that there were few page breaks between changes in narrators. While each narrator’s interior monologue had their own ‘voice’, it often took a sentence or two to realise whose point of view I was reading. This was distracting and confusing, breaking the fictive dream state. I was gifted an Advanced Reading Copy from the publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review. Since I read an early copy, it’s possible the format has now been changed to make it easier to read.

The Ninth Child has a gorgeous blend of history and folklore that can be so hard to get right. Sally Magnusson has done just that, however, as well as created a cast of characters it's a joy to spend time with. A beautiful book that I very much enjoyed.

In The Ninth Child, Sally Magnusson blends fact with folklore into a haunting piece of historical fiction.

I loved the gothic concept, but I felt that it was sometimes underplayed. I think this is partly due to Magnusson's choice of narrative technique, splitting the story between different points of view - none of which are immediate. At times, this narrative distance takes the edge off the emotion, undermining some of the dramatic moments. While I liked the characterisation and distinctive voices, it was a little disorientating to dissipate the action between different narrative timelines.

I enjoyed The Ninth Child but it was one of those books I thought could have been better with a different editorial steer - comptent, but not quite as spellbinding as a faery-tale should be.