This book truly does a brilliant job of highlighting morals, identity, class and how race was viewed back in 19th century England. It’s historical accurate and has lots of details. I also loved that the main character was a strong female.

Theatre of Marvels by Lianne Dilsworth.

Sarah Baartman was the name of a Khoekhoe woman from South West Africa who was exhibited as a freak show attraction in 19th-century Europe under the name the Hottentot Venus. She was even exhibited after her death, with one showman dissecting her body and keeping her genitalia and skull. Another museum displayed her skeleton and a body cast, which were still exhibited up till the 1970’s. She was exhibited for her steatopygic body type, where body fat is concentrated on the bottom and thighs. This body type wasn’t seen in Europe and was perceived as a curiosity. She was also a subject of scientific interest, but through the gaze of racial bias and erotic projection. In the 19th Century her body could be viewed for two shillings and for a bit extra you could poke her with a stick. Her genitalia were of specific interest as they were said to show her sexual primitivism, although this was more about the men’s erotic projection than Sarah’s own sexuality or libido. Recently, black women in academia and culture have been using her story and reframing it as a source of empowerment, rejecting the ideals of white mainstream beauty, and embracing more curvaceous figures as a source of female beauty. This is the historical and social background that I had in mind while reading this fascinating debut novel from Lianne Dilsworth. I was swept up into her world straight away and my personal academic interest in disability and the display of ‘other’ bodies added to my enjoyment.

Our setting is a theatre and a group of performers from singers to magicians who perform a variety show under the watchful eye of Mr Crillick. His current headline act is Amazonia - a true African tribeswoman, dressed in furs and armed with a shield and spear, her native dancing brings down the house in Crillick’s show. The audience watch, transfixed with fear and fascination, never realising that she is a ‘fagged’ act. Zillah has never set foot in Africa and is in fact of mixed race heritage, born in East London. She is making her money by pretending to be what the, largely white, audience wants to see. It doesn’t sit well with Zillah, but she is alone in the world and does need to make money. Besides it’s better than the other options for a young woman who finds herself in poverty. She’s used to slipping between worlds on stage and in her private life, renting a room in the rough St Giles area of the city, but regularly making her way to a more salubrious area and the bed of a Viscount by night. She and Vincent have been lovers for some time, but he is estranged from his family and can easily keep her a secret, never even walking with her in public. Their shared bed is situated in the middle class home of her boss Crillick. Now, everything is about to change, as Zillah’s consciousness is raised in several ways

First, she realises that Vincent will never admit to their relationship in public, as he yet again cancels plans to take her to Richmond for the day. Secondly, she meets a young black man called Lucien, who is campaigning in the street. He addresses her in Swahili, with a suggestion this may be the native language of her ancestors, and he places a question in her mind that she can’t shake off. How does it feel to earn money misrepresenting her ancestors? In fact she is representing her ancestors through the gaze of a white audience. The sense that this is wrong, has always been on the edge of her conscience, but Lucien gives her doubts a voice and opens a door towards embracing both sides of her identity. While she dismisses him at first, the thought of him seeing her as Amazonia seems to fill her with shame. Lucien is working on a campaign to relocate black and mixed race Londoners to Africa and the first site is in Sierra Leonne. Meanwhile, Crillick has returned from a trip abroad with shipping containers that suggest he’s been gathering props and it seems he’s been finding new acts too. He taunts Zillah with the suggestion he has found an act that may even eclipse her and one night at his house she sees a new act unveiled to a small group of people. She is horrified to see him parade a terrified women he’s called the ‘Leopard Lady’, with strange white patches all over her dark skin. The men in the partying are fascinated, drawing near and touching her skin, even roughly scratching it to see if it comes off. When Zillah notices medical implements laid out on a tray, the horror of what might happen to this woman overwhelms her. She must rescue the Leopard Lady from Crillick’s clutches. There’s a freedom Zillah has compared to a lot of Victorian heroines we might remember, due to her station in life there are certain rules and etiquette of dress and behaviour that don’t apply. Although that freedom does come at a cost - poverty, not belonging anywhere, and the way she is viewed in more polite society. She knows that if she could be with someone like Lucien then she’d be settled in a place society expects of her, still in poverty but at least belonging to a community. Her feelings for Vincent can never come to anything, because his society would never accept her and they would always be a secret.

Through Zillah’s search for the Leopard Lady, we see the truth of a man wiling to make his money treating human beings as objects for display. Whereas before Zillah’s act has at least had the sheen of the theatre world, the Leopard Lady will not be afforded that excitement and sense of performance Zillah has experiencedcoursethis is because Zillah was acting a part, whereas this poor woman is being shown because due to how she looks and where’s she’s from. Zillah chooses to put on her Amazonia costume and take to a stage. Crillick’s plans revolve around his ‘Odditorium’, but in the meantime he plans to show his new acquisition privately to small groups of men. I could imagine these sordid gatherings taking place, with men enjoying an after dinner viewing where the woman is both viewed, potentially sexually assaulted and experimented on. It made me feel sick. I was willing Zillah, on in her efforts to find and free the lady and these parts of the novel were truly tense and gripping. I thought Zillah’s awakening was handled really well, but I was in two minds about where I wanted her to story to end. Of course there’s an opportunity of relocation to a new life in Sierra Leone, but here I felt strangely similar feelings to those I had about another 19th Century heroine Jane Eyre. We know that her flight from Thornfield Hall, and the man she loves, is the right move for her. Yet despite the space and time it’s given her to process Rochester’s attempt at bigamy, I never warm to St John Rivers, even though he rescues her from the moors and gives her life purpose again. When he proposes, I can’t be the only reader who’s screaming ‘No’ in her head. Lucien is a good, honest and intelligent man, but to me he feels like the wrong choice. The contrast between him and the passionate relationship she has with Vincent is rather like the two sides of her identity battling against each other. I was hoping that, for a while at least, she could find a way for herself, separate from them both.

This was an exciting and fascinating tale, with elements of the thriller and a central character who is resilient and brave in her quest. I found the settings of the theatre and Crillick’s home, beautifully rich and the St Giles area brought to life with descriptions of sights, smells, many bodies sharing rented rooms and even beds in an attempt to keep costs down. The author has backed up her tale with solid research into freak shows, the many layers of Victorian society and details of food, fashion and leisure time. Through her main character we get an insight into women’s lives and the realities of being bi-racial and the struggles of identity and belonging. I also enjoyed the themes of ‘otherness’ and how outsiders survive in society. The complexities of display and exploitation when weighed against poverty and deprivation. Can freak shows be acceptable if individuals can make a choice to exhibit themselves? Or should any exhibition of ‘different’ bodies be unacceptable? A question that still needs debate in light of television shows that exhibit overweight and other bodies in a prurient way. I really liked Zillah‘s quest and her own personal journey too. I read this so quickly and will be putting a copy on my bookshelves, because I know it’s one I’ll want to read again.

Ummmmmm, felt the blurb somewhat misinterpreted this book. Not sure if it was about identity, a feminist rant about the attitudes of men in the previous century or a wannabe Bridgerton style bodice ripper. Sadly it fell between all these stones. The fact that the reader never actually knows what happens to the Leopard Lady and her child makes the whole plot ludicrous. Very soap opera with one dimensional characters, the book isn’t sure what it wants to be, but is sadly too preoccupied with its heroine to realise this. I must state that I honestly hate giving bad reviews, but I’m not even sure how this came to be published.

I am not usually into historical fiction novels set in this time period but the prospect of it being set in a circus/show drew me in.

However, this is not so much a book about the shows but more about race and the MC’s experiences in a strange time where slavery is abolished… yet the attitudes have not adjusted. This describes Zinnia’s experience and feelings at this moment in time.

It was interesting to read about this time period and I enjoyed the insight into the mc’s experience however, it was a bit too slow moving for me this book so I wasn’t always wanting to pick it up again to continue.

This was an intriguing read and the cover is so gorgeous too. I loved the emotional vulnerability of the characters too!!

I had mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I thought it provided an interesting glimpse into the time it was set in, on the other hand I found it to be quite slow. It was a venture into the unknown for me, not the usual type of book I read, not my usual thriller and also set in Victorian times, so it stretched me a bit. I did like it, and if I wasn't such an impatient reader I probably wouldn't have found it to be slow. Well worth a read.

Crillick’s Theatre of Marvels star act The Great Amazonia is actually mixed race, London born Zillah. When Crillick introduces a new ‘freak’ act, the Leopard Lady, Zillah turns to Lucian Winters to help her find where they are hiding her to attempt to free her.
A fascinating era of history when the slave trade has been abolished but anyone slightly different perceived as a ‘freak’ & open to abuse for the amusement of the paying public.
I would love to have read more about the enticement of the ‘Poor Black’ to Sierra Leone - I hope that the published copy includes an epilogue covering this?
A good read for fans of historical fiction who like a string female lead character.

Whilst it took me some time to get into this book, before I knew it I was at 70% and so interested in where the story would go.

I could have wanted for more, being that I love circus settings and have enjoyed many a “freak show” book. But ultimately, this was Zillah’s story. Living between two worlds and facing up to the horrors of the space around her.

That this is labelled YA confuses me. I’d have never expected this to be the case and don’t feel it read that way neither.

I reviewed Theatre of Marvels by Lianne Dillsworth for book recommendation company LoveReading.co.uk. I have chosen it as a Liz Robinson Book of the Month and it will appear in the site and newsletters.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the main character Zillah. She’s a young actress (though with no official training in acting) from the slums of St Giles, trying to make a name for herself and wanting more than anything to work her way out of a life of poverty and struggle. Her mother left her with a ‘friend’ when Zillah was a young girl and she hasn’t seen her since but she always remembers the one piece of advice her mum gave her the last time she saw her “never work in service” (as a servant).

All the supporting characters were as interesting as Zillah. Ellen, a co-worker at the theatre and a woman who Zillah thought of as a friend, but was really someone who blew hot and cold and couldn’t always be trusted. As a singer at the theatre, she often reminded me of Nancy in Oliver Twist. She has a romantic interest with the owner of the theatre, Marcus Crillick, who much like Bill Sikes is something of a rogue with his fingers in many pies, no matter how dark and sinister, as long as they make him money he doesn’t care. Much as it was set during the Victorian era, I felt it had a contemporary feel to it which I liked, and for me made it stand out from other historical fiction. Zillah was strong willed and grew a strong sense of self as the book moves on and this made it feel just that little bit different.

As mentioned in the book’s description, it is a story of race and class. A story of survival for the poor at one end, and a story of exploitation and callousness in the name of making money at the other end of the spectrum. What struck me most, was nothing has changed. In over 150 years, nothing has essentially changed. To this day, we still have the poorest in London, indeed every city, living in relative poverty, in poor housing and with little hope of moving upwards. While the rich and the powerful take what they want and treat those less well off, the vulnerable with contempt. For this reason I did find it, at times, a little depressing to read but nevertheless it was a good story and at least for me, certainly makes you think.

This was a really entertaining read that really captured the feeling of the variety theatre and with the wonderful character of Zillah a mixed race actress at the forefront it really was a different read for me.
I’m not going to to go into the story it’s a book better to be read with no misconceptions and the narrative has so much going on it’s hard to describe.
The characters are all colourful and varied, some nice and some not nice at all and all are beautifully written and I loved the descriptions of victorian London.
So a quick read that takes you to another place and for me a 3 star read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Hutchinson Heinemann for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion
.

When the audience take their seats at Crillick’s Variety Theatre looking forward to an evening of entertainment featuring the Great Amazonia, a ‘savage queen’ captured in Africa, little do they know the act is a fraud. The ‘Great Amazonia’ is actually Zillah, a young mixed-race Londoner who has never been to Africa in her life. Zillah can see nothing wrong with what she is doing; she enjoys being the headline act, she’s being paid for her work and she’s making some powerful new friends, among them Vincent, Viscount Woodward, who is setting her up as his mistress. It’s not until she meets Lucien Winters, an African merchant and former slave, that she begins to question her actions and wonder whether there is a better life she could be leading.

Then, her manager Marcus Crillick unveils a new act – the ‘Leopard Lady’ – and Zillah’s eyes are opened to the full extent of Crillick’s cruelty and the way she and others are being exploited for financial gain. When the Leopard Lady goes missing, Zillah becomes convinced that she is being held captive somewhere and sets out to search for her – a search that will take her across Victorian London, from the bustling dockyards to the slums of St Giles and the elegant parlours of the upper classes. Meanwhile Zillah must choose between Vincent and Lucien and decide how she wants her future to unfold.

I enjoyed Theatre of Marvels, although it did seem very similiar at first to Elizabeth Macneal’s Circus of Wonders, another novel about the exploitation of ‘circus attractions’. However, this one is written from a very different perspective, allowing Lianne Dillsworth to explore different themes such as racial and class inequality and slavery. The thousands of black and mixed race people who lived in Victorian London are often ignored in fiction set in that period, but Dillsworth gives them a voice here through the characters of Zillah, Lucien and others. Zillah is a particularly interesting heroine as she is clearly struggling with her identity throughout the novel, feeling that she doesn’t truly fit in with one community or the other and trying to decide who she is and what she wants.

Although I felt that some of the characters, particularly the villain Marcus Crillick and Zillah’s friend and rival Ellen, were too thinly drawn, there were others I found much more interesting. I was intrigued by Vincent Woodward, as there were times when I thought he must genuinely care about Zillah, but I doubted from the beginning that he would have the courage to defy convention and commit to a future with her. I could only see their relationship ending unhappily. On the other hand, Lucien seemed to have a deeper understanding of Zillah and much more personal integrity, yet I never really managed to warm to him. However, I thought I had predicted how the story would end and was taken by surprise because it wasn’t quite what I’d expected!

While I would have liked to have seen more of the Leopard Lady and to have heard some of her story from her own point of view, I did enjoy getting to know Zillah. This was an absorbing and surprisingly quick read and I’ll be looking out for more books from Lianne Dillsworth.

The story follows Zillah, a young mixed race women from the slums of St. Giles, London. An actress by trade, Zillah dupes the audiences into believing she is the ‘Great Amazonia’, an African tribal Queen. The act was fabricated by her sleazy employer who wants nothing more than to raise her to stardom and be gawped at by an audience each night who are fascinated the exotic and extraordinary.

Zillah believes her life is as content as it can be with her raising status into the upper class society and courting a wealthy suitor. That is until a new stage act mysterious disappears and she is left feeling ill at ease with the disturbing and dehumanising display. This sets Zillah down a dark and dangerous path in her pursuit of the truth, not only of this new act but of her own identity and morals.

The Victorian setting was very atmospheric and gritty. The author was not one to sugar coat the hard labour and prejudices of the working class (especially women and people of colour). Lianne Dillsworths’ writing was both intellectual and decadent, highlighting the issues of race and class and the hardship women faced in the 19th century England in a richly detailed and emotionally chilling story.

I did only give this book three out of five stars, as I found the story took some time to build up to the climax. It was slow paced even for me, and I felt there was a little bit of information dumping at times which had no relevance to the premise. Othwerise, an enjoyable read that was compelling and eye opening.

An original story set in cosmopolitan London in the 19th century. For those who perhaps associate slavery, and it’s long lasting effects, around sugar and cotton plantations in America, this will be quite eye-opening. Britain was well and truly at the centre too.

The theme of the novel is identity and Zillah learning more about her cultural heritage. The depiction of how she does not feel she fits into one society or the other draws genuine pathos. She’s a great character and one who draws much sympathy.

I regretted that having had the story centre so
much around the rescue of the Leopard Lady, that we then no longer hear a single word about her. It would’ve been good to have had some sort of resolution to what happened next to her. Like others, I’m not also sure about the tacked on 8 Years Later epilogue, although I realise there would have been complaints about the story ending abruptly if there had not been anything.

For all the drama at the dock, nothing else subsequently seems to have happened, this was slightly anticlimactic. I guess it was a good device to end the story and illustrates that if you were lucky enough to have a wealthy and influential protector, then you’re somewhat shielded from threats.

For a debut novel it is a solid read, although I think sometimes the writing and characterisation was quite simplistic. But I am sure these skills will be developed in future books. Lianne Dillsworth has done a solid job. I would say 3 1/2 out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley in the publisher for the opportunity to read a proof copy of this book.

As always, I am confused about how I feel.

On the one hand, this felt a bit dragged out to me. The first half I thought really wasn’t going anywhere and there wasn’t much of a plot to it. It did get better in the second half but overall just didn’t have that oomph that I wanted from it.

I’m not always expecting oomph but based on the synopsis and setting, I thought I was in for something wildly dramatic and intense.

However, there was a lot that I liked too! Although it took a bit of time, seeing Zillah grow into her own person and truly accept who she is was incredible, as well as watching her learn what the rest of the world is really like.

No spoilers but the main plot is shocking and heartbreaking and it just seems insane to me that something like that would have ever happened, though of course it did. That’s what really made me enjoy this book, how stark the images of the past were.

I don’t know if I’m just an idiot for not knowing this, but upon emancipation in GB, slave owners were paid ‘reparations’. Are you fucking kidding me? When I read a specific part in the book that talks about this, I honestly couldn’t believe it. But no. Obviously we had slave owners so we couldn’t let them lose out just because all the people they owned were set free.

Parts of this will be hard hitting, but it’s good. It’ll make you think.

Although this book promised to be just up my street, I was a little bit underwhelmed. Loved the story of the black actress getting by in Victorian England and the general struggles of being black in this society. Loved the theatre of marvels and its gloss and dark origins. But somehow I found that the characters were a bit simplistic, it read almost as a young adult book. I enjoyed it but just found something lacking.

Fantastic book, I really felt for the main character as she tries to build a happy life for herself with her love. It was emotional, poignant and moving. Can’t wait to read more stories from Lianne Dillsworth.

Theatre of Marvels is a dazzling historical novel that expertly weaves a compelling tale of race, colonialism, identity and the importance of truth.

The story follows Zillah, a determined mixed-race actress who has found success playing savage African queen ‘Amazonia’ on stage at Crillick’s Variety Theatre. Her audience, however, can never suspect her ‘gaffe’ - that really she grew up nearby, in the slums of St Giles, and has never even been to the county of her ancestors. Her rise to headline act leads her to mixing with the elite of Victorian English society, but when she runs into ex-slave Lucien Winters her distorted stage depiction of her heritage leaves her feeling empty.

When the odious Crillick then introduces a new act - one who quickly disappears - Zillah begins to further question the life she has built for herself and the dangers surrounding her. Her hunt for the truth of what happened to this woman leads her not only into the murky depths of the city, but also into the mysteries of her own past.

Dillsworth’s atmospheric descriptions of 19th century London and the book’s diverse cast of aristocrats, circus acts and criminals are richly immersive and evocative. However, it’s the development of our protagonist - a woman of colour in Victorian London too rarely seen in fiction - and her steely determination in the face of inequality that makes the reader follow each twist and turn of the book with bated breath, particularly as the issues she rails against are still felt in our own modern world.

Theatre of Marvels is a must-read for any fans of historical fiction or books with strong, feminist protagonists. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the e-arc of this book.

Fans of Caraval and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock will enjoy this coming-of-age story following Zillah, a young Black actress, as she re-evaluates her life and starts to see the world through a new lens.

The main theme of the novel is identity, namely, Zillah trying to understand and come to terms with her African heritage and – as the mixed-race child of a former slave who grew up in London – struggling to find a place where she feels she belongs. There’s a great deal of pathos evoked from Zillah’s story, as she finds it increasingly difficult to play the part of the ‘African savage’ for the entertainment of racist white theatre audiences, but she lacks the resources to learn more about her true cultural heritage and is unsure of acceptance by the African community in London. As a member of the Indian diaspora, I could somewhat relate to Zillah’s realisation that she wouldn’t be able to identify directly with the experiences of people who had been born or grew up in Africa, and the confusing feelings of loss and inadequacy as well as joy when she is able to communicate with the Leopard Lady.

I also liked Zillah’s agency in the novel, and how much importance is placed on her choices, despite society not giving her many good options or any safety net to fall back on. Zillah’s two love interests are both flawed in their own ways, and ultimately their biggest failings are an unwillingness to challenge the status quo. Another interesting character is Barky, who first appears as the stage manager and Zillah’s only real friend at the theatre, but who also has secrets of his own.

The tension builds up to a suitably dramatic dénouement, though there’s also an obligatory time-skip epilogue which felt slightly tacked on. Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of female-centric historical fiction and those looking for stories about people of colour based around real historical events.

Terrific immersive read by reason of its intriguing characterisations .. Zillah is street wise although dark side is told in upbeat terms .. perhaps this is kind of YA fiction .. the tug of war between 2 men interested in her is a stretch ... but the resolution is credible .. racism explored in Victorian populist theatre is not unexpected but its being theme is a draw here .. slow burn but wonderful voice of narrator draws you on ...