This is a dual timelines. The characterisation is excellent. I loved the romance elements of the story. The historical elements were very interesting. It was a complete page turner.

My reading momentum was great in the early chapters but then for some reason, I don't feel like continuing it. Such a saddest thing to not be able to finish reading it.

This story was fabulous! It is steeped in history and the characters are excellently crafted. I think my favourite kind of historical fiction are the dual timeline novels so I was already sure I was going to enjoy this before I read it and... I thoroughly did! This story will grip you... and also break your heart.

Yorkshire, 1890.
Having lost her father and brothers in tragic circumstances, Olwen Malkon is forced to leave her childhood home to live with her uncle's family in his vicarage. Whilst there, she begins to suffer from visions of a woman who existed centuries earlier, Aelfwyn. Whilst her visions are put down to the grief stricken brain of an hysteric, the visions of Aelfwyn start to mirror her own life. Completely isolated and alone, Olwen's visions become more and more invasive until she finally befriends the local doctor, John Osbourne, who believes her and starts to dig into Olwen's claims of Aelfwyn...

I really liked this one. I liked the concept of history repeating itself and past lives interfering with present ones. I liked the idea that, until the past is rectified and laid to rest, shadows of the past will interfere and overlap with the present.

The story is well written and you can feel Olwen's frustration seep through the pages as her visions are put down to grief and hysteria. My favourite character was John who fought tirelessly to protect Olwen and get to the truth about what had happened centuries earlier. As a reader, you begin to make parallels and connections between the characters of the past and the characters of the present; almost as if history is doomed to repeat and repeat and repeat.

The dual timeline narrative worked really well: the storylines were weaved seamlessly together in a compelling and original story. As well as exploring misdeeds of the past, I also liked the way the book tackled the issues of mental health and how women with suspected hysteria were treat in the 19th century. The parallel storylines between Olwen and Aelfwyn were done very well. A special mention simply must be made to Olwen's former governess and her friend who completely stole the show.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Hodder and Stoughton and Sarah Maine for an opportunity to read and review this great book.

I received a copy of The Awakenings by Sarah Maine from NetGalley. The blurb of the novel intrigued me from the start. The book is set in 1890 in Yorkshire. This historical and fantasy fiction centers on the characters of Olwen Malkon and Dr. John Osbourne.
Olwen has suffered a tragic loss recently; losing her brothers and father in quick succession. An heiress to Swindale Hall, yet she is forced to live with her Uncle, his wife, and two sons, for a few months. Olwen has strange dreams, and she feels like she is losing her mind. Once she refuses to enter the church with her Uncle’s family, and there is a commotion. Dr. John Osbourne has recently moved into the village and taken up the predecessor's practice. When Olwen refuses to enter the church and has a panic attack, John steps in to help.
Olwen’s Aunt and Uncle are more worried about what the parishioners say than her. John sympathizes with her and tries to understand what she thinks. She finds comfort in him, and then the lines of reality start blurring. The novel is set in two timelines – one is in 1890 and the other centuries ago. The dreams Olwen has about herself in a different time are actually true. These visions of the past start intensifying, and Olwen and John are in danger. I loved how the two timelines seem to blend into each other seamlessly. It added so much character to the story.
The Awakenings is the first novel I have read written by Sarah Maine. I enjoyed the writing style. As I said, it does well to keep both timelines separate and then merge them effortlessly when the time comes. It is a different type of romantic fantasy than I expected, but in the end, I liked it.

### Billed as historical fiction. Reads as horror.

I was so excited to get my hands on an advanced reader copy of *The Awakenings* by Sarah Maine through Netgalley and I had a great time reading it. Olwen Malkon is a young woman taken in by her uncle’s family, but had vivid visions and dreams of an early medieval king of Northumbria. Her family are convinced she is possessed by demons, but she finds a progressive young doctor who offers her real help.

This book was billed as historical fiction, but reads as horror. I found it extremely frustrating to watch Olwen be mistreated by her family, the Church, and the medical system. Her uncle and his clerical colleagues try to “exorcize” her “demons,” which only upset and traumatize Olwen. The medical system seeks to drug her into oblivion instead of actually investigating her health. There are so many parallels in this book to medical history non-fiction books I have read recently – *Unwell Women*, *Vagina Problems*, *Medical Bondage*, etc. – which I felt was a nice accidental tie-in, even though the continuing theme of medically mistreated women is depressing.

The only places where I lost the thread a bit with this book were the early medieval flashbacks. It is possible that I just do not vibe with the 700s – I do not think this is the fault of the book or the writing. I would also like to issue some trigger warnings here: sexual assault, medical assault, drugging, kidnapping, and wrongful imprisonment. There is a lot of structural unfairness in this book, but I think Maine navigates it well and shows real historical phenomena without sugarcoating, but also without making it trauma porn. These reservations aside, I would highly recommend *The Awakenings*.

A stunning atmospheric novel that is darkly delicious. Suspense seeps out of this book and I was hooked. Couldn’t put it down!

I do love a good historical fiction book , The Awakening had me quite intrigued with the 2 timeline . And the book started pretty fast paced. Which I really enjoy a fast-paced book. I did enjoy the part where you learn about the history of the Anglo-saxons. The briquette Times could be very atmospheric which I think always makes for a good story.
The writing itself was very good and easy to follow. Although I did start find the book started to slow up quite quickly which started to lose a little bit of my interest.
I really loved the characters from both timelines they were all really well written about.

I think if you love a good atmospheric book and its historical fiction you will probably enjoy this. I gave this book three stars only because for myself it was a little bit slow .

If you’d have told me a year ago that I’d read historical fiction and enjoy it, I would’ve laughed in your face. But, woooooow.

This genre was completely out of my comfort zone and I was so apprehensive to give it a read but I am so glad that I did.

Sarah Maine has done an absolutely amazing job at making Historical Fiction accessible and has created a story sourced from some true stories from the 8th Century AD. The amount of research that she has put into this novel is very clear and the story itself is told beautifully.

The way that mental health is explored from different perspectives and how symptoms of mental health are viewed socially is honestly brilliant. I also loved the way that gender roles in that time period were addressed and the way that character’s behaviours in response to the social gender norms.

The story gripped me and was totally different to what I’d expected.

I was so lucky to have been able to have read this as an ARC copy and I’m very grateful to have had the chance to read it. I would like to recommend it to anyone and everyone. If you’re looking for a novel that’s very different and takes you in a portal through time, this one is definitely for you.

I’m sure you’ll have guessed by now that I absolutely loved this book and therefore it gets a 5/5 from me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm a sucker for a historical fiction and also love Yorkshire so this was right up my street. I really enjoyed this book and the way it was told about the two women, a history lesson as well as a good story. Thank you

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC of this book.

I loved the premise and promise of this book. A time-slip novel connecting the Victorian era NOT to the modern day, but the Anglo-Saxon era? YES PLEASE!

However, the writings and characters fell flat for me (sometimes literally) and the Victorian setting felt off for me from the moment Olwyn wandered unchaperoned with the new Doctor without her bonnet on whilst missing a church service by her Uncle and did not even consider the consequences. I understood she was grieving, but it completely ruined my immersion.

Unfortunately, the novel continued on in this vein, with various inexplicable phenomena and I felt it could have really benefitted from extra editing. For example, in various intervals at the beginning of the novel, the author's name would randomly appear within the text itself, which also did not help with my immersion issues.

Overall, I felt the bones of the story were here, but the writing and presentation really let the novel down. In conclusion, 'The Awakenings' definitely did not have me staying awake in anticipation for its upcoming plot developments.

This entertaining and immersive novel is a good fun read – if a little preposterous at times. It tells the story of Olwen Malkon, a young woman left orphaned and bereaved after the death of her father and the tragic drowning of her younger brothers. Six months short of gaining her majority she has no choice but to go and live with her vicar uncle’s cold and self-seeking family. Once there she finds herself prey to some vivid dreams or perhaps hallucinations after collapsing in terror in the church at Sunday service. She’s attended by a local doctor, who then finds himself drawn into her dream world. The dual timeline is cleverly integrated into the main narrative, as Olwen’s dreams take on substance and she finds herself identifying with an Anglo-Saxon young woman equally beset by circumstances outside her control. The Anglo-Saxon episodes were a bit drawn-out and repetitive but Olwen’s plight in the hands of the medical authorities and the treatment of “hysterical” young women is well described and chilling indeed. The plot rattles along at a good pace, the historical detail feels authentic, and although the characterisation leans towards the stereotypical there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and looking forward to finding out how it all pans out.

I love a good dual timeline story and The Awakenings fulfils that just perfectly.

Olwen is a young lady who is sent to live with her vicar uncle and his family when her father and brothers all die within a short time of each other. Olwen begins to have dreams/episodes where she experiences another time frame. The plot develops nicely through the book and while it may seem a bit slow at times, it doesn’t distract from the plot. The character development means you find yourself rooting for Olwen and hope she overcomes all her battles.

I really enjoyed this book and plan to look our for others by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
This book describes the physical 'fits' suffered by Olwyn after she is forced to live with her relatives following the deaths of her brothers and father. The reader is taken back to hundreds of years earlier as Olwyn 'lives' the life of Wyn during these periods of absences. Both stories in this dual timeline history are interesting, including Olwyn's treatment at the hands of her relatives, such as using laudanum and consideration of exorcising demons. I had to refer to a dictionary occasionally when ancient words were used, such as 'ings', which interrupted the flow of the my reading. I particularly disliked the dreams Dr Osbourne experienced which linked to Olwyn's / Wyn's 'lives', it seemed bizarre that both of them would undergo the same time travel events only when they are apart. The doctor does not seem to give this any consideration when trying to care for and treat Olwyn. I might have enjoyed this book more if only Olwyn had undergone the experience, I stopped reading at 35%.

I think I l enjoyed this book for all the wrong reasons , like another reader I found this book more interesting because it was Anglo-Saxon historical fiction and I enjoyed this, but not so much the actual book, which I found to be overly complicated and a bit slow at times. I felt as though The Awakenings could have gone been very interesting beyond its references to Anglo-Saxon history, but it just went for overly complicated and dramatised plot for what I felt was shock value and not actual gain to the story or the author. Overall, although I did enjoy this I think would have been better served going in another direction than the drama and shock value that it did

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book!

I was slightly disappointed with the overall storyline. I really enjoyed the writing style and the dual timeline as well as the parallels in the stories which were done well. However, the point was quickly made and the second storyline (the one further in the past) became a bit repetitive and obsolete. It slowed down the progress of the story and it was quite evident what would unfold. I do think that less of the past timeline would have benefited the pace of the book. I just couldn’t care and be invested in the secondary timeline as the events had already occurred and nothing would change those, so the lack of agency in that story just made it not that interesting to follow.

I do appreciate the historical research undertaken for this story and the overall atmosphere of the book. It was very well done if we consider this mainly a historical fiction. There could have been a few more details on topics central to this book and the 19th century in general, such as the use of some tinctures for so called “women’s ailments” and the treatment of patients in asylums at the time. I think that it would have given a better atmosphere and additional depth to the story.

Overall, not a bad story, I was invested into the primary timeline and really enjoyed the characters in it. The writing was good, but the story became a bit long and repetitive at times, especially when the dual timelines were mirroring each other a bit too closely. Would recommend if you want a bit of an eerie vibe in a more classic historical fiction book set at the beginning of the 19th century.

Two women divided by century, two women I liked and rooted for them.
It's an excellent historical fiction with some paranormal aspects. You don't know what's real or not, and it's hard to trust anyone when they think you're histeric.
The authro did an excellent job in developing plot and characters, the storytelling is excellent and the plot flows.
Riventing, compelling, and gripping.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A gripping novel that explores the struggle by two women, divided across centuries, for control over their lives, set against a beautiful historical backdrop.

Sarah Maine has long been a favorite author of mine as she incorporates Gothic undertones in her novels. I was excited to read her latest,The Awakenings.

The Awakenings is a dual Time-Slip novel. In late Victorian times we have Olwen Malkon, the heiress whose young brothers and father have recently passed away in tragic circumstances, and she is now living with her uncle and his family in the local vicarage, until she is able to come of age and take ahold of her inheritence. Due to the stress of the death of her family and the machinations of her aunt and cousin, Olwen starts to experience visions and dreams of a young woman in Anglo-Saxon times. With her aunt drugging her, and her vicar uncle thinking she is possessed by the devil, all is not looking well for Olwen or her mental health. Enter Dr. John Osborne the local physician whose interest in psychiarty, and Olwen gives her the chance to maybe survive and understand what is happening.

In Anglo-Saxon times we have Aelwyn, known as Wyn, the daughter of the local King. In these times being a King is a precarious position and Aelwyn soons finds that even the closest to her cannot always be trusted. She meets Osher, the grandson of a local lord and the two fall in love, will they be able to get their happily ever after in the turbulent times they live in?

As the two storylines meld via the visions and dreams that Olwen and John share, we see how the crimes of the past reveberate down the centuries. I loved the different time periods and how the characters from the past echoed the characters in the Victorian Era.

If you are a fan of Barbara Erskine or Susanna Kearsley, this is a book for you.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Hodder and Stoughton, and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

Book Review (Donna) - The Awakenings by Sarah Maine - due for release 17th March.

Thanks to @netgalley and @hodderstoughton for this arc.

Yorkshire, 1890. Following the tragic deaths of her father and two younger brothers, Olwen is forced to move out of her family home and stay with her uncle and his family at their vicarage. She starts to have visions and feelings of dread as though she is experiencing the traumatic memories of another person - Aelfwin - a woman from the distant past. Her family believe her to be hysterical, but a doctor new to the area wonders if there is more to this than meets the eye.

Has Olwen's trauma led her to create this alternative persona - or are darker forces at play?

I really enjoyed this book; the split in time periods reminded me a little of Kate Mosse's Labyrinth (and that is no bad thing!)

The main protagonist, Olwyn, is a headstrong, independent woman who I was routing for throughout - her family were ghastly and I actually found myself on edge through most of this in despair at her circumstances and bad luck! There was an excellent balance between character and plot development, and the story progressed at a good pace with some interesting twists and turns.

The historical elements were fantastic and clearly well researched, and I thought that the author did a fabulous job of exploring the attitudes during the latter time period (1890) surrounding women and mental health.

Not quite a 5* for me, but only as I would have liked to know more about the side characters (e.g. Reagan) and felt their stories were wrapped up quite quickly - I think this is actually a credit to the author and the characters she created that I did want to know more. But a fab read overall that I would definitely recommend.