Dark, twisting, gothic, amatmospheric, twisty and gripping.

The year is 1890, Olwen Malkin is leaving her childhood home after loosing bet father and brothers in tragic circumstances. Olwen is going to love with her uncle and his family in their vicarage home. This is where Olwen starts having strange dreams of a woman who has been betrayed and murdered.

Olwen thinks that she is going crazy and decides to speak to the local doctor. Who is certain that dark suspicion, paranomaral things are happening. Desperate to try and keep Olwen safe John tries to speak to Olwens uncle and family. But they are determined that Olwen is being hysterical and everything is completely fine.

But soon the dreams start to mirror events happening in the waking world a d suddenly the danger is dangerously real. What on earth has transpired and what is the truth and can they figure it all out before someone gets hurt.

A really well written book, with great characters and a great plot.

This dual time story has one foot firmly placed in the Victorian era as we meet Olwen Malkon who has recently come to live with her uncle, aunt and cousins in a vicarage in Yorkshire. Grieving the loss of her own family Olwen is troubled by dark thoughts, which is especially interesting to local doctor, John Osborne, whose interest in the mind, and all its manifestations, is particularly relevant.

Whilst the story captures the restricted atmosphere of the Victorian era with all its prejudices and stifling morality, it also take us further back to the more interesting time of the Anglo-Saxons, and with links which binds Olwen to both her past and her present.

The story gets off to an interesting start, I enjoyed reading about of Olwen's new life at the Vicarage especially as she becomes more and more drawn into her past life as the daughter of a long forgotten Anglo-Saxon King. Both time elements are well done and the thread that binds the two periods in history together has been done in an imaginative way.

I was initially drawn to the story by the book's striking cover and I'm pleased that the timeslip story inside the cover lived up to my expectations.

Yorkshire, 1890 and Olwen Malkon has to move into her uncle’s vicarage after losing her father and two younger brothers in quick succession. There she starts having dreams about a woman in the 8th Century whose life starts to mirror her own. When these episodes lead to her family treating her as hysterical, she turns to her friends and the local Doctor Osbourne for help.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline aspect of this novel, especially as very little historical fiction is set in the times of the Anglo-Saxons. The moving between time periods was very well done and never seemed clunky or abrupt. It started off well as we met Olwen’s hideous family which led to some humour and we gained a sense of the type of character Olwen was. However, the pacing slowed down somewhat in the middle third and I found myself getting impatient.

The vicar’s family were somewhat stereotypical with the evil aunt and the lecherous and profligate cousin, both intent on getting their hands on Olwen’s inheritance. The standout characters were definitely Celia and Gussie, Olwen’s former governess and her girlfriend who basically stole every scene they were in. Doctor Osbourne, the love interest of the book was fine but he felt a bit too bland, a little bit too flawless for him to be truly interesting.

The plot was good, not so much around the central mystery of the book, which was blatantly obvious, but more to see how they would get Olwen away from her family into safety. The novel highlighted just how difficult it was for young women to decide on their own course in life and how easy it was for people to take advantage of them. The diagnosis of moral insanity and Olwen’s subsequent admittance into a mental health facility felt all too real.

Overall I did enjoy this book, I just felt that Olwen could have been a stronger protagonist as she spent much of her time either trapped somewhere or unconscious. The love story also didn’t really do it for me but if you enjoy historical fiction with a splash of romance than this might be the book for you.

Fans of the dual time line novel might find this tale of Olwen in the 1890s and Wyn in the 8th century. Olwen, an orphaned heiress has been sent to live in Yorkshire with her uncle and his loathsome family in a vicarage that's quite atmospheric. So much so that she begins to dream of Wyn and while her relatives think she's hysteric (cue up nasty things done to women during this period), John Osborne is more intrigued and interested in her. I would have welcomed a full novel on either woman- Wyn actually lives in more interesting circumstances- but no matter, it's still a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think I liked this book more for revealing to me that Anglo-Saxon historical fiction is something I might enjoy than I did for the book itself. The premise of this book is intriguing, and it started off promising, but ultimately it became over-complicated and convoluted.

Following the death of her younger brothers and father Olwen Malkon is sent to live with her uncle until she reaches her majority. Olwen begins to have strange dreams recalling the similar experiences of a woman named Ælfwyn and it seems the two women’s fates are intertwined.

The Awakenings started off strong with witty dialogue and a fast-paced and enticing plot. However, as the book progressed it began to get bogged down by dramatic conspiracies and over-complications. Olwen started off as a compelling protagonist but went on to spend the majority of the book completely without agency being passed around from place to place like a sack of grain.

I felt as though The Awakenings could have gone somewhere very interesting with its references to Anglo-Saxon history, which is something I personally haven’t seen a lot of in historical fiction, but it almost felt as though the book didn’t trust itself to be good enough and instead turned to more dramatised plot-lines for shock value.

Oddly, whilst I felt the chemistry between Wyn and Heri, Olwen and John’s relationship didn’t have that same chemistry for me.

Overall, although I enjoyed this book, I felt the first third had a lot of intrigue and potential that I think would have been better served in another direction.

I loved the way the author combines two timelines separated by a thousand years by connecting characters and places. The storytelling and pacing is great too and kept me reading on as the two parallel stories unfolded. Would recommend to anyone who likes historical fiction with a strong sense of place as well as those who enjoy Victorian-set stories and detective fiction.

Amazing. I will be looking out for more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This started out as a promising story and right in my wheelhouse. I should have loved it but for me it was very slow moving and I found it difficult to stay engaged with the characters. The back and forth between timeline was somewhat confounding and I'm afraid added to my lack of connection with this one. I even went back to it to give it another go but unfortunately it was a DNF at 30% :(

This is a fascinating book telling the two stories that somehow merge into one a thousand years apart. The past is the 8th century, the present, the late nineteenth century. Olwen Malkon is sent to live with her uncle's family after her father's death and the drowning of her younger brothers. She begins to experience strange episodes where her alter ego is the daughter of an 8th century king and there seems to be no knowing when these episodes will occur. Her behaviour sparks the interest of local doctor, John Osborne with whom she seems to have strange affinity. The author manages to intertwine the two timelines almost seamlessly as danger and treachery begin to threaten. After a relatively slow start the story quickly picked up pace as Olwen's dreams become more frequent and her family begins to question her sanity and I was absolutely hooked. The introduction of Olwen's former governess Celia and her partner Gussie livened things up even more. Both historical periods were brought to life with skill and the conclusion was satisfying and credible. Part historical, part psychological drama and part mystery, the book has encouraged me to seek out more of this author's work.

I loved this book!

The pacing I felt was just right. Didn’t rush through intricate details but didn’t dwell and bore the reader with information overload.

The twists and turns throughout the book do not stop and every single character has been thoroughly thought through and developed properly.

Even minor characters like the Bishop or the inspector are all considered as the novel progresses and we the reader are invited to feel as the Doctor and Olwen feel about them.

There is so much going on with this novel and at first I thought I would find the flicking between past and present narration, and then also between our two narrators tedious and confusing. However, the author enables the reader to keep track of the storyline and gives us an insight into plot lines developing separately between the doctor and Olwen, and then to see how they both come together.

This book had me hooked in the first chapter, and I could not put it down. I would highly recommend it!

4+ stars
There are two timelines in this latest stellar novel by Sarah Maine which she has woven together so their stories cleverly coincide. In the 19th Century we have heiress Olwen Malkon who has what feels like troubling dreams since she left Swindale Hall where tragedy has struck. She's living with her vicar Uncle and Aunt in less commodious circumstances and with considerably less freedom. On entering her uncle's church she suffers a very adverse reaction. She is helped by a young doctor John Osbourne and treated sympathetically. The second timeline takes us back to the eighth century where we meet Wyn, the daughter of King AElfwald of Northumbria and here, as in the later timeline, there is trouble brewing.

I thoroughly enjoy this novel especially how the author fuses the stories together so they evolve organically. The characterisation is excellent, you root for Olwen and Osbourne and there is much here to make you angry as the weakness of her position before she reaches her age of majority which is dangerously, maliciously and deviously exploited, demonstrating the powerlessness of female positions at this time. Talk about nefarious deeds. You cheer on Celia, Olwen's former governess and her friend Gussie whose independent spirits gladden your heart. The less said about Olwen's aunt,uncle and cousin Alfred the better and there's even an odious Bishop to love to hate! The views on mental illness at the time and how patients are subdued is done very well as is how it is utilised in the storyline, with despair and spite in equal measure.

The earlier timeline is done very well as the author expertly weaves what little facts are known about AElfward's time with fiction to create a parallel storyline of similar dangers, treachery and betrayal. The novel builds well, its colourful, vivid and almost cinematic in tone with some scenes designed to shock.

Highly recommended and I especially enjoy the York and its environs setting, an area I know well!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

The Awakenings is a historical novel with a dual-narrative twist.

The concept has a lot of promise, but I found the execution a little formulaic. There's a lot that could have been cut back for clarity, which would also help strengthen the two linear timelines. There's an interesting mystery at the heart of the story (what really happened to Olwen's brothers), and it just needs a little more space to develop.

I really wanted to like Olwen, and to start with it seemed she had a lot of potential as a main character, but sadly she is increasingly side-lined from the action. Without want to give too much away, the story seems to be something that happens to her, while the somewhat archetypal secondary characters take a more active role. Of course in many ways this reflects the limits on female agency of the time, but it's a little extreme that the poor girl's hardly ever even conscious.

There are a lot of good ideas here, and Maine has nice lucid prose, but sadly I didn't fall in love with this historical romance.

In Victorian Yorkshire, after the death of her father and brother, Olwen Malkon has been forced to move into her uncle’s vicarage, a cold and forbidding place where she’s treated like a servant by her aunt. She’s soon assailed by dreams of another woman from the past, dreams that are dark and disturbing. In a time when women who don’t fit in are treated as disturbed or mentally ill, Olwen’s dreams make her the object of speculation and suspicion. Can she trust the village doctor who seems to want to help her, or he the same as everyone else, intent on controlling her with drugs or threats of being institutionalized. Maine’s depiction of life for women in Victorian times is as detailed as it is chilling

I've really enjoyed Maine's books in the past - they're so atmospheric and tend to whisk me away, Unfortunately, this one was just far too slow and the characters and story were not interesting enough to keep me engaged (I had to dnf, I'm sorry!). The change in perspectives was an interesting premise, but I found the transition rather disorientating. I think I might have enjoyed this more if the writing had been tauter, and the historical setting developed further.

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written with well developed and sometimes heartbreaking characters, a well written and heartwrenching storyline with a dual timeline which really added an extra layer to the story as it allowed me to feel like i really knew and could relate to the characters. I really enjoyed it.

The Awakenings by Sarah Maine

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 chill vicarage, however, she fears that she is also losing her mind, as strange dreams take her into the life of Ælfwyn, a woman from a distant past whose fate is overshadowed by menace and betrayal.

In the grip of these afflictions, Olwen finds sympathy with the local doctor, John Osbourne, who is intrigued by her case. Suspecting darker undercurrents are at work, John comes into conflict with Olwen's family, who dismiss her as a hysteric and, when he seeks to protect her, with the law.

Such a wonderful yet at times , heartbreaking story. We follow Olsen who is Sent to live with her uncle. Life is not easy for Olsen and the threat of being sent to the mad house as many women were if deemed strong willed and not always bending to their male family members demands.

Enjoyable dual timeline story,with some string female characters , and my goodness they needed to be strong for the way they were treated back then.
Comply or get to the mad house it would seem.

At times,the switch between timelibes was so quick it left me a little disorientated,but soon enough I was up to speed.

A mostly entertaining read.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and Sarah Maine for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.
As a fan of dual time line books and historical fiction, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to review this book. The story is centred around Olwyn Malkon, a young heiress to her family home, who is forced to live with her Uncle’s family after losing her father and brothers in tragic circumstances.
I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of life in her Uncle’s vicarage, which included the wicked Aunt, an obsessed Bishop, the cruel cousin who is desperate to marry Olwyn and gain her inheritance for himself and the periods of strange dreams which develop into the dual time line with persons and events linked to Olwyn’s current situation.
This book stands out from other dual timeline books by being set in the Victorian era with references to laudanum, female hysteria, asylums and hypnosis which brings depth to the story. It is obviously very well researched and very well written.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will definitely explore the author’s other books. Additionally, the cover of this book looks beautiful and as a fan of special edition hardbacks, it would be a book that I would buy for myself and gift to others.