I’ll admit, I went into this book with trepidation. I have been obsessed with Joan of Arc since I was in primary school, and so have a very vivid idea in my mind of what she was like. I’ve picked up many books about her – both fiction and non-fiction – and of all the fiction books I’ve started (not all of them finished), this one is by far my favourite.

The Joan that leaps off the page here is the same Joan that appealed to me as a child and into adulthood – of a girl out of step with the world around her, driven and passionate and determinedly true to herself and what she knows to be right. It makes her a very compelling main character, as no matter how those around her try to use her for their own gain, she still maintains her sense of self. I also really appreciated how much of the story is based in fact, with historical notes at the start of each section giving a quick overview of the wider goings-on.

As with any historical novel there is a blend of fact and fiction, and the fictionalised aspects of Joan’s life are just as vividly realised as the true ones. I was completely absorbed into the story. I particularly liked all the chapters of Joan’s childhood and life in Domremy, which were a very compelling read.

The big omission is that of Joan’s visions, and her staunchly-held faith. I think that had the story continued into the final months of her life, the truth would have felt at odds with this fictionalised version of her, but as it is, I found it very believable. It is the only thing I really missed, though, as it’s the aspect of her life that not only lead to her eventual status as a saint, but was her motivation throughout her life. I was reminded of the final chapters of Helen Castor’s biography, where she concludes that the source of Joan’s visions does not really matter; what matters is that Joan believed fervently that they were from the angels. In any other depiction of Joan’s life, this omission would feel heinous. However, this book is just so good – and balances the truth with fiction so well – that for me it barely affected my overall enjoyment.

I loved this book, and I thought it was an excellent tale, taking inspiration from an iconic figure in history.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

A rich re-imagining of the life of Joan of Arc. I felt transported in time, the vivid prose painting a filmic narrative and filling out a full-blooded portrait where before I'd only heard of the icon but not the woman.

Fantastic, a well written book with incredible characters and a gripping plot. Will be keeping an eye out for future work by this author.

This book starts with the early years of Joan. The writing is so descriptive and it is easy to visualise the setting. I really enjoyed this historical fiction

Joan by Katherine J Chen is an almost visceral experience and one that is both enticing and uncomfortable. Jean d'Arc has always been an interest of mine. How does one go from virtual obscurity, to mystic, to virtual saint, to executed sinner in such a short period of time? Having also been to the site of her execution, this book took on a whole new dimension. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it.

I had been looking forward to reading this account of Joan’s life, she’s a very interesting character and I have read a few books about her before.
I read to around 30% and unfortunately I just couldn’t get into the story. It could just be that I wasn’t in the right mood at the time and I will be going back to this book at some point to try again!

An engaging retelling of the famous Joan of Arc story where Joan is relatable and her world tangible.

Firstly, I'll mention a couple of things I personally dislike (trigger warning!):

1) The use of rape of a side character as a plot device to be the inciting incident that drives the hero(ine) to their heroic deeds. While sexual violence and abuse of women and children were prevalent in medieval warfare, so at least the violence is not incongruous, it is a trope I really despise, so was still sad to see it here.
2) 'Not like other girls' - obviously, with the main protagonist being Joan of Arc, she did stand apart in her own time, and since, but despite her 'training' with her father, it is not that background that sets her apart, her sister is still meek and mild, as are all other girls and women, and Joan is inexplicably different, her differences may or may not be gifts from god, but she is still, 'not like other girls' for reasons. Again, this is tempered by the time period, where outspoken, or strong women would have been set apart and, while they were useful to men, would have been honoured, or maybe their 'strange powers' explained as divine, then when their use fades, they are heretics or witches, so the trope does fit more here than in other books, but I think there would have been enough independently minded women around, whether they showed that in front of the men or not, for Joan to have had a sense that she was not the only one. Yolande was, admittedly, a good example of this, though she is not given enough credit for that in this book, in my opinion.

Those two tropes in this book did not ruin the narrative or tangibility of the world, however, it is just that I have read quite a few books with those features and the fact that they appeared here, while more fitting to Joan's story, took me out of the book and made me think more about why and how they were used.

I will say, though, that this is the first version of Joan that I have liked, understood, and related to. I am not religious, though I was brought up in a religious family, and could never understand the piety, or the divine hand of (a male) god taking credit for Joan's achievements, just because she was a woman and a woman could not have done such things alone. I found her journey, as told by Katherine Chen, to be believable and vivid.

I have read other reviews that talk about how much time was spent on Joan's childhood and that the battles were not focused on enough, but for me, the balance was just right, in spending time with younger Joan, we saw how she was formed and how that affected her later actions. Details of the battles themselves can be found by researching the history if 'Joan' inspires the reader to do so, but what is important is how Joan affected the battles in the run up to them, and how she and others responded to them either during the fighting, when it was pertinent to her story, or afterwards, and I think Katherine Chen did that really well, maintaining a pace and a clear narrative without weighing Joan's character down with unnecessary 'action scenes' that would not have told the reader anything further about Joan as a person.

I really liked how Joan was never portrayed as wanting to be a man, she wanted to nurture and heal as much as she wanted to bear arms and fight against those who had wronged her and those she was close to, it was a very personal tale for her, and as someone who personally likes science and logical thinking, (and has always thought of herself as too tall) and in many ways has not walked the traditional path expected of women), but loves being a home-builder, doing traditional crafts, cooking for people, even if just for myself, I appreciate that women can have a variety of interests and aspirations, and be a variety of traits in a single body - whether that body be traditionally feminine, masculine, or all appearances in between.

Joan's self-reflection, and perspective, and the way her world was described, reminded me of Hilary Mantel's style, as has been mentioned before, but with a faster pace and a much narrower focus more fitting for Joan's more insular life and story.

A little disappointing; a great take on Joan of Arc and clearly well-researched, but felt a bit detached from Joan as a person. Maybe good for fans of Jennifer Saint's Greek heroine retellings

What an absolutely amazing retelling of a Legend of a lady!! A very good retelling of a real life historical figure, remember this is fiction though so the story is not one to he taken literally to her life.

Joan of Arc had such a short life but what an impact she made! This was such a good read and whilst a re-imagining of Joan's life I found it so interesting. This is historical fiction at its best

I sat with this book in my to be read pile for far too long .I think I was concerned that the story would concentrate on the religious elements of St Joan .I was very wrong as this was a far more naturalistic story that I expected telling the story of the historical figure set in warng times between France and Britain .
I have read that the novel had been compared to Hilary Mantel’s work and I could confirm this as I read .The story of firmly set in its historical place whilst at the same time the author allows her characters to have quite modern sensitivities,this allows is as readers to understand their behaviours clearly I was quickly invested in the character and wanted to know more about her journey and life
My only criticism of the novel was that it tended to drift to an end rather than finishing strongly,I found this disappointing

I read this book in Netgalkey uk the book is published in the uk by Hodder and Stoughton on 5 July 2022 .This review will be published on Goodreads NetGalley uk and my book blog bionic Sarah’s books

Electric! Absolutely loved this book that retold and reimagined the life Of Joan of ARC and solidified her position in the contemporary historical landscape.

Fascinating topic! I loved learning more about he (imagined) life of Joan. I did feel the balance was off though, in in that a very long time was spent on her childhood. I wanted more about the battles!

Brilliant effective writing abt a take on Joan of arc's life that contextualises her place in contemporary history .. her deep compassion, and absorption notwithstanding political pressure of figures attempting to (and often succeeding) in manipulating her .. we can grasp the ways of propaganda, and Joan was a victim too. Ingenious and thorough depictions of characters and detail .. v impressive .. a thick read .. ..

Katherine Chen's Joan is a thrilling and empowering historical fiction novel that will captivate readers of all ages. The novel is set during the Hundred Years' War and follows Joan of Arc, a young woman determined to save France from England. Joan is a triumph of historical fiction and a feminist celebration of an extraordinary woman, with vivid characters, transporting settings, and propulsive storytelling.

Joan is ten years old when the novel begins, and she is gathering stones for a fight between the boys of her village. Joan has been determined to make a difference in the world since she was a child. She is strong, taller than most men, and a quick study by the age of seventeen. As word of her abilities spreads throughout the French court, the Dauphin's mother-in-law, Yolande of Aragon, takes her under her wing, and Joan soon finds herself at the head of the French army.

Joan must navigate a battlefield and a royal court full of danger and suspicion in the story, which is filled with exciting action scenes and political intrigue. Chen does an excellent job of bringing the historical period to life and immersing readers in the world of Joan. Her research is evident throughout the novel, and she succeeds in creating a flesh-and-blood woman with complex and compelling motivations.

This is an enjoyable and inspiring read that honours one of history's most remarkable women. Chen's vivid characters and pulsing storytelling make this book a thrilling epic and a must-read for fans of historical fiction.

An interesting and unique retelling of a historical figure, written with clear, sweeping prose and an electrifying plot.

I knew very little about Joan of Arc before I embarked on Katherine Chen's epic novel 'Joan'. By the end, I felt I had lived alongside an icon of history, a woman who defied her harsh, poor upbringing to lead her beloved France into victory. This novel is more than a story about a brave, strong, curious, incredible, extraordinary and unique woman. it is a story of resilience, endurance, love, grief, hope. The writing was sublime, the research impeccable, the result: a truly phenomenal story of a truly heroic woman.

I love historical retellings so was keen to pick this up unfortunately I couldn't help but feel that something important was lost in the modernisation of Joan's character - losing her sense of religion not only fundamentally changes her story, but the cultural psyches of her time (and I always find it a bit reductive when a 'strong' female character is portrayed as tough warrior, however sarky she may be). This Joan is completely out of context in the medieval world, and I found it difficult to reconcile this historical dissonance.

That said, while this wasn't the one for me, I can absolutely see why others loved this reimagining, and Joan is still a book I would recommend to others as a striking piece of historical fiction.

If you’re going to tackle a big subject then you need to bring something fresh to it. For me the voice of the novel and the characterisation weren’t distinctive. DNF

I had such high hopes for this, particularly with the CECILY comp and the Hilary Mantel quote. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t flow for me. The narrative jumps around a lot, the voice is inconsistent and while I appreciate the story is about a warrior woman, the battle scenes were very quickly dull. Many of the characters felt thin, including Joan herself, who felt very distant due to the narrative style. A good enough read, but not one to return to.