Life has dealt the orphaned Tibb more blows than the average person in Tudor England. A Little Trickerie follows her through her life, the relationships she builds and the trauma she works through ending in a fantastical little piece of trickerie. I absolutely fell in love with Tibb, her values and her strength. It turns out that women have had to be strong for a very long time.

NO SPOILERS:

Oh my goodness! What an incredible debut novel. From the first sentence A Little Trickerie is off and running and it never stops.

Rosanna Pike’s skilled writing puts the reader in the moment. I was standing beside Tibb, hearing her whisper to me, and shout at me! I know every word will have been carefully chosen, every sentence crafted to perfection yet it flows as if the words simply tumbled from Tibb’s mouth freely and without shame.

Told in the first person, the language and structure draws you in to Tibb’s world; it reveals so much without the need for explanation. All the back story and plot comes from Tibb’s narration, her inner dialogue with herself and her late mother, and her unspoken but loudly thought asides. And what a story…it just keeps coming, page after page and I was completely caught up in it.

Now, if it weren’t for the bigotry and intolerance of the time, we start in May 1500, there would be no story to tell and sadly, a great deal of it could easily be told in current times. So, if you are offended by this book, then perhaps it’s you, not the book. There is much humour in it but also much pathos, which to me seems the best way to write it.

It’s been a while since I gave a book full marks, but A Little Trickerie is that book.

A strange, very different tale set in fifteenth century England when prejudices were never acceptable and if your sexuality, religion and colour were not of the time then you were living on a knife edge! Fragile and tiny for her age but strong minded, little Tibb Ingleby loses her mother in childbirth and is left literally holding the baby - her newly born sister! She is lost and all alone but meets Ivo an older young man who comes to her rescue. Tibb tells us her story in the simple archaic form of the time and I wasn’t sure I could continue with it at first but was surprised how quickly I was lost in her story and it became part of the person that was Tibb! Later she meets a travelling show and becomes one of the performers along with Ambrose and Maria, both oddities like herself! When she literally becomes an Angel I felt the story lost it’s way a little and was too prolonged but the conclusion, when it arrived, was just as it should be! I enjoyed it!

I'm sorry to say that I struggled to connect with the voice on this. I got bored very quickly and struggled to get myself through it. The plot felt weak and I lost interest. I seem to be an odd one out though, so maybe its just me.

Well, this was different! A debut historical novel with a modern feel and a distinctive voice. Tibb Ingleby is the narrator, a girl who is a vagrant and who has many adventures, culminating in a plot to raise money for a new life overseas by pretending to be an angel. Acquiring a group of misfit friends, she is accepting of differences in the strict society of Tudor times. There is a fun, playful element to the book, despite some dark themes. Tibb's voice is very compelling, although she does use the same phrases often, such as 'to boot'. She often talks to her Ma in her head and to herself. I thought the revelation of Margaret Beaufort's secret was a bit far-fetched. An author's note would be useful because I hadn't heard of the Holy Maid of Leominster before (the historical figure upon which Tibb was based). This book would make a good TV drama, in my opinion. It was an unusual read which I'd recommend.

Absolutely loved this unusual and highly original debut novel from Rosanna Pike. I was a little unsure at first about the language used as it very different and no doubt how people spoke in the 16th century but the story was so engaging that before I knew it. I had completely forgotten how different it was. The storyline was exciting and the characters so endearing. .

Tibb Ingleby’s Ma dies in childbirth, the result of a desperate bid to ‘buy’ a roof over their heads as they’ve never had one. Vagabond Tibb tells us her story as she berates the big-man-God on more than one issue and does her best to survive and find shelter. As she crosses the lands of early Tudor England she meets Ivo, the pair wandering from place to place until Ivo moves on. What is in store for Tibb now? Quite a few adventures it turns out and a scrape or two to wriggle out of, using all the ingenuity she has learned from her Ma.

This is an unusual book and a good one too as it gives a different view of the early 1500’s through the eyes of the forgotten. Tudor laws are harsh not only for vagabonds but also for those perceived to have strayed from the ‘straight and narrow’. It’s a very different novel, it’s creative and original with Tibb as narrator it has a colourful vibrant tone which gives plenty of amusement. She goes on an emotional journey, at times it’s sad but others it’s joyous and funny, there’s hatred and the danger of the discovery of life threatening secrets that require more than a little clever ‘trickerie’ to overcome bigotry and prejudice. It’s a pacey read, told through little vignettes, constantly surprising and keeping me engaged. You get a good tour of England too with locations described well.

Tibb is a lively companion for this book journey with the author creating a memorable character. She’s a bold, imperfect diamond (maybe that should be a pearl) in the rough, she has baggage which is the traumatic kind but an excellent heart full of love. Al the characters she encounters even briefly are portrayed strongly and spring to life before your eyes.

Overall, I like this imaginative and at times ribald tale which is in keeping with both Tibb and those she encounters. This is an excellent debut and an interesting new voice in fiction. If you like HF it’s worth picking this one up.

Ps I do like the mystery historical ‘solution’ …. means and opportunity??

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

I got this book from NetGalley and thought the blurb sounded really interesting. I've really struggled with it. It's very slow and seems to be going nowhere. The plot is supposed to involve the main character, Tib, discovering that some people will believe anything and so she comes up with some major hoax but there's been no indication of anything like that at all. It's set in the Tudor period, so somewhere around the 1500s, and the author has opted to try to replicate the way they spoke so the whole thing is written in a sort of mock Tudor style. Unfortunately, sentences like 'would you be looking at that?' come acros as Irish rather than English so I keep reading Tib as though she has an Irish accent. Overall, it’s been very disappointing and not at all what I expected. I tried to continue with it, in the hopes that the hoax plot might start to show but I just could not sustain any level of interest in it. Unfortunately, I gave up on it completely so it’s a DNF.

What a surprising delight. I'm not normally one for historical fiction, but this novel gripped me. Such an original voice and style, and Tibbs and Ivo were gut-wrenchingly good characters. I inhaled this in two sittings, and found my head full of it in the break in between. A must-read this summer.

Tibb, our protagonist who happens to be a vagabond, is an incredibly unique voice, and the concept set in medieval England with the vagabonds finding their way in society is engaging, entertaining and fresh.
It is equal parts tender, hilarious, imaginative, amusing and discreetly insightful.
This is one of my favourite reads of the year so far and I am looking forward to reading it again and again.

I always love an historical novel and this one ticks all the boxes. Tigg is a young girl of 14 when she finds herself wandering the towns of 16th century england as a vagabond. She soon find a friend who shows her how to survive but the deprivations of this life are hard. The tale turns into quite a thriller as she progresses and grows up.
It's also a love story which adds to this book.
Really loved reading this book. Well done to the author.

Absolutely fabulous and I definitely enjoyed the tale of Tibb, born a vagrant, her mother's death would have possibly broken another girl, but Tibb is a survivor and a great character. A great tale and a brilliant novel. I would give it ten stars if I could but I am limited to five. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Tibb, a young woman living with her mother as a vagrant in Tudor England, at a time when vagrancy was illegal.

Circumstances leave Tibb, aged about 14, to manage alone, but with a host of skills learned from her mother. Distrustful of men she first gains a friend, then joins a group of travelling players, finally planning an audacious fraud with the group of misfits she has gathered around her.

The book is funny, moving and I loved Tibb's unique voice. This really is historical fiction at its best and excellent for a debut novel. You won't need to be a regular reader of historical fiction to enjoy this novel.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.

An entertaining historical debut
Exploring Tudor England and the hardships of young life in poverty this story develops characters that feel so real

I can only compare a writing voice as original as this to my first encounter with that of Jeanette Winterson in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Set in the early days of the Tudor dynasty, this is a historical novel, yes, but one in which the life of social outcasts and the poor, rather than that of the ruling classes, provides the backdrop for a breathtakingly daring scam in which the little group of protagonists risks torture and execution if exposed. Tibb, the central character, is warm and sympathetic, but bedevilled by guilt for the death of her mother and sister. Her struggle, and that of her friends - each cursed in their own way by society's norms - is a hard one, and their enemies are powerful and relentless. Strong characterisation, dialogue, and plot make this a most excellent first novel.

Absolutely loved this book. Set in early Tudor England, it tells the tale of Tibb, a young girl left on her own when her mother dies in childbirth. Born into an itinerant life she continues as such at a time when that was illegal, and the story of how she survives and the people she meets along the way, and the trickery she gets into is beautifully told. Tibb's voice is unique and instantly drew me in. There are lots of ups and downs in the book and the characters are at times in tremendous peril. I loved the ending, which was not something I was expecting! Would highly recommend this book.

Wow what an impressive and original debut! I haven't encountered a young heroine that has won my heart as quickly as this since Adunni in Abi Daré's 'The Girl with the Louding Voice'. Pike's characterisation is brilliant and I found myself captivated by the potty-mouthed narrative voice of Tibb Ingleby from the first page to the last. The plot is also pretty propulsive and the whole thing reads a bit like a Medieval English version of Huckleberry Finn.

Orphaned and alone, Tibb doesn't generally stay long in any one place, and so the story weaves its way through town and country of medieval England. Along the way Tibb meets fellow outcast and wanderer Ivo and the pair strike up an enduring and friendship. We meet other characters too - both the helpful and the hideous. There is bigotry, ignorance, cruelty and persecution along the way - so trigger warnings for some readers. Tibb herself is haunted by past abusive trauma which she describes as a 'black snake' which coils itself around her and strangles her self worth.

This is historical fiction, but with a fresh feminist slant which felt surprisingly modern at times. I was intrigued to discover that this book was inspired by the real life tale of the Holy Maid of Leominster, known only as Elizabeth, who created quite a stir in the late fifteenth century with a little angelic trickery of her own.

Pike plays on the commonality of our experience - we all ultimately want the same basic things as Tibb - a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, to love and be loved in return. Through the characters of Ivo and Ambrose the themes of tolerance and acceptance are further explored.

Suffice to say, I delighted in this piece of fictional trickery and loved getting to know Tibb, a true pearl in the oyster, and a character I shall remember for a long time to come.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC for this review.
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Born a vagabond, Tibb Ingleby has never had a roof of her own. But her mother has taught her that if you're not too bound by the Big Man's rules, there are many ways a woman can find shelter in this world. Now her ma is dead in a trick gone wrong and young Tibb is orphaned and alone.

As she wends her way across the fields and forests of medieval England, Tibb will discover there are people who will care for her, as well as those who mean her harm. And there are a great many others who are prepared to believe just about anything.

And so, when the opportunity presents itself to escape the shackles society has placed on them, Tibb and her new friends conjure an audacious plan: her greatest trickerie yet. But before they know it, their hoax takes on a life of its own, drawing crowds - and vengeful enemies - to their door...

What can I say about this debut novel, other than it is completely brilliant and I absolutely adored it. I hoovered it up in two sittings then felt so sad because there was no more!

A Little Trickerie is so spankingly original, and manages to be simultaneously disarmingly funny, and deeply moving.

It is most definitely irreverent, often sweary, very 'earthy', but it is stuffed to bursting with heart and soul.

Beautifully, and refreshingly written, it vividly evokes 16th century Tudor life, (see the above reference to 'earthy' haha), and is based on a true story of the so-called ‘Holy Maid of Leominster’ - a 16th century conwoman who impersonated an angel and amassed a cult following.

This novel is populated with a ragtag cast of characters, each one brilliantly rendered and in Tibb we have a distinctly unangelic heroine, who is completely unforgettable, with a truly distinctive and memorable voice. They sweep us along in their wake, we hate the baddies, and the rest steal our hearts.

The story explores themes of belief and superstition; kinship and courage; 'found family'; Love, friendship and sexuality.

It's about characters we come to love overcoming adversity and the worst possible circumstances, with courage, wit, cunning and 'a little trickerie'.

And it's about hopes and dreams, and how important they are.
Not being forced to choose 'half a life, or no life at all' as Ivo feels is his only option, but about trying to live your best life by seizing every opportunity you can.

As Tibb, channelling her Ma says:
'Live the life you dream, Tibb....Would you let this short life slither past?....would you let a ripe apple roll on by, Tibb?'

This debut is pure gold, and one of my best reads of 2024. I can't wait to see how Rosanna Pike will follow this one!

Tibb Ingleby, born an itinerant, learns from her mother that societal norms need not constrain a woman's search for shelter. After her mother's tragic death in a failed deception, Tibb is left orphaned in medieval England. She encounters both allies, like Ivo, and adversaries as she navigates this harsh world.

With newfound companions, Tibb devises a bold plan to break free from societal restraints, but their scheme attracts dangerous attention. Tibb's distinctive voice and courage are her tools for survival, aided by unexpected allies.

This is a captivating, innovative tale set in Tudor England. It explores themes of belief, kinship, and resilience through a vivid, emotional narrative and a refreshingly imperfect heroine.

A Little Trickerie is an original piece of historical fiction, with a unique and compelling heroine. Tibb is a force of nature, somehow guileless and cunning all at once, determined to find a safe space in a world fraught with medieval danger.

There's a lot I loved - the vivid characters and lively prose - but unfortunately my enjoyment was tampered by the constant repetition. The plot is fairly thin, threaded together with coincidences and convenient get-out clauses, and for what is ostensibly a coming of age story, there is almost no real character development.

Like the trickerie at the heart of the story, it's perhaps best if you don't look at the craft of this novel too closely - just accept it and enjoy the entertaining voice and refreshing characters.