I am not sure i enjoyed this book, I did feel like I had no idea what was happening most of the time however that my be because the main character also had no idea what was happening

The House of Barbary by Isabelle Schuler

I really tried to like this book… I really, really tried! Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy reading this.

At the start of the book, I felt it was too slow paced and I just found myself losing interest in the events being depicted. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt like this if we had started the book in medias res, rather than there being a lot of world-building and backstory being packed into the first few chapters. I especially found myself disliking the early chapters surrounding Johann’s POV as (although it does become clear later on) I didn’t see how he fit into the plot and found myself skimming through all the unnecessary detail about his artist training etc. Furthermore, in these early scenes with Johann there was a bit of a weird handling of tenses and I found myself quite often having to go back to think “right are we talking about the present, or is this another flashback/piece of backstory?” One minute we are talking about what Johann is doing in the “present” day (although yes, it is still technically a “flashback”, of sorts), then it switches to telling us how he’d gotten to that moment/what led him there etc. It felt like the author was trying to make time feel fluid and allow us to see inside Johann’s head as he reminisces on moments, yet it came across to me as confusing.

** SPOILERS ** My main issue in this book surrounded the characterisation of our main characters, namely Beatrice. I have read lots of books where the POV focuses on the killer and delves into their psychological make-up and usually really enjoy these types of books. However, I just couldn’t get along with Beatrice as a character and this ruined the entire reading experience for me. The author appeared to make an attempt at making Beatrice relatable and perhaps was intending for the audience to almost justify her behaviour by making us feel sorry for her or by trying to highlight her childhood trauma. I just didn’t buy it, unfortunately. Beatrice to me just came across as a spoiled child having a deadly temper tantrum and going around slaughtering people to try to make herself feel better. I didn’t feel any of her killings (Ignar being the obvious anomaly here) were in the interest of real “justice”, as she was trying to convince herself, but instead was her selfishly indulging in reckless revenge without any conscience at all. She jumped into murdering people without seeking any real proof and seemed to be willfully ignorant to anything that didn’t suit her biased narrative. If jumping to conclusions was a person, it would be Beatrice. Susanna attempted to talk sense into her- as did Imerla towards the end- and I really hoped it would ring true, but instead of listening Beatrice acted like a total brat, threw her toys out the pram and continued being a narcissistic, entitled psycho. It’s very hard to enjoy a book when you spend the entire time hating the main character and rolling your eyes at everything they say/do. If this was the author’s intention, well then they nailed it and I clearly just missed it!

I appreciate that the author (in the Historical Notes at the end) explained her inspiration for Beatrice and seemed to say that she wanted to highlight the effects of childhood trauma on a young person, yet I felt this made it worse. There are so many children out there that experience trauma on the same level Beatrice has, and yet they do not go on to become psychotic killers with no remorse. Of course, it does happen, but I just couldn’t get behind this reasoning. I wholeheartedly accept that Beatrice’s father is very much to blame for her becoming the person she did (and Imerla too, to a certain extent; yet she can be forgiven easier as she was not in a position of power to really question the authority of Jakob, but her silence was the same as condoning it), but Beatrice also had to be held accountable for choosing the path on which she went down following her father’s death. Perhaps it was a psychotic break, yet there was no real insinuation towards this and I just felt we, as readers, were meant to condone Beatrice’s actions, but I just couldn’t. I was actually relieved when Beatrice was attacked by the bears at the end, and felt no sadness towards this.

I want to mention Albrecht’s character briefly, and what he represented within the book. Firstly, ewwww to the fact they even suggested to marry a young girl (a literal teenager, if that) to a man 12 years older than her, but I appreciate this was included more for dramatic effect rather than the author suggesting this was a correct way for society to behave. I thought Albrecht’s character offered a good discussion point though; a lot of women have encountered at some point in their lives a man who has pretended to be their friend and a safe space when really they harbour ulterior motives by which they wish to trick the woman into a relationship by providing this false “friendship” narrative. Then, of course, when this didn’t work and Beatrice rejected him again, his true nature came out and his fury was unleashed. If men actually respected women and treated them with genuine kindness rather than deception, they would likely get a much better response than by doing what Albrecht did.

Lastly, I want to mention that I could have cheered at the end when Johann grew a backbone and finally (far too late, if you ask me) decided to do what was right. Of course his character had their own flaws; he, like Imerla, was spineless and complicit in the Order’s killings by way of his silence, but he did make up for it in the end by showing real care towards Beatrice and trying to get her the help she desperately needed (even if that through betraying her, I still found him to have done the right thing). He, over everyone else in the book, acted in the interest of true justice rather than mindless vengeance. It was a shame he paid the highest price for his bravery in the end.

The Order caused such harm, not just to the “Eve’s” they slaughtered throughout the years, but to every single person who came into contact with them and that was evident throughout. I found this to be a really horrific thing to read about and loved the later chapters from Johann’s POV after he discovers the basement. The way his raw emotions and mental battle were explored was well-written and enjoyable to watch unfold. I also enjoyed the way the author slowly drip-fed the information to us through Beatrice’s discoveries and kept the suspense building throughout. Yet, I did find the information confusing at points because it was shown to us through the biased eyes of Beatrice. Again, if this was the author’s intention and I have missed this, then I will absolutely accept that.

Overall I rated this 2 out of 5 stars. There were some good points, and I did like the author’s writing style (mostly, as said previously, in the later chapters from Johann’s POV) yet I just didn’t enjoy the plot as much as I’d hoped and despised the main character. I would be interested to pick up a different book from this author and see whether it was just this specific book I couldn’t get behind as I can see she’s got some really positive reviews on her other novel (Queen Hereafter). Thank you to Netgalley and Isabelle Schuler for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beatrice is left reeling when her father—one of Bern's most prominent men—is brutally killed in their own house. The Order of St. Eve and the horrific secrets they have been keeping from her throughout her life are revealed to Beatrice as she dives headfirst into the mysteries surrounding her father and her own upbringing. What follows is an incredibly well-written tale from Isabelle Schuler that is gripping from the start.

Scary and really rather sinister sums it up. Jacob Barbary is a very influential man and his house holds power over the whole of Bern. After the death of his wife, he kept his daughter Beatrice very, very close doing everything with her and keeping her for himself. As such, after his brutal murder Beatrice is very insecure as she meets his friends and is convinced that the whole of society is talking about her and that she is seen as an anomaly. Out of this arises a slight mystery. Why does Beatrice not recognize the painter who used to live in the house with them and play and paint the young Beatrice? As the story takes us back in time and picks up on the life of Johann the painter, the social life of the house and the world of Jacob, we start to realize that maybe there is something a little more sinister about her father than Beatriz ever thought. As she unravels events from the past can Beatrice right the wrongs of her father and his friends and as Beatrice takes things into her own hands, is she more like her father than she would like to think?

Set in 17th century Switzerland, The House of Barbary is a macabre tale of secrets, revenge, and death.

After the murder of her father, Beatrice Barbary finds herself bereft of his protection and is dragged away from her scientific studies into a world of political scheming fraught with danger.

Whilst her father’s killer has seemingly been caught, Beatrice begins to question what really happened. Pulling away from her maid and mother figure, Imerla, Beatrice begins to uncover her father’s sinister secrets and the Order of Eve.

Beatrice becomes gradually more brutal and mistrusting as she takes revenge on those closest to her father.

This is a disturbing and carefully crafted tale, evocative of Bluebeard as intended. However, the political structure of Bern and its various roles and labels takes a while to get used to, and the ending, whilst apt, is slightly abrupt.

The book opens claiming that the tale will be a fairytale… for the most part. This is the best possible introduction I could give to this gruesome, grotesque but utterly gripping new book from Isabelle Schuler.

I will admit, it took be more than a few pages to get into this book, but once I was into it, I literally could not put it down. Schuler takes time walking the reader through the setting and culture of her story with great care.

The narrative follows two storylines, one of when the protagonist, Beatrice, is a child and one of when she is a young woman. The novel begins with Beatrice reeling from the death of her beloved father. We follow Beatrice as she uncovers the truth that efface the lies she has been told her whole life. This tale is one of revenge, political intrigue, and admittedly, some violence.

I truly felt like this tale was so original - I have never read anything quite like it. With retellings of mythology, folklore and fairytales being such a popular genre at the moment, it could be a very easy trap to fall into to write a tale that some could call derivative. I can decidedly say that Schuler is in absolutely no danger of that. The narrative had so many twists and turns which Schuler masterfully controls to the point at which I sat in silence for ten minutes after having finished it, just to try and process what I had just read.

The one slight downfall to this book was that I did feel that certain plot points were not as explained or explored as they could have been - the mysterious Order of St. Eve would be an example. This did not hinder my enjoyment of it, but certainly left me with questions that I would rather have had answered. I also would have enjoyed getting to know some of the characters better… but I suppose I am really saying that I would like this book to be longer.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and loved the haunting presence of the barbaric nature of the original fairy tales.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books, Isabelle Schuler and Netgally for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The House of Barbary will be published on the 13th of March 2025

This novel unfolds in a world of intrigue, betrayal, and hidden truths. While the pacing may initially feel slow as the author takes time to establish the characters and their complex relationships, the investment pays off as the plot gradually picks up momentum.

Beatrice Barbary's journey of self-discovery is compelling as slowly but surely she finds her independence from her maid's protection. The exploration of her relationship with her father and the Order of St. Eve is particularly intriguing.

The novel's setting, a city on the brink of chaos, adds a sense of urgency and tension to the narrative, waeving together political intrigue, personal betrayal, and supernatural elements to create a richly textured world.

While the slow start might deter some readers, those who persevere will be rewarded with a gripping tale of secrets and revenge.

A naive young woman investigates her father's murder and uncovers a tangled web of deceit amongst the top tiers of local government in 1600s Bern. An interesting premise and pacy plot, with a clever use of a fairytale, but the writing is clunky and lots of things aren't explained such as the point of the Order and finding a true Eve. Not one for me.

Set in the 17th century Bern, and inspired by a fairy tale and containing a few real life people as characters and using a few historical events (such as the Peasants’ Revolt) in the very back drop of this, The House of Barbary follows Beatrice Barbary. She discovers an order and is faced with dilemmas, challenging decisions and risks.
Beatrice is somewhat based on the amazing scientist Maria Sibylla Merian - initially, Beatrice’s fondness of science was what drew me into this story, then the mystery/thriller, secret society, political and revenge themes and subthemes.
I found the setting to be fresh and less commonly explored, and I appreciate the author’s extensive research.
Plot 3
Characterisation 3.5
Prose 3
Themes 3.5
Mood 3.5
Enjoyment 3