Interested in a detailed summary with read-alikes?? Check out my Annotation of this book.
This review is based on an advanced review copy (ARC) received through Reedsy Discovery. Plot Summary and Personal Thoughts below have also been published on that site.
Author: N. H. Schwabacher
Category/Type: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: May 22, 2023
Number of Pages: 289 pages of story text; includes a world map, Historical Notes, and Acknowledgements.
Geographical Setting: London, the Irish coast, Coruña, Spain.
Time Period: Late 1500s after Queen Elizabeth spurned King Philip’s marriage proposal; final chapter takes place in 2023.
Series (if applicable): This is book is not part of a series.
Plot Summary: A tale of pirates, love, war, and the strength of ordinary people lies within the pages of Inyo’s Ring. The charm of the book is the perspective of everyday life. Following events that befell the coasts of England, Ireland, and Spain in the late 1500s, the story begins with adult Inyo on a storm-battered Spanish Armada ship damaged by the English navy. Jumping back in time, readers follow the lives of Inyo, once a young orphan trained as a carpenter, sailor, and mapmaker, and Finley, granddaughter of the formidable Irish pirate queen Grace O’Malley. Chapters alternate between the lives of Finley and Inyo, as they grow up. When the shipwreck foreshadowed at the start come to pass, Inyo and Finley’s lives become intertwined with a growing love threatened by political conflicts.
Ultimately, this novel is a good read for anyone interested in Tudor, Irish, or Spanish history looking for a slice of life story with grand consequences.
Content warnings (may containt SLIGHT SPOILERS): Attempted rape, body gore, discussions of war, discussions of domestic abuse.
Representation:
Trans side character
Asexual side character
PERSONAL THOUGHTS
WARNING: May contain spoilers
I’m drawn to anything about the Tudors, and learning the events after Queen Elizabeth turned down King Philip’s marriage proposal and Irish clans threatened her hold on power was a delight. The chapters jump between Finley, Inyo, and also Sarah, the abused wife of an English governor in Galway, but the plot is easy follow with all their lives eventually overlapping. Readers experience political conflict through the eyes of people trying to find happiness in a harsh world. Understanding the characters by watching them grow up made them feel like family friends and I admit to shedding a happy tear at the end.
Despite the looming war, the pace of Inyo’s Ring is slow, even action-packed chapters dedicate multiple pages to the events, slowing them down to match the overall pace. Though chapter titles include dates, I followed the growth of Finely through her baby brother growing up, and Inyo through his growing responsibilities aboard his uncle’s ship and as a cartographer. I’m a fan of faster paced novels, but I can’t deny how realistic this storytelling method made everything seem. I was challenged by over explanation throughout the book. Chapters begin with lyrical descriptions of emotions or scenery, but unfortunately the lyrical tone tapers off as each chapter wears on. The language becomes simplified, more like a list, until the next chapter begins. This made it difficult to continue reading at times. A bit of editing could maintain the slow, effective pace and improve flow.
Final resting place: My ARC was digital so this resides in my Apple Books app library.
WHAT I’M READING NOW
My annotations and reviews are always running a bit (or more than a bit) behind what I’m actually reading so here’s a little bit of a teaser, if you will, for reviews to come.
Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn