Synopsis (as taken from Amazon) is as follows:

‘I am Cat Royal – Orphan, Adventurer, Actress…

‘Reader, you are set to embark on an adventure about one hidden treasure, two bare-knuckle boxers, three enemies and four hundred and thirty-eight rioters. I was brought up in Drury Lane, so I have become accustomed to a life less than ordinary. But this turn of events, I have to say, surprised even me. Follow me, and I will show you in The Diamond of Drury Lane.’

Ability to read – Picked this up on Saturday, read it on Saturday. It was an impulse buy as I got to the till with my giant stack of books! I had no difficulty with reading this book, the language was simple enough to understand and both the characters and the setting were distinct enough for me to identify and visualise. The unique character POV and the way Cat tells the story was quite different by no less impacting.

Characterisation – Cat was everything you’d expect from a character who grow up in a theater, and then some. Her unique outlook on life served her well and she never stopped going or let the circumstances of her life dictate where she should go. There were a lot of players in this story, and thought I saw them through Cat’s eyes, I knew that they were well distinguished and each brought something to the table. The story was more than Cat’s adventures with the Diamond of Drury Lane, there was an element of finding friendships, discovering a sense of belonging, and a sense of testing the actions of humans and whether when presented with a situation, one can make the right decision, even though it may not be the easiest of decisions. Cat was incredibly brave and foolhardy. She had a strong sense of loyalty and passion. She was determined and fearless. I hope, there will be a sequel as I would love to read more about Cat and her adventures.

Visualisation – It was easy for me to visualise this. I have been to the theater on Drury Lane and know London well. It was easy for me to visualise the characters and clearly see what they looked like and how the interacted with each other. I could clearly picture the settings, with each changing scene, I was able to visualise without distraction and paint somewhere realistic for the characters I was reading about.

Enjoyment – I enjoyed this a lot, I think that much is obvious when I brought it and read it in the same day. The book was magical before I opened the first page, I was enticed by the blurb on the back and couldn’t wait to read it. I was fully immersed into the world from the first page and drawn, willingly, into the life of Cat. I found that the plot was thoughtfully laid out and quite complex when I stopped to think about it. There was a good amount of world building and character exploration and it was a book where I enjoyed every character that was presented – good and bad – and enjoyed the trouble and adventure they got into. I thought the involvement of London gangs was a nice touch, and further cemented Cat as the heroine I knew she was. It was a joy to read her story as though she was before me, telling me all about it personally.

Star Rating – ★★★★★