This book was a slow read, but not boring at all. The writing consistently created tension and mystery, and despite the pacing, as a reader I was hooked. The plot itself was brilliant, though having context of Christian theology would definitely enhance the experience. 

The characters feel genuine and real, and the world building truly teleports you through time into the setting, even as someone who has little knowledge of the English civil war/Stuart era. 

In terms of the story itself, very well written and I definitely would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a touch of fantasy. I wouldn't say this book is dark, particularly compared to other books, however, perhaps due to the time period it is set in, there are certainly motifs that are of a darker nature than other books. 

The thing that stops me rating it 5 stars is that I feel there was such a big build up but the release/end to the build up was underwhelming. I also felt that the ending was rather confusing too.