The Bloodletter’s Daughter by Linda Lafferty– 521 pages
Book Blurb:
In 1606, the grand city of Prague hides an ugly secret: the emperor’s bastard son, Don Julius, is afflicted with a madness that pushes the prince to unspeakable depravity. Banished to a remote corner of Bohemia, Don Julius comes under the care of a bloodletter who works to purge the vicious humors coursing through the young royal’s veins. When the prince meets the bloodletter’s daughter Marketa, his madness sparks a frenzied — and dangerous — obsession. He believes Marketa embodies the women from the Coded Book of Wonder, a priceless manuscript from the imperial library that was the young prince’s only link to sanity. As the prince descends further into the darkness of his mind, his acts become ever more desperate, and Marketa, both frightened and fascinated, can’t stay away. Inspired by a true murder that rocked the Hapsburg dynasty, The Bloodletter’s Daughter is a dark and richly detailed saga of passion and revenge.
My Review: 3.5 stars
This book kept me fascinated, saddened and disappointed at different times throughout its telling. I loved learning about this historical time period in the early 17th century in Southern Bohemia and Prague. The medicinal aspect of the book was incredibly detailed and the use of leeches was downright jarring. I was thrilled to see Marketa, a young bath maid learn this trade yet also have the drive to eventually become a doctor. The mental illness presented by the Prince upset me greatly, mostly because there was no way to aptly treat it. Surely, leeches and bloodletting were the common prescription but knowing what we know now, it certainly worsened the madness. I was hoping the likable witch in the story would craft a potion for him instead.
This book is well researched the story is based on the actual mad prince Don Julius, son of King Rudolph II, and his real love for the bath maid Marketa. The Coded Book of Wonders is also a relic from the 1400s.
Some of the minor characters as well as a few of the chapters filled with religious history were disappointments for me. I wasn’t sure there was a need for their presence in such a long book.
Quotes I liked:
Love risks all, fears nothing.”
-“In literate eyes, these squiggles are transformed into meaning and convey essential information – or, I might guess, the depths of the heart.”
-“My father says it is the peacemakers who take the biggest risks. He says any fool can start a war. It takes courage to stop one.”
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