Wonderfully, wildly romantic historical fiction novel, based on the life of the little-known and often neglected poet Aemilia Lanyer.
Elizabeth Freemantle
Sally O’Reilly’s wonderful Dark Aemilia should be a best-seller. I consumed it within 48 hours, enjoying every moment. I loved the book. So clever. It would make a great movie.
Roy Greenslade, Guardian
A glimpse into a different time, a different place and true human drama... I thoroughly recommend it as an individual read… and if your [book] group fancies something set in this period, there are a multitude of issues to discuss.
nudge
Read full reviewMore tantalizing than the thought of Shakespeare in love is the thought of Shakespeare in lust... Was the real Dark Lady this Dark? Let's hope so.
The New York Times Book Review
Read full reviewA fine addition to the trove of historical fiction of the period.
Emporia Gazette
Read full reviewIn rich, vivid detail, Sally O’Reilly breathes life into England’s first female poet, a mysterious woman nearly forgotten by history. Full of passion and devilish schemes, Dark Aemilia is a tale worthy of the Bard... a period piece thrill ride.
Examiner
Read full reviewWe all know Shakespeare wrote love sonnets. Now, O’Reilly’s new novel brings us the Bard’s sonnet-writing lover and sonnet-inspiring muse.
New York Post: Must Read Books
Read full reviewDraped in the lure of magic and fantasy that weaved its way through many of Shakespeare’s plays, Dark Aemilia lives and breathes the late 16th century… a sweeping success.
Bookreporter
Read full reviewFirst-rate, gripping historical fiction, full of passion, drama, and sorcery... the supernatural scenes fit well, and serve to highlight the thin line between reality and magic in the superstitious minds of the English in the Elizabethan period.
Reader's Oasis
Read full reviewThe sixteenth century lives and breathes from the first word, with a wealth of details and such colour in the rich, lush prose... I was utterly captivated.
Fleur in her World
Read full reviewBeautifully written, with a real authenticity... reading groups with an interest in good historical fiction will find much to discuss about Shakespeare’s Dark Aemilia.
newbooks
Read full reviewIts language crackles with intensity and the words are so vivid and vibrant that they dance in your head long after you’ve put down the book. And Aemilia, the dark lady, lives on.
Serendipity Reviews
Read full reviewAn extraordinarily accomplished work. O’Reilly establishes Aemilia’s voice as a strong balance to the Shakespeare of this novel, a near-impossible task.
Matt Thorne
Read full reviewA richly imagined portrait of Shakespeare's muse and mistress... Sally O'Reilly has written an irresistible novel.
Danielle Trussoni
Read full reviewDark Aemilia is a rollicking tale of poetry and passion, witchcraft and treachery, love and intrigue in a world of beauty and danger... colourful and absorbing.
We Love This Book
Read full reviewA passionate and moving love story with enough scandalous tension to keep the reader on the edge of their seat... hints of the supernatural give it a fresh twist. Dark Aemilia is a must-read for any fans of well-written romance or period drama.
Vulpes Libris
Read full reviewA colourful, enthralling, erotic, magical and mysterious novel... full of passion, and intriguing plot developments that enthral from start to finish... It demands a sequel. Highly recommended.
Historical Novel Society
Read full reviewA lush what-if about the Dark Lady of Shakespeare’s sonnets that mesmerizes with its descriptions of the Bard’s London... O’Reilly casts her story with witches, doomed royals, evil courtiers, and star-crossed lovers, as if it were a Jacobean play.
Publisher's Weekly
Read full reviewFirst-rate historical fiction: marvelously atmospheric and emotionally engaging... A gripping novel that gives feisty feminist voice to the unknown woman who inspired Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Kirkus Reviews
Read full reviewO’Reilly writes with a sharp wit and lightness of touch but tells a story that is dark, erotic and mysterious... For those readers of history who glimpse an intriguing woman in the shadows of men and ask, but what was it like for her, this novel is a treat.
Susanna Jones
Read full reviewEffortless, dazzling and richly evocative of Elizabethan London. Aemilia is a true heroine, passionate, driven and courageous in facing the dark forces arrayed against her and her son.
Celia Brayfield
Read full review'Dark Aemilia is a triumph of imaginative daring and meticulous research. Sixteenth-century London is conjured to life again on these pages: its mores and intrigues, its stink and wonder.'
Alison MacLeod
Read full reviewDark Aemilia makes one gasp with pleasure and nostalgia for a world one never knew. Profoundly romantic and erotic yet intelligent.
Fay Weldon
Read full reviewFirst-rate historical fiction: marvellously atmospheric and emotionally engaging.
Huffington Post: Books That Will Sweep You Off Your Feet
Read full reviewSeductive, sharp-witted lady-in-waiting Aemilia Bassano... falls into a love affair with the Bard himself... in this textured work of historical fiction.
O, the Oprah Magazine
Read full review[This] wildly romantic novel is a pleasure for anyone who enjoys well-crafted historical fiction and a special treat for Shakespeare lovers... absorbing, satisfying fiction.
Washington Post
Read full review