This is only the third historical fiction book I’ve read. The last, while it was supposed to be set in the 1920s in Shanghai, it honestly could have been any era. The Devil and the Dark Water, however, is set in 1643 on a merchant ship sailing from Batavia (present-day Indonesia) to Amsterdam and you get that year the whole way through, from the clothing, makeup, politics, misogyny, and dialogue. This is the book that makes me want to read more historical fiction!
Exceptionally written characters, I loved some and hated some. They were all unique and memorable. I was rooting for a love story. The plot was a bit slow in the beginning, but I enjoyed every second of being with these characters and seeing them interact.
This was a murder mystery with some folk horror-is element, and I loved every second of it. It was a bit creepy with some possible devil’s work at play, and a leper is terrorizing the ship. The ending tied everything together quickly with plot twist after plot twist, and I saw that conclusion coming. Bravo!
