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Shades of Milk and Honey

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Shades of Milk and Honey

By: Mary Robinette Kowal
Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
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About this listen

The fantasy novel you’ve always wished Jane Austen had written, Shades of Milk and Honey is exactly what we could expect from Austen if she had been a fantasy writer: Pride and Prejudice meets Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It is an intimate portrait of a woman, Jane, and her quest for love in a world where the manipulation of glamour is considered an essential skill for a lady of quality.

Jane and her sister Melody vie for the attentions of eligible men, and while Jane’s skill with glamour is remarkable, it is her sister who is fair of face.

When Jane realizes that one of Melody’s suitors is set on taking advantage of her sister for the sake of her dowry, she pushes her skills to the limit of what her body can withstand in order to set things right—and, in the process, accidentally wanders into a love story of her own.

©2010 Mary Robinette Kowal (P)2010 Macmillan Audio Classics Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Magical Realism Romance

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All stars
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Obviously the idea of Jane Austen with magic is utterly to my specific taste and I was both excitedly looking forward to listenting to this and also slightly dreading it all going HORRIBLY WRONG. Mary Robinette Kowal does a good job with the language and manners of the day. So may attempts as the period totally ignore the relevant social mores in which Austen's characters operated. There are all the plot elements you would expect of a Regency romance, plain older sister, the lure of officers, neighbourly gentlemen, condescending social superiors and, above all, the absolutely necessity of finding a hustband. All to be navigated via balls, visits, and generally taking a turn about the grounds. only with magic. The magical element is well thought out and very interesting.

The main problem, lies with the authors decision to narrate it herself. I think she is attempting an English accent but doesn't ever hit it. It probably would have been more successful if she had just used her won accent as I think she is a good reader in tone, pace and characterisation. Just not early 19th century English upper class characterisation. If this had been read by someone who could do the accent, I believe this might have been a 5 start listen.

A fun idea well executed but let down by narratio

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I did enjoy the story, though the romance between the protagonist and the man she ends up with feels a little forced and didn't have enough time to develop to warrant the emotional reactions of the characters. At times the story was too wrapped up in faux Georgian language and characters chattering away about propriety instead of moving forward at key moments. I rolled my eyes at times and thought, gee, get on with it! Still, I could mentally make up for those flaws by how much I liked Jane, the protagonist. The one thing I never got over - which was distracting to the point of ruining the story at times - was the fake British accent. I live in England and couldn't stomach the author's reading at times. I think reading the story on paper might be better.

Enjoyed the story, not the pretend British accent

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Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I was promised I would love this book because I love Austen and Fantasy and mashup novels. I don't entirely regret listening to this book, it passed the time and had its moments but... meh...

Would you be willing to try another book from Mary Robinette Kowal? Why or why not?

Only if I was given it for free unfortunately. She's not a bad writer at all, it's just, at least in this novel, she tries too hard to be Jane Austen rather than focusing on being herself. No one can do Austen but Austen. Kowal has some lovely ideas but she doesn't have the wit and charm of Austen.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The fake English accent... Oh God! It's so annoying! She's good at doing a variety of voices but the accent is all over the place. It very much sounds like what an American thinks of as British. Unfortunately, sometimes she sounds more Australian. I just couldn't get past it.

Was Shades of Milk and Honey worth the listening time?

Isn't this the same thing you asked me earlier Audible?

Any additional comments?

Based on this novel, I don't see the general popularity of Mary Robinette Kowal, to be honest. I don't get why people are raving. Frankly, her "glamour" is a brilliant idea and she IS a good writer but she should have more glamour and less regency romance. As it is, this novel is a poor rip-off of Austen (down to the plot which is basically Pride & Prejudice with a touch of Persuasion and Mansfield Park)

Tries too hard

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This is a story obviously heavily influenced by Jane Austen, and in fact wraps up many recognisable Austen characters and situations from different books into one story. This could feel derivative in another book but here it is done well with obvious affection and humour. The author also doesn't stick so rigidly to the need for proper behaviour and so there is room for a chase scene, which is fun! (And in later books there is plenty of adventure, and even a heist.)

The author does a fantastic job of writing in a style that reflects Regency era fiction but at the same time isn't tedious or slow for a modern reader. She also narrates this audiobook and does such a fantastic job! This is the first time I've listened to an author read their own audiobook and it was wonderful to know that this is exactly how the characters are meant to sound.

The characters are really what make this series. Here we are introduced to the Elsworth family and to a variety of possible suitors. I love Jane and her family, and I especially like how her relationship with her sister is explored. It's more complex than sisterly relationships in many books and even in some Austen (which tend to oversimplify with 'good' sisters and 'bad' sisters), and this is another thing that gets even better as the series goes on. The only bad point is that I felt we didn't really get enough time with certain suitors, particularly the man who eventually succeeds, but this is another relationship that is built on wonderfully throughout the series.

I also really liked the magic in these books, which reflects the setting so perfectly. If magic did exist in Georgian England, of course it would be used in this way! It just works so well. Here magic, called glamour, is an art form that is used to show off and make oneself seem wealthier, more attractive or more cultured in front of the neighbours and visitors. It is also considered a womanly accomplishment like playing musical instruments, and so young ladies are expected to be able to work glamour to entertain at parties and gatherings. Of course, there are other potential uses too, which come out more as the series goes on. Glamour is pervasive in this world, yet also really subtle - it is everywhere and simply accepted because that's how it's always been, but the author has also really thought about how it would affect aspects of the world and history, even down to little details. I love books about magic, particularly when it is presented in new and interesting ways, and here it is done very well!

This is a lovely book and the beginning of a series that really does just get better and better. Well worth getting started on!

Regency Romance + Magic and A Lot of Fun

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This is a lovely story for those who enjoy Jane Austen's work - there probably won't be any surprises, as a couple of the developments are exactly what you'd expect from Austen. The idea of the glamour meshes well with the period, much more so than a more active sort of magic would - it's easy to believe that in a world where this was possible, it would have been considered one of the expected accomplishments for a young lady.

Unfortunately, the narration is dreadful. It was a surprise for me, as the author also narrates other audiobooks and when she uses her own accent is one of the best narrators I've heard. But the accent here is terrible, affected, and extremely distracting. I considered returning the book due to this. Such a shame from someone so talented.

Fun story, let down by narration

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A charming tale for Austen enthusiasts, familiar and enchanting in turns. Recommended listening for an afternoon in the drawing room with your embroidery.

Made me smile

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This book was described to me as Jane Austen with magic, and I can assure you that is all it is. The story and writing are by no means bad, but it's nothing special. the story is derivative of Austen herself to the point of almost being a rip off only lacking the wit. It is basically a mash up of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, with a dash of Persuasion. The only thing original is the idea of glamour which was well executed. Lastly, and worst of all the accent she does is painful for me to listen to. My husband is English and though not a native myself, I have lived in the country for 4 years. The author/narrator's chosen accent seems to be in a posh southern style, but it's a definite miss.

Average storytelling, bad English accent.

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