Gwendolyn and Estella are as close as sisters can be. But now Gwendolyn is lying in a coma, the sole survivor after Estella poisons their entire family.
As Gwendolyn struggles to regain consciousness, she desperately retraces her memories, trying to uncover the moment that led to such a brutal act.
Journeying from the luxurious world of Indonesia’s rich and powerful, to the spectacular shows of Paris Fashion Week, and the melting pot of Melbourne’s student scene, The Majesties is a haunting novel about the dark secrets that can build a family empire – and also bring it crashing down.
Wait, wait, before you even plan your weekend TBR, let me recommend a read that you should add to it. I know, we all have so many books but at just over 250 pages, your bookshelf won’t even notice! Okay, I have your attention? Let me introduce you to Pushkin Press’ most recent publication. The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao was published on the 6th of August this year and you can grab your own paperback copy directly from Pushkin Press’ online store here.
I’d also like to thank the wonderful Poppy for sending me out a stunning proof to read in preparation of this tour.
So now all that information has been shared, I can now share with you my thoughts on this sinister novel.
From the blurb, we know that Estella has poisoned her entire family but leaving one survivor – her sister Gwendolyn. We are introduced to Gwendolyn immediately but in an unusual way, she is in a coma after the nearly fatal encounter, this is where the tale begins to be told, with the reader present within Gwendolyn’s mind as she works to piece together reliant upon medical machines to stay alive and without much of a family to return to. The Majesties is told from a first person view point and it is with this formatting that I felt allowed me as a reader to be drawn further into the complex dynamic of the sister’s family, from the knowledge provided about the cut throat way in which the family had gain high financial status, to the sibling connection between Gwendolyn and Estella. With Chinese tradition and values sewn into the narrative, you begin to understand the tight knit feeling of not only the family, but also the business world, where money is everything. The Majesties is a haunting slow burner of a novel, but in a way that Tiffany has created the foundations which has contributed towards the developments of not only the characters but the series of events which build up to create a breath-holding number of revelations.
I’d say that The Majesties was a dark family drama mixed with a flourish of literary fiction, with it’s focus on Estella and Gwendolyn’s social commentary and the interesting character involvement, as I’ve already mentioned. The Majesties has a dark tone mixed with a multi-layered plot that has been written with strong attention to details in quite an atmospheric way. The injection of mystery in relation to why Estella poisoned her family kept me hooked, with the fascinating information in regards to the Why, how and who. FASCINATING!
There you have it, if you’re looking for something different to read this weekend you should pick up a copy of The Majesties – also how stunning is that book cover?!
Have you already read this hookable read? Let me know what you think! To catch up on the brilliant posts so far on the tour, make sure to search #The Majesties on Twitter and Instagram.
Until next time,
Happy reading!
The Reading Closet 