This has been sitting on my shelf for 4-5 years, and I decided it was probably time to finally read it. I now know why it's been sitting there. I should have enjoyed this book. I've enjoyed the other books I've read by Rees, even if I read them when I was much younger. The book billed a strong female protagonist at its head. The French Revolution played a part. Even molly houses showed up for a bit (although I have a problem with that considering the concept and horror of these weren't really developed at all). When it came right down to it though, this book was a half-hearted shadow of what it could have, or should have been. 
 The action was too easy. Things were set-up with what seemed to be high stakes, but the stakes never felt that high. We were kind of going along from one event to the next. What's worse, so was Sovay. For someone who was supposed to be so strong, she didn't really do a lot. Then again, maybe it was just the endless number of men she seemed to meet and make moon eyes at without really falling in love (and I'm fine with there being no romance, it just got repetitive) that said she was strong. Additionally, a lot happens in this book without anything really happening. We move from one thing to the next extremely quickly. We don't get the full picture of anything. There isn't time for events to resonate. I'm not saying we have to beat a horse to death. It would be nice for an action to be full developed however. Some ends were resolved too easily. Some were never solved, despite setting them up. 
 There was an endless cast of characters who didn't really seem to have distinct personalities for the most part. The "bad" guys were ridiculous caricatures. Of course the evil spymaster has a secret laboratory. Of course the backstabbing university buddy prefers to buy the company of poor boys forced to sell themselves dressed as girls, which was never really adequately explained or developed. It's as if Rees decided a simple whorehouse wasn't bad enough, but she didn't want to paint the picture of the Molly house. Of course, this novel seemed to be a lot of pictures not painted. You know, not counting the portrait of Sovay that really has no point in being there other than attempting to show that Sovay is an independent woman because she doesn't like to look at herself. 
 I have really fond memories of Witch Child from my earlier years, and now I'm afraid to revisit it, just incase it was something like this and I was too young to know better.