I was hoping for a different story about the female pope, and even though I didn't get what I wanted it was still an interesting read. I didn't enjoy myself too much, though, especially when I knew what was going to happen to Joan once her story ended, but it wasn't a painful read as much as one that woud've been better under different circumstances.

There was a lot about her as a child that I didn't care to learn, but I can see how some of it was necessary. She definitely had an interesting past, but I think I would've liked reading more about her hiding her sex while posing as a religious figure. I felt like the story lost depth because of how easy things were going for her, and I didn't ever feel like there was a threat of her being discovered until the very end.

There was one reviewer's comment that I came across that stuck in my head during my read, and I wonder if I would've noticed it in the story had I not come across it before. They said that there were a lot of coincidences in Joan's life that felt too convenient, and I couldn't help but feel that it came down to either chalking it up to divine intervention or calling it out for being unbelievably contrived.

I don't believe some of the narrations were necessary, either. Gerold's didn't offer much depth to the story, but the other two - the rival for Pope and the midwife - didn't provide me much in terms of importance.

I also didn't care much for the romance in the story. I liked Gerold enough, but the age difference between them made them both look terrible, and though their love was well meant I would've preferred if Joan had kept her cool. But as her mother has said to her once, "never give yourself to a man" - and that was her downfall.

I'm upset that the entire novel felt like it lead up to that one point where one is either strong by themselves or lost because of a man, and to have Joan fall from grace like that because of coincidence (because her loving someone really shouldn't have been her downfall) felt cheap, as though she had spent her entire life ruled by her mind only to give in to love and lose everything all because of one night.

I was glad that Joan got the end that she did, though. From the various stories about her, I didn't want to read her discovery and subsequent death because I was afraid that it wouldn't do her justice. I thought that perhaps she would be considered a witch because of her aptitude for medicine and her use of methods usually deemed unorthodox, especially considering her midwife had encountered difficulties with the canon for the same thing during her birth, but I was glad to see that her end was perfect. Joan didn't suffer indignity and humiliation, she just gave birth and died with her lover, realizing one great truth as she left the world.

While I wasn't thrilled all the way through, Joan was a good character to follow and I'm glad I got to read one version of her story. This version kept me reading even though I didn't feel like the stakes were high, and though at times I felt like stopping I kept going because her story was worth it in the end.