The House of Fortune by Jesse Burton is the sequel to The Miniaturist. However, the first novel came out so long ago, I probably should have reread it first as I felt a little lost diving into this book.

Set in 1705 Amsterdam, Thea is turning 18 and a marriage to a wealthy man is her family’s only hope to pull them out of their declining circumstances. Her aunt Nella is orchestrating the marriage, but Thea has very different ideas about her own happiness. Nella, the protagonist of The Miniaturist, now older and a bit stodgy is not a very likable character, which I found so disappointing, as I loved the first book. Thea was hard to care about as well. Descriptions of old Amsterdam and the theater at the time are what saved the story for me.

Atmospheric and beautifully written, yet the miniaturist herself remains illusive and the book left me feeling unsatisfied.