tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63655190531197734342024-03-01T22:11:50.824+00:00The Northern Witch's Book BlogKelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.comBlogger951125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-5967090240175659342024-02-18T22:13:00.009+00:002024-02-18T22:13:52.358+00:00Ink Blood Sister Scribe<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1675621178i/62052996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="520" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1675621178i/62052996.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />Ink Blood Sister Scribe</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Emma Törzs</h3>4 out of 5<br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Some books should never be opened.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ink Blood Sister Scribe follows a family tasked with guarding a trove of magical but deadly books, and the shadowy organisation that will do anything to get them back...even murder.</div><div>____________</div><div><br /></div><div>Joanna Kalotay lives alone in the woods of Vermont, the sole protector of a collection of rare books; books that will allow someone to walk through walls or turn water into wine. Books of magic.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her estranged older sister Esther moves between countries and jobs, constantly changing, never staying anywhere longer than a year, desperate to avoid the deadly magic that killed her mother. Currently working on a research base in Antarctica, she has found love and perhaps a sort of happiness.</div><div><br /></div><div>But when she finds spots of blood on the mirrors in the research base, she knows someone is coming for her, and that Joanna and her collection are in danger.</div><div><br /></div><div>If they are to survive, she and Joanna must unravel the secrets their parents kept hidden from them - secrets that span centuries and continents, and could cost them their lives...</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #cccccc;">Review</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Magic is real, and strictly controlled by the Library. Sisters, Joanna and Esther have lived difficult lives, but have remained secret from the Library - until now.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This is a standalone novel, and it is split (for the most part) amongst three narrators.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Joanna has been stuck alone in her family house, ever since her older sister fled without warning ten years ago; and their father was killed by magic. She is bound by a sense of duty to protect the collection of books her father died for, and continues to magically lock herself away from the rest of the world.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Esther has been running, ever since her father told her that she'd short-circuit the spell protecting the rest of the family. For ten years, she has moved constantly, never putting roots down. Until a job in Antarctica, and falling for Pearl, makes her break her rule. Surely she's safe at the edge of the world?</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Nicholas is the nephew of the man who owns the Library, and he is a Scribe - the only one in the world who can write magical books. From a young age, he's happily worked for his uncle, knowing that Richard is keeping him safe from the people who kidnapped him and ruined his eye.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">After another attempt on his life, Nicholas can only trust his bodyguard Collins.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I liked the magical system that was created, it seemed like a really original take. Magic and spells all originate in books, which can only be written by Scribes, with blood. As there is currently only one scribe, new magical books are very rare, and only by the grace (and a lotta money) of the Library.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Some people, like Joanna and her father, are able to sense magical books. Many families with magical connections have amassed a collection of old magical books.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Anyone can perform the spells, offering their blood to bring it to life. Anyone, except Esther, who has grown up feeling like the magical dud in her family.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Richard and his employee/partner Maram have spent years sourcing 'lost' magical books and bringing them into the safety of the Library.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Nicholas has an eye-opening evening that makes him realise that maybe Richard isn't as caring as he makes out, and sheds a completely different light on his life up until that point.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I enjoyed the plot, for the most part. It started off somewhat slow, the first half takes time to build the background of where each of them is living, and what their lives are like. Then it slowly starts to build suspicion and tension, and you get a good understanding of why they have to flee.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">In the second half, Esther, Joanne, Nicholas and Collins come together, to help save each other from the long claws of the Library, and to try and uncover why their ally has sent them on this journey.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">There was a decent sense of urgency in the second half, as the pace picked up, but... nothing really happened until the end. </span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The Library has connections everywhere, but as soon as they hit the US, there's no further trouble... it felt a bit off. I mean, I know they made decisions that would make it easier to stay hidden, but there were no more henchmen at all.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The not-so-good.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">As mentioned, the pacing was a bit off. Sometimes I felt that the story was slow-moving, with nothing interesting to keep my attention. At other times, it was fascinating and chocka, and I wondered how the author would fit everything into a single book.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The world-building and magical system that the author created was great, but I felt that it could have been explored further. There were tantalising little bits of history - like Isabel's family, or the group Collins used to be a part of. It's clear the author has a big vision of what's happened in their world, and it was disappointing we didn't get to see more.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought that Cecily telling Isabel's story at the end was kinda wedged in awkwardly. It was enlightening, and helped to build Isabel as something more than a two-dimensional martyr or mystery figure.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought that our main characters came over a little immature. Nicholas and Joanna are about twenty-four, and they have both lived very isolated lives, so I guess I can understand that.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Esther, though, is about twenty-eight years old, and has lived a very hard life where she's had to rely on herself from a relatively young age. That didn't always come across right. Also, I found it weird that Pearl, the love of her life, that got attacked by one of the Library's henchmen, is hardly mentioned in the second half.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Overall, I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62052996-ink-blood-sister-scribe" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3ON25i4" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-3728586277343374872023-12-19T10:09:00.002+00:002023-12-19T10:09:36.706+00:00A Most Intriguing Lady<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81pbHZwqKWL._SY466_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="312" height="400" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81pbHZwqKWL._SY466_.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br />A Most Intriguing Lady</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Sarah Ferguson</h3>1 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER From Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, a sweeping, romantic compulsively readable historical saga about a Duke’s daughter—the perfect Victorian lady—who secretly moonlights as an amateur sleuth for high society’s inner circle. Victorian London was notorious for its pickpockets. But in the country houses of the elite, gentleman burglars, art thieves and con men preyed on the rich and titled. Wealthy victims—with their pride and reputation at stake—would never go to the police. What they needed was a society insider, one of their own, a person of discretion and finely tuned powers of observation, adept at navigating intrigue. That person was Lady Mary Montagu Douglas Scott, the youngest child of Queen Victoria’s close friends the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch. Bookish, fiercely intelligent, and a keen observer, Mary has deliberately cultivated a mousey persona that allows her to remain overlooked and significantly underestimated by all. It’s the perfect cover for a sleuth, a role she stumbles into when trying to assist a close friend during a house party hosted by her parents at their stately Scottish home, Drumlanrig Castle. It is at this party where Lady Mary also meets Colonel Walter Trefusis, a distinguished and extremely handsome war veteran. Tortured by memories of combat, Walter, like Mary, lives a double life, with a desk job in Whitehall providing a front for his role in the British Intelligence Service. The two form an unlikely alliance to solve a series of audacious crimes—and indulge in a highly charged on-off romance. Pacy, romantic, and fun, A Most Intriguing Lady documents one remarkable woman’s ability to be both the perfect lady, and a perfectly talented detective...and, of course, to find love too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Lady Mary is a dormouse with a secret, and Colonel Trefusis is a spymaster who may have met his match.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This is the second book in the Buccleuch Family, but serves as a standalone.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Our main narrators are Mary, the youngest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She has led an isolated life, with her parents and older siblings having little time for her. The silver lining has meant that she has been free to develop her own mind and interests; and only pretends to be a meek and mindless young lady when her parents, or other members of society are around.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She fears being made to marry, and step into the suffocating role of mother and wife.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She is also very adept at solving problems subtly, and is careful to resolve issues without hurting the reputation of people, if she can help it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Colonel Trefusis, or Tre as Mary calls him, is a survivor of the last war. Now, he is establishing a network of spies, to try and prevent future wars, or minimise the damage.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">He witnesses one of Mary's daring moves, and later witnesses the meek persona she has established. He finds himself drawn to help her when problems arise.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">There is also a third narrator - Mary's mother, the Duchess of Buccleuch.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I found Charlotte's sections jarring, and not fitting with the rest of the book. I didn't think they added anything to the story. They didn't give us a better view of the main characters, or the plot, or anything else.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It was mildly interesting to read how Charlotte's fine society marriage started strongly, but they've since drifted apart.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I did not like this book, which is such a shame, because it had a great premise. A lady detective, and a spymaster, set in the Victorian era, where feminism is just starting to emerge.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought the book was badly written.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The plot has some good ideas, but it was really poorly executed.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">There are three main mysteries crammed into this book. And it all felt like a rushed affair.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The first wasn't a mystery.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The second had a culprit who didn't exist in the book until after Mary had already visited him, and decided he was the behind the embezzlement. You don't even get to see this interaction, Mary tells Tre about it after the fact, which I thought was a poor and rushed choice.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The third is the biggest and most dangerous assignment - but when I saw that there was only about 10% left of the book, and Mary was just completing her training - I was disheartened, because how could this big job be explored properly in less than 40 pages (and wrap up the romantic element, too).</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I didn't like our main characters.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">They were both dunces, but particularly Mary.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">We are repeatedly told how independent and ingenious Mary is, but she comes across as whiny, and woe-is-me. She makes no visible effort to create a life for herself - we are told that she does some lady detective work, but for most of the book, she's meekly following her mother, generally unhappy and dissatisfied with everything.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Her investigating skills leave a lot to be desired. She jumps to conclusions, ignoring any facts that don't fit her theory. She then manages to "finagle" (bluntly ask for) information that supports her theory from the staff.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">(I'm a fan of Miss Scarlet and the Duke and was hoping for something in a similar vein, but was sorely disappointed.)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59573749-a-most-intriguing-lady" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3v27tXr" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-87287073063753572292023-12-16T22:19:00.004+00:002023-12-16T22:19:19.613+00:00The Witch in the Well<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81C2eke9SzL._SY425_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="273" height="400" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81C2eke9SzL._SY425_.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><br />The Witch in the Well</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Camilla Bruce</h3>4 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Once upon a time, the townspeople of F -. did something bad . . .</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Local schoolteacher Catherine Evans has made writing the definitive account of what happened when Ilsbeth Clark drowned in the well her life's work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some don't want the past raked up, but Catherine is determined to shine a light upon that shameful event. Because Ilsbeth was an innocent, shunned and ostracized by rumour-mongers and ill-wishers, and someone has to speak up for her. And who better than Catherine, who has herself felt the sting and hurt of such whisperings?</div><div><br /></div><div>And then a childhood friend returns to F -. Elena is a successful author who's earned a certain celebrity. Now in search of a new subject, she announces her intention to write a book about the long-dead woman.</div><div><br /></div><div>And Elena has everything Catherine has not. A platform. And connections. And no one seems to care that this book will be pure speculation, tainting Ilsbeth's memory. Catherine is left with no option but to blunt her rival's pen ...</div><div><br /></div><div>Before summer is over, one woman will be dead and the other accused of murder.</div><div>But is she guilty, or are there other forces at work? And who was Ilsbeth Clark, really?</div><div>An innocent? A witch? Or something else entirely?</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Elena and Cathy were childhood friend, but haven't spoken in years. When Elena returns to the village, to write a book about the local witch - one woman ends up dead, and the other accused of murder.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Our two main narrators are Elena, a Londoner who is a media darling after bringing out a best-selling book. She used to visit the village where her uncle kept a house, every summer as a child, but hasn't been back in years.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">After her uncle passes away, Elena agrees to start sorting through his things at the house, but she'll use the peace and quiet to write the sequel that her editor is hounding her for.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She find more than she bargained for, when the spirit of the witch in the well takes a shining to her.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She is also going to be killed.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Cathy is from the village, just like her family before her. She's prickly, just as quick to take offence, as she is to give it. She's always been this way and she's struggled to have any friends.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This all changed when Elena and her sister starting spending their summers in the village. Cathy became obsessed with them, and was insulted when Elena chose more glamorous ways to spend her summer when they were teenagers.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Cathy can hold a grudge better than anyone else, and the hadn't talked in years.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">In the meantime, Cathy had started work on a book about Ilsbeth the local witch. And she is not impressed when Elena starts to encroach on her territory.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">(There is a third narrator - Ilsbeth the witch - shh.)</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This is the third book I've read by Camilla Bruce - I like how they weave together fantasy and reality. It's always slow-building, keeping you guessing throughout what the truth might be.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The two previous books focused more on the question of is the fantasy element real, of a figment of imagination.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I found this book made it clear the fantastical element is real and the basis of the whole story. But it still keeps you guessing what happens to Elena, and what Cathy's part is.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It also tells you straight away that Elena is dead, which makes it bittersweet when you're getting to know the character, because you know what is going to happen.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought the characters were both very interesting.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Elena starts as a very shiny, influencer type person. She wrote a best-selling non-fiction SOUL book, and has writer's block on the sequel. </span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Even when she's alone at her uncle's house, even in her private thoughts, it comes across as pretty gaudy and SOUL is always in statement capitals.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She's not entirely likeable, but she's got a good heart, which starts to show through.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Cathy is the opposite. She is dark and twisty, but she doesn't think she is. She's completely awful throughout the book, and thinks sharing all of her dealing with Elena on a blog with help resolve some of the anger the villagers feel towards her.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She associates strongly with Ilsbeth the witch, who was also falsely accused, and suffered at the hands of the villagers.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Cathy does not improve, she has no character growth, but I still found it fascinating to follow as the truth is slowly unveiled.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This was such an interesting read for me, although I don't think it's for everyone!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55077699-the-witch-in-the-well" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3Nw9fGC" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-67807322387728235692023-11-08T13:17:00.007+00:002023-11-08T13:18:22.949+00:00Where it Rains in Color<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1667058564i/59716236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="528" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1667058564i/59716236.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br />Where it Rains in Color</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Denise Crittendon</h3>1 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Swazembi is a blazing, color-rich utopia and the vacation center of the galaxy. This idyllic, peace-loving world is home to waterless seas, filled with cascading neon vapors, where tourists and residents alike soar from place to place in a swift wind force called The Sweep. No one is used to serious trouble here, especially Lileala.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lileala is a pampered, young 50-year-old whose radiance has just earned her the revered title of Rare Indigo, the highest and most sacred of honours. But, her perfect lifestyle is shattered when a band of drug-addicts from a dying planet come up with a way to infect her with a fatal skin disease. They succeed and the unthinkable happens – Lileala Walata Sundiata loses her ability to shimmer. Where her skin should glisten like diamonds mixed with coal, instead it dulls and forms scar tissue. And she starts to hear voices in her head.</div><div><br /></div><div>Distraught over her condition, she flees to the village where her Rare Indigo predecessor, Ahonotay, is said to be hiding. Ahonotay reveals a destiny to Lileala that awakens a new power inside her and she realises her whole life, and the galaxy, is about to change…</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">In a futuristic society, which values beauty and colour, Lileala is about to take her place as the Rare Indigo in Swazembi - a position of prestige, that she has dreamt of her whole life.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story follow Lileala, the favoured aspirant, as she finishes her training and is recognised as the Rare Indigo. Swazembi has been without a Rare Indigo since the last one became silent and left without warning nearly fifty years ago; so when Lileala takes on the role, there is a lot of pressure to do well.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really struggled with this book. I didn't get far, but I did come back to it repeatedly, hoping to make more progress, because the premise sounded really cool.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">My main issue is that I did not know what was going on. At any point. Ever.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The author has created a new world, with completely new rules. There were some bits that were described, but most of it is left vague. There are transport waves? Different castes?</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I have no idea what a Rare Indigo is, and why they're important.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Our narrator is fifty years old and has been training to be a Rare Indigo for TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, and yet she seems as clueless as I do.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She knows nothing about being a Rare Indigo, except that her skin is dark and she can play luminescence along it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I also felt that Lileala didn't know anything about anything else, either.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It doesn't sound like she's been isolated from everyone else - but every time she meets her friend, trainer, or future partner, they all seem to know everything. They know about the culture of the world, the sport, the food, the rules, the rulers, the religion, other aspirants, what would happen after getting the title.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It just makes it even more glaringly obvious that Lileala knows NOTHING!</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Instead of actual story or world-building, the first part of the book is basically Lileala moping about how hard and restrictive her life is, without any evidence of that. She feels like a spoilt teenager, whinging about her perfect life.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Overall, I liked the concept, but I did not enjoy this book.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59716236-where-it-rains-in-colour" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3QP4lGY" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-62627074749699184072023-11-07T12:02:00.002+00:002023-11-07T12:02:30.293+00:00One Night in Hartswood<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1660849938i/60767881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1660849938i/60767881.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><br />One Night in Hartswood</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Emma Denny</h3>3 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Oxford 1360</div><div><br /></div><div>When his sister’s betrothed vanishes the night before her politically arranged marriage, Raff Barden must track and return the elusive groom to restore his family’s honour. William de Foucart ― known to his friends as Penn ― had no choice but to abandon his fiancé, and with it his own earldom, when he fled the night before his enforced marriage. But ill-equipped to survive on the run he must trust the kindness of a stranger, Raff, to help him escape. Unaware their fates are already entwined, their unexpected bond deepens into a far more precious relationship, one that will test all that they hold dear. And when secrets are finally revealed, both men must decide what they will risk for the one they love…</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Penn has always been a disappointment to his father, and now he's being forced into marriage with someone he's never met, to bring his father more power and prestige.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">When he escapes to the woods, he runs into Raff, and they have an instant connection.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Neither know the truth about the other's identity, but they travel together, getting slowly closer.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story is split between two narrators.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">William "Penn" de Foucart - the oldest surviving son of a new, but powerful Earl. After bringing shame on his father yet again, he's about to be married off and expected to disappear quietly to a house on the estate. But Penn isn't interested in any woman and he bolts to the freezing woods.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Raff Barden the second son of a Northern Earl with a long history. Since his brother went to war, Raff has stepped up and helped run everything. When he meets Penn by chance in the woods, he agrees to take a slow route home, allowing Raff to escape from all the pressure in his life.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This books took a while for me to get into.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I found that our narrators, despite their very different upbringings, had very similar voices. In the review copy I read, it wasn't always clear who was narrating. I had to keep going back to check.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">They also felt very young. These "men" are supposed to be in their mid-to-late-twenties - in the 14th Century, that's practically middle-aged! But these guys came across as modern teenagers.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought that the setting was repetitive. The plot just circles around the concept that the two guys are traveling through the wilderness together, and spending each night together for warmth. It spins on and on, with nothing new.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The historical accuracy (and general knowledge about horses) was just... frustrating.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I found some sections very hard to believe. How did Raff's brother just happen to find them in the middle of the woods?</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The good stuff.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Raff and Penn's relationship is really sweet, and charming, and it won me over, despite all the issues above.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought that Penn's history with his father was well done, and you can tell how that affects his confidence in so many things.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">When Penn got to stand up to his father near the end, that made me cheer!</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Overall, this was a sweet little romance.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60767881-one-night-in-hartswood" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3FSF1ta" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-72817345593967062062023-09-18T14:04:00.006+01:002023-09-18T14:04:55.029+01:00The Thorns Remain<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1661864411i/62047662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1661864411i/62047662.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />The Thorns Remain</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by J.J.A. Harwood</h3>1 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br />Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>A dance with the fae will change everything</div><div><br /></div><div>1919. In a highland village forgotten by the world, harvest season is over and the young who remain after war and flu have ravaged the village will soon head south to make something of themselves.</div><div><br /></div><div>Moira Jean and her friends head to the forest for a last night of laughter before parting ways. Moira Jean is being left behind. She had plans to leave once – but her lover died in France and with him, her future. The friends light a fire, sing and dance. But with every twirl about the flames, strange new dancers thread between them, music streaming from the trees.</div><div><br /></div><div>The fae are here.</div><div><br /></div><div>Suddenly Moira Jean finds herself all alone, her friends spirited away. The iron medal of her lost love, pinned to her dress, protected her from magic.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the Fae feel forgotten too. Lead by the darkly handsome Lord of the Fae, they are out to make themselves known once more. Moira Jean must enter into a bargain with the Lord to save her friends – and fast, for the longer one spends with the Fae, the less like themselves they are upon return. If Moira Jean cannot save her friends before Beltine, they will be lost forever…</div><div><br /></div><div>Completely bewitching, threaded with Highland charm and sparkling with dark romance, this is a fairytale that will carry you away.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">In a small Scottish village, Moira Jean and her friends accidentally catch the attention of the Fae Court. When her friends are taken, it's up to Moira Jean to rescue them.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Set in a tiny Scottish village that has lost so many to the recent World War and the subsequent Spanish Flu, the remaining villagers are doing the best they can.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">As one of the few young people that haven't been killed or moved to one of the cities for work, Moira Jean's days are full of hard work. The neighbours all help each other, and they all rely on Moira Jean and her friends to provide physical labour, just so they have food to eat, and peat to warm the hearths.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">After a hard day working in the fields, they escape for the evening, to kick back and relax in the woods.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">What they don't know is the spot they've chosen to dance is the gateway to the Land of Fae, and they've managed to attract the attention/ire of a Fae Lord.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The next morning, Moira Jean is the only one who makes it home, and no one else in her village can even remember her friends being there.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The Fae Lord agrees that he will release Moira Jean's friends, if she completes several tasks for him before Beltaine.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This story had lots of promising elements, but failed in the execution.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I think my two main issues were: I found it boring; and I didn't like the main character.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Moira Jean's friends have been stolen away to the Land of Fae - eternal sunshine, and dancing and parties and Fae dangers. We assume - we see next to nothing of the other realm.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Instead we follow Moira Jean as she doggedly completes all of her chores (and her friends' as they aren't there to do them). She gripes and moans, but no one really cares or takes notice of her mood.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">We follow her as she does the chickens. And the cows. And the cooking. And the laundry. And the soap-making. And the peat-digging.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">That makes up most of the story, a young girl doing her daily chores. On repeat. With the same complaints. Day in, day out.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Moira Jean is not an interesting, or likeable character to follow, so I found it very hard to be connected to her "plight".</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought she was selfish - she'd give a cursory "worried-about-friends-but-can't-do-anything" thought, then spent most of her time worrying about herself.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">When it came to rescuing her friends and dealing with the Fae - I found it completely ridiculous from the beginning!</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Despite being warned that Fae are dangerous and easily-offended, Moira Jean is a complete cow towards the Fae Lord. She insults him, tries to cheat him on a bargain. She's lucky he found it "enchanting", because I thought she was just being a brat.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Speaking of the bargains - I just found the whole thing confusing. </span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She has to complete tasks the Fae Lord to get her friends back, but it never seems clear what she's supposed to do, or why.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It starts with having to do with providing the correct tribute by Beltaine, but that's sorta fuzzy and seems to get forgotten after Moira Jean attempts to complete the first task.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The Fae Lord's instructions are vague/non-existent, but Moira Jean keeps having epiphanies about tasks and where her friends are that are...just cringey.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It's such a shame, because I really liked this author's first book - The Shadow in the Glass; but this book wasn't for me.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62047662-the-thorns-remain" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3PHqAy1" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-54116142445534805062023-09-07T11:18:00.000+01:002023-09-07T11:18:03.526+01:00Wildblood<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663708669i/60784600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663708669i/60784600.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br />Wildblood</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Lauren Blackwood</h3>2 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>A thrilling new fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood!</div><div><br /></div><div>Eighteen-year-old Victoria is a Wildblood. Since she was kidnapped at the age of six and manipulated by the Exotic Lands Touring Company, she’s worked as a tour guide ever since with a team of fellow Wildbloods who take turns using their magic to protect travelers in a Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters.</div><div><br /></div><div>When the boss denies Victoria an earned promotion to team leader in favor of Dean, her backstabbing ex, she’s determined to prove herself. Her magic may be the most powerful on the team, but she’s not the image the boss wants to send their new client, Thorn, a renowned goldminer determined to reach an untouched gold supply deep in the jungle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thorn is everything Victoria isn't - confident, impossibly kind, and so handsome he leaves her speechless. And when he entrusts the mission to her, kindness turns to mutual respect, turns to affection, turns to love. But the jungle is treacherous, and between hypnotic river spirits, soul-devouring women that shed their skin like snakes, and her ex out for revenge, Victoria has to decide - is promotion at a corrupt company really what she wants?</div><div><br /></div><div>A fierce, lush fantasy by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood, Wildblood tells the story of a girl who must find the strength to defeat the demons of the jungle as well as her own to find where she truly belongs.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Victoria is a wildblood, trapped into using her magic for a touring company in Jamaica. Overlooked for the promotion promised to her, she agrees to help her ex-best friend with a dangerous mission. Taking a group deep into the forest, beyond the safe-ish path. It also introduces her to Thorn.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story follows Victoria, a young woman from Jamaica, who happens to be a wildblood. She was kidnapped as a child and forced to work for a touring company, keeping tourists safe from the dangers of the jungle, alongside other wildblood captives.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">When she turned eighteen, she was promised a promotion to Tour Leader, which includes a pay rise, meaning she can afford to get her and her little brother away forever. So when her vile boss goes back on his word, she's got to go through a few more hoops.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I liked the premise of this book. The wildblood magic, where the caster can use blood to devastating effect, fueling their spells.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The clear affection and connection Victoria feels for the deadly forest is really quite touching.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The forest itself is fascinating, with River Mumma and all the creatures and ghouls, with their own histories and myths surrounding them.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It started off promisingly enough, but quickly unraveled as soon as Thorn arrives.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It wasn't just that Victoria become completely obsessed with the gorgeous Thorn - the rest of the story seemed to lose all logic.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Thorn is in charge of the expedition, and he recognises that Victoria is the expert when it comes to the forest, so much so that he replaces a pissed-off tour leader with her... BUT he doesn't listen to her advice that the forest doesn't take kindly to intruders and will try to kill them all. Thorn is then surprised when people start to get picked off one by one.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">River Mumma is a scary water spirit that intends to drown everyone - until she becomes a giggly girly woman, who can be outwitted quite easily.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The monsters are all built up to be terrifying and wild, and although they accept Victoria as a native, they will always follow their nature. No one is safe. Until they magically are. A couple of times, but no spoilers.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The main douchebag throughout the whole book - he's a complete git towards Victoria. But then it turns out that he loves her, and he's only being a git because he wants to make a better world for her. And despite hating the douchebag for most of the book, Victoria backtracks later on, and tries to cast stuff in a different light, because they were always best friends. Which makes you wonder what happened to her bestest friend Samson.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Everything was just a mess, how it established one reasonable story, then completely broke it all down and tried to rewrite it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Also, all of Victoria's choices just friggin' annoyed me.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784600-wildblood" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://amzn.to/44HcPDN" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-82010227186743534532023-09-05T10:29:00.001+01:002023-09-05T10:29:14.235+01:00The Snow Hare<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1669668707i/61030534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="258" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1669668707i/61030534.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br />The Snow Hare</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Paula Lichtarowicz</h3>2.5 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>In this "riveting, heartfelt" novel of love and consequences (Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz ), a woman dreams of becoming a doctor until World War II leads her instead into an astonishing love—and a fateful choice.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is it possible to fall in love at the edge of life?</div><div><br /></div><div>Lena has lived a long, quiet life on her farm in Wales, alongside her husband and child. But as her end approaches, buried memories begin to return. Of her childhood in Poland, and her passion for science. Of the early days of her marriage, reluctant wife to an army officer. Of the birth of her daughter, whose arrival changed everything.</div><div><br /></div><div>Memories less welcome return, too. Her Polish village, transformed overnight by the Soviets, and the war that doomed her entire family to the frigid work camps of the Siberian tundra. And buried in that blinding snow, amongst the darkness of survival, the most haunting memory of all: that of an extraordinary new love.</div><div><br /></div><div>Exploring motherhood, marriage, consequences, and our incredible human capacity for hope, The Snow Hare is the story of a woman who dares to love and to dream in the face of impossible odds, and of the peace we each must make with our choices, even long after the years have gone by.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Review</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">As Lena's life comes to an end, she thinks over paths that led her here. A comfortable childhood in Poland, a desire to be a doctor, and a war that will push them to the frozen edge of the world.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story follows Lena, as an elderly woman on her deathbed in England.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Her mind inevitably drifts back to the life she had led, and we also follow Lena as a young woman in Poland.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Lena is singularly focused and wants to be a doctor, despite not many women being allowed to take up the profession. Her family supports her dreams, and provide her with schooling and books; but her mother is also hoping that Lena will forget about the doctor dreams, when she falls in love with a suitable man.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">All of their plans are thrown askew as the threats of war become a reality.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Unfortunately, I found the first half really slow and hard to connect to.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Despite the fact that I thought it was really interesting, watching how the war affected Lena's hometown. The Soviet soldiers came, and everything changed. Neighbours are turned against each other; everyone is living under the fear of being labelled as an "Enemy of the State", and made to disappear.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">While Lena works as a nurse, you get to watch the risks that the local doctor takes, secretly providing medicine for people that aren't allowed it. You can feel the dark inevitability of what will happen.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The problem is that everyone else is interesting, but Lena seems oddly disconnected from the world.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">You could argue that the memories of an old woman are imperfect; or that she remembers the actions of other more clearly; but it made it hard to be invested.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Lena is lacking in personality beyond the sole-focus to be a doctor, at the expense of everything else.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I found that some of her choices and actions (or lack of actions) contradicted everything her character had been built up to. Especially concerning a certain person. She allows herself to be pushed into things, despite her thoughts and words constantly opposing them.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The second half was much easier to connect with our main character, when Lena and her family are rounded up and sent to the frozen end of the world, to work in a labour camp.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Lena becomes more focussed on helping her family survive, and she learns to embrace each day, and appreciate the little things.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Lena's developing friendship with one of the guards is terribly sweet, a complete contrast to the horror they are all living through.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Throughout the second half of the book, you get the sense of foreboding - you know where Lena ends up, and you know that not everyone makes it. It's just a question of how it will happen, and it hovers over everything, making it so much more painful as you can't help getting attached to her family.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Overall, this was a 2.5 out of 5 for me. I found the second half of the book very moving, and it was interesting to learn more about life in a Siberian labour camp. Unfortunately, I found the first half very hard to get through, and I couldn't come to terms with some of Lena's decisions at the end of the book, too.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61030534-the-snow-hare" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3r1eJ4h" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-53300614709030301252023-08-16T21:02:00.003+01:002023-08-16T21:02:30.164+01:00All of Our Demise<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416qqx4qXpL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="400" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416qqx4qXpL.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br />All of Our Demise</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Amanda Foody & C.L. Herman</h3>4 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>The incredible conclusion to the tournament that started in All of Us Villains.</b></div><div><b>I should warn you: this is going to be absolutely brutal . . .</b></div><div><br /></div><div>For the first time in this ancient, bloodstained story, the tournament is breaking. The boundaries between the city of Ilvernath and the arena have fallen. Reporters swarm the historic battlegrounds. A dead boy now lives again. And a new champion has entered the fray, one who seeks to break the curse for good... no matter how many lives are sacrificed in the process.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the curse teeters closer and closer to collapse, the surviving champions each face a choice: dismantle the tournament piece by piece, or fight to the death as this story always intended.</div><div><br /></div><div>Long-held alliances will be severed. Hearts will break. Lives will end. Because a tale as wicked as this one was never destined for happily ever after.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The surviving champions have to come together, if they are going to destroy the High Magic curse, before it destroys them all.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Like the first installment, this book is narrated by four of our champions - Alistair, Isobel, Gavin and Briony.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It follows on from the the shocking ending of the first book, All of Us Villains. Each of our champions has their own problems, caused by their own actions.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Once again, they split into two teams - one that doesn't want to destroy the curse - Alistair, who is afraid he might lose his brother; and Gavin, who sees this as his only chance to win High Magic for his family.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The other team does want to destroy the curse, to save future generations from this horror. Briony and Finley trying to be heroes; and Isobel trying to be a survivor.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I enjoyed this book - I thought most of it was a lot stronger than the first in the series. It had resolved some of the issues I had with All of Us Villains.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The changes between chapters and characters was a lot smoother; and having logical, group objectives, made the plot feel more focused.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really liked the addition of Reid McTavish - another villain coming to terms with what he's done to the champions, and what he's still willing to do.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">We got an overall deeper look at all of our characters, and watch as they all realise that none of them are heroes or villains. At heart, they're all scared teens, trying to work out what the right thing to do is, and if they'll survive.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought that the ending went off the boil a bit. All of the plotlines were so strong throughout, and I felt it got to a point and the writing wavered. As if everything had been agreed and achieved, that the characters were just going through the motions.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Overall, I have enjoyed this duology, and I look forward to reading more by the authors.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55337054-all-of-our-demise" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/44iwolr" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-22890396957875838022023-08-13T19:54:00.005+01:002023-08-13T19:54:31.632+01:00Wolfsong<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fidyGqjbL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fidyGqjbL.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />Wolfsong</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by TJ Klune</h3>4 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road. The little boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the little boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the little boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ox was seventeen when he found out the little boy’s secret and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces.</div><div><br /></div><div>It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Green Creek is a small town, but it's the only place Ox knows as home. When a new family moves in next door, Ox finds out there is more to his friends than meets the eye.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story follows Ox Matheson from a kid through to adulthood. He's the sweetest guy, but since his dad abandoned them, Ox has been under the impression that he's not good enough. Although it's just him and his mum, Ox starts to learn that family doesn't have to mean blood-relatives. First, when he starts working for the local garage, and bonds with the other guys.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Then when the Bennett family move in next door, Ox gets a different type of pack.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Ox is neurodiverse, and I loved how faithfully the narrative stayed in keeping with that. It was wonderful to see things the way Ox does. The fear of being different, and not always being able to read signals and social cues that seem so easy for others. Linked with his issues with his father abandoning him, Ox finds it hard to trust that people like him, and will stick around.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Throughout the book, Ox is a beacon of innocent goodness and hope. He finds so much beauty in the world around him.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Then there's the werewolves. Honestly, I think this would be a great book without the supernatural element - but werewolves always makes things better!</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">There is an instant shift in dynamics when the Bennett family move in - they are big, and boisterous, connect with the quite Ox so quickly, him and his mum are soon part of the pack.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It was heartwarming watching Ox realise how big his family really is. He's just so accepting of everyone, and always sees that best in those around him.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The main romantic aspect took a while to get going, which is a good thing. Joe recognises Ox as his mate when they are 10 and 16 respectively.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Ox isn't aware of this - he and Joe become best friends, until Joe grows up and Ox starts to notice him in a different light.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The age difference, and growing up together, made it a little awkward at first, but it ends up being really sweet. They take things slowly, but there's this connection between them, you know they're endgame.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Plot wise, I wasn't totally sold on the necessity of Joe leaving Green Creek on his mission. I thought it was too long and it was hard to believe he'd leave his home and family.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">On the other hand, time apart allowed Ox to really mature and come into his own. I loved Ox's side of the story, and was cheering for him throughout.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49454838-wolfsong" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://amzn.to/4472i4j" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-32733131806563501382023-07-03T15:23:00.004+01:002023-07-03T15:23:31.700+01:00The Direction of the Wind<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1671475393i/61120646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1671475393i/61120646.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />The Direction of the Wind</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Mansi Shah</h3>3 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">A heartfelt story that spans continents and generations, about a young woman who searches for answers about a mother she barely remembers. Sophie Shah was six when she learned her mother, Nita, had died. For twenty-two years, she shouldered the burden of that loss. But when her father passes away, Sophie discovers a cache of hidden letters revealing a shattering her mother didn’t die. She left . Nita Shah had everything most women dreamed of in her hometown of Ahmedabad, India—a loving husband, a doting daughter, financial security—but in her heart, she felt like she was living a lie. Fueled by her creative ambitions, Nita moved to Paris, the artists’ capital of the world—even though it meant leaving her family behind. But once in Paris, Nita’s decision and its consequences would haunt her in ways she never expected. Now that Sophie knows the truth, she’s determined to find the mother who abandoned her. Sophie jets off to Paris, even though the impulsive trip may risk her impending arranged marriage. In the City of Light, she chases lead after lead that help her piece together a startling portrait of her mother. Though Sophie goes to Paris to find Nita, she may just also discover parts of herself she never knew.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Sophie always thought her mother died when she was young - when her father passes away she discovers the truth - Nita abandoned them for a life in Paris.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The narrative is split between Now (Sophie) and 20 years ago (Nita).</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Nita has always dreamt of being an artist in Paris, but growing up in Ahmedabad, there were certain expectations - that she would marry he man her family picked, and raise children. An obedient daughter, Nita does as she's told, and tries to bury her dreams, until it all becomes too much and she flees to Paris.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Sophie hasn't led the most conventional of lives. As far as she is aware, her mother died when she was young. Her father doted on her, and never pushed her to get married - being single at 28 is very unusual for their class in Ahmedabad. She also worked - doing accounts for her father.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">When Sophie loses her father, she also learns that her mother abandoned them, and everything she thought she knew was wrong.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Sophie sets out to go to Paris, to try and track down her mother, and find out the truth.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I'm split on this book.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">With Nita's story - it does such a good job at making you understand how a woman could leave her young child and doting husband. Not enough to completely forgive her, or make it OK; but to understand why she did what she did. Which I think showed really powerful writing and characterisation.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Then... this trapped woman who flees half-way across the world to finally achieve her dreams... loses all agency. I get that her life was sheltered, and doesn't know how to be independent; but she spends the whole book drifting wherever the wind blows her, letting men run her entire life again.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I know there's something darker behind some of her bad decisions, but I was disappointed in most of her story.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Sophie's story is stronger all round. She's the opposite of Nita - she had a relatively large amount of freedom growing up, and she has no problem getting married to the man her aunts have picked for her. She doesn't want to run away to Paris - she only goes to try and find her mother. But whilst she's searching for old signs of Nita, Sophie realises how sheltered her life has been. Her time in Paris isn't easy, but Sophie find that she's not entirely useless, and she quite likes the independence.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really liked how her story finished, you felt that Sophie was stronger because of her time in Paris. She's clearer on what she wants, and she manages to weave together what she wants from a traditional life and a modern one.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I felt that the overall plots of the book were very uneven.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It was lovely and unhurried in the beginning, exploring the anguish of these two different women and how if affects them. It takes the time to look into each character, as they have to deal with little daily challenges that we take for granted.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Nothing is rushed in the progression of the characters.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Then it got to about 80%, and I was wondering how it would all wrap up, as it felt like there was no resolution. The last 20% had everything thrown in, new characters, new tragedies, happy ever afters... It was a disappointing rush after the steady pace preceding it.</span></div></div><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61120646-the-direction-of-the-wind" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/46wllrm" target="_blank">Amazon</a></p><p><br /></p>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-48401974033751603312023-05-22T12:00:00.007+01:002023-05-22T13:21:35.069+01:00Weyward<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51U5B9MV2GL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51U5B9MV2GL.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />Weyward</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Emilia Hart</h3>5 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>I am a Weyward, and wild inside.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.</div><div><br /></div><div>1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.</div><div><br /></div><div>1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.</div><div><br /></div><div>Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Review</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Kate, Violet and Altha are all from the Weyward family. Centuries apart, they have to discover the truth of what makes them so different. It might be the only way to save them from the men that would see them shackled and cast down.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The narrative follows our three main characters, with their own story.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Altha - in 1619 she is standing trial, accused of witchcraft. The husband of someone Altha used to call a friend died in mysterious circumstances, and the village is ready to blame her.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Violet - 1942 - despite being the daughter of an Earl, Violet feels trapped. She loves the outdoors and animals, and feels like she's being kept prisoner by her strict and uncaring father. She never sees anyone except immediate family, and her dreams of traveling and being a scientist. Until her Cousin Frederick arrives.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Kate - 2019 - after suffering years of increasing abuse from her boyfriend, Kate finally decides to leave. The timing is perfect, she has just inherited a cottage from her Great-Aunt Violet, and she has gone to great lengths to make sure that Simon never finds her again.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really enjoyed following the three different women, and how they dealt with being different from those around them.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought Altha's story would be the leading one, but instead the spotlight is on Violet and Kate, as they discover there is a reason they are different, and the truth behind Altha and the nature of their family - the Weyward women.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Violet lives with her father and brother in a grand estate. She's jealous that her brother gets to leave and go to school, and study; and she has a distant relationship with her father. Violet has a somewhat romanticised notion that her father loved her mother so fiercely, that when she died giving birth to her brother, that he can't bear to look at Violet who is her mother's image.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">When a visiting cousin makes a comment that contradicts this fantasy, Violet has to uncover the truth.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Kate has always blamed herself for her father's death when she was just a child. She has shut out the call of nature, for fear of being a monster. Her boyfriend Simon has gradually worn her down, and reduced her life to nothing more than making him happy. A part of Kate accepts his beatings and emotional abuse as a just punishment for what she did.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Kate had forgotten she had a great aunt, when she inherited Violet's cottage, but she grabs the opportunity with both hands, finally escaping Simon and trying to remember how to live. </span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It was heart-breaking to see all the little ways he'd broken her; and just as satisfying to watch Kate create a new life for herself.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I loved how naturally the magic was woven into the story. It's always there, but subtle; and it was so heartening to see it surge at the end!</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57823095-weyward" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3oecLMM" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-50214184527323120072023-04-21T12:00:00.020+01:002023-04-21T12:00:00.188+01:00Princess of Souls<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648563730i/58020044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648563730i/58020044.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br />Princess of Souls</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Alexandra Christo</h3>4 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>From the author of To Kill a Kingdom comes Princess of Souls, a Rapunzel-inspired YA fantasy romance about a teen witch groomed to steal souls for an immortal king and the reckless, rebellious boy to whom her fate is tied.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>For sixteen years, Selestra Somniatis has been trapped in a castle on the Floating Mountain, preparing to take her mother’s place as King Seryth’s right hand. Tied by blood to steal souls for the immortal King of the Six Isles, the Somniatis Witch foretells the deaths of participants in the Festival of Predictions. To outrun your fate is to save your soul and steal the King’s immortality. But if you die, your soul is forfeit. And though thousands have tried, nobody has ever beaten death.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a soldier in King Seryth’s army, Nox Laederic is an unlikely candidate for the Festival, but he has no plans to die at the hands of the King or his witches. His plan is more akin to violent revenge: steal the King’s immortality and kill the entirety of his court, starting with Selestra herself.</div><div><br /></div><div>But when Selestra touches Nox in her very first prediction, she sees her own death alongside his--their fates are unmistakably intertwined, and Selestra is no longer safe in the only home she’s ever known. Nox and Selestra will have to enter a turbulent alliance in order to survive long enough to free the Six Isles from King Seryth’s clutches and escape the new fate that hunts them.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #cccccc;">Review</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Selestra is a witch-in-training, duty-bound to steal souls for the immortal king. Nox is a soldier intent on bringing them all down, but fate ties them together.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This book follows our two main characters.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Selestra may live in the castle, and have every luxury, but she is little better than a prisoner. Her mother is the king's witch - feared by all, seeing deaths and stealing souls to keep the king's immortality. Selestra is the witch's heir, born to follow in her mother's footsteps.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">When she meets Nox, she sees his death is tied to hers, and decides they have to work together to escape their fate.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Nox is the perfect soldier. He is a legendary fighter, loved by the army and even has the king's respect. It's all a facade though, the king and his witches murdered his father, and Nox is going to kill every last one of them. And it starts with winning a wish in an annual competition - and if he loses, he dies.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">When he meets the fearsome heir, she's not quite what he expected, and that she hates the king too. He doesn't trust her, but realises that his enemy's enemy could be his friend.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I enjoyed this story, with it's hint of dark Rapunzel with a bit of Medusa thrown in.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought the magic used by Selestra and her mother was very interesting. How their ancestor bound them all to serve the power-hungry king in any way he sees fit.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The first half follows them as they try and escape the king and his army - Nox only has to survive a month to win the contest, and Selestra is keen to get as far away from her prison as possible.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Nox believes they will only be safe on an island that is impenetrable, and is rumoured to be the home to a legendary weapon - the only thing that can defeat the immortal king.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It's interesting to watch how their plans start to change, when they realise not everything is as it seems. And Selestra finds that she will have to face her enemy to truly escape him.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The not-so-good.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The main characters are alright to start with, they have their desires and drives, but they're nothing special. The friends that accompany them are much more interesting.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">As the story goes on, and the "relationship" develops, I found they got blander and blander. Nox loses a lot of his depth, and he's just their to support Selestra; but it never feels like a real relationship. It's just ticking boxes and saying they're in love.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to more by this author.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58020044-princess-of-souls" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3USWoky" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-3480169392135343402023-04-11T11:22:00.001+01:002023-04-11T11:22:03.044+01:00The Women Could Fly<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636977360i/59629560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636977360i/59629560.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br />The Women Could Fly</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Megan Giddings</h3>2 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Reminiscent of the works of Margaret Atwood, Shirley Jackson, and Octavia Butler, a biting social commentary from the acclaimed author of Lakewood that speaks to our times--a piercing dystopian novel about the unbreakable bond between a young woman and her mysterious mother, set in a world in which witches are real and single women are closely monitored.</div><div><br /></div><div>Josephine Thomas has heard every conceivable theory about her mother's disappearance. That she was kidnapped. Murdered. That she took on a new identity to start a new family. That she was a witch. This is the most worrying charge because in a world where witches are real, peculiar behavior raises suspicions and a woman--especially a Black woman--can find herself on trial for witchcraft.</div><div><br /></div><div>But fourteen years have passed since her mother's disappearance, and now Jo is finally ready to let go of the past. Yet her future is in doubt. The State mandates that all women marry by the age of 30--or enroll in a registry that allows them to be monitored, effectively forfeiting their autonomy. At 28, Jo is ambivalent about marriage. With her ability to control her life on the line, she feels as if she has her never understood her mother more. When she's offered the opportunity to honor one last request from her mother's will, Jo leaves her regular life to feel connected to her one last time.</div><div><br /></div><div>In this powerful and timely novel, Megan Giddings explores the limits women face--and the powers they have to transgress and transcend them.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Jo doesn't fit in anywhere, and in a world that still persecutes witches, that is a very dangerous things.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Her missing-suspected-dead-mother leaves her an inheritance. The journey might finally reveal some answers.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This is set in the modern world, where witches exist. It is not illegal to be a witch, but their freedoms are greatly reduced, and in some areas they are still attacked.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">As with the original witch-hunting craze, the proof of witches is questionable. The existence of magic has not been proven, except in the testimonies of their 'victims'.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">In this toxic version of the world, equality doesn't exist. Women are expected to marry by the age of 28, at which point they can only work if their husband allows it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Jo doesn't fit in. The world isn't designed for her to fit in. She's a black, bi woman. She could fold and follow the strict rules for women, but she doesn't see why she should have to.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Her mother railed against a normal life, and she disappeared when Jo was young. From Jo's perspective, and the following investigations - it's equally likely that her mother was murdered; or that she deserted her husband and child to be a witch.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Ever since, Jo has felt like everyone is watching her, waiting for her to show signs of magic.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">On paper, this sounded like the perfect read for me. Witches and persecution and women defying a patriarchal world...</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">In reality, it was so dense with powerful meaning and assessments that I couldn't make any track with it. It just hits you again and again, driving home the author's point. I found it very hard to make any progress.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It's such a promising story, but suffered from constant heavy-handedness.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Away from 'The Meanings' nothing happened. Jo goes through the mundane aspects of life - which I am totally fine with, but they were drowned in Points and Meanings.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She's always musing about the now, the future and the past - to the point where I couldn't decipher what was actually happening and what wasn't.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I did actually like the world that the author created, and the questionable existence of witches and magic, and the fear-driven society that perpetuates it. Which is why I was so very disappointed this book was a miss for me.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59629560-the-women-could-fly" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3GB2v6Z" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-79988115300400448242023-02-15T08:00:00.034+00:002023-02-15T08:00:00.168+00:00Blog tour: The Weekend<h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EgBYSxOmdPkr0Vrh49OA-t8EbPYwdDYb2zgEgtNANUkMTCQVGMe88XHYPF7HfDhGF99h4frldOS-3drOj-juqvLUYSCjrbd9HH05RKe9C9oU9Bd4VwFpJ61tAHcR1KCv5G_v5InCmmnHtcIbU-zqMNV9kYPPDh1nZodm0zvmC1MnkeMKIxpNNihr_A/s700/The%20Weekend.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EgBYSxOmdPkr0Vrh49OA-t8EbPYwdDYb2zgEgtNANUkMTCQVGMe88XHYPF7HfDhGF99h4frldOS-3drOj-juqvLUYSCjrbd9HH05RKe9C9oU9Bd4VwFpJ61tAHcR1KCv5G_v5InCmmnHtcIbU-zqMNV9kYPPDh1nZodm0zvmC1MnkeMKIxpNNihr_A/w640-h253/The%20Weekend.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8FdoXLC4iBFPomiOFZP13r2dO3obei2pvdxTfJRDcjnn1e-ipft1Zk-HavZs_6BbXKGKzF2e4I0JtDuSntwxqCJyQf9t1Kjq-IifXwBfxbg1PMdjDnZPvjqWKgyFg4J4VQyJy-P_dzJpCD0xi_OZP6DbouQM6tE-1-X6fepT4SuOrDBehEAxZqzB0A/s2339/The%20Weekend%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8FdoXLC4iBFPomiOFZP13r2dO3obei2pvdxTfJRDcjnn1e-ipft1Zk-HavZs_6BbXKGKzF2e4I0JtDuSntwxqCJyQf9t1Kjq-IifXwBfxbg1PMdjDnZPvjqWKgyFg4J4VQyJy-P_dzJpCD0xi_OZP6DbouQM6tE-1-X6fepT4SuOrDBehEAxZqzB0A/w260-h400/The%20Weekend%20(1).jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />The Weekend</h1><p>That Lake. This house. His friends. They all know what happened to my boy. I know they do. And you... you have to help me find the truth...</p><p>A weekend to remember…</p><p>Ten years ago, deeply in love, I would have done anything for Thomas Kirkwood.</p><p>But on the night of our graduation, fuelled by drink and drugs, Thomas’s lifeless body was found floating in the Kirkwood family lake. That weekend changed everything, and I swore I would never return to Kirkwood manor.</p><p>A weekend to forget…</p><p>Now, ten years later, I have been invited back to the place that holds such terrible memories for me, to a memorial weekend for Thomas, organised by his still-grieving mother Ada.</p><p>But this is no ordinary weekend. This is a reunion to catch a killer…and I fear that I could be top of Ada’s list….</p><p>Perfect for fans of Teresa Driscoll, Sue Watson, Jackie Kabler and Kendra Elliot.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Purchase Link - <a href="https://amzn.to/3OuGARE">https://amzn.to/3OuGARE</a></h3><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Author Bio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdjRbm8Lbp2TlI3af6T6T7f4IUThQlajBeYpM-3PYyhGaBp10o9Cf9xFZL547d_Pr_cB4UobuFZYm987pRYC8WysBS1FmQoOiqkuLCnF1k_0pLqgQxFumMMo8Ilkhy8eAo9Inz_3j15vpeyM0eUl2Bf6WSnCh0Q0X1J6v6s4kUZ3bWvUf0OoQieW_Fg/s1334/Lynda%20Stacey.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdjRbm8Lbp2TlI3af6T6T7f4IUThQlajBeYpM-3PYyhGaBp10o9Cf9xFZL547d_Pr_cB4UobuFZYm987pRYC8WysBS1FmQoOiqkuLCnF1k_0pLqgQxFumMMo8Ilkhy8eAo9Inz_3j15vpeyM0eUl2Bf6WSnCh0Q0X1J6v6s4kUZ3bWvUf0OoQieW_Fg/w225-h400/Lynda%20Stacey.png" width="225" /></a></div><br /></h3><p>As well as being the author of seven books, Stacey also works full time as a Sales Director. She's also a fully qualified scuba diving instructor and has been known to happily jump in the sea with sharks, without a cage.</p><p>Following a life changing car accident in 2008, Stacey was left with limited mobility in her right arm. Unable to teach scuba diving professionally anymore, she turned to her love of writing, a hobby she’d followed avidly since being a teenager.</p><p>Her own life story, along with varied career choices helps Stacey to create stories with challenging and unpredictable plots.</p><p>Stacey's debut novel 'House of Secrets' was published in 2016 under her full name of Lynda Stacey and her latest book 'The Serial Killer's Girl' was published by Boldwood Books in April 2022, under her new author title of L.H. Stacey.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Social Media Links </h3><p>Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Lyndastaceyauthor">https://www.facebook.com/Lyndastaceyauthor</a></p><p>Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/LyndaStacey">https://twitter.com/LyndaStacey</a></p><p>Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lynda.stacey/">https://www.instagram.com/lynda.stacey/</a></p><p>Newsletter Sign Up: <a href="https://bit.ly/LHStaceynewsletter">https://bit.ly/LHStaceynewsletter</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWvL3H5nfV3qcYAYQJeYY0moW6V9dn3qrPU8xvYHX-3ivC1NNrtsbLdRwDR-RigERTn_hF9mQRWYauaT2q3EBbCW32BJ8-K6n6u0bwQSqCahoH7TcAXFi0rq3iBt-VmxYzDiOvuIULUhcN7fd97yzmzSgrP1QMBmpTfQVTlTvfrfNr_CnWHmsEYzq1w/s2750/The%20Weekend%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2750" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWvL3H5nfV3qcYAYQJeYY0moW6V9dn3qrPU8xvYHX-3ivC1NNrtsbLdRwDR-RigERTn_hF9mQRWYauaT2q3EBbCW32BJ8-K6n6u0bwQSqCahoH7TcAXFi0rq3iBt-VmxYzDiOvuIULUhcN7fd97yzmzSgrP1QMBmpTfQVTlTvfrfNr_CnWHmsEYzq1w/w640-h290/The%20Weekend%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-18722331024384763002023-02-05T19:37:00.004+00:002023-02-05T19:37:45.925+00:00Blood to Poison<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624915544i/53287432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="519" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624915544i/53287432.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />Blood to Poison</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Mary Watson</h3>4 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>An epic South African fantasy from award-winning author Mary Watson, for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and The Gilded Ones.</div><div><br /></div><div>Seventeen-year-old Savannah is cursed. It's a sinister family heirloom; passed down through the bloodline for hundreds of years, with one woman in every generation destined to die young. The family call them Hella's girls, named for their ancestor Hella; the enslaved woman with whom it all began. Hella's girls are always angry, especially in the months before they die.</div><div><br /></div><div>The anger is bursting from Savannah – at the men who cat-call her in the street, at her mother's disingenuous fiancé, even at her own loving family. Each fit of rage is bringing her closer to the edge and now Savannah has to act to save herself. Or die trying. Because the key to survival lies in the underbelly of Cape Town, where the sinister veilwitches are waiting for just such a girl.</div><div><br /></div><div>Blood to Poison is a furious and mesmerising story about discovering magic, historical rage and love in all its guises.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Savannah is one in a long line of cursed women, each fated to die sooner than the last.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She finds herself the target of evil witches, and a ticking clock.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story follows Savannah, a descendant of Hella, an enslaved woman whose fury and magic cursed her abusers and their descendants for the rest of time. Unfortunately, Hella didn't know she was pregnant, and her own family are affected.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Not every woman, but there are a couple every generation who burn with anger.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Savannah is the latest victim. She has always been angry and aggressive, but now her wrists are marked with the curse that will kill her.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">As the magic comes to the surface, she starts to attract the attention of good and bad witches, and realises there is a hidden world existing beyond the notice of normal humans.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really enjoyed this story. I loved the folklore and the magic. It felt realistic and dangerous.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">As Savannah discovers what she needs to break the curse, and she has to go to some pretty extreme lengths. She has a cast of characters around her, and it constantly keeps you guessing as to what side they are on, and who the Big Bad truly is.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">There are some big red herrings, and I was impressed at how misleading they were! I was wrong at least twice!</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I felt that the writing was a little chaotic at times, and with so many conflicting and fantastical elements, it made it hard to follow sometimes.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">But overall, I really enjoyed it, and I loved the ending, and the choices that Savannah made.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53287432-blood-to-poison" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3HEvNBo" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-32336609134610594522023-01-16T21:37:00.003+00:002023-01-16T21:37:30.259+00:00This Is Not the Jess Show<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597047391l/45801360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597047391l/45801360.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br />This is Not the Jess Show</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Anna Carey</h3>4 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Like many teens, sometimes it feels as though everything in Jess Flynn's life has been engineered for maximum drama--from her performance at the school talent show, to the reappearance of her childhood best friend and perennial crush Jeremy, to her friends trying to set her up with one of the hottest guys in school. It's almost as if everything might finally be going her way...until one day a tiny black phone with an apple logo on its screen falls out of her best friend's backpack and lands at Jess's feet.</div><div><br /></div><div>The problem is, it's 1998, and the first iPhone isn't due out for another nine years.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jess's friends refuse to acknowledge the strange device. Her sister Sara, on hospice care with a terminal blood disease, for once can't tell Jess what she should do. It's almost as if everyone is hiding something from her. Even her beloved dog Fuller seems different...like, literally different, because he definitely didn't have that same pattern of spots on his stomach last week...</div><div><br /></div><div>Nothing in Jess Flynn's world is as it seems, and as the cracks begin to show, Jess will discover her entire life is nothing more than someone else's entertainment. Except in this reality, the outside world is no place anyone would want to escape to.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Jess is just your average 90's girl. Her sister's illness is overshadowing everything, but at least she has friends to make her feel better. Except... nothing in her life is real.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">To be honest, I'd completely forgotten about the book description by the time I started to read the book, so I thought it was a YA story set in the 90s.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The first third of the book was well-written, and chock full of 90s nostalgia. Jess is easy to relate to, she's not one of the popular kids, but tends to get along with everyone.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She has a tense, barely-there relationship with her parents, and the only person in the family she connects with is her dying sister.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I'm not sure if this next bit is a spoiler, as it's stated pretty clearly stated in the book's description.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It turns out that Jess' whole life is a lie. After she starts to notice some inconsistencies, her best friend/major crush Tyler finally breaks and tells her everything. Full-on Truman Show.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Jess gains an unlikely ally in Patrick Kramer, the handsome, popular guy who has an annoying habit of only talking about the same story.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really liked how the story went. It seemed to be setting up for one person to step up and be the romantic interest and help Jess uncover the truth; but then Kipps comes along.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Having gone to school in the 90s, I recognised a lot of the shows and music that makes up Jess' life, and I loved the authentic feel.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It was interesting (and made me feel very old) to watch Jess have to deal with the sharp difference in technology between the 90s and her current time.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story is pleasant enough, but I got to the end with a feeling of 'huh, is that it?'</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I felt like it had the potential be much more dramatic, that there was a bigger and more damaged world to explore and fights to be had.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The happy ending was rushed along, and I was surprised to find this is part of a series, because it felt like it had come to a natural conclusion. Everything had been wrapped up and I didn't expect the story to continue.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I would be interested in seeing what happens next.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45801360-this-is-not-the-jess-show" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3IRzG8e" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-29753056980403238682023-01-08T22:10:00.004+00:002023-01-08T22:15:21.151+00:00Only a Monster<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624641211l/58210340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="530" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624641211l/58210340.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br />Only a Monster</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Vanessa Len</h3>4 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>With the sweeping romance of Passenger and the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song, this standout YA contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, is the first in a planned trilogy.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.</div><div><br /></div><div>But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.</div><div><br /></div><div>As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .</div><div><br /></div><div>. . . she is not the hero. </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Joan knows her family is odd, but her grandmother can't be right when she insists they are monsters, can she? Joan is going to have to accept the darkest parts of herself to save everyone.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Joan has grown up feeling like she is always part of two worlds, but never truly belonging. She thought the biggest cultural differences were between her Chinese and English heritages. But it turns out one half of her family is human, and the other are monsters. Something no one is allowed to know.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The power that all monsters share, is the ability to steal life from humans, to fuel traveling through time.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">And Joan will have to travel through time to try and stop the monster families from getting attacked by a "hero".</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really enjoyed this. I thought that the history of the monster families was fascinating. The various magics. The connections and loyalties between clans.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Despite being a "monster", Joan is a good person, and she sees goodness in others. I really enjoyed following her interactions with other people.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I liked how the characters kept you guessing as to their loyalties and ambitions. As the story goes on, they gain depth and you understand their motives.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought the love triangle between Joan, Nick, and Aaron was well done. It develops gradually and doesn't overwhelm the central plot.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The not-so-good...</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I was... surprised by the outcome of the story.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I mean, it was fine and good; but it felt like it came out of nowhere. Joan suddenly decided that she could do something, and went and did it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I mourned for some of the friendships and connections that vanished because of her action. I'm hoping that they resurface in the rest of the series.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58210340-only-a-monster" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3Qn7hZE" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-68109445019323136312022-12-31T22:54:00.003+00:002022-12-31T22:54:25.416+00:00The Haunting of Roderick Usher<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1650322673l/60840417._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1650322673l/60840417._SY475_.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br />The Haunting of Roderick Usher</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Colin Garrow</h3>1 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>An invitation. A ghostly spectre. A criminal mastermind.</div><div><br /></div><div>When Sherlock Holmes is invited to visit an old school friend, he and Doctor Watson are plunged into the first of three adventures involving the Dark Arts and the supernatural. From the ghostly spectre of a dead sister to the search for an ancient book of spells, the detecting duo learn that each case is connected, leading them into a final showdown with their deadliest adversary yet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Adult humour throughout.</div><div>‘The Watson Letters – Volume 6: The Haunting of Roderick Usher’ is book #6 in this Victorian comedy adventure series set in a not quite Post-Victorian, steampunk parallel universe. If you love historical mysteries, buy something else instead, but if you're into murder, fart-gags and innuendo, this'll be right up your Victorian street.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Sherlock and Watson visit an old friend, and get to the bottom of the supernatural stories circling his house.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This is the first book I've read by Garrow, and the author points out that the whole series is set in a parallel universe. It features some very familiar names, but allows complete freedom on new stories.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Each book is a stand-alone and doesn't need knowledge of the rest of the series.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">This story follows John and Mary's diaries, as they are both brought to the residence of Roderick Usher, an old friend of Sherlock's.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The spooky estate has a certain reputation amongst locals. This isn't helped by the peculiar nature of Roderick, and the supposed death of his sister.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">So, the author writes at the beginning of the book that it contains "crude language and adult inclinations" and is not "intended for persons of a delicate nature".</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I always get anxious when authors post these sorts of comments. On the one hand, it's nice for the heads-up; but on the other, I feel like we're being told how to read and how to enjoy the story before it even begins.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I don't think I've ever been called delicate in my life, but I didn't get on with this book. At all.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I can't remember the last non-erotica book I read that had so many lewd references to genitalia littered throughout the narrative.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It's pointless and humourless, and comes across as very juvenile.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I think another major issue for me was that this is an iconic set of characters, set in the distinctive Victorian era; and Garrow's version was jarring. The way it's written, the anachronistic phrasing and words. I know, it's a parallel universe and doesn't have to follow our rules, but it only chooses to follow half of them.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story itself inspired multiple eye-rolls and had none of the subtly that I'd expect from Sherlock & Holmes.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Unfortunately, I will not be continuing with this series.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60840417-the-watson-letters-volume-6" rel="nofollow">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Q9lglO" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-21725167937423561842022-12-26T21:00:00.002+00:002022-12-26T21:00:57.504+00:00The Strange Imagination of Pippa Clayton<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1670275934l/63945136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1670275934l/63945136.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br />The Strange Imagination of Pippa Clayton</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Claire Gallagher</h3>5 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Pippa Clayton is a grown woman with an imaginary friend. Her daily life is accompanied by a soundtrack that she hears in her head. Pippa envisions fantastical scenes unfolding day-to-day, from travelling on the Hogwarts Express to using her trolley to bowl offenders who block supermarket aisles out of the way like skittles.</div><div><br /></div><div>Clumsy but caring, Pippa is always there for her friends and always willing to raise money for a good cause. She lives alone with her cat, Mr. Fluffles, and works as a receptionist for an advertising agency where she has a huge crush on the new creative director, Tom Arnold, but when potential client Max Wild spots her hidden talent and asks her out on a date, Pippa has to be brave enough to leave the comforting world she has created for herself following an unexplained tragedy in her past and learn to face up to stark reality.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the help of her family and friends, ranging from her BFF, Lucy; her hapless-with-women colleague, Tim; her hobby-obsessed mother (the more eccentric, the better); and her close friend Jemima, who is struggling herself with post-natal depression, Pippa learns to navigate the trials and tribulations of work and love as she finds herself confronting new challenges in her career and being caught up in a love triangle with Tom and Max.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">After being stuck in a rut and putting up with her imaginary friend, Pippa's luck is about to change.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Pippa is a secretary for a London marketing firm, she has her friends (real and imaginary), and she is content with life. Well, she has a huge crush on her new boss, but she's otherwise content.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Enter a new client, who just happens to be a handsome millionaire, and sees how much more Pippa could be.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really enjoyed this book. It's the first one I've had in ages, where I have to keep reading - even if it makes me late for work!</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It's full to the brim with British humour and sweet moments, but isn't afraid to kick you in the feels.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Yes, Pippa has an imaginary friend called Vanessa; and yes, she constantly hears the musical soundtrack to her life; but it never feels silly. It's just a part of her quirks.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really liked the whole cast of characters. They are all well-rounded and realistic, and provide great support and entertainment for Pippa.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I liked how the story didn't rely on the stereotypical villain(s) you often get in contemporary romance books, yet the plot still managed to keep a good pace, and kept me entertained from start to finish.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I liked the love interests. They are attractive, really thoughtful, and both hooked on Pippa. It keeps you guessing throughout how it's all going to end.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I loved how it all turned out, and how it got there. It felt mature, realistic, but still magical.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The only thing I disagreed on - Home Alone is the better Christmas movie!</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I will definitely be reading more by this author.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63945136-the-strange-imagination-of-pippa-clayton" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3HXLwxk" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-90344231741076201802022-12-23T10:17:00.000+00:002022-12-23T10:17:01.022+00:00Daughter of the Moon Goddess<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627686439l/57789637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="531" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627686439l/57789637.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />Daughter of the Moon Goddess</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Sue Lynn Tan</h3>4 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.</div><div><br /></div><div>Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.</div><div><br /></div><div>To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.</div><div><br /></div><div>Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant. </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Xingyin is an innocent young immortal who only wants her mother's freedom.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Xingyin, a young immortal, has grown up with the peace and comfort of the moon. For most of her life, she naively doesn't realise that her mother is a prisoner. She has all the comforts of their own palace, but cannot leave the moon, thanks to the petty ruling immortals.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Her mother, Chang'e has tried to keep her daughter's presence hidden from the others, but no secret can be kept forever.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Trying to escape the Empress, Xingyin finds herself in the immortal lands, lost and alone, and only herself to rely on.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story follows Xingyin, as she tries to find her way home; not insult the Empress; and becomes best friends with her son, Prince Liwei.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">With nothing but her own wit, and no family to support her, she makes progress by her own merit.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She learns more about the world and magic than her mother taught her, and she finds a natural aptitude with a bow, just like her mortal father.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought that after the exciting opening sequence, the story slows down a lot, as Xingyin learns to cope in the immortal lands.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">She feels understandably lost, and has no idea how to get back home. Her drive and direction were somewhat flaky, making the story lull.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I also thought that her character seemed to be at odds with herself. She's shown to be soft and naive, and generally very sweet to everyone; but we are told that she is angry and spiky.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought both the plot and Xingyin's character got much better by half-way. I completely loved Xingyin in the end, and could understand all of her choices, and her unwavering loyalty to the people that have earnt it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really liked the love triangle - I thought that it evolved slowly and naturally, and it kept you guessing until the end. Xingyin never goes girly or silly around her love interests, and always insists on using her head as well as her heart.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I look forward to the next part of the duology.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57789637-daughter-of-the-moon-goddess" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3vdsrzK" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-82052232458145712312022-12-19T14:59:00.001+00:002022-12-19T14:59:12.613+00:00Resurrection Men<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1664763660l/62854583._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1664763660l/62854583._SY475_.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />Resurrection Men</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Steven Harper</h3>2 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Two men become friends in a graveyard in this moving novel of love, loss, and redemption.</div><div><br /></div><div>Arthur Tor steals the dead for a living. As a resurrection man, he creeps around graveyards with his shovel, hoping to dig up corpses so he can sell them to the local medical college and pay his tuition there. He also holds a strange position in underground society. If someone is dying a slow, painful death, the family members come to Arthur and beg him to end their loved one's pain. Arthur can never refuse, and he helps the dying painlessly cross the threshold in a process he calls the Black Rounds. Unfortunately, a local judge has gotten wind of Arthur's activities and has sworn to send him to prison—or the hangman's noose.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesse Fair has fled his corrupt family in Baltimore and landed in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he becomes the town gravedigger and undertaker, and he works hard to help grieving families through their pain with warmth and compassion. Some families make odd requests for their dearly departed, and Jesse discovers that the undertaker must often deal with the absurd side of death. But his venomous family is still searching for him. Relentlessly. And once they find him, Jesse will have to make a terrible choice.</div><div><br /></div><div>When Jesse catches Arthur in the act of robbing a grave, the two of them form a strange friendship and even stranger partnership that digs deep into social taboos—and into their own souls.</div><div><br /></div><div>In his first book since the critically acclaimed novel The Importance of Being Kevin, Steven Harper spins a heartfelt, uplifting story of suspense, life, and love against the backdrop of a Michigan town at the edge of the frontier.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Doctor in training Arthur Tor, and gravedigger Jesse Tor find themselves working together stealing graves for medical experiments. Coming from very different backgrounds they have the chance to become friends, and perhaps more.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The book follows our two main characters.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Arthur Tor, a smart and compassionate man who comes from a poor family. Having nothing, he is the first pupil accepted on a scholarship to the local medical academy.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">After Arthur accidentally insults Judge Winters, the Judge now makes it his mission to see young Arthur fail in life, driven by his hatred for doctors in general.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Jesse Fair comes from one the richest and most influential families in the country, but he no longer wants to be their prize colt, to be paraded and sold off in marriage.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">He leaves it all behind and finds peace working in the graveyard.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">He even finds happiness when he meets Arthur.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The story gives us an in-depth look at medical practises and patient treatments at the time. I thought this background was well-researched and it was portrayed in a way that worked well with the narrative.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">You can understand some of Judge Winters' prejudices, as some of the practises at that time were barbaric, and there was no unified way of treating patients.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">There was also the common (and illegal) practise of stealing bodies from graves for medical purposes.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The not-so-good.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Don't get me wrong, the writing is technically flawless; but for me it lacked emotion and believable character arcs.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">There was no emotional investment, and no sign of attraction between them. One minute they were sort-of friends. Then they hook up really early in the book, and from there we are told that they are madly in love. I didn't believe any of it until much later in the book, and it made it hard to connect with the characters.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Despite their very different backgrounds, I thought that Arthur and Jesse were basically the same character, and I often had to flick back a few pages to double-check who the chapter was about.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Overall, there were some good ideas, and I was glad to see how it all wrapped up nicely; but I didn't gel with the writer's writing style.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62854583-resurrection-men" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3V7CS2g" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-85185276568889263552022-12-12T07:00:00.002+00:002022-12-12T08:31:15.724+00:00Blog tour: The Watson Letters<h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzI3pxIi4F4SgrPIvHRCtqOss52nbaqwZMx1ulR2MOFKVrAMmExEDbgZ7WzhODvXqakzARB8vZwou84tz2L1lHQnnmcAUzbnP1h3scVA7NoXTff3Lxn7ZllC-pQq3LWJZ_dpE8efGDQRECG0E9lypKNKGuMxZP1kglA9S2sWlq_YzXxYQIwTn3LwrNg/s700/The%20Haunting%20of%20Roderick%20Usher.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzI3pxIi4F4SgrPIvHRCtqOss52nbaqwZMx1ulR2MOFKVrAMmExEDbgZ7WzhODvXqakzARB8vZwou84tz2L1lHQnnmcAUzbnP1h3scVA7NoXTff3Lxn7ZllC-pQq3LWJZ_dpE8efGDQRECG0E9lypKNKGuMxZP1kglA9S2sWlq_YzXxYQIwTn3LwrNg/w640-h252/The%20Haunting%20of%20Roderick%20Usher.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pYSGcUZ_WJsLTi93ou5mu7oI6xv8h1c8nKRCCQmKkiIhoqSkjMUmb0HhaQpe3VCMlq4PL1GKDekvfCbuzfEQOwhA2Xz77dWMPE6w-X1UxLYjHNMXzHr9GrCN4plcKJ_zNbqb86MazuV_wK8abqEMoibA3dEHzxPcoqoldE3JyIjoR2X6bYJ9eZ6Flw/s2475/The%20Haunting%20The%20Watson%20Letters%20Vol%206%20Haunting%20of%20Roderick%20Usher%20EBOOK%20COVER%20Nov%202021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1617" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pYSGcUZ_WJsLTi93ou5mu7oI6xv8h1c8nKRCCQmKkiIhoqSkjMUmb0HhaQpe3VCMlq4PL1GKDekvfCbuzfEQOwhA2Xz77dWMPE6w-X1UxLYjHNMXzHr9GrCN4plcKJ_zNbqb86MazuV_wK8abqEMoibA3dEHzxPcoqoldE3JyIjoR2X6bYJ9eZ6Flw/w261-h400/The%20Haunting%20The%20Watson%20Letters%20Vol%206%20Haunting%20of%20Roderick%20Usher%20EBOOK%20COVER%20Nov%202021.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br />The Watson Letters Volume 6: The Haunting of Roderick Usher</h1><p>An invitation. A ghostly spectre. A criminal mastermind.</p><p><br /></p><p>When Sherlock Holmes is invited to visit an old school friend, he and Doctor Watson are plunged into the first of three adventures involving the Dark Arts and the supernatural. From the ghostly spectre of a dead sister to the search for an ancient book of spells, the detecting duo learn that each case is connected, leading them into a final showdown with their deadliest adversary yet.</p><p><br /></p><p>Adult humour throughout.</p><p><b>Purchase Link</b> - <a href="https://geni.us/dymvutk">https://geni.us/dymvutk</a></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Author Bio:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIUYBIIkHRKKFLDbCZD1KCXxDnr_qQqMYHwJS0Y630dGv0kzjmQ7K-vDPXXD2nH5TA3xDMVO6uswuwKjfsH5fbsMN7Z94NvZlPPNuq3uRMSlxzXsq_CJCXQ2eeAU1RMIEu4BHvXZALQh19LWqWPxuPFHM9mK59DrWY4dQELZKiNLGBVPCyCup2Wm-XQ/s853/The%20Haunting%20The%20Watson%20Letters%20-%20Author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIUYBIIkHRKKFLDbCZD1KCXxDnr_qQqMYHwJS0Y630dGv0kzjmQ7K-vDPXXD2nH5TA3xDMVO6uswuwKjfsH5fbsMN7Z94NvZlPPNuq3uRMSlxzXsq_CJCXQ2eeAU1RMIEu4BHvXZALQh19LWqWPxuPFHM9mK59DrWY4dQELZKiNLGBVPCyCup2Wm-XQ/s320/The%20Haunting%20The%20Watson%20Letters%20-%20Author.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br /></h3><p>True-born Geordie Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland and has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor. He has also occasionally masqueraded as a pirate. Colin’s published books include the Watson Letters series, the Terry Bell Mysteries and the Rosie Robson Murder Mysteries. His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including: SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Grind, A3 Review, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. These days he lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Social Media Links</h3><p>Website (Adults) <a href="https://colingarrow.org/">https://colingarrow.org/</a> </p><p>Website (Children) <a href="https://colingarrowbooks.com/">https://colingarrowbooks.com/</a> </p><p>The Watson Letters <a href="https://thewatsonletters.com/">https://thewatsonletters.com/</a> </p><p>Amazon Author Page <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B014Z5DZD4">https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B014Z5DZD4</a> </p><p>Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/colingarrow">https://twitter.com/colingarrow</a> </p><p>Smashwords <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/colingarrow">https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/colingarrow</a> </p><p>Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/colingarrowthewriter">https://www.facebook.com/colingarrowthewriter</a> </p><p>Bookbub <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-garrow">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-garrow</a></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAZ0S2dx1d6oIuS0vLfMEk9fmyW_FDJnoZcjvub2eVroH0nXaOyKYCuI5Az57IyeN06xH7DWt9sK9sq8zH1QJavKbBANY6Fwtj_b2k4k_u5T8EXOpAKvA6hjzlfJU3E4hZvjy5sSDczM-kTWBNEtZcGTMRfxl3y3-oh1JosH8UUHcL4mahFRRn50VOA/s2750/The%20Haunting%20of%20Roderick%20Usher%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2750" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAZ0S2dx1d6oIuS0vLfMEk9fmyW_FDJnoZcjvub2eVroH0nXaOyKYCuI5Az57IyeN06xH7DWt9sK9sq8zH1QJavKbBANY6Fwtj_b2k4k_u5T8EXOpAKvA6hjzlfJU3E4hZvjy5sSDczM-kTWBNEtZcGTMRfxl3y3-oh1JosH8UUHcL4mahFRRn50VOA/w640-h290/The%20Haunting%20of%20Roderick%20Usher%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-77998405558367716152022-12-09T15:38:00.003+00:002022-12-09T15:38:17.696+00:00The Justice of Kings<div style="text-align: left;"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1635718816l/58293284._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1635718816l/58293284._SY475_.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br />The Justice of Kings</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">by Richard Swan</h3>3 out of 5</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br />Synopsis</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>The Justice of Kings, the first in a new epic fantasy trilogy, follows the tale of Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor’s Justice – a detective, judge and executioner all in one. As he unravels a web of secrets and lies, Vonvalt discovers a plot that might destroy his order once and for all – and bring down the entire Empire. </div><div><br /></div><div>As an Emperor's Justice, Sir Konrad Vonvalt always has the last word. His duty is to uphold the law of the empire using whatever tools he has at his disposal: whether it's his blade, the arcane secrets passed down from Justice to Justice, or his wealth of knowledge of the laws of the empire. But usually his reputation as one of the most revered—and hated—Justices is enough to get most any job done. </div><div><br /></div><div>When Vonvalt investigates the murder of a noblewoman, he finds his authority being challenged like never before. As the simple case becomes more complex and convoluted, he begins to pull at the threads that unravel a conspiracy that could see an end to all Justices, and a beginning to lawless chaos across the empire.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Sir Konrad Vonvalt and his team investigate a lady's murder in a seemingly unassuming town; but it leads to a bigger threat than they could have imagined.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Despite the blurb for the book being all about the Emperor's Justice, our narrator is actually his scribe, a nineteen year old woman called Helena.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Helena is the only girl in the team, which has been travelling around the country for two years, checking laws have been upheld and providing justice where necessary. It's rare for women to be a part of a Justice's entourage, but Helena is smart, and you get the feeling that she could be a Justice herself one day.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">But she is here primarily to regale us with the deeds of Vonvalt.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I liked the world-building and the magic system in this book.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought they were well thought out, and shown in a way that never felt like an info-dump.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I thought the Emperor's Justice system was original and very interesting. In the beginning, as we only have Vonvalt as an example, they come across as noble and just. Vonvalt can be swift and merciless, but he's also forgiving for milder crimes.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">As the book goes on, his order is still portrayed as a beacon of good, but it's acknowledged that individuals are prone to human weakness.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">My biggest issue with this book was the pacing, and constant spinning over the same few dreary details. Yet Helena kept remarking that "shit was about to hit the fan"... but no, really, peace is about to explode dramatically. Yes, we're continuing the same drivel, but things are really going to get fucked up!</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">It took me two months to finish this book, when I normally read a book this length in a week! I was tempted to DNF several times, but I noticed a few other reviewers that had the same issue, said that it picks up later on.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">And it did. Eventually.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I think from when it becomes clear that a certain-somewhere is involved, things start to kick up a gear.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I really started to like our narrator Helena, when she started operating with some independence to the others.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I personally thought that the momentum dropped towards the end.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Yes, there are some big moves going on, but most of it is a bunch of guys posturing, which dampened down the effect.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">Because everything was so drawn out, I found it hard to connect with any characters except Helena, so it was hard to feel invested in the result.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">The book is well-written, but I just don't gel with the story-telling style.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;">I won't be continuing the series, but I wouldn't dissuade others from giving it a go.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58293284-the-justice-of-kings" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.to/3F8kEHG" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365519053119773434.post-64065542690065091932022-12-07T07:00:00.003+00:002022-12-07T12:54:31.403+00:00Blog tour: Sherlock Holmes & the Singular Affair<h1 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfjON80gRzLI6nfqnsiwDwDGjKf-xijZ13VcyBVmFn-bmHNOTDk2e6O8OVOUL_gX306Qy3B8wsx5vY0JViiiDlLEonOySyMcX4H9Z1fMY30Aqm6ntkaO5cHRmFoVNS-h34cFJ52t7OBP4TRXWDD5dfIBMPlPvoqn1FVmHzqwEoINevY7plDil6CAhXA/s700/Sherlock%20Holmes%20&%20the%20Singular%20Affair.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfjON80gRzLI6nfqnsiwDwDGjKf-xijZ13VcyBVmFn-bmHNOTDk2e6O8OVOUL_gX306Qy3B8wsx5vY0JViiiDlLEonOySyMcX4H9Z1fMY30Aqm6ntkaO5cHRmFoVNS-h34cFJ52t7OBP4TRXWDD5dfIBMPlPvoqn1FVmHzqwEoINevY7plDil6CAhXA/w640-h252/Sherlock%20Holmes%20&%20the%20Singular%20Affair.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCKphlv1nGqPETEF82-rjeHLZ7Pn52b3XM9yjEtJaN67F5E4uucTzsQLeoDU-tWatJz7BlZdx10MYlsBCU9VYUeubc8712DmSipuDSNU_MMMCU3hH5aZo8ZvneHHX--6yX6RIgD2rlgEeHwtlfwqLA6d1nyJtLSf3_ApdRYFGx7XvcRI43d39V8ez0w/s2853/SH_and_the%20Singular_Affair_MKW_workingcoverforRRR_frontcover(prelim).png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2853" data-original-width="1958" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCKphlv1nGqPETEF82-rjeHLZ7Pn52b3XM9yjEtJaN67F5E4uucTzsQLeoDU-tWatJz7BlZdx10MYlsBCU9VYUeubc8712DmSipuDSNU_MMMCU3hH5aZo8ZvneHHX--6yX6RIgD2rlgEeHwtlfwqLA6d1nyJtLSf3_ApdRYFGx7XvcRI43d39V8ez0w/w275-h400/SH_and_the%20Singular_Affair_MKW_workingcoverforRRR_frontcover(prelim).png" width="275" /></a></div><br />Sherlock Holmes & the Singular Affair</h1><p>Before Baker Street, there was Montague.</p><p>Before partnership with a former army doctor recently returned from Afghanistan, Sherlock Holmes had but the quiet company of his own great intellect. Solitary he might be but, living as he did for the thrill of the chase, it was enough.</p><p>For a little while, at the least, it was enough. </p><p>That is, until a client arrives at his door with a desperate plea and an invitation into a world of societal scandal and stage door dandies. Thrust deep in an all-consuming role and charged with the safe-keeping of another, Holmes must own to his limits or risk danger to others besides himself in this the case of the aluminium crutch. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://thenorthernwitchbooks.blogspot.com/2022/12/sherlock-holmes-singular-affair.html" target="_blank">~Review~</a></b></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Purchase Links </h3><p>Amazon UK: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09DXQVT56/">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09DXQVT56/</a> </p><p>Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DXQVT56/">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DXQVT56/</a></p><p>Barnes and Noble: <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sherlock-holmes-the-singular-affair-m-k-wiseman/1140115651?ean=9781734464146">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sherlock-holmes-the-singular-affair-m-k-wiseman/1140115651?ean=9781734464146</a></p><p>Kobo: <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sherlock-holmes-the-singular-affair">https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sherlock-holmes-the-singular-affair</a></p><p>Apple Books: <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/sherlock-holmes-amp-the-singular-affair/id1583511548">https://books.apple.com/us/book/sherlock-holmes-amp-the-singular-affair/id1583511548</a></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Author Bio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHnT9LkcMe3KaVfAWNItoZ3myQQlSWk1f2d6RfXE1t-0o0E9YNUvdKCrfNXYWeVAuKrhWAsDde1jVqFZNS0TT84kreq04ljIuDuYR6oPMmlBSLwkLs8r-vTW-jv8lmBv7CSr-6jAYKq7LT83c2MZwmm-IY6ZFNcgP_aSmHPKWR1BKT1-ihFjq-hmJwg/s966/Sherlock%20-%20MKWiseman_headshot.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHnT9LkcMe3KaVfAWNItoZ3myQQlSWk1f2d6RfXE1t-0o0E9YNUvdKCrfNXYWeVAuKrhWAsDde1jVqFZNS0TT84kreq04ljIuDuYR6oPMmlBSLwkLs8r-vTW-jv8lmBv7CSr-6jAYKq7LT83c2MZwmm-IY6ZFNcgP_aSmHPKWR1BKT1-ihFjq-hmJwg/w265-h400/Sherlock%20-%20MKWiseman_headshot.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></h3><p>M. K. Wiseman has degrees in Interarts & Technology and Library & Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her office, therefore, is a curious mix of storyboards and reference materials. Both help immensely in the writing of historical novels. She currently resides in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Social Media Links</h3><p><a href="http://mkwisemanauthor.com">http://mkwisemanauthor.com</a> </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/FaublesFables">https://twitter.com/FaublesFables</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FaublesFables/">https://www.facebook.com/FaublesFables/</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/faublesfables/">https://www.instagram.com/faublesfables/</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073540.M_K_Wiseman">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073540.M_K_Wiseman</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Giveaway to Win 2 x M. K. Wiseman Sherlock Holmes Book Bundle (Open to US / UK and Canada)</b></p><p>Prize includes:</p><p>Signed and ‘annotated’ with a few margin notes copies of Sherlock Holmes & the Singular Affair & Sherlock Holmes & the Ripper of Whitechapel</p><p>Nifty ‘magnifying glass’ bookmark</p><p><b>*Terms and Conditions</b> –UK / US & Canada entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.</p><div><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="33c69494539" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494539/" id="rcwidget_3hj4f7ir" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7XAWYYZDXTbeEhe8mhmvSy1Uwcxash-50CKDyRI5QFzSi8pTRzlABibmW1HXoFUILOrXz_ZmMCyve0d5dCKvn98Lrot8eKMb_dNFqcgv_nKg4xFHWlDfP1zVYGuCj455kdoOrh9exma_miuSn5THM-6conmnKNn_Tgel1PaL98aK06gp-rsYLXf3aA/s3598/Sherlock_WIseman_prize.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2810" data-original-width="3598" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7XAWYYZDXTbeEhe8mhmvSy1Uwcxash-50CKDyRI5QFzSi8pTRzlABibmW1HXoFUILOrXz_ZmMCyve0d5dCKvn98Lrot8eKMb_dNFqcgv_nKg4xFHWlDfP1zVYGuCj455kdoOrh9exma_miuSn5THM-6conmnKNn_Tgel1PaL98aK06gp-rsYLXf3aA/w400-h313/Sherlock_WIseman_prize.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Kelly S. Marsdenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11617388412632965883noreply@blogger.com0