There are places on earth where nature’s powers gather. Girls raised there are bequeathed strange gifts. A few have powers so dark that they fear to use them. Such a place is Wild Hill, on the tip of Long Island. For centuries, the ghost of a witch murdered by colonists claimed the beautiful and fertile Wild Hill…until a young Scottish woman with strange gifts arrived. Sadie Duncan was allowed to stay. Five generations of Sadie’s descendants called Wild Hill home, each generation more read monce prophesized to be the most powerful of their kind, abandoned their ancestral home. One of them, Brigid Laguerre moved to California and turned her dark gift into fame and fortune. Her sister, Phoebe, settled on a ranch in Texas, where women visit in secret for her tonics and cures. Phoebe’s daughter, Sybil, has become a famous chef. Seemingly powerless, Sibyl has never been told of the Duncan bloodline. Now Brigid, Phoebe, and Sibyl have been brought to Wild Hill to discover their family legacy. The Old One, furious at the path mankind has taken, has chosen three powerful witches to turn the tide. The Duncans will fulfill their destinies—but only if they can set aside their grievances and come together as a family.
Review
Here is my review of The Women of Wild Hill- fantasy by Kirsten Miller
I loved The Change by Kirsten Miller ( read my review here) and I loved The Women of Wild Hill too.
This is book about female anger and the millions of small indignities over the years that leads to this anger. This is also a book about the greed and corruption of the rich and the powerful. While in real life we know that the rich and powerful will probably get away many wrongs, in the book they get punished.
The author weaved the stories of generations of strong women who are witches, from Sadie who travels from Scotland with her new husband to Sibyl , the youngest descendent and witch who fulfils the family’s destiny.
Each woman who lives at Wild Hill has a story about their lives and magic, and the ways of the men who love them or (some good, some bad and some downright evil). I loved how with each generation we learn a little about the time they lived in.
The book has leisurely pace as we get to know about the sisters and the family, the magic is woven through ( with some interesting abilities- the ability to bring someone death by knowing how they die!) but the plot and action pick up by the last third.
I enjoyed the call back to The Change and how the angry middled age woman joins up with the angry middled age women in this book.
There were a few strands that I felt weren’t tied up or made sense ( I still couldn’t figure out why Pheobe’s and Brigid’s mother had to die but that is just a tiny niggle to what is an amazing book.
Perfect for Fans of
Complex fantasy book with complex relationships or the TV series Charmed
Scotland, 1930: Agatha Christie is getting married. She invites fellow members of the Detection Club to the windswept Isle of Skye for a quiet break while the banns are read. But tranquility proves elusive when the formidable Lord Blackwood, leader of a hunting party sharing their lodge, vanishes from the moors.Sharp-eyed assistant to the Detection Club secretary, Eliza Baker, suspects foul play as the strange occurrences pile up: a mysterious grave in the churchyard, a missing rifle, and late-night excursions across the rugged island. There may be no body—yet—but someone at Dunmara Lodge is hiding a deadly secret.As a storm cuts them off from the mainland, Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate lies, half-truths, and a treacherous landscape… but can they uncover the killer in the stalking grounds… or will the moors keep their secrets forever?
Review
Here is my review of this historical murder mystery by Kelly Oliver – The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair.
I received a free eARC from NetGalley for a free and unbiased opinion.
I have read enjoyed a few of Kelly Oliver’s mysteries in the past and The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair was gripping read. While Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, mystery royalty are part of the cast of characters but the true detectives in this book are Eliza, a secretary and Theo, a poet who happens to be a peer.
As with a lot of mysteries there are good cast of potential suspects with good motives and opportunities in an appropriately atmospheric location which is also isolated ( on the Isle of Skye). The clues and red herrings are scattered throughout and while I did guess the motive and murderer , it was an enjoyable read.
While I enjoyed Eliza’s POV chapters, but I found Theo’s chapters dragged a little ( possibly because he is a poet) and the romantic tension between them slowed the pace a teeny bit- but this may appeal to the more romantic reader.
So if you are looking for a solid and enjoyable murder mystery, this book fits the brief and don’t forget to read the author’s note as well.
Where there’s a will, there’s a war. Thayer Wren, the brilliant CEO of Wrenfare Magitech and so-called father of modern technology, is dead. Any one of his three telepathically and electrokinetically gifted children would be a plausible inheritor to the Wrenfare throne. Or at least, so they like to think. Meredith, textbook accomplished eldest daughter and the head of her own groundbreaking biotech company, has recently cured mental illness. You’re welcome! If only her father’s fortune wasn’t her last hope for keeping her journalist ex-boyfriend from exposing what she really is: a total fraud. Arthur, second-youngest congressman in history, fights the good fight every day of his life. And yet, his wife might be leaving him, and he’s losing his re-election campaign. But his dead father’s approval in the form of a seat on the Wrenfare throne might just turn his sinking ship around. Eilidh, once the world’s most famous ballerina, has spent the last five years as a run-of-the-mill marketing executive at her father’s company after a life-altering injury put an end to her prodigious career. She might be lacking in accolades compared to her siblings, but if her father left her everything, it would finally validate her worth—by confirming she’d been his favorite all along. On the pipeline of gifted kid to clinically depressed adult, nobody wins—but which Wren will come out on top?
Review
Here is my review of Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake- urban fantasy
I bought this book impulsively while trying to persuade my former bookloving teen to buy a book and thought the blurb looked interesting- a magical family fighting for their rich father’s legacy sounded like my kind of book but this was DNF for me.
Unfortunately, this was not a book featuring intrigue or family battling, there isn’t a lot of magic or action. This was book that has a lot of conversations that didn’t really go anywhere. By the point at which I had gave up, the family hadn’t even had the funeral yet and I was almost half way!
There were some flashes of what the book could have been- Meredith’s mental health company being a success because of mind bending powers, Arthur’s complicated love life ( the author can really write a sensuous scene) and frequent little deaths and can Eildh cause plagues? But these are never explored or described instead there is just more talking.
This book while not for me will appeal to many other readers which is confirmed by the overwhelming good read reviews.
When the brilliant young Holbein arrives at the Tudor court, Anne Boleyn is among his first patrons. As she rises to the top, Hans rises with her. Courtiers clamour for his portraits of life-like accuracy; pictures which tell the truth about their subjects. When his beloved Anne is beheaded on false evidence, Hans is heartbroken and enraged. And he’s not alone. Poet and diplomat Thomas Wyatt is agonised at his own unwitting part in her tragedy. He and Hans join forces and vow revenge on the person they blame for Anne’s Thomas Cromwell, the king’s ruthless chief minister. But what can a poet and painter do against the most powerful man in England? The answer comes when Henry VIII seeks a fourth wife. Cromwell turns to Holbein and Wyatt, his trusted artist and envoy, to travel across Europe to find and paint a new bride. Cromwell’s position depends on a portrait of someone young and beautiful, painted with Hans’ trademark truth. Anything less could bring the whole court crashing down. It’s the opportunity they’ve been waiting for…
Review
Here is my review of The Queen’s Painter by Wendy Holden- historical fiction set in in Tudor but from an unusual narrator.
I received an eARC for a free and unbiased opinion.
I have always enjoyed a good Tudor historical fiction and have read so many of them over the years but it never ceases to amaze me that that authors find new ways of telling stories from that period.
The Queen’s Painter describes the Anne Boleyn’s rise and fall followed by Cromwell’s fall from the point of view of the painter Holbein (Holbein’s own story wasn’t as interesting as the court intrigue!).
Henry the Eighth in this book as in all other books these days, is portrayed as a narcissistic bully enabled by the people around him, so while he never got his just punishment. Cromwell who was one of his main enablers did find himself being punished by the man who helped make powerful- the Queen’s Painter portrays this event as perhaps an event that was planned by Anne Boleyn’s friends as an act of revenge.
I loved the parts of the books where Wyatt and Holbein plot and plan to take Cromwell down, which involves the clever use of Holbein’s talent as a painter and Wyatt’s skill as an almost spy. The parts with Anne Boleyn were perhaps not so interesting to me , the Anne in this book is a plucky victim which I didn’t particularly enjoy but I loved this version of Anne of Cleves. The book has a touch of humour that it makes more enjoyable than many of the other of the books based on the Tudor period.
When the author describes Holbein’s thoughts when he is painting, I did find myself spending time to find these paintings online and will be popping into the National Portrait Gallery when I am next down in London to look at the originals.
This was an enjoyable and easy book to read with an unusual twist on a well told tale which I loved.
Some stories don’t end. They wait to be found…Book editor Lucy Thomas has just inherited her grandmother’s windswept Cornish home, and with it, a library bathed in sunlight, a spiral staircase that leads to secrets, and a battered box filled with unfinished stories… To honour her grandmother’s last wish, Lucy must finish what was left undone – and discover the magic hiding between the lines. Filled with warmth, whispers of magic, and the irreplaceable comfort of books, The Secret Library is for anyone who knows how one story can change everything.
Review
Here is my review of this cosy fantasy by Amanda James- The Secret Library.
I received an eARC from NetGalley for a free and unbiased opinion
I love books and I love fantasy, so fantasies about books are like catnip to me, so I was excited to read the Amanda James’s The Secret Library.
I really enjoyed the premise of a gift that is passed through generations of storytellers- a gift that gives brings fictional characters to life, as well as go back in time and change author’s lives. The book is gentle domestic romance with strong undercurrent of magic running through this. The setting is Cornwall and the author’s love for this part of the England comes through her descriptions.
This was lovely, quick and cosy read, there are no high stakes involved here- there is some low stake drama with a potential love interest that is quickly resolved and some conflict involving a Lucy’s fractious relationship with her mother.
This the perfect book for anyone who needs a light read between hardcore fantasies or sci-fi or like me having a rough few days at work and just need a nice book with nice ( mostly )people .
Imagine a world in which women have all the power. A world in which they work together to shape their societies and their futures. In reality, women’s communities have always existed, and continue to thrive. In this vital and ground-breaking book, Megha Mohan goes in search of their roots, discovering a vibrant global history, brought together here for the first time. She also takes us into today’s women-led spaces, where women live on their own terms, showing us how we can rethink society for new ways of living, working and collaborating. Through extensive research and exclusive first-hand reporting and inspired by her great-grandmother’s own matrilineal community in South India, Mohan introduces us to fascinating and diverse groups of women. From the controversial feminist online trolls of South Korea to older women co-housing in Paris and North London and the Rain Queens of South Africa, this is a truly global look at women’s community. Essential reading for anyone interested in our collective histories, cultures, economics and governance, Herlands shows the power and possibility of new ways of living – and leading – for us all.
Review
Here is my review of the non-fiction book Herlands by Megan Mohan- a fascinating view on female led societies.
I have always loved science fiction or fantasy books where women are equal to men or societies are women led or focussed. So Herlands really appealed to me – a book looking at women led or women exclusive societies and how this may work for women in the future.
The book is well researched and full of detail, with the author personally visiting many of these women only societies and sometimes with some peril to her safety. The author doesn’t hide the difficulties some of these women face or the fact that some of these enclaves are still run by men. She also explores how pollical and religious changes can affect these havens as well.
This is a truly global book ,exploring women living in villages in South India to farms in rural US and building blocks in Paris to the virtually online community of women in South Korea.
I loved the author’s own reflection on her own experience- she was unaware of her own matrilineal heritage and the fact het great -grandmother gave this up for her love.
Despite the detail, I found this an enjoyable and easy read that was thought provoking.
“The ghosts of today don’t live in castles or stately homes, they’re in normal houses and workplaces, witnessed by people just like you and me. But are they the dead returning from the ‘undiscovered country’ of death, or the product of that equally mysterious location, the human mind?” Danny Robins is on a mission to try to solve the greatest of all mysteries—do ghosts exist? This thrilling book tells the stories of ordinary people who have experienced extraordinary things and want to understand them. It is also a journey of self-discovery, as Danny explores what the paranormal means to us, and considers the exciting yet terrifying prospect that we are not alone. From poltergeists and apparitions, to UFOs and strange messages from beyond the grave, Into the Uncanny is a page-turning real-life supernatural adventure. So, are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic—and do you dare to find out?
Review
Here is my review of Into the Canny by Danny Robins- non-fiction where the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Uncanny is a popular podcast on BBC radio exploring strange occurrences around the country with a strangely balanced take on this with sceptics and believers trying to explain these uncanny experiences.
The book explores four new cases and Danny Robbins humour really comes through as well as some of his past experiences that explain his fascination with the paranormal. His descriptions of his first panic attack explains his sympathy to his witnesses and the emotions they have.
The four new cases are deeply interesting, and the book goes into so much more detail than the podcasts- some of the cases are more unsettling than others. Each case feels like a short story with each layer gently revealed but as with the podcast no argument is made either way- you are left to believe whether there is paranormal element to the story or if the strangeness can be explained away by science and reason.
My favourite parts are the families living on the same street by olden day soldiers ( a stark warning against digging a hole in your garden to get rid of a toy pram!) and the story about the founder of a factory creating Ouija boards.
This was one of the most entertaining non-fiction books I have read and would recommend this to any Uncanny fans or anyone who find ghost stories fascinating.
Mimi Mott, celebrated designer and famously private style icon, is auctioning off her legendary estate, intent on telling the true story of her life in objects. In London, her new assistant, Jo O’Mara, is determined to win Mimi’s trust. But Jo carries a secret of her own, and time is running out to unpick the past before the auctioneer’s hammer falls. Who is Mimi, really? A woman who rose from humble beginnings to build an interiors empire – but at what cost? What happened in that remote Wiltshire manor house where Mimi and her family worked during the summer of 1969? Who died the night of the glittering party that stole the headlines? As the auction countdown begins, Jo is drawn into an intoxicating world of obsession, sisters and secrets – and must risk everything to unravel the truth, one thread at a time.
Review
Here is my review of The Secret Thread by Eve Chase- a heart-warming read spanning two timeframes
I received a eARC for a free and unbiased opinion.
One of the joys of blogging, is coming across books I would never normally read and loving them- and Eve Chase’s books are some of those books.
The Secret Thread is beautifully written book, I never thought comparing a dress to fresh liver would work but somehow it does, about family and all the messy complications it brings with it. The story is spread between two times frames- one summer in 1969, a summer that devasted and changed two families and the time where Jo learns about her own life when writing about Mimi.
Both times frames are captured perfectly, Jo’s learning about her own family’s past and a blossoming romance as well as Mimi’s summer of 1969. The author captures a time in England where society changed- from one where your class or background defined your life to one where you could do anything you wanted regardless of where you came from. Barbara and Mimi are the two sisters with different goals and dreams and parents coming to terms with this new world.
The story moves smoothly and quickly and by the end I did guess the secret but it was the final punch was still emotional.
This is definitely one for any Eve Chase fan as well as anyone who loves complicated family dramas.
At twelve years old, Catherine Carey attends her aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn, to the scaffold. Horrified by what she witnesses, Kate is convinced that King Henry VIII is a murderer and has sent an innocent woman to a terrible death. Although the Boleyn family, once so influential at Court, has now fallen from favor, Catherine still manages to secure a coveted role as lady-in-waiting to her now motherless cousin, the young Lady Elizabeth. Bound by Boleyn blood, the two girls grow as close as sisters, though Catherine has trouble ignoring the sly looks thrown her way and continual whispers behind her back. Only when her mother lies dying does Catherine learn the life-shattering truth that the Boleyns have been hiding for years. It is a secret that follows Catherine throughout her life, as she flees religious persecution with her husband and lives abroad in fear, returning home only when Elizabeth becomes queen. But the bond between the Boleyn cousins will never be the same again… With her usual entertaining and authoritative style beloved by readers, renowned historian Alison Weir exposes the dramatic, little-known Tudor mystery in this fascinating, revelatory novel.
Review
Here is my review of The Boleyn Secret by Alison Weir – historical fiction featuring another lesser-known Tudor woman.
I received an ecopy for a free and unbiased opinion.
I enjoy historical fiction especially from the point of view of the lesser-known men and women. The Boleyn Secret is the story of King Henry the Eighth’s turbulent reign and after from the point of view of Kate Carey, his niece by Anne Boleyn.
King Henry’s various wives and their fates are well known but this story from Kate’s point of view shows how horrific this man perhaps was to the woman in his court. Catherine or Kate is Anne Boleyn’s sister’s Mary who has a few books written from her point of view notably The Other Boleyn Girl.
The author acknowledges that she are many fictional elements to her story in her afterword but gives her evidence as well as to the Secret about Kate that the Boleyn family have been hiding. Kate finds herself in her cousin’s court including when Elizabeth is a Princess, then demoted to a lady and then when she becomes Queen.
The book is interesting and while filled with facts is never boring- I had no idea that rich protestants fled the country during Queen Mary’s reign and there were plots to bring them back. The Queens’s court filled with powerful women for the first time is also intriguing. The Queen Elizabeth in this book is an imperious mix of strength, selfishness and cynical pragmatism. Kate’s marriage to Francis Knollys is a significant part of the book and the love between them is heartwarming given the times.
Anyone who loves historical fiction will enjoy Kate Carey’s story and her place in history.
1539: King Henry VIII is intent on destroying the Catholic church, and with the dissolution of the monasteries, beautiful young prioress Marris is about to lose everything. She knows she has to do whatever it takes to keep her sisters safe, even agreeing to marry the wealthy man who has been gifted the priory land.But when she marries him, she also finds herself catapulted into the court of the king. And her mastery of the German language makes her an ideal companion for his new queen, Anna of Cleves. It’s destined to be a short marriage… But after the divorce, when Anna finds herself in trouble, it will be Marris she turns to. Will Marris risk her life to help the fourth queen? Because defying the king is the highest treason, and keeping this secret will put everything Marris has fought to keep safe in the gravest danger.Now: When Jenna arrives at Winterhill House, she’s instantly transported back… to the priory that stood there before, the life she lived before, and the secret she kept in her past life for the fourth queen of a despotic king.
Review
Here is my review of this historical fiction by Nicola Cornick- The Fourth Queen. But this is historical fiction with a supernatural twist.
I received a copy of this eARC for a free and unbiased opinion.
I have always admired Anne of Cleeves, the only Queen who survived King Henry the Eighth who managed to survive ( when he was still alive) because she was his type and ended up thriving as ‘the King’s sister’. So, I was really interested in this new take on her life.
The story is told over two timelines- one in the present and one during the turbulent time of King Henry the Eighth’s mission to close the monasteries. I don’t need to mention details as this period extensively written about in fiction and non-fiction, but this is the first time I have read how this affected the nuns. Maris is the Prioress of an abbey during dissolution along with her sisters, but she finds it easy to swap the politics of religion for the politics of court and find love along the way.
In the present day, Jenna recalls her past life as Maris and the secret she promised to keep and fights to keep Anne of Cleaves secret safe ( it helps her sisters have been reincarnated too).
I really loved the historical elements of the story, especially the court politics and the usual reminder that Henry was not a nice man. The present story while interesting did not hold my interest as much. There is a strong romantic element to both stories which I wasn’t expecting from the blurb and I probably given the book a pass as I need to be in the right mood for romance ( and this is a very infrequent ) but despite this I did enjoy the book.
Kaya has no memory of her life before she arrived in Attica a decade ago with her adopted brother, Wes. They were seeking shelter in the small community of survivors from something far sinister outside its walls. But Attica is a prison of its own, where life is tightly controlled through oppressive rules and rituals. When Wes starts acting strangely and then dies, Kaya wonders if he’d remembered something significant from his past. She herself is curious about who the familiar yet mysterious man is that appears in her dreams, stirring her memories. As Kaya’s questions about Attica and her own past grow, she discovers that nothing—and no one—is as it seems. But will uncovering the truth about Attica—and herself—set her free . . . or destroy her?
Review
Here is my review of The Watch by Emily Smith- fascinating sci-fi dystopia which is incredibly difficult to review without revealing spoilers- so do not read beyond the photo if you do not want discover the reveal!
I received a free eARC for a free and unbiased opinion
First off, this was a riveting read- I ended up staying up late to finish the book despite being a teeny tiny bit disappointed with the ‘ reveal’. The author knows how to keep the reader hooked. Kaya is a character we can really relate to- a person who doesn’t believe everything leaders of her community say and is a little bewildered at how her community follows every little demand the leader make. But she also must keep her head down and fit in or risk being thrown out into the wild.
The rigidity of a small community that is desperately frightened of change and new people described beautifully as is the sense that something isn’t quite just right in this world and Kaya can’t put her finger on this until a mysterious man help her figure this out which leads to the reveal.
This is a book of two halves- the story of the reveal is completely different but equally thrilling with a very realistic end.
Perfect for Fans
Dystopian thrillers
BEWARE SPOILERS LAY BEYOND THIS
So, I was a little disappointed about the twist, a TV show just seems a little anticlimactic and I was really hoping for somethings a little more inventive. But having said that, the way the world is these days , I can see a reality show where prisoners, illegal immigrants and undesirables play out their lives for entertainment doesn’t seem too farfetched!
But despite this, the action really picked up towards the end with more twists!
It is 1821 and Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte is making a splash in London Society. The son of Jeanne de Valois de La Motte, infamous for stealing a priceless diamond necklace meant for Marie Antoinette, Nico hopes to restore his wronged mother’s reputation, if only he can raise the funds. But he must operate with great secrecy, because the Bourbon dynasty murdered his mother, and he fears for his life. At least, that’s what he tells Titus Pilcrow. Titus was a simple shopkeeper, making and selling artists’ paints, when he found himself suddenly married to an immensely wealthy woman who wanted to disinherit her nephew on her deathbed. As word spreads of his fortune, Titus finds himself a target of every scammer and beggar in London . . . including one Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte. Nico is on his last legs, out of money, and on the run from some terrifying gangsters. When Titus offers Nico a space in his household, it’s the perfect chance for him to exploit London’s newest golden purse – until he falls in love with the man he needs to cheat. Still, Nico is sure they can have a happy ending together. If he can just find his way out of his own web of lies . .
Review
Here is my review of this charming historical romance by K. J Charles- How to Fake It in Society .
I received a free eARC for a free and unbiased opinion.
I don’t normal review romances on my blog as I tend to read romances when I want to escape from the real world or need a nice and heartwarming, book to read after I particularly all-consuming sci-fi or fantasy book. I was invited to review How to Fake it in Society and thought it might be nice to try a substantial romance.
This was a fun read and really did enjoy this. The book gives a strong Bridgerton vibe with a hint of peril running through the story which gives the book an edge ( being attracted to the same sex in 1921 was dangerous). The romance between La Motte and Titus blossoms slowly between and this is a couple I rooted for with both bringing out the best in each other
There is an interesting subplot involving Jeanne de La Motte and her necklace ( something I feel I need to read more about) and Titus’s bitter and difficult relationship with his brother and abusive ex gives the story much more depth.
I did get find myself getting lost in the story, the lush descriptions of paints and clothes and the splashes of humour that made me smile.
A missing nun found murdered, a school built on secrets, a haunted town. A new case for Hero Viridian: half-demon, disgraced ex-nun-turned-investigator. With the stink of demonic involvement surrounding the murder, who better to deal with it than a woman with something to prove, eyes of literal flame and a direct connection to hell? However, when those who sought her help turn against her, a vulnerable Hero must rely on an unlikely partner, Oleander Keen – a Demonhunter who has already tried to kill her.
Review
Here is my review of The Violently Departed by Srah J Daley- urban fantasy by a writer who is fast becoming a favourite.
I received an eARC from NetGalley for a free and unbiased opinion.
I really enjoyed Obsidian ( click here for my review), so I was looking forward to reading Sarah J Daley’s latest offering, and it didn’t disappoint. Each book she writes is completely different, not just in content but also genre and The Violently Departed is a great urban fantasy.
All the elements just work. Hero, the almost antihero- a half demon, arsonist ex nun and Keen, the very human demon hunter and former charity scholarship student at a posh academy run by nuns are the perfect point of view characters. The friendship and partnership that gently forms is the heart of the story and eventually they both bring out the ‘hero’ in each of them.
The ‘baddies’ are all too familiar with a touch of the demonic- the very rich in society and the people in the upper classes as well as nuns who abuse their positions in power and of course a few unexpected bad ones as well.
The core of the story is a murder mystery, who killed the beloved nun and why. Hero and Keen uncover a sordid tale of corruption and evil. The plot is fast paced with plenty of twists and magic and weird magic. There is more humour in this book than her others which I loved.
The worldbuilding is familiar and not particularly original but forms a relatable background to the main and supporting characters- I loved Keen’s mum!.
Content warning
But there are some harrowing parts with children being mistreated that may be difficult for some readers. References to rape.
Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was “just” an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn’t? Her life is fascinating for its mysteries and its passions and, as Lucy Worsley says, “She was thrillingly, scintillatingly modern.” She went surfing in Hawaii, she loved fast cars, and she was intrigued by the new science of psychology, which helped her through devastating mental illness. So why—despite all the evidence to the contrary—did Agatha present herself as a retiring Edwardian lady of leisure? She was born in 1890 into a world that had its own rules about what women could and couldn’t do. Lucy Worsley’s biography is not just of a massively, internationally successful writer. It’s also the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman. With access to personal letters and papers that have rarely been seen, Lucy Worsley’s biography is both authoritative and entertaining and makes us realize what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christie was—truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.
Review
Here is my review of the non-fiction biography of the amazing Agatha Christie by the equally brilliant Lucy Worsley.
I love Lucy Worsley and her TV and podcasts- she is able to make history fascinating and thrilling, so I grabbed her book on Agatha Christie from the library when I saw it on display. I was happy to find out that Lucy Worsley’s writing is just as capivating as her TV presence.I could her voice as I read the book and she can make the most mundane detail fascinating- even Agatha’s problems with the USA’s taxman.
This is a book for all Agatha Christie fans. It also describes how her early childhood and the events in her life could have inspired her murder mysteries and how these books were a snapshot of upper class life before the world wars. Her life influenced the settings of her book and I enjoyed the links Lucy made between her life and the books Agatha wrote. It was also interesting how books were initially received and the impact this had especially as woman who was rich at a time women had very little voice.
This is a well-researched book full of details including an explanation of Agatha’s mysterious disappearance, and her two marriages, her tax affairs, her travels, and the image she liked to project.
Perfect for fans of
This is a must read for all fans of Agatha Christie but also for anyone who is interested in how women’s roles changes in the 20th century and the impact of this on society
Kai’s having a long day in Martha Wells’ Witch King… After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence? Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions. He’s not going to like the answers.
Review
Here is my review of Witch King by Martha Wells- fantasy with a great lead demon.
I bought a bunch of books by Martha Wells from Humble Bumble because I wanted to read all the Murderbot books but also ended up with loads of other books by the same author.
I wasn’t expecting much from the Witch King but I couldn’t put this book down. This interaction involving Kai sums this up.
“I didn’t know you were a… demon.” “You idiot. I’m the demon.”
Kai wakes up confused and disorientated, in a strange body and quickly dispatches the people trying to enslave him and the has to figure what has happened and find his friends.
This is a story based in fantastical world with sarcastic and annoyed demon embarking on a road trip to find his friends and nothing is going to stop him. The story is set over two timeline. The one in the past shows us how he met his friends and his role in a revolution and the one in the present is him trying to find out what went wrong.
I loved the world building with its descriptions of strong women, body swapping demons, sentient dolphin like beings and an ethereal underworld with political intrigue thrown in.
The pace varies from slow and descriptive to fast paced fights and magic and I really couldn’t tell where the story was going to lead. This is a book that needs your full attention, and it took me a good few days to get finish it ( which is rare for me).
I can’t wait to read the next installment.
Perfect for Fans of
Murderbot diaries ( Kai shares many of the bot traits) and well written fantasies
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
Review
Here is my review of Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree- cosy fantasy
Legends and Lattes has been on my to read list ever since I saw the amazing reviews by various bloggers, so I was really looking forward to reading this on a snowy trip away.
I can see why so many people loved the book. The book feels a warm hug on a cold night with nice characters and very low stakes. The descriptions of coffee and pastries are described beautifully in a way that made me go out to find a nice café serving coffee and cake!
The overall plot is as stated on the blurb- a retired orc wants to set up a coffee shop and that is it While it was nice to read a fantasy with no killings, I felt there needed to be some stakes to make the book interesting even if the stakes was red tape, health and safety regulations etc. But any obstacles Viv faces are solved by her increasing circle of friends.
This is a book that would make a great palate cleanser between complex books or if you need a book that needs little attention or if you wanted to introduce a newbie to the fantasy genre.
The true horror of the Great Silence has been revealed. As nation after nation succumbs to the mind-plague and Sova scrambles to enlist help from across the globe, Ambassador Renata Rainer has been given a simple task: save the world. While she travels to the Principality of Casimir to enlist the help of the Empire’s oldest enemy, Lieutenant Peter Kleist returns to the haunted forests of the New East to search for ancient answers – and finally confront the terrible fate that awaits him. In their wake, a task force of engineers, soldiers, and arcane experts will try and unpick the final secrets of the Great Silence – on both sides of the mortal plane. But time is running out. Count Lamprecht von Oldenburg has returned to the capital, armed with a terrible vision and enough madness to see it through. Those who stand in his way face a simple choice: join the revolution, or die. As the world tips towards chaos, all paths converge on the Eye of the Sea, where the fabric of reality wears thin – and where the Empire of the Wolf must confront the most terrible enemy it has ever known.
Review
Here is my review of The Steel Gods by Richard Swan, the book in the fantasy series The Great Silence.
I received a free eARC for a free and unbiased opinion.
The Grave Empire ( read my review here), was an beautifully complex book with several subplots, so I was happy to see a letter summarising the main points from the first book. The Grave Empire is set in the world of the original trilogy but in a world just about to enter the industrial revolution but the same evil prevails.
There is a huge cast of characters, some old and some new and a few plots to follow. But Renata takes the centre stage and is strong yet human character and Peter’s story progress until its tragic conclusion including a sad love story between him and his enemy and he finds out why he is still alive and yet dead.
But the most interesting but repelling character is Von Lodenburg- a man who has no hesitation in destroying people and the world to get what he wants (there were times I had to put the book down as the book mirrored a few real people in the news at the moment). The fact that he may be possessed makes this slightly easier to bear.
This is a book with dark themes and scenes including torture and gruesome physical violence and needs your full attention- there were times when I found my struggling to understand what was going on. There is plenty of vivid action, political intrigue and magic. The various strands come together in the explosive finale, and I did feel a sense of satisfaction when I finished.
The book ends on a huge cliffhanger, and I am slightly annoyed I have to wait for the next book to find out how Renata’s and her friends stories end.
If you haven’ read the Grave Empire, go back and read it- you won’t make head or tail of The Steel Gods but it also a cracker of a book.
Panoply is a small, efficient police force, dedicated to maintaining the rule of democracy among the ten thousand disparate city states orbiting the planet Yellowstone. Ingvar Tench was one of Panoply’s most experienced operatives. So why did she walk alone and virtually unarmed into a habitat with a vicious grudge against her organisation? As his colleagues pick up the pieces, Dreyfus must face his conscience. Four years ago, when an investigation linked to one of his most dangerous adversaries got a little too personal, Dreyfus arranged for Tench to continue the enquiry by proxy. In using her – even though he had his reasons – did Dreyfus also put her in the line of fire? And what does Tench’s misadventure tell him about an enemy he had hoped was dormant?
Review
Here is my review of the sci-fi mystery Machine Vendetta by Alastair Reynolds
This is the third and possibly final book in the Prefect Dreyfus books. I have to confess that these are the only books of Alastair Reynolds that I have read, so I don’t know how these books fit in with his others books and his overall universe.
I would recommend reading the first two books in the series, but I think this can be read by itself as a bit of a murder mystery set in space, but you wouldn’t enjoy it. I found reading the ongoing stories of the people from the first book
But this is a book that needs your full attention- full of complex characters with even more complicated motives set in a world with strange tech. Some of the tech is fascinating and good with some that are outright terrifying.
The ongoing battle between two AIs are still at the forefront of this world, and it doesn’t help that they are both evil. I found the part where Dreyfus’s wife implants being highjacked by Aurora deeply unsettling!
My only complaint is that perhaps the plot was a bit too dense. I had to take a break every few chapters as I found it hard to concentrate ( but that is definitely a me thing).
How, in the space of a few decades, has food gone from “fact of life” to “national past time”; something to be thought about—and talked about—24/7? In this startlingly original, deeply irreverent cultural history, Ruby Tandoh traces how our culinary tastes have been transformed; how they’ve been pulled into supermarket aisles and seduced by Michelin stars, transfixed by Top Chefs and shaped by fads. All Consuming is a deep dive into the social, economic, cultural, legislative, and demographic forces that have reshaped our relationship with food. From the rise of the food writer to the dream of the modern dinner party; from the unlikely adoption of bubble tea to the advent of the TikTok restaurant critic, in these essays, Tandoh questions how our tastes have been shaped—and how much they are, in fact, our own.
Review
Here is my review of All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh- a nonfiction book all about food.
I remember the author Ruby Tandoh from Bake off, a aching young and earnest baker. Her book about food and our complicated relationship is delightful if unstructured read. This is a mixture of the authors’ memories, thoughts and the history of certain food trends with how the modern world has changed our perception of food. Any with who has an Instagram account and drooled over a photo of their favourite food will relate with the author’s thoughts.
I enjoyed the descriptions of bubble tea and queues for mediocre loaded chips and the history of wimpy as well as the current influencers
Anyone looking for a structured debate on how social media has affected our relationship with food will be disappointed but will be perfect if you want a light hearted read about interesting food.
Cory Doctorow’s Enshittification takes a witty yet incisive look at the tech landscape, where platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Google start off great—before they inevitably turn terrible. In this contemporary moment of digital decline, Doctorow explores how tech giants lure users in with convenience and then degrade their services over time, squeezing profit at the cost of user experience. With a mix of sharp humour and deep insight, he unveils the slow creep of “enshittification,” turning the online world into a worse place, one algorithm at a time.
Review
Here is my review of the nonfiction book by Cory Doctorow with increasingly popular title Enshittification.
You have probably seen this word floated around more- my own understanding that it encompasses that frustration that when tech that was always helpful and useful gets an upgrade and becomes unusable. I found this with my own blogging experience- wordpress is more complicated ( with the need to jetpack) and Grammarly completely rewriting my work when all I wanted was it to check I haven’t made any stupid spelling mistakes!
Cory Doctorow describes how this works with the examples of companies we are familiar with such as facebook,google and amazon. This slim volume covers a lot of ground from how these companies start, sometimes with good intentions, lure as in, make it indispensable, gets rid of competition and then turn terrible!
The writing is engaging and just as page turning as Cory’s fiction books. His passion for change is evident and his alternatives interesting. His turn of phrase is hilarious- I loved how he description of Brexit.
The is a lot of repetition- the book feels like a collection of essays, so explanations about laws and conceptions pop a few times almost word for word- but this was a minor niggle for me but it might drive other people nuts!
I ‘m still reading Alistair Reynolds’s Machine Vendetta, a complex sci-fi crime book with very tiny print, so I find it hard going to read more than a few chapters at a time, so I have been whipping through these books on my kindle when I need a break from Machine Vendetta. Only 70 books more before I get a new e-reader
Number book on Kindle at the start of the month :75
Number of books on Kindle at the end of the month: 70
Frozen River by Ariel Lawson
Maine, 1789: Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.Inspired by the life of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into history.
Genre- Historical fiction
When did it appear on my kindle?
2025
Why did I get this book?
This was a book group choice, that I didn’t get a chance to read as life got in the way. My book group loved the book
Review
I can see why my book group loved this- this was well written, atmospheric and page turning book featuring fiction based on the life of a Martha Ballard, a Midwife embroiled in a murder. Some of the story is true and some not but an amazing story none the less
The local library is a place for community members to enjoy a cup of coffee, to read a book, to swap a book, to exchange ideas, and maybe even share a piece of themselves. It’s also a refuge for people like Hattie, looking to reconnect with her past, and Avril, trying to hide from the future, and Stuart, searching for a new purpose, and librarian Will, whose life has been spun in an unexpected direction. Apart, they could not be more different from one another, but when a flyer for a writing competition draws Hattie, Avril, Stuart and Will together, they come to discover that a good story doesn’t just open your eyes, but also your world…
Genre- Contemporary
When did it appear on my kindle?
2025
Why did I get this book?
A free amazon prime book.
Review
A feel good, found family trope with a happy predictable ending with characters that a lovely and nice and predictable .
Verdict
This was a book that was easy to read but not my kind of book as I found it a bit too slow
The Shell House Detectives by Emylia Hall
Late one night, a distraught young man knocks on the door of retired and recently widowed Ally Bright’s remote home on the Cornish coast. But before she can make sense of his confused words, he’s gone—not to be seen again until he’s found the next morning at the foot of the nearby cliffs. In an instant, the peace of Ally’s beachcombing life is shattered. Feeling responsible for the young man’s fate, she wants to help find answers—as does ex-cop Jayden Weston, whom Ally meets at the scene. He shares her certainty that there’s more to the story than attempted suicide. When it emerges that the man is newly released ex-offender Lewis Pascoe, and that Helena, the wealthy new owner of his grandmother’s home, has subsequently disappeared, the tight-knit community of Porthpella is thrown into turmoil.Driven by their need to know more, the duo decide to investigate the mystery together. Is there a connection between the Pascoe family’s tragic history and Helena’s disappearance? And if there is a killer stalking Porthpella, do Ally and Jayden have what it takes to catch them?
Genre- crime thriller
When did it appear on my kindle?
2025
Why did I get this book?
A free amazon prime book, so I couldn’t turn this down
Review
I enjoyed the Cornish setting and there were some interesting characters such as the POC former city police officer adjusting to life in Cornwall and the retired beach comber artist.
Verdict
A decent enough murder mystery
The Letters we Keep by Nisha Sharma
It doesn’t take long for ambitious freshman and aspiring engineer Jessie Ahuja to learn about two university legends. One is the haunted history of Davidson Tower, where more than fifty years ago, two ill-fated lovers disappeared in a devastating fire. The other is Ravi Kumar, a privileged billionaire nepo baby who’s aggravatingly charming and occupying more brain space than Jessie has room for. Things change when a campus prank locks them both in the old tower’s ghostly library. There, Jessie finds letters from the fabled lost lovers, forgotten in a hollowed-out copy of Persuasion. One by one, the letters suck Jessie and Ravi into a beguiling mystery and an achingly beautiful long-ago romance destined to go up in flames. It’s also drawing Jessie and Ravi—every bit as star-crossed—closer together. Can they overcome whatever fate has in store for them? Or are they just as doomed as the young lovers whose tragic end has become legend?
Genre- fantasy
When did it appear on my kindle?
2025
Why did I get this book?
Kindle freebie and I fancied a romance
Review
I occasionally like a romance and thought this would hit the spot. I liked the inter racial love story from the past ( which had genuine stakes given the time frame) and would have liked to read more but the present-day romance fell a little flat
Verdict
A quick and easy read
Witch King By Martha Wells
After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence? Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions. He’s not going to like the answers.
When did it appear on my kindle?
2025
Why did I get this book?
This was part of a humble book bundle that I bought to read the Murderbot diaries
Review
I really enjoyed this complex fantasy- full of fascinating body jumping demons involved in some complicated politics and wars. My full review will follow soon
Verdict
I loved this book and should have read this earlier
Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and swap designer bodies like clothes, Ana can’t afford to escape her tattered form. When she fails the entrance exam to the prestigious Paragon Academy, her last hope of earning a new body implodes. As the clock ticks down to her last breath, she’s forced to use her illusion magic to steal a healthy chassis—before her own kills her. But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor’s smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith. With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters—and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.
Review
Here is my review of the first book in a new fantasy series- Queen of Faces by Petra Lord.
I received a copy for a free and unbiased opinion.
I have to confess- I struggled writing my review for this book. There was so much I enjoyed about this book and yet so much that I found frustrating.
The concept of moving your ‘pith’ ( your soul/personality from my understanding) from body to body is fascinating and being stuck in a body you are not happy with for any reason such as gender, terminal illness, physical disability or even race will be so relatable for so many people. This futuristic concept blends well with the fantasy elements,- a testament to the author’s writing. The world building is bold with so subplots and subcurrents- perhaps a bit too many ( more of that later).
The two main point of view characters are Anabelle, who was born poor and female who at the start of the story is still poor but now stuck unhappily in a defective, male body and desperately hoping her single magical ability will get her into the local magical academy as all accepted students get a shiny new body. When she is rejected again, she carries out a desperate plan to obtain a new body which ironically leads to her accepted into the school as a servant and a secret assassin. Was this a little confusing? I found this so and this rest of the story confusing.
Ori or Wes is the next point of view character a rich, privileged magical student born a girl who after an altercation with Annabelle, is kicked out of her body by her mother into a poor, male body who is extraordinarily handsome and is also hired by the school to be an assassin who has to work with Ana but while she is comfortable in her new body, Ori is desperate to get her old body back.
It is reassuring that books like Queen of Faces, which is proudly queer and has strong themes about gender identity are still being published and I loved how these were described but the body swapping does become confusing after a while as it did the romances- did people love someone for their body or the ‘pith’ instead.
There is too much going on in this story- we have a magical school, gender and body swapping, forbidden magic, family dynasties and secrets, colonialism, class differences,war,romances, and a chosen one which overwhelmed the main plot and left me with a bit of confusion at the end. I also would have liked a little more detail with the world building especially the magic and the body swapping.
I am still not sure if I enjoyed the book or not but others readers will love this multilayered and ambitious and I will be reading the next instalment.
One year. 365 days. Twelve months. Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity. Harry lost people he cared about in the battle, and that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild, but it’s a heavy load. He needs time. Time is one thing Harry doesn’t have, however. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and killing innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal. It’s been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of him to rise to the challenge?
Review ( contains spoilers for the previous books in the series)
Here is my review of Twelve Months – another excellent instalment in the Dresden files, the urban fantasy series by Jim Butcher.
I received an eARC for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I can’t believe this is the 18th book in this urban fantasy series featuring a sarcastic, authority hating wizard who used to be a private detective a very long time ago. Harry Dresden is still sarcastic but somehow, he has turned into an authority figure along the way and perhaps has grown up a little.
This is not a book for someone who has not read any of the previous books in this series( if you haven’t , go start now with the first book- you won’t regret it!) but any long-time fans will love this book. I lost count of all the various people who Harry has helped or befriended or annoyed along the way pop into the story.
The story picks up after the terrible battle in Chicago and the city has lost so many people its infrastructure destroyed leading more deaths. People are terrified, looking for someone to blame and the mob has decided that it is due to anyone with a hint of a connection to the magical community. And as is true to real life, the magical community are being targeted for being different.
Harry is the unofficial leader reluctantly helping the community rebuild and protect itself all the while dealing with a heartbreaking loss, saving the life of his brother and getting to know his vampire fiancé while dealing with the unpredictable Mab and the predictably annoying white council.
The story is fun ,full of action, magic, revelations and but also a reflection of grief and the loss of innocence about the innate good in people and how to learn to have this faith again.
I have been following Harry’s story for about 25 years now and I still find the author has the capacity to surprise me. I can’t wait to read the next book.
22-year-old Vera is at a crossroads: waiting tables, grieving her previous relationship, and jogging aimlessly each morning as if toward an uncertain future. Then an odd man shows up at her workplace, insisting that she was once the legendary Queen Guinevere of Camelot, and that her lost memories hold the key to changing both the past and the present. Somehow, it all feels like the direction she’s been looking for. But when she asks the mysterious man to tell her more about Lancelot, Arthur, and a faithless queen, he can only say that much of what she’s heard about Camelot is wrong. The truth, he claims, is something she must see for herself. After jumping through a portal in Glastonbury’s historic center, Vera is not prepared for what she finds. Magic is everywhere, but a curse on the kingdom means it dwindles every day. She has no idea how to perform a queen’s duties. Her fast friendship with Lancelot sets gossip flowing, and the stranger she must call “husband” often refuses to meet her eye. Arthur is a puzzle: cold, forbidding, and, while angry to her face, keeps leaving secret tokens of tenderness in her chambers. Worst of all, Vera’s memories—and the answers locked within them—show no signs of returning. If Vera is truly destined to save Camelot, she’ll have to trust her instincts. And her king will have to trust her . .
Review
Here is my review of this time travel fantasy by Paula Lafferty- The Once and Future Queen.
I received a an eARC for a free and unbiased opinion.
I was drawn to this book after reading the blurb, I enjoy a good time travel fantasy and especially one dealing with the King Arthur and the knights of the round table. But what I found especially interesting is that the book sets Guinevere as the main player.
This Guninevere or Vera is dragged back to the King Arthur’s court from our time when she finds out the truth about her origin and her destiny. Vera is well drawn character and her struggles in trying to adjust to a different time feels real and hard as is the portrayal of her grief as well as her difficulty in being comfortable with a husband she has just met.
I enjoyed the world-building- this version of Camelot is world touched with magic and functional amenities- floating magic lanterns that function as street lights and running water!.
The underlying plot of magic dying out and how to fix it was fascinating and fresh.
The author has done her research and her love of Glastonbury and the Tor comes through in her detailed and vivid description in the first chapter but I thought there were a few words that didn’t seem to be English- this is a minor niggle but understandable when I found out the author is from the US.
Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Inspired by the life of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into history.
Review
Here is my review of The Frozen River by Ariel Lawson- historical fiction inspired by the remarkable Martha Ballard.
I read this book as part of my #dealwithallthebooks challenge, and this book has been on my kindle a few months now. This was chosen by my book group, but I didn’t get to read the book that month, but my book group told me I had as they loved it so much.
I can see why my book group of over twenty years loved this book. Even though the book is a whopping 600+ pages, I finished this off in a day,( it did take me a few hours), I could not put this down. The story is told from the viewpoint of Martha Ballard, a real-life midwife in 1789, a midwife who never had a mother die during childbirth who role also includes a weird forensic element to this even though she cannot attend court without her husband present.
Over the course of a winter, sha has to figure out who the killer when a family member comes under suspicion, give evidence in a contentious rape trial, be a wife and mother continue to help mothers give birth in spite of a new male Doctor with new fangled ides on how women should give birth which he believes are better even though a few babies die!
Martha in this book is a middle-aged career woman with a voice and role which is a refreshing change from so many other historical novels. Her voice brings to life the people in 1789 Maine to life with a subtle humour and compassion.
Some of the story is inspired by her diary ( which has been preserved) and the some fictionalised. Th author clarifies which bits are true and which bits are fiction, but I was hugely disappointed that Martha’s actions with a rapist was fiction.
If you do read the book, make sure you read the author’s note especially Martha’s legacy through her female descendants.
Someone is killing celebrities in Marlow! When footballer Gary Wise and thriller writer Tony Sexton are found dead, Judith, Suzie, and Becks (AKA The Marlow Murder Club) must untangle a web of blackmail and scandal to find the killer. But with their friend and police contact, DI Malik, suspended from duty, and Judith’s own past catching up with her, The Marlow Murder Club find themselves on their own for the first time ever. With suspects piling up like tabloid headlines, and someone threatening to expose Judith’s secrets, the pressure is on for The Marlow Murder Club in more ways than one … Can they find the killer and help Judith in time, or will this be the end of The Marlow Murder Club?
Review
Here is review of The Mysterious affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood- the fifth twisty murder mystery in The Marlow Murder Club.
I received an eARC of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The Marlow Murder Club mysteries are one of my favourite crime series- I find the crime series a comforting yet thrilling read that leaves just me a little bit happier about the state of the world. The mysterious affair of Judith Potts is no different although the stakes are much higher as Judith Potts becomes a suspect in her late husband death and the book has a darker edge than the previous books.
The murder of a famous footballer is murder mystery A and one that Tanitha is keen for our trio of detectives to solve in a change to her usual attitude ( the reason why becomes clear later one) but Judith is strangely distracted. Becks and Susie soon pry the reason out of her- Judith has been accused of murdering her late husband.
The mystery is twisty and complex with more bodies popping up with plenty of action including posh balls, underground caves, shooting and blackmail. This is all served with a sense of suburban English normalcy which makes the ultimate reveals shocking. I had no idea who the murderer was right till the dramatic reveal.
I can’t wait till the next book is out and also looking forward to the wonderful tv series as well.
The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am. But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore. I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again. I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone. Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why. I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can.
Review ( click here for my review of the first book The Will of the Many)
Here is my review of the amazing second book of the Hierarchy series by James Islington- The Strength of the Few.
First off- I have to mention that The Strength of the Few in hardback is a huge, mammoth chonk of a book- it is massive! But despite, the length of the book, the story is tightly plotted with every single page pushing the story forward.
What I wasn’t expecting that this book would have three completely different stories with three different heroes. Vis has been through the porta; and has been split int three versions of himself, with each version living in three different worlds.
We have original Vis, in Res, the original Caten from the first book. Vis continues to live a double life as a prince in hiding, an Anquis spy but also trying to survive in the hierarchy without losing himself. This world continues to have roman and Greek influences and the plot is frequently bloody and action packed.
We have the copied Vis in Obieteum, who calls himself Siamun trying to find the person responsible for the cataclysm in a sort of middle eastern kind of world. I loved the world building in this world and the people Siamun meets although there are some truly creepy parts.
And finally we have Diaglan in Luceum, a brutal world with Celtic influences including warriors and druids but this version of Vis is perhaps the happiest and loved. I really enjoyed the mystical elements of this world.
Each one of these versions would have formed a complete book itself but I am so impressed with how the author has written three intricate and different stories which eventually link with each by the end of the book.
This is not an easy book to read, it did require my full attention and I was worn out by the time I came to the end of all three Vis’s stories, but it was worth.
Vis, Diaglan and Siamun , do achieve their goals but each story end on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next instalment .
I decided, for various reasons I won’t go into, I have decided to move from my Kindle to an alternative reading device like a kobo. I have stopped buying ebooks but I still have books on my kindle, that I wanted to read before I decided to defect- I just had no idea how many there were. I finally counted them and I actually have 82 books, sitting on my kindle waiting to be read.
So, my new year resolutions is to read or try to read all the books on my kindle, so I can buy a new Kobo for Christmas 2026 with a clear conscience. I tried to find an online challenge to join ( like the one a few years ago by owlbesatreading) unsuccessfully ,probably because I still haven’t figure out hashtags on bluesky or even bluesky yet. It might be easier just to create my own.
My plan is too try to read as many books as I can and at the end of month, write a brief summary with reviews of the books I have read and the books I gave up on as well and move them to the read bit of my kindle. Some books might even get a full review.
This challenge also fits in with my other New Year resolution, to spend less time on social media and doomscolling but gets in the way of my other resolution- to finish a rough draft of a book.
I should have a hashtag- maybe #dealwithallthebooks !
Sergeant Nix Marr is a damn good soldier. She’s also desperate to leave her haunted past deep in the bioluminescent ocean, buried alongside her best friend, Quian. So, when Subarch Kessandra, Valkesh’s favorite royal–and Nix’s loathed ex–requests Nix’s help investigating a massacre in the abyssal city of Fall, Nix refuses. Vehemently. She should have known Kessandra would fight back. Consigned as Kessandra’s bodyguard, Nix grudgingly boards the Luminosity, a luxurious submersible that offers the only transportation to Fall. But Kessandra wasn’t truthful–surprise, surprise–and her “investigation” isn’t about the massacre, but rather what caused it: an illness that incites its victims into a violent craze. When another royal is brutally murdered, Nix and Kess realize the disease has spread–and no one on the Luminosity is safe. If they’re going to survive until Fall, they’ll have to trust each other… but considering Kessandra is responsible for Quian’s death, that won’t be easy.
Review
Here is my review of The Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne the first book in the Titan’s wrath trilogy.
I received a free eARC for a free and unbiased opinion.
I really enjoyed the first book in this science-fiction fantasy trilogy especially the description of Nix and Kessandra word. This is a world of posh and not so posh skyscrapers as well underwater cities built under domes. A world where people travel in what I assume is a giant luxury submarine powered by a special metal,ichoron, a metal that also the people of Valkesh use to enhance their physical health. But Valkesh is also at constant war.
The plod revolving around who’s trying to assassinate Kessandra and why is intriguing and unfolds into an interesting conspiracy. The action suddenly takes centre stage halfway through the book and there were times when events took an expected turn.
This book does have a strong, romance component to it but the world building and the story isn’t overpowered by this but if you are not a big fan of romance, the interactions between Kessandra and Nix may get on your nerves after a while- I am not huge fan of romances in my sci-fi or fantasy but I didn’t mind this too much of an issue in this book except for intimate scene that I thought slowed down the pace of the book ( but again this maybe a me thing!).
But despite this, I am looking forward where the story heads in the next book.
I have to admit that I am interested in how different the covers of different editions are- I was interested in this book of the cover on NetGalley which was typically a science fiction cover but some of the others do seem to embrace a more romantic feel.
Margaret Tudor, the elder sister of her more famous brother Henry VIII, is the single most important Tudor figure of this era that historians have consistently overlooked. Married at thirteen to the charismatic James IV of Scotland, a man more than twice her age, she would learn the skills of statecraft that would enable her to survive his early death, and to construct a powerful position in her adopted country of Scotland as she dealt with domestic issues as well as navigating international relations with England and France.Drawing on Margaret’s extensive correspondence (more of her letters survive than of all the other Tudor queens put together), and contemporary poems and literature, Linda Porter fashions a compelling story of a misunderstood and underestimated Tudor monarch, whose determination to fight for the rights of her son, James V, is at the core of her dramatic life and indeed laid the groundwork for a future British state.
Review
Here is my review of The Thistle and the Rose- the fascinating non-fiction book by Linda Porter Margaret Tudor, an overlooked Tudor royal.
I received a copy of the book for a free and unbiased opinion.
Like most historical fiction fans, my love for the genre started with the Tudor period. But despite reading a lot of fiction and non-fiction books about this famous family, I hardly knew anything about Margaret Tudor- Henry the Eighth’s overlooked older sister as well Mary, Queen of Scots forgotten grandmother. But Maragret, in her own right is a fascinating woman and this book captures her story from birth to death.
I liked how the author references her sources for her opinions especially those that contradict previous thoughts about this remarkable woman. The writing is engaging, and I couldn’t put the book down despite knowing how her story ends. The author also describes the historical context of the times particularly how princesses and woman treated at the time ( as you would expect no very well) and explains why Margaret Tudor made some of the decisions. Margaret despite being a Tudor and English Princess, was the Queen of Scotland for a while and the book this period of history to life with detailed descriptions . I enjoyed how the author explains how Scottish history intersected with English and French history and the impact of this.
The book also describes Henry the Eighth as a brother and as expected he was not a loyal and supportive husband. The book briefly touches upon the Margaret’s children story after her death but finishes with her great-grandson making his way to London to become the King of Scotland and England.
This book will appeal to anyone who loves tutor history and are ready to move past the famous Tudors.
On the shore of a rundown holiday town, a young woman washes up dead. Martha Erskine, the matriarch of a local dynasty, suspects a member of her own family might be involved in the murder, and calls in Cal to investigate. Cal Sounder is a detective first and a Titan second, but it’s not easy to make that work. It’s hard to be an ordinary guy when you’re fundamentally not ordinary anymore. Cal has recently taken a dose of T7, a rare drug that is usually the preserve of the rich, making its users – called the Titans – younger and bigger each time they take it, so that as they age the bodies of the ultra-wealthy become as immense as their bank accounts. As Cal digs into the crime, he finds this forgotten town is simmering with wage disputes, strikes, and political conflict, and no one is quite who they say they are – not even the victim. As Cal second-guesses everyone he meets, he is forced to confront his own identity and ask himself who he wants to be from the far side of the mirror of power, age and greed.
Here is my review of Sleeper Beach by Nick Harkaway, the second book in the Titanium Noir series.
I was so glad to see thar there was sequel to Titanium Noir and Sleeper Beach lived up to my expectation. Titanium Noir was a science fiction dystopian noir murder mystery with an ending I didn’t expect- Cal Sounder joins the rank of the Titans.
Sleeper Beach takes place a few years after the first book, Cal is settling in to a very long life as a Titan and an equally long relationship with Athena. His job as liaison between Titans and the human police has changed as has his face- this grumpy ,seasoned middle-aged man now has the fresh face of twenty-year-old which is makes life as PI harder. This of course makes his next case harder especially when he has to find the murderer of a young girl in a seaside town run by an ancient Titan.
We see more of this dystopian world which is not too dissimilar to own ( a world the rich and powerful rule and can live forever)- the background story of a worker’s strike being suppressed add essential colour to Cal’s world. The author is pitch perfect in his description of Shaerwater as a tourist seaside well past its glory days, with its forgotten people trying to eke out a life.
The murder mystery is suitably mysterious ( although I did figure this out by the end) enough but the pleasure is not the whodunnit by the why as well Cal’s journey to becoming a Titan.
The ending took me by surprise at how emotional it was, but I hope there are more books in this series.
Jane Boleyn watches from the shadows of the Tudor court, where secrets are currency, every choice is dangerous, and even the faintest whisper can seal the fate of queens. For Jane, survival demands playing every role required of her: a loving wife who conceals her doubts, a devoted sister to Anne Boleyn at the height of her power, and an obedient spy who carefully wields her words. But in a court ruled by ambition and a tyrant’s sword, Jane must rely on her sharp wit and skillful maneuvering to outthink those around her, knowing that one wrong move could cost her everything. Philippa Gregory masterfully shines a spotlight on the untold story of Jane Boleyn, peeling back the myths to reveal a complex portrait of a woman who dared to survive at any cost. Perfect for fans of thrilling historical drama and readers captivated by the intrigue of the Tudor period, Boleyn Traitor is a must-read.
Review
Here is my review of Phillipa Gregory’s latest historical fiction, Boleyn Traitor.
Phillipa Gregory turns her eye on one of the lesser players of the Tudor times but a woman who was present at most of the important events of King Henry the Eighth’s reign- Jane Boleyn, Anne Boleyn sister-in-law.
The book unfolds a little like a spy thriller with Jane having to report to powerful men in her role as lady in waiting to several queens. Jane’s story is compelling, a woman who had to survive in a male dominated world but also a woman who possibly chose ambition over possible safety.
The historical background is well known to most Tudor fiction fans from the displacement of Katherine of Aragon by Anne Boleyn, to the execution of Anne to make way for Jane Seymour, and finally the regrading of Anne of Cleves from wife to sister to make way for the teenage Catherine Howard. But we view these events from Jane’s point of view as well as her thoughts right till her luck runs out and she is executed too.
But what is particular powerful is how the author portrays Jane as someone who wants to say ‘no’ to King Henry’s abuse of power but never does ( although in reality Jane would never be able to do this but this does reflect on how powerful men who benefitted from his reign did not do this with the result they were executed too!). This version of King Henry is a terrifying tyrant and misogynist predator with unlimited power gifted to him.
I was particularly moved by the author’s afterword which also reinforces the power of historical fiction in reflecting our turbulent times.
What do you do when reality begins to fray around you? Where do you go when science cannot explain your experiences? The Society for Psychical Research was founded to tackle these very questions and to shine light on the shadowy world of the supernatural. Distinguished members have included prime ministers and Nobel Prize-winning scientists. But the most prolific of all the SPR’s paranormal investigators was a young British naval officer named Tony Cornell. A rationalist and a sceptic he became haunted by a wartime encounter in India that changed everything . Between 1950 and 2010 he became perhaps the world’s most prolific investigator of psychic phenomena and paranormal events. Alongside his colleague, the psychologist Alan Gauld, they combined the roles of detectives, exorcists and psychiatrists, returning time and again to the unsettling spaces that exist on the very periphery of our tidy, rational Ghosts. Poltergeists. Psychic powers. Drawing on a previously untapped archive of Cornell’s case files, which survive as a unique repository of encounters reported by ordinary people, Chasing the Dark is the compelling story of our relationship with the supernatural. What do these atmospheric and often chilling cases teach us about who we are, and the anxieties that consume us? And why do the dead still find ways to make themselves known?
Review
Here is my review of the non-fiction book exploring the paranormal- Chasing the Dark by Ben Machell.
Like so many people in the UK, I work in an old building, a really old building, and a lot of the people who work there all know about the haunted floor- a floor that for no reason is left unused and unoccupied even though space is desperately needed. And after reading Chasing the Dark, I’m now slightly more nervous about being there after hours in the dark.
This book is non-fiction but it is just as gripping as any well written horror story. The author explores the history and function of The Society for Psychical Research through the work of the fascinating Tony Cornell. A man who may have been a spy, a father, a man with a boring job and a fascinating hobby investigating the supernatural.
The book is well-researched with details of interviews with surviving staff of the society and people who knew Tony Cornell. The book is also a trip through history from the days after the second world war where Britain was still rebuilding itself and people were more likely to believe in the supernatural- the society in those days was inundated with calls to investigate supernatural incidents. These incidents are investigated, with some rational explanations and some with no explanation. To now where there are no more calls- possibly due to people being more sceptical, technology or has all of this moved online? The book explores this and so much more.
This was a fascinating book and will be adding the authors other book on my reading list.
Felix Ashe is sure of only one thing. In thirty days, on his eighteenth birthday, he will die. He might be the only one convinced of this, but the gruesome deaths of his three brothers before him seem to point to only one thing: a curse, one doomed to stop anyone inheriting his family’s incredible fortune. Felix doesn’t care about money, or himself, particularly. It’s hard to have a stake in the future when you know you haven’t got one. But he does care about his little brother Nick, very much. And when an opportunity to break the curse appears to present itself, it’s impossible not to heed its dark call. Soon long-buried secrets will take Felix to the darkest underbelly of Jazz-Age New York, to the far-flung wilds of the Yorkshire moors and back again. And bound to everything is a deadly secret society who will either be Felix’s downfall . . . or his one chance at redemption.
Review
Here is my review of the Young adult fantasy, A Dark Inheritance by H. F Askwith
This was a book chosen by little seriesbooklover-apparently, they heard about the book on tik tok. I ended up reading the book when I needed something easy and quick and A Dark Inheritance filled that role.
This was a decent enough read and I imagine that its target audience will enjoy the plot as well the romance and friendship. The plot runs smoothly and predictably moving from 1920’s New York and to rural England but the ending seemed rushed- the last quarter of the book could have easily been expanded.
Felix is a sympathetic lead and his descriptions of anxiety and how this rules his life is accurately portrayed. But the other characters are predictable as are the twists.
This book is marketed as being a twisty gothic-horror fiction but the gothic elements are light.
The Arcology is a pan galactic utopia whose people live entirely online. Tired of paradise, Praveenthi ‘Prab’ Saal had herself printed into the physical world of Sirajah’s Reach, working as an Interlocutor – a go between for the Arcology and the cultures it meets in flesh and blood. One evening after a call with her family – who are pressuring her to abandon her body and rejoin the Arcology, the city stops. Stops completely – nothing electronic works anymore. Terrified that the Arcology has just up and disappeared, she receives a call for help from a ship in dock whose pilot, Kercher, is a prisoner printed into a body to serve out his sentence in the physical world. Between them they discover it’s not just her planet, but the entire Arcology that’s gone missing. If they don’t find out what’s going on it could be the end of everyone and everything that calls the Arcology home. Their only resource is their living ship, into which all the knowledge and culture of the Arcology has been downloaded. Asked to be a life raft for the Arcology, the ship, a frigate without a name, is dying – slowly being swallowed whole by the literal universe of information it’s been asked to carry. Featuring worlds made entirely from gold, an enemy who has no consciousness, allies made of lichen and the grand Ring World of Akhanda – the physical heart of the Arcology. Prab and Kercher will need to put aside their dislike of each other and the Arcology if they’re to help their ship and save anything at all. Can they restore the possibility of hope to their lives?
Review
Here is my review of Project Hanuman by Stewart Houston- science fiction
Thank you, Angry Robot, for my ARC for a free and unbiased opinion.
Project Hanuman was one of the best science- fiction books I have read this year. This space opera is epic in scale blending science fiction with Hindu mythology to produce an story that us truly unique.
I loved the world building- the arcology is a world where consciousness has no physical form but controls the physical worlds around them- I loved the ambiguity ( for me anyway) about the Arcology- I was never sure if this space was a form of artificial intelligence or something similar to heaven. But the way the arcology influences the world almost felt religious.
The first few chapters where the arcology fails, are frantic and heart-breaking as people will do anything to survive- and this how Prab ( an sort of liaison between the arcology) and Kersher ( a criminal forced to serve his sentence as a pilot) meet and have to work together to save the universe and their ship- the newly born AI Hanuman
The author skilfully blends Hindu mythology into the story and concepts such as faith,free-will and death are explored. The relationship between the characters builds realistically with a satisfying end.
This isn’t an easy book to read- I can usually finish a book within a day or two but I had to really pay attention to the details to understand the story and concept but strangely the prose itself is easy to read.
I really enjoyed this one and can’t wait to see what the author writes next.
Britain, 2023… only in this Britain, the Norman Conquest of 1066 never happened. An uneasy alliance of ancient tribes – the Celtic West, Saxon East and an independent Nordic Scotland – has formed, but the fragile peace is threatened by a series of brutal murders. Members of a mysterious ‘Fisher’ cult are being killed one by one. The gruesome case brings together two mismatched police detectives: Captain Aedith, daughter of the powerful Saxon leader, Earl Lod of Mercia, and Inspector Drustan, from the beleaguered – and mistrusting – Celts. As the threat rises, the detectives must put aside their personal differences to follow the trail, even when they uncover forces behind the killings that go deeper than they could ever have imagined – into their own murky pasts. Set in a world that’s far from our own and yet captivatingly familiar, Pagans explores contemporary themes of religious conflict, nationalism and prejudice in a smart, witty and refreshingly different police procedural that keeps you guessing until the very end.
Review
I loved this murder mystery set in an alternate Britain isle .Here is my review of Pagans by James Alistair Henry- a book that’s need its own genre but let’s go with urban crime fantasy.
I rushed out and ordered this book when I was someone post about it on Bluesky- how could I resist a book set in a Britain where the Normans didn’t leave their mark. This is a book bout Saxons and Celts, the tribes of Ancient Britain.
The world-building is unique, I loved this alternative view of Britain ( although I wouldn’t want to live there!) where there are three separate countries who are trying to unite into one country, but those petty tribal differences get in the way. This is a world were Saxon and Celts mark their lives with tattoos and blood feuds are legal.
The crime and procedural elements are just as good- Aedith, the Saxon Captain and Drustan, the Celtic policeman have to work together to stop a serial killer. Both these characters are layered and complex. It is through Drustan eyes and the way he is treated, that we see how Celts are discriminated against and like all good fantasy and sci-fi books highlights the problems in society today.
The action is fast paced , with plenty of shocks and reveals. I found it easy to lose myself in this world and I really hope there are more books in this series.
I have to add- this is one of the most gorgeous hardbacks I have ever bought- none of my photos could them justice!
Perfect for Fans of
Urban fantasy, crime and anyone who wonders what living in a Saxon society today would be like.
Raised in a Greek legion, Phaidros has been taught to fight for the homeland he’s never seen and to follow his commander’s orders at all costs. But when he rescues a baby from a fire at Thebes’s palace, his commander’s orders cease to make sense: Phaidros is forced to abandon the blue-eyed boy at a temple, and to keep the baby’s existence a secret. Years later, after a strange encounter that led to the death of his battalion, Phaidros has become a training master for young soldiers. He struggles with panic attacks and flashbacks, and he is not the only one: all around him, his fellow veterans are losing their minds. Phaidros’s risk of madness is not his only problem: his life has become entangled with Thebes’s young crown prince, who wishes to escape the marriage his mother, the Queen, has chosen for him. When the prince vanishes, Phaidros is drawn into the search for him—a search that leads him to a blue-eyed witch named Dionysus, whose guidance is as wise as the events that surround him are strange. In Dionysus’s company, Phaidros witnesses sudden outbursts of riots and unrest, and everywhere Dionysus goes, rumors follow about a new god, one sired by Zeus but lost in a fire.
Thank you @Netgalley and Orion for my eARC
Review
Here is my review of The Hymn of Dionysus by Natasha Pulley- lush mythological retelling.
I devoured Natasha Pulley’s last book The Mars House ( read my review here) and have caught up on her backlist, so I jumped at the chance to review her latest book The Hymn of Dionysus.
I received a copy of the book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The writing in this book is almost poetic and I loved the world building. This is ancient Greece unlike any other- this a world of Spartans and mechanical men, women playing a part in all aspects of life including the military and a world where people believed Gods mingle with men.
It took me a while to understand what was happening and the modern language used took some getting used but didn’t stop me enjoying the story. As expected this story has betrayal, romance, war and political shenanigans alongside magic, weirdness, and of course Gods.
Phaidros is the main point of view character, and we unravel the mystery of the blue eyed boy who can make people mad alongside him. The story doesn’t shy away from the horrors of war and the effect this can have the people who have to fight them.
This is a book that needs your full attention and lots of time but it is definitely worth it!
When Kate goes to look after her estranged sister’s children in their creepy old house, she takes a photo of what seems to be a ghost. Frightened yet intrigued, Kate undertakes to uncover the secrets of the house and the two mysterious sisters who lived there over a hundred years before. But like the illusions of light and shadow in the sisters’ strange and disturbing Victorian post-mortem photography, Kate discovers that all is not what it seems. Someone – or something – has their own plans for Rookswood House – and for Kate. With a potential developer circling around, her teenage niece in danger from an unseen force, and new love on the horizon, Kate must unravel the secrets and lies of her own and Rookswood’s past before she loses everything she holds dear.
Thank you @NetGalley and Boldwood for my eARC
Review
Here is my review of The House of Lights and Shadows by Lauren Westwood- romance with historical elements.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The book is more romance with some gothic and historical fiction elements threaded through. I really found the historical fiction focusing on Ada and her sister fascinating and could happily read a whole book about her. Ada story shows a interesting side to Victorian life and their fascination with photography- something that would have seemed magical to the Victorians. Ada’s complicated romance and her relationship with her sister was layered and all too brief.
There are parallels in the modern with Kate’s relationship with her estranged sister Emma. Kate finds herself investigating mysterious happenings in the house Ada once lived in while looking after her sister’s children and being attracted to two very different men. Kate wasn’t as interesting a character as Ada and her romances took me away from the mystery
This is book at its heart about the relationship and the bonds between sisters and the four sisters resolve their stories by the end .
This book will appeal to anyone who loves romances with a touch of the ‘gothic’ but while this was an easy book to read , the review hard to write- I’ve always found it hard to write reviews on books that are good but just wasn’t for me!
In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard. To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol. Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future. Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire’s greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn. Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.
Review ( here is my review of the first book The Tainted Cup)
I couldn’t put down the next instalment of Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett- here is my review of this fantasy mystery, A Drop of Corruption.
I received a copy of an eARC for a free and unbiased opinion.
This is the follow up to The Tainted Cup where we were introduced to the brilliant and eccentric Investigator Ana and her assistant Din, investigating crime and corruption in The Empire under constant threat of unwater monsters, The Leviathans.
Ana and Din are called to the outposts of the empire to investigate a disappearance, then a murder,several strange experiences all the while thwarting an attack on the Empire.
The world building is detailed and exotic , the author has way of bringing details vividly to life in an unsettling way- the image of Ana slurping live Oysters to a people turned into plants , to the life like Shroud are beautifully described. We learn more about the Empire and its society, the political intrigues and policy through the negotiations between The Empire and Yarrowland. I loved the touch of sci-fi to this fantasy in the grafts and enhancements that help people do their jobs and the fact these enhancements come with a significant price. The aurars ( almost super thinkers) are tormented by the abilities they have taken on for the greater good.
The underlying mystery is intriguing with plenty of reveals and twists and the relationship between Ana and Din develops and the mystery around Ana’s grows. I almost cheered when Din finally accepted that the work Ana does in rooting out corruption in the powerful and making them pay is as important as defending the empire from a sea monster ( which feels weirdly important with way the world is in 2025!)
This book can be read without having to read the first book, but I would definitely recommend reading if you haven’t already.
Perfect for Fans of
Fantasy with a touch of sci-fi with a murder mystery at its heart.
Manhattan, 1870. Rua knows only two things: her name, and that she has no memories. So when the wealthy Harrington family mistakes Rua for their missing daughter, Emma, Rua goes along with the charade, hoping for answers about who she really is. As she tries to blend into a society she doesn’t remember, she’s drawn to a firmly off-limits man: the Lord of Donore, a newcomer to Manhattan society who is somehow familiar to Rua. Finn is new to this side of the Atlantic and knows that the best way to fit in as Lord of Donore is to make friends in high places and play by the rules of society. He knows he shouldn’t become involved with a mysterious, recently missing debutante, but he’s intrigued by Emma Harrington, and Finn has an uncanny feeling that this isn’t the first time they’ve met. With societal pressures mounting on both sides, Rua is determined to discover the truth about the missing Harrington daughter and her own past. But when her memories begin to return, they’re of a world far stranger than New York and traced in dark magic. As ancient secrets unfurl in Rua’s memory, Rua and Finn are forced to uncover the mystery of their past and try to save their future. In this gritty and glittering romantasy, nothing and no one is as they seem.
Review
Here is my review of The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sherdan Gonzalez- a book that artfully mixes historical fiction and fantasy with a touch of gothic romance ( in my view).
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
This book is hard to place in any genre- when I read the blurb, I thought this would be straight forward fantasy, but it isn’t. There is a strong romance component to the story which is essential to the overall story and forms the overriding arc
Emma, a young woman from a wealthy family with a mother desperate to climb up the social hierarchy, becomes obsessed with the dark side. She goes to the local village hellmouth and comes back a different person- Rua.
Rua is primarily the main point of view character, and I loved her struggle in trying to regain her memories, understand what had happened , trying to fit the straitlaced image of a noble woman all the while dealing with the worst mother of all times. The gothic elements come out when Rua deals with her mother and the rest of New York’s society as well in her reluctant romance with Finn. The chapters with her mother trying to assert her authority were chilling and frightening and were some of the highlights of the book.
I wasn’t so keen on the chapters from Finn’s point of view, and just wanted to get back to Rua but it helps slowly unpeel the mystery of who Rua is and the overall mythology of the story. His view of Rua just didn’t seem to fit with the Rua from her chapters.
I enjoyed most of the book but there were some parts that I didn’t enjoy – Rua’s interaction with high society belles, and the various trips to the tailor etc just felt a little out of place.
Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half history, half myth, and wholly magical. Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, the novel gives us a new interpretation of this ancient tale. The Palace of Illusions traces the princess Panchaali’s life, beginning with her birth in fire and following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war involving all the important kings of India. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her strategic duels with her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands’ most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female redefining for us a world of warriors, gods, and the ever-manipulating hands of fate.
Review
Here is my review of The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni- a feminist retelling of the story of Draupadi from Hindu mythology.
I picked up The Palace of Illusions when I was holiday in India and it was so good, I hardly noticed the 12-hour flight back ( well it made the flight more bearable!).
The Palace of Illusions is the story of the Mahabharata ( an ancient Hindu text) told from the point of view of Draupadi ( or Panchali) with a feminist slant. Draupadi, born through fire, has a destiny to fulfil but she is girl in a world ruled by men. Her life changes when she marries Arjuna ( a man who wins her hand in a display of archery) and through a strange twist of fate ends up the wife of Arjun’s four brothers as well. Draupadi tries to make the best of life with not one but five grumpy husbands, a Machiavellian mother-in-law and creating the most beautiful palace in the world but she becomes the spark in the battle between her husbands and her cousins that changes the world.
I loved the fact the author portrays Paanchali as a woman who when wronged chooses the path of vengeance and her reasons for doing so, as well as her ambition and her lack of interest in being a hands-on mother. She is unapologetic and stands by her decision.
Panchali’s world is beautifully described especially with the Palace of Illusions. The author also rings to life and humanises the many interlinking characters with their backstories and their own plots for vengeance.
You Can read The Palace of Illusions even if you have no knowledge of the Hindu mythology.
Perfect for Fans of
Feminist retelling of mythology eg Kaikeyi by Vaisnavi Patel ( review here) and Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
It is 1597 and Kit Skevy and Mariner Elgin have just robbed the wrong grave. They are young criminals in the pocket of a gang Lord named Will Twentyman, the Grave Eorl of Southwark. Mariner is the best cutpurse around, a strange Calvinist girl who dresses like a boy and is partner in crime to Kit Skevy, Southwark’s best brawler who carries a he cannot feel pain. When caught out in their unfortunate larceny, Kit is kidnapped by the menacing alchemist Lord Isherwood (a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his hopes for the Red Lion elixir) and his studious son, Lazarus Isherwood, with whom Kit develops a complicated intrigue. When Mariner enlists the help of a competing French alchemist, Lady Elody Blackwater, Mariner and Kit are thrust into the shadowed, political world of Tudor alchemy, testing both their friendship and their lives. It matters not who you are born to… but where you are made!
Review
Here is my review of The Quick and The Dead by Emma Hinds
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
I have to admit this book was not quite what I was expecting from the blurb. This book is less about criminal gangs and heists- it is more about alchemy, class and the difficulties of being a woman who is not womanly enough in Tudor society.
While there is plenty of magical alchemy, vivid descriptions of Tudor England with historical detail and intrigue, the book had more romance and angst then I was expecting. The ups and downs in the relationships between Mariner and Elody as well Lazarus and Kit are interesting and do push the story forward but while it wasn’t for me, this will appeal to many readers who like a little romance in their fantasy.
Mariner had the best arc and loved her development through the book, and I would have loved to have read more about the woman pirate who pops up at the end of the book.
Perfect for Fans
Who love historical fantasy with vivid descriptions and plenty of romance
The Great Betrayal changed everything for the Allied Realm. Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rose up against the goddess… and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed. One with perilous beauty. One with destructive knowledge.One with insatiable bloodlust. But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night…until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever. Now an acolyte has arrived at court. Like all the second-born children of the Allied Realm, she’s destined to serve the goddess and become a Seer…only Cerise Solon has no gift of foretelling. In fact, she has no magical gift at all. Instead, she’s surrounded by courtiers and priests—smiling sycophants whose hearts are filled with secrets and lies. And at the center of it all sits His Majesty Kian Hannibal Mortara, with his haunting eyes, sharp tongue, and an unerring ability to send her pulse skittering at the worst possible moments.Falling for him is unthinkable. Because the king is the last of his line, and as the specter of his twenty-first birthday—and the full force of his curse—approaches, the kingdom holds its breath. But there’s only one way to save a dying king… and it lies with the one person who’s hiding the biggest secret of all. Cerise.
Review
Here is my review of The Half King by Melissa Landers- fantasy
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The writing was easy to read, and the first quarter of the book was compelling- I loved the concept of a generational curse and how this affects each noble family. Cerise’s initial journey days at the palace was full of intrigue, mystery and I enjoyed the dynamic between her and the Half King. The references about how religion can sometimes be anti-women while venerating them seems apt in these days and added an additional layer to the story.
But then the romance becomes predominant. While I do need to be in the right frame of mind for pure romance, I still enjoy a well written and complex love story in any genre. The love story in The Half King ,while sweet felt a little rushed and takes away the focus from the main plot.
There are a few unexpected twists that set the story up for the second book in the series. But despite the presence of a quest for a magical object and intriguing concept, The Half King wasn’t for me because of the emphasis on the romance, but imagine it will appeal to a whole range of other readers.
Series Book Lover 
