Seduction by M J Rose

I am going to start with a huge disclaimer about my review of this book. I didn't enjoy this as much as I expected, mainly because it wasn't the book I expected to read.

To be honest, that is my own fault. I have read a number of M J Rose's books before and liked them well enough, but after reading the third book in her Reincarnationist series I decided that was enough for me. It's not that I didn't enjoy the books I read but thrillers aren't really my thing and I am not invested in the paranormal aspects to a great degree, and so I felt it was time to let this series go.

When the next book, The Book of Lost Fragrances, came out last year I stayed strong and didn't read it, just like I apparently didn't read the blurb closely enough when I was offered this book for review. I have a very clear memory of thinking that it was interesting that M J Rose was choosing to go in a new direction. I guess I was stuck on the references to Victor Hugo on the island of Jersey (I had no clue that he had lived there) and didn't actually read the rest of the blurb.

Here's the thing though... the blurb and the cover don't really help considering that there is nothing in either that tells you that this is part of the Reincarnationist series. And that is a real bug to me because as a reader I prefer to read a series in order. I prefer not to find out that a book is part of a series when I read the second chapter and recognise a character name from the previous books. And yes, I am sure that there are plenty of people who would tell me that this is a standalone book, and it was to a degree, but there were still a lot of references to the events of the previous book.

Anyway...enough of my ranty mcranty rant. How about the book itself?

There are three strands in the story that link together over time to form the whole story. The first and most interesting to me related to the aforementioned Victor Hugo who was living in exile on the island of Jersey along with his wife and some of his children, and his mistress. Very cosy! It was while living there that Hugo becomes interested in trying to communicate with his daughter Didine who had died in a boating accident ten years before. He becomes more and more involved with seances and, in doing so, opens himself up to other paranormal experiences. Along the way, Hugo records all of his experiences in some journals, including his relationship with a young woman named Fantine.

In the present day, Jac L'Etoile is asked to head to Jersey by an old friend. Theo and Jac shared an important friendship in their teens but they were separated and hadn't seen each other for many years. Jac is now a mythologist and she is intrigued by the Celtic links that are present in the ruins and the history of the island. When she gets to Jersey and Theo shares the Victor Hugo connection, she is even more intrigued and agrees to help Theo find the lost journals that could reveal more about the famous author's time on the island and also about the history of Theo's family.

The final strand in the story concerns a Druid priest who is called upon to make an unfathomable sacrifice. The emotional trauma to his family presents through time as the characters relive their conflicts time and time again through history in each new identity.

There is much to admire in Rose's writing. The language is evocative, drawing the reader to the past with ease, to the power of scent and it's role in memory and to the shadowy world of seances and ghostly presences. There is no doubt that the writing draws the reader into the story, building the tension as each new twist in the story seems to in turns ravel and unravel the threads in the story. The author must also be commended for not falling into the all too predictable trap of throwing in an obviously romantic conclusion. This doesn't mean that the ending isn't satisfying, because it is, but this is not a 'and they lived happily ever after kind of read'.

Having said that, there were threads that didn't feel fully developed to me, particularly in relation to the losses that Jac was trying to coming to terms with, and I would have liked to have more focus on the historical stories in particular.

If you enjoy a good thriller or like books that explore intellectual discussions of the paranormal realm with interesting historical settings, then this could be a book that you would enjoy. It wasn't a bad read for me, it just wasn't the book that I wanted to read right now. And I suspect that is actually a lot more about me than it was about the book!

Rating 3/5

Tour Details

Link to Tour Schedule:Link to Tour Scheadule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/seductionvirtualtour/
Twitter Hashtag: #SeductionVirtualTour
M J Rose's website.
M J Rose on Facebook
M J Rose on Twitter.

Synopsis

From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a haunting novel about a grieving woman who discovers the lost journal of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries.

In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, Hugo began participating in hundreds of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the Devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it was believed.

Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L’Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey—where Hugo conducted the séances—hoping to uncover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots. But the man who’s invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different—Hugo’s lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.

What follows is an intricately plotted and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, by one of America’s most gifted and imaginative novelists.

The Clover House by Henriette Lazaridis Power

When Calliope Brown's Uncle Nestor dies, he leaves her all of his personal belongings - his papers, photos, some cash and the things that he has collected over the years. In order to collect her inheritance Calliope must travel back to Patras, and sort through them. She hasn't been back to Patras for quite a few years and she is eventually convinced that she should return, albeit reluctantly.

What is clear from the beginning is that Calliope's mother Clio doesn't want her daughter to come back to sort through Nestor's belongings. And once Calliope is there, Clio does her best to put roadblocks in her way. It is just as clear that there is something that Nestor wanted Calliope to know, and, whatever it is, the secrets are to be found in the belongings that he has left to Calliope. But what could he be trying to tell Calliope through the old photos, letters and other knickknacks. Whatever it is, it is to do with Clio and the past, something that the two siblings were fighting about even on his deathbed.

This visit also gives Calliope the chance to find out a little more about her family's past. Once, they were a well to do family who lived in a beautiful house and had a farm, and now they don't. It's all just gone. Once, the Notaris family was well known on the island, but now they are just another family and Clio doesn't know how it was that they lost everything.

There was a lot to like about this novel. I really liked the contrast between the current time and the past Calliope happens to be visiting Patras during Carnivale, a time of parades, of partying especially the Bourbouli dances where the men all dressed up in their finery and the women all wore masks and cloaks to "hide" their identities, of feasting, and most importantly of family gatherings. When compared to the austerity of a town under occupation during World War II, initially by the Italians and then by the Germans, the contrast was marked. The author had me wanting to visit Patras during Carnivale, to see the colour and the pageantry for myself, and I liked how she showed some of the progress that was being made to modernise. It is interesting to note that the modern part of the story was set in 2000, so just before all the economic difficulties that have really affected Greece over the last few years.

There were also some beautifully imagined scenes included. For example, I had never heard of clover houses before, but the way they were described sounded like perfect places for the young Notaris children to play, and the scene where Clio's mother created butterfly wings out of the parachute of a fallen Italian airman was beautifully written.

One of the things that may be harder for a reader to connect with is the characters. Calliope's relationship with her mother could only be described as difficult. Clio is clearly an unhappy woman. When she married Calliope's father and moved to America, she was desperately unhappy and the marriage was volatile. Even after returning to live in Greece, Clio was still somewhat estranged from her brother and sisters. She was included in family events but always on the periphery, never fully embraced in the same way as her sisters were, and it all goes back to the events of the past.

Whilst it would be easy to blame Clio for all the difficulties in the mother-daughter relationship, it is also clear that Calliope has many issues of her own. They initially stem from her unhappy childhood, from that feeling of distance that she has from her mother, of being unloved. During her childhood, the best parts were the summers that she spent staying in Greece. There she knew that she was loved by her aunts, and especially by her uncle,  and by her cousin. But as an adult Calliope struggles to draw people in, and that's when she is not actively pushing people away! Her fiance, Jonah, wants to visit Greece with her, but Calliope is not at all convinced that he loves her enough to stick around so won't even tell her family about him, but then it is things that Calliope does that sabotages the relationship, things that make it difficult to fully respect Calliope as a character.

As a grown woman who has a difficult relationship with the difficult woman that is my mother, I could relate to a lot of the feelings that Calliope expressed. Despite being a grown up, despite knowing what she is like and knowing what to expect, that doesn't stop it from being disappointing when yet again she doesn't act or react in the way that you believe a normal parent should. I think I could particularly relate as my mother arrives in town for a couple of days this week and so I could absolutely relate to the way that Calliope viewed their interactions with a sense of duty rather then the excitement of seeing her mother.

The story is split between modern and WWII narrative with it probably being about a 60/40 split. I do like the dual narrative being used as a tool to tell this kind of story. The writing was smooth, and I found it easy to fall into the pages of the story and stay there and as a result it was quite a fast read.

Whilst not perfect, I did enjoy this book a lot, and I hope to read more from the author in the future.

Rating 4/5

Tour Details

Link to Tour Schedule: http://tlcbooktours.com/2013/01/henriette-lazaridis-power-author-of-the-clover-house-on-tour-april-2013/
The Clover House on Amazon
Henriette Lazaridis Power's website
Henriette Lazaridis Power on Twitter
Henriette Lazaridis Power on Facebook

Synopsis

Perfect for fans of Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key,this stunning debut novel brings to life World War II-era and modern-day Greece—and tells the story of a vibrant family and the tragic secret kept hidden for generations.

Boston, 2000: Calliope Notaris Brown receives a shocking phone call. Her beloved uncle Nestor has passed away, and now Callie must fly to Patras, Greece, to claim her inheritance. Callie’s mother, Clio—with whom Callie has always had a difficult relationship—tries to convince her not to make the trip. Unsettled by her mother’s strange behavior, and uneasy about her own recent engagement, Callie decides to escape Boston for the city of her childhood summers. After arriving at the heady peak of Carnival, Callie begins to piece together what her mother has been trying to hide. Among Nestor’s belongings, she uncovers clues to a long-kept secret that will alter everything she knows about her mother’s past and about her own future.

Greece, 1940: Growing up in Patras in a prosperous family, Clio Notaris and her siblings feel immune to the oncoming effects of World War II, yet the Italian occupation throws their privileged lives into turmoil. Summers in the country once spent idling in the clover fields are marked by air-raid drills; the celebration of Carnival, with its elaborate masquerade parties, is observed at home with costumes made from soldiers’ leftover silk parachutes. And as the war escalates, the events of one fateful evening will upend Clio’s future forever.
A moving novel of the search for identity, the challenges of love, and the shared history that defines a family, The Clover House is a powerful debut from a distinctive and talented new writer.

Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison

I have a number of historical eras that I seem to be drawn to when it comes to books. Among those are books set in the medieval era, World War I and II, and books set in Russia, especially those featuring the Romanov family.

It was therefore no surprise that I was interested in this book when I first heard of it. The main character of this book is Masha Rasputina, daughter of the infamous 'Mad Monk' Grigori Rasputin, which is an interesting choice of narrator that I have only seen used one other time in Robert Alexander's book Rasputin's Daughter.

This book hinges on the premise that Rasputin organised for his daughters, Masha and Varya, to be made wards of the Romanov family after his death. The book opens with the story of his death, although it is revisited several times through the book, and so the two girls are taken to live with the Tsar and Tsarina, their four daughters (collectively known as OTMA - Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia) and their son, Alexei, or Alyosha as he is known. It is a difficult time to be associated with the Romanovs though.  The revolution is underway, and they are in the process of being removed from the throne. Masha and Varya are basically kept prisoner with the family and it is in this restricted environment that a strong relationship develops between Masha and Alyosha, despite the fact that he is 14 years old and she is 18.

The tsarina believes that Masha has some of the same skills of her father in that she will be able to heal the tsarevich who suffers from hemophilia. While Masha feels the pressure that this assumption heaps on her, it is really Alyosha's mental well being that is aided by his relationship with Masha, especially after he has an accident that causes a hemophiliac episode that leaves him bedridden. Spending time without other family members around, Masha is able to share stories with Alyosha both of her own past, especially the story of how her father came to prominence, of Rasputin's death and of the boy's own family. They talk of how difficult the tsarina found the role that she had married into, the relationship with her critical mother in law, and dealing with the cloud of depression that hovered over her. Alyosha also showed a very practical understanding of the current political situation and the mistakes that his father had made in dealing with the revolutionaries, and he was pretty much convinced that they were all going to die, regardless of the way that his other family members refused to accept this as their future.

Some of these stories were lovely. For example, the two created a dazzlingly dream like sequence of the life of his parents after his mother moved to Russia following her marriage. Nicky (the tsar) would wrap up his much loved wife in the middle of the night and take her out in a white sled pulled by white horses, and show her the city of St Petersburg and the country around their home in a way that just wouldn't be allowed during the day.

There are many instances within the book where the language is beautiful, but I think that I missed having a linear storyline. Maybe because the story is so well known, the author felt some freedom to not need to keep to a strong plot. After all, the ending for the Romanovs was never going to be in doubt. The stories that were told moved backwards and forwards through time, including after the family's death, when Masha eventually gets hold of Alyosha's diary and he tells of life for the family in the 'house of special purpose' they were moved to before they were murdered. While a non linear story can work for me as a reader when it is done well, this was one of those occasions where I found it a distraction.

One of the plot points that were there seemed to be a kind of sexual awakening between Masha and Alyosha initially, and then, once Masha had left the family, with a young peasant girl.  I may be sticking my head in the sand a little, but I look at my 14 year old son and think that it would be just completely wrong for the kind of sexual awakening that it is described with an 18 year old girl. I do understand that being in close confines would possible allow this, but to be constantly guarded and still find a way... not sure.

Masha's story continues after she is separated from the Romanovs, when she is unhappily married and finds herself in various European countries with her charlatan of a husband. Eventually she finds work as a trick rider in a circus, and in due course trading on her father's name before her career is ended in a horrific animal attack. My overriding feeling for Masha by the end of the story was one of despair because she never really seemed to have come to a place of peace within herself, haunted in her dreams by the past and the Romanov family.

There were elements of this that had a magical realism kind of feeling. As an example, the tsarina Alexandra is described as having a cloud above her head that would only disappear when she was happy and this was something that others could see. There are also a couple of episodes where Masha looks inside a Faberge egg and sees a representation of the Romanov's favourite home and the people moving within it. Again, nice imagery, but not sure what it added to the story!

As I read through the other reviews on the blog tour, they are predominantly positive with a couple that were kind of mediocre. If you think that this might be a book that interests you then take a look at some of the other reviews by clicking on the tour details below. It wasn't a book that worked for me though.

Rating 2.5/5

Tour Details

Link to Tour Schedule: http://tlcbooktours.com/2013/01/kathryn-harrison-author-of-enchantments-on-tour-februarymarch-2013/
Kathryn Harrison's website

Synopsis

St. Petersburg, 1917. After Rasputin’s body is pulled from the icy waters of the Neva River, his eighteen-year-old daughter, Masha, is sent to live at the imperial palace with Tsar Nikolay and his family. Desperately hoping that Masha has inherited Rasputin’s healing powers, Tsarina Alexandra asks her to tend to her son, the headstrong prince Alyosha, who suffers from hemophilia. Soon after Masha arrives at the palace, the tsar is forced to abdicate, and the Bolsheviks place the royal family under house arrest. As Russia descends into civil war, Masha and Alyosha find solace in each other’s company. To escape the confinement of the palace, and to distract the prince from the pain she cannot heal, Masha tells him stories—some embellished and others entirely imagined—about Nikolay and Alexandra’s courtship, Rasputin’s exploits, and their wild and wonderful country, now on the brink of an irrevocable transformation. In the worlds of their imagination, the weak become strong, legend becomes fact, and a future that will never come to pass feels close at hand.

The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau

I don't think I have made any secret of the fact that I am a bit Tudored out and so I am being very selective about the books that I read that are set during the Tudor period of British history. When I saw that this book was coming out though, there was no question for me as to whether I would read this or not. Bilyeau's debut novel, The Chalice, which features a novice nun named Joanne Stafford who comes from a disgraced noble family was a good read for me last year but I did have some issues with the pacing.

Everything I enjoyed about The Crown was present, but The Chalice is by far the stronger book of the two. The pacing is strong and consistent, the mystery is interesting, the plot twists and turns, the historical facts are fascinating and the characters are captivating!

After the dissolution of the monasteries, former novice Joanna Stafford is trying to make a home for herself in the town of Dartford in Kent. It is difficult to be out in the community, especially given that the town isn't particularly welcoming to the former nuns and friars. In addition to the former sisters who share her life, Joanna also has custody of a young boy, Arthur, who is the son of her cousin who was executed for committing treason in the previous book.

Joanna knows that she needs to find a way to make a living and so has a plan to start producing tapestries. She just needs her loom to arrive from the low countries and she will be able to start working and live a nice, quiet life with the only dilemma for her being her love life. At the end of The Chalice things were kind of unresolved, which made sense given that Joanne had a religious vocation. She definitely felt a strong connection to Geoffrey Scovill, a constable that she met when he saved her from a mob at the beginning of the last book, and a strong emotional connection to Brother Edmund, the apothecary who is a constant in her life.

When her cousin and his wife suddenly show up in Dartford with an invitation for both Joanna and Arthur to visit with them, it is a surprise to Joanna. She has no intention of being drawn back into the world that comes with being a member of one of England's most infamous families and related to many of the other noble families like the Howards. Only agreeing to accompany her cousin as long as she does not have to attend Court, Joanna goes with them to London.

Despite her protests, Joanna is drawn into a complicated plot that relies strongly on a prophecy that concerns her.  Suddenly her quiet life is a long way behind her as she finds herself faced with the responsibility of trying to restore the Catholic faith to England. The last thing that Joanna wants is to fulfil the terms of the prophecy but  life conspires to bring Joanna to a place where she has very little choice.  The plot is constantly evolving and bringing Joanna into different situations, even having her travelling to Flanders. Joanna is not always blindly following fate, for want of a better word, especially once there are people starting to die around her. There were a couple of times when she did do a couple of things that had me shaking my head, but she is also able to find a resolution to the prophecy that enables her to be who she wants to be. I did find the resolution to be very interesting, especially with the way that Joanna was introduced to both Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard. I would think that Joanne will be back at court with everything that we know is going to happen regarding those two women in the future.

One of the pieces of history that I learned about during reading this book was about a law that was passed by Henry VIII that prevented anyone who had taken religious vows from being able to marry. Once again this left those former nuns and brothers with few options. They could no longer fulfil their religious obligations but they also could not become fully immersed in secular life either and it had very interesting implications for the story.

Once again, the book ends with some ambiguity in relation to Joanna's future. Which just left me with one major question when I finished the book ...when is the next one out?

Rating 4.5/5

Tour Details


Link to Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/thechalicevirtualtour/
Twitter Hashtag: #TheChaliceVirtualTour
Nancy Bilyeau's website.
Nancy Bilyeau on Facebook
Nancy Bilyeau on Twitter


Synopsis

In the next novel from Nancy Bilyeau after her acclaimed debut The Crown, novice Joanna Stafford plunges into an even more dangerous conspiracy as she comes up against some of the most powerful men of her era.

In 1538, England is in the midst of bloody power struggles between crown and cross that threaten to tear the country apart. Joanna Stafford has seen what lies inside the king’s torture rooms and risks imprisonment again, when she is caught up in a shadowy international plot targeting the King. As the power plays turn vicious, Joanna understands she may have to assume her role in a prophecy foretold by three different seers, each more omniscient than the last.

Joanna realizes the life of Henry VIII as well as the future of Christendom are in her hands—hands that must someday hold the chalice that lays at the center of these deadly prophecies…

The Turncoat by Donna Thorland

When I signed up for the War Through the Generations challenge for this year, I knew that I was going to struggle to find books set in the American Revolution, but that's okay. It just means that you have to work a bit harder to complete the challenge. That doesn't mean to say that if a book that fits the criteria lands in your lap you don't say yes, so when I heard about this book I knew I was going to read it if only because of that. Fortunately, it sounded like a fascinating read too.

Kate Grey has been bought up in a Quaker family, but it is fair to say that hers wasn't a typical upbringing. Her father was a former soldier who converted to the faith for his wife and who has seen fit to ensure that his daughter is educated and has been freely allowed to share her opinions on many subjects that are not normally seen as womanly.When her father decides to join Washington to fight against the British, Kate is left to manage the household alone. Their home is on a major through road between New York and Philadelphia and it doesn't take long for some British troops to requisition the house. The leader, Major Lord Peter Tremayne, is carrying important plans regarding the invasion of Philadelphia. Kate feels an instant attraction to the man, and while at first he doesn't notice the Quaker miss, she is soon debating him on the finer points of military strategy and he is definitely paying attention, to the point where he plans to seduce the young lady. Unfortunately, while he is distracted by Kate, a rebel spy who happened to be staying there steals the papers, thereby implicating Kate in high treason and putting Peter in military disgrace, to the point where he could have been hanged.

Kate and the spy flee their home, never imagining that Kate won't be able to sit out the conflict in a safe home with her friends. Instead, she is drawn into the world of espionage and is recruited to gain entry into the inner circle of the British command. She soon finds herself caught up in the inner circle, including an engagement with an unsuitable man, but one who gives her unparalleled access to the military secrets that she then can pass on to her mentor and to the rebels.

However, it is when Peter Tremayne returns to the scene that the trouble starts. He believes that Kate was part of the plot to steal the papers, which nearly ended in him losing his life. He has been charged with the task of finding the women who caused his disgrace and bringing them to justice. Peter is not the only person on Kate's trail though. With their feelings for each other growing stronger, an engagement to another man who happens to be closely linked to Peter, and the dangerous situation that Kate has put herself in, there is no guarantee that they will both make it to the end of the war, let alone that they will make it to the end together. And, if they do, how can they possible make a life together when everything in their lives puts them on opposite sides of the political fence.

The author of this book has a background in screen writing and there are times you can tell, with some of the dramatic plot twists and turns. Sometimes that can be a bad thing because there is all plot and not enough focus on characters or the history, but in this case I think Thorland got the balance pretty much right, although there was a touch of melodrama. For example, you do have to suspend disbelief a little as you see Kate transform from a Quaker lass to a woman who would give away her virginity so easily, to a beautiful and worldly spy. This screen writing and involvement in TV and movies also meant that the author was able to bring those skills to making the book trailer below.

For a while there I was wondering if this book could have been classified more as a historical romance rather than historical fiction with romantic elements, but then some things happened that you would just never see happen in a straight romance novel!

On her website, the author has the tagline 'Sex, Violence and History' and I think that is perfectly apt for this book. While there aren't too many sex scenes, the ones that are there are quite revealing. There is also no backing away from the fact that the American Revolution was a violent time to be living in places like Philadelphia where the war came virtually to the door of the cities and where the people suffered due to blockades and the like, and it was doubly dangerous to be a 'rebel' against the British rule. The history seems to be strong, although I must confess that I don't know much more than the basics about this period in time but there were some familiar names coming to life on the page.There were some characters that I was surprised to see were actual historical figures given their actions!

This book is apparently the first in the Renegades of the Revolution series, and I can't wait to see where the author takes us next!

Rating 4/5
Synopsis

They are lovers on opposite sides of a brutal war, with everything at stake and no possibility of retreat. They can trust no one—especially not each other.

Major Lord Peter Tremayne is the last man rebel bluestocking Kate Grey should fall in love with, but when the handsome British viscount commandeers her home, Kate throws caution to the wind and responds to his seduction. She is on the verge of surrender when a spy in her own household seizes the opportunity to steal the military dispatches Tremayne carries, ensuring his disgrace—and implicating Kate in high treason. Painfully awakened to the risks of war, Kate determines to put duty ahead of desire, and offers General Washington her services as an undercover agent in the City of Brotherly Love.

Months later, having narrowly escaped court martial and hanging, Tremayne returns to decadent, British-occupied Philadelphia with no stomach for his current assignment—to capture the woman he believes betrayed him. Nor does he relish the glittering entertainments being held for General Howe’s idle officers. Worse, the glamorous woman in the midst of this social whirl, the fiancée of his own dissolute cousin, is none other than Kate Grey herself. And so begins their dangerous dance, between passion and patriotism, between certain death and the promise of a brave new future together.

Crossposted at Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear

This year the tenth book in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear is being released. To celebrate, there is a month long blog tour called The Month of Maisie which will focus on the whole series, with the first seven books in the series being featured in this first week of the month, leading up to the newest book at the end of the month.

Because I was a bit slow in jumping on board this series, I have just read the fourth book, Messenger of Truth. Once again, investigator/psychologist Maisie Dobbs is asked to investigate a murder, or perhaps I should say possible murder. The young man who died was Nick Bassington-Hope, a young man who was forging a name for himself as an artist of some repute. When he died he was alone in an art gallery setting up for the installation of what he thought was going to be his greatest work yet. By all appearances he had been high up on the scaffolding when he fell and died. The police were called and it was declared to be an open and shut case of accidental death.

His twin sister, Georgina, is not convinced though. She believes that there was foul play and that her brother may have been murdered. The art piece that he was installing was one that he knew would upset people but no one was going to see it before the big unveiling at the art gallery. In fact, no one even knows where the major piece is. There is an American buyer who is keen to purchase, but Nick had made it clear that he wanted it to be donated to a public institution like the War Museum.

In the course of trying to work out how Nick Bassington-Hope died, Maisie is pulled in several different directions. There is his arty but dysfunctional family who draw Maisie into their colourful lives and to the darker London underworld, his friends who lived near the seaside in converted railway carriages (that sounded rather fab!) complete with strange goings on, as well as Nick's own history as a war artist and the legacy that left on his psyche, and the strange behaviour of the police.

Personally, Maisie is still recovering from an emotional breakdown the year before, a floundering romantic relationship and an icy distance to her mentor who has previously meant so much to her and been so helpful when he has acted as a sounding board for her in the past.

One of the things I really enjoy about this series is the way the legacy of World War I is explored. Just over 10 years after the war has ended, life continues to be heavily influenced by those dreadful years and now there is additional hardship as the effects of the Great Depression really begin to affect the lives of many, especially Maisie's assistant Billy. I also like the way that Maisie continues to develop as a character. It is clear that she has a lot more development to go too, which makes her an interesting character to read about. She clearly still is impacted heavily by her war time experiences, and sometimes she is not willing to concede that. She is a career driven woman in a time where the norm was still to get married and have children, but the times are changing and not only because there is a shortage of eligible men thanks to the war.

While I do enjoy these books, there are things that don't always work. For example, Maisie relies a lot on 'intuition' to help her move her cases forward - things like being able to sit in the space of a person and see their actions to help her find clues - and whilst this might be interesting, it doesn't always make sense when something comes completely out of the blue. Ultimately, the solution to the mystery made sense, but the pieces fell together in quite a rush in some ways. The other story lines also got a bit distracting at times too.

I did have reservations about this instalment, but they are not strong enough to prevent me from continuing on with the series. I just read the synopsis for the latest book and I have to say that I was intrigued. What a pity I still have five more books to read in the series in order to get to it!

Rating 4/5

Synopsis

London, 1931. When controversial artist Nick Bassington-Hope is found dead, the police believe it is an open and shut case and his death from a fall is recorded as'accidental'. But his sister is not convinced, so she turns to Maisie Dobbs for help, drawn by the investigator's growing reputation for her unique methods of solving crimes.

Moving from the desolate beaches of the English coast to the dark underbelly of post-war London, and full of intriguing characters, Maisie's new investigation entertains and enthrals at every turn.

Adapted from my original review

You can read Kelly's thoughts about this book here, and Julie's here.

Children of Liberty by Paullina Simons

I have been a fan of Paullina Simons for many years now. For a long time I was a moderator on the now defunct message boards and met a few people who are now my offline as well as online friends, I have lined up to get my books signed, I have pushed her books onto other readers and other fangirlish behaviour. I loved books like Red Leaves and Girl in Times Square and especially the Bronze Horseman trilogy, particularly The Bronze Horseman and Bridge to the Holy Cross. I devoured those two books in the space of two very long nights, and so when I heard that Paullina Simon's next book was going to be the story of Alexander Barrington's parents (Alexander being the main male character in The Bronze Horseman trilogy), I was super, super excited.

Some times it doesn't pay to get super, super excited.

The book opens on the eve of the 20th century. Gina Attaviano and her brother Salvatore along with their mother have just made the journey from Italy to their new life in America. It was to have been a journey that the whole family made but their father and older brother unfortunately didn't survive long enough to see their dream come true. The family land in Boston and there they are met by two young men who offer them lodgings before they journey on to the immigrant town of Lawrence, 20 miles away, where they will be living and working.

The two young men and Ben and Harry, and they are working as managers for Harry's father. Their job is to find people as they come off the boats to rent apartments in the buildings that he owns. Ben is charismatic and charming and is instantly smitten by the young Italian girl, but Harry is distant and aloof, like he is in most aspects of his life. He is studying economics at Harvard but is interested in the many different revolutionary theories that abound at this time - socialism and communism among them.

Ben is studying to become an engineer and passionately believes in the proposal to build a canal through Panama, and it on the premise of getting signatures for a petition in relation to the canal that he and Harry begin to spend their spare time in Lawrence with Gina. While Ben is still smitten with Gina, it is the more intense and quiet Harry that captures Gina's eye and she begins to plot and plan ways to gain his attention. She works as much as she can, often in manual jobs, to try and save money both for nice clothes but also to help her family.

When Gina approaches Harry with a business proposal the two young people spend more and more time together, but still Harry does not appear to notice Gina. He is a man of good breeding, who tries to do what is expected of him by his family and the fact that he has a long term girlfriend that everyone expects him to marry is enough for him, even though he knows he doesn't love Alice.

The book jumps forward a few years, and now we find that Harry is engaged to Alice with a wedding on the horizon, he is still trying to finish his studies but now he is working as a teacher at Harvard. This time when he meets Gina (who now goes by the more Americanised name of Jane) sparks fly. This is really, really late in the novel and to be honest it was the most interesting part and not only because we finally got to see some chemistry between the two main characters! It was in this section that I saw glimpses of the storytelling ability that I have seen and loved before from this author!

As I see it, there are a couple of problems with this novel. The first one, which is pretty major, is Harry. We are told that he is funny, but I didn't see it.This is a man who appears to have no drive, no direction. He chafes at the fact that his father still controls all the purse strings but doesn't have much interest at all in actually finding a career. Even his father, who is prepared to wait years for him to finally work out what he is going to do is getting exasperated with him. The only time there is any spark to Harry is when he gets involved in the political discussions around him.

Which brings me to the second issue. There is so much political yada-yada-yada in this book. It goes on and on and on, and there were times when I could feel myself almost dropping off to sleep. This is the complete opposite of my experience reading the first couple of Bronze Horseman books. In that case, I started The Bronze Horseman in the evening, read all night, called in sick the next day so I could sleep (shhhhh....don't tell anyone) and then went to the shop to buy the second book and then proceeded to read that all night. I ended up going to work the next day because, you know, it would be wrong to call in sick from overdosing on an author two days in a row! It possibly says something that I found the talk about first the fight to build the Panama Canal and then the difficulties when the project got underway far more interesting than the part of the story which was focused on Harry.

When Paullina Simons was here last year, she talked about how really this is the first half of Harry and Jane's story. The second half isn't out yet so obviously I can't gauge how much extraneous page filling there is in that book. However, if this book is anything to go by, you could get rid of a whole heap of the political talk,  and then combine the two book into one and hopefully get a good story! I get that it was important to establish the character's ideological beliefs because otherwise how would it make sense that they chose to go and live in Communist Russia, which we know they do through the Bronze Horseman books, but as a reader I felt like I was drowning in it.

What this book did make me want to do is immerse myself back into the world of Tatiana and Alexander so maybe if I have some time I might reread at least some of it. It might give me more of a clue as to why I should be interested in the next part of Alexander's parent's story because based on this book alone, I probably wouldn't be. And I can't tell you how disappointing that is for me.

I am really torn on how to rate this book. If it wasn't a book by an author who I have a great deal of affection for, I would probably have given it either a 2 or 2.5 out of 5. In the end I went for between 2.5 but rounding it up to a generous 3.

Over the years I have often wondered why this author, who is a very successful author here in Australia, is not more well known in her home country of the US. While this book has been picked up by William Morrow to be published there, unfortunately I don't think this is the book that will be the success over there that she needs!

Will I be reading the next book when it comes out? Most likely and if Paullina is back in Australia, then I will probably go and see her again too. I will, however, be trying very hard not to build huge expectations up before I get to read the book.


Synopsis (US version)

Before Tatiana and Alexander . . . before Leningrad and Lazarevo . . . before everything, there was Gina Attaviano, who came from Belpasso to Boston’s Freedom Docks seeking a new and better life. There she meets Harry Barrington. Their bond is instantaneous, urgent . . . but so are the forces against them.

At the turn of the century and the dawning of the modern world, the fortunes and future of the Barringtons and Attavianos become intertwined, on a collision course between the old and the new, between what is expected and what is desired, what is chosen and what is bestowed, what is given and what is taken away. As America races headlong into the future, much will be lost and much will be gained for Gina and Harry, and for a nation and a people that have the blessing and the curse of unrivaled opportunity . . . and unlimited potential.

Reconstructing Jackson by Holly Bush

This book is kind of unusual for me to read, mainly because I don't go out of my way to read self published books. I don't have anything against them other than the fact that I want to not be taking risks on poor format, spelling, grammar and lacklustre storytelling. While I have read other self published books this year, it has been from authors that I already know that I like and trust.

What prompted me to want to read this book though was the fact that I had seen some good reviews of previous books by the author and I liked the idea of a book being set just after the American Civil War. I was prepared to take the chance. And, for the most part, it is a risk that I am glad that I took! There were a few typos, but these days you can get those even in books published by the big name publishers, and I think there was a certain.... something... missing from the writing. Having said that, there were risks that the author took in telling the story that I couldn't necessarily see being allowed by a traditional publisher that made the reader journey a worthwhile one for me.

Reed Jackson is heading to Fenton, Missouri looking for a new start with plans to set up a business as a lawyer in the town. Reed was a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. He lost one leg and severely damaged the other leg in the course of the fighting, leaving him wheelchair bound, but it was his other losses that hurt just as much, if not more. Not only did he lose the plantation that was his birthright when his father passed it on to his younger brother, but he also lost his fiancee as part of the same transaction. Reed is a bitter man, lamenting his losses even as he tries to start again, but most definitely not wanting anyone to feel pity towards him.

A big part of the story though, is not just about Reed as a man who has lost so much but also about a man who is a product of his time and upbringing trying to come to terms with the changes in the world. When Reed comes to Fenton, he takes a room in the hotel that is run by his cousin and his wife, which is managed by Beulah Freeman, a freed slave. For Reed, the idea of sitting down at the same table is something that is totally foreign to his previous life, let alone the idea of becoming friends with a former slave. But with the end of the war and the victory of the North, the normal social rules that were once so rigid are collapsing and men like Reed need to learn the new ways if they are to adapt successfully.

You can't have a romance with only one character though and so now we come to Miss Belle Richards. Where Reed is the quintessential, wealthy Southern gentleman, Belle is more of the dirt poor, completely dysfunctional family type girl. Her father and two redneck brothers see her as their servant to order around, to have serve them  and to beat if she steps out of line. Belle is, however, determined to escape from their clutches, and she will do whatever she can to facilitate that. Her first step is learning to read. When her brother finds out though, the consequences are severe and Reed's instinct to offer her protection in any way he can leads to an unlikely marriage.

I mentioned earlier about Reed having to come to terms with the new social rules. It is important to note that the author does not shy away from using the kind of language that may have been prevalent at the that time. She also does not back away from the violence and uncertainly that would have followed the war, to the point that there are some scenes in this book that are quite confronting. Holly Bush is not afraid to push her characters into situations where they are in danger. I was a little uncomfortable with one of the situations that Reed found himself in. It did fit with his fierce need to be able to prove that he could not only provide Belle with the kind of life that she could have only imagined as a possibility before, but also to be able to protect her should the need arise but the question of whether it was too far is probably one for each individual reader to decide.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked Holly Bush's voice and I would be happy to read more from her. I do think that there is a certain aspect of the writing that isn't quite there yet for me. The word that I keep coming back to is sophistication but I am not sure that really gets to the heart of the matter. The ideas and the story were good, the writing was quite good, it was just that some of the plot transitions were too direct or something. For example, in the first chapter we are introduced to the woe-is-me depths of Reed as a character. In the next chapter, we are immersed in Belle's terrible world. Whilst that is understandable in terms of establishing character, when there is that abruptness in lots of the scene changes it becomes noticeable. I guess one of the things that I would be looking for in future is some kind of smoother transition from one scene to the next. Don't get me wrong, this is a minor complaint on my part - it won't stop me from reading more from Holly Bush.

I am glad I took a chance on this one!

Rating 4/5

Thanks to Amy from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for my copy of the book.

1867 . . . Southern lawyer and Civil War veteran, Reed Jackson, returns to his family’s plantation in a wheelchair. His father deems him unfit, and deeds the Jackson holdings, including his intended bride, to a younger brother. Angry and bitter, Reed moves west to Fenton, Missouri, home to a cousin with a successful business, intending to start over.

Belle Richards, a dirt poor farm girl aching to learn how to read, cleans, cooks and holds together her family’s meager property. A violent brother and a drunken father plot to marry her off, and gain a new horse in the bargain. But Belle’s got other plans, and risks her life to reach them.

Reed is captivated by Belle from their first meeting, but wheelchair bound, is unable to protect her from violence. Bleak times will challenge Reed and Belle's courage and dreams as they forge a new beginning from the ashes of war and ignorance.

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

When I first heard about Kate Forsyth's book Bitter Greens just before it was released here in Australia last year I was instantly intrigued! A retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale mixed in with life at the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV and Renaissance Venice - yes please! Of course, combining these three different elements could either work spectacularly or end up in a jumbled mess. Fortunately, Kate Forsyth's writing skills mean that it turns out to be a great success.

The novel opens with the banishment of Charlotte-Rose de la Force whose status as a blood relative of the King is not enough to save her from banishment from his court following a series of ill advised love affairs. In addition to the affairs, Charlotte-Rose also writes about the going ons of the court anonymously and  she is also known to be a fine wit, but not always for the restraint to know when to not take that step too far when lampooning the members of the court. She is also a former Huguenot, having converted to Catholicism under extreme political pressure, and in order to avoid some of the persecution that is being visited upon others of her faith. From her place in the convent, Charlotte looks back on her life from the very first time she met the King, to her life as maid in waiting in the court, the politics that surrounded her on every side, religious persecution, her love affairs and so much more.

When she arrives at the convent, Charlotte-Rose is stripped of all of her belongings. Whilst she will not be forced to take her vows as a nun until she truly feels the calling to do so, her life will be austere with little to no comfort. After struggling in her new environment, one of the other nuns takes her under her wing. Sister Seraphina is the gardener and takes Charlotte-Rose out with her. Soon the two women are talking while they are gardening and Sister Seraphina begins to tell Charlotte-Rose the story of Margherita, a young girl in Venice.

When her mother was in labour, she was craving salad greens and so her husband snuck into a neighbour's garden and is caught stealing. The owner, La Strega Bella, extracts a promise from the man. In exchange for not chopping of his hand for thieving, he can keep the bitter greens, but when she comes to take the child he must pay the ultimate price by giving her up.

The family lives in fear of the day coming when La Strega Bella claims their lovely daughter Margherita, and when it does they try to bargain with her. Her mind is set though and Margherita is stolen from her family, placed in a convent to be educated and told that her parents never loved her. Margherita's only comfort is in singing and music and she has the voice of an angel, but even this is not to be her long term home. Once again La Strega Bella comes and this time takes the young and beautiful red-haired girl to a tall tower built on the shores of a lake. Here, Margherita is to live alone with her only company to be the monthly visit from the witch. In order to gain access, the witch requires Margherita to let down her long, long hair so that she can climb up it - she is the Rapunzel that we know from fairy tales.

I love the whole story within a story concept and Forsyth is able to smoothly alternate the story between 17th century France and 16th century Venice with great skill. In due course, we get a third story too - that of the courtesan Selena Leonelli. She too is a beautiful woman who has tempestuous relationships with her lovers, most notably the artist Tiziano for whom she is a kind of muse.  Now, thanks to an apprenticeship with a witch, Selena is known as La Strega Bella and she has discovered the secret of staying young and beautiful and she is determined to stay that way no matter what the cost!

Whilst this story contains the bones of a familiar story - our Rapunzel is stuck in her tower by a horrible witch and we know that in due course that a handsome prince will show up to play his part (even though it is not necessarily in the way that you expect) - it is in the details that Forsyth's tale excels and in the way that the three stories combine as a whole. The story is emotionally engaging on so many levels. For example, the first time I realised how Margherita's hair got to be long enough to be used as a ladder, I gasped in horror.  There is an earthiness to the story telling that is engaging - it is by turns shocking, fun, sensuous, and filled with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.  Whether you love fairy tale retellings, historical fiction or both, this is exceptional storytelling and I highly recommend this book! I am really looking forward to reading this author's next book!

Rating 4.5/5

P.S Above left is the Australian cover which I loved, and on the bottom right is the gorgeous UK cover! I am seriously tempted to buy the UK version so that I have them both.

Tour Details

Link to Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/bittergreensvirtualtour/
Twitter Hashtag: #BitterGreensVirtualTour
Kate Forsyth's website
Kate Forsyth on Facebook
Kate Forsyth on Twitter

Synopsis

Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from court by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. She is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of Bitter Greens ...

After Margherita’s father steals a handful of greens—parsley, wintercress and rapunzel—from the walled garden of the courtesan, Selena Leonelli, they give up their daughter to save him from having both hands cut off.

Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1513 and still inspiring him at the time of his death, sixty-one years later. Called La Strega Bella, Selena is at the centre of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition.

Locked away in a tower, growing to womanhood, Margherita sings in the hope someone will hear her. One day, a young man does...

Three women, three lives, three stories, braided together to create a compelling story of desire, obsession, black magic, and the redemptive power of love.

Captive of the Sun by Irena Karafilly

I can't remember reading a lot of historical fiction set in Greece during WWII until last year when I read and thoroughly enjoyed Victoria Hislop's books The Thread and The Island. This year I know I have at least one more book with this setting coming my way soon, and I finished reading The Captive Sun by Irena Karafilly.

The Captive Sun was a bestseller in Greece, something which fascinates me as I often wonder how certain events are portrayed in their native countries compared to the portrayal that we get from the usual British/American perspectives!

I enjoyed writing a discussion style review of the book with Lauren from Australian Bookshelf. You can read the first half of the review at Lauren's blog and the second part at my own blog!

The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys

In its long history, the river Thames has frozen solid forty times. These are the stories of that frozen river.

So begins this breathtaking and original work, which contains forty vignettes based on events that actually took place each time the historic Thames froze solid. Spanning more than seven centuries—from 1142 to 1895—and illustrated with stunning full-color period art,The Frozen Thames is an achingly beautiful feat of the imagination…a work of fiction that transports us back through history to cast us as intimate observers of unforgettable moments in time.

Whether we’re viewing the magnificent spectacle of King Henry VIII riding across the ice highway (while plotting to rid himself of his second wife) or participating in a joyous Frost Fair on the ice, joining lovers meeting on the frozen river during the plague years or coming upon the sight of a massive ship frozen into the Thames…these unforgettable stories are a triumph of the imagination as well as a moving meditation on love, loss, and the transformative powers of nature.

If I recall correctly, I added this book to my TBR list a couple of years ago. It was therefore something of a surprise when I started reading the book and realised that I either had never noticed or had forgotten what the structure of this book was.

Rather than a through narrative following a set of characters, The Frozen Thames is a series of vignettes with each being set at a different year when the winter was so cold that the river Thames froze over. Each of the forty different stories is perhaps three or four pages long, certainly not many were much longer, and so just give a glimpse of life at a particular moment in time. When you have forty or so short stories some will be stronger than others and that is definitely the case here, but what you do get is some fascinating glimpses of these particular moments in time.

The first story is set in 1195 and is about Empress Matilda, would be queen of England. She is in a castle on the banks of the Thames, besieged by the forces of her cousin, King Stephen when she manages to escape during a blizzard by dressing all in white and crossing the frozen Thames. Now, if you didn't know that this was a true story and I hadn't read of it in books by authors such as Elizabeth Chadwick and Sharon Kay Penman, it is possible that you would think that it was a fanciful piece of writing! Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.

At other times the frozen river became home to frost fairs, something which turned out to be a great social leveller as both the higher levels of society and the lower classes all took advantage of the unusual conditions to linger on the ice. I recently read about one of these frost fairs in The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift and so it was fun to see more about these. Of course, for all the fun of the frost fairs there are also the ferrymen, porters and others who rely on the river for their livelihood who are affected as well and their story is not forgotten either.

I liked the fact that there was a mix of social classes through the stories as well. We saw young boys waiting for the King's carriage to drive past them on the ice and the pub owner's who have an iced-in boat tied to their pub. There were even two stories that were linked which I loved. A young woman takes a risk crossing the river as it started to melt and then her grown child has to face his fears in a later story.

Along the way, the author skates (pun intended) through history, touching on things like the hearth taxes and window taxes, the plagues that caused such death, and more.

As an object, this is a beautiful book. It is a small volume, with thick paper and the text is interspersed with some pictures from the relevant eras which made it a joy to look at.

In some ways, it is a shame that it is highly unlikely that the Thames will freeze again, thanks mainly to the fact that the bridges across the river have such wide spans now, along with the other man made interventions such as the embankments, and global warming. Then again, when I read this it was a more than 40 degrees celsius day so I was reading to help myself feel cooler. Now, as I finish off this review, I am watching the news about more flooding in Queensland and New South Wales where homes and lives are being destroyed and lives lost so it is best that we don't wish for those kinds of extreme weather conditions. It is hard enough to deal with when they come without wishing for more.


Rating 4/5

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

When we had to come up with our most anticipated read for 2013, it was not a hardship for me. As far back as July last year I knew that my most anticipated book for this year was going to be The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley.

I was so excited to get an advance copy, and loved reading the book too.

This week I have discussed the book with one of the bloggers who inspired me to start my blogging journey.

Rosario has the first part of the discussion and I have the final part at my blog.

If you need a really brief summary....we both loved it! Now to wait for the next Susanna Kearsley book to come out!

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

At the end of last year, Historical Tapestry hosted a readalong of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. While I didn't get the book read in time to post about it by the time the readalong finished, I did finish it last week! I felt very accomplished when I closed that book I can tell you!

Anyway, Bree from All the Books I Can Read had a discussion about the book and touched on things like the movie, the tangents (oh the tangents), the translations and more.

Normally I cross post my reviews here, but it is a bit hard to do that with a discussion. If you are interested in seeing our thoughts though you can read the first half of the discussion on my blog and the second part on Bree's blog!

I have two more discussion style reviews that I will be doing the ssame kind of linking for too!

Marg's Best Books of 2012

It's always interesting to get to the end of a year and think back over what you have read. The excellent books, the really good books are the ones we hope for lots of, and not so many of the not so good reads.

Each year here at Historical Tapestry we each take a turn to tell you our favourite reads of the year and I am kicking things off today!

I have been even more stingy with my 5/5 marks this year than usual, with only one historical fiction novel earning that honour. There were quite a few books I marked as 4.5/5 - really very good reads. We will start with my 5/5 book first though....

I have long heard how fabulous this book was, and finally this year I got to read it. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to love it anywhere near as much as I did because I am a bit Tudored out and it is a huge book but once I started it I was surprised at how fresh it felt to be reading it even though I know Queen Elizabeth I's story pretty well.

Other notable historical fiction books I read this year (rated 4.5/5) include:

Olivia and Jai by Rebecca Ryman
The Black Pearl by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Shalimar by Rebecca Ryman
The Island by Victoria Hislop
The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani
Lords of the White Castle by Elizabeth Chadwick
A Stranger in My Street by Deborah Burrows
The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy
The Winter Mantle by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
Overseas by Beatriz Williams
Omamori by Richard McGill
Voice of the Falconer by David Blixt

Voice of the Falconer by David Blixt

It's eight years after the tumultuous events of THE MASTER OF VERONA. Pietro Alaghieri has been living as an exile in Ravenna, enduring the loss of his famous father while secretly raising the bastard heir to Verona's prince.

But when word reaches him of the death of Cangrande della Scala, the master of Verona, Pietro must race back to Verona to prevent young Cesco's rivals from usurping his rightful place. With the tentative peace of Italy at stake, not to mention their lives, Pietro must act swiftly to protect them all. But young Cesco is determined not to be anyones pawn. Willful and brilliant, he defies even the stars. And far behind the scenes is a mastermind pulling the strings, one who stands to lose, or gain, the most.

Born from Shakespeare's Italian plays, in this novel we meet for the first time Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, the Nurse, as well as revisit Montague and Capulet, Petruchio and Kate, and the money-lending Shylock. From Ravenna to Verona, Mantua, and Venice, this novel explores the danger, deceit, and deviltry of early Renaissance Italy, and the terrible choices one must make just to stay alive.

On Friday I reposted my review of Master of Verona by David Blixt. There were a couple of reasons for doing so. The first was that I hadn't finished reading this book (bad blog tour participant) but another reason was that I really, really loved that book.

When I read it back in 2009, I was super excited at the prospect of a follow up book. So I waited and waited, and there was no news and then there was bad news - Voice of the Falconer wasn't going to be published. That is until David Blixt decided to self publish the whole series.

Back in January I named this book as my my most anticipated new HF release and I bought it as soon as it came out! Luckily I still managed to read this book in the year I declared that, and I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the world that David Blixt has created.

Voice of the Falconer starts 8 years after the events of the ending of Master of Verona. Pietro Alaghieri (son of the famed poet Dante) has been charged with raising the illegitimate heir to the great Cangrande, ruler of Verona. There are very few people who know of Cesco's existence and that is the way that everyone likes it. The plan is for Cangrande to name his heir officially when the boy is 15 years old, but when Cangrande appears to be be dead it is necessary to bring forward the reveal, setting in motion a chain events that twists and turns all over the place. Revealing Cesco's existence is bound to lead to questions but also danger, especially seeing there are other members of the della Scala family who are trying to position themselves to be the next ruler of the city-state of Verona.

The members of Cesco's adoptive 'family' are all intriguing - Pietro who struggles with his status as an ex communicant and who is doing his best to train Cesco up to fulfil his destiny, the Moor named Tharwat who has more secrets than most not the least of which is where he learned the skills that he is now passing onto Cesco, the doctor Morsicato and the young boy Detto who is Cesco's companion and friend. While they are all interesting in their own right, they are often reduced to secondary roles in the presence of Cesco who is portrayed as being superior in intellect, in wit, in horse riding skills and so much more. it is hard to believe that a child of 11 or 12 would be able to be all that, but for the role that Cesco has to play in the book it works.

This is a complicated world filled with betrayal and intrigue, cross and then double cross, family rivalries, a famous prediction yet to be fulfilled, a curse and oh so much more. It is a book that you manage to get lost in but where you also have to work a bit while you are reading because of the twists and turns in the various nefarious plots and the sheer number of characters. There are lots of Shakespearean references, some of which are more obvious than others, but even if you don't recognise them, the writing is strong enough to still carry you forward. There are also lots of battles and even though this is not my favourite thing to read, the way that Blixt describes them I can see the action as it unfolds, watch the sword swinging, the adrenalin in the battle, the blood and dust. He makes this particular aspect of the story just as readable as the rest of the book, something that doesn't always happen with some authors where it can feel somewhat more mechanical than genuine.

One of the secondary plots that makes this story interesting to read is that David Blixt is choosing to give the reader a retelling of the famous story of Romeo and Juliet, but rather than just starting with the young lovers that we are so familiar with he takes us back to where the feud started. In Master of Verona we saw where the feud began between the families we now know as the Montagues and the Capulets. In this book we see how the former friends deal with their troubled relationship and the difficulties that it causes within the context of Verona society and for those who are friends with them both, and also get to meet Romeo and Juliet as toddler and babe respectively. Blixt is choosing to retell the famous story with added depth and within the Renaissance setting and it really, really works. Even though you know how this particular aspect of the story ends, I can't wait to find out more of the details that the author has included in the next book in the series, which is already available.

I may have had to wait to read this book, but now that I have read it I do not hesitate to recommend both Master of Verona and this one to readers of historical fiction everywhere.

Rating 4.5/5

Master of Verona by David Blixt (or my blog tour failure)

Earlier this year when I was asked to name my most anticipated Historical Fiction new release for 2012, I didn't have to go too far. There were the obvious candidates (like Susanna Kearsley) but another was Voice of the Falconer by David Blixt, the follow up book to Master of Verona which I read a few years ago and really loved!

As soon as it came out I bought it, and that's as far as I got. Then I saw that Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours had a tour for David Blixt books and so I jumped on board. Ten days to go until the end of the year and I would still have read it in the year it came out. Or that was the plan anyway!

Unfortunately, life has got in the way (insert relevant excuses here) and so while I am currently reading it and really liking it, I am not going to have it read in time to post for my slot on the tour! I am so sorry Amy and David!).

So that I am not posting nothing, I thought I would repost my original review (I think this is perhaps the third time I have posted the review here, but who's counting?) and then I will be back with the review for Voice of the Falconer soon.

Synopsis

In 1314, seventeen year old Pietro Alighieri travels to Verona with his father, the infamous poet Dante, at the invitation of its leader, the legendary Francesco “Cangrande” della Scala. A sneak attack from Padua leads Pietro into his first battle, fighting alongside the charismatic Cangrande, and into a tight friendship with Mariotto Montecchio and Antonio Capulletto. Behind the scenes, repeated attempts are made against the life of a child believed to be Cangrande’s illegitimate son and possible heir.

Pietro is drawn into the web of intrigue around the child and the tension building between Mariotto and Antonio over a woman betrothed to one and in love with the other – a situation that will sever a friendship, divide a city, and ultimately lead to the events of the best known tragic romance in the world.

Inspired by the plays of Shakespeare, the poetry of Dante, and the events of history, The Master of Verona is a compelling novel of politics, loyalty, conspiracy and star-crossed romance.

Sometimes it happens that I really love a book, but I still don't get around to writing a review for it straight away (or at all, but we won't think about all those unwritten reviews just now!). This is one of those books.

My interest was initially drawn to the idea of setting a book at the time of Romeo and Juliet, but this is much more than a retelling of that famous tale. It isn't even the main action within the novel, but it is an important component.

The story is more about Pietro Alighieri, son and reluctant heir to his father, the famous and controversial poet Dante Alighieri. I say reluctant because for many years Pietro was the second son of a famous man, not really expected to do much in terms of continuing his father's legacy, but with the death of his older brother, Pietro finds himself fulfilling a role that he is ill suited for.

He is given the chance to shine when he unexpectedly gets to fight with Francesco "Cangrande" della Scala, charismatic leader of Verona. This engagement also brings him into contact with his new best friends, Mario and Antonio. The boys are friends, but they are also competitors both in the contests of the Palio and for two of them, in love. This very first fight begins with a flying leap off of a balcony onto horseback - a very telling sign of the type of swashbuckling to come throughout the book!

Blixt skilfully deals with the historical figures of Dante and Cangrande, Shakespeare's famous love story, an intriguing suspense subplot plus provides the reader with an engaging, exciting and engrossing story with a large cast of well written characters.

There is lots of action in the pages between the battles and the pageantry associated with medieval Italy. For me, the highlight of the book is definitely the day of the Palio. The colour, the spectacle and the pageantry are incredibly detailed but also very readable with the naming of the new knights, the speech of the oracle where it is declared that "Verona will always be remembered for love" and the crazy midnight foot race where the participants all run naked through the streets coming to life vividly through the words on the page!

This is an excellent historical fiction debut, and I for one, am very much looking forward to reading the next book from David Blixt, which will pick up where the action of this book left off!

When it comes to grading books I think that I am an easy grader when it comes to 4/5 books, but very, very hard when it comes to 5/5 books. This book is one of only three 5/5 books so far this year! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read historical fiction
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Originally posted 2009

Tour Details

Link to Tour Schedule: http://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/2012/11/david-blixt-virtual-book-tour-december.html
Twitter Hashtag: #DavidBlixtVirtualTour

About the Author


Author and playwright David Blixt's work is consistently described as "intricate," "taut," and "breathtaking." A writer of Historical Fiction, his novels span the early Roman Empire (the COLOSSUS series, his play EVE OF IDES) to early Renaissance Italy (the STAR-CROSS'D series, including THE MASTER OF VERONA, VOICE OF THE FALCONER, and FORTUNE'S FOOL) up through the Elizabethan era (his delightful espionage comedy HER MAJESTY'S WILL, starring Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe as inept spies). His novels combine a love of the theatre with a deep respect for the quirks and passions of history. As the Historical Novel Society said, "Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It's well worth it."

Living in Chicago with his wife and two children, David describes himself as "actor, author, father, husband. In reverse order."

For more about David and his novels, visit www.davidblixt.com.

The Emperor's Conspiracy by Michelle Diener

Synopsis

From nineteenth-century London’s elegant ballrooms to its darkest slums, a spirited young woman and a nobleman investigating for the Crown unmask a plot by Napoleon to bleed England of its gold.

Chance led to Charlotte Raven’s transformation from chimney sweep to wealthy, educated noblewoman, but she still walks a delicate tightrope between two worlds, unable to turn her back on the ruthless crime lord who was once her childhood protector.

When Lord Edward Durnham is tapped to solve the mystery of England’s rapidly disappearing gold, his search leads him to the stews of London, and Charlotte becomes his intriguing guide to the city’s dark, forbidding underworld. But as her involvement brings Charlotte to the attention of men who have no qualms about who they hurt, and as Edward forges a grudging alliance with the dangerous ghosts of Charlotte’s former life, she faces a choice: to continue living in limbo, or to close the door on the past and risk her heart and her happiness on an unpredictable future.

When Michelle Diener contacted me to offer a review copy of this book, I was interested, but mainly because Michelle lives in Australia  and therefore I could count this book for several challenges. And then I noticed that Amy from Historical Fiction Virtual Tours was running a tour for the book. I volunteered because then not only would I intend to read it, I would actually read it and in a timely fashion! The thing is though, by the time I finished the book, I was happy to have read the book, not because of challenges or impetus to read, but because in the end this was a really good read!

The book opens with a scene that is quite unusual. A London lady finds herself with a chimney sweep stuck up her chimney because the sweep had grown too large, and the sweep is abandoned by her master because if the sweeps can't work, then he can't afford to feed them.

Fast forward a number of years, and we are introduced to Charlotte Raven. She is a young lady who is mostly at ease in the glamorous world of the ton but equally at home in the rougher parts of London. She is something of an oddity in the ton, because she is ward to a well respected lady who took her into her home and introduced her into the rarefied ways of the ton. She is also unusual in the stews because she is one of the lucky ones, one of the people who climbed out of a life of poverty. Charlotte is acutely aware of her own good fortune and does her best to help others get a start on a better life if they are prepared to make the necessary changes.

There are two main male characters in the book, both representing the two different parts of Charlotte's life. On one hand, Charlotte's childhood protector and love, Luke, is now running a crime ring. He rules the streets of his area which are filled with hardship and deprivation and more. On the other, Lord Edward Durnham. He is aloof, rarely seen in society but has a complicated secret life. When the two worlds collide, thanks predominantly to Charlotte's own actions, she is the one who has the power to control their fates. And yet, it is her own fate which may be the most difficult to decide given that she doesn't really fit in her new world but she certainly doesn't fit in the old world either.

Central to the drama between the characters is a plot which seems highly improbable, until you realise that it was taken straight from the pages of the history books! This plot is what gives the book it's title. I must confess that for the first parts of the book I was wondering precisely where the title fitted in, but it all became clear in due course. The only clue I am going to give you is that the book is set during the Napoleonic wars.

The thing about this book is that it doesn't really fit neatly into any sub-genre. There are times when you might think that what you are reading is building up to a historical romance story... but it's not only that. You may think that you are reading a historical mystery, and you are, but not in the sense that the heroine decides that she wants to be an amateur sleuth and sets out to solve a crime. Rather Charlotte is trying to find, or keep, her place -trying to keep one foot in both her past world and her present world.

I may have mentioned once or ten times now that I am currently reading Les Miserables. Whilst I am enjoying that book, it is a book that I am having to work hard at reading. By contrast, this book was a completed breeze to read and I closed the book already wondering if we were going to see more of these characters. As I look back with the added distance of a couple of days, there are probably a couple of plot holes, and there probably could have been a bit more in the way of character development, but in terms of the actually reading experience I had, it was perfect for me at the time. Just what I needed.

This was the first time I have read this author, and I will definitely be looking for more from her in the future, especially if there is a follow up book to this one.

Rating 4/5

Thanks to the author for providing a copy of the book along with a gorgeous bookmark. This did not influence my review.

Tour Details

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