I am going to be honest: this was meant to be one of the series I wanted to reread this year. And I wanted to do it before the release of the newest installation of the All Souls world, The Black Bird Oracle, which is coming out in mid-July. Now, I don’t think I’m going to be able to binge-reread the rest of the All Souls trilogy (Shadow of Night and Book of Life) as well as the companion novel, Time’s Convert, before it’s release.
But I am going to try and reread (all via audio) before the end of the year. I do think I am going to attempt Time’s Convert next month (I read this originally and was very middle of the road about it, but I got the audiobook on sale so am doing to attempt it this way as see if my opinion changes as I really like the leads in this).
Anyway, like I said, I really wanted to reread this, which means I needed to start from the beginning.
Title and Author: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Diana Bishop is a scholar and descendant of a line of powerful witches, though she tries very hard not to use her magic. When she discovered a strange manuscript at Oxford’s Bodleian Library, she returns it to its archives due to the strange enchantments around it. But this manuscript - Ashmole 782 - was thought long lost and deeply enchanted and now, vampires, witches and daemons, are coming to Oxford, watching Diana. In the hopes she recalls it.
For this book has its own secrets and it looks like Diana is right in the middle of it…
One of my favourite podcasts, All About Agatha, have a saying as they read and review each Agatha Christie novel: never underestimate the help. And this couldn't be more true for The Housekeepers by Alex Hay.
Title and Author:The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
Publisher: Headline
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: eProof and Audiobook gifted by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction
When housekeeper, Mrs King, is dismissed from her role at a luscious house in Mayfair, she has a plan. A plot that has been brewing for quite some time. She plans to pull off one of the biggest heist from her former employer. And she knows who she can call on to pull it off...
A black-market queen, an actress, a seamstress, a former housekeeper. All have a reason for the heist to work. But can they pull it off while the Mistress of the house is planning to host the biggest ball of the season?
Another day, another mini-review write-up on two audiobooks: one I got for review (in exchange for an honest review/reaction, of course) and the other from my local library (because why not!)
We have (for review) One of Our Ministers Is Missing by Alan Johnson and the other (from library's audiobook app) Miss Marple's Final Cases by Agatha Christie!
I've been "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing over this title for quite some time. I ever had an eProof of this YEARS ago, but I wasn't as well read in historical fiction back then and, after a chapter or two, I put it down and went "This isn't for me"
Fast forward till now and I keep looking at the Six Tudor Queens series and going "I really should try again", and I had a spare Audible credit to use before I cancel my account with them (for now). Then the news broke that Channel 5 in the UK were doing a three part thriller based on Anne Boleyn's last few months starring Jodie Turner-Smith in the title role, which causes a bit of controversy as Jodie is a black actor playing a white historical figure. (Here's the link to the trailer, if you're curious)
Now, I am very intrigued and excited to watch this three-parter so I went "Sod it!" and bought the audiobook, planning to listen to it before the show aired. Just so I have some of the key information straight in my head.
Now, we all know Anne Boleyn and a little of her story. She is the woman who Henry VIII divorced Katherine of Aragon and broke England from the Vatican for and, in many adaptions (ranging from HBO's The Tudors to The Other Boleyn Girl and Wolf Hall), we are told she was a temptress, desperate and hunger for power and no-one will stand in her way, or a woman who fell in love with the wrong man. We never got the same version of her and even historians have different interpretations.
So having Alison Weir, a public historian who has written many non-fiction novels and now fiction (many set in or around the time of the Tudors), tell each of Henry VIII"s wives for their point of view will make fascinating and gripping reading, right?
I should be writing my proper full blog post reviews/write-ups on Pewter Wolf reads. But I don't think I can with these two titles that I read earlier this month. So, I decided to do another mini-review post. Plus, these are both books I was gifted via the publisher via NetGalley (in exchange for an honest review/reaction, of course) and as both have LGBTQ+ themes to them, I thought it would be nice to put them together. Plus, I did rate these quite highly on my Goodreads (goodreads.com/pewterwolf) so I think putting them together makes sense.
EXTRACT ALERT! I have an extract for you guys and, oh, it's from a good'un of a book. Possible one of my faves of the year so far! Yes, it's THAT good!
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain follows the life of 64 year old postman Albert, who loves his job, keeps himself to himself and has lived alone since the death of his mother 18 years ago (barring his cat, Gracie). But when he discovered that he's going to be forced to retire on his 65th birthday (Royal Mail policy), Albert realises that a lonely future awaits him which terrifies him. Realises that he's been hiding from life, Albert takes baby steps to being honest with himself and the world about who he truly is. And, in doing so, Albert hopes to find the courage to look for George, his first love...
My review on this is up next week, but you can tell from the above that I adore this book and wanted to do as much as I can to share the love. So, when Rosie from Headline asked if I wanted to share an extract for you guys, I jumped at it! Plus, if you watch Twitter the next few days, a few other book bloggers (I think) will be sharing more extracts and maybe one or two will do contests!
Before I share the first extract of the week, I just want to thank Rosie for asking me to be involved (and knowing I would say yes as tweeting A LOT of thoughts/feels to her and the author while I read). I, also, want to point you in the direction of the author, Matt Cain's, website (mattcainwriter.com) and his Twitter (@MattCainWriter) so you can say hi. If you want more info on Albert Entwistle, you can pop over to the publisher's, Headline, website.
Ok, all house keeping out of the way, ONTO THE EXTRACT! Enjoy!!!
Title And Author: The Cat Who Went Underground by Lilian Jackson Braun
Publisher: Headline
Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
Length: 260 Pages
After the beginning of 2020, I seem to be reading a lot of thrillers and fantasy with a mystery element, haven’t I? So, after finishing my last physical read, Hideous Beauty by William Hussey, I wanted to read something on my kindle. Something light in tone but will ease me into reading more fun reads as I want March 2020 to be much lighter in my reading due to real life and lighter reads.
So, when I saw this on my kindle, I went “Perfect!” A cozy murder mystery solved by cats! How on brand for me!
In this, the ninth book in The Cat Who… series, Jim Qwilleran decides to go on holiday He’s going to spend the summer at his log cabin in Moose County. So, off he goes with his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. Once there, Qwilleran realise that his cabin needs a bit of a patch up so hires a handyman. Only for him to vanish a few days later…
Ok, this isn’t a review. Serious, this isn’t planning to be one, but you never know with me.
I have vaguely been aware of Chronicles of St Mary for a while. The first always pops up on my Amazon “We Recommend” but have always stayed away because I’ve never warmed to the cover (look at Christmas Present's cover and you'll understand my hesitation). So, when the tenth book in the series - Hope for the Best - popped through my letterbox as an unsolicited surprise, I decided to discover if I could read this without reading the rest (as publishers sometimes send unsolicited books in series to bloggers so, if we want to read them, we need to backtrack. A lot).
Plus, I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a series I was going to like… it felt a little out of my comfort zone and, while I do want to push myself, I wasn’t sure if this series was going to be a great place to start…
So, when I saw these four short stories set with the same characters and same world (and they were free on Audible at time of writing!), I downloaded them and listened to them over the course of five days.
So, in publication order, When A Child is Born is book 2.5, Roman Holiday is book 3.5, Christmas Present is book 4.5 and Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings is book 6.5. So, a mix throughout the series.
Now, I’m not going to spoil too much about each short story but the idea of this series that Historians at St Mary’s can “investigate major historical events in contemporary time”. Never call it time travel - but yeah, I call it time travel. But there is a lot of humour in this series (which is great as I don’t read a lot of funny books so balance).
I admit listening to these, I did feel ok listening to them without much info about previous novels (though this was called into question with Christmas Present and, up to a point, Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings). And I wasn’t a huge fan of When A Child is Born, the story that I was sold on was Roman Holiday. This was the one where I felt that everything fitted for me. This was the one I went “Ok, I kinda want to check this series out”.
And now, of course, I have the first and the second novels on my kindle (thank you Headline for eProofs via NetGalley) and the tenth in physical form and I need to figure out when am going to read these.
Like I said, this series feels a little outside my comfort zone and I think we all need to push ourselves every once in a while. We shall see if I like this push or not sometime in the future…
Title And Author: Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness
Publisher: Headline
Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Length: 448 Pages or 15 Hours and 46 Minutes
Oh boy… this was a long read.
Not page wise, just time wise. I started this on 28th August, according to my Goodreads. And I finished this on 1st October. So, around five weeks. That’s a long time for me, dear readers, as you well know. Plus, you know I have audiobook the trilogy this is a companion novel of - All Souls or A Discovery of Witches, to give the trilogy its unofficial title - earlier this year. But when I heard this was coming out and it was going to follow two of my favourite secondary characters, Marcus and Phoebe, I knew I had to have it. I had it preordered and everything.
Then several things happened. First, my preorder of a signed copy got cancelled (Boo!) and then was asked by the lovely Caitlin at Headline if I wanted an advance reader copy. Hell yeah, I replied, and what I got was a beautiful hardback advance reader copy. And, as I was reading this, I managed to get a ticket to a Deborah Harkness event in Waterstones Tottenham Court Road branch on Friday 2nd November (and that sold out fast! I know three other bloggers and vloggers - - are going as well so this should be fun!)
Marcus is a vampire made in the 18th century during the American Revolution. Over 200 years, he finds himself in love with Phoebe Taylor, a human who has decided to be become a vampire to be with Marcus.
But her transformation will prove to be challenging. As she is secreted away to get over the first 100 days of being a vampire, Marcus is reliving the past, reliving his journey from the battlefields of American Revolution, the French Revolution and his bloody past, both human and vampires.
But once they have come to terms with themselves, will they still want to be together?
Just when you thought I wouldn't be finishing this trilogy before I go on my blog break in early April (I will be talking more about that later this month so hold your horses there), I did it! I FINISHED THIS TRILOGY!!!
Ok, quick history lesson time (again). I first audiobooked the first book in the All Souls trilogy back in 2011 and, while I did like A Discovery of Witches, I decided that I wasn't going to rush into audiobooking the rest of the trilogy, just because. Fast forward to last year and, because I was going through a bit of an audiobook binge, I decided to relisten to A Discovery of Witches and while I think I enjoyed it more the second time round, I wasn't going to rush into reading/audiobooking the rest of the trilogy. There was no rush, but I knew I wanted to. Jump forward a few months later and I bought (due to a hiccup with my Audible credit), both Shadow of Night and Book of Life. Last month, I blitz listening to Shadow of Night and went "Ok, I need a small break before I start Book of Life." ... I didn't even last 24 hours!
So here we are with the third and final book in the All Souls trilogy. Now, seeing as this is the final book in the trilogy, there is a lot of spoilers so sorry if I let something slip. But after the events of Shadow of Night, witch Diana and vampire Matthew time travel back to the present from Elizabethan London, to be reunited with family, friends and loved-ones - barring one heartbreaking exception. But before either can given, they have to deal with crises old and new, the two must from the missing pages of Ashmole 782 and the book itself. But with enemies coming at them from all sides - via politics and revenge - can Diana and Matthew's forbidden love for each other survive...?
I have to admit this that, while I do have problems with this series, I had a really good time getting sucked into the story and this audiobook was no exception. It has the same things I like about it that I do with the Queen of the Tearling trilogy. It was deep, rich with detail, complex and a joy to listen to. I liked returning to these characters and them trying to figure out what they were going to do and how. There's something about this series I thoroughly enjoy.
I was surprised how much I like how the story was broken down. Most of the time, Diana was telling the story but, every now and then, we had a break and the story was told in third people, following Matthew for one reason or another. It made sense to do this and this is something Deborah did in Shadow of Night.
I did listen the reader of all three audiobooks in the series - Jennifer Ikeda - though the one time my Other Half heard it, he did go "What the hell is that?!". But I think because she had stayed within the whole trilogy, I was used to her and liked how she read it.
I do have problems - don't I always? It seems to come under one thing which is something I have mentioned in every write-up I've written for this trilogy and that is detail. These books are quite long and there's a lot of detail. At times, it can be too much and I wonder on if some details were removed, would it effect the story that much?
Another thing I was a bit "Oh" over. And that was Benjamin. I know he appeared, very very briefly, in Shadow of Night, but it was a blink and you missed it. So when it's revealed how involved he is within the whole trilogy, it's a bit of a bolt from the blue and I wished there was more clues to hint at his importance.
So, with the TV series coming to Sky One coming out at the end of the year and the companion novel - Time's Convert - following Matthew's son, Marcus, and his human fiancee, Phoebe, it's going to be interesting to see what happens next. Am pretty certain I am going to be reading Time's Convert and I kinda hope Deborah does write more companion novels on other characters within this world (I would love there be the novels about Galloglass, Ysabeau and Phillipe, and Fernando).
While this trilogy isn't exactly perfect, I had a great time listening to the three audiobooks and and am intrigued to see what Deborah Harkness does next...
If some of you can remember that far back into time, I listened to the the audiobook version of A Discovery of Witches back in the old days of when this blog was a baby book blog (2011. I checked). I liked it, but I didn't love it due to one reason or another (length and writing style. Plus Matthew and the amount of tea/wine he and Diana drunk - for some reason, this really bugged me!). Then, late last year, I decided to relisten to the audiobook and, while those problems were still there (though, not the tea and the wine problem. I saw past that the second time round), I think I enjoyed it more on second listen. And I decided that I would read/audiobook the rest of the trilogy.
And that didn't happen. I suck. Until Audible deleted a credit I had spare. I was given an extra credit for review by mistake and I hadn't used it. Actually, I think I forgot I had it till it went away. After chatting with Audible (who were super nice), they gave it back to me and I went "Ok, I have to use this. What do I really want? And I want something with length." And I remembered this trilogy and went "I have to buy them both!"
So, on 31st January, I bought Shadow of Night and Book of Life, and started Shadow of Night on the 1st February. And finished it on Thursday 15th February - so super fast for me with audiobooks!
After the events of A Discovery of Witches, where witches, daemons and vampires live hidden from humans and a fragile peace between the three species is being to break when Diana Bishop discovers a bewitched manuscript - Ashmole 782 - at the Bodlein Library which was thought lost for centuries. When a power struggle to reclaim the book between vampires, witches and daemons, Diana finds herself falling for vampire Matthew Clairmont, where interspecies relationships is forbidden.
Seeking safety, the two timewalk back to 1790 to find Ashmole 782 and to find witches who can teach Diana her magic. But with Matthew having to reclaim his old life of poet and spy for Queen Elizabeth I, the two might have to stay longer than they expected... And if they do, what damage will they cause in the present?
Ok, where do I begin with this? It's good. I enjoyed myself hugely while listening to this. It's not perfect - I do have problems with it but I enjoyed myself and am a little addicted to seeing where this series goes.
You can tell the the author is a historian because of the detail she puts in and how layered the characters (both major and minor) and the world around them is. And this works both for and against the story/series (more on that later). The story moves quite nicely and I got caught up in it and became a little addictive to it. Whenever I had a free moment, I would try and listen to the audiobook (and luckily, I can do that at work, hence why I sped through this quite quickly). It also gave insight into Matthew's history as he is a vampire who has lived over a good few centuries, which was interesting up-to-a-point (again, more on this later), which was an eye-opener for Diana.
Plus, I enjoyed listening to this due to the characters - I adore Gallowglass and I would love to read a book solely about him (he seems like a hot DILF - I mean, cool character - to read). Same goes with Phillipe - Matthew's father. He intrigues me and I would like to read more about him and Matthew's mother, Ysabeau. I do feel this book is more character driven compared to A Discovery of Witches, which while still character driven, did have a plot pushing the book forward.
There's something about this book and this series I hugely enjoy, but that's not the say that there wasn't problems. There were problems. And I have read and watched reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and YouTube and some I do agree with. The book is LONG. The audiobook I listened to is over 24 hours long and this is because of Deborah's writing. It's full of details, descriptions, side-characters and plots that aren't needed. If some of these were removed, the story would have been shorter and the reader wouldn't have lost anything. This problem existed in A Discovery of Witches and I sense will still be here in Book of Life and the newly announced Time's Convert (A companion novel following a side-character, Marcus - another character I really enjoyed reading in A Discovery of Witches). I get why she's writes these details, to immerse us in the world she's creating, but there are moments and chapters where it feels like the details are more important than the plot.
But my biggest issue within this is Mathew. Now, I admire that while I have got swept away with the romance between Diana and Matthew within Discovery of Witches and in this book, I have huge problems with Matthew. I get he is a problematic character - he reminds Diana over and over again that vampires are possessive over their lovers, there were several huge occasions I went "This feels borderline emotional/mental domestic abuse". Add into this that Matthew seems to be involve in every historical event of importance and Diana discovering that Matthew suffers from an vampire illness called Blood Rage (I understand what it is, but have no idea how to explain), there was a good amount of this audiobook where I disliked Matthew hugely.
I get the feeling that this series is going to get a very similar reaction to me reading/audiobook The Queen of the Tearling series by Erika Johansen. Yes, there are problems and things I don't like, but I enjoy reading/listening to this series and am having a blast sinking my teeth into a fantasy series that has meat on the bone.
Maybe this is a sign of my reading taste changing and me growing up (SURELY NOT?!), but I hope to have listened to the audiobook of the third and final book in the trilogy, The Book of Life, before Easter, and with Sky One turning the series into a TV drama event, we shall see where they go with the series...
I have been in two minds about doing a write-up over this. But I am thinking of reading this series (I do have the second book in the series, which follows Anne Boleyn, on my kindle due to NetGalley) so I wanted to read this to see if I could click with the author's writing style.
In this (very) short story, we join Jo at modern day Tower of London where she takes a group of tourists round the Tower. But she becomes enchanted by the tour guide, who knows with accurate historical knowledge about Anne Boleyn's time in the Tower...
This is a free eNovella so I knew it was a marketing ploy. But what annoyed me about this was the length of the short story. The story itself was only 12% (only a few pages in total). So, the rest (88%) was either copyright, content, information about the author and the opening chapter of the three novels within the series (Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen, Anney Boleyn: A King's Obsession and Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen).
I decided that I wasn't going to read the opening chapters as I am going to read at least one novel within the series so, what are my thoughts on the short story.
Truth be told, it was ok. But it was very short and quite abrupt. There was no resolution and even though it featured/hinted at ghosts, it wasn't that spooky. I think this would have been better if there was more padding to it, more resolution and less marketing.
"An adult romance? Andrew, you don't like romance. Why did you read this?"
Well, dear reader, I fancied a change. Like I have said in the past on here and most of my social media outlets, I want to push myself as a reader and read things that are a little outside of my comfort zone. Plus, this sounded like fun. And I want to read more fun.
Emmy Reed, an American art history graduate, can't stop staring at a hot guy on the London Underground. And when he saves her from a dangerous situation at her stop, she's grateful. Until she discovers he's a millionaire playboy - the type of boy who breaks hearts without a moment's second thought. So when he asks her to be his plus one at an upcoming wedding that weekend, she's determined to turn it down... until he offers her a deal. If she comes, he will try and arrange a meeting with a sought-after artist - who happens to be his grandfather.
As the weekend goes on, Emmy starts to see the man who's her "boyfriend" - Jase - isn't the man she thought he was and with the chemistry between them, they won't want the weekend to end. But the weekend will end... but what does that mean for them?
This is the first of a three novella series - London Affair. Both the second - The Chase - and the third - The Confession - follow in weekly instalments (at the time most of you are reading this, all three should be out).
This was fun. I read this on holiday and it was a light, fun, easy read. I read in short, quick moments and was finished before the holiday was over (though I know if I had more time, would have read it sooner).
But, this isn't anything new, though. At times, it felt very troupe - with hints of Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey. Plus, there were times I was reading going "You have got to be kidding me". There were events that happened that I wanted to read but we changed character POV so we heard it secondhand plus the main male leads family - I find it impossible to believe that everyone he is related to is THAT unlikeable.
Now, it was fun, light, sexy read, and if I was offered to read the rest of the series, I would happily do so, as curious to see where this story ends. But am not sure if romance/erotica are the genres for me...
Why, hello and welcome to my stop of the Quieter Than Killing blog tour. As you guys know, I enjoy reading a good crime novel and am always on the hunt to discover new authors in the genre. So, when this blog tour came on my radar, I couldn't resist.
Quieter Than Killing is the fourth DI Marnie Rome series where she and her partner, Noah, are investigating a series of random assaults. But they're not random as they first appear as all the victims have been convicted of violent crimes and have just been released. But as they investigate further, outside dramas effect them both: Marnie's parents' home has been targeted by a gang of youths and her tenants have been attacked in an apparent robbery and Marnie can't help but feel that there's a connection between what happening and her foster brother, Stephen. All the while, Noah's brother might be involved in gang, though he claims that he isn't.
As Marnie and Noah investigate the three cases, they can't help but wonder whether the cases are connected in some way. Because some crimes are much quieter and more insidious than killing... and if this true, they all better be careful...
Doesn't that sound tense and creepy?! Right up my street for crime! I can't wait for it to get darker and sink my teeth into this!
But that's not what this stop is about. I am very lucky to have Sarah Hilary talking about some chilling Autumn reads, books that will give you a shiver (and not just because of the turning weather!).
So, before I hand it over to Sarah, I must thank her for finding time to write this tiny post (and I blame her for me looking up one or two of her titles and go "That sounds good...") and I want to thank Katie at Headline/BookBridgr for allowing me to pop on this!
Now, are we sitting comfortably? ... good. Then Sarah will begin...
Years and year ago, I read a random crime-lit book from my local library. I liked the cover and it had cats at its heart. So, with me discovering the crime genre, I read it and I had fun. I can't remember a thing about it but it was fun. That book was called The Cat Who Read Shakespeare.
Fast forward to the present day and, for no reason, I went on my kindle and randomly searched this series up. And some of them on sale for 99p. So, after quickly annoying Twitter with a poll and chatting to a few people about this series (did you know that the author wrote the first three in the 1960s but didn't write the fourth till the mid-1980s?), I bought two: this title (the fourth in the series) and The Cat Who Went Underground (the ninth).
When the local newspaper he works for makes him the food critic, Qwill decides to go to Maus Haus, a boarding house with a restaurant. There, he meets an old flame, Joy, her husband and a mix of characters. When he discovers there's an apartment to read at the boarding house, Qwill decides to take it and move in with his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum.
But things at Maus Haus aren't happy. Joy's marriage is strained and, after she ask Qwill for some money to get a divorce lawyer, she vanishes. Everyone, including the husband, aren't that concerned. But Qwill can't shake off the feeling that Joy is dead, as that night, he heard a scream and a car driving away...
Ok, I knew when I started reading this that this book is a Sunday night crime. It's cosy crime. It wasn't going to be too taxing and with the last few books, having something I could switch my brain off while reading was a nice change.
This isn't perfect, mind. I wouldn't go out and buy all the books in the series. Because this book (and the others in this series, I sense) was a cosy crime and wasn't taxing, I never really invested in the story. The characters felt a little flat at times and, I kinda always thought who the bad guy was. I didn't know how or why they did it, but I always went "It's you".
The best way to describe this book is the same way I kinda describe Dan Brown or James Patterson - this is an airport read. You buy them at the airport, read on holiday and you either leave it in the hotel room when you leave or you give to a charity shop when you get back.
I am going to read The Cat Who Went Underground. But not yet. First, I need to finish The Invasion of the Tearling, which I have been reading on and off since the end of May. I did say back then that it was going to be my book on the side, but now I feel ready to commit to it now. BRING IT ON!
Not sure how audiobooks are saving me from my weird reading slump, but I am very grateful! GO AUDIOBOOKS!
Today, am going to review/chat about Betrayal by Martina Cole. Now, I must admit I have read Martina Cole many MANY years ago - around the time The Know was published in hardback. Yes, THAT FAR INTO THE PAST!!! I remember reading it over Christmas (was Xmas present) and loving it because it was so grown up and so very unlike my normal reads. I was meant to go back to reading more Martina but got sidetracked. So, when the lovely people at Midas PR asked if there was any audiobooks coming out in October/November I wanted to review, I jumped on Betrayal.
Aiden O'Hara has been the head of the family for as long as he can remember. And with him rising quickly in the London underworld, he wants to be on head. Head of the family. Head of the game. And he's going to stay there.
His lover, Jade, has been in the game for longer than Aiden. Mother to his son, calmer of his temper and rage and a force in her own right, Jade knows the truth. She knows that no one is indestructible. Especially in their line of work.
Keep your friends close, your enemies closer and your family close of all, because betrayal comes in all shape and sizes...
I am going to admit this: I am in two minds over Betrayal. I enjoyed the story and kept listening to the audiobook, but at the same time, I kept help but think that I had read this story before...
I enjoy Martina's writing and I like that, while this is very much outside my comfort zone, I sped through and enjoyed the story. This is readable fun and shows Martina is still a force to be reckon with in the crime gangster genre.
However, Betrayal felt lacking. I know some readers of Martina have voiced their disappointment over this book and I understand and agree with some of their problems. The story felt stale and wasn't anything new - I am sure we have all read/watched this story before. There's ever a scene where characters discuss what film is better: Goodfellas or The Godfather (does every gangster-type story have this conversation in?). The characters didn't feel quite fleshed out. Certain words and phrases were used repetitively over the course of several paragraphs. Certain elements of the story were dragged out while the ending felt rushed.
The best way to describe it is this story felt very cookie-cutted. The story, the characters, the situations, they were all cookie-cutted. All very tried and tested. While I don't think that this is a bad thing in some books and series, it felt out of place here. And for an author like Martina Cole to use this formula is off.
I liked listening to the story, don't get me wrong. But it's was lacking. It felt very flat and very paint-by-numbers. And while this might be ok for some readers, other readers will not be so forgiving...
Now, I'm not sure how to review this. This is going to be a toughie.
Ok backpedal a little. Back in April, I got a proof of To The Bright Edge of the World after begging/annoying the heck out of the people at Headline/Tinder Press on Twitter. You see, I loved Eowyn Ivey's debut, The SnowChild, and I have been eagerly anticipated her next novel ever since. So, when Bright Edge came through my letterbox in April, I tweeted very excitedly for about half an hour, then cursed my planning as I had Murder May so I couldn't start till June. And for nearly two months, I have been reading this VERY SLOWLY (will explain further down).
Told in a series of diary entries, letters and reports, To The Bright Edge of the World primarily follows Lieutenant Colonel Allen Forrester and his young wife, Sophie in 1885. Allen Forrester has been given the commission to follow the impassable Wolverine River of Alaska, where previous missions have failed in tragedy.
But in do this, Allen Forrester has to leave Sophie behind. Newly discovered that she is pregnant, Sophie doesn't relish the idea of behind left behind and having to stay on a military barracks. But little do either realise that each of them need every fibre of courage throughout the upcoming year.
As you guys are aware, I was a HUGE fan of the Snow Child and I flew through that. So, reading this was a mix of excitement and terror.
So, reactions. Reactions are mixed and muddled and varied. But I have reasons.
Let's start with the writing and the story. Both are these are the strongest part of the story. The two stories of Sophie and Allen were interesting and strong. If Eowyn decided to split them up into two separate novels/novellas, they worked really well separately but, together, they blend and help stand the other up. Plus, we have letters and notes from other times - one of my fave was from modern day between Walt and Josh (Walt Forrester has Sophie and Allen's diaries due to be related and letters and he has sent them to Josh Sloan who is a curator of a museum in Alaska). I found their letters a joy to read and I love their interaction and their relationship.
Sophie and Allen I really enjoyed. I found that, out of the two, I enjoyed reading Sophie's story a little more than Allen's but I found both of them enjoyable to read.
Because this is written in a style am not use to reading (diary entries and letters) and the story is a little slower pace than what I am use to, this book took its time to be read. I believe this book has to be read slowly and it has be enjoyed this way. You can't rush this book. You have to slip into it like a hot bath.
But, because of this slower style, some readers might not the speed this book takes. For the first 3 quarters of the book, the story is much slower but the last quarter picks up the pace. But the pacing is slower than The Snow Child. You have to invest time into this book. And I say this as, while I did enjoy reading this, there were times I wished the book would pick up the pace a little.
This is an very interesting second book from Eowyn Ivey and it shows her as a storyteller to watch. This book might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I am intrigued over what Eowyn writes next...
New Month, surprise contest! And why the hell not?
Because of the lovely people at Headline & bookbridgr, I have two copies of Alison Weir's Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen, the first book in the Six Tudor Queens series.
We can't seem to get enough of the drama that surrounds the Tudor family, especially Henry VIII. And this fictional novel follows his first wife, Katherine, who arrives to England from Spain to find her future husband, Prince Arthur (Henry's older brother) ill and not interested in her.
But what happens to her once she's in England? What happens to her marriage to Arthur? And what happens to her when Arthur died?
So, to be in the chance to win one of TWO copies of this book, all you have to do is fill in the form below. This contest ends on Sunday 5th June at 5pm, with the winners being picked around that time...
This is a UK only contest - sorry everyone outside of the UK. The publisher will be sending these so nothing to do with me! But I will be emailing & tweeting the winners.
So, good luck everyone. And may the odds ever be in your favour...
Ok, I am writing this blogpost in September, but I think I shall post this near the UK publication date so end of October, which means I am breaking my own rule of writing review when I finished the book and airing it when it's written. Oh well!
Jemima Pitt arrives in New York. The year is 1904. She's there to chaperone her friend, Delphinia, across the ocean to marry one of New York's richest men. But when Jemima discovers a secret that could ruin the wedding, she tries to protect her friend.
And it backfires. Soon, Jemima has to prove her innocence in an unfamiliar city...
I requested this from BookBridgr on impulse. Plus, was going through a phase where I wanted to read Christmas reads and was requesting them (this was my third, if I remember correctly) and I thought this would be a light, cozy read.
Which it was. It's a novella that I can imagine fans reading on Christmas Day after Christmas lunch and the Queen's Speech to past the time before the Christmas edition of Strictly Come Dancing or Downton Abbey started.
However, while I liked it, I sense this novella wasn't for me. I love a good cozy murder mystery (remember, I own two DVDs of Murder, She Wrote - DON'T JUDGE ME!), but it was a tad too cozy for my tastes. I feel that this story was aimed for an older target audience rather than someone in their late twenties.
But, it was a different read for me, and I always like to try something new. And while it has started to get me in the mood for Christmas (I hate Halloween so am ignoring that holiday!) and I wanted something fast to read before I dare tackle a beast of a book (which I sense I have reviewed already... hopefully...), this story just wasn't my cup of mulled wine.
As you should know, I am a huge fan of The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. I fell in love with this quietly beautiful book (I believe I actually used in my review in 2012 when this book was first published. If you want to read my review, check here!).
Anyway, I was on bookbridgr and I saw that they were doing a new cover and I had to get involved in showing it to you. So, here's the new cover!
Now, I love the original cover, but this is just as pretty! I love the eeriness of the footprints and the dash of red, but it still catches the magic of the story.
Also, bookbridgr has allowed me to show you guys an extract! I hope this wets your appetite (and I reread it and wailed "BOOK 2, EOWYN! I WANT YOUR NEXT BOOK NOW!!!)!
‘I am the little daughter of the Snow,’ she replied
to everything, and she ran out into the yard into the snow.
How
she danced and ran about in the moonlight on the white frozen snow!
The
old people watched her and watched her. At last they went to bed; but more than
once the old man got up in the night to make sure she was still there. And there she was, running about in the
yard, chasing her shadow in the moonlight and throwing snowballs at the stars.
In the
morning she came in, laughing, to have breakfast with the old people. She
showed them how to make porridge for her, and
that was very simple. They had only to take a piece of ice and crush it up in a
little wooden bowl. Then
after breakfast she ran out in the road, to join the other children. And the
old people watched her. Oh, proud they were,
I
can tell you, to see a little girl of their own out there playing in the road!
They fairly longed for a sledge to come driving by,
so that they could run out into the road and call to the little snow girl to be
careful.
And
the little snow girl played in the snow with the other children. How she
played! She could run faster than any of them.
Her
little red boots flashed as she ran about. Not one of the other children was a
match for her at snowballing. And when the
children began making a snow woman, a Baba Yaga, you would have thought the
little daughter of the Snow would have died of
laughing. She laughed and laughed, like ringing peals on little glass bells.
But she helped in the making of the snow woman, only laughing all the time.
When
it was done, all the children threw snowballs at it, till it fell to pieces.
And the little snow girl laughed and laughed, and
was so quick she threw more snowballs than any of them.
The
old man and the old woman watched her, and were very proud.
