Reading
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Review: Enchantress of Paris: A Novel of the Sun King’s Court by Marci Jefferson
Marie Mancini was destine to disgrace her family. The stars foretold her shame and for most of her life, her family has kept her closest at a convent to avoid said ‘disgrace’. Ignoring the stars and horoscopes, Marie’s uncle and guardian, Cardinal Mazarin along with her other sisters call her to court where she catches the eye of King Louis XIV. Even though the King is sharing his bed with Marie’s sister Olympia, he is clearly captivated by the studious and witty Marie. With the death of one of Marie’s sisters, the Cardinal wants her to return to the convent and become a full fledged sister. Upon hearing of Marie’s scheduled departure, the…
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Review: Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms #3) by Morgan Rhodes
The King of Blood continues to rule over the kingdom of Mytica with an iron fist. His son and heir, Magnus, is married to the former princess, Cleo, against both of their wills. Cleo and Magnus know that the King searches for the legendary Kindred in hopes of gaining absolutely power through their magic. The King plans on using Magnus’s sister, Lucia, a powerful sorceress, to find the Kindred but her magic threatens to consume her. The King looks for witches who can tutor her and teach her to temper her powers but so far, there have been none. From across the sea comes two visiting royals, Ashur and Amara who also seek…
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Book Blast: Hilary Rhodes’ The Lion and the Rose & The Outlander King
The Lion and the Rose (Book One: William Rising) Publication Date: June 18, 2014 eBook; 338 Pages | ASIN: B00L4K5GKE Genre: Historical Fiction The Lion and the Rose, Part One: William Rising is the first book in an epic historical saga from debut author Hilary Rhodes. Extensively researched and compellingly told, it introduces us to the passionate drama and violent upheaval of eleventh-century Europe. The world as we know it, and the English language, would have been vastly different were it not for the driving ambition of one man: William the Conqueror. But conquerors are made, not born, and William was made in fire and blood. How does…
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Review: Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2) by Morgan Rhodes
After a bloody siege, Auranos has been defeated and the young queen, Cleo, is a captive in what was once her home and kingdom. The three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica with the King of Blood as their ruler. At the heart of this conflict though is the quest for magic. Four brave young people search for that magic and the power it promises. For Cleo, the magic would enable her to reclaim her royal seat. In Jonas’s hands, it frees his nation, and in Lucia’s, it fulfills the ancient prophecy of her destiny. And if the magic were Magnus’s, he would finally prove…
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Review: The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach by Pam Jenoff
With war on the horizon, Adelia Monteforte’s parents send her away from Italy to America in hopes of saving her from the Nazi invasion. When she arrives in America, she is clearly an outsider. Her aunt and uncle take her in, they have no children of their own so they try their best with the teenage Adelia. In hopes of distracting Adelia from her alienation and loss of her parents, they take her to the shore over the summer where she meets the Connally family. The four brothers welcome her with open arms and nickname her Addie. They make her feel like a normal girl though she is a foreigner and a…
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Announcement: Winner THE REDEEMERS (Quinn Colson #5) by Ace Atkins
And the winner of the giveaway for THE REDEEMERS (Quinn Colson #5) by Ace Atkins is….. Patrick M (commented on blog) The winner will be notified via email. Thank you to everyone who entered and a huge thank you to the publisher for making this giveaway possible!
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Book Blast: NAKED: A NOVEL OF LADY GODIVA by ELIZA REDGOLD
NAKED: A NOVEL OF LADY GODIVA by ELIZA REDGOLD Publication Date: July 14, 2015 Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Formats: Ebook, Paperback Pages: 320 Genre: Historical Fiction We know her name. We know of her naked ride. We don’t know her true story. We all know the legend of Lady Godiva, who famously rode naked through the streets of Coventry, covered only by her long, flowing hair. So the story goes, she begged her husband Lord Leofric of Mercia to lift a high tax on her people, who would starve if forced to pay. Lord Leofric demanded a forfeit: that Godiva ride naked on horseback through the town. There…
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Review: Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1) by Morgan Rhodes
In the kingdom of Mytica, magic had been forgotten until three three very different rulers look for what was once lost. In the north where Prince Magnus lives, the King of Blood rules and longs for power and unlimited magic. In the middle region, which is full of rebels lives Jonas…and there the people are ruled by a chief claiming to have magic but none have seen it, and in the south a prosperous region exists where Princess Cleo lives in a wonderfully naive world where magic is the stuff of myth and legend. When a man is murdered in cold blood by Princess Cleo’s friend, his death sparks a…
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Review: War of the Roses: Margaret of Anjou by Conn Iggulden
War is coming….or is it winter? This is the book that inspired the wildly popular A Song of Ice and Fire series (AKA Game of Thrones). This latest book in the War of the Roses series was a constant action sequence. I haven’t read the first book in the series and that did put me at a bit of a disadvantage because I didn’t fully understand the relationships between some of the characters but I do know my British history so it didn’t take too long to get situated in the story. the year is 1454 and King Henry VI has remained all but exiled in Windsor Castle, struck down…
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Review: Miss Emily by Nuala O’Connor
Emily Dickinson is one of America’s most beloved poets. But who was the woman behind all that passion and genius? This book offers a glimpse (albeit a fictional glimpse) into the life of Emily and her life as a recluse in Amherst, Massachusetts. The story alternates between Emily’s POV and that of her new Irish maid, Ada. Ada has left her family in Ireland in favor of seeking employment in a prosperous new world. When she lands her job at the Dickinson residence as a’ maid of all’, she knows she is fortunate to be in with such a well to do family. Emily and Ada quickly hit things off and…