The Vanishing Witch

by Karen Maitland

Rating: 3.5/5

Pages: 597

Publisher:  Headline Review

Publication Date: 2014

ISBN: 9781472215017

 

 

Summary (via Goodreads)

The reign of Richard II is troubled, the poor are about to become poorer still and landowners are lining their pockets. It's a case of every man for himself, whatever his status or wealth. But in a world where nothing can be taken at face value, who can you trust? The dour wool merchant? His impulsive son? The stepdaughter with the hypnotic eyes? Or the raven-haired widow clutching her necklace of bloodstones?

And when people start dying unnatural deaths and the peasants decide it's time to fight back, it's all too easy to spy witchcraft at every turn.
 

Review

My thanks to bookbridgr for sending me a review copy of this book.

I have always had an interest in the idea of witches and the incredible lengths people used to go to in order to find and prevent witchcraft;

"If a witch tries to bewitch you, spit on her so that the spittle lands between her eyes. that will break the spell." (quote from The Vanishing Witch, Karen Maitland)

The Vanishing Witch tells a story from several viewpoints, including a ghost! Each character is alluring and interesting to read on their own, but when put together the reader is left with a book rich in murder, betrayal, anger, fear and conspiracy that is addictive to read.

Set in the backdrop of a poor and struggling Lincoln the characters are each trying to make the most of what is left to them, whether it be a slowly drowning business, the saving of a long dead marriage or the irrespirable temptation of a lover. Robert, a proud and respected man finds himself the centrepiece between a suspicious son, an alluring woman he cannot ignore and a step-daughter so strange and whimsical that trouble travels with her.

For me the most intriguing character and the one I found the most perplexing. the ghost gives the definition to people-watching!

I found I was asking who is this person? Why are they watching the other characters?

The book is well written and despite the presence of several story arcs, is easy to follow as the book progresses.

Maitland has created a book that spans a story of surprises and characters that keeps you guessing until the drama packed end! 

The Lady of Misrule

by Suszannah Dunn

Rating: 4/5

Publisher: Little Brown Book Club

Publication Date: 2015

A SIN: B00LM9S9GU

 

 

Summary (via Goodreads)

Every girl in England, now, under the circumstances, made sure to be a good Catholic girl. Except her, of course. And, if only she knew it, me.

Escorting 'nine days queen' Jane Grey across the Tower of London from throne room into imprisonment is Elizabeth Tilney, who surprised even herself by volunteering for the job. All Elizabeth knows is she's keen to be away from home, she could do with some breathing space. And anyway, it won't be for long: everyone knows Jane will go free as soon as the victorious new queen is crowned. Which is a good thing because the two sixteen-year-olds, cooped up together in a room in the Gentleman Gaoler's house, couldn't be less compatible. Protestant Jane is an icily self-composed idealist, and catholic Elizabeth is... well, anything but.

They are united though by their disdain for the seventeen-year-old to whom Jane has recently been married off: petulant, noisily-aggrieved Guildford Dudley, held prisoner in a neighbouring tower and keen to pursue his perogative of a daily walk with his wife.

As Jane's captivity extends into the increasingly turbulent last months of 1553, the two girls learn to live with each other, but Elizabeth finds herself drawn into the difficult relationship between the newlyweds. And when, at the turn of the year, events take an unexpected and dangerous direction, her newfound loyalties are put to the test.
 

Review

 

Firstly may I thank Netgalley for allowing me access to this book.

Now...to the review...

How would you react if you were locked up in a confined space with a stranger? What if this person was not only a stranger to you but also someone who has come from a completely different walk of life to you? Awkward doesn't begin to cover it.

When Elizabeth volunteers to be locked in the tower alongside Jane Grey she has no idea what is in store for her, all she thinks about is how she wants to run away from her secrets and the lies she has told.

On meeting Jane, Elizabeth finds herself on the backdrop of one of the most historical conspiracies against Mary Tudor just after she became queen. Jane Grey is plain and only interested in her books, generating a very difficult relationship between the two girls as they learn to co-exist with one another.

I have read several of Suzannah Dunn's books in the past and have never found her a disappointing read. Her books always tell history in an exiting way and often from the viewpoint of a background character, The Lady of Misrule being another example of this.

By telling the story through Elizabeth's eyes the viewer travels through Jane Grey's story in a less subjective way. I found myself wondering what would have been going through Jane's mind as she waited to discover her fate with only her books to keep her distracted. Did she miss her husband? Was she lonely? Was she angry with her parents for proclaiming her a queen? These are the type of questions that anyone would have wondered at the time, especially if they were forced to live with Jane day in, day out.

I don't want to give too much away about the ending but I will say that it came upon me by surprise, I was expecting more and wanted to know more about Elizabeth's life when she left the tower and returned to normal society. However I think the fact the book finished so suddenly worked well as someone who had been in Elizabeth's shoes would have felt disorientated on trying to go back to her normal life before Jane. I think the ending reinforces this.

I would highly recommend this book.

The Boy in the Book

by Nathan Penlington

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 320

Publisher:  Headline Publishing

Publication Date: 2014

ISBN: 9780755365708

 

 

Summary (via Goodreads)

As a boy Nathan Penlington had loved Choose Your Own Adventure novels. So when he came across a set of the first 106 volumes for sale on eBay, he snapped them up. Picking up the first, The Cave of Time, he was looking forward to a nostalgic trip back to his own childhood. What he discovered instead would send him off on adventure all of his own.

As he turned the pages, there was another story being written - in the margins were scribblings by the little boy who had originally owned them, a boy called Terence. There were hints on the coming adventure and jokes, but also something darker. Terence wrote about being bullied at school, the things he hated about himself, of a desperate need for friends. Later Nathan came across a few pages of diary:

Stole money from parents, bought airline ticket, ran away to Scotland.
Saturday - detention x2. Left school with intention to kill myself.
Drugs... Guns?

Even though it must have been twenty years since Terence wrote those words, it was clear that they were a cry for help. Nathan decided to answer that call: to find Terence, or at least find out what happened to him.

Nathan's search for Terence is at once funny, moving and more than a little quixotic. There would be dead ends and crossed wires, and along the way Nathan would have to face his own childhood demons. It is a story about the dark places that can exist in any childhood, but also of the sanctuary to be found in books. And at the end of his adventure Nathan would find one more surprise: a friend
 

Review

 

Firstly may I thank the author and Bookbridgr for allowing me to read a review copy of this book.

 

The Boy in the Book is the first book by Nathan Penlington that I have read and I have to say I was not disappointed.

What drew me to the book was the element of child suffering and how this apparent devastating history had been documented in the form of a diary.

The book is about obsession, and how this can impact every aspect of our lives. On finding some scribbled notes inside his Choose Your Own Adventure books, Nathan Penlington finds himself on a curious real-life adventure where his need to find out the truth leads him to meet surprising people and learn more about himself.

I have always been interested in diary's and have kept one myself since the age of thirteen. Through a diary we reveal our inner most secrets, our dreams, our fears and our general outlook on life. One of the most famous examples of this being the diary of Anne Frank.

With this in mind I eagerly began my journey through Nathan's Penlington's book, exited about what I would learn. What I  didn't expect was for the book to be so personal to the author, telling me about his issues in his own youth, the medical trauma's he had faced over his life and how, on finding Terence Prendergast's diary, Nathan had faced his own childhood.

I don't want to reveal to much about the plot of the book as I feel that in order to fully appreciate the story told, one needs to experience it themselves. However I will mention that what I have found the most interesting and what has prompted me to re-read my own diary is the way in which so much can be discovered about a person from merely what they write down in a book. As Nathan himself mentions, diary's are personal, people who write them do not usually expect them to be read by others, at least not in their lifetime, because of this no reserve is used when keeping a diary, people are truly honest.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history, non-fiction and detective work. You will not be disappointed.

 

 

The Originals

by Julie Plec

Rating: 3/5

Pages: 352

Publisher:  HQN Books

Publication Date: 2015

ISBN: 9780373788897

 

 

Summary (via Goodreads)

Family is power. The Original vampire family swore it to each other a thousand years ago. They pledged to remain together always and forever. But even when you're immortal, promises are hard to keep.

Arriving in New Orleans in 1722, Original vampire siblings Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson believe they've escaped their dangerous past. But the city is lawless, a haven for witches and werewolves unwilling to share territory. The siblings are at their mercy…especially after Klaus meets the beautiful and mysterious Vivianne. Her impending marriage is key to ending the war between the supernatural factions—and Klaus's attraction to her could destroy the uneasy alliance. As Elijah works toward securing a piece of the city for his family, and Rebekah fights her unexpected feelings for a French captain, will Klaus's volatile desires bring their world crashing down—and tear them apart for good?

 

Review (warning spoilers)

If, like me, you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries or The Originals, then you will most likely be in love with Klaus Mikaelson and the other members of the original family.

 

 

The Originals by Julie Plec tells the unknown story of the original vampires and what happened when they first came to New Orleans in the 1700s. Any fan of the show will know that Julie Plec has worked closely with the television show since the beginning and therefore it makes perfect sense for her to be the author of the new series inspired by everyone's favourite bad guy.

The book takes place in 1722, New Orleans and the rest of America are beginning to blossom as the world opens up to it. Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah are living a somewhat peaceful existence under the rule of the witches and werewolves whom have set aside their differences to begin a new alliance through the marriage of a beautiful and determined woman, Vivianne....what could possibly go wrong??

Enter Klaus...besotted by the young woman and determined to have her, no matter the cost. Typical Klaus really.

Anyway, that's enough spoilers. On to the review...

Overall the book was enjoyable and I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series. I think that the literary representations of Rebekah and Elijah to be spot on in their portrayals. my only slight disappointment was in Klaus as at times I felt he was too sentimental and not 'Klaus' enough. I have to admit that I prefer Joseph Morgan. Who could say no to that face???

 



I felt that the book was well written and the character plots thought out and easy to follow. I actually would like to see some of these storylines come into the actual series as it would be interesting to know more about what happened when The Originals were in New Orleans and how they gained power the first time round.

 

I would recommend this book to any fan of Klaus and The Original family.

 

The Courtesan and the Samurai

by Lesley Downer

Rating: 3.5/5


 

Pages: 480 pages

Publisher:  Corgi

Publication Date: 2011

ISBN: 9780552155328

Summary (via Goodreads)

1868. In Japan's exotic pleasure quarters, sex is for sale and the only forbidden fruit is love ...

Hana is just seventeen when her husband goes to war, leaving her alone and vulnerable. When enemy soldiers attack her house she flees across the shattered city of Tokyo and takes refuge in the Yoshiwara, its famous pleasure-quarters.There she is forced to become a courtesan.

Yozo, brave, loyal and a brilliant swordsman, is pledged to the embattled shogun. He sails to the frozen north to join his rebel comrades for a desperate last stand. Defeated, he makes his way south to the only place where a man is beyond the reach of the law - the Yoshiwara.

There in the Nightless City where three thousand courtesans mingle with geishas and jesters, the battered fugitive meets the beautiful courtesan. But each has a secret so terrible that once revealed it will threaten their very lives ...
 

Review

The Courtesan and the Samurai is full of lust, adventure, danger, war, betrayal, fear, love and above all, loyalty, not to mention revenge. The book tells the story of Hana, the humble wife of a Samurai who, when confronted with death finds the courage to fight and survive which leads her on a journey of self discovery down a dark and dangerous path from which there is no return.

Then, just when Hana fears that her life will take a turn for the worst she meets Yozo, a handsome young man running from his own demons. Together they confront their pasts and fight for their freedom.

Overall I found the book to be interesting and enjoyable to read. I felt that Downer created the characters well and made them all stimulating individually as well as a collective without which the book would not be as successful. The wider characters within the book, particularly on Yozo's side, helped to make the book more interesting and bringing warmth and humour the story.

I have to admit that I found Hana's storyline more interesting to read about than Yozo's but this was more influenced by personal preference than a reflection on the book's content as Yozo's storyline was necessary in order to fully comprehend Hana's.

I did find certain parts of the book to be predictable but this did not hinder my enjoyment of the book overall whatsoever, if anything it made me anticipate the eventual ending all the more.

I would recommend this book to any lover of forbidden love or Chinese fiction.
 

The Land of Dragor: The Gift of Charms

by Julia Suzuki

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 288 pages in paperback

Publisher:  Dino Books

Publication Date: 2014

ISBN: 9781782199243

Summary (via Goodreads)


In a secret land, far away from the habitation of man, dwell the world's remaining dragons -- hoping the dragsaur beasts have vanished forever. Here they try to live their daily lives, but all is not well and their talents are fading.

Things change, however, when, from a strange egg, Yoshiko is born - a dragon with a unique destiny.

Great adventure lies ahead as many challenges must be overcome, leading to a dangerous mission to the human world in attempt to return to the clans their missing magic!

Can Yoshiko make it in time?  

Review (Possible Spoilers)

Okay so I don't normally review books designed for younger audiences but I decided to make an exception when I got a twitter notification from Julia Suzuki asking for volunteers to review her book. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Dragons so The Gift of Charms intrigued me.

The Land of Dragor is not completely dissimilar to our own. Dragons live there peacefully, now separate to humans. Yoshiko is a young dragon with a big secret he is truing to hide from his fellow younglings (young dragons)...he can change colour. Yoshiko meets an older Dragon who doesn't think his abilities to be a curse, but a gift, a gift that will help all Dragons. Through his lessons Yoshiko learns his true abilities and realises his mission, a risky mission he was literally born to achieve.

I won't go into any more detail as I don't want to give too much away. So now for the actual review. I have to admit that initially I wasn't sure about this book. The reason for this was due to the fact the Dragons seemed too domestic (eating with spoons and bowls, going shopping.etc). My problem with this was that for me Dragons are always imagined to be like there are in The Hobbit, Eragon and even in Merlin. However, after getting past this I began to give way more to the story.

I found the characters to be intriguing in how each represented a different "breed" of Dragon. Julia Suzuki is very clever in this aspect of her book as the story now took on a new undertone in terms of how we react to someone different. Yoshiko wasn't like any other Dragon, therefore was marginalised and made to feel like he had to hide his secret from everyone else, even his parents for fear of  being called names and bullied. This undertone isn't resolved in this book, but is something I assume is carried on into the next one. However what A Gift of Charms does achieve is the acquirement of self-worth. Yoshiko learns to appreciate himself for his differences rather than hating them.

I would recommend this book to younger readers, or lovers of young fiction due to the fact not only is it an imaginative story, full of fantasy and wonder but also shows that being different should be celebrated. Suzuki has invented a world that is incredible. Hope you enjoy it!

The Arab Season

by Alisa Ahlam

Rating:  3/5

Pages: 296 pages (kindle edition)

Publisher:  ISILINO

Publication Date: first published in 2011

ASIN: B00608T6RE

Summary (via Goodreads)



Secrecy is their byword, family honour, their cross to bear.

If you were a Muslim girl wanting to keep family honour, but loving Western ways, how would you play it? With one foot in each culture, Hani thought she and her friends knew how. They enjoyed what they shouldn’t. They paid a price. One of them paid with her life.

Zuleka’s father, an Imam, keeps his household of girls under strict rule. All have to wear the hijab with abaya or other forms of loose fitting, modest clothing. To him, Zuleka is the epitome of a dutiful daughter. She dreads him discovering her other life.

Hamdi has the most freedom, abandoned by her mother and discounted by her father; she’s loose cannon with attitude.

Ayan manages her life well, respecting her faith and culture, whilst enjoying some light relief.

And, Hani? She can trick her hypochondriac mother, but her radical brother poses her problems.

They enjoy life, but are on a crash course to disaster!

Review

The Arab Season is a story that follows the lives of four young Muslim women: Hani, Ayan, Hamdi and Zuleka, as they take on the challenges and issues facing modern Muslims in contemporary London.

Starting as carefree, untroubled and free to enjoy themselves the girls quickly learn that their rebellious antics have consequences with Zuleka quickly finding herself abandoned and isolated from her community. I actually found her character to be the most interesting personally based on the long journey she takes personally within the book, trying desperately to keep a firm grasp on her dreams when all else is against her.

All four characters develop and change within the book, with each representing a different aspect of not only Muslim culture but also of female culture in itself. Ayan is traditional, the good girl who follows the rules. Hamdi is rebellious, the polar opposite of Ayan, forever trying to be individual and break away from the crowd. This leaves Hani and Zuleka, both living in the middle of Ayan and Hamdi, who despite some differences in the beginning, find themselves clinging to one another by the end of the book, pushed together more by understanding and pain.

The relationship between the four girls develops and changes throughout the book and for me personally is what I find the most interesting area to read. As a non-Muslim, this book was an insight in the incredibly intricate faith and culture of Muslim people, mainly in this case the female side of it. I would recommend this book happily to anyone interested in learning a bit more about this. Although the story is based on contemporary faith, the book still reveals a great deal about how deep routed Muslim culture is for it's followers, something that I believe is most likely relevant for many other cultures, if not all of them. But for Muslim culture in particular, I think this book shows clearly the battle some girls in contemporary life are going through, wanting to express themselves without crossing the line of shaming their families and culture. I think the writer portrays this message beautifully.

My only issue with this book has nothing to do with it's literary content, but rather with the editing of the book which is the only reason I couldn't mark it higher. Whilst reading I found various issues in terms of grammar and punctuation which I felt I needed to mention in order for this to be a fair review. However I would like to mention that despite the errors I didn't feel I couldn't enjoy the book. On the contrary I actually really enjoyed this book and found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what happens in the end, only to be shocked by tragedy. I have a close relationship with a couple of friends myself, so for me, the ending hit home.

So, to finish this review I would say;

I definitely recommend The Arab Season as it portrays a story that encompasses friendship, love, betrayal, sorrow, tragedy and newfound hope. Everything you could possibly want in a book.