Category Archives: Reviews

Kim’s Review of Losing It (Losing It #1) by Cora Carmack

li1ccBack in December 2012 the New York Times published an article about the advent of a new genre in publishing, new adult.  In simplistic terms they say new adult novels are young adult novels with sex.  My own personal feelings, however, run a bit deeper.  First let me say that this new genre is being marketed to 18-25 year-olds.  Nobody doubts that being a teenager is hard, but so is coming into your own and becoming an adult.  Those in the 18-25 age bracket are usually entering college/graduating college, thinking about sex, their future, taking care of themselves financially, mature relationships, and beginning life on their own two feet.  As someone who can seriously relate to all of these thoughts, having gone through them myself fairly recently (I’m 26),  I’ve been happy about the explosion of this genre.  Books written with honesty and depth about the problems this age bracket faces are a welcome addition to the book world in my humble opinion.

With that as my introduction I’ll move on to tell you about the new adult binge I’ve been on for a good portion of April.  Losing It by Cora Carmack was my first foray into the genre and WHAT a good choice! Plot from Goodreads:

Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible– a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if that weren’t embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theater professor. She’d left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

Right off the bat I was in love with this book. No, seriously right from the start.  This line sold me “Somewhere between Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl, it became unheard of for a girl to graduate college with her V-Card still in hand.” Sadly, it’s so true.  Being a girl and completing high school as a virgin is an extremely difficult task.  Imagine doing it all over again through college.  Bliss is one of these girls.  She feels an immense amount of pressure to lose her virginity, so much so that she’s willing to just find some random guy at a bar.  I commend Carmack for choosing to write about this subject and the inane amount of pressure there is on girls about sex in general.  My respect for her grew leaps and bounds when she had Bliss choose to NOT lose her virginity in a random one night stand.  Bliss is actually a pretty awesome role model.  As pressured as she feels by her friends to do what’s “cool” she knows what her own limitations are and ultimately makes decisions based on them.

Enter Garrick.  I’ve decided he’s my new book boyfriend (well actually him and Jamie Fraser).  Garrick is a suave, put-together guy who rocks confidence and sex appeal like no other.  He’s a refreshing male hero in my eyes because he’s not obsessed with doing EVERYTHING for Bliss.  He doesn’t want to feed her or pick out her clothes, etc.  He wants her to be herself with no limitations.  Even when he’s teaching her class, he wants her to reach her acting potential with her own inner confidence.  He doesn’t tell her she’s good because they’re sleeping together, he tells her she’s good because she is.  He recognizes her intelligence, her confidence, and her independence and respects her for it.

I mentioned earlier about the pressures this age group feels about sex, but for the upper bracket of the group, Carmack accurately depicts the anxieties that graduating college can cause.  The fear of “what am I going to do now?” is definitely something a good chunk of post-college grads can relate to.  I’m glad she highlighted these topics, as they give depth to the work as a whole.  With her witty prose and excellent subject matter, Cora Carmack has sealed her fate as one of my top authors in the new adult genre.  Losing It has earned its spot on my list of top ten reads this year as well as my favorite reads shelf.  Make sure you read this book before book two in the series, Faking It, comes out June 4th.

5 out of 5 Stars

Losing It by Cora Carmack
Harper Collins Publishing (2012)
eBook: 228 pages
ISBN: 9780062273253

Kim’s Review of Seduction (The Reincarnationist #5) by M.J. Rose – Blog Tour

SeductionPreviously, I was exposed to author M.J. Rose’s amazing writing with her novel The Book of Lost Fragrances (review here) a little over a year ago.  I was struck at how well Rose was able to blend a historical fiction work with her writing style, making it seem as if her writing was perfectly fitted to the time period.  Therefore, when I was approached to be a part of the blog tour for her newest book, Seduction, I was happy to oblige!

As the plot contains multiple storylines and a bit of history, I’ll leave it to Goodreads:

From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a haunting novel about a grieving woman who discovers the lost letters 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.

As I stated previously, one of the best things about reading M.J. Rose’s work is getting to experience her amazing writing style.  I’m happy to report that she did not fail us in this particular endeavor, as her use of imagery and ability to describe multiple time periods simultaneously and clearly was a delight to read.  Jac and Theo’s flaws are evident, but they are likeable in their own right, and Rose is able to weave both their stories and those of characters from the past effortlessly.  Secret fragrances blur the lines between reality and the world of ghosts, as there is a dark and mystical tone overall that kept me riveted from the beginning.  My only complaint is that the pacing seemed slightly disjointed at times, but other than that this was just as enjoyable as my first M.J. Rose experience!  You can definitely count me as a newly minted fan.  This is not one to pass up, so check it out!

4 out of 5 stars

This is my fourteenth completed review for the Historical Fiction Challenge

Seduction by M. J. Rose
Atria Books (2013)
Paperback: 384 pages
ISBN:  9781451621501

Special thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for my review copy! Continue following the Seduction virtual book tour around the web.  A full listing of all tour spots is here.  You can also follow on Twitter by searching the hashtag: #SeductionVirtualTour

Seduction Tour Banner FINAL

Kim’s Review of Naked (The Blackstone Affair #1) and All In (The Blackstone Affair #2) by Raine Miller

I’m a sucker for books set in London. I’m also a sucker for romance novels. Oh and hot men. Throw all three together and you’ll understand why I jumped at the chance to read Naked and All In, the first two books in Raine Miller’s The Blackstone Affair series.  Also, did I mention that part of it takes place at the Olympics!?  Was this book made for me or what?

nakedBook one in the series is called Naked.  The summary from Goodreads:

Brynne Bennett is living the good life. An American art student at the University of London and part-time photographic model, she’s putting her life back on track with school and lots of hard work. When ultra successful London businessman, Ethan Blackstone, buys her nude portrait, he isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. He wants Brynne in his bed and makes plans to keep her there no matter what. His dominant nature captivates and ensnares despite the demons she carries inside her. But there are secrets in this relationship. Huge ones. Can Ethan free Brynne from the past that has marked her? Will Brynne let him or will the specters tormenting her resurface to destroy them both…

all inBook two in the series is called All In.  The summary from Goodreads:

Ethan Blackstone has a problem on his hands. He’s broken Brynne’s trust and she’s left him. He’s unwilling to live without her and isn’t giving up—he’s dead-set on getting his beautiful American girl back. The passion between them was explosive, but the secrets they hid from each other are dark and chilling and are powerful enough to destroy their shot at a life together. With political threats now directed at Brynne, Ethan is running out of time and he’ll need to gather all his strength and agility to protect her from the dangers that could take her away from him forever. Will Ethan be able to save Brynne from a past that keeps her locked in fear? Will he ever feel the warmth of her touch, the solidity of her trust again? This is a love-struck man who is willing to do whatever it takes to possess the heart of the woman he loves. He’ll go to any lengths to protect her. He’ll go all in. Here is the fiery story of what happens when two people surrender to a love so great it can heal the scars of the past and give way to a life of pure, rapturous ecstasy.

So when I started reading Naked my feelings were all over the damn place.  I was first drawn to the premise of the novel, a man falling in love with a nude model simply because of the beauty of one of her portraits.  Simple, yet intriguing.  As I read more into Naked I began getting interested in the darkness that both Ethan and Brynne so obviously tried to hide from their pasts (I have a thing for characters with messed up pasts).  There was definite pain and suffering for both, and the fact that Miller gets you invested in them prior to revealing the darkness of their past deserves kudos.  You are introduced to these characters and asked to care about them without much more than surface knowledge.  You wind up getting pulled deeper and deeper into the web of their secrets and become genuinely invested in the hope of a positive future for them.  As I finished Naked and delved into All In, I became more and more interested in Ethan’s character and his feelings towards his relationship with Brynne.  It’s rare (in my opinion) to find romance novels where a man of Ethan’s looks and wealth has to work as hard as he does to convince Brynne of his worthiness/love.

There were times, however, where I got lost in the depths of Ethan’s feelings.  I don’t think the writing makes a clear distinction between love and lust, so at times Ethan “loving” Brynne felt more like an unquenchable lust.  That I think was my biggest problem with the series.  As much as I enjoyed the characters and their back stories, I didn’t feel their love, just their lust.  I will admit that towards the end of All In I did finally begin to feel the change, and that’s the reason I’ll continue the series.  Another interesting note about this series: the writing is HOT.  Like  constantly-fan-yourself hot.  I’m interested in seeing where else Miller will take Brynne and Ethan and what new secrets will be revealed.  I’ll definitely be checking out book three Eyes Wide Open when it’s released in May.

3 out 5 Stars

Naked by Raine Miller
Atria Books (2012)
eBook: 192 pages
ISBN: 9781476735252

All In by Raine Miller
Atria Books (2012)
eBook: 256 pages
ISBN: 9781476735283

Special thanks to Atria Books for my review copies via Netgalley!

Kim’s Review of Ruby Red (Edelstein Trilogie #1) by Kerstin Gier

rrFriends. I have a confession to make. I totally judged a book by its cover.  I saw the cover for Ruby Red and immediately HAD to have it.   Turns out it was a great judgement, because the book was AWESOME.  Ruby Red is the first book in Kerstin Gier’s Edelstein Trilogie, which was originally published in Germany.  

As the plot is a bit complex (time traveling!!), I’ll let Goodreads guide you through it:

Gwyneth Shepherd’s sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon–the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

I am honestly so surprised that I haven’t come across more people who have read this series.  This book hooked me from start to finish. It had time-traveling, secret societies, intrigue, visions of the dead, secret signet rings, mystery, sword fights and so much more.  There is an incredible amount of story packed into this book.  The time traveling element allowed for great variety of time periods to be visited, which helped set a fast pace.  Since Gwen was never prepared to be a time traveler, her quick lessons in how to time travel, as well as the history of The Guardians society (the secret society helping the time travelers), led to some great comedic moments.  There were times where I felt these moments felt stilted, which I think is mainly due to the translation (the books were originally published in German).  Other than that I think the translation is excellently done.  Gwen’s voice totally draws you in to the story and describes the woes of her life as a teenage time traveler perfectly.

Ruby Red definitely sets up what is sure to be a phenomenal trilogy.  I’m interested in seeing how Gwen and Gideon grow from here.  They’re both in their teens, yet thrust into extraordinary circumstances far beyond what 16 and 17 year-olds should have to deal with.  We’re not given too much depth with their characters, but I’d expect that to change as we travel through time with them in the second and third books.  I know that I keep talking about the future of the series and I’ll explain why.  Having already read book two, Sapphire Blue, I know it picks up quite literally after the last sentence of Ruby Red.  I think when Emerald Green (book three) comes out it’ll be more apparent that the story is one long story split up through three books.  The development of the characters will happen gradually throughout the three books since it’s one massive conflict that is trying to be resolved.  I’m usually not a fan of series’ written like this, but surprisingly the good outweighs the bad here.  Ruby Red was just too damn fun! Gwen and Gideon are, to put it simply, hilarious.

My goal before Emerald Green is released in October is to get the word out about this series.  It’s seriously one you don’t want to miss.  I hope that those of you who choose to read it out there decide to share it with your friends! This is a series that definitely needs to be shared more.

4 out of 5 Stars

This is my fourth completed review for the Color Coded Challenge

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Henry Holt and Co (2011)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN: 9780805092523

Kim’s Review of Daughter of the Sky by Michelle Diener – Blog Tour

dotsmdMichelle Diener popped on my radar about a year ago when I received a copy of her novel In A Treacherous Court.  I quickly became engrossed in the book and her ability to take me on a wild ride from start to finish.  When I heard she was publishing a book about the war between the British Empire and the Zulus (an African clan that is now KwaZulu-Natal) I was intrigued to say the least.

As the only survivor of a deadly shipwreck that took place off the coast of Zululand, Elizabeth Jones is rescued and saved by the Zulus, known as the people of the sky.  Raised by these people for the next six years, Elizabeth learns their ways and becomes one of them.  Her white skin becomes an asset after these six years, however, when the Zulu army faces an attempt by the Victorian empire to take over their lands in order to control a trade route.  Elizabeth is sent in to infiltrate the enemy camp as a spy, and there she meets Captain Jack Burdell.  Burdell finds out that she is a woman immediately, but allows Elizabeth to keep her cover (which he believes is a search for her missing brother) and has her pose as his batman in order to keep her from being discovered.  Time is running out, however, as war is growing inevitable between the two sides, and Elizabeth finds herself torn between the tribe she grew up with and the man she finds a growing attachment to.  What will she do?

The entire premise behind this story is great! Who doesn’t love an underdog story?  The Zulus are clearly the underdogs here, as they are set up in a war they have no choice but to fight in with inferior technology.  Knowing absolutely nothing about this conflict previously, I’ve been inspired to read up on the history behind this story and have found it quite fascinating.  So, it didn’t seem like much of a stretch to create an exciting story based on the history between these two groups.  The only downside to this story was the fact that I was often confused at parts.  I had to keep going back to earlier parts of the story to reorient myself, only to have it happen again.  This could be due to the fact that the story, being about a war, introduced a lot of characters and locations that moved quickly through the plot.  Other than this, however, the story was engaging and lively, and I really enjoyed Elizabeth’s passion for the Zulu people.  Her inner conflict over doing what is right for the Zulu people, while dealing with her growing feelings for Jack was written extremely well.  As the reader, you are definitely drawn in.  Her anxiety becomes your anxiety, and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.  She fits the bill of a strong female heroine, something Diener is well  known for.  Her female characters are all much stronger than the men around them give credit for.  This simple fact is what keeps me coming back for Diener’s writing each and every time.  If you’re in the mood for an engaging book with a historical twist and a kickass heroine, definitely check out Daughter of the Sky.

3 out of 5 stars

This is my thirteenth completed review for the Historical Fiction Challenge.

Daughter of the Sky by Michelle Diener
Michelle Diener (2013)
Paperback: 342 pages
ISBN: 9780987417626

Special thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for my review copy! I’m just one stop on the blog tour for Daughter of the Sky!  You can check out all the other stops here!  For those of you on Twitter, follow the hashtag: #DaughterOfTheSkyVirtualTour

Daughter of the Sky Tour Banner FINAL

Kim’s Review of Death in the Floating City (Lady Emily Series #7) by Tasha Alexander

ditfcTowards the end of 2011/beginning of 2012 I was introduced to a character by the name of Lady Emily. She is a woman of the Victorian Era, a time when woman should be seen and not heard.  Lady Emily, however, is a woman who bucks that notion and delves into learning, reading, languages, art, geography, etc.  I found so much of myself in her at times that I flew through the first book of Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series And Only to Deceive. After falling head-over-heels in love with Alexander’s writing, characters, and settings I quickly made my way through the other five available books: A Poisoned Season, A Fatal Waltz, Tears of Pearl, Dangerous to Know, and A Crimson Warning (all links lead to my reviews).

In the latest installment of the Lady Emily series, Death In the Floating City, we follow Emily as her adventures take her to Italy for the first time.  Many years ago, Emily’s childhood arch nemesis  Emma Callum, shocked English society by eloping to Venice, Italy with her lover, an Italian count.  Despite their past, Emma has now turned to Emily for help as she finds herself entangled in a mystery that involves the death of her father-in-law and the disappearance of her husband.  Emily takes her up on the offer, and travels to Venice with her husband, Colin Hargreaves.  There, Emily discovers that there is more to this story than what meets the eye, and she finds that she must look to the past to solve this crime in the present day.

I’ve always been impressed with authors who can write 5+ books in a series and keep each one feeling fresh and new, while continuing to develop the characters and relationships in new and exciting ways.  Death in the Floating City is the seventh book in the Lady Emily series, yet it reads with the excitement and freshness of the first, And Only to Deceive.  It’s 100% due to Alexander’s talent as a writer.  Not only should she continue to write the Lady Emily series, but I think she should start writing travel books as well.  Her descriptions of Venice are astonishingly beautiful, stunning, and so visual.  At times I could close my eyes and completely see the scene she was painting for me.

When I read Alexander’s books I literally become so engulfed by them.  The characters’ sadness is my sadness, their happiness is my happiness as well.  By the time I got to the last few pages of the book my face hurt SO MUCH from smiling.  I walked around the whole day with just a goofy grin on my face because I was completely overwhelmed with happiness.  Books that can have that kind of effect on a person are my favorite.  It’s a clear indication that the writer got you enveloped in the story.  The added surprise to Death in the Floating City was a book within the book!  Not only do you become completely obsessed with the murder mystery, but you are fascinated by the tragedy that is Besina and Nicolo’s story.  I was slightly saddened that Colin was missing for large chunks of this book, but understood the reason for it once I got to the end.

I’m excited about the direction that the series is taking.  The decisions and discoveries made at the end of Death in the Floating City should create some interesting problems/conflicts to overcome in the next books of the series.  Book eight, Behind the Shattered Glass, is slated to release this upcoming October.

On a completely different side note, Elsie Lyons has been designing the covers of Alexander’s novels since book five (Dangerous to Know) and she needs a shout out. These covers are exquisite and to put it simply, I love them.

4 out of 5 Stars

This is my twelfth completed review for the Historical Fiction Challenge.

Death in the Floating City by Tasha Alexander
Minotaur Books (2012)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN: 9780312661762

Kim’s Review of The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon, Illustrated by Hoang Nguyen

theexileSo 2013 has turned into the year of the Outlander series for me.  I’ve made it through three of the main novels (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, and Voyager) and am moving on to Gabaldon’s Lord John spin-off series before starting book four in the series, Drums of Autumn.  With all that being said, imagine my surprise when Todd and I went into our local Barnes & Noble and found an Outlander graphic novel in the bargain bin!! For $4 I got to be the lucky new parent of The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel.  Never has a person been more excited about a bargain than this one right here. 

The Exile is the first 1/3 of Outlander but told from Jamie’s perspective.  I won’t regurgitate the plot of Outlander myself, I’ll let Goodreads do it for me!

After too long an absence, Jamie Fraser is coming home to Scotland—but not without great trepidation. Though his beloved godfather, Murtagh, promised Jamie’s late parents he’d watch over their brash son, making good on that vow will be no easy task. There’s already a fat bounty on the young exile’s head, courtesy of Captain Black Jack Randall, the sadistic British officer who’s crossed paths—and swords—with Jamie in the past. And in the court of the mighty MacKenzie clan, Jamie is a pawn in the power struggle between his uncles: aging chieftain Colum, who demands his nephew’s loyalty—or his life—and Dougal, war chieftain of Clan MacKenzie, who’d sooner see Jamie put to the sword than anointed Colum’s heir.

And then there is Claire Randall—mysterious, beautiful, and strong-willed, who appears in Jamie’s life to stir his  compassion . . . and arouse his desire. 
 
But even as Jamie’s heart draws him to Claire, Murtagh is certain she’s been sent by the Old Ones, and Captain Randall accuses her of being a spy. Claire clearly has something to hide, though Jamie can’t believe she could pose him any danger. Still, he knows she is torn between two choices—a life with him, and whatever it is that draws her thoughts so often elsewhere. 

So I knew going into this that I would already love the story Gabaldon was telling.  Jamie and Claire’s story is truly one of my favorites…..ever. Like Darcy and Elizabeth level love.  Therefore I was incredibly surprised to see how weakly their story translated over into a graphic novel.  As I sit here writing this I’m not sure where the graphic novel fell short.  The illustrations I thought were perfectly suited for the story.  Nguyen is a wonderful artist and captured the imagery of the story magnificently.  It’s possible that because the Outlander book is so detailed and long and the graphic novel so much shorter, that description and story embellishment went missing.  The eBook of Outlander I read was 800+ pages while this graphic novel was 224.  That’s a small amount of pages/illustrations to translate nearly 300 pages of text to.

While it’s not sharing anything new to us plot-wise as readers, it was fun to get inside Jamie’s head for a short period of time.  To get his perspective on the speed and depth in which he fell in love with Claire adds a new dimension to their love.   I’ll admit, it was also great to see how far Murtagh was willing to go with his fierce loyalty to Jamie.  I think fans of the Outlander series will ultimately have the same response that I’ve had to this graphic novel: it’s ok.

3 out of 5 stars

This is my eleventh completed review for the Historical Fiction Challenge.

The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon, Illustrated by Hoang Nguyen
Random House (2010)
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 9780345505385

Christine’s Review of A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

aNHoD Cover 300dpiA few months ago I opened up an email from Kim with the subject “Coming Soon: A Natural History Of Dragons by Marie Brennan”, asking if I wanted a copy to review. I replied “HEEEELLLLLLLSSSSS YEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!”, because I am a professional. I love fantasy. I love dragons. So yes, the second I read the synopsis of A Natural History of Dragons, I absolutely wanted to read it.

In a world much like ours during the Victorian era, there is a girl, Isabella, who is fascinated by dragons. Because she is a girl, she is discouraged from pursuing scientific studies, but because she is awesome she doesn’t care and she eventually becomes Lady Trent, a preeminent dragon naturalist. The premise of the novel is you are reading Lady Trent’s memoir of how she progressed from a bookish girl who went against the conventions of her time to become the renowned expert on dragons.

Based on the title of the book and the synopsis I read, I assumed this was going to be a memoir of Lady Trent’s entire life and work with dragons, so I was a bit disappointed at the length of the book (about 330 pages) when it arrived in my mailbox. I was a third of the way through the book before I realized my assumption was wrong, and this was the first book in a series. This isn’t a bad thing at all, but it wasn’t what I was expecting, and sometimes that can alter one’s view of a book. That said, I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and an interesting take on the fantasy/dragon genre. Lady Trent’s voice as she narrates her early years is engaging and I loved the moment’s when she would basically say, “Look, I was young. I was an idiot. I’ve learned a lot since then, but I’m being honest and this is how I was back then.”

The book recounts Isabella’s childhood and her first adventure as a young woman to the foreign land of Vystrana in search of dragons, which is where most of the story happens. There are foreign customs to learn, mysteries to solve, bandits to escape from, possible curses to break, and above all, dragons to search for and study. Isabella’s time in Vystrana very much reminded me of an adventure story along the lines of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (don’t tell me I’m the only one who loved that TV series), only told through the perspective of an older and wiser Lady Trent.

I would have rather read a longer “memoir” of Isabella’s entire life, but I enjoyed the first tale of her discoveries and adventures, though I did think the ending was a bit rushed. Though it is fantasy novel, I think readers of historical fiction will thoroughly enjoy the story, as the fictional world and era Isabella lives in are very close to the Victorian and Edwardian era. I can see how some readers of fantasy might wish for more fantasy aspects aside from the dragons, but I thought it was a great blend of historical fiction and fantasy. Also sprinkled throughout the book were some lovely illustrations of dragons and scenes from Isabella’s world, which definitely enhanced the story.

3 out of 5 Stars

A Natural History of Dragon: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
Tor Books (2013)
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN: 9780765331960

Special thanks to Tor Books for my review copy!

Christine’s Review of My Leaning Post by Lizzie Belle Quimby

9781468501209_p0_v1_s260x420In the short time I’ve been reviewing books, I’ve read a few self-published works. They have ranged from the good, the bad, to the so-so. My most recent read, however, has left me struggling with the best way to classify it. In fact, I’m not entirely sure how to rate it, or whether or not I would recommend it, because I’m not entirely sure I would call it a proper book or novel. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

My Leaning Post, by Lizzie Belle Quimby, is a semi-fictionalized tale of a woman, Elizabeth Jeane, who describes the difficulties she faces throughout her life, and the faith she leans on while she struggles to understand the true meaning of her existence. Elizabeth’s life is not an easy tale to read. Her mother is distant and seemingly uncaring, while her father is having an affair with his live-in sister-in-law. Teenage Elizabeth finds herself pregnant, and although she is quickly married to the young alcoholic father, she cannot break free of the guilt and shame brought on by her Catholic upbringing. A few years later she is a divorced mother of two, abandoned by some friends and family and rejected by the church she desperately wanted to belong to, as well as becoming involved with a married man. Thus begins the long and abusive life Elizabeth finds herself trapped in, and which I struggled reading through.

My Leaning Post is definitely an interesting read for someone who is looking to get inside the head of a woman in an abusive relationship. Often I think we look at women in situations like Elizabeth Jeane and we just want to scream “Just leave! Just get up and leave him!” This book helps you understand why that seems so difficult and seemingly impossible to do. As a chronicle of what it’s like to be in an abusive relationship it is heartbreaking, but I don’t think it really worked as a novel. This is where it gets sticky for me as a reader and reviewer. My Leaning Post felt less like a book and more like an honest and matter of fact chronicle of one’s life one might write for family or friends. This is what happened, when it happened, what I was thinking, and how I felt. At times I felt like I was reading the author’s private letter to a friend or psychiatrist as she tried to sort out and explain her life. The ending was so abrupt I literally exclaimed “Wait…what?! That’s the end?” out loud and kept looking for one more chapter for a sense of closure.

At 240 pages, this isn’t a long read, but because of the subject matter and the way the story was told, I had a hard time finishing this book. Though Elizabeth Jeane does eventually break free of her abusive relationships and finds a new, deeper, more personal faith to lean on, this isn’t a light-hearted read. I wouldn’t recommend reading this unless you are looking to understand the psychology and mental state of someone in an abusive relationship.

My Leaning Post by Lizzie Belle Quimby
AuthorHouse (2011)
Paperback: 240 pages
ISBN: 9781468501209

Special thanks to Author Solutions for my review copy!

Kim’s Review of Voyager (Outlander #3) by Diana Gabaldon

10987As most of you know by now, I’ve been working my way through the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and enjoying them thoroughly.   You can see my review of Outlander (book 1) here and Dragonfly In Amber (book two) here.  Actually, “enjoying thoroughly” is a bit of an understatement; I love this series!  As I mentioned in my review of Dragonfly In Amber, there is quite a cliffhanger ending, so I was excited to move on to the next book in the series, Voyager, to see what happens to Jamie and Claire!

I’ve been sticking with the Goodreads plot summaries for this series, as there is too much that I could let slip! Plus with all the time-traveling elements I’m pretty sure I’d just confuse you with all I wanted to tell you! SO, once again, from Goodreads:

Their passionate encounter happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her… and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.

Then Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Torn between returning to him and staying with their daughter in her own era, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face the passion and pain awaiting her…the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland… and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that can reunite or forever doom her timeless love.

After the cliffhanger that ended Dragonfly in Amber I wasn’t sure my heart could take any more.  I needed a period of emotional mourning, stability, and recovery before I could pick up my shattered heart, begin book three, and risk it shattering all over again.  I can honestly say that the Outlander Series has taken me on a deep and tumultuous emotional journey that I’ve never felt with any other book/series I’ve read.  Sure I’ve had emotional reactions to books before, but I’ve never reacted quite the way I have with this series.  Voyager was no less of a riotous journey, but it’s told with such beauty and passion that you gladly go back for the laughter, tears, heartache, and smiles that Gabaldon’s prose brings.

As much as I love Jamie and Claire and their timeless love story, much praise has to be reigned on Gabaldon for all of the other intriguing things she adds into her novels.  In Voyager we’re given a glimpse into slave plantations and slave markets of the Caribbean in the late 1700′s.  We’re also given a lesson in Chinese culture and the deep seeded racism that existed for the Chinese people in Scotland and the surrounding countries.  There is a great depth to her works; depth that is obviously and meticulously well researched and presented in a way that adds to the plot as well as opens the eyes of the readers to what life was like back in the day.  Gabaldon pulls no punches in presenting what she finds.  All of it is not pleasant and I love that she doesn’t try to sugarcoat it and make it pleasing to read.  She respects history and for that I bow down to her.

With all this being said, it’s no wonder I keep going back for more in this series.  Every time I think Gabaldon won’t get any better, she blows away my expectations.  I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next in the series with Drums of Autumn, the fourth installment, especially considering that it takes place in my home country, America.  Look out for my review coming soon!

5 out of 5 stars

This is my tenth completed review for the Historical Fiction Challenge.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Random House (2004)
eBook: 1044 pages
ISBN: 9780440335153