The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown

This was sent to me as an ARC by the publisher but the review is my own.

In the England of the 1640s, witch hunts began to be conducted, some led by the historical Witchfinder, General Matthew Hopkins. A man who made it his mission in life to track down and destroy witches hiding among the people of rural places like Manningtree. But what if we found ourselves in possession of evidence of what led this man to such actions, what could we learn. Underdown has written a book that reveals the terrifying reasons that might have existed.

Alice Hopkins, after suffering a terrible loss has returned to her childhood home, to her brother Matthew. Her prospects lie entirely on his acceptance of her, but where once they were close now time has changed the boy she knew into a man whose superficial scars seem to run deeper than she could ever have guessed. Now a man of wealth and local influence, he has also become a persecutor of witches, keeping a book full of names of women suspected of this heinous crime. No one is immune to Matthew's need to rip out this wickedness and with powerful men behind him giving him the authority to continue his inquiries, there seems no end to his work.

This summer, my brother Matthew set himself to killing women, but without ever once breaking the law.

As Alice begins to come to grips with the depth of her brother's atrocities she begins to understand that her family's history may be the root cause of his cold actions. As she tries to guide her brother away from his line of pursuit, Alice realizes that she will have to make a choice between her inner beliefs and the safety of blending into Matthew's world. Coming to terms with the suspicions and doubts of those who believe Matthew is doing the work of God and being seen as a willing bystander to his actions by the very women standing accused, Alice must make a decision as to what she must do and what she must sacrifice.

As she unravels the stories behind her family and the women being judged, we come to see how the small vagaries of life could led to accusations that could destroy lives. How decisions made could cause the greatest harm in the name of good and how monsters lurk among us although sometimes they wear the faces of those we most love. She will come to learn that sometimes in order to set things right you must find it in yourself to be far crueler than you ever thought you could be.

As a fictional account of a historical event you will be haunted by this story long after you have finished reading it. Alice will become the reflection you are afraid to face, the dark place within yourself that you only dare to explore in the light of day. What would you have done or said? Underdown dares you to find out.

Ithaca: A Novel of Homer's Odyssey by Patrick Dillon

This was kindly sent to me by the publisher but the review is my own.

Homer's Odyssey is one of the all time classics that has been handed down to us from time immemorial. We know that Odysseus was a great king who fought in the Trojan War and proved himself one of the greatest Greek heroes. He spent 16 years trying to reach his beloved wife Penelope. His adventures during that time have inspired countless retellings through the ages entrancing us with his mighty deeds. 

Patrick Dillon's Ithaca is not just another tribute to this great story. His book is a look at the bones behind the myth. It is about the humanity that is left to deal with the aftereffects of war and it's destructive force that history remembers through a golden lens.

In his story you will meet Penelope who watched her husband leave to never return; who has listened to his virtues praised time and again as she raises a son who has never known his father. A man she knows to have feet of clay; waiting to find closure of a kind, waiting day by day as the jackals gather closer to determine her very existence.

Telemachus who without a father there to guide him has not learned how to deal with the strange men who invade his house as guests and abuse the generosity shown them. Unable to protect himself or his mother from their plotting and machinations. The only stories he knows of his father praise him as a wise king but others say he was a manipulator of words. A man who promised his Ithaca so much and took away so much more, leaving families devastated without the support of their sons, brothers, and husbands. Who instead of returning in glory has left the island to suffer in misery, unsure of the future.

Of great men whose names sit beside Odysseus as well known kings and heroes themselves, now grown older and left to a future where the horrors they witnessed and engaged in have left them hollow and alone. As bards sing their feats of heroism they face a life that has lost its vibrancy , each remembering a man who lead them into battle but was also a friend, flawed as he was.

And Odysseus, not the golden hero of legend but an unknown man broken in spirit and body who still weaves a spell with words, unable, scarred, to speak plainly. His return home is not the joyous occasion he had envisioned but a bleak return to a people who do not gather to claim his accolades but accuse him of bringing the anger of the gods on them. His home invaded, his possessions plundered and a son who in his travels to find his father now finds he does not how to receive him.

Along with the numerous others we meet along this story, these characters each pulse with the conflicting emotions that we as living observers will only be to able to empathize with. A powerful nod to the original, Dillon has painted with the vibrancy of authenticity a new look at a tale that has riveted us for so long with his poignancy and refusal to look away from the grit of history and the ability to gild the beauty not with gold but poetry. 

Fantastic read for those historically inclined or devotees of Homer. A definite recommend.

Illuminations by Mary Sharratt

Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) joined the church at the tender age of 8 with Jutta von Sponheim. Her history has been chronicled and tells the story of a woman who devoted her life to the church and to spreading the teachings which were sent to her in visions through her music, writings, and botanical research. She was eventually named a saint and has been used as an example of feminine wisdom and empowerment by numerous groups during history but Mary Sharratt doesn't want to reimagine just her scholarly side, she wants to invite you into the soul of the child and woman who experienced the realities. 

Sharratt has taken the historical facts and used them to create a personal account of Hildegard and her continual growth in spiritual acumen and the trials of pride she faced as she boldly strode forward to create a path for herself and her teachings and faced hardships few other women of her time could have understood. In doing this we come closer to appreciating the way Hildegard must have seen the world, how she helped to create one where the nuns under her direciton were able to achieve so much more than they had been enabled to before. Through her daring and innovative teachings, her fearlessness and determination Hildegard forged a new way forward not only in Germany but across Europe and into the future. 

When you read this story you are not just reading about a religious woman but a character who has been treated with the love and intelligence that she deserves. Sharratt gives you Hildegard von Bingen, full of grace and you cannot ask for anything more.

The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley

In the year 1517 Dismas the relic hunter procures authentic religious relics for Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony and soon-to-be Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz. Both men are competing for the greatest collection of genuine relics outside of Rome. Frederick is building a college and supports Martin Luther. Albrecht has bought his way to his current position and sells indulgences to fund his growing political ambitions . Although both are men of faith, they couldn't be more unlike. Dismas fills their wish lists for relics as best he can but the time is nearing when he dreams of settling in the mountains and finding a lovely lass. When Dismas loses all the money he has saved for this dream he and his friend, famed painter Durer come up with a scheme to discover one last great relic. Dismas genuinely cares for Uncle Frederick but Albrecht is a different matter, so the two friends decide that the to be Cardinal shall have his most wanted relic, the true burial shroud of Christ. But when Durer's unknown personal touch to the shroud is discovered Dismas' fraud is brought to light and his punishment is severe. Frederick steps in to keep him alive but negotiating with Albrecht is not as straight forward as it seems and his continued existence becomes dependent on fulfilling a penance Albrecht finds fitting. Dismas shall travel to Savoy where he will steal the Shroud of Chambery and return it to Albrecht. Only then can he finally have the life he's been planning. That is if the journey along the way doesn't see Dismas killing Durer, or having the mercenaries sent with him killing him. Or avoiding an entanglement with a possible witch being chased by a lusty count or finding out that they may not be the only ones with the intention of stealing this famous European relic.

Set against the backdrop of Europe this book resonates with a sharp witty look at the prevailing changes in religion, science, art, and political intrigue of the times. It is an adventure filled with comedy and poignant characters and Buckley has worked the historical details of the Shroud of Turin's origins in beautifully. A definite recommend for those who are interested in this era or just looking for a good historical read.

The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine

The Outer Hebrides of Scotland are the setting for this atmospheric telling of a family's tragic deception. As the last living relative of a once prominent artist, Hetty Deveraux leaves London to renovate her ancestral home and create a luxury hotel but also to step back from a relationship that is in its last days. But Muirlan is built on the bones and backs of the local people and not everyone is enthused about Hetty's plans. When a body is found underneath the floorboards of one of the rooms questions abound. How long has this murdered body been hidden there and most importantly who is it?

In a story told by the people involved in the years before the Great War we learn of the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled and the promises that could not be kept. On an island where the class distinction between the haves and have nots is ingrained in stone, every decision leads to steps that will bring two souls together and tear every one else apart. When the ability to love is stifled what is the outcome? Is love truly selfless or can it turn a person into the very image of destruction? What would you do for love and more importantly, what wouldn't you stop at?

Hetty's journey into solving this mystery and determining the fate of her estate will place her on the same path as the descendant of one of the main characters but will they face the same sorts of decisions or can they achieve the ultimate insight as they face off across the barricades of wrongs done and gone but never forgiven.

This is a lovingly detailed journey of recovery from loss and the acceptance of love, of the appreciation of the small things in life that bind us as one and the littlest things that can divide. Reading this is a foray into an emotional tangle which will leave the reader with a more in depth feel for the emotional toil love can take. 

A definite recommend for the romantic at heart.

The Secret Language of Stones: A Novel (The Daughters of La Lune, #2) by M.J. Rose

I received this as an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

This is the second novel in the Daughters of La Lune series which was started with The Witch of Painted Sorrows but can be read as a stand alone novel. The first book introduced the powerful witch and famous courtesan La Lune and the history of madness and tragedy which follows the women of her family through the years until we come to Sandrine Salome who proves to be the only one capable of inheriting La Lune's powers and embracing her given gifts. For Sandrine's story this will prove to be a tale of passions unfolding and a young woman's fight to survive a trial of darkness in order to emerge into a strong and powerful witch and woman.

This is about Sandrine's daughter Opaline who has run away to Paris during World War I to escape both her family legacy and a decision which she cannot escape the ramifications of. Although loath to learn more about her family's powers and her own, she is gifted with the ability of creating jeweled talismans which help grieving loved ones left behind find a small semblance of peace. Her ability will set her on the path towards a choice between continuing to ignore her heritage or embracing a love that will test her sanity and force her to confront her fears and embrace what she is capable of. 

Again Rose has created a beautiful love story that is ethereal and touching shadowed by the grimness of ongoing war. The life of this young woman is sculpted by the tragedies she opens her heart too and the deceptions which lie beneath her very feet and by her side. Just as Opaline's talismans give one last glimpse of the dearly departed, the descriptive passages of Paris and Europe during this time will make you appreciate the uncertainty that people faced when each decision made could affect the very lives of countless others and turn the tide of history. Touched with magical realism, historical fiction, and mystery there is something here for everyone who is looking for a great read and is a worthy addition to the bookshelf.

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Reading this book was like holding something that is dazzling and beautiful and potentially dangerous. You feel yourself falling under its sway almost immediately and realize with a start that you are reading one of those books that will permanently ingrain itself upon you. Years from now you will have picked it up several times to relive that feeling and to discover yet again another side of it you may have missed. It's beautifully crafted and although it revolves around a 7 year old girl, there is nothing childish about it.

I could wax poetical and sing its praises on and on but there is no point in doing that when all I have to do is tell you to pick it up and read it. This book is not flawless but you will find that like the best things in life that is not the point. This is a gem of a book filled with soul and humanity at its foulest and most beautiful. I hope to see this book rise and soar just like Anna's swallows.

This is a perfect recommendation for anyone who liked The Boy in Striped Pajamas or for a reader who is looking to find a book to grow with. I cannot wait to see what the author does next.

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

Very often in life we are influenced by something we read as a child, something that we remember reading with the fondest of memories, something that feels like it looks right into our souls and finds a kindred spirit there. If Jane Eyre was one of those books for you than make room right next to it for Jane Steele because this book is exactly what is missing from the equation.

This is not another mashup of a classic to titter over however. This is an imaginative biographical confession of a young woman whose life is running along a path that is a twisted version of her favorite characters own. Not a parallel one mind you, for after all where Jane Eyre is the epitome of discretion and valor Jane Steele is the very epicenter of all the morbidly dark essences that make her so very human and prone to blindly jumping in where angels fear to tread. This is a romance of the heart and no matter what you expect in this book you cannot deny that what happens is exactly what your heart desires, even the murders.

Full of mystery and exotic, sometimes brutal historical backdrops this is simultaneously a romance, a gothic satire, and an openly loving tribute to a character that continues to reach out across the ages and influence us even today. Jane Eyre is Jane Steele's mirror image if you covered the cracks in the foundation. But just like the Japanese the reader will find that we very much like the imperfections Jane Steele's character has and can only relish following along on her adventures as she struggles to come to terms with the unfortunate truth that we are all sinners, some of us are just better at it.

Left in the Wind: A Novel of the Lost Colony: The Roanoke Journal of Emme Merrimoth by Ed Gray

I received this an an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

This was for me a very frustrating read. I liked the concept of one of the original settlers of Roanoke having written a journal of her journey from England there; it's founding and ultimately, its failure. History has left us with many questions as to what happened to this lost colony and what might have been the reason for it being left to fade into the annals of time. Even to this day with prestigious names such as Raleigh attached to its conception, we are still little better off in being able to truly come to grasp with the ultimate fate of these intrepid souls. So having Gray's own fictional grasp of possible events sounded very promising indeed, giving voice to those we can no longer hear. However, for me personally, this is not the book I wound up reading.

Almost off the bat I felt the frustration of dealing with a character who is so shallowly described as to have, in only a few chapters made

me both internally and verbally roll my eyes at the sheer ridiculousness of her. Now as a reader my natural inclination is to want to find something in the character that I can relate with, to create a bond. The only thing created here was open hostility. Gray's prime character reads like a roll call of the cheesiest, movie part/pigeon holed heroines ever devised. Every single pace of her story made me want to throw the book across the room; underneath the cheap facade one could see the bones of a really good idea and to glimmer the wasted possibilities was just maddening.

I'm not going to list the various instances because then I'd just be relating the story page by page. Needless to say that as this is my opinion and the other reviews I've read all praised Mr. Gray's efforts, if you're looking for something to help you fill out the story of the lost colony of Roanoke and are interested in a fictionalized account than this could be a good read for you. As for me I was left feeling disappointed and confused as to why this is the finished product. 

Death of an Alchemist (Bianca Goddard Mysteries #2) by Mary Lawrence

I received this as an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

This is the second title in the series and can be read as a stand alone.

Bianca Goddard, daughter of an alchemist, is no one's fool. The search for the philosopher's stone has proven nothing but futile as she knows only too well and many suffer as the hunt for the elusive elixir of life continues. But in order to improve her balms and medicines Bianca is willing to learn more about the processes used in alchemy in her continual attempt to improve her own concoctions.

When she is introduced to an alchemist who is reputed to have actually solved the mystery and shown proof she is elated to have found a teacher who can help her save so many. But on the very verge of glory and distinction he is found dead and his journal and work disappear. As Bianca tries to come to terms with what she feels maybe an undetected murder, the urgency of her investigation takes a much more personal tone when her husband comes down with the sweating sickness. If Bianca cannot find the alchemist's journal she could lose the man she loves but if she finds it will she be able to recreate the elixir and save him or kill him in the attempt. Bianca will find herself in a race both against time and other players who are as invested in acquiring the journal as she, one of them enough to commit murder.

Set against the 16th century London of Henry VIII, where the slums reek of poverty and disease and Southwark is a cursed refuge for the vilest of men, this series has plenty of potential to immerse one in the daily lives of its population whether criminal or citizen. These will keep you captivated and pull you in. Only twinge of annoyance with this series is that each ending leaves you feeling like you've reached the end of a chapter and are hanging on for the next. Small niggle, really.

"Shakespeare's Rebel" by C.C. Humpreys

I received this an an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

A well written continuation to the Jean Rombaud lineage, Humphreys has again created characters that leap off the page as flesh and blood men whose decisions, sometimes forced by the hand of fate lead them into the thick of the fight. This is a novel about a time where old virtues are being pushed aside by new ideas and no one is safe, not even Queen Elizabeth from the coming storm as the two vying factions of her court aim to outdo each other in their bid for her attentions and control of the government.

As Essex and Cecil fight their political battles, men like John Lawley find themselves scrambling for control of their own futures where every decision could led to a fatal downfall. Lawley has battled by Essex's side and it has been a perilous journey which has often come at a high cost but never so much as now. As John strives to piece together his life and restore himself as a player with William Shakespeare's company he finds himself once again being pulled into the turmoil of Essex's influence. But this time John will find himself the unwilling pawn of not only two great men but a woman who is facing losing the only thing she can not live without, her throne.

Told with a clear love and understanding of the time period, this tale is laden with treason, espionage, love lost and found, and a dark sense of humor that only underlines the sheer treachery and uncertainty of the times. Even if you have not read the preceding novels, this standalone is a look at a man whose whole world revolves around one toss of the die. A definite addition to your must read bookshelf.

"The King's Sister (The Cross and the Crown, #3)" by Sarah Kennedy

This is a review of an ARC provided by the publisher but the review is my own.

This was an interesting read but I have to say right off the bat that since this is the third book in a series I felt as though not having read the previous ones did interfere with my understanding of the characters better. Things that in a single title I would have seen as flaws may be due to this fact so I'm just gonna say that what I really liked about this book was the look at the way the women in the story are experiencing the restricted freedom of being a woman in King Henry VIII's late reign. There is definitely an overwhelming sense of oppression for these characters though they themselves are strong. We catch glimpses of the political intrigue of the times and get behind the scenes closeup looks at Lady Anne of Cleaves as she waits to see if Henry will once again claim her as his wife after Catherine Howard's execution and we come to understand how each little decision carried so much heft and weight on the lives of those who served the royal households and how allegiances could be made or broken in such short time. 

There is much more to this story but I feel that all in all I have to go and start from the beginning to get a better grasp on this story.

"The High King's Golden Tongue" by Megan Derr

I received an ebook version of this from the publisher for a fair review.

I was definitely interested in reading this as I gauged from it's description that it was a gay fantasy and I had not read any of that particular genre. I found however that I had pigeon holed this inaccurately. This book takes the idea of gender roles and throws them out the window. It is a love story taking place in a world that does not limit it's inhabitants to male or female roles but talks of them as individuals based on themselves. Although I found this at first disorienting I came to appreciate the diversity that it allowed the characters to display in what in a traditional story would be guided usually by the character's sex. It was a refreshing look at the relationship between two people learning to become the people they are meant to be and finding that love can blossom anywhere.

The best part of this story is that it was a bloody good read as well. The author has taken a previous short story and evolved it into a deftly written fantasy narrative with characters that will draw you into a court full of political intrigue and betrayal that will lead one young man into a decision which may very well cost him his life and a King who must come to realize his self punishment may cost him the one thing he never hoped to find again. A story of affronts meant and those unconsciously made and the reactions that cascade into moments that could cost people their very lives. I would recommend this to anyone who has the mind to read well written fiction that is not afraid to ask you to see past the lines drawn on the wall to the greater picture.

"Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks

This is the second of the author's titles I've read and I am delighted with it. I've been reading some reviews that show this book comes across to some people as a disappointment but I have to say that it's definitely going to be one of my recommends. The village in the story is based on an actual village called Eyam in England. Historical records show that in 1666 when it became known that plague had arrived among them, the rector of the village convinced his flock that the right thing to do would be to voluntarily cut themselves off from their neighbors in order to try and control the spread of the infection. As death reaches into every household, superstitions and fears mount and find release in acts of violence that slowly start to destroy the fabric of this small community. But even among the death and dismay, there are moments of beauty. Moments when something as simple as the smell of hay on the breeze cuts through the numbing effect of this unstoppable disease. 

This book is not flawless, nor are the characters. But among this story of loss and love, acts of violence and hatred, there are shining examples of what it is to be human, scared, at a loss to understand what is happening when the world revolves so closely around religion and believe. It is a glimpse at how times of suffering can render some incapable of continuing on and others are forged into a new version of themselves. There are acts of charity and hope weaved into this story as well. All told this is a worthy rendering of what the real people of Eyam must have faced and after reading it you can only appreciate their decision more. They may have doubted its wisdom and even regretted agreeing to it as time passed and so many friends and family members were struck down but in this moment of time they have forever been memorialized as the reason that humanity strives forward, hoping for those small miracles that help us survive the storm. 

"Heresy" (Giordano Bruno #1) by S.J. Paris

Loved it and am happy to see that I have the next two books in my huge pile of too reads. Seriously though, this was a great mystery and well written.

"Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy, #2)" by Deborah Harkness

I was pretty sure that I would like this story when I found out it takes place primarily in Elizabethan England, after all, that was bound to push all my pleasure buttons. What I got was a total immersion into a continuing story that if I wasn't such a rational person, I would swear to you was a biographical sketch of Harkness' time actually spent in that time period. You don't read this story, you breathe it in. I lost almost two nights of sleep so that I could walk beside Diana and Matthew and the School of Night while they travel through Europe searching for the knowledge they need to help them survive and face their adversaries. Harkness has weaved a story that will enchant you with the sheer beauty of its design and demand that you use your senses to do so. An EXCELLENT continuation to her first book and I CANNOT wait for the next installment. I may have to take a vacation afterwards to rest from the demands of reading it, but I look forward to the afterglow.

"The Buddha in the Attic" by Julie Otsuka

Otsuka is a master of the simple sentence, letting the purity of her words create shining glimpses of the women she introduces us too. They sail from Japan with hopes of a new life and are brutally introduced to the reality of a new world in 1900's California where they will struggle to make a life out of poverty, hardships, racism, and suspicion. As part of a multicultural influx at the time, the Japanese were a crucial part of building a new era in Californian history and were unceremoniously ripped from that fabric with little warning or objection at the time. 

The characters are diverse, human, and will be familiar to anyone who has every faced uncertainty themselves. Beautifully crafted.

"The Collector of Dying Breaths (Reincarnationist, #6)" by M.J. Rose

This is a continuation of sorts from her previous title, The Book of Lost Fragrances. I have read a few of her books now and find that although I am reluctant to read them because of the chasm I feel between the characters charmed life and me,I still wind up completely wrapped up in the stories. They have a way of hitting the right button for me, revolving around reincarnation and past lives and our connections to each other. They are my guilty pleasures. If you are interested in fragrances, this is also a good series to read. Hey, they created a perfume from the one in the Lost Fragrances.

"Queen Elizabeth's Daughter: A Novel of Elizabeth I" by Anne Clinard Barnhill

Well, I plodded my way through this book with the greatest resentment. If you are a newbie to Elizabethan literature of our times you can definitely dip your toes in the water with this one, that way when you read your next title things can only improve. I'm sorry but this book does not live up to the potential it promises. Not bad reading, just tedious. Having said that, there are some nice visuals planted throughout the story. Major pet peeve in this book, love interest goes by Sir John to John back to Sir John in the same paragraph, same page, and even in the middle of intimate scenes. ????? If the author isn't sure, what the hell am I reading?

"The Wild Queen": The Days and Nights of Mary Queen of Scots by Carolyn Meyer

If one went solely by the character of Mary in this book, it is no wonder she lost control of her reign. Her portrayal is annoying to say the least, pathetic at the best.