Book Review: The Pindar Diamond (Aviary Gate #2) by Katie Hickman

Before I start with my usual summary, I feel I should mention the grand mix-up that led to this book. It’s a Bookfest acquisition and was on the Children’s Books table. The cover does look like YA, doesn’t it? Upon reading it I can tell you I wouldn’t be giving it to a young teen, at any rate, due to content. But it was still enjoyable, even if I haven’t read Book 1! There’s no number anywhere on it, either, so I didn’t know it was a Book 2 (though to be honest, I wasn’t confused for the most part and it can read like a standalone novel). So know that when reading this review, I’m reviewing it as standalone. I DO want to read Book 1 though!

Right– so the book follows the lives of several different people whose lives are all intertwined, even if they don’t yet know it. Largely taking place in Venice in the time of gambling houses and courtesans and the plague, it’s a dark, twisting tale of love, heartbreak, and greed.

This was a beautifully written novel with a strong sense of character and setting. All of the characters were intriguing in their own way, but truthfully I was more caught up with the nun’s story than anyone else’s (which bodes well for me–it sounds as though she may feature in Book One and if there is a Book Three, my guess is a part of the story might be hers as well… maybe!).

Venice of old is a dangerous place and I feel as though the author captured all the nitty-gritty details of life there–from the convent to the courtesans and gamblers.

I feel as though I can’t comment much on the plot, other than that all the different threads came together quite well (though I could certainly see where the story was going long before the reveal, which might have helped in a way because I kept yelling at the characters when they missed chances to meet!). As a sequel, I’m not sure how good it is, but I have been convinced to read the first book so that’s something, right?

Sorry this review feels scattered — this is why I should review books after I read them, not three books later! 😉 This is recommended, though perhaps start with book one first!

Book Review: Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl

Elizabeth Hastings has lost everything: her parents, her fortune, and her chance to marry into a title. When she enters into the service of Princess Victoria, she sees an opportunity to advance her position by gaining the Princess’ trust. Acting as Victoria’s spy, she doesn’t expect to unearth a plot to steal the throne. With the help of a thief and a scoundrel, she might just be able to secure the Princess’ future and her own–or be the cause of its undoing.

This was another refreshingly well-researched and well-written historical YA novel. The story is interspersed with letters and diary entries from both Liza and Victoria. Liza is a fictional character, and as such, her diary entries are of course fictional–but according to the Author’s Note at the back of this book, Victoria’s are actually authentic. Victoria apparently wrote a great deal throughout her lifetime. The author has read her diaries, and because of that she is able to give the Queen a very realistic voice throughout the book.

Many of the events that transpired in the book are also real. It was amazing to see what the author was able to do with some of these events, and learn a lot along the way. I don’t claim to be an expert on any period in history, but I am much more familiar with the Elizabethan period than I am the Victorian one, so it was lovely to learn a thing or two.

As for the characters, I absolutely loved Liza. While she did sit around and feel sorry for herself after the death of her parents, that took place shortly before the book started. She was fully aware of what awaited her on the streets of London if she did not take the job as a maid. She was fully aware that she was in a position to take advantage of the princess, and at first she was not ashamed to take full advantage. Not at all naive, wholly intelligent, cunning, and a little conniving at the start, as her friendship with Victoria developed she realized she wouldn’t ask anything of her. She helps Victoria get her crown and turns down the offer for any reward, which showed remarkable growth. Liza, like the writing itself, was incredibly refreshing.

The portrayal of Princess Victoria appears to be a contention in many reviews. It was somewhat surprising–Victoria is well-known for being well-loved as a Queen. In this book, the Princess is somewhat childish, throws tantrums, and doesn’t realize when she’s hurting others. While many reviewers found this annoying and not true to character, I thought her personality was a direct result of her treatment by her mother. Victoria wasn’t allowed to go out and meet people, she wasn’t ever allowed to be alone, or open her own mail, or even write in her diary without other people reading it. Whether or not this is actually what happened to the real Victoria, it happened to the Victoria in the book, and in my opinion her personality was realistic for the expectations placed upon her. No, it didn’t make me love the character, but again, it allowed room for growth and she redeemed herself at the end.

Really, my only complaint is the horrendous cover! You can’t really tell in the picture above, but it’s all shiny and awful. For a book with Queen Victoria in it, I would expect something that looks a little more historical. The only reason I picked it up in the first place is that it had fallen down on the shelf so the back of the book, which shows the summary in a newspaper-like format, was facing me. The cover of this book doesn’t have the title–I mistook it at first for “A Novel of Intrigue and Romance,” which isn’t as interesting either. Anyway, I’m glad I DID pick up the book, but I have to wonder how many other people are ignoring it because of how it looks on the outside.

What I particularly loved about the book itself was that the romance was downplayed, but still present enough to satisfy most audiences. Liza ended up on more or less equal footing with her romantic interest. There was mystery, history, intrigue, politics–what more could you want?

After finishing this book I rushed off to see if the author had any other books along the same line. She has a few–one about Emily Dickinson, another about Charlotte and Emily Bronte, and a third about Beryl Markham, a pilot. I’ll be checking these out soon.

The Historical Dictionary of American Slang

Today I tried to focus on research for my NaNoWriMo novel, which will be set in the American colonies just before the Revolutionary War. I haven’t done nearly as much research as I should, so I put my nose to the grindstone today and came up with a really good find:

A Historical Dictionary of American Slang.

The website allows you to enter a time frame and spits out words used during that time. Okay, so I’m not entirely sure how accurate it is, but for the 1770s the few words that they have sound about right: clink, togs, dern, Golly. I mean, it’s better than nothing, right?

I intend to do a lot more research in regards to language. It’s one of my hang-ups when reading historical fiction. If the characters don’t sound like they belong in the time period, I’m not likely to enjoy the book. I’ve been immersing myself in a few 1770s journals, but for a quick fix–or to check if a word is okay to use in a certain era or not–I think this will work wonders.

What resources do you use when researching for your novel? I’d love to hear about them!

Book Review: Seeking Eden by Ann Turnbull

In this third book in the Quaker Trilogy by Ann Turnbull, Will and Susanna move their family to Philadelphia, where they hope to have a new start in life. The star of the show is their son Josiah, a boy who still has some soul-searching to do when it comes to being a Quaker. Somewhat rebellious, Josiah feels he is only ever a disappointment to his father and does what he can to irritate him. But when Jos becomes apprenticed to the wealthy merchant George Bainbrigg and falls in love with Kate, he starts to settle into his new role and thinks of a successful future and family–nothing could sway his loyalty to Baingbrigg…

At least, not until Josiah learns that he is to become involved in the slave trade. On a trip to Barbados, they take five slaves aboard their ship to sell in the Americas. Two of them are young sweethearts, Antony and Patience, and Josiah will not see them separated. To whom does Josiah owe his loyalty–to the master who could secure his future, or to the inner light, which says slavery is all wrong?

I’ll admit I didn’t like this book as much as the previous two in the series, probably because I didn’t like Josiah quite as much as I did Will and Su. That said, this was another extremely well-researched book that threw me straight into the historical time period and, in the process, taught me something I didn’t know. I had no idea that some Quakers kept slaves–it seemed like something they would be wholeheartedly against. This book explores the issue: some quakers believed it was altogether wrong, while others said “well, at least we’re buying them–we’d be better owners than others–and we can show them the inner light, as is our duty.”

The depiction of slavery is done well, which means it was well and truly heartbreaking. The entire time I was reading this I was wondering how on earth this could have a happy ending, and of course it couldn’t–so if you’re looking for a book full of sunshine and rainbows you might want to look elsewhere. That said, it probably does turn out better for the characters than it potentially could have–but still, it was heartbreaking.

Josiah was an interesting character who developed from a rebellious boy to a caring young man throughout the course of the book. Kate fell a little flat for me–I actually felt more connected to Patience, who we saw less. This was probably why I felt the romance was a bit sudden and fast between Kate and Josiah–I just couldn’t see the connection when I had no connection with Kate myself. I also felt more connected to Antony than to Patience, but that’s to be expected when he had regular sections in his perspective throughout the book.

I liked that the plot didn’t center on Josiah and Kate’s relationship so much as Antony and Patience’s, because the second relationship was so much more problematic. It gave the characters some depth in my eyes to see that they realized that. While Josiah and Kate might have been separated for some time, it was nothing like the separation that Antony and Patience were facing.

All in all, a good read. Certainly not a light one! If you liked the previous books in the series I recommend finishing it off. And, if you’re perhaps more interested in American history and slavery than you are in Quaker religion, I think this book could be read as a standalone without the need to read the previous ones. The main characters here are entirely different, and while the characters from the previous books are present, they play only a minor role.

Request for Inspiration

Today I suffered from crippling boredom.

Honestly, it was kind of enjoyable. I can’t remember the last time I was properly bored. Here’s how my last few months have been: I would stress out because I wasn’t getting any freelance writing done. My stress would impact the amount of work I would actually get done (not much). The amount of work I should be doing would be a constant companion at the back of my mind, all day, every day. And every night, leading to very little sleep. Little sleep led to late mornings. Late mornings stress me out–because that’s time I should have been doing work. The stress would impact the amount of work… well, you get the idea.

When I’m stressed out, I can’t be bored. So–yay for no stress.

You see, I started September with a goal. A plan. Granted, I entered July and August with Goals and Plans too, and they kind of fell apart. But this month, I’m going to stick to it. I’m going to have a schedule. I’m now writing 20 articles per month–not impossible, right? I’m going to write two articles on Monday and Wednesday and one on Friday–that means I have Tuesdays off for now (same day the husband has off; will hopefully be starting something else on this day next month) and weekends off, while Thursdays I’m still at my nanny job.

It’s DOable!

The thing is, instead of thinking “I should get an article done” on those Tuesdays and weekends, I now have scheduled free time that… well, I’m struggling to fill.

I HAVE managed to finish a few books the last couple of days, but I just started one I haven’t been able to get into quite so much, so it wasn’t pulling me in today. Instead, I was browsing more books and thinking about the ones I’ve read, which led to a spark of inspiration for fun-writing.

Fun-writing hasn’t happened much since April, as you can probably tell from the lack of Novel Mondays around here. My April NaNo story has sort of fallen by the wayside and I’d like something new for November anyway. And I was thinking, why not branch out a bit?

I’ve been reading tons of YA historical fiction and YA historical fantasy, which I’ve always loved. I’ve just never tried writing it. I don’t know why. I double-majored in history, for crying out loud, and still have access to tons of primary documents via my university, making research a somewhat easier task.

So this is what I need help with:

What’s a historical time period you’d like to know more about, but haven’t read much about? Similarly, what groups of people seem to have taken a back-seat in your history classes? (For instance: I’ve been reading a series of books about the Quakers, who I never learned much about in school. Fascinating stuff). 

I’m interested in so many different time periods it’s difficult to narrow it down. Plus, I’d like to do something a bit different. Something that hasn’t been done much. My first thoughts were:

1. Elizabethan England. WAY overdone.

2. The Pirate Golden Age. Way, WAY overdone.

3. Colonial America/Frontier America–done properly I think I could carve out a space for myself here (for instance, where I’m from–Northern Michigan–during the early days?), but I’m not sure if I could sustain my own interest, having done quite a bit of this in school.

4. Australia with Bushrangers. I did my history thesis on bushrangers. One of my worries with this is, not being Australian myself (yet!), I kind of feel like I don’t have a “right” to it if you know what I mean.

Anyway. Those were the topics that came to mind that I’d be somewhat interested in (though I don’t think I’ll touch the first two). But I really want to hear about your favorite places and time periods, particularly the somewhat obscure but super interesting ones that you just don’t hear a lot about. What would YOU want to read about in a historical fiction/historical fantasy book? Leave your answers in the comments below! I’d love to start researching now so that I can be well prepared for NaNo in November.

Book Review: Forged in the Fire by Ann Turnbull (Quaker Trilogy #2)

Three years later, and Will and Susanna have maintained their relationship through letters as Will establishes a career in London and Susanna continues to carry out her duties for Mary in Shropshire. Quakers are being persecuted more than ever. Added to that are the threats of bubonic plague running rampant in London, and the dry heat of summer which is leading to more and more fires. When Will is silent for far too long, Susanna decides to travel to London to find him, fearing the worst. But she will stop at nothing to be with Will, even if it means traveling to her own death bed.

I read the prequel to this book, No Shame, No Fear, a few weeks ago and, as you might remember, I quite enjoyed it. I was ecstatic to find that there was not one but TWO sequels to the lovely book, and I grabbed a copy of Forged in the Fire the moment I saw it.

It’s taken me a while to get to it, but it took me all of two sittings–and then only because I had to sleep–to finish it. That doesn’t happen often for me, and hasn’t happened at all in recent months. It’s just so easy to get wrapped up in Will and Susanna’s world. Though I don’t know much about Quaker history, the lives and times of these characters seemed to be seamlessly researched. At least, the sights, sounds, and smells seemed real enough that I was living in London–and if there’s something amiss historically, well, I didn’t notice it.

Once again, I quite liked all the characters, though Susanna got on my nerves this time with the “woe is me” jealousy that cropped up toward the end which didn’t feel right. That “woe is me” jealousy borders on cliche and I didn’t think it suited Susanna, who had such a good head on her shoulders in the previous book. Nevertheless, it’s a small complaint because it played such a small role in the book overall.

Meanwhile, I was still fascinated by the Quaker religion and horrified by the amount of persecution they experienced at the hands of their countrymen. Families ripped apart by plague is one thing–families ripped apart by the whims of a few guards is quite another. It was heart-breaking to hear about the trials of some of these characters, and they aren’t even real.

As I said, the plot kept me reading–but I won’t put any spoilers here. Let’s just say that it’s not often I go to bed grudgingly, wishing I could read just one more chapter, and wake up early so I can finish the book before starting on the day’s work.

There was an event that took place in the book that I was eager to hear more about. Susanna’s friend Judith moved to Massachusetts, which I thought would make for an interesting tale of its own. That’s when I went hunting, hoping there was yet another sequel, and found that there is–and it’s set in (what will become) the US! I’ve just placed an order for it, so expect a review of Seeking Eden in a few weeks.

Again, highly recommend this series to lovers of historical fiction, young and old.

 

Book Review: No Shame, No Fear by Ann Turnbull

Susanna is a young Quaker woman used to the hardships and taunts thrown at her people. Will is the son of a wealthy merchant, used to fine cloth, servants, and the frivolities of his rank. When Susanna takes a job as an assistant in a bookseller’s house in the town, her life and Will’s collide. As Will slowly takes on the Quaker way of life, they fight persecution on all sides–from the government that wants to take their religion from them, and from their parents who want to keep them apart. In the face of so much opposition, can they stay true to each other–and to themselves?

Another fantastic historical read by Ann Turnbull. I previously read Alice, in Love and War, my review for which you can read here. I liked this book even better because both of the main characters, while idealistic, were realistic in their hopes and dreams and desires. I could relate to Susanna, who wanted to leave her country life for life in the town, her excitement about books and learning, and running up against so many obstacles to be with the boy she loved.

As with Alice, this book’s historical details set me back in time with a printing press, beer drunk at all hours, using urine to clean linen, and the layers upon layers that women had to don to be considered decent. The religious aspect of this book was done well, too. The persecution that Quakers faced was well described, if not always easy to read, as modern readers will be able to look on and think, “How could anyone do this to such a peaceable people?” For any worried about reading a religious book, it’s not preachy in any sense–just true to its time in history.

One of my favorite parts of this book, though, was the ending. Let’s just say it isn’t your typical romance. The couple choose the road less traveled because that is what’s better for them at the time, and, once again, it’s the more realistic decision. Perhaps not all readers will be satisfied with the ending (in which case, there is a sequel that undoubtedly will meet their needs), but others will look at the characters and know that they will be stronger for it–individually and in their relationship.

Highly recommended to all fans of historical fiction, young and old. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Book Review: Crusade by Linda Press Wulf

When Prophet Stephen brings his children crusaders to Georgette’s town, she wants nothing more than to leave with them and serve God. Robert was a foundling and raised in an abbey where he was taught that the glory of God was everything. The journey to the Promised Land wasn’t what either of them expected, however–fraught with death and sickness, a less-than-moral prophet, constant hunger and tired feet, Stephen promises that the sea will open for them at Marseilles. So–what happens when it doesn’t?

I picked this book up because I am fascinated by the Crusades and pretty much anything to do with over-the-top religion. I’m not religious at all and never attended church, so stuff like the Crusades seem like something out of a fantasy world to me. I have never understood why anyone would undertake such a thing. (Though I feel I should also point out that I am not against any religion–I’m very open-minded and think everyone has the right to practice what they wish, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone!)

Anyway, I’d heard of the children’s crusade but had never read much about it. This is, of course, a fictionalized tale, but many aspects of it were very real, from the descriptions of the French countryside to what the young crusaders must have been feeling so far from home with all of the challenges thrown at them. What stood out, too, was Georgette’s and Robert’s faith in times of hardship. It was admirable rather than strange, which is how I read most books with extremely religious characters.

Anyway, Georgette, anyway, really grew on me. I think she was ten or eleven at the start, and over the year in which she was on the Crusade, she changed dramatically from a young girl with this romantic idea about serving God, to a hardened young woman who had seen too much and served God anyway. She took her every experience as a lesson, which I appreciated. Knowing the ending of this story already (historically), I couldn’t help but feel she was too eager to go at the start and too accepting of Stephen’s words. By the end, she isn’t nearly as naive about such things.

However, while I appreciated the plot between picking Georgette up and the sea not opening at Marseilles–sorry, was that a spoiler alert?–what came after came as a bit of a surprise, and I felt it was unnecessary. I would have liked the story to end with some more closure in regards to the Crusade. Instead, it goes off and becomes a story about Georgette’s and Robert’s extremely sudden relationship–as in, they’d barely said two words to each other before this–and then they’re married (she’s like twelve, but I mean, it’s the olden days), and then they’re running away  from being arrested and the book ends. There’s more to it than that of course, but the last few chapters seemed so disconnected from the rest of the book and sounded more like they were setting the reader up for a sequel than anything else.

Still, the book was enjoyable and a fascinating glimpse into history. If you have any interest in the crusades, I highly recommend it. 

Book Review: Alice in Love and War by Ann Turnbull

Alice Newcombe is unhappy at her uncle’s farm. When soldiers from the royalist army seek food and shelter there, she is infatuated with Robin, who gives her kisses and is kind to her. As their relationship quickly develops, Alice knows the path she wants to take: she’ll follow the army train so she can be near him at all times, and soon they will be married.

But war does not always go as planned, for anyone. Alice is thrust into the tumult of the English Civil War at the tender age of sixteen, surrounded by strangers, homeless, with no wealth but the knowledge in her father’s apothecary book to support her. Her journey leads her to the arms of good people and bad, and just when all seems to go well, it goes horribly, horribly wrong.

The back of this book makes it sound like a typical  romance–please do not go into it thinking it is, or you will probably reach page 35, chuck the book across the room, and wonder how anything could be even worse than Twilight.

By page 35, Alice meets Robin for the first time, sneaks out of the house to smooch him a bit, he takes her virginity, and she’s convinced she’s completely and totally in love and that they’ll get married soon and live happily ever after.

At this point, I was groaning. I had never encountered a character so unbelievably stupid. There was no character development (save for Alice’s stupidity) and I thought for sure that this was how it was going to continue: lalala, love love love, then maybe Robin gets killed in the war and she has to grow up a bit. The end.

But then the book shaped into something so much more. Perhaps I should have seen it then–because really, when a character is so mind-numbingly dumb, where is there to go but up? And Alice reaches for the moon and lands among the stars. While she’s still hoping on Robin for a good half of the book, the reader begins to see that the situation is hopeless–Robin isn’t all he seems, and didn’t want love at all. This isn’t a happily ever after. Alice goes through difficulties which make her grow up sooner rather than later. She is employed in a good house making herbal teas and poultices for the family. She witnesses the horrors of war first hand and has a great responsibility thrust upon her shoulders. She sees more of the world, and craves to see even more–to learn and grow and become useful.

Alice by the end of the book is nothing like the Alice in the first 35 pages. She is more careful, likable, clever, and bold–at least as much as she can be as a woman in the 1640s.

And the plot, while still a romance, focuses much more on Alice’s growth as a character. There is so much symbolism chucked in here I started writing an essay in my head before remembering I’d already graduated. It’s a coming-of-age story and a becoming-a-woman story. While set in a historical period, I think there is much to be gained by teenage girls of today reading this book. It’s an empowering story of faithfulness and friendship, and faithfulness to yourself.

I was also impressed with the historical details, big and small, that make it clear this is one well-researched book. The setting and time period jump from the pages and suck you in until you’ve read every last word.

Book Review: The Falconer’s Knot by Mary Hoffman

When the husband of Silvano’s object of affection turns up dead in the streets of Perugia with Silvano’s dagger in his ribs and Silvano hovering over him, it doesn’t look good. But Silvano insists he didn’t kill Tommaso, despite the love he had for his wife, Angelica. He is forced to seek sanctuary in a friary. There he meets Chiara, forced into a convent because of her lack of dowry. Soon, more bodies start turning up–that of Ubaldo, a wealthy merchant who married Monna Isabella, who was in love with Domenico, who is now Brother Anselmo, who is accused of killing Ubaldo, whose brother Umberto wants revenge…

This book is a tangled web of love stories with a dash of mystery and a healthy amount of history and religion thrown in.

Had a rough time keeping up with all the characters in the synopsis? You get used to it, but I had serious misgivings about the book when I first started. Each character gets a few paragraphs, or if they’re lucky, a few pages per chapter. At the beginning, it makes it very hard to keep up with everyone, as you keep getting jolted out of one storyline and into the next. While I did get used to it, I still wish that it had been written with each character getting their own chapter. I find it much easier to keep track of them that way.

In my opinion, the main plotline was that of Silvano and Chiara, who were both in Giardinetto at the time of the various murders. Angelica and Gervasio (Silvano’s friend), and Monna Isabella and Brother Anselmo were side-plots. All the characters’ stories intertwined at the end which is why it became slightly less confusing. My advice: power through, and don’t give up at the beginning if the constant switches in character perspective start irking you.

This was, first and foremost, a love story–almost Shakespearean, in a way (I mean his comedies, not Romeo and Juliet!). It was the kind of love story that was fun to read and isn’t to be read for the seriousness of it all, or the mystery of who ends up with whom (it’s pretty obvious once all the characters are introduced). But it was fun and light and the perfect way to spend a day without any electricity (really sets up the atmosphere for a medieval friary!).

As a mystery, it wasn’t too tough to decipher either–I knew who the perpetrator in Perugia was as soon as they mentioned it was Silvano’s blade. I admit to having been stumped by the Giardinetto murders for some time, and had the wrong person in mind most of the time, though I did figure it out before Silvano did. So again, if you’re looking for a hardcore, impossible to solve, wowed by the author’s brilliance at the end mystery, this isn’t it–but if you want something fun and enjoyable, I recommend this.

I will say that the characters were fun to follow. Each one had his or her own personality, and while I hated Angelica, I adored Chiara and even grew to like Silvano, despite thinking him a bit dim at the start. The characters all managed to grow and change (well, maybe not Angelica…) and, of course, end up with the loves of their lives–which you can’t help but root for from the start.

I also enjoyed the history, which wasn’t heavy-handed but appeared to be well-researched, with a handy guide for the religious services in the back for those of us who are unfamiliar.

To anyone who likes historical romance and is between books, looking for something to read, I would recommend this one.