Review: The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Two of my favourite genres are fantasy fiction and historical fiction, so I was delighted to receive an early copy of The Witch and the Tsar. This story takes the real-life Ivan-the-Terrible and pits him against the legendary Baba Yaga, a fearsome witch!

The story covers a twenty-two-year period starting from 1560. Yaga is the immortal daughter of a goddess and a human; centuries-old, but with the appearance of a young, attractive woman. She lives in Little Hen (a hut on chicken legs) with her owl and wolf in the northern woods, surrounded by the skulls of dead animals, beside the passageway to the Land of the Dead. She mistrusts people, as they mistrust her, but always offers help and healing as  needed.

One day, Anastasia, the tsaritsa and wife of Tsar Ivan IV of Russia, requests help with a mysterious illness - it turns out she is being poisoned. Yaga travels with her to Moscow to keep her safe, but Anastasia's enemy is far more powerful than either of them realise...

The Witch and the Tsar is a clever, well-written story that weaves traditional folklore through a violent period of Russia's history. As I'm not familiar with the folklore, I found this part hard to follow at times and would have loved more detail about the different supernatural worlds and 'kingdoms'. There is a lot happening in this book (wars, uprisings, massacres) and it could have been split into two, to do full justice to the story. I was not as interested in the politics and battle scenes as I was in the magic realism of Yaga's world, her spells, rituals and potions, and her relationships with Konstantin and Vasily.

The Witch and the Tsar didn't quite work for me, but I can see that it might appeal to fans of Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy and Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver.

Thank you to Olesya Salnikova Giomore and HarperVoyager for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily. 

The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan

Natasha is staying in an Airbnb in Vienna with her husband and young daughter Mabel, when they oversleep and nearly miss their plane. Too late they realise Mabel's precious toy cow, Moolah, has been left behind. Even when they return to their home in the Cotswolds, Mabel is distraught and refuses to sleep without it. Unable to find a substitute, Natasha puts out a request on social media that goes viral. It turns out Moolah was found by a climber named Duffy, who has now adopted it as a lucky mascot because it reminded him of a toy his sister had. Now hiking through the Himalayas, Duffy can occasionally get an Internet connection, but there are no post offices, so he can't send Moolah back. Instead, he sends electronic postcards to Mabel detailing all Moolah's adventures.

This story has Sleepless in Seattle vibes in that it is told from the point of view of two unhappy people in two very different countries. Natasha is desperately miserable in the Cotswolds, despite her supposedly prefect marriage to the handsome Rob, and Duffy is suffering his own demons, from a broken relationship in his past and his poor relationship with his father - hence his pilgrimage to the Himalayas. (I do love a 'tortured' hero!)

The story is set in the run-up to Christmas, but is not overly 'Christmassy'. It's a sweet story about facing your mistakes, grabbing second chances, and learning to live rather than just exist. Perfect escapism! One of my favourite reads this year! 

Thank you to Karen Swan and Pan for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

The Last Summer (#1 The Wild Isle) by Karen Swan

The Christmas Party by Karen Swan
The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan

Together by Christmas by Karen Swan

The Secret Path by Karen Swan

Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan

Review: The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

C.J. Cooke writes fabulously creepy gothic thrillers which usually have a legend or some kind of folklore at their heart. This is her third book and my favourite so far!

In the middle of the woods stands a house named Lichen Hall, where unmarried young women go to have their babies before handing them over for adoption. Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965 and soon realises things are not quite as they seem. Who is the mysterious little boy who roams the house, who everyone denies exists? What's with all the toadstools and the fires in the forest? And is there really something evil lurking in the woods?

First of all, there are no ghosts in this story but there is a definite evil 'something' that gives this superbly written gothic historical that extra chill factor. Clever and very original, I loved the growing relationships between the women and how they learnt to stop being so suspicious of each other and work together to solve the mystery of what was really happening at Lichen Hall. There are lots of surprising twists and the background information about toadstools was fascinating! 

One of my favourite books this year. Would suit any reader looking for an original twist on the gothic historical genre and fans of authors such as Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexican Gothic).

Thank you to C.J. Cooke and HarperCollins for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Reviews:

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
The Nesting by C.J. Cooke

Review: The House at Phantom Park by Graham Masterton

The House at Phantom Park has a fabulous, eye-catching cover and I do love traditional haunted house mysteries. This is a 'haunted house' with a difference, though, as the building was originally a military hospital, now left abandoned.

Lilian Chesterfield is in charge of developing St Philomena's Military Hospital into a luxury housing complex, but as soon as work begins on the Jacobean-style mansion, she hears screaming and doors slamming, and sees faces peering through windows. Lilian doesn't believe in ghosts - but what if St Philomena's is haunted by something worse than spirits?

Although The House at Phantom Park had all the chills I usually love in a ghost story, some scenes were a little too graphically gory for me! While the cause of the haunting was original, I found the telling a little repetitive in places and I didn't like the ending. But if you're the kind of reader who doesn't mind a bit of gore with your jump-shocks, add another star!

Trigger warnings: graphic descriptions of war and associated injuries - and it doesn't end well for the animals!

Thank you to Graham Masterton and Aries/Head of Zeus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Lucy works for an advertising agency, which feels more like family than work, especially since her only relative, her grandmother, died at Christmas a couple of years back. Now the agency is in trouble, she doesn't hesitate to head off to Scotland to try to win over Ross Miller, the CEO of a famous gym/sportswear company. She even has the perfect way to get his attention. Wrap her proposal to look like a present and hand-deliver it to his house. What could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, Ross and his sisters Alice and Clemmie meet up before their annual family Christmas get together to discuss tactics to deal with their parents, particularly their mother and Nanna Jean, who are just dying to see them all happily married. Alice has commitment issues and her boyfriend has just proposed, sending her into a panic. She suggests that Ross could take the heat off her if he pretends to have a girlfriend. Ross goes along with the joke and they randomly chooses the name Lucy for his fake girlfriend, after the girl on the cover of a magazine. So that when the real Lucy arrives at the Miller house, complete with her 'present' for Ross, his family get completely the wrong idea and invite her in. By the time Ross has turned up and the mistake is explained, it is snowing heavily and all trains back to London have been cancelled. And Lucy is stuck facing Christmas with a family of strangers...

Snowed in for Christmas is not a story about one couple's romance, but an ensemble cast who have multiple problems, exacerbated by being thrown together for Christmas with no prospect of escape! We have Lucy, who hates Christmas due to her sad memories; Alice, who knows she's no one's idea of a perfect wife yet terrified of losing Nico if she turns down his proposal; Clemmie, who moved to London to escape her childhood sweetheart, only to run into him again; and Glenda, the matriarch, desperate to see her family settled, but equally aware she has to step back and not interfere with their lives. Meanwhile, the hilarious but completely adorable Nanna Jean has no compunction about interfering in all their lives as often as possible! (As you can tell, Nanna Jean was my favourite character!)

If you love warm-hearted, feel-good romantic comedies, this is the book for you. Highly original and very funny (and deserving of being a Christmas classic), Snowed in for Christmas was one of my favourite reads this year. Would suit fans of authors such as Jill Shalvis and classic movies like While You Were Sleeping.

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan

Review: One Dark Window (The Shepherd King #1) by Rachel Gillig

One Dark Window is a YA historical fantasy with elements of magic realism, gothic horror and romance, so it was the perfect read for me! It even has highwaymen!

Centuries ago, when the townsfolk of Blunder wanted help, they would seek blessings and gifts from the Spirit of the Wood. One day, the Spirit granted the King powerful magic of his own. He wanted to share this with his people so he created the twelve Providence Cards. 

Twelve blessings, twelve, curses...

Now the townsfolk had magic of their own, they forgot about worshipping the Spirit, who began using mist to lure people back to the wood in revenge. Children caught in this mist grew sick. Few survived, but those that did were 'infected' with magic that caused them to degenerate. So the King went back to the wood to barter with the Spirit, who told him the way to cure the children was to reunite the Cards - then she tricked him into handing over the last Card before he could do so. Five hundred years later, some are happy to keep things the way they are, others seek to reunite the Cards and break the curse.

After touching a Providence Card as a child, Elspeth was possessed by a supernatural being she nicknamed The Nightmare. She can hear his voice in his head and he can take over her body if she is in mortal peril or calls for his help. But every time this happens the more control he takes from her and the weaker she becomes. If Elspeth reunites the cards will she be cured? Yet the more she's exposed to danger, the more powerful The Nightmare becomes...

One Dark Window is a fabulously dark fairy story, stunningly imaginative, with lots of twists, shifting allegiances and nail-biting life-or-death moments. It's a story-within-a-story containing rhyming extracts from The Book of Alders, which was a lovely touch. I fell completely in love with the characters, especially Elspeth, Ravyn and the cynical wise-cracking Elm, and was entirely sucked into their world. I loved every minute and didn't want the story to end. The only problem is that it ended on a massive cliff-hanger! Argh!!! I really, really can't wait for the next book!

One of my favourite reads this year, One Dark Window would suit fans of dark fairy tales and authors such as Naomi Novik (Uprooted), Holly Black (The Folk of the Air series) and Brigid Kemmerer (The Cursebreaker series).

Thank you to Rachel Gillig and Orbit (Little, Brown Group UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily. 

Review: The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly

I've not read any books by Erin Kelly before but the beautiful cover and intriguing blurb caught my eye. In her foreword, the author explains that the inspiration for this story was one of her favourite childhood books: Masquerade by Kit Williams, which contained clues for a treasure hunt - the prize being a jewelled hare. In this book the prize is the tiny gold skeleton of a woman, broken into pieces and buried at locations around the UK. 

Fifty years ago, Frank Churcher had the idea to write and illustrate a folk tale about a poor farmer who has to find and reunite the bones of his lost love, Elinore. To accompany the story, Frank created a tiny gold skeleton, which he broke up, burying the various bones around the country, with the clues to their location hidden in the text of the book. This book, The Golden Bones, became a huge bestseller and made both his fortune and his name as an artist, but it ruined the life of his daughter Nell. For years she's been stalked by the fans of the book (who call themselves 'Bonehunters') who believe the story is real and that her father hid the last missing piece of the skeleton inside her body. She refuses to accept any of her father's money and now lives incognito on a narrow boat with her unofficially adopted daughter, Billie.

To celebrate the book's 50th anniversary, Frank is relaunching The Golden Bones with an app and a documentary, and is planning on finally revealing where that last piece is hidden. All his family will be there at his house, including Nell and Billie, along with a film crew. Meanwhile, outside the house (and in online forums) the Bonehunters are circling...

The Skeleton Key is a beautifully written psychological suspense/domestic thriller with larger-than-life characters, gothic overtones and a jaw-dropping finish. As well as Frank and his wife Cora, there is Frank's friend, the alcoholic but talented Lal (with whom he always seems to be in competition), plus Lal's wife Bridget, and their children and grandchildren. The story moves back and forth between 1971 and the present day, until we're all caught up with every family secret and every betrayal. You soon appreciate that Nell did exactly the right thing by distancing herself from these horrible people!

The past and present timelines are knitted seamlessly together, the treasure hunt was great fun, and the parts with the skeleton were inspired! And I shall never look at detergent in quite the same way again! Including the legend of Elinore at the end of the book was  a nice touch.

The Skeleton Key is a fabulous story, recommended for fans of Lisa Jewell and Alice Feeney.

Thank you to Erin Kelly and Hodder and Stoughton for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I adored Taylor's last novel, Malibu Rising, so I was intrigued to learn that one of the minor characters is given the starring role in this story.

Carrie Soto has been coached by her father from her childhood to be a winner at tennis, partly because she has a natural talent, inherited from him, but also to help them both cope with the unexpected death of her mother. By the time she retires from the sport she holds several sporting records, including that of most Slam wins, and is considered a sporting legend. When another tennis player looks set to break that record, years later, Carrie announces her comeback. But in risking everything, is she making a terrible mistake?

Carrie Soto is Back is an immersive, gripping story, showing how brutal professional tennis can be, especially when you're no longer young and fit, and reveals the kind of person you need to be, psychologically, to win. (I love how Bowe tries to explain it as 'Self One' vs 'Self Two'.) The story follows Carrie's progress through each slam event: The Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and, finally, the US Open. Has she been arrogant to believe she can just swan in at the same level of fitness, with everyone waiting for her to fail?

Carrie has a consuming need to be the best; failure is not an option - something her friend Bowe can't understand. He's kept going through alcoholism and injury, why did Carrie retire in the first place? She lost a couple of matches? Big deal. Her father believes tennis is a beautiful game and that she should concentrate on enjoying herself - win or lose - but is he being naïve?

Carrie Soto is Back has some very wise words to say on the business of winning and losing (and of taking part!) that can be applied to all areas of life. Like Daisy Jones and the Six this is a very immersive novel, with lots of tennis! Would suit fans of the film King Richard and sport-themed novels like Midnight in the Snow (Karen Swan). I loved it! One of my favourite reads this year.

Thank you to Taylor Jenkins Reid and Cornerstone/Random House/Penguin for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

    

Review: The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda

I've always enjoyed reading Megan Miranda's mystery novels. She is one of those authors who is consistently good, and The Last to Vanish is no exception.

The resort town of Cutter's Pass, just off the Appalachian Trail, has become notorious for a string of unsolved disappearances. Abigail works at the Passage Inn, where some of the missing people were last seen. It's a job she loves but she still doesn't feel fully accepted by the locals. When Trey West turns up to investigate his brother's disappearance, Abigail can sense the town closing ranks. Perhaps if she helps him, he'll leave and everything will return to normal? Maybe, maybe not - but is she prepared for what she is about to discover?

The Last to Vanish is a slow burn murder mystery. I loved the descriptions of the area and how Abigail feels like an outsider. Bit by bit we learn more about the people who disappeared, and their reasons for visiting Cutter's Pass, and more about the townsfolk and why they are so close-knit. There are some jaw-dropping twists, although one of these, towards the end, was in the form of undisclosed information, which I always feel is a bit of a cheat!

An enjoyable read, which should appeal to authors such as Julia Heaberlin, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.

Thank you to Megan Miranda and Corvus for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily. 

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Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda

All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda 

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

Review: This Vicious Grace (The Last Finestra #1) by Emily Thiede

At the beginning of time, the goddess Dea created mankind but Crollo insisted humans were too flawed to survive. So the two of them made a wager. Crollo could send his demons to kill the humans but Dea would would bless the humans with gifts: 'Fontes', who are born with magic to defeat the demons, and one 'Finestra' to enhance that magic when the time came to do battle.

Three years ago Alessa was chosen to be her island's Finestra but so far she has accidentally killed each of the three Fontes she chose to be her partner. Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find another partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island's only hope, even her own soldiers are tempted to assassinate her!

I love reading YA fantasy and the idea of an Italian-inspired story with demons and gods and magic intrigued me! The story reminded me a little of both The Hunger Games and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, with teenagers forming themselves into an army and training to become killers. When Alessa was first chosen to be a Finestra, she was treated like a god herself. Now everyone is beginning to think they'd be better off without her. Enter Dante, who bears the mark (tattoo) of a killer, but is he all that he seems? It wasn't too hard to guess Dante's secret, as it was heavily sign-posted. Alessa hires him in desperation but he proves to be surprisingly effective at both guarding her and teaching her to be a more effective leader, explaining that there's more than one way to be 'the chosen one' and that maybe she should start living by her own rules, seeing as the ones she's currently following don't seem to be working!

Alessa and Dante are fabulous characters and I loved the way their relationship developed - This Vicious Grace does lean more towards YA romance than YA fantasy. The world-building is excellent - the Italian-inspired setting was refreshing, and I can't wait until the next one in the series! One of my favourite reads this year!

Thank you to Emily Thiede and Hodder & Stoughton for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk

I was attracted to this book because of the unusual cover and the title, which I assumed meant the book was going to be paranormal! In fact, the main character's ability to see another person's future (or past) is only a small part of the story. The Second-Sight of Zachary Cloudesley is mainly a historical novel, packed with delightfully quirky characters and a hint of magic realism.

In 1754, renowned maker of clocks and automata Abel Cloudesley must raise his new-born son Zachary when his wife dies in childbirth. When an accident leaves six-year-old Zachary nearly blinded, Abel is convinced that the safest place for his son is in the care of eccentric Aunt Frances, who owns a menagerie of weird and wonderful animals. Offered a job by a politician with dubious intentions, Abel leaves his son, his workshop and London behind. This decision will change the course of all their lives forever.

The strength of this book is the impeccable research into 18th century life in London and Constantinople, and the fabulous cast of characters, most of whom are given their own point of view. Abel, a talented clockmaker; wealthy but eccentric Aunt Frances; and dour Grace Morley, who rises from wet nurse to housekeeper over the course of the story. Grace was my favourite character, due to her deadpan commentary on events. The story starts in London but the second half takes the form of a quest, as Zachary travels to Constantinople to discover exactly what did happen to his father. 

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley is an utterly fabulous, real 'around the fireside' read and one of my favourite books this year. It would suit fans of Diane Setterfield (Once Upon a River) and Robert Dinsdale (The Toymakers). Thoroughly recommended!

Thank you to Sean Lusk and Random House UK/Transworld for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Blog Tour: The Friendship Pact (Sunrise Cove #2) by Jill Shalvis

I am a huge fan of Jill Shalvis and was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Friendship Pact. This is a small-town, second-chance romance, set in Sunrise Cove, Lake Tahoe, California. Each novel in the Sunrise Cove series is a standalone, so you don't need to worry about reading them in order.

Tae and her mother April have lived their lives teetering on the edge of poverty since April became pregnant with Tae at the age of fifteen - and was promptly disowned by her family. Twenty-seven years later, April and Tae are incredibly close, determined that nothing will come between them, until a chance remark by a stranger sets Tae on the trail of the father she thought was dead. She's helped on her quest by her ex-high-school boyfriend, Riggs, recently returned to Sunrise Cove to help his brother Jake run an adventure company for people with disabilities, including ex-soldiers - both Riggs and Jake are veterans.

Despite being intensely drawn to each other, Tae and Riggs agree to remain just good friends, but as they spend more and more time together, keeping their relationship platonic becomes impossible. Should they give up and have a short fling? After all, what could possibly go wrong?

The Friendship Pact is as much about family and friends as it is about romance. It is lovely to see the close bonds between Tae and April, and Riggs and Jake. But both Tae and Riggs have been hurt badly in the past, can they move on from that?

I loved the start of the story, where Tae, who is having a nightmare of an evening, accidently gets into Rigg's car, thinking he's a Uber driver, then walks straight into what appears to be a hold-up at a grocery story - all because she wants to drown her sorrows in ice-cream! Another favourite is the scene where Jake tries to teach Riggs about feelings: in particular, talking about them! It's both hilarious and touching.

The Friendship Pact is a feel-good romantic comedy about second chances and the importance of talking through problems, rather than trying to avoid them, and opening up emotionally - otherwise, how is anyone you care about going to know how you feel?!! It would suit anyone who loves romantic comedy with heart and fans of Sarah Morgan and Susan Mallery. The third story in this series, The Backup Plan, will be out in January 2023 - I can't wait!

Thank you to Jill  Shalvis and Headline Eternal for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

This post appears as part of The Friendship Pact Blog Tour. Do check out the reviews of the other bloggers taking part!

Related posts: 

The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove #1) by Jill Shalvis

Review: The Blackbird (David Raker #11) by Tim Weaver

I've read a few of Tim Weaver's books and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I was keen to read The Blackbird, especially after reading the blurb, which sounded very intriguing!

David Raker is a private investigator, specialising in missing persons. His latest case involves trying to trace Cate and Aiden Gascoigne, who disappeared after their car fell into a ravine and burst into flames. It's hard to say more, without giving away any spoilers, but David Raker painstaking traces every lead to try to solve the case, unwittingly starting a chain of events that - no, no spoilers! 

I'll just say that The Blackbird is a perfectly written crime thriller that completely engaged me. I read the second half in one sitting and you'll understand why when you get to that midway point yourself! It's real edge-of-your seat stuff, with the villain of the story, realising David is partway to solving the mystery, begins a cat-and-mouse chase. There are lots of threads to the story, that seem to be unconnected until they all come together in a completely brilliant way. I am in awe!

If you are the kind of reader who tries to solve the mystery alongside the detective, you will love this. I hadn't a clue whodunnit until the big reveal. You don't need to have read the other books in the series. There is an arc linking the series but it is a small part of the story. The only negative for me is that I've never been keen on books where the villain gives a detailed explanation of their crimes at the end of a story. I might have been tempted to skip that bit but there is a final jaw-dropping twist - so read carefully!

I have no idea why this series hasn't been snapped up for TV. The Blackbird is fabulous - twisty and extremely clever - one of my favourite reads this year!

Thank you to Tim Weaver and Michael Joseph (Penguin UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Post:

No One Home (David Raker #10) by Tim Weaver

Review: Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer

I loved Brigid Kemmerer's earlier series, The Cursebreakers, which was about an American teenager (Harper) finding her way into an alternative world called Emberfall, where she meets Prince Rhen and his bodyguard Grey, and where magic is real and deadly. (There are three books in that series: A Curse So Dark and Lonely #1, A Heart So Fierce and Broken #2, and A Vow so Bold and Deadly #3.)

This story, Forging Silver into Stars, takes place four years after that series and follows one of the supporting characters, Tycho, along with two new characters, Jax and Callyn, who live in an almost forgotten village on the border between Emberfell and Syhl Shallow. There are new heroes and villains, along with several old friends. You don't need to have read the earlier series first, but you would get more from the story if you do.

Jax is the main protagonist; a young blacksmith who has coped well with losing his foot in an accident. He works hard to keep his father's forge open, despite his father's regular trips to the local pub. Likewise, Callyn is running her family's bakery and looking after her younger sister. Both have reasons to distrust magic, which was outlawed in their country until very recently, and both are struggling financially. They don't care about politics, just keeping food on their tables and paying their taxes. When a strange woman arrives at the forge, asking for Jax's absent father to keep a message for her, Jax volunteers to keep it safe. He'll earn valuable silver and, after all, what harm can passing on a message do?

Forging Silver into Stars is a thrilling adventure story featuring first love, friendships, and shifting allegiances. Brigid Kemmerer is brilliant at world building and I was soon sucked into the rising tensions between Emberfall and Syhl Shallow. There's lots of grey area between the good guys and the bad! There are wrong choices made for right reasons, and soon Jax and Callyn's life-long friendship is severely put to the test!

Forging Silver into Stars doesn't end on a cliff hanger but there are several threads that can be explored further, hopefully with lots more books! (I suspect the next one might feature Alek!) I would also love to find out more about Nakiis and the Scravers. Forging Silver into Stars was one of my favourite reads this year. Would suit fans of Naomi Novik (Uprooted) and Katharine Arden (Winternight trilogy).

Thank you to Brigid Kemmerer and Bloomsbury for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

I chose this book  because I was intrigued by the cover and the blurb - who wouldn't want to read a book about women turning into dragons?!!

Alex's mother (Bertha) has been ill so her Aunt Marla has been looking after both her and the home - Alex's father considers housework and childcare a woman's responsibility. Marla is a strong independent woman who flew planes and now works as a mechanic, Bertha had the potential to be a world class mathematician but gave it all up to be a wife and mother. When Bertha returns from hospital and gradually regains her strength, she clashes with Marla over the way Alex is being brought up and suggests Marla marries and has a child of her own - which she does. But strong women can only be kept down for so long. A short time later, hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprout wings, scales and talons, leaving a trail of fiery destruction in their path - and several charred husbands. You'd think this would be headline news but instead the world prefers to pretend that it never happened...

When Women Were Dragons is a coming-of-age story set in the 1950s/60s in an alternative reality. We follow Alex as she grows to adulthood, being put down at school so that the male pupils can shine, told to forget about studying for a degree - such a waste for someone destined to become a wife and mother - and forbidden to see her dearest friend Sonja again because their relationship is 'inappropriate'.

When Women Were Dragons is brilliantly written and an extremely clever idea - I'd love to see it filmed! I loved the characters of Marla and Beatrice, both chaffing at being told what they love is wrong (but going ahead and doing it anyway!) and I felt the frustrations of Alex as she is denied every opportunity just because she's a woman. I particularly enjoyed the author's notes on her inspiration for the story. The only problem I had was with the pace. The story took a while to get past all the references to the 'Mass Dragoning' (which we didn't actually see) and into new territory, but I adored the ending.

Recommended for anyone looking to read something a little bit different!

Thank you to Kelly Barnhill and Hot Key Books (Bonnier Books) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Birdcage by Eve Chase

Eve Chase has been one of my favourite authors since I read and adored Black Rabbit Hall, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Birdcage - and look at that beautiful cover!

Twenty years after their last visit, half-sisters Lauren, Kat and Flora are summoned to Rock Point: the beautiful and windswept Cornish cliff house where they sat for their father's most famous painting, Girls and Birdcage. The last time they were all together, in 1999 for the Eclipse, something terrible happened. Now they're back, no one mentions it - which Lauren finds unsettling and confusing, because there's a bit of a gap in her memory...

The Birdcage is a dual timeline story, switching between 1999 and 2019, and told from each daughter's viewpoint.  'Dysfunctional' hardly covers the Finch family. Famous artist Charlie Finch, now in his 60s, has slept with practically every woman he's ever painted. He has three daughters by three different women. Beautiful Flora; cool, clever Kat; and shy Lauren. While Flora and Kat were born six months apart and have had regular contact, Lauren is a new addition to the family and her sisters resent her.

In 2019, Flora, once the most confident of the sisters, is unhappily married with a young son. Kat eschews relationships for work but her business is in trouble; Lauren has withdrawn further into herself but is determined to find out what happened on the day of the Eclipse. Will spending time at Rock Point finally bring them together as a proper family? Hmm...

The Birdcage will appeal to anyone who loves stories about big old houses, family secrets, old mysteries and larger-than-life characters. (I loved Charlie, even though he was a terrible parent. Kat's imitation: "Don't ever smoke girls. Disgusting habit. Right, where are my Camels?") There's a domineering grandmother, a prospective step-mother everyone loves to hate, mysterious men looming out of the mist, lovable Labradors and a parrot called Bertha, who loves to repeat overheard phrases. Beautifully written, with a heart-warming ending that brought a tear to my eye, The Birdcage is utterly fabulous and one of my favourite reads this year.

Thank you to Eve Chase and Michael Joseph for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase

The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde by Eve Chase

The Glass House by Eve Chase

Review: Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Emily Henry is one of my favourite authors. She has a real gift for creating wonderful, relatable characters and fabulously funny stories. Book Lovers is her best novel yet.

Nora is a literary agent often compared to a shark. Charlie is an editor with a publishing house and is Nora's Nemesis after he turned down one of Nora's authors who went on to become a bestseller. The bestselling book in question was a feel-good story set in a small town called Sunshine Falls. For a treat, Nora's sister suggests they take a holiday there but it soon becomes apparent that the Sunshine Falls in real life is not remotely like the one in the book. To make matters worse, everywhere Nora goes she bumps into Charlie. What on earth is HE doing in Sunshine Falls? And is Nora's sister being entirely honest about the reason that they're here too...?

In Book Lovers, Emily Henry takes the popular 'Small Town Romance' trope and pays affectionate homage to it. If you've ever watched one of those Hallmark/Netflix movies where the heroine, a confirmed city girl, ends up in a rural town where she meets a handsome farmer/vet/carpenter, you will have fun spotting the references and enjoying the in-jokes. Book Lovers also has an enemies-to-lovers trope (which I love), so there is lots of fabulously funny dialogue between the lead characters. I adored Nora, who is such a refreshing heroine, much misunderstood by everyone, including her own sister, but I LOVED Charlie, who is a complete sweetheart.

Book Lovers is clever, romantic and brilliantly funny. It would suit fans of modern romantic comedy and authors such as Mhairi McFarlane and Beth O'Leary. One of my favourite reads this year. I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to Emily Henry and Viking (Penguin) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

Beach Read by Emily Henry 
You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

Review: A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon

I chose this book because I adore Joanna Cannon's style of writing and her brilliant, true-to-life characters never disappoint!

A Tidy Ending is about Linda, who lives an ordinary life on an ordinary estate, spending her days clearing up after her messy husband Terry and working in a charity shop. When brochures and catalogues addressed to the previous occupant begin to drop through the letter box,  Linda wonders if she's 'settled' for this dull, boring life of cooking and cleaning, married to the first man who asked her. If her mother had been more supportive, instead of constantly running her down, could Linda have followed her dream to be a hairdresser? Could she have become someone completely different, more glamorous, like the mysterious Rebecca, who lived in the house before her? 

A Tidy Ending puts the lives of 'ordinary' people under a microscope and reproduces their quirky foibles mercilessly. We all know people like this, with their supposedly perfect lives, completely wrapped up in themselves to the detriment of others, keeping secrets, the events that happened in their past still affecting their decisions in the present.

Running alongside the story of Linda and her dissatisfaction with her uneventful life is a murder mystery that has her neighbours completely agog. A succession of women have been killed close to where she lives and the police already suspect Linda's mild-mannered husband. But Linda has more important things to think about!

A Tidy Ending is a story of under-estimating people at your peril, with shades of Patricia Highsmith and Daphne du Maurier, and written with deadpan humour. Linda becomes completely obsessed with tracking down the mysterious Rebecca, oblivious to the way her own 'ordinary' life is collapsing around her. Brilliantly written with several jaw-dropping twists, A Tidy Ending is thoroughly recommended!

Thank you to Joanna Cannon and The Borough Press (HarperCollins UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Stone Chamber (#25 DI Wesley Peterson) by Kate Ellis

I've loved Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series, right from the very first book (The Merchant's House). I think it is the mix of a classic murder mystery with a historical backstory that does it for me.  This one, the 25th in the series (25th!) is perhaps her best yet.

One summer evening, Robert and Greta Gerdner are shot dead at their home in the Devon countryside. DI Wesley Peterson suspects the execution-style murders might be linked to Robert's past police career, until Robert's name is found on a list of people who've been sent tickets anonymously for a tour of Darkhole Grange - a former asylum on Dartmoor. Others on this list have also died in mysterious circumstances. Meanwhile, archaeologist Neil Watson finds the skeleton of a woman buried in a sealed chamber dating back to the fifteenth century at a nearby dig. Is there a connection between the ancient cell and the chilling history of Darkhole Grange?

As always, Kate Ellis has written a brilliantly twisty, cleverly plotted story that is impossible to put down. Multiple characters and multiple threads somehow manage to all connect at the end (I don't know how she does it!), with a reoccurring motif of incarceration. I particularly loved all the spooky houses!

Although this story is the 25th in the series, it is possible to read it as a stand alone. However, there are a lot characters, both regular and new, and it might be easier to at least read the first book to help understand who everyone is.

On of my favourite reads this year, The Stone Chamber would suit anyone who loves classic murder mysteries and authors such as Elly Griffiths.

Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus (Little, Brown Book Group) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

The House of the Hanged Woman (Albert Lincoln #3) by Kate Ellis

The Burial Circle (Wesley Peterson #24) by Kate Ellis

Dead Man's Lane (Wesley Peterson #23) by Kate Ellis

The Boy Who Lived with the Dead (Albert Lincoln #2) by Kate Ellis

The Mechanical Devil (Wesley Peterson #22) by Kate Ellis

The Mermaid's Scream (Wesley Peterson #21) by Kate Ellis

The Death Season (Wesley Peterson #19) by Kate Ellis

The Shroud Maker (Wesley Peterson #18) by Kate Ellis

The Shadow Collector (Wesley Peterson #17) by Kate Ellis

The Cadaver Game (Wesley Peterson #16) by Kate Ellis

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May

Wild and Wicked Things takes place in the 1920s, when people partied hard to forget the traumas of the War, but it is set in an alternative reality, where magic is real and dangerous. Witches controlled the soldiers and the fighting, so now magic is banned. Even being caught with magic paraphernalia is likely to result in being executed. One exception is Crow Island, where real magic is sold to the tourists as the fake, harmless kind.

The story is told in the main part from Annie's point of view, as she arrives on Crow Island to close up her late father's house and finds herself completely out-of-her-depth amongst the fashionable Bright Young Things. Even though Annie is wary of her glamorous neighbours and their out-of-control parties, she is drawn to them in equal measure, particularly the owner of Cross House, Emmeline Delacroix. 

Emmeline was my favourite character; outwardly tough and hard, with an uncompromising attitude that wins her few friends on Crow Island, but who would do anything to help someone she loves, even put her own life at risk. The characters are a particular strength of this story. Along with Emmeline, there is Isobel, whose magic can affect the weather, and Nathan, a gentle soul whose power is to see into the darkness of others. And it was lovely to see Annie grow in confidence to become more than a match for Emmeline!

The story was a little bit slow to start and I would have loved more world-building - particularly backstory about Crow Island and the mysterious Council - but the characters were brilliant, the tension built up to a terrific finish, and there was even a sweet romance. A kind of mash-up between Gentleman Jack, The Great Gatsby and Practical Magic! Fabulous!

Thank you to Francesca May and Orbit for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.