5 stars During a time when the world is being ravaged by a plague of our own, COVID-19, I can't think of a better time to release a book featuring the Black Plague. Master Zoticus, the assassin, has appeared in other fairytales from Demelza Carlton, but this time he takes center stage, finding his match in Lady Sara. Sara is a widow, and as a woman, has very little say in how things are done, despite being significantly wiser than the men of her town. Zoticus immediately recognizes her intelligence and bravery. Together, they save the children of her village while the adults foolishly follow the advice of the priest. During one exchange with a young girl in the village, Sara tells her something that many women, throughout the ages, have thought, "We all have our fantasies, do we not? Women wish men were stronger, and more capable, so they won't (sic) need to do everything themselves, and men dream of being in charge, having women begging for their help instead of calling them fools for their latest blunder. Most men would not last a week without a woman to tell him what to do, and see that he has food." It's a good story with sympathetic characters and an interesting plot. Unfortunately, there are still people today who share the view of some of the deceased residents of Sara's village: Pray to God and he will save you. He only smites the evil, so no further actions need be taken than to reside in your own sense of righteousness. Perhaps that is Demelza Carlton’s point. ;) I enjoyed the story and the happy ending. July 9, 2020
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2 stars This book from Netgalley was such a disappointment. The prologue was interesting and showed some promise, but once Kate was introduced in chapter 1, it was downhill from there. Kate is not very likable, judgmental, and a bit dense. She continually shares too much information with some people, and not enough with the ones who can actually help. She is closed off and unwilling to share herself with others, and seems unable to access her own emotions without blaming others or providing ulterior motives for their actions. From the start, it is obvious that she should not be seeking Glory’s father, but she is obstinate, despite warnings from others. In fact, she retorts: "I'm well aware that if I found her father, he could take her away, and I might never see her again. Nevertheless, I feel Glory's father should know where she is, that he has a right to be a part of her life if he wants to be. And I don't know that he was abusive or that Ally was trying to get away from him. I don't know why Ally did what she did. I just don't think I should take anything for granted. I think both Glory and I will be better off knowing the truth instead of hiding from it." I think part of the problem is that this book tried to be too many things. It could have just been a mystery/thriller, but the author decided to throw in some vague romance as well as try to turn it into literary fiction. Discussions of religion were perfunctory—the type of thing you might expect from college students just testing out their beliefs. Naturally, there is some discussion of cults, but this doesn’t dissuade Kate from trying to locate Glory’s father. As a main character, Kate is annoying and not very sympathetic. Although I cared about Glory, probably simply because she was a child, I didn’t much care about anyone else. Characters were two-dimensional and insignificant. It was all about Kate, and I began to understand why Ally got the hell out of there the moment she could. Also, and this is just one more reason to dislike this book, there were way too many dangling particles. The ending was abrupt and not in the least edifying. I kept trying to turn the page, but it was an ebook and clearly, there wasn’t any more to it. I’m giving this two stars because it was readable, but I wouldn’t recommend it. July 5, 2020 5 stars This book is a sweet, short diversion from one of my favorite authors. As usual, she taps into universal feelings while tackling a difficult subject. Frank is a widower, his wife having died only one year ago. Grace has been divorced for 20 years and has no desire to form a long-term commitment, but it becomes clear that her aversion to a committed relationship has more to do with protection than desire. Frank and Grace naturally gravitate toward one another, but the biggest obstacle is Frank’s need to settle his feelings for his wife. Luckily, Grace is just the person to help him. Because this book is so short, Zoe York doesn’t dive into the heavy emotions so common in some of her other books. Normally, she might milk the angst of Frank, focus on his loss and his pain. Instead, his grief pops up from time to time but it doesn’t dominate all of his thoughts. After only one year, I suspect many people would still be grieving for the person they loved for thirty years. I think it might have been better had Frank been presented as a widower of several years rather than just the one. I don’t think the story would need to change at all; I just think he needed more time to grieve before finding another partner. That said, I still found it a great read, believable, and relatable. One final point which has nothing to do with the quality of the book: Grace’s concept of pizza creation is a brilliant one! It’s something I never would have thought to do, but will be doing from this day forward. July 2, 2020 5 stars I didn’t know what to expect when I chose this book from Netgalley, and when I began reading, I wasn’t immediately hooked. It’s probably because I found it a bit confusing and I was working on editing another book. So I took a break for a few days and when I went back to it, I found it impossible to put down. Truly, it was an amazing book and I will be looking for more books from this author. Let me start by saying the plot for this book is unusual. It’s a historical romance with a paranormal theme that does not include vampires, shapeshifters, or anything like that. The characters in this book are seemingly normal, but with supernatural abilities (mind-reading, healing, mind-altering, fire-starter, and so forth). For obvious reasons, they don’t really fit in with other people and the League strives to find these poor outcasts and form a family to offer support and protection. The characters are unusual and likable, the genuine and honest types of people with whom you’d like to be friends (or family). Finn and Victoria fight their attraction for one another, her because her father has driven them to the edge of destitution and she needs to marry a detestable man who will give her father the money he needs (Unfortunately, we never get a full explanation for why her father feels obligated to the match, but I’m hopeful this will be addressed in another book.), and him because he is not an acceptable match for her status (in his mind, anyway). Luckily, friends intervene to ensure they marry for love. The thing that makes this book outstanding, in addition to the unusual plot, is the poetic writing. I am always impressed when I find an author with the ability to convey the usual in unusual words. At times, the wording was a bit cumbersome, but for the most part, I found myself dreamily reading and being seduced by the phrases (particularly metaphors). Finn is described in chapter one with a phrase that eloquently highlights the man behind the facade: “Finn brushed lint from his sleeve in what had become a habitual show of insouciance he wished he could jettison from his behaviors.” He is portrayed by a plethora of sensual images, from his scent of bergamot and brandy that drifts to Victoria “on a steamy breeze, sliding along her skin like the gentlest of caresses,” to Humphrey’s assessment that he looks “like you’ve been pulled through a keyhole.” Ultimately, Finn projects a carefree, happy figure, when he is desperately lonely and Victoria is the first woman to notice. Victoria is also the portrait of sensuality, but this is tempered by her independence, persistence, compassion, and sense of responsibility. She, too, is sad without even realizing it. She is uncontrollably drawn to Finn, even when she knows it can go nowhere. He vexes and confuses her. At one point, frustrated by a conversation with Finn, “she shook her head, thoughts piling up on each other like mud sliding down a slope.” This is a frequent occurrence with Finn. And how’s this for a clever metaphor? During one interaction with Finn, he closes his eyes during a conversation. Then, “he opened one eye and pinned it on her, a reverse wink.” From one page to the next, I found one thing after another that made me pause and admire the skill that went into the writing of this prose. It was (mostly) effortless, with only a few occasions that caused me to stumble as I attempted to figure out the intention of the phrasing. This is a book about misfits, deeply unhappy without one another, deliriously happy when noticed, and ultimately loved, by the other. If I had to sum up the book with only one phrase, stealing from Ms. Sumner, I would say, “It’s a skill, posing as someone else. A skill I’ve worked hard to master. Not inborn, I assure you. Although it’s made easy when you’re surrounded by people lacking in self-awareness.” The follow-up, of course, is that when the right person comes along, it’s no longer necessary to pretend. I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more from this author. July 1, 2020 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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