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ClareR (5890 KP) rated The Lady of the Ravens in Books

Jan 7, 2020  
The Lady of the Ravens
The Lady of the Ravens
Joanna Hickson | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Lady of the Ravens is based on the real historical character of Joan Vaux. I find historical fiction fascinating, especially those books which have a foot firmly placed in what was the real world.

Joan and her mother are taken in to the care of Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother, during the end years of the Wars of the Roses. She becomes a good friend to Princess Elizabeth in the time before she marries Henry, and goes on to be a Lady in Waiting and eventually the Lady Governess to the Princesses Margaret and Mary.

I really enjoyed all of the historical detail and what life was really like in Tudor England: the preoccupation with death and the many ways that a woman especially, could die, and the precariousness of children’s lives.

I had never really thought about the Ravens in the Tower of London (you’re never interested about the places that are on your doorstep as you’re growing up, I fear 🤷🏼‍♀️), assumed they’d always been there and that they’d always been seen as important to the realm. But in this novel, we learn that they were actually seen as vermin by the nobility and soldiers stationed there, until Joan and her servant looked after them, convincing others - royalty especially - of their significance to the safety of England and the Royal Family.

I haven’t read Joanna Hickson books before, but I really enjoyed the characters, the insights into the royal family, the uncertainty around the possible sons of York (Perkin Warbeck for one), the descriptions of everyday life - and just the evocative styled her writing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my copy of this great book to read and review.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated In a Dark, Dark Wood in Books

Feb 13, 2018  
In a Dark, Dark Wood
In a Dark, Dark Wood
Ruth Ware | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
6
8.0 (22 Ratings)
Book Rating
Nora hasn't heard from her friend Clare in over 10 years, until she receives an invite to her "hen party" (bachelorette party for us Americans) from one of Clare's friends. Clare and Nora were the best of friends in school, until a series of events brought them apart, and she eventually decides to attend, along with their friend Nina. However, when Nora and Nina arrive, they gather with a group of Clare's friends at an isolated house in the woods. Things seem off from the beginning and go downhill from there.

This book was a juggernaut that I couldn't stop reading. It was a fast read with a captivating plot that overcame some of its other flaws, mainly some mildly annoying characters who lacked development and performed some outlandish actions based on the past. The book unfolds from Nora's point of view in bits and pieces, and she's an unreliable narrator as well (suffering from some memory loss), which really allows the suspense to build. Note that despite the title, it's not a scary book, per se, just a thriller or mystery. It's a fun read, trying to piece together the various threads to reach the conclusion. I felt a little bad for those caught up in the schoolhouse games of the characters, for sure.

Overall, would have liked to have gotten to know the characters and their motivations a bit more (some very high stakes actions occur, which are a little hard to believe - a lot of the plot requires suspending disbelief at times, if you really think things through), but still an enjoyable and fast-paced thriller. 3.5 stars.
  
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Connie (244 KP) rated Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1) in Books

Sep 14, 2018  
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1)
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe #1)
Neal Shusterman | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.0 (22 Ratings)
Book Rating
I steuggle with finding books that really draw me in. As a fast reader, I also strugfle with page count, and I hate books that are predictable. Scythe fit me needs, and the exceeded them.

In a world where death is a myth and the Thundercloud (today's "cloud's" big brother) rules, it seems that no one could live a less-than-perfect life. But with humans able to "turn the corner" and become young again, where will the new blood go?

Enter the Scythes. Killing machines wrapped in rainbow colors, they glean the sould of others based on statistics of how people would have died in the Age of Mortality. But Scythe Farraday has changed the game--instead of just one apprentice, he has taken two. Now Citra and Rowan have a choice to make... Because there is only one ring to be granted.

This was a stunning un-put-downable book that kept me enthralled, guessing, and truly bound up in its pages. If you haven't read this yet, give it a shot!