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David McK (3562 KP) rated Brothers in Blood (Eagles of the Empire 13) in Books

Jan 30, 2019

13. Unlucky for some?

The reason I bring that up is because this is the 13th entry in the Cato and Macro series that began way back in 2001 with [b: Under the Eagle|578428|Under the Eagle (Eagle, #1)|Simon Scarrow|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315349321s/578428.jpg|565359] and, by now, you pretty much know what to expect!

Taking place not long after [b: The Blood Crows|18484220|The Blood Crows (Eagle, #12)|Simon Scarrow|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380275584s/18484220.jpg|25144364], this is also set back in Brittania, with the culmination (?) of the campaign against Caratacus.

Somehow, however, I found this to be 'flatter' than the previous novels; just not as engaging as before. I don't know whether this is to do with the change in the circumstances between Cato and Macro or in the fact that I've been reading quite a few historical fiction novels recently or what, but this (I felt) was just not as good as the earlier entries in the series.

(Oh, and as an aside: my version came with a short story 'The Red Sail' included, with that story having two endings. All in all, I think I actually preferred the alternative ending - every hero, after all, needs his nemesis. Batman has the Joker, Superman has Lex Luthor, Sherlock Holmes had Moriarity .. )

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Christine A. (965 KP) rated Once Upon a River in Books

Dec 19, 2018

Once Upon a River

Diane Setterfield | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry

6.8

(6 Ratings)

Book Rating

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

"Once Upon the River" by Diane Setterfield is a difficult book to categorize. It’s part fairy tale, part mystery, part fantasy, and has a dash of historical fiction thrown in for good measure. It revolves around a little town, its pub, its residents, and the river that flow nearby.
The residents are a colorful cast of characters. I enjoyed Setterfield’s use of the pub’s regulars and how they helped move the story along with their storytelling. Storytelling is a significant topic discussed in the story.

I found the beginning of the story confusing. I think it was because of all of the people involved in the storyline. Three separate storylines run parallel and intermingle in the story. Once I was able to keep the characters straight I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
I also listened to a preview of the corresponding audiobook and recommend that also. The narrator, Juliet Stevenson, uses different voices that allows the listener to clearly recognize that character.

I devoured Setterfield’s “The Thirteenth Tale” (my rating is 4 out of 5 stars) and now “Once Upon a River” (4 stars rating). Diane Setterfield is now an author I follow and am looking forward to her next story.

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Show all 3 comments.

Allison Knapp (118 KP) Jan 26, 2019

Sounds interesting. I'll have to read it

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Christine A. (965 KP) Jan 27, 2019

I haven't read Bellman & Black. I'll let you know when I read it.

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Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Doll Factory in Books

Feb 7, 2020

The Doll Factory

Elizabeth Macneal | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery

8.3

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

The Doll Factory is the debut novel of Elizabeth Macneal. It is not a children's book. Before reading it, some reviewers thought it could be because of the cover. Afterward, they realized they were mistaken.

It is a historical fiction novel set in 1850 London. It revolves around Iris, a doll maker, who dreams of a better life. Iris knows her life drastically changes when she meets Louis Frost, a painter, who agrees to teach her to paint in exchange for sitting as his model. What she does not know is it also drastically changes with a brief exchange with Silas, a strange collector who is entranced and quickly becomes obsessed with Iris.

The story is a slow burn and took a while for me to really get into it. It was because of this, the story felt longer than 336 pages. Macneal's description of Silas's increasing obsession with Iris is creepy, dark, and extremely believable. What made it creepier is that Iris does not even remember meeting Silas. Yet, he believes Iris is as infatuated with him as he is with her. This theme has been done before but the 1850 London setting helps make the obsession even darker.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/6/2020.