Deborah (162 KP) rated The Queen's Promise in Books
Dec 21, 2018
This one I think is worth reading though. Although Anne carries one of the main narrative threads the book is really more about Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, who had some sort of understanding with Anne before she caught the eye of that other Henry. I don't think his life is as well documented as other more prominent figures at court, but there is enough information there to give a foundation to his story. Our other main character is Will Chatton, who, along with his wife, is a fictional character created to give us a broader view of Tudor society and to assist Henry Percy and move the narrative along. Will is also friends in the novel with Robert Aske, who was a real historical figure.
Henry Percy has not generally been given much prominence, even in fiction, so this was a new angle, drawing out his character. His is not really a happy story, but he is certainly a sympathetic character and the author uses the forced break up of their relationship as a sort of catalyst for the change in Anne's behaviour to a harder outlook, so the reader can still sympathise with her. One thing that does puzzle me in 'real' history, and which I feel the author didn't convincingly explain in her own narrative, was why it was found necessary to break up Anne and Henry's relationship? That point aside, I thought this was a good read and a bit different to the usual court focused novels.
The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad, #2)
8.3
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The haunting follow up to the Edgar Award-winning debut In the Woods Tana French astonished...
Swann's Way
8.0
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Marcel Proust's seven-volume masterpiece, In Search of Lost Time (A la recherche du temps perdu),...
How to be Both
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How to be both is the dazzling new novel by Ali Smith. Winner Of The Goldsmiths Prize 2014....
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FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LAST ORDERS AND MOTHERING SUNDAY, and reissued for the first time in...
Manhattan Beach
9.0
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The long-awaited novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Visit from the Goon Squad,...
Waiting for the Vote of the Wild Animals
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Characterized as ""the African Voltaire,"" Ahmadou Kourouma garnered enormous critical and popular...
ClareR (6037 KP) rated The Memory of Animals in Books
Jun 8, 2023
This is a pandemic novel - but not our pandemic, not Covid. This is a dropsy-type disease, where those infected swell up, their brains swell up too, they forget - and more often than not, they die.
Neffy (Nefeli) and a group of young people volunteer to be vaccinated against, and then infected by, the virus. Something goes wrong, and it looks as though Neffy and four other test volunteers are the only ones who are alive and well. But they can’t leave the building they’re in and the food is running out.
Neffy is a Marine Biologist, an Aquarist, and my favourite parts were her letters to ‘H’ as well as her flashbacks to childhood and pre-pandemic.
This isn’t *just* a speculative, science fiction book, it’s a story about the human condition, about the human drive to survive against the odds, regret, loss, grief, memory, love and above all, hope.
I could go on and on about this. I would never have expected a novel like this from Claire Fuller after reading her previous novels, but that’s what makes it even better. I actually read this twice (unheard of for me, actually). I finished it and immediately started reading again.
So yes, I would most definitely strongly recommend this book!
Karin Furnell (1 KP) rated A Court of Thorns and Roses in Books
Jan 7, 2018 (Updated Jan 7, 2018)
Especially as Belle is my favourite Disney Princess!
The main character is a strong female who overcomes many challenges, she certainly can't be seen as weak or a damsel in distress.
Highly recommend this YA series to anyone that enjoys fantasy, it is possibly a bit graphic for younger readers though.
