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ClareR (5950 KP) rated The Ghost Theatre in Books

Sep 10, 2023  
The Ghost Theatre
The Ghost Theatre
Mat Osman | 2023 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Ghost Theatre was one of those books that had me heading straight to Google. I was looking up “Aviscultan religion”. It doesn’t actually exist, but it sounds like it should.

Shay is an Aviscultan, but she is distracted from her home and way of life when she meets Nonesuch and his fellow young thespians at the Blackfriars theatre. She falls in love with him, neglects her failing, blind father, and eventually becomes something of a celebrity when she uses her ability to predict the future for Queen Elizabeth I. Soon, all wealthy Londoners want to see her, and the owner of Blackfriars theatre realises he can make some serious money out of Shay.

This is an exciting story with lots of running-across-rooftops-action, but I thought the real magic was in the descriptions of the narrow London streets, the smells, sights, the people and the animals. The descriptions of the birds, especially that of Devana, Shays falcon friend, truly expressed the wonder and reverence that Shay and her fellow Aviscultans had for all birds - and frankly, I can’t see what would be bad about a belief such as this!

The fact that a rebellion could be stoked by a guerrilla theatre group - a Ghost Theatre - showed the power of art, theatre and stories.

This is a mesmerising book; I was completely immersed in the birds, the magic and the dark London streets. And I didn’t want it to end.

Highly recommended.
  
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ClareR (5950 KP) rated Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power in Books

May 31, 2023  
Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power
Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power
Leah Redmond Chang | 2023 | History & Politics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It’s not often that I read a non-fiction history book - I’m more of a historical fiction reader - and I’m really glad that I picked this up.

This book is about the lives of Catherine de’ Medici (married to the French Henry II), Elisabeth of Spain and Mary, Queen of Scots and how their lives wove together.

There are some really interesting facts here (Mary was nearly 6 feet tall - now THIS is the kind of fact I live for!). But it was the personal side that really interested me. Catherine loved her children fiercely even though she had little time with them. She wanted to know every detail of their lives. Her letters to Elisabeth when she went to Spain were filled with family gossip and instructions. Just the kind of stuff that any mother would send their daughter, and Elisabeth appeared to want to always make her mother proud.

Mary and Elisabeth were like sisters, so when Mary needed Elizabeth’s and Spain’s support when the Scottish Lords turned against her, it must have hurt her greatly when they refused to help.

What I liked most was having the opportunity to dip my toes in to the history of France and Spain. It sounded as tumultuous as our own.

I do think that I’m going to have to follow up on Cathrine de’ Medici, though. Now she sounds fascinating!

I’m so glad that I read this - thanks to The Pigeonhole!