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A King Under Siege (The Plantagenet Legacy #1)
A King Under Siege (The Plantagenet Legacy #1)
Mercedes Rochelle | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A KING UNDER SIEGE is the first book in The Plantagenet Legacy and details Richard II and the circumstances around the beginning of his reign. Crowned at ten, he was reliant upon his advisors for a time, although the frustration he felt was clear when their advice was less than helpful. We also get to meet Anne of Bohemia, his first wife and great love. Together with those of Richard's inner court, we see how it could have been (and probably was) for people at that time.

Told as an amalgamation of fact and fiction, you get the story and history with comments and questions raised by an observer. It is clear that a lot of research has gone into this book.

Richard was the last of Plantagenet kings in the direct line and you see his relationship with Henry Bolingbroke -- the most direct descendant in the male line, as opposed to the then-heir presumptive -- as a fraught affair, with Henry not involving himself too deeply in the politics of the time, but having great impact upon Richard when he did.

This part of the story takes us through to 1388, ending with a hint of Richard regaining control in 1389.

A story that will definitely intrigue and interest lovers of both the Plantagenet era and the Tudor, as this shows the build-up to future events. Definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

 * A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
WC
We Cast a Shadow
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a difficult book for me to get through. Not because of the writing but by seeing too much of myself in the main protagonist. I am a multi-racial father of a multi-racial son. This story resonated so much with me and wanting to 'protect' my son from the injustices of this world and this country. As a white skinned latin-x person, I've struggled so much with the changes of peoples moods and attitudes when they find out my name or my heritage from many different means. So many of the moments where the narrator struggles with his own identity within his heritage context as well as the context of society made me have to stop and take stock of my own life.

So many don't realize the struggle of a parent trying to find one's identity amidst the current racism. Especially for Latin-x people during the reign of Trump and Trumpian ideals within the United Sates. We are being equated with animals and the worst of the worst that share our heritage. Yes, there are some bad people out there, but there are bad people of every skin color or heritage. I want so much to protect my son, and ensure that he gets every opportunity without the problems that this evil presents currently.

This is a near future story, that says so much about who we are today. Especially for those of us who are Multi-Racial. Many of us aren't even accepted in either societies that are full heritage-ly made up. This book was not without it's issues, but it is a very important story. It is a great read for those trying to understand the struggle of Multi-Racial Parents and children. Highly recommend.
  
WK
Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
There's an old Chinese curse that runs "may you live in interesting times". Penn throws some new light on an era that certainly can be described as 'interesting' and somewhere I'm sure I wouldn't want to be living!

The Winter King of the title is Henry Tudor. Although more a history of the reign than biography (his early life is described only in brief), Henry doesn't come across as particularly likeably - not someone you'd like to sit down to dinner with! His whole style of kingship seems to be based around control of everyone around him and control was often achieved through financial means rather than physical threat. The story unfolds as almost horrific where we see innocent people 'informed' against, imprisoned illegally, tried with 'packed' juries and presented with crippling fines! The wonder really is that such a king was not overthrown! We see here how the notorious Empson & Dudley really worked, and although in a way they were scapegoats for many in the old Henrician regieme when Henry VIII came to the throne, you can see how imprisoning and then executing this unpleasant pair would have been a great crowd-pleasing move!

This book also shines some light on other charaters; it goes someway to explaining the later behaviour of Henry VIII for starters! The insight into the relationship of Philip of Burgundy and Juana of Castile was brief, but enlightning.

Many Tudor writers go straight for the two obvious targets; the larger than life Henry VIII and his daughter, Elizabeth I, so here it made an interesting change to see the earlier Tudor world and how Henry VIII grew up in this; even if it was a place full of paranoid and insecurity!
  
PI
Pale Immortal (Land of the Dead 1)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
157 of 235
Kindle
Pale Immortal ( Land of the Dead 1)
By Anne Frasier
⭐️⭐️⭐️

The legend:

A hundred years ago, in what is now called Old Tuonela, a killer known as the Pale Immortal walked the streets. When darkness fell children were rushed inside, doors and windows locked up tight. Some claimed the Pale Immortal bathed in blood, and that blood flooded the streets until the ground became saturated.
Even after the Pale Immortal's reign of terror ended, people were afraid. His death had come too late.

Many claimed the ground was cursed, and so a mass exodus took place. Every single person relocated to a new development five miles from the old one. A better location, they claimed. And prettier. On a bluff overlooking the river. Why had anyone settled at the old place, in such a dark valley?

Let's pretend Old Tuonela doesn't exist. Let's pretend we always lived here, in the new place.

Even though a hundred years has passed, many locals still like to pretend Old Tuonela isn't just beyond the outskirts of town where the softly rolling hills end abruptly, the valleys become dark and deep, and the roads turn back on themselves.

Look closely through the trees and you might see it on the other side of the Tuonela River.

This was different and kept me thinking all the way through about whether it was supernatural or not and if I’m perfectly honest I’m still not sure. The premise is really interesting and I a little confusing in the middle. But overall a really decent read. I do know I need to visit this place though it’s definitely drawn me in.
  
Christopher Robin (2018)
Christopher Robin (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Great coming-of-age story of leaving behind childish things (a la Toy Story 3), weighed up with the perils of growing up (responsibilities and prioritising work over family). Christopher Robin leaves the Hundred Acre Wood to grow up and somehow loses his way as the stresses of adult life take hold.
I really hated the trailer for this film, thinking it looked like they'd taken the plot of The Smurfs or Paddington and just swapped in the different characters. It really didn't do it justice as this is not your average CGI creatures madcap adventures in the real world film. There are real poignant moments in the Hundred Acre Wood before any of the toys have really made it to the real world. Also I did not like the look of Pooh, he seemed just wrong on so many levels. But as with any 2D character, nothing 3D will quite look right and you soon become to like him and appreciate his facial expressions.
Ewan McGregor is OK as Christopher Robin (though interesting that he somehow lost his North English accent as he grew up), though is somehow neither truly believable as the curmudgeon nor as the eventual (spoiler alert) happy, funloving Dad.
The cast of the Hundred Acre wood seem quite familiar to me, as Jim Cummings continues his reign as Pooh and Tigger, but we (briefly) have Peter Capaldi (doing an impression of Gary Oldman) as Rabbit and Toby Jones as Owl.
Enjoyable cameo appearances from Mackenzie Crook and Matt Berry in one scene.
Some real poignant moments at the start of the film, but this wasn't reflected in the finale as that was not as emotive as it could have been.
Not really a film for under-10s, more for the older children, who ironically may think it is more babyish than it really is (my eldest is 10 and was refusing to go and see it but I think she enjoyed it more than her younger siblings).
  
Compelling and heart wrenching, Tricia Goyer tells the story of the orchestra of Mauthausen. This orchestra, composed of famous Jewish musicians, was forced to play for their lives in the concentration camp.

We see the war through many different views in Night Song. Evie, a young Viennese woman who is involved with the resistance and witnesses the liberation of Mauthausen. Nick, an American medic who is in love with Evie and will travel to the ends of the earth to find her. Otto, an SS Soldier whose thirst for power and riches overwhelms him. Finally, Jakub, a young Jewish prisoner whose magnificent talent brings hope and joy to those he is around.

The story begins in December 1941, Evie and her family must return to Vienna due to the German occupation. The following 3 1/2 years are a combination of sorrow, pain and loss for all of our characters. But where Nick, Evie, and eventually Jakub, find their strength in the Lord, Otto finds his through the "Ancients", the mystical power supposedly behind Hitler's reign. Otto is never satisfied, he always wants more. Our other characters have to sacrifice so much, yet they know that the Lord is leading them and taking care of them. In the end we discover that the wealth and power of this world can not compare with a personal relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ.

It took me a little longer to read this book, only because it was so emotional for me that I had to put it down and take a break. Tricia Goyer does a beautiful job of depicting the horrors and sorrows of the camps and all those who were affected by it, without being gory. It made my heart ache for those who lived and died in this hell. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys World War II fiction. You will not be disappointed!
  
Reign of the Fallen
Reign of the Fallen
Sarah Glenn Marsh | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
2
6.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Reign of the Fallen was a book that I desperately wanted to love. The cover is stunning, the synopsis sounds amazing! I’d never read a book like this before, and I was super excited about the whole necromancer aspect of the story. I decided to use one of my free audible credits for this book.
I started reading and the characters were amazing and the story was pretty fast paced, there was so romance elements to it, but then it all kind of started to go sound. There is a pivotal scene about 1/4th of the way into the book, and after that the whole tone of the book changes.
The characters in this book were going to be badass or so I thought. Odessa was my highest hope of all the characters, but she ended up being the one I hated the most. Odessa is the name of a badass, and I expected nothing less from her. However, she suffers a terrible loss and just spirals out of control after that. She becomes addicted to this potion and instead of leaning on the plethora of supporting characters (and there are a lot) she continues to drink more and more of this potion, and quickly the main plot of this book becomes about dealing with her addiction… <head desk>
I decided to persevere and trudge onward in my audiobook journey noticing that I keep speeding up the narrator’s voice. Because if she reads fast the book would be over faster… Right….
Each chapter seemed to get more and more convoluted and I couldn’t wait to be done with this book. This book had so much promise and was so interesting with a unique plot but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t get past ALL of the characters and I couldn’t keep them straight. So, to you potential reader I say this… If you have patience and you think it sounds good, give it a go. Otherwise, save yourself the trouble.
  
Dark Aemilia (UK Edition)
Dark Aemilia (UK Edition)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
So I received Dark Aemilia from a Goodreads give away. All I can say is how lucky I was to receive such a good book, that otherwise I likely would not have taken a second glance at. This is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction. Which at its core, is a love story, between Aemilia Bassano and William Shakespeare. How their love blossomed and through many external factors was pulled apart. The book is laid out in acts and scenes like a play and tells the story from Aemilia point of view. I enjoyed being submerged in the Tudor London at the end of Elizabeth I reign. This book completely grabbed me from the start and had I had more free time I am sure I would have read this book in a day or two.

Unfortunately as I haven’t ever read historical fiction before I don’t really have any point of reference for comparison. But what I will say is that I thoroughly enjoyed how realistic this book felt, but still was able to bring in completely fictitious elements of magic and witchcraft. Sam O’Reilly has managed to bring in these elements, which appealed to my love of fantasy, without being over the top. I particularly enjoyed the time when London was under the grips of the plague and thought it was just so well written and explained. At no point did I feel lost in descriptions, I was there, with Aemilia and that poor woman just couldn’t catch a break.

There is ‘mature content’ it is an adult story of love, so yes there is sex. I personally have no issue with this and believe it to be an integral addition to this story. It is done well and doesn’t feel forced or overdone. I am struggling to put into words how much I enjoyed this book, I will read it again and I would recommend it. I will now even consider reading other historical fiction that I had not thought I would enjoy.
  
Hadassah, Queen Esther of Persia
Hadassah, Queen Esther of Persia
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
One of the great heroines of the Old Testament, Hadassah was a beautiful, graceful young woman who put her faith in God and her guardian, her cousin Mordecai.

She dreams of marrying Shamir, a tall, handsome, studious young man who is the rabbi’s son. Her heart beats faster when she hears the sound of his deep voice as he reads the Torah. And she hopes that he will visit Mordecai soon to present a betrothal request. Then, an upheaval in King Xerxes’s palace changes everything. Queen Vashti has been banished and an edict goes out for all qualified young virgins throughout the empire to be taken to the palace as he searches for a new queen. Fear strikes in the hearts of many, including Mordecai, as he realizes Hadassah will be taken. To hide her identity as a Jew, he tells her to go by the name of Esther. Since he works as a record-keeper at the king’s gates, he can keep tabs on how she is doing. Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia imagines what life was like for the woman who saved her people—and perhaps found love in the process.



The author has done an amazing amount of research for this book. She has brought new life to the Biblical book of Esther. This informative and entertaining novel will touch the hearts of many readers.



I enjoyed this novel greatly, as it did open my eyes to the customs and the history that was custom during that time. The author gives the reader an interesting and accurate look into the book of Esther, from the Jewish viewpoint. It brings the reader into the life of a young Jewish girl in the reign of King Xerxes. I truly enjoyed this book, that teaches us about Gods providence, prayer and trust in God.


This is a read that I highly recommend.
  
Cold Hearted
Cold Hearted
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
When you’re eight books into a series such as the Villain Tales by Serena Valentino you would think that I wouldn’t be smug anymore! You would think that I wouldn’t go into the book saying “I won’t end up feeling sorry for this villain”.

You would also think that I know I am always wrong!

Lady Tremaine is one of the easiest villains to hate in the Disney universe: she worked Cinderella to the bone, denied her a decent party and then locked her in the attic for good measure! These are hardly the actions of some misunderstood soul.

Until Serena Valentino comes along of course! Valentino has a truly unique way of humanising these characters that we love to hate and, with the help of the Odd Sisters, proves to us time and time again that there is more to our fairytales than meets the eye.

The previous book in the villain tales, Evil Thing, took the reader outside of the Many Kingdoms for the first time. Valentino takes advantage of this, neatly using Cold Hearted to join together Lady Tremaine’s life in London with both the Fairylands and the Many Kingdoms. This timeline means that the readers meet Lady Tremaine before her role as stepmother: we learn of her worries over indulging her two daughters and her unwillingness to move on after her husband’s death.

Cold Hearted skips time periods slightly so the reader is actually experiencing Nanny and the Fairy Godmother reading Lady Tremaine’s story. Don't worry: this doesn't mean we are deprived of our favourite creepy sisters, although this book may have you looking at the Odd Sisters in an entirely new light.

The 8th villain tale continues Valentino’s reign of brilliant, alternative views of our villains. Lady Tremaine was to be the heroine of her own fairytale; all she wanted was her own happily ever after. Where did it go so wrong?