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God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen
God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen
Rhys Bowen | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Royal Intrigue at Christmas
Lady Georgiana and Darcy are looking forward to their first Christmas as husband and wife, but then they are invited to spend the holiday at a house party being given by one of Darcy’s aunts. The implication that the queen herself wants them nearby is the only thing that makes them go. When they arrive, they learn the queen is worried someone is after a member of her family. Can Georgie figure out what is going on in time?

Fans of the series will expect that the book will get off to a slow start as we get updates on the various supporting characters we’ve gotten to know over the series. While we get hits of the plot, celebrating Christmas also slows the pacing down a little. But there is a good mystery in there, and I didn’t have the how or who figured out until Georgie pieced it to together. The end of 1935 was a huge time in British history, and I loved how the real intrigue played into this story, weaving in things we’ve been reading about since book one. This is a Christmas fans will definitely be glad they spent with Georgie.
  
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Morgan Sheppard (936 KP) created a post

Jan 6, 2022  
A Hero. Honourable Thief. Lovable Rogue. Scoundrel. Blackguard.

Everyone’s heard of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men, with big, bad Sheriff of Nottingham and evil Prince John trying their best to thwart Robin at every turn. But what if things were different to what you’ve been told? What if Robin wasn’t as altruistic as history portrayed?

In the late spring of 1198, the hamlet of Girton is razed to the ground. Newly married eighteen-year-old Will Scathlock and sixteen-year-old Alana move to the larger village of Blidworth to start their lives anew. In his new job as a forester for the Royal Palace of Clipstone, known to the locals as King’s Houses, Will hears tales of a good thief, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. But in her role as seamstress for the Manor House, Alana hears a different story.

Find out what it was like for the peasant folk Robin was supposed to be helping, before his well-known adventures in Nottingham. Meet Alana Dale and read her story of what it was really like, and how it all began.

Available for pre-order - https://books2read.com/CabbagesKings

#YoungAdult
#ComingofAge
#HistoricalFiction
#RobinHoodOrigin
     
The Rise of the Iron Moon (Jackelian #3)
The Rise of the Iron Moon (Jackelian #3)
Stephen Hunt | 2009 | Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book looked interesting so I picked it up. I'd not heard of Stephen Hunt or this series but the premise intrigued me.

Although this is the third book of the series and there are plenty of references to events that must take place in the previous books, and despite the writing being immersive rather than explanatory, I found it easy to get into the story.

The world is very interesting. I have read other novels set in a faux Victorian Steampunk-like world but nothing like this. This is like an alternative history, extremely divergeant from ours but with enough similarities that the combination is quite striking.

For example there was a civil war in the past which parliament won, as in the 'real' British history. However all of the royals have been locked up ever since in the Royal Breeding House - kept as figureheads under constant house arrest and threat of execution at the whim of parliament to appease the masses.

There are also countries ruled by thinking, steam driven machines. Others beneath the waves or living strictly by some political principal.

However the world is under threat. All the countries are being slowly invaded from the North by a very aggressive foe. Under attack the land of Jackals itself calls on its heroes to save the day. Purity Blake, one of the inmates of the Royal Breeding House. Molly Templar, writer of penny dreadful science fiction stories and sometimes defender of the land. Coppertracks, a machine life steam man and scientist. Their companions must overcome impossible odds and put aside the enmity between nations to fight off the attackers. Against all the odds, can they succeed?

The book is a little slow to start up, as the characters are introduced in their diverse environments. But slowly the threads are drawn together and each play their part in the fight. And as they begin to weave into the plot the pace quickens. The story twists and turns, always astonishing in its concept and direction.

The outstanding part of this book is the imagination that has gone into it. Nearly everything is completely different from our world and yet it ties together convincingly into a land both of industry and grime, poverty and privilege but also of very real myth and legend.

The ending is a little bit Deus Ex Machina but really this fits in with the tone quite well and at least keeps the pace up in the final pages. There are enough wonderful and fantastic ideas let loose to wander around in this book for several novels.

Definitely a recommended book. I now need to search out the first book - The Court Of The Air - so I can find out what has happened to the characters before.