Search
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Alloy of Law: A Mistborn Novel in Books
Jan 25, 2018
A fun romp
The Alloy of Law is a fun romp in the world of Sanderson's earlier Mistborn trilogy. The world has advanced three hundred years, from medieval technology levels to about Victorian levels. Electricity is just starting to be found in homes, though people are suspicious of it, and trains and guns are fairly widespread. Think Victorian England meets the Wild West and you'll be in the ballpark. The main characters of the Mistborn trilogy have faded into legend by the time The Alloy of Law takes place, and it's really interesting to see how they are revered (or not) by the characters in this book.
The Mistborn series has a well-developed system of magic that I found unique, creative, and complex but easy to follow. Allomancy is the art of burning ingested metals to do particular effects; different metals (and the ability to burn them) allow you to do different things. Tin, for example, lets you enhance your senses, leading to the nickname "Tin-eyes." Burning steel lets a Coinshot "push" on metals, telekinetically moving the metal away from themselves. (Or themselves away from the metal, if the metal too secure to be moved!) On the flipside of the coin (Ha!) is Feruchemy - a feruchemist uses metal accessories, often in the form of armbands or other jewelry, to "store up" his resources - he can become deaf and blind for a time, in order to use that resource later and have super-hearing and eagle-eyes, for example. Nothing is ultimately gained or lost, just stored until it's needed.
The writing in Alloy was certainly not as deep as the Mistborn trilogy, but Sanderson has said in interviews that this was supposed to be a fun break between books. If you're looking for a quick, fun adventure story, this is definitely a good book to pick up. From the witty banter between characters to the surprising choice of romance, this book kept my attention from start to finish. Sanderson is a very skilled author and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel, as the book ends on a cliffhanger!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The Mistborn series has a well-developed system of magic that I found unique, creative, and complex but easy to follow. Allomancy is the art of burning ingested metals to do particular effects; different metals (and the ability to burn them) allow you to do different things. Tin, for example, lets you enhance your senses, leading to the nickname "Tin-eyes." Burning steel lets a Coinshot "push" on metals, telekinetically moving the metal away from themselves. (Or themselves away from the metal, if the metal too secure to be moved!) On the flipside of the coin (Ha!) is Feruchemy - a feruchemist uses metal accessories, often in the form of armbands or other jewelry, to "store up" his resources - he can become deaf and blind for a time, in order to use that resource later and have super-hearing and eagle-eyes, for example. Nothing is ultimately gained or lost, just stored until it's needed.
The writing in Alloy was certainly not as deep as the Mistborn trilogy, but Sanderson has said in interviews that this was supposed to be a fun break between books. If you're looking for a quick, fun adventure story, this is definitely a good book to pick up. From the witty banter between characters to the surprising choice of romance, this book kept my attention from start to finish. Sanderson is a very skilled author and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel, as the book ends on a cliffhanger!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Breathless ( Scarlet Suffragette book 2) in Books
Mar 29, 2022
54 of 230
Kindle
Breathless (Scarlet Suffragette book 2)
By Nicola Claire
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nicola Claire's captivating new Gothic romance series continues with a dark and sinister London City at the end of the nineteenth century - brightened by a fearless and talented heroine and a loyal and secretive police inspector...
Determined doctor? Interfering busybody? Fearless fighter?
The London of Anna Cassidy's memories is not the London she faces today. Having proved her worth as a physician, Dr Cassidy finds herself pitted against the stolid attitude of a male-dominated society.
But it's not only society she has to contend with.
A criminal mastermind has set themselves up in London, England; chosen the dirty streets of Whitechapel and Lambeth as their stage. Competing against a devious and cunning opponent sets Anna and her closest friends off on a dire adventure, which could culminate in a loss so great Anna may never recover again.
Steadfast police inspector? Loyal guardian? Caring lover?
Anna, however, is not alone. Or, at least, she won't be once Inspector Kelly finds her. Facing the ghosts of his past, Andrew Kelly rushes to face Anna's enemies and protect the woman he loves.
But Anna is not unable to defend herself.
Proving she needs him is a task Inspector Kelly would gladly undertake. But the city of Andrew's birth is more in the grip of evil machinations than it has ever been, bringing to mind memories of a dark London, ripped to within an inch of its life by a devil known to most simply as Jack.
Andrew knows otherwise. For his secrets are unravelling and within their shadowed corners lies a murderer, a poisoner, and a villain so deceitful that nothing is what it appears to be.
A gritty, twisted, and authentic Victorian romantic suspense, sure to rip you apart... just like old Jack.
Read preview >
This was so good I love the era and the references to Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes. It has fabulous characters both good and bad. The story kept you wanting to read more. I’m not one for huge relationship storylines but this I loved. Highly recommended if you like murder mystery set in a gothic Victorian era.
Kindle
Breathless (Scarlet Suffragette book 2)
By Nicola Claire
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nicola Claire's captivating new Gothic romance series continues with a dark and sinister London City at the end of the nineteenth century - brightened by a fearless and talented heroine and a loyal and secretive police inspector...
Determined doctor? Interfering busybody? Fearless fighter?
The London of Anna Cassidy's memories is not the London she faces today. Having proved her worth as a physician, Dr Cassidy finds herself pitted against the stolid attitude of a male-dominated society.
But it's not only society she has to contend with.
A criminal mastermind has set themselves up in London, England; chosen the dirty streets of Whitechapel and Lambeth as their stage. Competing against a devious and cunning opponent sets Anna and her closest friends off on a dire adventure, which could culminate in a loss so great Anna may never recover again.
Steadfast police inspector? Loyal guardian? Caring lover?
Anna, however, is not alone. Or, at least, she won't be once Inspector Kelly finds her. Facing the ghosts of his past, Andrew Kelly rushes to face Anna's enemies and protect the woman he loves.
But Anna is not unable to defend herself.
Proving she needs him is a task Inspector Kelly would gladly undertake. But the city of Andrew's birth is more in the grip of evil machinations than it has ever been, bringing to mind memories of a dark London, ripped to within an inch of its life by a devil known to most simply as Jack.
Andrew knows otherwise. For his secrets are unravelling and within their shadowed corners lies a murderer, a poisoner, and a villain so deceitful that nothing is what it appears to be.
A gritty, twisted, and authentic Victorian romantic suspense, sure to rip you apart... just like old Jack.
Read preview >
This was so good I love the era and the references to Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes. It has fabulous characters both good and bad. The story kept you wanting to read more. I’m not one for huge relationship storylines but this I loved. Highly recommended if you like murder mystery set in a gothic Victorian era.
ClareR (6096 KP) rated Tipping The Velvet in Books
Jan 19, 2018 (Updated Jan 19, 2018)
Sexual awakening in Victorian England
It has taken me a long time to get round to reading this - 20 years in fact. This is the 20th Anniversary edition, and it's still as relevant now as it has always been (and will continue to be relevant, I should think!). This is the story of Nancy Astley and her rise to fame in the music halls in the late 1800's as Nan King, along with her partner on stage and secretly in life too. The novel follows her sexual awakening as a lesbian. Nancy wants to live her life true to herself but Kitty, her partner, does not. Kitty is ashamed and they end up parting under very upsetting circumstances. nan runs away from her stage life , and her life takes a very different turn. She goes through a few different stages in her life - all very remarkable (hey, this is fiction after all!), before she reaches her happy ending. She is uncompromising throughout.
This was so well written, all from Nancy's point of view, which gave the advantage of an insight into her emotions and feelings about all of the things that happened to her. This isn't a book for the faint-hearted. There is a fair amount of sexually descriptive language, but if you like this kind of book (a sexual awakening and a strong independent woman), you'll really enjoy this. Many thanks to Netgalley and Virago for the chance to read this (at last!!)
This was so well written, all from Nancy's point of view, which gave the advantage of an insight into her emotions and feelings about all of the things that happened to her. This isn't a book for the faint-hearted. There is a fair amount of sexually descriptive language, but if you like this kind of book (a sexual awakening and a strong independent woman), you'll really enjoy this. Many thanks to Netgalley and Virago for the chance to read this (at last!!)
The Victoria Letters: The Official Companion to the ITV Victoria Series
Helen Rappaport and Daisy Goodwin
Book
The official companion to ITV's hotly anticipated new drama, The Victoria Letters delves into the...
PO
Powers of the Press: Newspapers, Power and the Public in Nineteenth-Century England
Book
The power of the popular press presents all modern societies with difficulties. It is, however, a...
The Shadow of Memory
10.0
Rate It
Book
In Connie Berry’s fourth Kate Hamilton mystery, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton uncovers a...
Little Dorrit
10.0
Rate It
Book
A novel of serendipity, of fortunes won and lost, and of the spectre of imprisonment that hangs over...
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Clover Moon in Books
May 24, 2017
A Victorian Story
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Although now in her seventies, the Nation’s favourite children’s author, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, is continuing to write after surpassing one hundred novels. Many children (mostly girls) grow up reading her stories, myself being amongst that number. Even my sister, who hated reading, purchased a number of her books. It has been well over a decade since I last read a Jacqueline Wilson, however after seeing her latest novel was available for review, I thought I would give it a go.
Clover Moon is set in poverty-stricken Victorian London, where eleven-year-old Clover, the eldest of six siblings, lives with her father and stepmother. Like many stepmother’s in children’s literature, Clover’s treats her like a slave – a position she is destined to stay in unless she gets a job in a factory. With no school to attend, Clover becomes a second mother to her younger brother’s and sisters, yet nothing can prepare her for the devastating impact a wave of Scarlet Fever brings. With only an old doll maker who cares about her, Clover is desperate to get out of her situation; so after a chance meeting with an artist who tells her about a home for destitute girls, Clover decides to seek out the help and life she deserves.
Although only eleven, Clover has the responsibilities of someone of a more mature age. It is hard to imagine sending a child out to work, or trusting them to look after a newborn baby. Children reading this book will learn the difference between their lives and the life of a child in the 1800s.
As always, Jacqueline Wilson gives her main character a happy ending – although in this instance it still remains a bit uncertain. Despite the horrible circumstances, Wilson manages to pump her story full of enthusiastic optimism, thus portraying Clover as a strong, determined heroine.
Most of Jacqueline Wilson’s earlier books were set in the present day; there were still unhappy situations, but the settings were based on ideas the reader would be familiar with. In the case of Clover Moon, unless children have been educated about the poor in Victorian England, it is unlikely that they will be able to fully comprehend Clover’s predicament. As a result, the book is more suitable for young teenagers than the usual target audience of eight to twelve year olds.
Comparing my memories of Jacqueline Wilson books I read as a child with her latest publication, Clover Moon felt like something different; a new direction. As I have not read any of her work between the early 2000s and now, I am not sure when this change occurred, but it feels as though Wilson is delving deeper into her main character’s thoughts and feelings, and creating a more insightful storyline. On the other hand, I may simply be more intuitive as an adult than I was a child.
Although Clover Moon did not turn out to be the style of writing I was expecting I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, this difference made it possible to distance myself from the author’s renown, and treat it as an individual story. Clover is an admirable character who, through her narration, provides both an entertaining story and brief historical education. Fans of Jacqueline Wilson will not be disappointed with this latest publication; and if you are a new reader, Clover Moon is a great place to start.
Although now in her seventies, the Nation’s favourite children’s author, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, is continuing to write after surpassing one hundred novels. Many children (mostly girls) grow up reading her stories, myself being amongst that number. Even my sister, who hated reading, purchased a number of her books. It has been well over a decade since I last read a Jacqueline Wilson, however after seeing her latest novel was available for review, I thought I would give it a go.
Clover Moon is set in poverty-stricken Victorian London, where eleven-year-old Clover, the eldest of six siblings, lives with her father and stepmother. Like many stepmother’s in children’s literature, Clover’s treats her like a slave – a position she is destined to stay in unless she gets a job in a factory. With no school to attend, Clover becomes a second mother to her younger brother’s and sisters, yet nothing can prepare her for the devastating impact a wave of Scarlet Fever brings. With only an old doll maker who cares about her, Clover is desperate to get out of her situation; so after a chance meeting with an artist who tells her about a home for destitute girls, Clover decides to seek out the help and life she deserves.
Although only eleven, Clover has the responsibilities of someone of a more mature age. It is hard to imagine sending a child out to work, or trusting them to look after a newborn baby. Children reading this book will learn the difference between their lives and the life of a child in the 1800s.
As always, Jacqueline Wilson gives her main character a happy ending – although in this instance it still remains a bit uncertain. Despite the horrible circumstances, Wilson manages to pump her story full of enthusiastic optimism, thus portraying Clover as a strong, determined heroine.
Most of Jacqueline Wilson’s earlier books were set in the present day; there were still unhappy situations, but the settings were based on ideas the reader would be familiar with. In the case of Clover Moon, unless children have been educated about the poor in Victorian England, it is unlikely that they will be able to fully comprehend Clover’s predicament. As a result, the book is more suitable for young teenagers than the usual target audience of eight to twelve year olds.
Comparing my memories of Jacqueline Wilson books I read as a child with her latest publication, Clover Moon felt like something different; a new direction. As I have not read any of her work between the early 2000s and now, I am not sure when this change occurred, but it feels as though Wilson is delving deeper into her main character’s thoughts and feelings, and creating a more insightful storyline. On the other hand, I may simply be more intuitive as an adult than I was a child.
Although Clover Moon did not turn out to be the style of writing I was expecting I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, this difference made it possible to distance myself from the author’s renown, and treat it as an individual story. Clover is an admirable character who, through her narration, provides both an entertaining story and brief historical education. Fans of Jacqueline Wilson will not be disappointed with this latest publication; and if you are a new reader, Clover Moon is a great place to start.
A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder
5.0
Rate It
Book
In this exciting historical mystery debut set in Victorian England, a wealthy young widow encounters...
A Woman Scorned (Hartford Manor #5)
Book
1886 North Devon, England Lady Lilliana Grantley has been seriously ill with typhoid, a disease...
Historical Fiction Family Saga Victorian Historical Romance