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Aurora (9 KP) rated The Witchfinder's Sister in Books
Nov 7, 2018 (Updated Nov 7, 2018)
Historically-accurate setting (4 more)
Gripping
Emotional
Dramatic
Well-written characters
Emotional and Dramatic Historical Fiction
This book had me hooked from the start. I adore the amount of research done by Underdown to create the world of Alice Hopkins so artfully and accurately. Not only does the author capture the turbulence of the English civil war and the complex social systems of the time, but she also brings the reader into that world through the intensely relatable emotions felt by Alice throughout the story. Underwood expertly develops the personalities and flaws of each character in really believable ways, creating the complex relationships that we often see in real life. The story is also often pushed forward by gossip and secrets which the reader must choose whether or not to believe, adding an extra element of mystery to an already thrilling read.
After visiting many of the towns mentioned in the book (Manningtree, Mistley Wells, Colchester, Ipswich), I am in awe of the detail that Underdown used to bring these places to life. While some artistic license was taken (and described in the Author's Note), this book remains a beautiful and chilling glimpse into England's dark past.
After visiting many of the towns mentioned in the book (Manningtree, Mistley Wells, Colchester, Ipswich), I am in awe of the detail that Underdown used to bring these places to life. While some artistic license was taken (and described in the Author's Note), this book remains a beautiful and chilling glimpse into England's dark past.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Mar 19, 2020
Hazel (2934 KP) rated When We Were Innocent in Books
Sep 21, 2022
This is a difficult book to review and whilst I can't say I 'enjoyed' it because you can't say that reading about this subject matter is 'enjoyable', I was absolutely captivated and totally invested in the story of Libby and her father.
I am not going to provide a synopsis of this book as the description does this already but what I will say is that this is a totally engrossing story told from dual timelines - the present and the past during World War II.
It is clear that the author has done her research carefully; she weaves historical fact amongst this fictional story very successfully. It is heart-breaking and, at times, a very difficult read but not because of the way it was written more it was what was happening in the story and the dilemmas that Libby and her father faced.
If you enjoy historical fiction from this era, I would certainly recommend this but be prepared to shed a few tears!
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of When We Were Innocent.
I am not going to provide a synopsis of this book as the description does this already but what I will say is that this is a totally engrossing story told from dual timelines - the present and the past during World War II.
It is clear that the author has done her research carefully; she weaves historical fact amongst this fictional story very successfully. It is heart-breaking and, at times, a very difficult read but not because of the way it was written more it was what was happening in the story and the dilemmas that Libby and her father faced.
If you enjoy historical fiction from this era, I would certainly recommend this but be prepared to shed a few tears!
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of When We Were Innocent.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Silence Before Dawn (WW2 Resistance Series Book 1) [Audiobook] in Books
Oct 9, 2022
![The Silence Before Dawn (WW2 Resistance Series Book 1) [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/e1b/7f40e687-8bd3-42f4-ad91-b230424c3e1b.jpg?m=1665321953)
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook which, although a work of fiction, is based on the true stories of women secret agents during World War II.
As you can imagine, there is an abundance of tension as the Resistance and SOE (Special Operations Executive) undertake their dangerous missions with the ever present threat of being discovered by the Gestapo.
The main character of Marianne is excellent and such a strong character as, in fact, are the rest of the cast. What I particularly liked is that the central focus is on the female protagonists and it depicted their bravery, commitment and sense of duty excellently.
The story, as you can imagine given the subject matter, is intense but riveting and compelling and I cannot praise the narrator enough - what an excellent job Sofia Zervudachi has done; there are quite a lot of characters, both male and female, and she made each one unique.
This is the first in a series and I very much look forward to finding out what happens next and I must give my thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Silence Before Dawn.
As you can imagine, there is an abundance of tension as the Resistance and SOE (Special Operations Executive) undertake their dangerous missions with the ever present threat of being discovered by the Gestapo.
The main character of Marianne is excellent and such a strong character as, in fact, are the rest of the cast. What I particularly liked is that the central focus is on the female protagonists and it depicted their bravery, commitment and sense of duty excellently.
The story, as you can imagine given the subject matter, is intense but riveting and compelling and I cannot praise the narrator enough - what an excellent job Sofia Zervudachi has done; there are quite a lot of characters, both male and female, and she made each one unique.
This is the first in a series and I very much look forward to finding out what happens next and I must give my thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Silence Before Dawn.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The German Nurse in Books
Apr 1, 2024
62 of 220
Book
The German Nurse
By M.J. Hollows
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Her past could kill you.
Guernsey, 1940. As war storms through Europe, Churchill orders the evacuation of all military personnel from the island. Boats ferry soldiers and vulnerable young children to England, leaving their parents and loved ones behind to face the invading German army on their own.
Her love could save you.
One of the few remaining policemen on the island, Jack must protect not only his friends and family, but also the woman he loves: Johanna, a Jewish nurse from Germany, whose secret faith could prove fatal to them both.
Her fate is in your hands.
When the Nazis arrive, everything changes. Jack is forced to come to terms with the pain and loss of a world re-making itself around him. And then a list of Jews on the island is drawn up, and he must make an awful choice: write down Johanna’s name and condemn her, or resist and put his family in immediate danger…
A good read for those who love historical fiction. This was definitely a heartbreaking story.
Set during German occupation of Gernsey.
Book
The German Nurse
By M.J. Hollows
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Her past could kill you.
Guernsey, 1940. As war storms through Europe, Churchill orders the evacuation of all military personnel from the island. Boats ferry soldiers and vulnerable young children to England, leaving their parents and loved ones behind to face the invading German army on their own.
Her love could save you.
One of the few remaining policemen on the island, Jack must protect not only his friends and family, but also the woman he loves: Johanna, a Jewish nurse from Germany, whose secret faith could prove fatal to them both.
Her fate is in your hands.
When the Nazis arrive, everything changes. Jack is forced to come to terms with the pain and loss of a world re-making itself around him. And then a list of Jews on the island is drawn up, and he must make an awful choice: write down Johanna’s name and condemn her, or resist and put his family in immediate danger…
A good read for those who love historical fiction. This was definitely a heartbreaking story.
Set during German occupation of Gernsey.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review and although it has taken me a while to read it, I have really enjoyed the content and style of the information provided.
This book gives a very in-depth and detailed re-telling of the Battle of Gettysburg, and more specifically the charge of Barksdale himself. A battle and time that will live forever in history, Phillip Thomas Tucker weaves the death and grim reality of war with insightful quotes, maps and ideas about how this battle really occurred.
There are several outstanding aspects of this book, however first I feel it is necessary to warn any potential readers that this book is not that easy to read. I am a frequent reader of non-fiction books, and more specifically historical non-fiction, and this is amongst one of the hardest I have read, but the effort is well worth it. At times, it is just a little over loaded with details such as names, positions in the armies etc, and with the same names appearing in both sides of the battle as well as within the same units, it can get a little hard to keep track of everyone!
On a much more positive note though, the detailed research the author must have done truly does shine through on every page. The quotes from letters, the pictures and the maps, to name but a few things, really do add a whole new dimension to the book. Personally, it made it all seem a lot more real, helping me to engage more with the trials of those poor men (and horses) stuck in the mud and terror of that day. Although knowing all the names did get slightly confusing at times, it was a great touch in helping 'bring home' the reality and enormity of the loss at that battle.
In addition, the pace with which the events were told was pitched just right. Although packed with detail, the book still had a great pace and a pull to it. The action of the battle really does pour through the pages and come alive. It's written with great skill and is one of the best 'battle recounts' that I have read in a long time.
In conclusion, I can only praise this book for summarising one of the pivotal battles of the American Civil War. Detailed, at times a little too much so, and a compelling, engaging and at times emotional read that I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in this period of history, or who is studying this.
This book gives a very in-depth and detailed re-telling of the Battle of Gettysburg, and more specifically the charge of Barksdale himself. A battle and time that will live forever in history, Phillip Thomas Tucker weaves the death and grim reality of war with insightful quotes, maps and ideas about how this battle really occurred.
There are several outstanding aspects of this book, however first I feel it is necessary to warn any potential readers that this book is not that easy to read. I am a frequent reader of non-fiction books, and more specifically historical non-fiction, and this is amongst one of the hardest I have read, but the effort is well worth it. At times, it is just a little over loaded with details such as names, positions in the armies etc, and with the same names appearing in both sides of the battle as well as within the same units, it can get a little hard to keep track of everyone!
On a much more positive note though, the detailed research the author must have done truly does shine through on every page. The quotes from letters, the pictures and the maps, to name but a few things, really do add a whole new dimension to the book. Personally, it made it all seem a lot more real, helping me to engage more with the trials of those poor men (and horses) stuck in the mud and terror of that day. Although knowing all the names did get slightly confusing at times, it was a great touch in helping 'bring home' the reality and enormity of the loss at that battle.
In addition, the pace with which the events were told was pitched just right. Although packed with detail, the book still had a great pace and a pull to it. The action of the battle really does pour through the pages and come alive. It's written with great skill and is one of the best 'battle recounts' that I have read in a long time.
In conclusion, I can only praise this book for summarising one of the pivotal battles of the American Civil War. Detailed, at times a little too much so, and a compelling, engaging and at times emotional read that I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in this period of history, or who is studying this.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated The Machine (2014) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Cool Science Fiction Flick
Old Movie Revisited: The Machine. This was a pretty sweet movie! A way to describe it is part: Terminator prequel; Caprica; RoboCop; Species; Blade Runner; Universal Soldier... I think I could name a few more but, I'll stop there. So as you can tell its not an overly original story but was presented well. It's the story of Vincent, played by Toby Stephens(his celebrity mash up would be Michael Fassbender and Damian Lewis) who's a scientist dude, and he creates the world's first self aware cyborg in the form of super hot Ava, played by super hot Caity Lotz(with those eyes she had better play vampire at some point!). Of course the gov't wants The Machine for war, and Vincent wants to save his little dying girl... Who will win, where does that leave Ava and her sexy ass-kicking ways?? You'll have to watch to find out! If you dug any of those movies above I'd say check it out!! It is not an explosive all out destruction of man kind action movie, just a cool robot awakens movie, with a hot blonde kicking soldiers asses, and walking around nude, thank you Caity! Check it out... filmbufftim on FB
Ali A (78 KP) rated The Fountains of Silence in Books
Jun 1, 2020
The Fountains of Silence is about Texan teen Daniel visiting Francisco Franco's Spain in the 1950's. Franco is a dictator who needs business men to invest in his country so he opens it to Americans. Daniel visits with his parents to see his mother's birthplace. Ana works at the hotel Daniel and his parents are staying in and is assigned to their rooms. Daniel and Ana quickly become friends but Ana is guarded with him. Her family were Republicans, those who were against Franco's rein, and now are either shunned to live as second class citizens or died horrific deaths. Daniel quickly learns that Spain isn't what the government likes to show and there are secrets everyone is hiding.
I was fascinated with this novel as it's something I have never really learned of this time in history in school. I knew of before, during World War II, but never afterward with Franco's dictation. I cared about the characters and wanted to know the outcome. I could tell when some things would happen and cried during some of them too.
It was a heartfelt novel set in a dark time that had family and love and exploration. A must read for historical fiction readers and lovers of Ruta Sepetys.
I was fascinated with this novel as it's something I have never really learned of this time in history in school. I knew of before, during World War II, but never afterward with Franco's dictation. I cared about the characters and wanted to know the outcome. I could tell when some things would happen and cried during some of them too.
It was a heartfelt novel set in a dark time that had family and love and exploration. A must read for historical fiction readers and lovers of Ruta Sepetys.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Forbidden Lady ( Historical 1) in Books
May 17, 2023
63 of 235
Kindle
Forbidden Lady ( Historical 1)
By Kerrelyn Sparks
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Virginia Munro could not believe her ears. This bewigged, bejeweled, and bedeviling man was trying to buy her? As if she were some trollop on the Boston docks?
Before she's fully able to give in to her outrage, the fop moves on - and Virginia refuses to spare him another thought.
But Quincy Stanton is not what he seems. By day, he poses as a carefree Loyalist with an army of wigs and a wardrobe that favors lavender. By night, he wages a secret war against the British with an impressive collection of eighteenth-century spy gadgets. If anyone were to discover the truth, Quincy would hang, yet he can't seem to stay away from the lovely and saucy Virginia. Will their attraction lead to love . . . or danger?
I really enjoyed it. I do love historical fiction think it has to be one of my favourites and this era is definitely one of the best. I loved the James Bond style espionage going on. I really enjoyed the story if I had one thing that slightly annoyed me was it jumped a little from scene to scene in a strange way. But other than that I really liked it.
Kindle
Forbidden Lady ( Historical 1)
By Kerrelyn Sparks
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Virginia Munro could not believe her ears. This bewigged, bejeweled, and bedeviling man was trying to buy her? As if she were some trollop on the Boston docks?
Before she's fully able to give in to her outrage, the fop moves on - and Virginia refuses to spare him another thought.
But Quincy Stanton is not what he seems. By day, he poses as a carefree Loyalist with an army of wigs and a wardrobe that favors lavender. By night, he wages a secret war against the British with an impressive collection of eighteenth-century spy gadgets. If anyone were to discover the truth, Quincy would hang, yet he can't seem to stay away from the lovely and saucy Virginia. Will their attraction lead to love . . . or danger?
I really enjoyed it. I do love historical fiction think it has to be one of my favourites and this era is definitely one of the best. I loved the James Bond style espionage going on. I really enjoyed the story if I had one thing that slightly annoyed me was it jumped a little from scene to scene in a strange way. But other than that I really liked it.
Southern Today (21 KP) rated And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) in Books
Nov 7, 2017
And I Darken: Audio Book Review
Contains spoilers, click to show
Historical fiction! Heavy on the fiction, light on the historical, and a good young adult. Now, this is young adult fiction, the kind that even adults can appreciate. Though, this is not for YOUNG young adults. If you are wary of what your kids read, stay away from this. I enjoyed this story, and loved the twists and turns the author took us on.
Again, I did not like the voice of the reader for this novel. She was grating, could not do much variation of the voices and I wish she would not have tried, and was the reason I often considered stopping the track. And I have no idea how to spell any of the names without looking them up.
This novel, by Kiersten White, follows Lada and Radu, in the 1400s, in the Ottoman empire as insurances for the Sultan.
I wonder if, like many young adult series, this would have been better as a single book with the next being far in the future or following other characters during the same time frame.
If you enjoy war novels, historically-set novels, or stories of growing up in difficult circumstances will enjoy this.
Alright, SPOILERS BELOW, SPOILERS BELOW, PLEASE SCROLL FOR DISCUSSION there, that is out of the way.
So, this book covers a good lifetime, showing us the development, fully, of characters. Saw the gay man coming as soon as he was born, which is kind of sad. Why, why make the gay man beautiful? Why make it so obvious from the start?
Why have her fall in love with the future Sultan?
I wanted her, based on the description of the book, to be in her homeland more often than they are. The hatred between the siblings isn't what is odd, but what causes it. How Radu doesn't understand Lada's love towards him and what drives her. I do not understand it.
This book is also supposed to be a gender-bend of Dracula the Impaler. Which is interesting, because I did not figure that out from reading it. It is the correct time period, but gender bending DOESN'T WORK historically. I am sorry, it would be far to complicated to do that. It, it just doesn't work. You can write it and ponder what it would have been if one character was different. But not all. So, is that what this is?
I think I will be reading (or listening?) to the second book of this.
THIS VOICE IS TERRIBLE!
Alright, there. Little bits done
Again, I did not like the voice of the reader for this novel. She was grating, could not do much variation of the voices and I wish she would not have tried, and was the reason I often considered stopping the track. And I have no idea how to spell any of the names without looking them up.
This novel, by Kiersten White, follows Lada and Radu, in the 1400s, in the Ottoman empire as insurances for the Sultan.
I wonder if, like many young adult series, this would have been better as a single book with the next being far in the future or following other characters during the same time frame.
If you enjoy war novels, historically-set novels, or stories of growing up in difficult circumstances will enjoy this.
Alright, SPOILERS BELOW, SPOILERS BELOW, PLEASE SCROLL FOR DISCUSSION there, that is out of the way.
So, this book covers a good lifetime, showing us the development, fully, of characters. Saw the gay man coming as soon as he was born, which is kind of sad. Why, why make the gay man beautiful? Why make it so obvious from the start?
Why have her fall in love with the future Sultan?
I wanted her, based on the description of the book, to be in her homeland more often than they are. The hatred between the siblings isn't what is odd, but what causes it. How Radu doesn't understand Lada's love towards him and what drives her. I do not understand it.
This book is also supposed to be a gender-bend of Dracula the Impaler. Which is interesting, because I did not figure that out from reading it. It is the correct time period, but gender bending DOESN'T WORK historically. I am sorry, it would be far to complicated to do that. It, it just doesn't work. You can write it and ponder what it would have been if one character was different. But not all. So, is that what this is?
I think I will be reading (or listening?) to the second book of this.
THIS VOICE IS TERRIBLE!
Alright, there. Little bits done