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ClareR (5911 KP) rated The Leviathan in Books

Feb 3, 2023  
The Leviathan
The Leviathan
Rosie Andrews | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It’s 1643 and Thomas Treadwater has returned home injured from the Civil War. His father’s farm is in Norfolk, and his sister sent Thomas a letter, accusing their maidservant of bewitching their religious father. When Thomas arrives on the family land, it is to the sight of dead livestock, a sick father (a stroke), and a servant held responsible for both occurrences by way of witchcraft. Thomas doesn’t believe in witchcraft though, and decides to investigate what has happened for himself.

This beautiful story really does evoke the time: how women were regarded as witches if they knew too much, looked to beautiful, looked too ugly, or were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I enjoyed reading about their thoughts on religion, philosophy and how the law worked. There was even a part for John Milton himself.

There are secrets galore, a shipwreck and a real leviathan. The menace seems to be constantly radiating off the page in this dark (and it felt to me) grey and damp time!

Recommended.
  
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ClareR (5911 KP) rated Blessings in Books

Aug 22, 2024  
Blessings
Blessings
Chukwuebuka Ibeh | 2024 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the heart wrenching story of Obiefuna, and how his father sends him to a strict religious boarding school after he catches him kissing another boy. He basically cuts him off from his family and especially from his beloved mother.

Obiefuna has to keep his sexuality hidden as Nigeria moves to criminalise homosexuality, and he finds himself living a lie at school, and even participating in another boys brutal beating.

This could just be an emotionally devastating story of an ostracised boy, but there is love in this, from Obi’s mother and those he meets when he leaves school. He is a resilient boy and man who does find love.

I listened to this on audiobook (from Xigxag) and it was read so well by Fejiro Emasiobi and Tariye Peterside. This added much to the story itself - even just by teaching me how to pronounce the characters names properly. They also ramped up the emotion for me, especially when Obi is a boy.

This is a stunning debut and well worth a read (or a listen!!).
  
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ClareR (5911 KP) rated A Divine Fury in Books

Jul 15, 2025  
A Divine Fury
A Divine Fury
D. V. Bishop | 2025 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ok, so I’m notorious for saying (to myself mostly) that I don’t want to get involved with series of books, and then I “meet” Cesare Aldo and I’m four books in, anxiously waiting for book five* - because of the end of book four!!
Typical.
I quite happy with my Aldo-Addiction, and I honestly think that more people should join me.
I love the historical detail, and how the Catholic Church have a stranglehold on every aspect of life in Florence (well, everywhere Catholic, really). Aldo is just a thoroughly lovely character, as is Officer Strocchi, his wife and Saul (a Jewish doctor).
It’s a fine line these officers have to walk when they find a murdered man, set up in a clearly religious tableau. And the murderer doesn’t just stop at one victim.
There are other issues for Aldo and Strocchi to deal with, but the story never seems over-stuffed with information.
I absolutely love these stories, and I’m REALLY looking forward to getting stuck in to the next one!