Carole's Sunday Review: The Colonel and the Bee - Patrick Canning

Author: Patrick Canning 

Narrator: Mil Nicholson

Title: The Colonel and the Bee

Genre: Steampunk, Adventure, Historical Fantasy, SciFi

Pages: Audiobook

Published:  June 1st 2018

Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

The Amazing Beatrix works as an acrobat in a 19th Century circus, no home or family to speak of. When a daring escape from her abusive ringleader crosses Beatrix's path with that of the daring adventurer Colonel James Bacchus, the unlikely pair team up, fly to safety aboard the Colonel’s miraculous four-story hot air balloon, and begin a grand quest to find the most precious gem in the world, The Blue Star Sphinx. 

If the heroes can outmaneuver the deadly treasure hunters, escaped convicts, and double-crosses that await them, they may win the treasure they seek, or better yet, a sense of true belonging. 

This book had me hooked from the moment I read the title and then seen the book cover. I knew I had to read/listen to it. 

The story follows Beatrix/Bee. She was an acrobat in a circus with an abusive ringleaders. She decides its time to go after meeting Colonel James Bacchus. They team up and journey the world in the Colonel's amazing hot air balloon. Along with some friends they begin a grand quest to the find the Blue Star Sphnix. 

Normally books that are technically "steampunk" are out of my reading category. Not a huge fan. BUT this did not feel steampunk minus the hot air balloon that is pretty much the size of a house. Other then that I couldn't tell. It was perfect for the likes of me. I can't stand over-the-top steampunk novels. This had a splash of steampunk and it worked well for me. 

I liked Bee and the Colonel. Except the Colonel did have me worried. He seemed SO perfect at first. Smart, classy, funny, brave, adventurous, kind to everyone, proud, handsome, etc. I was worried, but then we got to see the real Colonel after a bit. The outside is perfect, but he has some flaws there. 

This was a fun adventure for sure. I had no idea how it was all going to end. Especially with the big twist and reveal. WOAH. Didn't see that coming! 

I enjoyed the humor and the writing style. I learned some new words for sure in this one! 

The ending was pretty good. It did make me happy how it all ended. 

I think my only complaint was how young Bee was. At first I thought she was older, but then I realized she is barely a teenager! I don't mind young characters, but I guess I assumed she was closer to being an adult. Like 16 or 17 or something of the like. It did work though. She was young and naive in a lot of things. 

The narrator was fun. She was a little old sounding for Bee (maybe this is why I thought she was a touch older). But I did enjoy her voice for the characters. She has an excellent way to bring the accents and the characters to life! Good pick overall there. 

In the end, I really enjoyed this story. It was full of life. I really want more adventures! The characters were a gem. The story was intriguing and fun. The narration was a charm. I adored this novel. And that cover???? Makes me want to go on a hot air balloon and travel the world! This novel was certainly a gem and I highly recommend it. I'll stamp this with 5 stars. 

Ice - Sarah Beth Durst

When Cassie was a little girl, her grandmother told her a fairy tale about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King and was swept away to the ends of the earth. Now that Cassie is older, she knows the story was a nice way of saying her mother had died. Cassie lives with her father at an Arctic research station, is determined to become a scientist, and has no time for make-believe.

Then, on her eighteenth birthday, Cassie comes face-to-face with a polar bear who speaks to her. He tells her that her mother is alive, imprisoned at the ends of the earth. And he can bring her back — if Cassie will agree to be his bride.

That is the beginning of Cassie's own real-life fairy tale, one that sends her on an unbelievable journey across the brutal Arctic, through the Canadian boreal forest, and on the back of the North Wind to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. Before it is over, the world she knows will be swept away, and everything she holds dear will be taken from her — until she discovers the true meaning of love and family in the magical realm of Ice. 

My thoughts:

I have always loved the tale East of the sun, west of the moon, and that is why I wanted to read this re-telling.

It's a modern version. Cassie learns that those fairy tales she heard from her grandmother are true. Her mother is being held by trolls, and Cassie is promised to the polar bear king.

Cassie was a clever girl. She lived at a arctic research station so she knew the wild (which is needed later on).

The story, well if you know the basics of the other story then you know this one. With a few exceptions. Like what Bear actually does for a living, and the wonderful world Durst created for this.

The romance, well I know she was there for weeks but I would have liked the see the romance blossom myself. Instead of later just being told they were in love.

Conclusion:

A lovely tale. 

cover

ok, it does fit

Hardcover, 308 pages
Published October 6th 2009 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
YA / Paranormal romance/adventure/fairytale
Own

Carole Reviews: The Secrets of Casanova - Greg Michaels

Author: Greg Michaels

Title: The Secrets of Casanova

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, and Adventure

Pages: ebook

First Published: October 19th, 2013 

Where I Got It: Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion. 

"Paris of 1755 is bloated with opportunity. That’s the way Jacques Casanova, an unredeemed adventurer with an ever-surging appetite for pleasure, needs it. But times, men, and gods are changing—and Jacques’ luck is fading. When he is thrust to the center of a profound mystery, he doesn't ask if vice or virtue leads him onward. “After all,” he declares, “a man who asks himself too many questions is an unhappy man.” But as Jacques’ challenges mount, what questions will he ask? What price must he pay to uncover a treasure of inestimable value? Loosely based on Casanova’s life of intrigue, danger, and passion, The Secret's of Casanova will keep you burning the midnight oil."

Like earlier stated, I was given this book for my honest and unbiased opinion. 

Ooooooooooooooooooh Casanova! WHAT A ROGUE! However, one can resist his charms even in a book. Greg Michaels truly did his homework on Mr. Casanova. I feel this is the closet representation of the man (from what I know and believe) that I know of. The movie did an okay job, but this book really painted the man wonderfully. Yes, he was a gambler and a lover, but he was also smart. He was a philosopher and technically had a degree in being a lawyer. He was also and foremost and adventurer. 

The adventure that we are taken on was exciting and I was addicted! I needed to know what the next clue was and even though I had a deep foreboding (which would be come true twice over) about what was going to happen, I still plummeted forward, because I needed to know just as badly as Casanova did. The ending did make me mad, BUUUUT I seen it coming. I also understand the symbolism and WHY the author ended it the way he did. Still though...I was not a happy camper and it was a small let down (at least for me...one might see it differently).

The beginning was a little slow, but it was indeed the calm before the storm. Enjoy the slowness, because after a couple of chapters things EXPLODE and the adventure begins. I'm glad the author didn't just jump into the adventure. 

Poor Dominique...can't say much, but I truly connected with her and I felt bad....sighs.

In the end, this was a fun and exciting book. Even though the ending was a small let down for me (personally), I see the wisness and the symbolism behind it. The beginning was a little slow, but it was necessary and I liked it. I recommend this to those who like their historical fiction mixed with some mystery and adventure. I shall stamp this with 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Casanova and Dominique 

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Petrine and Quentin 

Carole Reviews: Dominion - Cj Sansom

Author: CJ Sansom

Title: Dominion

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Fantasy

Pages: ebook

First Published: January 1st, 2012

Where I Got It: Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion

"1952. Twelve years have passed since Churchill lost to the appeasers and Britain surrendered to Nazi Germany. The global economy strains against the weight of the long German war against Russia still raging in the east. The British people find themselves under increasingly authoritarian rule--the press, radio, and television tightly controlled, the British Jews facing ever greater constraints. 

But Churchill's Resistance soldiers on. As defiance grows, whispers circulate of a secret that could forever alter the balance of the global struggle. The keeper of that secret? Scientist Frank Muncaster, who languishes in a Birmingham mental hospital.

Civil Servant David Fitzgerald, a spy for the Resistance and University friend of Frank's, is given the mission to rescue Frank and get him out of the country. Hard on his heels is Gestapo agent Gunther Hoth, a brilliant, implacable hunter of men, who soon has Frank and David's innocent wife, Sarah, directly in his sights."

Like earlier stated, I was given this book to read and review for the author/publisher with a promise of my honest and unbiased opinion.

Goodness, I do simply love WHAT-IF books. They always stir my imagination. This WHAT-IF book revolves around the idea that if Hitler had beat the British before the US could even get involved. If Hitler did win then he would have accomplished part 1 of his huge dream: conquering Europe. Part 2 would be conquering the entire continent. However, Russia (even in this world) was still a pain in the neck and didn't bow down to Germany. Not an easy prize to win. I doubt they ever will be, too big.

Anyways....this certainly was an adventure. It truly made one appreciate the ending of Hitler and his Nazis. What a horrid world. It was a lot like 1984's world, but not as extreme. It seemed more of a possible world. Germany slowly was converting England into it's world. They made seem (through peace) that they would remain their own state. HAHAHA! Any dim-wit could see that that was not the case. THEN comes in David who at first was blind, but then he was able to see the truth and joined the resistance as a spy. Sometimes that is the safest route to go, but dammit don't get discovered! 

This did have a few POV switches. It mainly stayed with David, Sarah, Frank, and Gunther. Sometimes I would find myself confused, but generally the POV switch wasn't too subtle. It generally switched at the beginning of a new chapter. 

I hated Gunther's POV. Sarah's at first was boring and I skimmed. However, near the middle and end, I actually begin to like her's more. It's not her fault she really wasn't part of the action until then. Poor girl being left in the dark like 80% of the book. Tsk on David for keeping secrets, but one can understand.

This certainly was a long book. I liked the book, but sometimes it did seem to drag. Some parts were boringly necessary. When you change history in a book, one must give detail and a new history lesson. I read it, but I'll admit I skimmed a little bit. 

In the end, this was good. This was interesting and it makes one think and be grateful that the English did not lose and held out until the Americans came to tip the scale in the Allies favor. Even though I skimmed a couple times, I was still enthralled with the story. Not only the WHAT-IFs story, but the people's story. Sigh. Poor Frankie. 

I shall recommend this to those that love a twist to historical facts and for those that love WHAT-IF books. Also fun. I should read more of these...well...out of five stars I shall stamp this with 4 stars. More like 3.8, but I don't do decimals, so 4 it is. ^.^

Favorite Character(s): David (even though he...well...disappointed me), Frank, Ben (GO SCOTS!), good ol' Churchill, and Sarah (felt bad for her)

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Gunther (not because he was the baddie and a Nazi, but he bored me and made me mad. Meh)

Carole Reviews: Head Games - Erika Rummel

Author: Erika Rummel

Title: Head Games

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Mystery

Pages: ebook

First Published: April 30th, 2013

Where I Got It: Given to me by the author/publisher to give my honest and unbiased opinion.

"Argentina 1979. Life has gone stale for Jim, an expat working in Catamarca. Everything is predictable until he meets Lisa. She has the starry eyes, the sensuous lips, and the tango steps that make all rational assumptions go away. Jim gives her top marks for animation but there is a warning at the end of his tip sheet: Danger. Lisa is a little too intense, a little too crazy, a woman with too many scenes playing in her head. Lisa's antics don't faze Santos, a spiritualist, who is looking for a medium to channel the dead and attract his lost sister. He lures Lisa to his compound in northern Argentina, where she becomes a pawn in a deadly family feud. Jim goes in search of Lisa. Tracking her down turns into a double mission -- freeing Lisa from her captors and himself from the monotony of his life. The story unfolds against the background of a country under military rule. It is a place where kidnapping, violence, and death no longer make headlines, a place where you have to learn survival skills."

Like earlier stated, I have read this book to give me honest and unbiased opinion.

GAH! Stupid Lisa. Stupid girl getting into trouble and just being an idiot. I wanted to slap some sense into her. Yes, she was ultimately a very sweet girl, but she was an idiot. Due to this and her being extremely attractive, Jim got suckered in. Poor guy never stood a chance. I honestly think the only reason he truly feel for her was the fact that he was simply and utterly bored with his life and this crazy, idiotic, and "hot" chick. Tsk. HOWEVER, there had to be a catalyst to make Jim a "hero" and make a book. 

Kuddos to the author for making the setting interesting and different. How many books can you honestly say is set in Argentina? The setting made this book. It was like adding the right amount of spicy to your food. Not too over the top, but not boring and A-typical. 

There was so much going on and there was never a dull moment. Sometimes, though, my head would get lost. HA! "Head Games". I get it now... I really wish I could say more though....but giving away too much would totally ruin this book. Everything is connected and pretty much everything makes sense at the end. 

It was such a good book, so I wish I could say I loved this...but I didn't. Perhaps I'm biased because me and the '70s don't get along. Or perhaps I disliked Lisa. I don't know. I didn't like any of the characters, but poor Jim. However, he was a blimey idiot too. I just found myself confused and would have to walk away from the book a time or two and re-read. I would get it then. Also....I did not like the ending that much...I totally get why it ended the way it did, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Plus, I'm still trying to completely understand the last sentence. Mmmmm. 

Advice. Take your time with this book and let your brain wrap around what you just read. Also, remember EVERYTHING! Everything is important to solving the puzzle in this book. 

In the end, this was a good book. I just didn't LOVE it. I liked it. However, I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters and sometimes I would find myself getting confused as to what was going on. Also the ending didn't feel completely right to me. Yes, I re-read those parts and got back on track, but still it was annoying those couple of times. OVERALL, this was a fun adventure. It would really make a good movie one day. Mhmmm. Yup, I would totally go see this in theaters. Anyways...I recommend this to those that love a good puzzle of a book with danger and an intense location. Out of five stars I grant this 3 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Jim

Not-so Favorite Character(s): mmmm everyone else. hahaha

Carole owner of caroleraesramblings.com

Carole Rae Reviews: Ghost of Lost Eagle - Dean Sault

Author: Dean Sault

Title: Ghost of Lost Eagle (#1 Sweetwater Canyon Series)

Genre: Adventure, Western, and Romance

Pages: ebook

First Published: July 8th, 2013

Where I Got It: Given to me by the publisher/author for an honest and unbiased review

"Mason "Tuck" Tucker meets Sass Thornton when she saves him from death in a flash flood. She dubs him "dumb-ass" for entering a box canyon during a rain storm. It is a label he will hear many times as she fights against her own unwanted attraction to him.

Sass's father, Phil, owns the cattle ranch and has been keeping two secrets from his daughter. Despite her contempt for Tuck, the father hires him to run the bunkhouse and control growing racial tension between white cowhands and Mexican vaqueros who work for him. Tuck surprises Phil with his easy, yet tough, management skill. The old man takes Tuck into his confidence and reveals a deadly truth about a killer who is terrorizing the bunkhouse residents.

Throughout the book, Tuck is haunted by howls of a lone wolf and life-like dreams of an old Indian ghost named Lost Eagle. The spirit medicine man wakes Tuck when he is in danger and repeatedly warns the young man about a coming destiny he must face. Ironically, that destiny will force Tuck to choose life or death for the Indian ghost as well as another.

Read what happens when the ghost of Lost Eagle, the lone wolf spirit guide and Tuck's new found love, Sass, come together in a life and death struggle. How does the murderer in the bunkhouse seek revenge against Sass and her father? Will Tuck leave the woman he loves to save the aunt who raised him, the only mother he’s ever known?"

Like earlier stated I was given this to read and review for the author/publisher for my unbiased and honest opinion.

I  honestly read this in a 24 hour period! I think I needed a good douse of western mixed with romance or something, because I just gobbled this down and nearly in one sitting at that. Kuddos to me. Also major kuddos to Dean Sault with his writing style. There is something about his writing that is so addictive. It might be because its so flowly and....not simple...but not over the top. It was an easy read and you can't help but keep reading even though your feet are falling asleep, because you haven't moved in a couple of hours. The only thing that annoyed me was there was a couple modern references that slipped in. It happens to everyone. Plus I only noticed a couple terms and etc.

More kuddos to Dean Sault for adding a little supernatural stuff to this story. I was worried at first that it wouldn't work well...but it did and I'm glad he added it. It was like...hot sauce. It added a special zang to the storyline. Made it really stand out. Buuut 

WHICH brings me to Tucker who was"cursed" by the supernatural stuff going around. GAH! I can see why Sass called him a "dumbass" throughout the whole novel. He truly was a dumbass. Sometimes I wanted to slap him himself.  I liked him...I did...but he truly was an idiot. WHICH in a way made me like him more, because he wasn't at all the A-typical hero in a romance novel. Sass was the same too...not the A-typical herione either. She was bitchy and didn't take mens shit. Sometimes she was overly mean to people who didn't deserve it, but hell, she had a LOT of baggage.... 

Man, Teresa I wanted to punch her.....

Need to cut myself off, before I give away some big spoilers. 

In the end, this was a good book. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what else Dean Sault has in store for us. His writing is really good, even though a couple oopsies slipped in.  This wasn't your A-typical western/romance. It had some hot sauce - aka supernatural stuff - mixed in. I would recommend this to those who like westerns, hot cowboys, romance, and lots of adventure. Out of five stars I shall stamp this with....4 stars.

Favorite Character(s): Tucker (even though he was a big ol' dumbass), Sass (a bitch, but funny), Phil, Mando, and Manny (super cute).

Not-so-Favorite Character(s): Richard (ass) &Teresa (stupid chit)

Carole owner of caroleraesramblings.com

Review: Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories

In the first major YA steampunk anthology, fourteen top storytellers push the genre's mix of sci-fi, fantasy, history, and adventure in fascinating new directions.

Imagine an alternate universe where romance and technology reign. Where tinkerers and dreamers craft and re-craft a world of automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never were. Here, fourteen masters of speculative fiction, including two graphic storytellers, embrace the steampunk genre's established themes and refashion them in surprising ways and settings as diverse as Appalachia, Ancient Rome, future Australia, and alternate California. The result is an anthology that defies its genre even as it defines it.

Note: I had meant to post something else today but then Kimba commented and I realised this was the perfect book to make the week even more steampunk! So this has been steampunk week :D

My thoughts:

"Some Unfortunate Future Day" by Cassandra Clare

I liked this one, in a way it felt kind of horror-ish cos the girl turns acreepy in the end.

"The Last Ride of the Glory Girls" by Libba Bray

This one was good too, but for me it did not really work as a short story, I had too many questions about the world. Where were they?

"Clockwork Fagin" by Cory Doctorow

Oliver Twist and steampunk..eh, no this was kind of boring.

"Seven Days Beset by Demons" by Shawn Cheng

A graphic short, it was not that fun either but it was over fast.

"Hand in Glove" by Ysabeau S. Wilce

I was not that into this story, it just did not pull me in .

"Ghost of Cwmlech Manor" by Delia Sherman

This one was kind of nice, Ghosts and steam was different.

"Gethsemane" by Elizabeth Knox

I got all confused by this one, it had potential but it just lost me along the way

"The Summer People" by Kelly Link

I liked this one but at the same time I was disappointed cos it certainly was not steampunk. But it was still good and...EVIL ;)

"Peace in Our Time" by Garth Nix

I was a bit what? It had promise...but needed more. It was more a book in progress.

"Nowhere Fast" by Christopher Rowe

Post-apocalyptic...what does that has to do with steampunk? Still good but eh?

"Finishing School" by Kathleen Jennings

Graphic short, did not like it

"Steam Girl" by Dylan Horrocks

Ok the only steamunk here was in a story a girl told,  that does not work for me either. Oh and it was meh.

"Everything Amiable and Obliging" by Holly Black

This one was the best one of the bunch!

"The Oracle Engine" by M.T. Anderson.

....I skimmed and skimmed. Boring

Yes some were meh, some bad and some good but all in all an ok anthology.

Paperback, 432 pages
Published October 11th 2011 by Walker UK
Steampunk /adventure /romance
Library

Review: Skies of Steel - Zoe Archer

In the world of The Ether Chronicles, the Mechanical War rages on, and appearances are almost always deceiving . . .

Daphne Carlisle may be a scholar, but she's far more comfortable out in the field than lost in a stack of books. Still, when her parents are kidnapped by a notorious warlord, she knows she'll need more than quick thinking if she is to reach them in time. Daphne's only hope for getting across enemy territory is an airship powered and navigated by Mikhail Denisov, a rogue Man O' War who is as seductive as he is untrustworthy. 

Mikhail will do anything for the right price, and he's certain he has this mission—and Daphne—figured out: a simple job and a beautiful but sheltered Englishwoman. But as they traverse the skies above the Mediterranean and Arabia, Mikhail learns the fight ahead is anything but simple, and his lovely passenger is not entirely what she seems. The only thing Mikhail is certain of is their shared desire—both unexpected and dangerous.

Mass Market Paperback, 277 pages, Published November 6th 2012 by Avon Impulse (first published October 9th 2012), The Ether Chronicles #3, Steampunk romance /adventure, own

My thoughts:
I do hate writing a review 24 hours later, by then I am all meh, I felt what?

But it was a cool world. Where men could become Men O'War. Tied to their flying ship. A steampunk world that was at war. I liked this world and wanted to read more set here. Sometimes I complain that steampunk books do not have enough steam. Many puts in one mechanical clock and is all steampunk! While this blended romance and steampunk well. A steampunk should be filled with steampunk and this one was. But not too much that it got confusing. That is no fun either. So + on steampunk.

Romance then. Mikhail (did I mention that it's one of my fav Russian names?), and Daphne are very very different. But they worked together and brought in some drama that I will not spoil for you all.

Conclusion:

All in all making it a good novel. There is romance, steampunk, an interesting world and a bit of action.

Cover

Ok this guy is supposed to be BIG. But he looks so lean

Review: Destiny - Alex Archer

An ancient order tied to the Vatican . . . A blood fortune buried in the caves of France . . . A conspiracy of power, greed and darkest evil . . .

Archaeologist and explorer Annja Creed's fascination with the myths and mysteries of the past leads her to a crypt in the caves of France, where the terrifying legend of the Beast of Gevaudin hints at the unimaginable. What she discovers is shattering: an artifact that will seal her destiny: a brotherhood of monks willing to murder to protect their secret; and a powerful black-market occultist desperate to put his own claim to centuries-old blood money. Annja embarks on a high-tension race across Europe and history itself, intent on linking the unholy treachery of the ages with the staggering revelations of the present. But she must survive the shadow figures determined to silence her threat to their existence.

My thoughts:

 I was not impressed by this book, it felt rather B. Like the show Relic Hunter, a total B tv-series, but still at least that show was funny while this book was lacking.

I also saw that there are like 40 books out! All with the same plot. Annja finds an artifact, is hunted by bad guys, kidnapped yada yada. The first few books are written by one author, the rest by different ones so I am sure there is a difference in quality too. I decided not to read any more.

Yup Annja, she is great at everything! She is special too. There is some complaining when she works for a crappy network tvshow, well do some teaching or digging then. Anyway, she finds a coin, bad guys comes, monks comes, God comes (almost) and she finds two weird guys.

First, why was the baddie after her? It was stupid. Do some research man instead of sending goons after an innocent woman. Honestly worst baddie ever, there is something called google. Then there were the monks...eh, secret? Lame secret! One would think the Catholic Church would not bother about something that happened 250 years ago when they have bigger problems right now. There were some eyerolls there.

Conclusion.

The book has something promising, but I wont read 40 books of the same story when the story was lacking.

Cover

Eh

Mass Market Paperback, 346 pages
Published July 11th 2006 by Gold Eagle (first published July 1st 2006)
Rogue Angel, #1
Adventure / paranormal
Own

Review: A red sun also rises - Mark Hodder

My name is Aiden Fleischer. I was forced from my home, moved among the victims of Jack the Ripper, was tortured by a witch doctor, and awoke on another planet. Throughout it all, my assistant, Clarissa Stark, remained at my side.

On Ptallaya, we were welcomed by the Yatsill. The creatures transformed their society into a bizarre version of our own, and we found a new home beneath the world's twin suns. But there was darkness in my soul, and as the two yellow globes set, I was forced to confront it, for on Ptallaya...

A RED SUN ALSO RISES

... and with it comes an evil more horrifying than any on Earth.

My thoughts:

Now how to explain this book...I do not think I will able too. It's an adventure that you just have to read to truly get.

We have a hero and a heroine. Aiden, a priest who is not good at being a priest, and Clarissa, who is so smart but disfigured and therefore she has to beg for bread. But then she starts to work for Aiden, and they become friends and discuss religion among other things. This is a theme through out the book, what is good and evil? Anyway the weirdness has not even started, that starts when he becomes a missionary and we end up with this Alice in Wonderland kind of story. A freaky new world, complex and just really weird. Now I will tell you no more as the world needs to be explored on its own. And then you will come to realize things  as it evolves.

There is a lot I would like to say, but just think of two people put in a new world. A world that makes no sense at all, and take it from there. You will experience a world like no other.

Conclusion:

Also throw in some politics, philosophy, religion, and of course steampunk.

Cover

Cool

Genre. Steampunk /adventure / historical
Pages: 288
Published: January 2013 by del Rey
Source. for review

Review: The Hermetica of Elysium - Annmarie Banks

Synopsis (starting with a quote):

 “Other shining, untarnished minds have come before us, lighting this path to understanding. But the sword of fear and ignorance has cut down their mortal forms, dissolving them as time does to all of us, to dust. Yet, their minds remain on paper. Their thoughts come to us in ink and parchment, packaged in tiny receptacles of light and wisdom.”

Spain, the dark years of Inquisition led by Torquemada. Nadira, a young Muslim slave girl and her owner, Sofir, a rich Spanish converso (so a Jew who conversed to Christianity) are one night accosted by some sailors (or rather pirates). These men ask specifically for Nadira; they brought with them a dying young man, which had been beaten by them to almost death. They think he doesn’t understand Spanish so they make Nadira speak her native Arabic to make him divulge his secret – the location of a certain book. The man is obstinate and doesn’t tell them anything so, after more beating, they leave him with Sofir, thinking he is dead. And he indeed dies after one more day but he also reveals to Nadira that a man named Henry has the book. He implores the girl to tell that to his little brother, Robin. Why was that book, any book in fact, worth such a sacrifice, though? Where is that Robin? One of these questions is solved very quickly.

Robert Longmoor, Baron Montrose of Scotland visits Sofir to collect the body of his elder brother, tortured to death. As he can’t read , he takes Nadira with him by force - she is fluent in several languages and he must find his brother’s book and read his letters. Although the girl remains a captive, her new master treats her with kindness and dignity. Because of him Nadira gets involved in a chain of adventures that exceeds her all expectations…she becomes important to many curious, rich and ruthless people. Will she find a worthy place in the world or remain the plaything of the powers that be? Will her strengths prevail over her weaknesses? What will she learn? Will Robert survive?

What I liked:

-          The subject matter - it is about a hermetical book for heavens’ sake!!! A very old book from Egypt, written in several languages, most probably an ancient text, coveted by many alchemists! How not to adore such a premise? It reminded me of The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, one of my all time favourites! In fact I suppose the idea of an edible book was taken straight from that novel! Still I didn’t mind – not at all!

-          The narration was quick-paced and lively as I like. The book managed to keep me interested till the very end.

-         Plenty of knights in their prime, one pretty girl and no insta-love! No insta-lust either! A love triangle? Absent again! Well done and, as you see, it can be done!

-         A kick-ass heroine who is not only of Arab descent but also a very educated woman who knows what's good for her; despite being a slave, doesn’t want to follow her mother’s fate and remain despondent all her life; she takes difficult decisions but never ones which would be too stupid for her to live. By the way usually in such books  it is a Saracen master and a Christian slave; here we have an Arab girl,  a Jewish master and a Scotsman…not a bad mixture you must admit!

What I didn’t like:

-         In short small inconsistencies. The main heroine, Nadira, once states that she wants to return home to Morocco and then she says she would like to go to Marrakech. Well, last time I checked these were two different countries and I am not sure whether they were known by their contemporary names in the 15th century. Oh well, you know me…incurably anal…

-         It is not a flaw but it bugged me: Richard Longmoor was a kind of prominent scholar while his younger brother, Robert, couldn’t read an write at all…correct me if I am mistaken but if you were a Scottish laird who decided to spend some hard-earned coin on exclusive education, hiring a private tutor in the shape of a monk, you would make sure both of your precious sons got some necessary schooling… I would understand if Robert knew ‘only’ Latin or ‘only’ Old French/Norman but the fact that he could barely sign his own name left me perplexed…what did he do when Richard had his lessons? Chased skirts? Shot crows? How come his father didn’t intervene?

- I would like more three-dimensional baddies...

Final verdict:

Despite some quibbles I did enjoy this book and I would love to read the second part of this series. Alchemy gives me always a powerful tug and this book was based on some alchemical texts...

Publisher: Knox Robinson Publishing

Pages: 400

To Be published: December 8 2011

Review by Anachronist

Sent by the publisher in return for an honest review

Review: Sleeping Kings - John Prentice

Series: Dark Force #1
Genre: YA action adventure
Pages: Ebook, 187
Published: April 2011
Source: For review
Review by Lis

Nik was a normal teen computer geek until her parents split up and her father dragged her off to France. The move cost her everything; friends, family, even her obsession; an online computer game. Then she meets a dead guy who’s protecting a secret as old as the mountains themselves, and suddenly people want her and the most gorgeous boy she’s ever met, dead too.When she finds out who she really is, things get freaky. The race is on, and she’s got to beat the clock – a clock that’s been ticking for seven hundred years.Time has just run out for Nicola Roscoe. It could be...Game Over

I do so love a good adventure story. Especially if there is history involved. Sleeping Kings by John Prentice sure doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Sleeping Kings was a book I couldn’t put down while I was reading it and almost forgot to get off the train at my stop once. 

Sleeping Kings is the story of Nik, her geologist father and her friend Daan. After her parents’ divorce – which is enough to put a teen down – and then forced to move to France (big change much?) and then forced to give up her one true love: online gaming, Nik is understandably in a funk. Who wouldn’t be? But then the mystery starts when on an outing she and Daan fall into a cave and meets the very dead, but still very much talking King Pedro II of Aragon, who died in 1213 and she and Daan fall into the mystery of the Cathars (my inner medievalist was sitting up at that) and alchemy and ‘the power.’ Things move fast from there!

This story has a bit of everything in it, action, adventure, humor, wit. While it’s a YA novel, it’s very much enjoyable. I loved seeing Nik grow in this story from a teen who is depressed by the recent changes to a confident young woman. Daan is the geek with all the historical answers and very sweet to boot! Pedro is an awesome character. Not only does he hold the role of mentor, he’s a very honorable man who made some big sacrifices. 

Fortunately for us, the story has a lot of background. Even better is the part where it’s not just dry facts that we get. This means the author knows what he’s doing with his words and that in turn made me very happy! I always hate it when I like a book, but the writing is bad. 

There are also some fun parts in this story. I mean how many times do you read about someone who turns bullets into chickens? Awesome!

Alright, before my praise gets out of hand, yes, this story is very recommendable. Even if you don’t like YA, you will love this one. The blurb says that fans of the Alex Rider series will like this story. That is certainly true. So if you like action and adventure rifled with history than this book is for you! 

Review. The Greyfriar - Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

Series: Vampire Empire 1
Genre: Steampunk /paranormal/adventure/alternate history
Pages: 301
Published: 2010, Pyr

Vampire predators run wild in this exciting steampunk adventure, the first in an alternate history trilogy that is already attracting attention. In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender: a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions.

My thoughts:

This book was great! I wished I could have read it all at once instead of bits and pieces here and there. Because it just sucked me in at once, and a few chapters in I already knew I wanted to read book 2.

The book is about Princess Adele of Equatoria. She is touring her Empire and its fringes when attacked by vampires. And such awesome vampires. They are cruel and evil. They treat people like cattle, they never create anything new, they are parasites that took over everything in the North and pushed humans to the south. Those that they did not drink and kill. The mythology and creation of these horrible vampires are amazing, and that also include the new Human empires that emerged after the fall of mankind. It may be the year 2020 but Equatoria still rely on steam, but they do have airships, other than that the world has not moved forward much.

I liked Adele as the heroine that is taken deep into enemy territory. She still had courage and behaved like a princess. No one could pressure her to anything. She also had depth in her. The other great character in this book is Prince Gareth, the heir to the Vampire Clan in England, but he is living alone in Scotland. He was so strange, and I wanted to know more. He asked questions and he saw that their society could not live on. And of course I, loving HEAs and such, wanted these two together. She with someone whose people see humans as cattle, and him with someone whose people wants death to all vampires. Yes, as you can see, it's totally and utterly doomed. But a girl can hope.

This book was thrilling, it kept me turning page after page, hoping, wishing and fearing. There is no turning back. There can only be one winner and the vampires are truly evil so it should not be them. There is adventure, and a haunting Europe,  a bloody Europe. A bloody good book.

If I have to say something negative, oh I can't say it, cos it might just be a spoiler. So sorry there.

Conclusion:

I want more, I need more. Another book is coming out this spring, but I really want to read it now. I was enchanted by this world, even if it made me sad. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Is it Fall yet?

Rating:

Page-turner

Cover:

Bit dark, but ok

Source: Publisher

Review: Zan-Gah and the beautiful country - Allan Richard Shickman

Zan-Gah and the beautiful country by Allan Richard Shickman

Genre: Historic adventure YA
Pages: 2009
Published: 151

The prehistoric saga continues in Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, the sequel to the award winning Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure. In this story, Zan s troubled twin brother, Dael, having suffered greatly during his earlier captivity, receives a ruinous new shock when his wife suddenly dies. Disturbed and traumatized, all of his manic energies explode into acts of hostility and bloodshed. His obsession is the destruction of the wasp men, his first captors, who dwell in the Beautiful Country. When he, Zan-Gah, and a band of adventurers trek to their bountiful home, they find that all of the wasp people have died in war or of disease. The Beautiful Country is empty for the taking, and Zan s people, the Ba-Coro, decide to migrate and resettle there. But the Noi, Dael s cruelest enemies and former tormentors, make the same migration from their desert home, and the possibility develops of contention and war over this rich and lovely new land.

This is the second book about Zan-Gah and his adventures in a prehistoric environment. In the last book he saved his brother and invented the sling. In this book he is married and his brother has lost his wife and is only getting stranger and more violent. The torment he suffered while a slave has put deep wounds in his soul. Dael is a tortured soul. Zan-Gah only wants to help. He finds a bit of hope when the tribes move away to a new land.

Dael is really really far along in this book, Zan-Gah has my sympathizes and he dearly loves his brother and tries to protect them. But his brother is leading them to ruin because he is violent and hateful.

Zan is the same nice person who wants peace and to give the tribes a better future. He is also rather blind at times, when it comes to his wife and when it comes to his brother.

This book is darker and more violent than the previous. I think it said 11 and up and there I do agree because there is death and war and bloody murder in this one. Still he writes it in regard for the age group so nothing violent and such written. But it is there, and yes it was another time but still the age should be held here because since it was a different time they might wonder how everyone got married early and had kids and such.

This book is about the journey towards a new land, settling there, the rift between two brothers and how wrong things can be. it also has a strong woman in it, Zan's wife Pax, and it deals with a lot of emotion. Serious things among the rest. An interesting YA book about an era we do not get to read much about.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: That is Dael, the scary looking one

Reason for reading: From the publisher

Final thoughts: I do think teenage boys could like it, the action, the adventure

Review: Zan-Gah - Allan Richard Shickman

 Zan-Gah by Allan Richard Shickman

A pre-historic adventure

Genre: YA adventure
Pages: 160
Published: 2007

The hero, Zan-Gah seeks his lost twin in a savage prehistoric world, encountering suffering, captivity, conflict, love, and triumph. In three years, Zan-Gah passes from an uncertain boyhood to a tried and proven manhood and a position of leadership among his people. Themes: survival, cultures, gender roles, psychological trauma, nature's wonders and terrors.

I wanted to read this book in order to really read a book and think about those it was meant for. To try to look past me.

This is the story of Zan who in the beginning kills a lion, one the tribes are hunting because it had eaten a child. By this people have new respect for him, and this is the time he sets out to find his twin that was lost 1 year ago. The road there is filled with dangers from animals, nature and hostile strangers.

This is a book that I would recommend for young boys, yes sure girls could like it too but I do think boys would really fall for this one. First there is the danger of the hunt for young Zan, the hunt where he manages to bring down a might lion. Then there is his dangerous trip. He only has himself. He have to find his own food and kill it. He invents a new kind of weapon, the sling and with this he can catch rabbits, and more. He learns how to take care of himself, he gets taken captive by a hostile tribe and he does have one great adventure trying to find his long lost brother.

He is a strong character and even though it is never mentioned how young he is, I knwo he is pretty young. The author also explains things that people back then did grow up more quickly, and had children early. And also that they died earlier. That is a good part of this book, the subtle explanations of things that is good to learn. Without it being to, learn this and by that perhaps making it boring. Now it really a part of the story.

He also deals with some darker issues like a trauma someone gets, how Zan-s uncle got tired of was and killing, and how harsh reality was back then. If they did not find food, the tired got weak and soon the were too tired to even hunt.

For myself this was an interesting little adventure about a young boy coming of age in such a different time. It made me think that there is not much fiction out there about this era, ok I know some but it would be nice with more.

It says ages 11 and up, somewhat younger kids could read it too, and of course adults too,

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Come on, boys could pick that right.

Reason for Reading: The publisher sent it to me

Final thoughts: I do think young boys would enjoy this one