The Sugar Camp Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini

A week after Uncle Jacob's death, Abel Wright came to pay his respects. Dorothea Granger took him to the grave and stood some distance away while he bowed his head in silent prayer. The he look up and said, "I have something to tell you and your folks."

History is thick with secrets in The Sugar Camp Quilt, seventh in the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series from best selling author Jennifer Chiaverini. Set in Creek's Crossing, Pennsylvania, in the years leading up to the Civil War, the story begins with friends and neighbours taking sides in the abolitionist debate, and as events unfold, an extraordinary young heroine passes from innocence to wisdom against the harrowing backdrop of the American struggle over slavery.

A dutiful daughter and niece, Dorothea Granger finds her dreams of furthering her education thwarted by the needs of home. A gifted quilter, she tragically loses her hope chest in a flood. A superior student, she is promoted from pupil to teacher - only to lose her position to the privileged son of a town benefactor. But the ultimate test of her courage and convictions comes with the death of her stern uncle Jacob, who inexplicably had asked Dorothea to stitch him a quilt with four unusual patterns of his own design. After he meets with a violent end, Dorothea discovers that the quilt contains hidden clues to guide runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad. Emboldened by the revelations about her uncle's bravery, Dorothea resolves to continue his dangerous work. Armed with the Sugar Camp Quilt and its mysterious symbols, she must evade slave catchers and outwit unscrupulous neighbours, embarking upon a heroic journey that allows her to discover her own courage and resourcefulness - unsuspected qualities that may win her the heart of the best man she has ever known.

Told with Jennifer Chiaverini's trademark historical suspense, The Sugar Camp Quilt blends danger, moral courage, romance, and hope into a novel of antebellum America whose lessons resonate with timeless honesty.

In previous posts about this series I have talked about how the author switches between modern and historical settings and this time it is a return to the past. Previous books set in the past including focus on the late 1800's and early 1900s, this time the book is set further back, in the days before the American Civil War. In fact, we originally met the main character Dorothea and her brother in The Runaway Quilt.

Dorothea Granger has been the young school teacher in the town of Cross Creek, but the town has recently appointed a new teacher, the son of a town patron, not because they were unhappy with her, but because of who his father was! With no teaching to be done, that means that she is restricted to working on the farm of her stern Uncle Jacob. Jacob has always been distant towards them, but the Granger family are determined to live and work on the farm in the hope that one day their son Jonathan will be the sole heir to the farm, after their own farm was lost in a flood some years earlier.

When Jacob asks Dorothea to make a quilt for him, Dorothea feels obliged to do so, but she doesn't understand why her uncle wants the specific patterns that he does, to the extend of making her unpick the stitching when she makes some "improvements". It is only once her uncle dies in violent circumstances that some of the truth comes out about him, and his involvement in the Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape through to the relative safety of Canada.

It is dangerous being involved in this activity, as there are many in the town of Cross Creek who are actively against freeing the slaves, and who are willing to assist the slave catchers in their work. It is therefore essential that Dorothea and her family know who they can and they can't trust - something that is not always easy in the best of times, let alone during such turbulent times.

The one thing that I would say is that in some ways, it felt as though the author was determined that Dorothea would end up with a happily ever after, regardless of how that really fitted into the story or not. Whilst initially there was intense dislike between Dorothea and her man, and there was some focus on them slowly becoming friends, it didn't feel to me as though there was a connection strong enough between them for the sudden declaration of love when it came. Maybe that was just my romance loving self being a bit too critical. I don't know how someone else who didn't normally read in that genre would find the build up to the relationship.

Despite what I have said about the author switching settings and times, in some ways this book is an anomaly within the series in my opinion. There is no reference to Elm Creek mansion, or to the modern days characters (or their forefathers ) at all. Where the other books were set in the past, we were connected to the current time because the events of the past were being revealed through letters or diaries. This book starts in the past and stays there. In fact the only link really that this book has to the rest of the series is the fact that the setting is the time of Cross Creek, and there is talk of quilting in it! Oh, and the fact that Dorothea's brother was a fairly main character in The Runaway Quilt.


The other books in this series, in order, are:

1. The Quilter's Apprentice
2. Round Robin
3. The Cross Country Quilters
4. The Runaway Quilt
5. The Quilter's Legacy
6. The Master Quilter

Rating: 4/5

My Seduction by Connie Brockway

Connie Brockway sweeps readers back to the rough beauty of Regency-era Scotland and into the scintillating, passionate, and surprising love story of a mysterious Highlander and the woman he is pledged to protect.

Desperate to keep her two sisters and herself from the poorhouse, Kate Nash Blackburn embarks upon a journey to northern Scotland, where she hopes to gain the gratitude and patronage of a wealthy marquis. When fate maroons her at a tavern full of ruffians, a brawny Highland soldier comes to her rescue. It's Kit MacNeill, the man whose pledge to her family has haunted her for years. When he offers to escort Kate through the treacherous Highlands to Castle Parnell, she accepts even though her instincts warn her against trusting this rough and dangerous man. But soon Kate is startled by the Highlander's cultured speech and courtly manners. Who is this man of contradictions, shaped by a shadowy past, who fiercely wards off an attempt on her life, whose broad shoulders beckon her touch, and in whose arms she comes fully alive?

So what does it mean when you read a book, you enjoy it, you mark it quite high (in this case 4/5) and then when you come to post about it less than two weeks later and it has kind of blurred into all the other Scottish historicals that you have ever read before? Should be bad shouldn't it?

Yet I did enjoy this. I liked Kit, although I do have to say that it felt as though the author was trying too hard to make him have the tortured and tormented past that so often accompanies the Scottish historical hero. Now you know that I love a tortured hero - they are among my favourite heroes ever - but this time it didn't quite feel as organic as they usually do!

As for Kate, well, she was there. She was the widowed heroine who comes feels a strong attraction for our hero, and acts on it. She is also destined to be the martyred heroine, the one who must marry someone in order to save her sisters and inevitably that someone is not the hero, but during the time that he is escorting her to Scotland they feel a growing attraction to each other.

There is an underlying mystery about who killed Kate's cousin, and where the smuggler's gold is hidden, and also about who it was that betrayed Kit and his friends in Paris years before, in an incident that ended up costing Kate's father his life.

Connie Brockway is a new to me author, but she is one that I have been intending to read for a while, mainly because it felt to me as though she was one of the current authors that I had to read. Part of my reason for reading it now is that she was chosen as Author of the Month for January in one of my groups - yep...late again!

If it sounds as though I didn't like this book, it isn't that at all. I fully intend to continue to read this series. It is just that whereas I generally can remember the details of a book for a while this one faded really, really quickly! I have the next book in the series here and will get to it....eventually!

Rating 4/5

And we're back!

Back from camping! Had beautiful weather even if the nights were a little cold. I think I even managed to get a little sunburnt! Didn't get much reading done, but I did listen to an audio book on the drive there and back again.

Came back to the news that I have been nominated for a Thinking Blogger Award by Kailana. Thanks Kail! Once I have had a couple of days to contemplate I will make my own nominations, and talk a bit more about our mini break!

Rasputin's Daughter by Robert Alexander

With the same riveting historical narrative that made The Kitchen Boy a national bestseller, Robert Alexander returns to Russia for the harrowing tale of Rasputin's final days as told by his young and spirited daughter, Maria.

After the fury of the Russian Revolution has swept Nicholas and Alexandra from the throne of Imperial Russia, a special commission is set up to investigate the "dark forces" that caused the downfall of the House of Romanov. The focus, of course, turns to Grigori Rasputin, the notorious holy man and healer who was never far from the throne.

To discover the truth, the commission interrogates Maria Rasputin, the oldest of the Rasputin children, in the ransacked Winter Palace. There, she vividly recounts a politically tumultuous Russia where Rasputin's powerful influences over the Romanovs is unsettling to all levels of society, and the threats to his life are no secret. While vast conspiracies mount against her father, Maria must struggle with the discovery of her father's true nature - his unbridled carnal appetites, mysterious relationship with the Empress, rumours of involvement in secret religious cults - to save her father from his murderers. With clarity and courage, Maria shatters the myths of Rasputin's murder, revealing how she tried to save her father, who nearly killed Rasputin and, most importantly, the devious secrets his murderers still guard.

Using long lost files, Robert Alexander once again delivers an imaginative and compelling story: Rasputin's Daughter vividly brings to life one of history's most fascinating and legendary periods.

I've been sitting here for ages trying to think what to say about this book, which really surprises me for two reasons. Firstly, I don't normally have that trouble, and secondly, I really enjoyed this book so it shouldn't be so hard.

The story starts with Maria Rasputin being picked up and taken to face the commission that has been set up to investigate what caused the fall of the House of Romanov. The irony of the fact that one of her father's favourite authors is the man charged with recording the evidence of what happened to Rasputin is not lost on Maria, but once she has agreed to cooperate she starts her story a week before his death.

For Maria, the events of the last week before her father's death were very revealing. She began to understand his true nature - including the nature of his relationship with the royal family, some of the people that he associated with, and many of his own personal demons. In many ways, however, this book was more about Maria coming to see her family through adult eyes - understanding that her father was not perfect in many ways, and also understanding that the events that were taking place around her were out of her control. It was also about her coming to know herself and facing the consequences of her own decisions as she finds herself falling for the mysterious young man who has appeared and then disappeared from her life a couple of times.

As with The Kitchen Boy, Robert Alexander manages to effectively convey the confusion and fears of characters living in a turbulent time in Russian history. In some ways, this book felt a little more cohesive than The Kitchen Boy, maybe because it was at it's very core a simpler story. I certainly felt as though I was going on the roller coaster ride of emotions as faced by Maria - from the fear for her father's life, to the excitement of falling in live, to the confusion as she comes to realise some of the facts about her father, to her courage as she faced the reality of what had happened to her father, and to her, and a very uncertain future.

A very entertaining read about a very interesting period in time!

Rating:4.5/5

Road Trip and audiobooks!

We are going camping this weekend so no posts for a few days! It is a shame because I am so close to being caught up on my reviews! Of course my son is a little bit culture shocked - no electricity (or more precisely no TV)...for four whole days!! How will we cope!

Last night I went to the library because I had some requests to pick up (why do they all come in at the same time?), and so I thought I would pick up an audiobook to listen to on the drive which is about 3 hours each way. Now you all know that I love my library. I get new books all the time, I visit at least twice a week, and I always have a gazillion items booked out, but I do have to say that the range of audiobooks at my local library leaves something to be desired. I used to listen to audiobooks all the time when I was driving to and from work, but since I started catching the train I haven't been listening to them at all. I had forgotten that in order to get a decent audiobook I had to drive three quarters of an hour to another library that I am a member of. Took me ages but I eventually found a couple of books to borrow. They are both old tapes so we will see whether they are okay or not.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Easter.

Sylvia by Bryce Courtenay

Sylvia is the story of the Children's Crusade, which occurred in the year 1212. It is perhaps the strangest true event to have taken place in European history. I enjoyed the digging that uncovered it - buried in a dark corner of times long out of mind. It is also a story of how, throughout some of the darkest medieval times, the redeeming power and strength of a young woman's love and intelligence prevail over poverty, brutality and bigotry. I trust you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed taking the few scattered bones of medieval Latin and Arabic texts and recreating from them this story of Sylvia: a remarkable, talented and eccentric young woman.

Bryce Courtenay

Bryce Courtenay is one of the most popular Australian authors, and has had some international success as well. He is actually a South African but he came to live here in Australia in the 1950's so we claim him as our own, as we do others like Russell Crowe (although why I will never understand!).

In the past I have read and enjoyed The Power of One (which was made into a Hollywood movie) and Tandia, but I have struggled to get into other books by him, especially his Australian Trilogy (The Potato Factory, Tommo and Hawk and Solomon's Song), despite the fact that the subject matter (Australian colonisation) is one that I generally love to read about.

This book is being advertised here as the story of the ill fated Children's Crusade, and whilst the crusade definitely is one of the focuses of the book, the crusade itself didn't actually get started until two thirds of the way through the book. For me, the story was really about Sylvia, and chronicled her path to involvement in the crusade.

The main focus of the book to my mind is also a study of religion and superstition within the early 1200's and also has incorporated in some fables, most especially that of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Sylvia herself is a mass of contradictions. She is born a peasant, at a time when there really is no way to change your station in life. Born to a drunkard who thinks he can do anything he likes because he has been forgiven his sins by going on crusade, and an industrious woman, Sylvia is left to look after herself after her mother dies whilst she is still young. She has the voice of an angel, is a talented mimic of both people and birds. She suffers terrible abuse at the hands of her depraved father, and is then banished by the people of her town, and so she starts the journey of her life.

Along the journey, she meets up with Reinhardt, a rat catcher with a talent for charming everyone he meets, and a talented flautist. As they head for Cologne, they start a double act - Sylvia sings, Reinhart plays the flute and together they put on a show that brings them enough money and food to be able to survive on the journey.

After arriving in Cologne Sylvia causes quite the scene when she is involved in several "miracles", all of which Sylvia can explain, but in a time of great religious restrictions, once the Church says that a miracle has occurred then it is very difficult to change that perception. Coincidence and "miracles" continue and Sylvia becomes known as the Petticoat Angel.

As a character, Sylvia becomes all things to all people. To the people of Cologne she is the girl who feeds the homeless children in the morning, but in the evening she is friends with the girls in the whorehouse, learning from them all the theory of the pleasures that she can ready for the day that she has the chance to "know" a man. And yet, despite this knowledge and this background she ends up as a nun (but not before she gets to use her knowledge just once!), and then as one of the leaders of the ill-fated Children's Crusade, as well as being able to play chess like a master and how to speak at least 4 languages.

Her friends come from all walks - the young widow who teaches her the way to pleasure herself, but also gets her ready for what her forthcoming transition to womanhood will be like, numerous priests, the Jewish couple who manage her career and who give her a sense of family despite the fact that at that stage in history the Jewish were considered to be the lowest of the low.

Earlier, I wrote that Sylvia becomes all things to all people, and to be honest in a way that is one of the weaknesses of the book in some ways. There are a number of times where she is nearly condemned as a demon but she is saved by the fact that she has a birthmark on her back in the shape of a fish and therefore as soon as people see that it is confirmed as another sign of her special blessing from God. The books itself is quite graphic in terms of some of the sexuality and also some of the torture scenes.

Having said that, for the most part the story is an engrossing one, and moves along at breakneck pace. The tragic events of the crusades themselves are perhaps a little rushed towards the end, but do form the crucial part of the climax of the novel.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I did enjoy this read. Given my previous experiences with Courtenay I wasn't really expecting it. Who knows, I might even give some of his other books a go!

Rating 4/5

Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood

When the 1920's most glamorous lady detective, the Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher, arranges to go to Ballarat for the week, she eschews the excitement of her red Hispano-Suiza racing car for the sedate safety of the train. The last thing she expects is to have to use her trusty Beretta .32 to save lives. As the passengers sleep, they are poisoned with chloroform.

Phryne is left to piece together the clues after this restful country sojourn turns into the stuff of nightmares: a young girl who can't remember anything, rumors of white slavery and black magic, and the body of an old woman missing her emerald rings. Then there is the rowing team and the choristers, all deliciously engaging young men. At first they seem like a pleasant diversion....

Another fun read from the Phryne Fisher series, following on from Flying Too High. There's lot happening including an interlude with the delicious young university student Lindsay, the mysterious death of an older woman where there are not even any footprints found near the body to start tracking the killer, a young woman with amnesia and a very dodgy boarding house. Are they connected?

I have to admit that reading this book did make me think really hard about train travel in the 1920's - something that I can assure you that I don't generally think about! The reason being these days it takes about 90 minutes to get to Ballarat from Melbourne on the train and yet in the book it appears as though it was an overnight trip in those days, and the other reason being that once the murder is discovered they end up in a little town called Ballan, and I live right near to Ballan Road...never been there, but there is something cool about reading a book that is set where you live!

The cast of supporting characters is getting bigger and bigger, something that I would imagine will have to stop at some point in the series, given that there are currently 16 books in the series.

Phryne is once again living her very decadent lifestyle to the fullest, and the sense of time and place is excellent! Looking forward to the next book! I only wish that the versions of the books that I am getting from the library had the same gorgeous covers on them like the ones above! Maybe as I get closer to the end of the series I will get the nicer covers.

Rating: 4/5

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

THERE COMES A TIME IN A LADY'S LIFE...
Widowed Anna Wren is having a wretched day. After an arrogant male on horseback nearly squashes her, she arrives home to learn that she is in dire financial straits. What is a gently bred lady to do?

WHEN SHE MUST DO THE UNTHINKABLE...
The Earl of Swartingham is in a quandary. Having frightened off two secretaries, Edward de Raaf needs someone who can withstand his bad temper and boorish behavior. Dammit! How hard can it be to find a decent secretary?

AND FIND EMPLOYMENT.
When Anna becomes the earl’s secretary, both their problems are solved. Then she discovers he plans to visit the most notorious brothel in London for his “manly” needs. Well! Anna sees red—and decides to assuage her “womanly” desires . . . with the earl as her unknowing lover.

This is a book that has been getting a lot of positives vibes around it out in romance land, and having read it now, I can certainly see why! With the second book in the series, The Leopard Prince already out in stores, I am sure that we will certainly see more about this author over the coming weeks. I know I have already ordered the sequel. From that, you can probably tell that I enjoyed this book!

It was great to have a hero that wasn't dropped dead gorgeous. He was insecure about himself because of the physical scars that he received as a result of surviving smallpox. There are also the internal scars that are there as he was the only member of his family who actually survived. Normally we see that the heroine is more self conscious of the hero, even if they are scarred for whatever reason. Edward is a good man, but he also has a terrible temper, and managed to scare off two secretaries before he employed Anna. Anna is portrayed as being quite plain, although I have to admit that that is not something that I necessarily bought into completely.

I really enjoyed the dialogue between Edward and Anna. She was not prepared to back down just because Edward was having a temper tantrum. I did wonder about how realistic it would be that a lady would get herself into a brothel in order to seduce someone, but the scenes set there were very well written, believable and hot, as were the reactions of the characters once Edward in particular realised the deception against him. I did also wonder whether Anna's refusal to marry Edward the first several times he asked her was too much. I understand that Edward was almost obsessive about needing an heir, and that Anna thought that she was barren, but I loved how the whole issue was resolved. I did feel as though the author backed away from this issue a little in the epilogue though.

The villain of the story, Felicity Clearwater, was completely over the top, as was her cohort Chilly, but in a fun, and I gather, intentional way. I do wonder about the necessity of it, particularly since the whole blackmail plot seemed to be somewhat based on half truths, coincidences and wrong assumptions.

I was also kind of surprised we didn't find out the reasons why Edward's staff members Dreary and Davis were employed by although I did wonder if there wasn't supposed to be some correlation designed to show how alike Edward and Anna were in some ways seeing as they both had a tendency to pick up and help people who society would normally shun.

I really enjoyed the secondary story involving Mr Hopple, with the terrible fashion sense, and Fanny the former prostitute, but I did think that it did get dropped too far from the end and so their future was kind of implied, or maybe more precisely assumed by me to be a happily ever after!

The setting was 1760 - not the Regency, but I didn't really feel as though there was a reason for specifying that. I didn't feel that there was a real sense of period in the story.

I did enjoy the addition of the myth of the Raven Prince. At the beginning of each chapter we got to see a small part more of the myth, which roughly paralleled the series of events in the actual story. I wonder if she will continue with a similar theme in the upcoming books in the series.

Overall, this was a really good debut novel from an author that I am looking forward to reading more from! We did get to meet the heroes for the next two books in this one, and whilst I am looking forward to reading Harry's story in The Leopard Prince, I am more looking forward to reading Iddesleigh's story in The Serpent Prince.

Rating 4/5

Are you an ideas person?

Kimbooktu has just announced that she is having a contest. On her blog Kimbooktu introduces all little gadgets that are connected to books and reading, and she finds some amazing things!

So,for her contest, she wants you to design your own book gadget, and you can win some really cool prizes!

For more details about the contest, click on the link here!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as romance heroes?

Or.....the kind of things that show the way my brain works when it isn't fully occupied!



I took my son and his friend to the drive in tonight....yes, we still have drive ins here, although not many! My son and I enjoy going, although now that we have moved from being about 10 minutes away from it, we don't go as often as we used to, despite the fact that it is much cheaper than going to the cinemas! Anyway, tonight I had the good fortune of kind of seeing TMNT - the current incarnation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! What a load of rubbish!! Fortunately, I don't think that I am really the target demographic for this movie...the 8 year olds loved it.

I have to admit though that I did go prepared not to really like it. I took my MP3 player with me, tuned it into the footy (yay...footy's back!) and was listening to that, but I could both hear and see TMNT. I tried to close my eyes for at least some of it, but it is hard when you are not tired to keep your eyes closed in the face of two lots of loud noise!

Anyway, a sign of how uninspired I was by this movie is the fact that I had sufficient time to analyse how the current version of TMNT has characterised the turtles in such a way as to echo some of the romantic stereotypes for heroes. And then I even came home and thought about it some more.....why? I don't know! So anyway...here's my take:




Leonardo - started the movie in a jungle deep in South America tormented and tortured by the fact that he had failed his brothers = classic tortured hero









Michelangelo - doing kids parties, and generally having a good time = classic nice guy hero







Donatello - electronics specialist/computer geek = classic geek/nerdy hero







Raphael - starts the movie disguised as a lone crusader for justice, trying to ensure the safety of the world without letting anyone know who he really was - dressed in lots of black leather and armour = classic bad guy with a heart of gold!





Too much time to think! Absolutely! Then again, I went to the official website page for this movie, thinking that I would get a picture of each of them to put up - just for fun- only to find that each of the turtles have their own Myspace page! Maybe I am not the only person around with too much thinking time!

Warning - Jasper Fforde Ffangirl behaviour!

I noticed when I was on Amazon UK tonight that the new Thursday Next cover and blurb is now up for the UK version. This is the version that we will most likely get! Can I just say.....I cannot wait to get this!!! It doesn't come out until July though.

Fourteen years after Thursday Next pegged out at Superhoop '88, her Jurisfiction job has been downgraded due to a potential conflict of interest, since her previous adventures are now themselves in print. Thursday's time is spent worrying about her teenage son Friday and tutoring new recruits. This being fiction, however, jeopardy is never far away. Sherlock Holmes is killed at the Rheinbach falls and his series is stopped in its tracks. Before this can be righted, Miss Marple dies in a narratively inexplicable car accident, bringing her series also to a close. Thursday, receiving a death-threat clearly intended for her written self, realises what is going on - there is a serial killer is loose in the Bookworld. Meanwhile, Goliath have perfected a 22-seater Prose Portal Luxury Coach, and plan on taking literary tourists on a holiday to the works of Jane Austen. Thursday alone realises the true intent of Goliath's unwanted incursions into fiction, but she can't fight all these battles on her own. She must team up with the one person she really can't get along with - the written Thursday Next, currently starring in The Great Samuel Pepys Fiasco. But it's no time to be picky...

Reading that blurb makes me want it NOW! Good thing it is already on request at the library and I am no. 1 in the queue!

Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

History takes flight....Naomi Novik's deliciously addictive Black Powder War skilfully layers the history of the Napoleonic War with breathtaking imagination.

After their adventure in China, Capt. Will Laurence of His Majesty's Aerial Corps and his extraordinary flying dragon, Temeraire, gratefully anticipate their voyage home..

But before they set sail, they are waylaid by urgent new orders. The British Government, having purchased three valuable dragon eggs from the Ottoman Empire, now require Laurence and Temeraire to make a more perilous over-land journey instead, stopping off in Istanbul to collect and escort the precious cargo back to England - and time is of the essence if the eggs are to arrive before they hatch.

A cross-continent expedition is a daunting prospect, fraught with countless dangers. The small party must be prepared to navigate frigid mountain passes and cross sterile deserts to evade feral dragons and Napoleon's aggressive infantry. And they will also have to endure an unexpected menace, for a Machiavellian herald precedes them, spreading political poison in her wake.

Lien, the white celestial dragon, absconded from the Chinese Imperial Court shortly after the humiliating death of her beloved princely companion. Fervently believing Temeraire to be the architect of her anguish, she has vowed to ally herself with his greatest enemy in order to exact a full and painful revenge upon everything and everyone the black dragon holds dear.

This is the third book in the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik, following on from Throne of Jade and on the whole it is a pretty good read.

In some way it felt like a book of two parts as opposed to one whole book. The book follows on from the closing events in the previous book, with Laurence, Temeraire and the rest of the crew waiting for the opportunity to start the long journey home to England. After a disastrous fire on board their ship, Laurence receives orders to make his way to Istanbul to pick up two eggs and make their way to England. It will not however be an easy journey, making their way across China and through to Turkey. Along the way they face hardship and feral dragons amongst other things. Their arrival in Istanbul isn't quite as warm as they may would like, and there are several occasions where the clash of cultures is explored to a degree.

After taking desperate action, the journey towards home continues, but unfortunately this means going through Austria, a land where the Prussians are currently experiencing a fight for their very survival against the might of Napoleon. Laurence and Temeraire soon find themselves forced to take part in the Prussians defence, at great risk of danger and death to themselves and their crews.

With the first half of the book concentrating on the journey from China to Turkey, there was, in my opinion, a stark contrast to the events in the second half, which were very political and more strategically based than we have seen before. It was interesting that Novik took the known facts of the Napoleonic War's 1806 offensives and tweaked them just enough to fit the dragons in, whilst still staying true to the main historical points and outcomes.

If anything, I would say that there was a little less humour in this book, although the addition of a new dragon named Iskierka (a very feisty young lady indeed!), there were still plenty of humourous moments to be had in amongst the darker parts of this book. I was, however, relieved to see that there was less evidence of Laurence referring to Temeraire as "darling" in this book. Not that it didn't happen, but just not as regularly and annoyingly as I found this term of endearment in the previous books. Lien once again provides a looming dark presence within the story, and the alliance that she forms, and her subsequent actions were interesting of themselves.

I would say though, that it does appear as though Novik has backed away from some of the themes that she started to introduce regarding the rights of dragons. I will wait to see whether or not this is a theme that she picks up and follows through with in the next book or not.

The fourth book in the series is out in September, and is to be called Empire of Ivory. Can't wait to get to read it!

Rating: 4/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Finding Wonderland

Library with no books

Danielle posted about an article that appeared in one of the Australian newspapers in the last couple of days, about a new school that is opening with no books in the library.

I used to live in the area where this school is and I can tell you that I wouldn't have been best pleased if my child had gone to a school with no library books. Yes, I understand that most of the information that children require is available on the net, but to have no books at all seems completely unbelievable to me! Or maybe, just maybe, it is the way of the future. What do you think?

Read the full article here.

Lover Revealed by J R Ward

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard living, ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. If he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...

When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead but found by a miracle, the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.

Never let it said that I don't come late to the party! Weeks after everyone else has done their reviews I am finally ready to do mine! There are a couple of factors as to why I am so late. The first is that my book took a week more to get to me than it did to everyone else (or at least that is the way it felt!) and then it took me just under a week to actually pick it up. Then when I did pick it up, I did so on a night when I was really exhausted, and had gone to bed at 8.30pm. I thought that I might just read a couple of chapters...you know...just a few pages. At 1am I put the book down having read 400 pages, and then I finished it the next morning on the train!

Enough on the preliminaries! I will start by saying that I wasn't really a Butch fan before I read this book, and whilst he was fine in this book, there is no way that this book surpasses Lover Awakened for me. The highlights in this book for me were to see what is going to happen with Vishous, to see the development in John Mathew's story, and to see the continued development of Zsadist! So those were the highlights, but I did think Butch was okay. It was interesting considering the bond between Butch and V how they ended up being vital to each other in the bigger scheme of things.

For once, I do think that we saw some development in the female characters, prompted by Marisa. I was particularly glad to see this for her because otherwise her role would have been limited to shallow high society woman, and I love the idea of the women sticking together.

Butch and Marisa seemed to fall in love very hard and very fast, but their chemistry was pretty good. The fact that Butch is human and Marisa not was resolved in a pretty obvious way, although the events that happened to him earlier in the book made me wonder how the author was going to manage to resolve the issues, but she did it well in the end!

I have to say that I didn't notice the language as much this time round as I have in other books in this series, but the proliferation of label names, even in one of the love scenes, seemed to be more full on this time around.

Once again, this was a really hard to put down book, as they all have been, and the story arc that is going throughout the series was definitely developed more this time round.

So...is it too early to start counting down to Vishous' book? The excerpt and all the little titbits that have been said whilst JR Ward has been guest blogging around the place really make me want to read his story NOW!

Rating 4/5

The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason

Beneath the glitter of dazzling nineteenth-century London society lurks a bloodthirsty evil...

Vampires have always lived among them, quietly attacking unsuspecting debutantes and dandified lords as well as hackney drivers and Bond Street milliners. If not for the vampire slayers of the Gardella family, these immortal creatures would have long ago taken over the world.

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy of vampire slaying, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets, Victoria's heart is torn between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget. And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make the choice between duty and love.

You may remember a few weeks ago I was off work with my sick son. This book was one that I tried to read while I was off work. What I don't understand is why can't I read when I am not working. When other people go on holidays they say things like "I am going to get through so many books" or "I am just going to read and read", but I just can't seem to get through many books at all when I am not going to work. Very strange.

Colleen did such a great job of raising the profile of this book, and in making sure that it was out there, with even non romance readers reading it and enjoying it. I was so excited about getting this book but maybe because I was feeling sick and tired it wasn't really grabbing my attention. I did enjoy many aspects of the story - the colour coordinating stakes that doubled as stakes were particularly ingenious and a lot of fun! I did like the two mysterious men that are part of the storyline. I am sure that we will get to see a lot more of Max and Sebastian.

Interesting that there were multiple hero possibilities but it wasn't really a romance in my opinion, and I think that that was something that the author was very clear about when talking about this book. There were romantic elements but not exactly a HEA, I think partially because this is planned to be a true series and there is therefore a longer story arc...not just books that are connected by recurring characters.

I'm not sure that I can verbalise what exactly it was that didn't work for me during this read. In a way it felt like I was reading the surface of a really good story, but didn't really get the depth that I would like to read normally. Having said that, I will definitely be getting the next book in the series, Rises the Night, when it comes out in June, so I was sufficiently hooked to want to go on with the series!

I guess this is definitely a case of where my mood has definitely put a dampener on a book that I probably would have enjoyed more had I been feeling better.

Rating: 3.5/5


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Stephanie - Confessions of a Book-a-holic
Book-A-Rama
Bold Blue Adventure
Melody's Reading Corner
Hey Lady, Watcha Reading?
Romance Rookie

Dream Angus: The Celtic God of Dreams by Alexander McCall Smith

Dreams to see, find dreams to sell...

Dream Angus comes to you at night and bestows dreams - you may spot him skipping across the hills, his bag of dreams by his side. Just the sight of him may be enough to make you lose your heart , for he is also the god of love, youth and beauty. Divine Angus is adored by all, but fated to love only the beautiful Caer, swan maiden of his own dreams.

Five exquisite fables of modern dreamers unfold alongside Angus's search for Caer. Mesmerically weaving together the fairy tales of the Celtic Eros and his contemporary alter egos, Alexander McCall Smith unites dreams and reality, leaving us to wonder: what is life but the pursuit of our dreams.

This book is part of the Canongate myths series, which is focusing on the retelling of some myths and fables, and features some pretty big names. Some of the books that are part of this series include The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (the story of the Odyssey from Penelope's point of view), Weight by Jeanette Winterson (about Atlas and Hercules), The Helmet of Horror by Victor Pelevin (Theseus and the Minotaur), Lion's Honey by David Grossman (the story of Samson), with more books coming from authors like Donna Tartt and Chinua Achebe. More details can be found here.

Enough about this series, and more on the book! Angus is apparently a big deal in Celtic myths - the god of dreams and love. This story tells the story of Angus' birth to a water nymph who is tricked into making love with a god, and then from his childhood through to his own romantic chase the lovely girl Caer, who is cursed into turning into a swan. Interspersed amongst the stories about Angus, are 5 short stories which feature people whose lives have been touched by Angus in their dreams. Sometimes his influence is subtle, but other times not. The stories themselves are almost fable like - a young lady who falls in love with a man who works in a test laboratory and he refuses to let one of the pigs be killed, a tale of love gone wrong, another of two brothers separated through circumstances.

As I was thinking about what to write about this, I thought that an Alexander McCall Smith, no matter what it is about, is like a glass (or bottle!) of good red wine. It is a smooth read, and it goes down easy, and this book is no exception. It is very short but very well written. I am hoping that I might read more in this series in due course!

Rating: 4/5


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Valentina's Room
Things Mean a Lot
Rhinoa's Ramblings

Question

Are the books in the In Death romantic suspense, or more mystery? How would you classify them?

I've labeled them as both, but I am thinking that they really are mystery.

Truth or Dare by Jayne Ann Krentz

Zoe is an interior designer with a unique sense of style. But even more uncanny is her sense of what's going on under the surface, the secrets a house can hold.

At the moment, though, Zoe is more concerned about what's going on in her own house in Whispering Springs, Arizona, where she lives with her new husband, private investigator Ethan Truax. Thrown together by murder, they've gambled on commitment after a whirlwind courtship, hoping that their powerful attraction can help them learn to live together despite their opposite personalities.

But newlywed life is suddenly interrupted when a shadowy figure from Zoe's past shows up in Whispering Springs, and her closest friend is put at terrible risk. For Zoe and Arcadia Ames share a shocking secret. And as they seek to protect the truth, they must join together, and with Ethan's help, accept a very dangerous dare...

This is the follow up book to Light in Shadow which I read last year, and to be honest my feelings about this book was pretty the same. I know that there are lots of Jayne Ann Krentz fans out there, but the three books that I have read so far have been kind of underwhelming for me! I am not sure if that is because I am not really a romantic suspense reader, although I have read and enjoyed some RS before.

That doesn't mean to say that I didn't enjoy reading this book, because I did. It just means that I am waiting to be completely blown away by one of her books as so many other people have been. Maybe the next one will be the one to do it for me!

Given that this was a sequel a lot of the threads of storyline did flow onto this book. The main focus was once again the relationship between Zoe and Ethan, a relationship very much still at the beginning despite the fact that they had already gotten married in the previous book. Ethan in particular struggles to try and ascertain whether this is a true marriage or if Zoe is going to leave him because it was convenient to get married at the time! His insecurities were nicely written, not only about that, but also about the death of his brother.

In addition to that storyline, there were also threads featuring Ethan's sister in law Bonnie and the bookstore owner/internet expert Singleton, as well as Zoe's friend Arcadia and Harry. The friendships and relationships angles were well done, but I didn't feel as though the suspense angles were that great in this book.

Overall, a pleasant read...and next time I am actually going to read one of the books that I was told to read in the first place, and see how I go with that!


Rating 3.5/5

Did you hear?

The girls from Dear Author have started a forum for romance readers!

So if you want a place to chat about romance and other stuff, check it out! Not that I need another group to check in all the time....but I've signed up already, along with quite a few others! LOL!

Conspiracy in Death by J D Robb

As with previous In Death books, Kailana from The Written World and I have done a joint review for this book. Kailana's thoughts are in red, and mine in black.

With the precision of a surgeon, a serial killer preys on the most vulnerable souls of the world's city streets. The first victim: a sidewalk sleeper, found dead in New York City. No bruises, no signs of struggle. Just a laser-perfect, fist-sized hole where his heart had once been. Lieutenant Eve Dallas is assigned to investigate. But in the heat of a cat-and-mouse game with the killer, Dallas's job is suddenly on the line. Now her hands are tied...between a struggle for justice - and a fight for her career.

Conspiracy in Death is following on from Midnight in Death if you read the short stories, or Holiday in Death if you do not. (Click on the titles for links to the earlier reviews!) It is still the winter months, as snow is mentioned several times through the course of the book, there is even one scene where Dallas and Roarke make snow people! Very cute little scene. Anyways, so a few weeks have passed since the last time Eve found herself in trouble, and she is on the move again.

This is the story of a very unusual case for Dallas. She responds to the death of a street sleeper, not exactly the high profile case that Eve normally finds herself on, but this is Eve and she speaks for the dead. She is determined to put this murderer to rest, and when other similar cases start popping up, she finds that she has a lot of dead to speak for. Only she did not bargain with the power of the murderer, he knows how to push the right buttons and take away the thing that Eve needs most.

Another In Death story...another great read.

For me the most interesting part of this novel was the effect on Eve when there was a chance that she could no longer be a police officer. It was very emotional to read this strong woman basically falling apart as the thing that she thinks makes her who she is taken away from her. There have been times in the earlier novels where we have seen Eve's feelings hurt, but this time it was more than that, it was a complete collapse that Roarke had to try and fight both for her and with her. This book is a growing book for Eve. She had a troubled childhood, and being a cop is the way that she has rose above her past. To Eve, her badge is who she is. If Roarke was not also a part of her life, it would be hard to see her surviving this aspect of her life, but Roarke knows the buttons to push to get her back up kicking butt.

I think it was interesting that the author chose to use Eve's professionalism as a police officer against her in this novel, especially in relation to the inept policewoman who makes the allegations against Eve. I have to admit that when a young policeman called Troy Trueheart entered the story, I actually thought that he was going to be a murder victim, but in the end it didn't happen! I guess it doesn't mean to say that he won't make appearances in future books! Troy Trueheart is a pretty funny name to include, but it offered a laugh. It was interesting for this book to show attacks on Eve's methods because she has been on the job something like eleven years, and this is the first time anything has ever happened to mark her record. It is hard when you reach the top and people resent you for it. I think Eve wrestled with a lot through this book.

This was very much an interesting book to read. In the other books, Eve might have her problems, but she is always at the top. In this book, she finds herself a very different one, and we see her grow as a person. It is impressive to see just how close she has come to the people that she works and interacts with after spending so much of her life alone and fighting to survive. This book is a typical Eve Dallas book, but at the same time, it more sentimental and inspiring than previous ones.

I look forward to reading the next one. Me too!

Rating: 4/5
Rating: 4.5/5