Tagged: eric
A Stolen Season by Tamara Gill
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
One small mistake in the past will change everything about her future…
Archaeologist Sarah Baxter just broke one of the biggest rules of time travel: leaving a piece of 21st century equipment in 19th century Regency England. Unfortunately, when she goes back to retrieve it, she makes an even bigger mess of things—resulting in the death of an English Earl. Now his brother is not only out for revenge, but he also has Sarah’s device. Which means an entirely different approach is needed. It doesn’t occur to the new Earl of Earnston that his charming acquaintance is responsible for his brother’s death. He is merely swept away by a passion that threatens his very reputation. Yet he gets the distinct impression that Miss Baxter is hiding something from him. Now Sarah must find a way to steal back her device, hide the truth about the earl’s brother and—most importantly— not fall in love…
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
A Stolen Season is one of those books that you can probably guess the ending right off the bat. It’s really just the journey to get to that ending that makes or breaks your enjoyment of the book. At least that was the case with me.
First off, let me say that Tamara Gill really is an amazing author. Her writing style is concise and yet flows in a manner consistent with the time period the majority of the novel is set in. She’s able to create not only Sarah’s unique modern voice but Eric, our Earl of Earnston’s 19th century voice and sensibilities. The two main points of view in this novel (with a couple of others thrown in on occasion) really contrast the modern era with the 19th century and Tamara Gill never switches viewpoints for no good reason. Every switch is designed to carry the plot forward and it does this rather effectively. Even though like I said, you probably know the ending of the novel before you’ve even begun, the journey to get there really is nerve-wracking. You won’t be able to put down A Stolen Season because Tamara Gill not only has beautiful writing but a real flair for pacing as well.
The characters really do resonate with me. Sarah is trying to deal with a major screw-up that led not only to the death of a man in that time but also to the loss of a key piece of time traveling equipment. She has disappointed her father, the CEO of TimeArch and is tasked to go back in time to a year after the death of the first Earl of Earnston to get the piece back. There’s only one thing standing in her way: Eric, the new Earl of Earnston and brother to the man Sarah accidentally got killed. When he meets her he’s put off by her rudeness at coming to a ball that she wasn’t invited to but is convinced to invite her to a different ball and get to know her. Even though he pretends to protest because of her rudeness, he’s intrigued by the beautiful stranger who doesn’t seem to conform very well to English society’s rules. Soon they begin an attraction that could be the undoing of them both.
I really know very little about Regency England but Tamara Gill seems to have done her research quite well. She actually has characters react when Sarah accidentally uses modern phrases and addresses things like the moral standards of the day, i.e. if a man and a woman are alone together without a chaperone they had better get married. I particularly loved the descriptions of the fashions of the day for both men and women, high and low class. Gill has such a way of describing things that every single description is captivating and lends an aura of authenticity to the story. She really transports you back to the time both through the eyes of an outsider like Sarah and the eyes of Eric, a man who grew up extremely privileged in that era. It really is a magical sort of experience.
Really, what more can you ask for if you’re looking for a time travel romance? You’ve got beautiful writing that brings you back in time to Regency England, a cast of wonderful and three dimensional characters and a plot that even though you probably know the ending will keep you on your seat. It doesn’t get better than this.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Golden Apple by Michelle Diener
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(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Kayla’s world has been turned upside-down . . .
Her father has made her the prize in a deadly, impossible tournament, and Kayla has retaliated in the only way she knows how; by choosing her champion beforehand. But taking control of the outcome changes the game completely, and when the real reason behind the strange test becomes apparent, Kayla realizes not just her life, but her entire kingdom is at stake.
Rane’s honor is torn in two…
In order to save his brother, Rane will do whatever he has to–including deceive and betray a princess. He knew nothing about this tournament would be easy, but when it turns into a deeper, far more sinister game, Rane is forced to see it through to the end, or leave his brother at the mercy of their enemy.
Now their fates are entwined, and they must venture into the deep, dark forest together . . .
Kayla and Rane are bound to one another by an enchantment and Kayla’s actions. But the sorcerer forcing them to do his will may have miscalculated, because no-one comes out of the Great Forest unchanged. No-one.
The Golden Apple is loosely based on the fairy tale The Princess on the Glass Hill.
[Full disclosure: I asked for and received a free ebook copy from Michelle Diener in exchange for an honest review.]
As you guys probably know by now, I’m not the biggest fan of fairytale retellings. Usually they’re simplistic, boring and utterly predictable. Usually.
The Golden Apple is anything but usual, however.
The thing I found most striking about this book is the complexity of the plot. This isn’t your typical straightforward quest where the heroes venture together, defeat the villain and come home to live their happily ever after. No, in this one Rane and Kayla are forced to confront their deepest fears, do things they never thought they would and work together to try to save their entire way of life as well as their lives. Just when you think Michelle Diener is going to wind things down for the conclusion she throws another wrench in the works. It’s definitely the kind of book that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I found the complexity of the plot surprising, but my favourite element of this book was the characters. Kayla isn’t your typical pampered princess but neither is she a kick-butt action hero. She is not always able to defend herself but she does try and eventually succeeds as her abilities grow. It’s nice to see a female character who learns she has an ability and seeks to control and manage it rather than deny its existence and whine about it. Rane is also interesting. He loves his brother Soren and he’s willing to manipulate Kayla to free him but then he begins to fall in love with her. It’s not an easy journey for both him and Kayla but I like how the viewpoints alternated to show their different perceptions of the world around them.
Finally, the world-building was some of the best I’ve ever seen in a fairytale retelling. I loved learning about the history of the kingdom of Gaynor in small chunks as well as learning about the powerful sorcerers that live in Michelle Diener’s world. How wild magic is actually created was fascinating, but it makes sense. How the sorcerers deal with wild magic is just so in line with human nature that I had to laugh when I learned how they contained it. I don’t want to give too much away, but I guarantee that once you learn who created wild magic and why it seems confined to the Great Forest you’ll laugh too.
Basically, this is a great book. It’s one of the best fairytale retellings I’ve ever read and although it doesn’t come out until March 24 I can’t wait for the sequel The Silver Pear already.
I give this book 5/5 stars.