Tagged: masq1
Tempt the Devil by Jill Braden
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
When the body of Former Governor Turyat is discovered in the Red Happiness, QuiTai is the prime suspect. Surprisingly, she seems almost eager to be taken into custody. If Kyam Zul is to keep her neck out of the noose, he must solve the crime without her help – while matching wits with not only the real killer but his scheming grandfather, his political rivals, and his own wife.
[Full disclosure: I was sent a free paperback copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
I loved The Devil’s Concubine. I adored the sequel, The Devil Incarnate. But this third book? There aren’t enough words to express the awesome-ness that is Tempt the Devil.
At first it starts off as your fairly standard murder mystery…except that QuiTai seems to have anticipated the murder in advance and demands to be arrested and taken to the fortress of Ponong. Kyam Zul, obviously puzzled, accepts when she dances circles around him with her wits yet again and then is devastated when he learns she’s being framed for the murder of Turyat. Of course, as with everything in Jill Braden’s stories, not everything is as it seems.
In many ways, you have to read Tempt the Devil a couple of times to really appreciate the depth of QuiTai’s plot but you can still get the gist of just how brilliant it was in the first read through. What makes the murder even more of a mystery is that we don’t actually see QuiTai’s point of view much until the end of the book when everything is revealed. Kyam has to struggle so hard to get caught up and his reaction when he thinks he’s too late is really revealing about his character and his feelings that he keeps deeply buried. I don’t want to give too much away, but the real murderer is someone so simple that it’s almost farcical. Still, the plot QuiTai cooks up around it is brilliant and will definitely set a precedent on Ponong for Kyam’s reign as Governor.
I would have liked to see more of QuiTai personally but of course that’s not the point of this particular chapter in the Devil of Ponong series. The point is that QuiTai is playing four dimensional chess and she’s playing to win but her opponent, Grandfather Zul is also playing a long and far-reaching game. It really ends up being an epic battle of wits between the two (by proxy of course) and it brings out some interesting new characters, like Kyam’s wife, a Thampurian woman unused to actually having anything resembling power or authority. Because of how this ended it will be very, very interesting to see how the social, political and economic situation in Ponong and other colonies of Thampur in the next book, The Devil’s Game.
When it comes to fantasy, you’ll be hard pressed to find any better world-building. In Jill Braden’s books there are actually things like politics, economics and social reform movements factored into the equation. They affect everyday people’s lives in tangible ways! Ponong is a very believable colony because it’s along a trade route and as such they are allowed certain liberties even as the iron hand of the Governor clamped down on the native population. Grandfather Zul’s interference in the colony to manipulate QuiTai certainly doesn’t help the separatist movement within Levapur either. It’s kind of hard to get a real hold on Jill Braden’s fantasy world but once you do it’s very easy to fall into and I appreciate the subtleties of it very much.
If you haven’t already picked up the Devil of Ponong series, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s not your typical fantasy book and even if it were, Jill Braden’s awesome writing and her characters would more than make up for it.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Edwin: High King of Britain by Edoardo Albert
(Cover picture courtesy of A Well-Watered Garden.)
Debut historical fiction series vividly recreating the rise of the Christian kings of Northumbria, England
In 604 AD, Edwin, the deposed king of Northumbria, seeks refuge at the court of King Raedwald of East Anglia. But Raedwald is urged to kill his guest by Aethelfrith, Edwin’s usurper. As Edwin walks by the shore, alone and at bay, he is confronted by a mysterious figure–the missionary Paulinus– who prophesies that he will become High King of Britain. It is a turning point.
Through battles and astute political alliances Edwin rises to power, in the process marrying the Kentish princess Aethelburh. As part of the marriage contract the princess is allowed to retain her Christian faith. But, in these times, to be a king is not a recipe for a long life.
This turbulent and tormented period in British history sees the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon settlers who have forced their way on to British shores over previous centuries, arriving first to pillage, then to farm and trade–and to come to terms with the faith of the Celtic tribes they have driven out.
The dramatic story of Northumbria’s Christian kings helped give birth to England as a nation, English as a language, and the adoption of Christianity as the faith of the English.
[Full disclosure: I received a free paperback copy in conjunction with the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
I was actually pleasantly surprised with Edwin. The first page left me a little bit skeptical because of the strange setting and all of the strange names, but by the time we get to the mysterious stranger on the beach that helps Edwin I was hooked. Edoardo Albert has a very interesting writing style: he describes things quite well for the modern reader and yet he keeps an air of authenticity about his writing. He really does stay true to the period in the words and actions of his characters but at the same time he doesn’t leave his readers confused either. I’m very new to the period being discussed and yet I came out of the book not feeling confused at all.
Edwin is not your typical hero in modern tales. He’s dark and broody and occasionally prone to wartime atrocities. At the same time, he’s a good man in that he cares for his children tenderly and is always there for his friends (especially the ones that were with him in exile). Essentially, he’s a man of contradictions because his actions hardly make him a hero but neither do they make him a villain. Edoardo Albert does this balancing act extremely well and you’re left with the feeling that even though you may not exactly sympathize with him, you do understand him.
For historical fiction of this magnitude and scope, Edwin is surprisingly fast-paced. We are swept along through Edwin’s victories that lead him to declare himself High King of Britain and eventually through his conversion to Christianity. Hardly anything seems to go his way at first, but through sheer force of will Edwin eventually succeeds. Whether he actually can hold onto his power is another story, what with all of the back-stabbing rivals who aren’t happy with his self-proclaimed authority over the whole island. The ending was sad, but not entirely unexpected considering the fact that kings in the early years were far from long-lived.
Like I said, I was pretty skeptical about Edwin: High King of Britain but by the end of the book I have to say that I’m a fan. I honestly can’t wait for the rest of The Northumbrian Thrones!
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
A princess must find her place in a reborn world.
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor’s secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can’t abide. Like having to marry someone she’s never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Lia was a hard character for me to read, if I’m honest. I’m not the type of person that’s overly self-sacrificing, but her decision to run on her wedding day didn’t sit well with me. It felt incredibly selfish, especially when the livelihoods of two kingdoms and all of their subjects were at risk. She didn’t even give her marriage a chance to work, but made a pre-emptive strike by running away and putting literally thousands of lives at risk. I can absolutely understand her motivations, though I certainly don’t agree with them. Still, Lia was not a bad character and by the end she was at least well-fleshed out enough that I actually found myself enjoying her.
My main problem with The Kiss of Deception is that it’s like a really old table: it sags in the middle. Don’t get me wrong—Mary Pearson’s writing really is amazing—but her pacing is somewhat lacking. Most of the story’s plot centres around the fact that you apparently aren’t sure which of the two boys Lia likes is the assassin and which is the prince. What really puzzled me was that there seemed to be no ambiguity in her writing so the ‘big reveal’ was somewhat spoiled by the fact I didn’t know there was a mystery to begin with. It was rather jarring, I’ll admit.
One of the saving graces of the story wasn’t just Lia’s character development, but the aforementioned quality of Pearson’s writing. It really was awesome and despite the poor pacing I found myself revelling in the world she created. It was vivid and real with some really beautiful descriptions that you don’t often find in YA fiction. In my opinion it’s hard to comment on the world-building simply because we haven’t actually seen much of the world yet. Lia spent most of her time in a small-town tavern, after all. Still, from what I’ve seen I’m pretty satisfied and it almost makes up for the poor pacing and Lia’s character in the beginning.
So overall? I’d have to say that The Kiss of Deception is more contradiction than deception but that doesn’t mean the book doesn’t have merit. The writing got better as the book went along and there was finally something resembling a plot at the end of the book so I think I will end up reading the second book. However, you do have to have a certain mindset to read this book and not feel repulsed by Lia’s selfishness at the beginning. It does get better as the book moves along, however.
I give this book 3/5 stars.
Dark Aemilia by Sally O’Reilly
(Cover picture courtesy of Vulpes Libris.)
A TALE OF SORCERY AND PASSION IN SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY LONDON—WHERE WITCHES HAUNT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS DARK LADY, THE PLAYWRIGHT’S MUSE AND ONE TRUE LOVE
The daughter of a Venetian musician, Aemilia Bassano came of age in Queen Elizabeth’s royal court. The Queen’s favorite, she develops a love of poetry and learning, maturing into a young woman known not only for her beauty but also her sharp mind and quick tongue. Aemilia becomes the mistress of Lord Hunsdon, but her position is precarious. Then she crosses paths with an impetuous playwright named William Shakespeare and begins an impassioned but ill-fated affair.
A decade later, the Queen is dead, and Aemilia Bassano is now Aemilia Lanyer, fallen from favor and married to a fool. Like the rest of London, she fears the plague. And when her young son Henry takes ill, Aemilia resolves to do anything to save him, even if it means seeking help from her estranged lover, Will—or worse, making a pact with the Devil himself.
In rich, vivid detail, Sally O’Reilly breathes life into England’s first female poet, a mysterious woman nearly forgotten by history. Full of passion and devilish schemes, Dark Aemilia is a tale worthy of the Bard.
[Full disclosure: I received a free paperback copy of this book for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
I was really surprised at Dark Aemilia and I’m not really all that surprised when it comes to historical fiction anymore. This truly is a tale of love and hate, revenge and kindness and the power of the written word. Everyone makes mistakes, sometimes with dire consequences.
Aemilia herself is a fascinating lady: sh’`s mistress to a much older rich man at a very young age but then falls in love with a penniless playwright and poet. Who is, of course, William Shakespeare. The romance is quite tumultuous and although at first they both seem to hate each other (Aemilia hated The Taming of the Shrew) their love ends up being too strong and later turns to hate. Aemilia is not always sympathetic, I’ll admit, but she is a fascinating character and you really do understand things from her point of view. She has to make some harrowing choices that cost her almost everything, including very nearly her sanity.
What really surprised me about Dark Aemilia is not only Sally O’Reilly’s clear love of Shakespeare (for she incorporates his plays whenever she can) but her mastery of Old English. This isn’t some pseudo-medieval dialogue, but rather some very authentic language that you would expect to find in documents from the time. She even uses slang that was common in during the time, like ‘dugs’ and ‘chuck’. Little historical details like this really bring the period to life.
The plot isn’t exactly fast-paced, but as I said it is interesting. I couldn’t put this book down and was up until two in the morning to finish it because I had to know what happened to Aemilia. The ending was quite sad but also satisfying because Aemilia never really changed. She stayed true to herself and in the end got that measure of freedom she yearned for her whole life. It`s a bittersweet ending because you think of what might have been, but Shakespeare was known for his tragedies so I guess it is quite fitting.
If you have ever admired or even read Shakespeare, I can’t recommend this book enough. I absolutely loved it!
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Accession by Terah Edun
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Sixteen-year-old Katherine Thompson wasn’t trained to rule a coven. That was her sister – perfect, beautiful Rose. But when a mysterious plane crash kills off the heir presumptive of the Sandersville coven she has no choice.
After stepping in to fill her sister’s shoes, Katherine realizes she didn’t have a clue – faery wars, depressed trolls and angry unicorns are just the beginning.
For centuries, her family has served the high Queens on both sides of the Atlantic but it is a well-known rule that mid-level witches stay away from high-level Queens.
But when Katherine’s youngest cousin vanishes without a trace in the Atlanta court and no one wants to investigate, Katherine decides to step into the darkness on her own. She will soon discover that nothing, especially in a queen’s court, is as it seems.
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
First off, as with all of Terah Edun’s work (especially her Courtlight series), I was really impressed with the world-building here. There are fairies, unicorns and trolls but they’re not really your typical fairies, unicorns and trolls. Not only that, there are new creatures like Gestap that we encounter that are totally unique to Accession. The politics between witches in different cities and towns was also interesting, even though we didn’t really see much of the inner workings of the courts in this first installment. Still, what we did see was interesting and I’m definitely interested in finding out more.
Katherine is not a bad character but she’s not exactly my favourite narrator ever. She’s more reactive than proactive as she comes into her new role as heir apparent to her mother, who rules the town as a Queen witch. I’ll admit that it would be hard to find your feet in such a crazy place when you’ve never cared to learn the subtleties of area politics, but I was a little disappointed that Katherine didn’t really come into her own in the story. She does grow stronger (I’ll admit) and grows as a character, but she really does have a long way to go.
The only thing I felt was actually lacking in Accession was the plot itself. It doesn’t seem to be having that greater, over-arching goal that gives the character a sort of purpose. Instead, we get bogged down in little subplots through the entire book before at the end we finally, finally get to the meat of the story before the cliffhanger ending. Sure, Katherine’s goal of finding her sister’s killer is always in the back of her mind, but she doesn’t really seem to care as much as you’d think she would. Katherine may have had her disagreements with her sister, but she really did love her and that’s why her lack of drive to find her killer struck me as odd. It made it feel like the story was lacking a coherent plot.
Still, I have faith in Terah Edun that this series will only improve as it continues, just like the Courtlight series. With that cliffhanger ending, I really can’t wait for the next installment to see whether Katherine truly matures or not.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
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