Tagged: masq1
In a Treacherous Court by Michelle Diener
(Cover picture courtesy of Michelle Diener’s website.)
1525: Artist Susanna Horenbout is sent from Belgium to be Henry VIII’s personal illuminator inside the royal palace. But her new homeland greets her with an attempt on her life, and the King’s most lethal courtier, John Parker, is charged with keeping her safe. As further attacks are made, Susanna and Parker realize that she unknowingly carries the key to a bloody plot against the throne. For while Richard de la Pole amasses troops in France for a Yorkist invasion, a traitor prepares to trample the kingdom from within.
Who is the mastermind? Why are men vying to kill the woman Parker protects with his life? With a motley gang of urchins, Susanna’s wits, and Parker’s fierce instincts, honed on the streets and in palace chambers, the two slash through deadly layers of deceit in a race against time. For in the court of Henry VIII, secrets are the last to die…
Brilliantly revealing a little-known historical figure who lived among the Tudors, Michelle Diener makes a smashing historical fiction debut.
[Full disclosure: I requested a review copy from Michelle Diener and was sent a free physical copy in exchange for an honest review.]
As much as I’ve read about the Tudors I never actually heard of Susanna Horenbout or John Parker. It’s strange because you’d have thought that a female illuminator would be mentioned frequently (if only because it was such a rarity) but Susanna really hasn’t been recognized by history. Michelle Diener meant to remedy that in this book.
Susanna is an amazing character. I like how she’s constantly trying to prove herself in a world where men don’t really believe she is a talented artist. It’s not a typical girl empowerment story so much as a very realistic portrayal of the attitudes of the time. At the same time, Susanna loves her art. She loves to draw and paint and she’s good at it. Inspiration strikes her at odd times but she’s not your typical day-dreaming artist either.
She has a good head on her shoulders and she’s more than a match for the cunning, somewhat ruthless John Parker. John Parker is also a fascinating character. His horrible childhood combined with his ruthless determination to serve King Henry VIII would make him interesting enough, but it’s his change in personality caused by Susanna that really makes him memorable. Both characters change as they spend more and more time in each others’ company.
The plot was very fast-paced, but obviously not at the expense of character development. There’s assassins lurking behind every corner, romantic intrigue aplenty as well as plots that strike at the heart of England’s court. Michelle Diener did fabricate some of the details but in her note at the end I liked how she justified her decisions to change history just a little bit. She blended history and speculation together perfectly and it all came together in a great novel.
From the moment you read the first sentence, you’re sucked back in time. From its filthy streets to the hostile/merry court of Henry VIII you feel like you’re right there with Susanna and John. You feel their emotions as their own, especially their pain, love and determination. I can’t honestly speak to the total historical accuracy of In a Treacherous Court but I can tell you that the major details are accurate and Michelle Diener certainly created a very authentic feeling with the details of daily life in Tudor England. That’s what’s really important in historical fiction.
Basically, this was a great debut novel and I can’t wait to read about the rest of Susanna and John’s adventures.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa
(Cover picture courtesy of (un)Conventional Bookviews.)
VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS
Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?
With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.
MONSTER
Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.
In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
I seriously had my doubts about Julie Kagawa being able to end her Blood of Eden trilogy well. It’s a very complicated world with more problems than you can count so how could she possibly come to a satisfying conclusion? Even when reading it I had my doubts but I didn’t need to. Julie Kagawa pulled it off once again.
I’m seriously impressed. With that horrible cliffhanger at the end of The Eternity Cure I was very anxious about getting my hands on the final book. Allison is still brooding from Zeke’s death and she’s turning into the monster that her brother Jackal is, the kind of vampire Kanin tried to prevent her from becoming. I can’t go into much detail without some major spoilers but let’s just say Allie’s true colours show through when she finally decides what kind of vampire she wants to be.
The plot is insane. There are so many twists and turns that I could barely keep up. Some were completely unexpected whereas others were fairly predictable but overall it was an exciting, surprising plot. The ending wasn’t abrupt in the way that some authors end trilogies, but instead there was a nice detailed epilogue that gives you an idea of what will happen to this horrifying world of humans, vampires and rabids. There is, of course, a little ambiguity left but I was satisfied by the fact that most loose ends were tied off.
As usual, the characters were amazing. Allie changed so much over the course of the story and we learned quite a bit about Kanin and Jackal. All the characters that the plot centered around were well-developed and I really connected with them on a deeper level compared to the previous books. I was honestly very surprised about how connected I felt to the characters because I haven’t been emotionally involved in a book for at least a month now. It was a nice change.
Basically, if you’ve read the previous two books you’re going to love The Forever Song. I know I did. So go ahead and pre-order it! It releases on April 15 of this year.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Andromeda’s Fall by Abigail Owen
(Cover picture courtesy of Masquerade Tours.)
Mountain lion shifters have allied into ten groups called Dares which together form the Shadowcat Nation. A rocky alliance at best, its success is vital to their survival against other species of shifters who threaten their very existence.
Andie Reynolds is being hunted. After witnessing her mother’s violent death at the hands of a pack of wolf shifters, Andie has devoted her life to protecting her community of cougar shifters from a similar fate. But now, a greater threat lies within her own dare, and she must run. If she stays, Kyle Carstairs will try to force their Mating, seeking the added power their union would provide.
Andie would rather chew off her own foot than end up with Kyle. Though, knowing him, she won’t live long either way. Andie’s only hope of survival is to Mate the Alpha of the Keller Dare with which she is seeking asylum. But before she can get to him, Andie must first go through A.J., one of the Alpha’s Protectors. The incredibly frustrating shifter insists on challenging her story, her skills, her trust… and her heart.
Andie is running out of options and out of time. But risking the life of someone she loves – just to save herself – goes against every instinct she has.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through the Andromeda’s Fall blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
I was quite pleasantly surprised by Andromeda’s Fall. It was my first real shapeshifter book so I didn’t quite know what to expect but I’m definitely pleased with how the book turned out.
First off, the characters are awesome. Andie is probably one of my favourite heroines in paranormal romance because she’s just an incredible woman. She’s a high-ranking female in a world where high-ranking females are few and far between. At the same time, not many people recognize and/or respect her power. They still see her as just a woman in her old dare, which is why I like how Andie is allowed to show her real self in the Keller Dare. Her uncertainty of her position in the new dare as well as her growing feelings for A.J. certainly make things interesting plot-wise. But the thing I liked most about Andromeda’s Fall is how she slowly comes to realize that the Keller Dare is her new home and that maybe, just maybe, she’s found where she really belongs.
The world-building in this book was excellent. I like how Abigail Owen had the characters maintain some of their cat-like personalities while in human form. Cougar shifters don’t like being cooped up and they certainly prefer their own company in human form, creating just that extra bit of tension for the novel. Not a lot of authors do this, but I liked how there was just a brief one page introduction to the history of the formation of the cougar dares before the novel even started. It wasn’t an info-dump, but rather it gave us important background information that was just enough to get the story started. I don’t think an intro like that should be used often, but it definitely worked for this book.
The plot was incredibly fast-paced considering that this novel was largely character-driven. Abigail Owen played A.J. and Andie off each other well, heightening the character tension while at the same time, having external forces try to keep them apart. By the end you’re really wondering whether they’re going to end up together or not, but I won’t spoil the ending by telling you how it turns out. I will tell you, however, that the ending is very satisfying.
In short, even if paranormal romances aren’t really your thing, you’ll probably like Andromeda’s Fall. This was an excellent book and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series plays out.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
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As a bonus for the tour there’s a giveaway for a $40 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash! It’s open internationally. All you have to do is click the Rafflecopter link below to get started on entering. But hurry! The giveaway ends on April 7.
Amplified by Alexia Purdy
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Who wants to be the prey in a world full of hunters?
In the aftermath of the end of her world, April Tate decides that it’s high time to leave the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas. After learning the origins of a Zompire Plague remedy, she risks her life to steal the antidote, makes the decision to separate from Jeremy for a while, and joins a small band of new and old comrades on a trip to the Pacific Coast. There they search out a legendary hive of vampires who are more than just wild, blood drinking creatures, they could be the very people she needs to help her.
On a mission to save the last of humanity, April will use the antidote to save some from eternal damnation, but will her decision bring hope for the future or create an ever bigger, unforeseen devastation?
[Full disclosure: Alexia Purdy provided me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
I never quite know what to expect from Alexia Purdy but it’s usually good. Amplified was no exception. It was amazing!
April is a very changed person. She’s found the best friend she thought was dead, is blood-bonded to Christian (her former enemy) and is determined to find the cure for the vampire plague that’s devastated her entire world. Looking back on who she was in the first book, April has changed quite a bit. She has to learn to let go of her mother, who committed suicide and she must do the same with her little brother because he wants to stay in the underground human city. It’s time for her to grow up and move out and a lot of the book focuses on that as she journeys to find her way in a world that has been turned upside down.
The plot was very fast-paced, more so than the first two books in the series. You have April seeking a cure at Christian’s old colony and then her travelling elsewhere. There’s danger around every corner with Ferals and other nasty things lurking about. Alexia Purdy rarely lets the pace drop and when she does it’s only so you can catch your breath before she throws the next plot twist at you. It’s very intense and I honestly couldn’t put my Kindle down until I finished.
I liked how April’s world expanded throughout the novel. We get to travel to different places and see how badly they were hit by the plague. We get to see other parties vying for a cure and still others trying to suppress a cure at all costs. There are some very important moral questions brought up and I like how at the end there’s still some ambiguity surrounding whether or not to release a cure into the world. Have we seen the last of some of these important questions? Absolutely not! There’s still a long way to go and I know April will rise to face any challenges that come her way.
A kick-butt protagonist, excellent world-building, a fast-paced plot and some very interesting moral dilemmas make Amplified my favourite book in the Reign of Blood series so far. I can’t wait for book 4!
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Reborn in Shadow by Cynthia Luhrs
(Cover picture courtesy of Cynthia Luhrs’ site.)
A GHOST GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE…
Hamish Campbell committed so many sins he’d lost track of them all. The worst? Murdering his brother in a fit of rage. Granted another chance by the god of Shadow, Lord Campbell joins the Shadow Walker brotherhood.A WOMAN FULL OF LIGHT…
Anna Duncan is goodness personified, casting warmth on everyone she encounters. A chance encounter throws everything she knows upside down when she meets a man with haunted eyes. When a murderer sets his sights on Anna, she realizes the line between good and evil isn’t black and white but made up of varying shades of gray.OUT OF DARKNESS, HOPE RISES
Though death draws them together, Hamish has too many secrets. If he’s not careful those secrets may spell the ruin of humanity and cost him the only woman he’s ever truly loved.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.]
I honestly didn’t expect to like Hamish. His actions make him an evil, cheating, lying, brother-killing traitor so why on earth would he be brought back from the dead 400 years later to be one of the good guys? And yet Hamish seems to have changed. He really does regret all the actions and events leading up to his murder of Colin. His horrible childhood really doesn’t excuse his actions toward his own brother, but I am definitely more sympathetic toward him than I was before. I feel like I can understand what led to his jealousy of Colin and his affair with Abigail.
The characters in this one were wonderful. Hamish goes through a very powerful personal journey of forgiveness, proving that with a little help no one is beyond redemption. Anna is a little naive and sweet but her refusal to see the bad things in the world reminds me of a friend of mine. Yes, she’s rather naive, but it’s realistically so and her views on humanity do change slightly the more she’s with Hamish. Even if the rest of the novel was awful, Cynthia Luhrs’ characters would be enough reason to read it.
The rest of the novel is not awful, thankfully. I found the plot was much more fast-paced than the previous books in part because of the rising tensions between Shadow Walkers and Day Walkers are reaching the boiling point. Dayne and Thorne are at each others’ throats and we really learn the importance of Draken being introduced in Desired by Shadow. There’s actually a greater, overarching plan for the series rather than just a bunch of vaguely connected romances that end with each book. Cynthia Luhrs ends this one on such a cliffhanger that I can’t wait for Embraced by Shadow.
I love how she also expanded on the world of Shadow Walkers and Day Walkers. We learn a little more about Draken and Fury as well as the fae. It was interesting to see things from Thorne’s point of view as he’s tormented by the apparition he believes is the long-lost love he killed in a jealous rage. I don’t fully understand his reasons for bringing Hamish back but it seems they’ll be fully revealed in the next novel. For now the explanation presented in Reborn in Shadow is satisfying.
If you’ve loved the series so far, you’ll love Reborn in Shadow as well. Hamish will surprise you, I guarantee!
I give this book 5/5 stars.