Tagged: the mad reviewer’s 2013 holiday book buying guide
The Mad Reviewer’s 2013 Holiday Book Buying Guide (Part Two)
(For part one, please see here.)
In part one of my annual book buying guide I covered fantasy, speculative fiction and science fiction books. But I left quite a few genres out, so I’m covering as many as I can here in part two. After all, not everyone likes the first three genres.
HISTORICAL FICTION
1. Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
I was initially a little skeptical of yet another Cleopatra Selene book, but this one definitely surpassed my expectations. With some elements of fantasy mixed in with well-researched historical fact, you can’t go wrong with Lily of the Nile. It also helps that Stephanie Dray has a captivating writing style. Because of that, you really do feel like you’re right there along with the characters, both in Egypt in the beginning and Rome for the rest of the novel.
2. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Grave Mercy is technically alternate history because it takes place in an alternative version of the Middle Ages. It has an awesome heroine who falls in love at a natural pace and one of the most endearing, realistic relationships out there. This is YA at its best, believe me. And this is coming from someone who’s growing weary of old YA tropes. You also can’t go wrong with an assassin story combined with some pretty intense palace intrigue.
3. The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland
I never really thought about Josephine Bonaparte until I read Sandra Gulland’s amazing Josephine B. trilogy. She really did have an incredible life and was a fascinating woman of the time. If you’re into new takes on history, I can’t recommend the trilogy enough. Even if you just read the first book, I can almost guarantee you’ll be sucked in by Sandra Gulland’s spell. Her writing really does make you feel like you’re alongside Josephine, thus making her more sympathetic than history books portray her as.
4. The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough
If you’re like me and like really, really long books with amazing characters and new takes on history you won’t regret investing your time in this book. Colleen McCullough is an amazing writer and she brings to life towering historical figures like Julius Caesar, Gaius Marius and Cornelius Sulla. Even if you don’t like Roman history in general, you can’t go wrong with her award-winning series. Like I said, this book is really long but it’s more than worth it. The characters are just amazing and McCullough has certainly done her research here.
A new take on Arthurian legends that blends history and magic. What more can I say but buy this right now? You’ll fall in love with Publius Varrus just like I did and then you’ll never want the series to end. He’s not really a character that I expected to like in the beginning but Jack Whyte makes him so compelling that you can’t help but love him. He grows so much over the course of this novel and I really did appreciate all the effort that was put into creating an accurate post-Roman Britain on Jack Whyte’s part. It makes the whole Arthurian legend come vividly to life. Continue reading
The Mad Reviewer’s 2013 Holiday Book Buying Guide (Part One)
Last year I did a teen book buying guide, but I figure it’s about time to recommend a little something for everyone. So if you’re struggling to find a book for a friend or relative of yours, look no further! My suggestions aren’t perfect, of course, but I certainly hope they’re a good start for that bookish person in your life. (All links go to my reviews, where you can find links for Amazon and Barnes & Noble.)
FANTASY FICTION
1. The Devil’s Concubine by Jill Braden
If you’re into non-traditional fantasy (especially when it’s set in an island culture) with strong female characters you can’t go wrong with The Devil’s Concubine. It’s well-written and fast-paced to boot! This is the first book in The Devil of Ponong series and trust me when I say that once you finish this one you’ll clamour for the rest of the series. I was so anxious to dive back into QuiTai’s world once I finished this book that I immediately just started reading it again. It’s that good and it’s well worth your money.
2. Prophecy of the Most Beautiful by Diantha Jones
Yes, Diantha Jones is a self-published author but you won’t catch any editing mistakes in her books. She writes fantasy based on Greek myths with a dash of romance and a whole lot of action. Prophecy of the Most Beautiful is the first of five books in the Oracle of Delphi series and each book is an improvement on the last, which is really saying something considering how good this first book is! At first it seems like pretty typical YA but Chloe really shows herself to be an unique main character.
Like fairies? Not the beautiful, loving fairies of your typical YA story. I mean the vicious, malicious fairies of old that think of humans as playthings. Then you’ll love this amazing story of sisterly love set in a terrifying fantasy world within the real world. Believe me when I say this is definitely not your typical teenage love story. It’s pretty dark so I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone but if you’re looking for a grittier take on fairies just like the fairies of old, this is definitely the book to go with.
4. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
If you’re someone who’s sick of traditional high fantasy, you need to check out A Game of Thrones. Yes, the series is over-hyped because of the TV show, but judge the books on their merit and you’ll love the series. George R. R. Martin demolishes all of the high fantasy tropes while creating a story with amazing characters and subtle politics. And the amazing thing is that he creates such a diverse cast of characters, particularly women. There are so many strong women in his books that everyone will find someone to root for.
5. Sins of the Angels by Linda Poitevin
This is one of the latest books I’ve read and it’s fantastic. Linda Poitevin created such a vivid, believable world where angels and humans collide in unexpected ways. The main characters are awesome and the new take on Lucifer’s fall is so unique (and blasphemous to some). Alexandra is an unique character and she really carries the story even though Aramael is also a pretty good character. Together they both make the book simply amazing and when their mutual disgust with one another turns into something more you’ll be cheering for them to overcome the odds. Continue reading