Review of The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway, a time-travelling historical fiction novel set primarily in Regency England.
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Synopsis
In the early 1800s, Nick Davenant was the Marquess of Blackdown. Then he almost died at the battle of Salamanca but instead woke in 2003. For ten years, he has been cared for by The Guild, a mysterious organisation that provides new lives for time travellers.
When The Guild discovers that the future is turning back on itself, they break their own rules and send Nick back to 1815. He resumes his 19th century life easily enough, but struggles with following The Guild’s instructions.
Meanwhile, Julia (Nick’s neighbour and love interest) is struggling with her grandfather’s death. Soon, she is entangled in the manipulation of time and hiding her abilities is all she can do to keep herself safe. As Nick untangles the relationship between the Guild and their rivals (the Ofan), he and Julia grow closer.
Review
The River of No Return is a thought-provoking book with lots of twists and turns. There is some romance, but most of the story is about time travel and its consequences. It has adventure, passion, intrigue, and one crazy nobleman. The world was complex, clearly presented, and believable.
I loved the constant confusion over which side in the Ofan vs Guild conflict was good. Was The Guild good and the Ofan bad? Or was The Guild bad and the Ofan good? The Guild said they were keeping members ignorant for their own good, but is that really the right thing to do?
Nick was an intriguing character. He was intelligent, caring, and sexy (but not overwhelmingly so). I particularly enjoyed the internal struggles between his modern ideas and what is expected of him in the 19th century.
He could feel the ghostly marquess building up a head of steam, could even taste the aristocratic outrage in his mouth: rusted metal. It must have been that man’s outburst that Clare was expecting. He let his gaze rest on his elder sister … His anger dissipated as fast as it had built. ‘It should have been yours anyway,’ he said … ‘You are the eldest and, by God, I will sign it over to you in life as I did in death. Blackdown shall remain yours. It always should have been.’
I spent much of the book waiting for Nick and Julia to talk to each other about time-travel. They’re the two main characters, but don’t actually spend much time together or communicate about anything meaningful. This creates misconceptions between them and makes their romance feel underdeveloped.
The ending left me dissatisfied. Sure, Nick and Julia get their happily ever after, but so many other threads of the story remain unresolved. For instance, the mystery of Mr Mibbs isn’t solved, and Mr Mibbs himself has disappeared. Also, no one’s managed to mend the future or work out why it’s behaving so peculiarly. I hope Bee Ridgeway is working on a sequel.
Conclusion
Have you read The River of No Return? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at the following stores:
So, you’ve read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and loved it. You’ve maybe watched the TV show. Now, you have nothing “Outlander” to read or watch. It’s droughtlander. You could reread or rewatch Outlander, but eventually you should find something else to read. Check out my recommendations of books to read if you love Outlander.
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Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati
Into the Wilderness features Elizabeth Middleton, an English spinster schoolteacher, as she joins her father in the New York wilderness. Her father has plans for her to marry the local doctor – plans that she has no intention of going along with.
Instead, she runs away with Nathaniel Bonner, a man whose Native American family could be destroyed by the local village. After several months in the bush while their friends take care of legal matters, they return home where they have to rebuild the good opinions of their neighbours.
Elizabeth is a strong woman who knows what she wants and does what she has to do to get it. She may not have travelled back in time, but she has progressive ideals and a modern way of dealing with things. Like Outlander, Into the Wilderness is the first in an epic series packed with romance, adventure, and the vicissitudes of life.
Clan of the Cave Bear is the first of Jean M. Auel’s Earth Children’s series. It tells the story of a young girl who is adopted by a community of Neanderthals. Though the Clan, as they call themselves, are initially wary, they come to love Ayla.
However, the Clan’s leader has a son who instantly dislikes Ayla and does everything he can to make her life difficult. This eventually leads to her leaving the Clan, and later books in the series follow her life apart from the Clan, her romance with a hunky caveman, and her struggles fitting in.
White Rose Rebel is the story of Anne Farquharson, Lady MacIntosh. A staunch Jacobite, she raises the men of her husband’s clan to fight for Bonnie Prince Charlie in the 1745 rising. Her husband (Aeneas), however, has indebted himself to the English and joins the government forces.
Like Outlander, White Rose Rebel has a strong female protagonist who gets involved in the Jacobite rising. Anne’s romantic life features throughout the book, and like Claire’s, is somewhat complicated. It’s a standalone book, but the story is told so well, there’s no need for a sequel.
Dougless Montgomery has been abandoned by her boyfriend while on holiday in England. While she’s crying over her misfortune, a strange man appears in front of her wearing 16th century armour.
Nicholas, Earl of Thornwyck, was awaiting execution when he is magically transported to a strange future where he meets a crying woman. Convinced that the woman can send him home, he tries to keep her with him. Together, they dive into the historical record to try to uncover the truth behind the final days of Nicholas’s life.
There’s romance, a handsome and chivalrous hero, and well-developed historical settings. Nicholas isn’t as immediately loveable as Jamie, but by the end of the book, his relationship with Dougless was just as swoon worthy as the romance between Jamie and Claire.
After travelling to court in an attempt to have King Alexander cancel her betrothal, Margaret MacDonald finds her home has been raided by Norsemen. As the group searches the rubble, a group of Irishmen arrive, including the half-Norse Gannon MacMagnus. The following months are trying for everyone, as they rebuild the castle and seek vengeance on the raiders.
On a Highland Shore has romance, adventure, and a gorgeous Scottish setting. Unfortunately, Kathleen Givens died before she could finish the series (something I sincerely hope doesn’t happen to Diana Gabaldon). Otherwise, it’s an epic story.
When scattering her grandfather’s ashes on an Irish lake, Anne Gallagher gets lost in a sudden fog. She finds herself in 1921 with a bullet wound in her side. Dr Thomas Smith, the man who raised her grandfather, rescues her, initially mistaking her for his ward’s mother.
Once she’s healed, Anne throws herself into 1920s life: being mother to Eoin, joining the Irish revolution, and falling in love with Thomas. She loves her life in the 20s, but the revolution and questions about the other Anne’s disappearance create difficulties.
What the Wind Knows has time travel, romance, and a woman trying to fit in a time other than her own. I loved the glimpse of what life was like in 1920s Ireland. The characters were life-like, the love was timeless and unconditional, and the writing was superb.
When her uncle the King dies, Rhiann must secure her people’s future by marrying and producing an heir. Eremon is an exiled Irish prince who is in Alba (Scotland) to make alliances and create a name for himself.
Their forced marriage starts a bit rocky, but soon they become friends. United by a desire to protect Alba from the Romans, they travel across Scotland, visiting powerful kings. Along the way they fall in love, but their various secrets keep them from admitting it to each other.
Set in 1st century AD Scotland, The White Mare gives brilliant descriptions to the same place Outlander is set in, just at a different time. The hero, Eremon, has a lot in common with Jamie Fraser; they are both handsome, courageous, and intelligent men. If you love Outlander, you will thoroughly enjoy the story of Rhiann and Eremon.
Taking the form of a series of letters, Letters from Skye tells the story of a Scottish poet and her impetuous, American admirer. Elspeth and Davey share their thoughts and dreams, eventually realising that they’ve fallen in love with each other.
When Europe goes to war in 1914, Davey volunteers to drive ambulances in France. This prompts Elspeth to overcome her fear of boats to meet him in person. During World War Two, their daughter finds her mother’s letters and determines to find out what happened.
Letters from Skye left me with a massive book hangover. As much as I wanted to find out the end of the story, I didn’t want it to end. The letters were gripping, the romance emotionally involving, and the setting beautiful.
In 17th century Scotland, Morna has been unable to learn how to use her magical powers since her father banished her teacher. Then she finds an injured man who needs help returning to his own time. Fortunately, her brother has found journals written by her old mentor and set up a secret magic room for her to study in.
As Morna works towards sending Jerry home, the two of them become good friends and romance develops. Then word reaches them of a druid who might be able to teach Morna. While Jerry searches for the druid, Morna becomes convinced that he will never return and agrees to marry her brother’s friend, Henry.
Love Beyond Reach is the eighth book in the Morna’s Legacy series (it’s a prequel to the other books). There’re twelve novels in the main series so far, and this is the first one I’ve read. Having read it, I definitely want to read the rest.
In Tapestry, Jane Maxwell falls off Uluru (Ayers Rock) and wakes in the body of a Scottish noblewoman. Winifred’s husband, the Earl of Nithsdale, is in the Tower of London, awaiting execution for his part in the 1715 Jacobite Rising.
As Winifred, Jane must travel to London and save the Earl. If she succeeds, Jane is certain that her 21st century fiancée (Will) will wake-up from his coma. Along the way, she makes friends and falls in love. By the time she returns home, Jane is no longer sure that she wants to marry Will.
The Earl of Nithsdale’s escape from the Tower of London is truly an incredible true-story. I liked the unique angle the whole time-travel element added to it. Jane is such a strong, ingenious woman (a bit like Claire). Between the adventure, Jacobites, and romance, Tapestry is a book you will enjoy if you love Outlander.
Lions last lived wild in Europe thousands of years ago. Despite this, lions have been popular in European art from the Greeks and Egyptians, right through to the Middle Ages.
Once my sister pointed this out to me, I started taking pictures of the lions I saw. Here’s the best of what I got.
London
Lion at Southwark Cathedral
One of the lions that protects Westminster Bridge
British Museum
By the main entrance doors to the British Museum, this lion looks like it might once have been some sort of water fountain.
The Lion of Knidos, from an ancient cemetery in Turkey, now in the Great Court of the British Museum
King Amenhotep III as a lion (Egyptian Sculpture Gallery)
Assyrian Guard Lion, 9th century BC (it weighs 15 tons!)
Section of an Assyrian panel depicting a lion hunt, 9th century BC
Limestone statuette of a lion, 6th century BC, from a sanctuary of Aphrodite
Faience vases from Rhodes, late 6th century BC
Bronze lion from Macedonia, 510-500BC
Bronze figure of a lioness crouched to spring, Greek, 6th century BC
York
This lion can be found by the entrance gates to the Yorkshire Museum Gardens
This lion is from the top of a birch tankard from the Merchant Adventurers Hall, possibly from the Baltic.
This lion is from a 16th century fireplace surround at the Merchant Adventurers Hall.
A doorknocker on a random door in York
Another doorknocker on another random door in York
This lion decorated a grand tomb in one of Eboracum’s (Roman York) cemeteries
Another lion-themed doorknocker on a random door in York
Edinburgh
This lion is on a commemorative plaque from 1964, which is currently housed in The People’s Story, a museum in Edinburgh
Three of these lions sit at the base of a medieval pedestal at The National Museum of Scotland
The decorative end of a handrail for some steps on Calton Hill
Linlithgow
Look up when you walk through the gatehouse at Linlithgow Palace, and you will see this fearsome guy
Inside Linlithgow Palace, in the courtyard, is a 16 foot tall fountain built in 1538, and this goofy lion is part of the decorations.
In AD71, the Romans built a fortress in northern Britannia, thus founding the city of York. They called it Eboracum. Even though Eboracum fell into relative obscurity following the Romans’ retreat, they left significant remains behind them.
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Some of these remains have survived the intervening 1600 years and can be seen today. Read on to find out where.
Yorkshire Museum
The ground floor of the Yorkshire Museum houses the “Yorkshire’s Jurassic World” and “Roman York: Meet the People of the Empire” exhibits. Roman York is full of archaeological finds and information that tells us what life was like in Eboracum.
Some of the highlights are a hoard of Roman coins, a sculpture of Emperor Constantine’s head, a mosaic floor you can walk on, and the Ivory Bangle Lady. This last one is the remains of one of six people who lived in Eboracum. These tell us a lot about the kind of people who lived in York during the Roman period, and there is a large display showing everything we know about these particular people (including facial reconstructions!).
Museum Gardens
Outside the Yorkshire Museum, the Museum Gardens house the Multangular Tower. This was a defensive tower on the western corner of the Roman fortress, built in the early 3rd century AD. Before that, there was likely a simpler tower made of turf or wood in the same place.
The present Multangular Tower is a lovely, solid looking structure with both Roman and Medieval stonework visible. There is a lovely bit of grass directly in front of it – the perfect place for photos or a picnic.
City Walls
Photo: Eboracum Fortress Gateway
Of the walls that can be seen today, nothing is Roman. However, significant sections of the walls follow the same lines as the first Roman walls. At a couple of places along the wall, there are marks showing the locations of various landmarks that are no longer there (like the fortress gateway).
The Romans made the original walls with wood, then as York became more important, the wooden walls were replaced by stone. By the time the Vikings arrived, the walls were no good for defence, so they were buried, and new walls built on top.
Bean & Gone
This coffee shop is built into the wall next to Bootham Bar. Their food and coffee are pretty standard for a British café. However, under a glass panel in the floor, you can see part of the foundations of the York’s Roman fortress.
York Minster
While the Minster itself isn’t at all Roman, it is on a site once used by the Romans. During serious engineering fixes to the foundations during the 1960s and 70s, workers uncovered many Roman and Medieval items. Now, many of these objects can be found in the undercroft museum.
Roman treasures include fragments of plasterwork, reconstructed mosaics, and a roof tile with an early Christian symbol inscribed on it. There are also displays showing what the Roman fortress that used to be here looked like and exactly where it was in relation to what is there today.
Outside, there is a relatively modern statue of the Emperor Constantine, who was in York at the time he was declared Emperor. And just across the road from the statue stands a column uncovered along with all the stuff in the undercroft.
Roman Bath Museum
Found under a pub (aptly called Roman Bath), the Roman Bath Museum is a simple display of the ruins of Eboracum’s bath house. The walkway leads visitors through parts of the caldarium and frigidarium. At the end, there is a space for dressing-up and posing with Roman-themed props (I had so much fun).
The museum is rather small and dingy, but fascinating. Among the informative signs, it is crowded with Roman artifacts and replica items, such as tiles showing the sandal-prints of Roman soldiers.
Review of The Last Hours by Minette Walters, an historical fiction novel set in 14th century England during the Black Death.
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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for further information.
Synopsis
The Black Death has arrived in the English port of Melcombe and is spreading north through Devonshire. Contrary to the church’s recommendations, Lady Anne takes the people of Develish within the manor’s moat.
Initially, things are good. No one within the compound sickens. The one man from her absent husband’s retinue that everyone likes returns healthy. Then, with food stores running low, the workers grow bored with nothing to do and no news from outside.
Tensions erupt when a teenaged boy, Jacob, is found dead of a stab injury. Having made some discrete inquiries, Lady Anne’s young steward, Thaddeus, takes a group of Jacob’s contemporaries into the outside world. Seeing the destruction around them makes these young men think of their futures and forces them to grow-up quick.
Review
I found The Last Hours completely unputdownable. It enjoyably captured many aspects of the period around the Black Death. These included widespread ignorance, fear, and superstition. I particularly enjoyed looking at how the shift in power and new beginnings caused by the Death affected this community.
The characters are well thought out, realistic, and fascinating people. Some are strong (like Lady Anne and Thaddeus) and take charge of the situation, while others struggle with change. The religious and moral conflicts within the community seemed real, like I was watching real people interact with each other.
I liked Lady Anne. She’s fair, compassionate, clever, and understands her serfs. However, she is a bit too much like a modern woman. She has modern ideas around hygiene and treats the serfs like equals.
‘I’ve never been on a demesne where serfs were educated, milady. The practice is an unusual one. A villein’s role in life is to labour for his master, not steal time in order to learn letters.’ [Said by a clerk hired by Lady Anne’s husband]
Eleanor (Lady Anne’s daughter) was horrible, but I liked the conflict she added; without her, there would be very little story and the book would suck. I also liked how she gained layers and became more understandable as the story progresses.
I hope the next book resolves Eleanor’s storyline (and maybe brings some much-needed change to her character). I would also like a better reason for Thaddeus’s ramble through the countryside (other than obtaining information and supplies. They were away too long just for that).
Other than that (and a slightly ponderous middle), The Last Hours is a fantastic book. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
Conclusion
Have you read The Last Hours? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).
Review of A Plague on Both Your Houses by Susanna Gregory, the first chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew set in 14th century Cambridge.
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Synopsis
After the body of Sir John Babington, Master of Michaelhouse, is found spinning on Cambridge’s millwheel, he is thought to have committed suicide. Then several more Michaelhouse residents die and Dr Matthew Bartholomew becomes suspicious. However, the Bishop is called in to review the deaths and gives orders to cover-up any scandal.
At the same time, rumours circulate that Oxford University is trying to close the competing university at Cambridge by creating problems between town and gown. Then, the plague arrives in Cambridge and all Bartholomew’s time is consumed with treating the dwindling populace.
During the ensuing mess, a woman goes missing and men make surprising confessions. This leads Bartholomew to search out information that puts his life in danger from the men responsible for the earlier deaths.
Review
A Plague on Both Your Houses is a fantastic black-death-era mystery. Sure, the Death may have distracted me (and the characters) from the mystery for a bit, but it became an important part of the story. The book was sprinkled with historical details and interesting information, particularly about the plague.
The story is extremely convoluted and intricate. There are twists and turns in the (very complicated and eventful) mystery with a plot within a plot and dangerous encounters. Even Bartholomew gets confused about what’s going on. Then there’s a disappearance that might be related to the original plots/murders but turns out to be unrelated. I found the “let’s summarise what we know” bits completely necessary.
Very few of the characters are fleshed out enough that I could care about them. Add to that the vast number of minor characters and a character list would have been helpful. There were some characters that appeared early on and then again towards the end, by which time I had forgotten who they were. However, I was gripped by trying to work out which characters were good, and which were bad.
I liked Bartholomew. He’s intelligent, a bit naïve, and genuinely shocked at other people’s deviousness. I loved reading about him trying to deal with the plague and how selfless he was. Bartholomew’s student, Gray, provided a nice contrast to emphasise these qualities.
Gray followed him from house to house carrying the heavy bag that contained Bartholomew’s instruments and medicines. Bartholomew could feel the student’s disapproval as he entered the single-roomed shacks that were home to families of a dozen. The only patient of which Gray did not disapprove was the wife of a merchant. She was one of the few cases with which Bartholomew had had success, and was lying in a bed draped with costly cloths, tired, but still living. The grateful merchant pressed some gold coins into Bartholomew’s hand. Bartholomew wondered whether they would be sufficient to bribe people to drive the carts that collected the dead.
Conclusion
Have you read A Plague on Both Your Houses? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).
Review of The Assassin in the Greenwood, a medieval mystery set in 14th century England by P.C. Doherty
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Synopsis
Sir Hugh Corbett, King Edward I’s chief clerk and keeper of the Secret Seal, has obtained information that could seriously affect the course of the ongoing hundred years war. However, this information is contained within a cipher that no one has been able to break.
While working on the cipher, Corbett is sent to Nottingham with two of his servants to deal with a spate of lawlessness in the area. Tax collectors have been attacked, the sheriff murdered, and there’s evidence of a traitor inside the castle.
This appears to be the work of Robin Hood, recently pardoned and returned home. However, something about this doesn’t seem right to Corbett and he sets out to ensure that the right man is brought to account.
Review
The Assassin in the Greenwood was an interesting take on the traditional Robin Hood tale. All your favourite characters from the traditional Robin Hood tale appear at some time or other. There are several descriptions of very violent deaths; this didn’t bother me, but might trouble other readers.
I could often feel the atmospheres of particular settings. The castle was so thoroughly described that I felt like I could hear and smell what it was like. The history was obviously very well researched.
The forest had always stood there, the trees providing a canopy to shield the earth from the sky. Beneath this veil of greenness which stretched as far as the eye could see, the forest had witnessed murder as long as it had seen man himself. […]
The trees had seen it all: the gnarled oak, the elm with its branches stooped with age. The forest was a dangerous place, a living thing, and through its green-dappled shadows slunk masked men who knew the secret paths and where to avoid the treacherous morass. Only a fool would wander from the beaten track which wound through Sherwood Forest, either north to Barnsleydale or south to Newark and the great road down to London.
The characters are at times flat and unengaging. Nearly everyone speaks the same and there is very little personality shown in the dialogue. I honestly felt more gripped by the setting (and to some extent the story) than I did by the characters.
Overall, I enjoyed The Assassin in the Greenwood, but not enough to look out for other books by P.C. Doherty. While it was fast paced and engaging, there was no obvious progress towards a solution. It seems that Corbett reaches his conclusions without any effort. I still want to know how he reached his conclusions.
Conclusions
Have you read Assassin in the Greenwood? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).
Review of The Pillars of the Earth, an epic historical fiction novel set in 12th century England by Ken Follett
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Synopsis
When the cathedral at Kingsbridge burns down, the newly appointed prior hires Tom Builder to manage the rebuild. In order to pay for the new cathedral, Prior Philip asks King Stephen for the rights to take stone from a nearby quarry and wood from a local forest. This puts him at odds with Bishop Waleran, who wants the wealth now owned by the priory for his own projects.
In the secular world, England is embroiled in a civil war over who the crown rightfully belongs to. Small-time knight Percy Hamleigh hears that the Earl of Shiring is conspiring against King Stephen and attacks the Earl’s castle. Percy’s son (William) is bitter over the Earl’s daughter (Aliena) breaking their betrothal and delights in leaving her destitute.
Kingsbridge prospers under Prior Philip’s capable leadership. Tom Builder’s family prospers as the cathedral grows. Aliena also prospers, as she has become a successful wool merchant and singlehandedly funded her brother’s goal of retaking the earldom. This angers William, who tries several times to destroy the town and steal the income for his own lands.
Review
The Pillars of the Earth has a slow start. It promises to be a book about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. However, I was disappointed by the first couple of hundred pages as there was no cathedral and it wasn’t even set in Kingsbridge. Even once the story arrives in Kingsbridge, there seems to be no need to build a cathedral.
I enjoyed the ongoing conflicts between Prior Philip and Bishop Waleran, and between the Hamleighs and Aliena. They have such ‘on-sight’ rivalries that affected their actions (and much of the story). I was particularly amused by the way these rivalries mirrored the conflict between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda in the 12th century.
I also enjoyed how the relationships between the characters change over time. For example, when Aliena and Prior Philip first meet, Philip helps Aliena and they become good friends. Then Philip prevents Aliena and Jack from living together, and their relationship sours. This seems more like real life than the always consistent relationships I’m used to seeing in novels.
I loved how many various threads there are to this story. There’s the tale of Jonathan being abandoned by his family and raised by the monks. I enjoyed the mystery of what happened to Jack Shareburg and why. Then there’s the story of the earldom of Shiring and the competition between Aliena’s family and the Hamleighs.
Occasionally, one of the characters will use a word that doesn’t sound right in the historical setting. I understand that no one spoke modern English in the 12th century, but some words just don’t fit. I would give some examples, but they’re too crude for my liking.
Guided by a Stone-Mason (Complementary reading)
While reading The Pillars of the Earth, I kept a book called’ Guided by a Stone-Mason: The Cathedrals, Abbeys and Churches of Britain Unveiled’ by Thomas Maude close at hand.
I found it difficult to picture where different parts of the cathedral were located, and the technical terms were difficult to follow. Guided by a Stone-Mason helped me with this. It also has information on other aspects of cathedral building (like types of stone) if you’re interested.
Conclusion
Have you read The Pillars of the Earth? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).
Review of The Familiars, an historical fiction novel set in 17th century England by Stacey Halls.
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Synopsis
Fleetwood Shuttleworth has suffered three miscarriages, is now pregnant again, and just found a letter from a doctor advising her husband that his wife would not survive another pregnancy. Anxious to provide her husband with an heir, she hires Alice Gray, a local midwife with extraordinary abilities.
Then Alice is caught up in the Pendle Witch Trials. Convinced that she must have Alice with her when she gives birth, Fleetwood throws everything she has behind keeping Alice from being arrested. Three lives depend on her success.
However, she uncovers a devastating secret and Alice is still imprisoned. She continues to fight, but the truth doesn’t come to light until Fleetwood goes into labour on the day of the trials.
Review
The Familiars is an average book. I enjoyed reading it, but it’s nothing spectacular and I won’t be returning to it again and again. There is another book by Stacey Halls that looks interesting (The Foundling) but having read The Familiars, I’m hesitant to pay full price for another book by this author.
I enjoyed how there were real-life people and events scattered throughout the book. The story is based on the real-life Pendle Witch Trials. Fleetwood was the name of the lady of nearby Gawthorpe Hall at the time of the trials. However, there is no evidence that the real-life Fleetwood was involved in the trials or knew any of the Pendle witches (otherwise, it’s detailed and informative).
The author succeeded in creating a brilliantly poignant, fraught atmosphere. The pacing is never hurried but doesn’t drag either. I liked how the straightforward writing complimented Fleetwood’s uncomplicated character. Together, the heavy atmosphere, unhurried pacing, and straightforward writing builds suspense, especially around Fleetwood’s doubting those she should trust.
I searched the stacks of letters organised and filed in some unknown method, remembering how James had brought me the neat parcel or correspondence about my failed pregnancies. Another rage was burning inside me: Richard did not think it prudent to inform me of my impending death, and now he had removed from the house the only person I could trust to save me. I realised I was shaking, and hot tears were blurring my sight.
Fleetwood underwent a great deal of growth during the story. At the beginning, she accepts the way her world is and trusts people easily. By the end, she has taken risks to protect her friend and questioned previously accepted ‘facts’. Throughout the book, she shows hope and determination, and develops courage and an unbreakable friendship.
Conclusion
Have you read The Familiars? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).
Review of Again the Magic, a gorgeous, second chance historical romance set in 19th century England by Lisa Kleypas.
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Synopsis
Lady Aline Marsden found her other half in childhood friend John McKenna. The problem is that he is a servant and she is the daughter of an earl. When her father finds out about their romance, McKenna is sent away with a warning to never return.
Years later, Aline’s father is dead and McKenna has made his fortune. He returns with his business partner, ostensibly to win over investors for another business venture, but with firm plans for revenge. Certain that she will never marry, Aline figures that she has nothing to lose from fling with McKenna and goes after the memories that were denied her when she was younger.
Review
Again the Magic tells a beautiful second chance love story between two childhood sweethearts from different social classes. The characters have been through so much that you just have to want them to have a happily ever after. Overall, it’s a wonderful, well-written story with many dimensions and a lot of depth.
I loved how Again the Magic had a second romance woven into the story. Aline’s sister has such a sad backstory that I was so happy when she found love. Livia and Gordon were such an unusual couple from very different backgrounds, but their relationship was so sweet.
The characters were well-developed; even the minor characters’ personalities were shown clearly. Aline and McKenna’s feelings towards each other were obviously very deep and I enjoyed how realistic their reactions to events were.
I found Aline infuriating. She keeps pushing McKenna away and coming up with these ridiculous excuses instead of telling him the truth. Her secrecy is convincing and understandable, and to some extent I felt sorry for her. However, I also found the pride behind it foolish.
McKenna is the embodiment of the perfect hero; he’s passionate, powerful, and handsome, but tender and caring. He also doesn’t seem to be afraid of showing genuine emotion. These emotions appear so intense. I loved how McKenna was honest at the end about the suffering Aline had put him through; it’s heart-breaking.
Conclusion
Have you read Again the Magic? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!).
