Peeking Between the Pages

...escape into the pages of a good book

100+ Reading Challenge 2009

Book Review: Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick

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Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick is a continuation of The Kingmaking and another fantastic example of Helen Hollick’s amazing story telling. It is the story of King Arthur and granted I loved the first book as well but picking up this one was wonderful – being able to go back in time and learn more about Arthur and Gwenhwyfar, their lives together and the times that the novel takes place in had me completely engrossed. I was sucked into Pendragon’s Banner from the first page and let me just say that the 460 odd pages of this novel just fly by as you’re trapped inside with battles raging both on the war fields and at home with Arthur and Gwenhwyfar.

Arthur is Supreme King for the past three years and he has been fighting battles and moving Gwenhwyfar and his three sons many times. Gwenhwyfar is plain sick of it; sick of living in tents and never having a place to call their own. Gwenhwyfar has not changed much with the years. She is still the feisty woman she has always been; a woman with her own mind and not afraid to use it or voice her thoughts. She is angry with Arthur as his need to settle is not as great as her own. Along the way tragedy strikes and Gwenhwyfar decides to take some time away from Arthur and go home to Gwynedd until finally their love wins out again and they are back together.

What I think I like best about Helen Hollick’s writing is her ability to make me feel like I’m living in the pages of the novel. I’m on the battlefield seeing the bloodshed and feeling the fear. I’m feeling Arthur’s fears as he tries to do his best for his men and his family and I’m feeling anger when he is unfaithful to his wife and needs a kick in the butt. I’m feeling their sadness when things go terribly wrong and their happiness and hope when they don’t. This book is hard to put into words because it is such an epic tale and one that needs to be experienced to feel the full impact of it.

Arthur again is a man who you just can’t make up your mind about. Do you love him or hate him – well it’s both. He’s a good man who loves Gwenhwyfar more than anything and you can feel that completely and he loves his family and he is fiercely loyal to his men. At the same time he does things that just get my feathers in an uproar. He has some definite problems saying no to women’s wiles and has been unfaithful more than once. He has a jealous streak that sometimes takes over before his brain does. All in all though I have to say once again that I like him.

By far my favorite character is Gwenhwyfar. She is the type of woman, especially for those times, who was very different. She is extremely willful and has the tendency to do things her way, not the way Arthur or anyone else may tell her to. She’s beautiful, strong and has no problem wielding a sword should the need arise. I could just envision her on the battle field with her hair flowing behind her and her sword at the ready. My heart just broke for her many times throughout this novel; she has suffered much heartbreak in her young life. She also made me laugh outright several times. When certain over zealous men try to put their hands where they don’t belong they find the point of a sword awfully close to their equipment and back off quickly. lol.

There are many of the old characters back that I didn’t find myself liking any more than the last time like Winifred who wants her son recognized as Arthur’s and Morgause who just wants to destroy Arthur. There were others like Arthur’s and Gwenhwyfar’s sons who touched your heart and Gweir, Arthur’s new slave boy who was pretty amusing as well.

Pendragon’s Banner comes highly recommended for those who love a little history weaved in with a great fictional story. Helen Hollick has given real lives to these people and given us a glimpse once again into how they might have lived through her vivid imagination. I’m already anxious for the third and final book in this trilogy being re-released this spring by Sourcebooks called The Shadow of the King so I can see how it will all end.

I read Pendragon’s Banner for Helen Hollick’s book tour and again I have to say that I recommend both Pendragon’s Banner and The Kingmaking. Make sure to visit Helen Hollick’s website and browse around and take a look at all of her books. You can buy Pendragon’s Banner here in the US and here in Canada.

Please check back tomorrow as I’ll have a guest post from Helen Hollick to share with everyone!

My Thanks…
To Paul with Sourcebooks for my review copy of Pendragon’s Banner by Helen Hollick.

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Book Review: The Last Will of Moira Leahy by Therese Walsh

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The Last Will of Moira Leahy is an enthralling tale by debut author Therese Walsh. I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. I also have to mention the cover which I think is extraordinarily beautiful. This novel has many elements ranging from tragedy, mystery, a bit of the paranormal, romance and family relationships. It’s guaranteed to keep you turning those pages to learn what is at the heart of this story.

This novel is about twins, Maeve and Moira, and the very special bond they share right down to a special language between the two as children. It is told by twenty-five year old Maeve in the present day and her twin Moira in the flashbacks to the past. The girls have always been extremely close but as they emerge as teenagers Moira is finding herself falling behind in Maeve’s shadow. Maeve is the popular one, the one who plays the sax beautifully and is considered a prodigy. Moira is not quite as outgoing; playing the piano and wishing for more of what Maeve has. Moira begins to block Maeve from her thoughts and it’s this pulling away that ultimately leads to the tragedy of Maeve losing her twin.

Fast forward nine years later and Maeve is still deeply troubled by the loss of her twin and is kind of just making it through her life trying to deal with nightmares and sleepless nights. She is a professor of languages at a small college and her life revolves around her work. Mostly she keeps to herself other than living with her childhood friend Kit; she seems terrified to let anyone close to her anymore. Maeve hasn’t been back to the family home since the tragedy and while she has a relationship with her father, she and her mother really don’t speak. Her mother blames her for what happened to Moira.

One evening Maeve attends an auction and discovers a keris which is a Javenese dagger. It reminds her of one that she and Moira had when they were young kids and she has to have it. After returning home with the keris , things start to happen. A book is nailed to Maeve’s door at work, she is receiving strange notes and finally a note comes inviting her to go to Rome. Crazy as it may seem Maeve’s father convinces her to go and discover what the mystery is behind the keris. The keris seems to open the door to the past and to many of the emotional feelings that Maeve has kept buried throughout the years. Through twists and turns and many realizations on Maeve’s part this keris brings her closer to her sister and to an understanding of what happened all those years ago.

This story is told in the present by Maeve as she is at twenty-five years old and in the past by Moira as the girls were at sixteen. I found this method of writing the novel very interesting and it made it more suspenseful for me as you were continually kept in the dark as to what really happened in the past. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat by the end of the book as I was finally learning all the secrets of Maeve and Moira’s past. There is even a touch of romance thrown in as Maeve finally learns to open herself up to chance a little; to learn to risk her feelings a bit in order to move on with her life.

This novel weaves the past with the present and will keep you wondering throughout. The writing is wonderful and flows smoothly throughout. The characters are engaging. It’s impossible not to like both the twins. There isn’t a good twin and a bad twin; just some teenage angst that unfortunately leads to no good. Maeve is a great character and you find yourself rooting for her. You want her to be able to heal from the past and to move on and be able to be whole herself again without that all present half that’s missing in Moira.

The Last Will of Moira Leahy is a brilliant debut novel that I think will really appeal to people. It’s a deep look into the emotional bonds of twins and the power of healing through facing the past and your emotions. The Last Will of Moira Leahy released on October 13, 2009 and you can purchase your copy here in the US and here in Canada. Be sure to visit Therese Walsh’s website as well!

My Thanks:
—to Jodi from WOW! Women on Writing for my review copy of The Last Will of Moira Leahy by Therese Walsh

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Book Review: A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve

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A Change in Altitude is the latest by Anita Shreve. I’ve been an Anita Shreve fan for a while with my favorite remaining The Pilot’s Wife. In A Change in Altitude, Shreve takes us on a journey through a couple’s relationship and a climb up Mount Kenya which she in fact did herself and this in turn ended up giving us a much more vivid view in our minds of what this must have been like for them.

The story is about Margaret and Patrick, a young couple who decide to move to Kenya for a year for Patrick to further his career in medicine. They’ve only been married a few months and things are difficult for Margaret as she has no job and things are much different for her in Kenya compared to home. Eventually she takes up photography again and this takes her on a journey through Kenya in which she is able to see both the good and the devastating living conditions of some.

They meet another couple, Arthur and Diana, who invite them to climb Mount Kenya with them. Margaret, despite serious misgivings finally gives in to the pressure Patrick is exerting on her to agree to go. Margaret doesn’t do too well on the climb up as she isn’t in the best shape for this kind of thing. However it isn’t this that throws the whole trip into chaos – it is the unimaginable tragedy that occurs – a tragedy that not only splits people apart but leaves a young marriage in turmoil.

Margaret and Patrick return home and try to pick up the pieces of their lives but they are left with serious questions about each other and are having trouble working their way back to the happily married couple they first were. Patrick buries himself in his work and Margaret in her photography and a new friendship which is making her question her marriage and what it means to her.

Shreve definitely paints a vivid description of Africa and the climb up Mount Kenya and that I enjoyed but what was missing in this novel for me was the connection I like to feel to at least some of the characters. I had trouble with Margaret’s and Patrick’s relationship; for a newly married couple it just didn’t seem right. Margaret didn’t stand up for herself as much as I would have wished and I found Patrick mean and arrogant at times in his treatment of her.

Ultimately this novel is about relationships; something that Shreve writes well. It shows how one small moment in which one loses trust in their partner can throw a whole relationship upside down and how they can try to work their way back if they’re determined enough. While this isn’t one of my favorites of Anita Shreve’s, it was still a good read for me. You can buy A Change in Altitude here in the US and here in Canada.

My Thanks…
—to Hachette Book Group for my review copy of A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve

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Book Review: Hex in High Heels by Linda Wisdom

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Hex in High Heels by Linda Wisdom was a fabulous escape from reality for me and it came at just the right time. I really needed a book that would take me away, make me laugh and was just pure enjoyment. It helps that I love reading books to do with witches, wizards, shape-shifters, and just plain old magic. Hex in High Heels is the fourth installment in this series and I really need to go back and read the others but this book completely stands on it’s own. I wasn’t confused or wondering at all what might have gone on before. This was a fantastic romp through the witchy world of Blair and her friends!

Blair is a full fledged witch who has been around for hundreds of years; many of those living in the human world since she and her class full of mates were banished from the Witches’ Academy. She owns a vintage shop in the town of Moonstone Lake and lives with her best witchy friend Stasi and specializes in revenge spells (which I think could be quite fun). There’s a handsome carpenter in town, Jake Harrison, and Blair is crazy about him. He’s a shape-shifter though, a cute Border Collie to be exact. He’s pretty much the black sheep in his pack being a Border Collie instead of wolf which is exactly why he left and made himself a new life in Moonstone Lake.

Things are finally looking good for Blair where Jake is concerned. He’s been pretty stand-offish but he simply can’t resist Blair and things are really heating up with the two of them. Then a woman shows up in Blair’s shop looking to buy a revenge spell to use on her son. Unknown to Blair at the time, this turns out to be Jake’s mother looking for a spell to use on him. Then a real shocker – Jake’s ex-pack shows up buying up some property and looking to buy out Blair and Staci’s land as well so they can split their pack. Really though, they can’t stay there-Jake left to get away from them, not to mention a little known secret that Jake may have been promised away to someone else in his ex-pack long ago which throws Blair squarely on her fanny in shock.

What evolves after this in the story is quite funny. There’s something for everyone with vampires, gargoyles, witches, wizards, fae’s, elves and even a cute little pair of bunny slippers named Fluff and Puff who end up attaching themselves to Blair’s ankle as a tattoo. Then there were the elves that came to town to help with the carnival who were a hoot and a half with their bad manners and smelly selves. This book had so many laugh out loud moments for me!

My favorite character by far was Blair. She’s feisty, funny and out for a good cause helping people with her revenge spells. She’s very outspoken and full of sass and doesn’t take no crap from anyone and I pity the person who tries to shovel some her way as she’s likely to throw some kind of curse at them. She was definitely my kind of girl – lol! Another favorite of mine was the gargoyle Horace because he was always showing up at the wrong time and always has something to say about whatever is going on, not to mention he’s always up for causing a little trouble of his own if asked.

Hex in High Heels is a fun read. Be forewarned though there are some pretty hot and heavy hanky panky scenes so if that’s not your thing you may not enjoy the book. They don’t overwhelm the novel but they are there. This is a book full of magical elements that I just love so I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series while trying to catch up on the first three.

Many thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks for my copy of Hex in High Heels. Hex in High Heels can be purchased here in the US and here in Canada. Be sure to check out Linda Wisdom’s fabulous witchy website as well! Be sure to stop by and join me tomorrow as I welcome Linda Wisdom to Peeking Between the Pages with a guest post.

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Book Review: The Sky Begins At Your Feet by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg

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October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and it’s the perfect time to read some novels that bring about more awareness about this horrible disease which is what I’ve been doing lately. The Sky Begins At Your Feet is a memoir by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg and is another such novel that makes you think hard about the devastation and emotional upheaval this disease can take upon your life and also the hope that there is when one becomes a cancer survivor.

Caryn is a 42 year old woman with a husband and three children when she receives the dreaded news that she has breast cancer. Breast cancer ran in her family but she hadn’t really thought she would have to worry about it at this young age yet. Thus begins Caryn’s journey into the world of cancer treatment: doctors and more doctors, tests upon tests, chemo and all that involves and ultimately the toll that this disease takes on your body, both physically and emotionally.

I appreciated Caryn’s sense of humor throughout her story though. I got the feeling from reading her story that she looks upon life like this – enjoying what you have even if it’s not the best at the time. When she had to shave her hair off she tattooed her head instead of wigs or hats – just little things like that showing a resilience to keep going at the hardest moments. At times I couldn’t keep up with Caryn’s life though as she and her husband are fairly involved in many things which Caryn even tried to keep up after her cancer treatments. What she learned though that this disease makes you take a step back and realize that life is about more than running yourself ragged no matter how important the cause. You need to take time for yourself – to heal, to grow healthier and stronger.

Caryn also discovered that she carried the BRCA genetic mutation gene. What this means is that you have a much greater liklihood of getting breast cancer in addition to ovarian cancer. I’m very aware of the horror of hearing about this genetic mutation as it runs in my family as well. I myself have not been tested for it yet although have been urged to but I live in a state of denial and not wanting to know and not having to make the decisions that come with knowing you carry it. With Caryn having this genetic mutation the best thing to do is have your breasts removed along with the rest of your female organs. It’s a tough reality to be faced with yet I found Caryn did it with a lot of courage and determination.

One thing I really noticed and envied a great deal was the support system Caryn had and has. I mean there was her husband, family, her friends, even people she worked with who would come together to bring meals for her family, to be with her at the hospital and to come together in prayer. I’m sure this went a long way in helping her to heal as well, to know all these people cared about her and her well being.

Ultimately what I really admired was Caryn’s courage to fight the cancer and to keep going. At the end of her memoir she is six years cancer free and I pray she will continue that way. Stories of survival warm my heart as I’ve lost so many to this awful disease and it gives hope to those going through cancer themselves or those living with someone who is. Caryn mentions living with the fear of the cancer always returning and that is something I understand as well with my father having had cancer and lately having recurring bouts with skin cancer. It’s a deep seated fear inside that this disease will one day rear it’s ugly head again but in the meantime you have to get up and enjoy each day as it comes and this is exactly what I see Caryn doing – living her life now to the fullest. I think a memoir such as this is like a little shining light of hope for those going through cancer or those living with others enduring it.

I read The Sky Begins At Your Feet for Caryn’s blog tour so many thanks to Jodi from Women on Writing for inviting me to participate. Make sure to visit Caryn’s website and her blog as well for more tour dates. You can buy The Sky Begins At Your Feet here in the US and here in Canada.

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Book Review: Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal

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Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal is exactly that – a very haunting and engrossing novel with a very gorgeous cover. I am always up for a good ghost story and this book definitely fit the bill for me. From the beginning of the book I was hooked and I just kept turning those pages in an attempt to find out what was going to finally happen. It was a book that kept me on the edge of my seat a bit while giving me shivers up and down my spine.

The novel begins with us learning about Pinky, a thirteen year old girl living with her grandmother, aunt and uncle and her three male cousins. Pinky’s own mother had died when she was just a baby and her grandmother Maji had taken over her care. They are one of the lucky families that have money so Pinky has never known any suffering in that way. However all is not rosey either. Pinky’s aunt does not like her at all for reasons of her own and if not for Maji, who is the head of the family, Pinky would be off in a boarding school.

All her life Pinky has wondered about the bathroom in their house though. It is bolted up nightly and not opened until morning. They are all forbidden to unbolt it yet no one will tell her why. Well one day Pinky becomes upset enough to throw caution to the wind and unbolt that door. By doing this Pinky unlocks secrets from the past along with a ghost bent on getting revenge. From this point things go from bad to worse in the Mittal household taking us on a suspense filled journey right up to the final twist at the end that I wasn’t quite expecting.

There are many things I enjoyed about this novel aside from the ghost story and all the suspenseful elements. I enjoyed reading about the Indian lifestyle a great deal. There are a lot of descriptions of the way the wealthy live and what they are privilege to, their religion, the area itself, and mostly the food. There were so many descriptions of the food they eat that my mouth was watering at how good it all sounded. I felt as though I got carried away to another world which I really did as their lives in India are so much more different than mine and I loved that aspect of the book. It was also interesting to read how much different men and women are treated and how many more opportunities are available to the men.

If I had to say I had a favorite character it would be Pinky. For a young girl she really seemed quite mature in her thoughts and reasoning except of course for opening that forbidden door. However all the characters were well developed even the ghosts and you find yourself caring about them and what their lives had once entailed. I found the book beautifully written and found myself rereading many passages. This is Shilpa Agarwal’s debut novel and if it’s any indication of her writing style then I’m anxious for what she will write next.

I read Haunting Bombay for Shilpa Agarwal’s TLC Book Tour so many thanks to Trish for the opportunity to participate and read this wonderful book. Make sure to pop by Shilpa Agarwal’s website and take a look around. You can buy Haunting Bombay here in the US and here in Canada.

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