2015 HF Reading Challenge

Daughter of Sand and Stone by Libbie Hawker & Giveaway (US/Canada)

November 30, 2015 by Darlene

Daughter of Sand and Stone by Libbie Hawker is a novel that seamlessly weaves history with fiction bringing an ancient world to life within its pages. The author has taken Zenobia, a woman from history, and literally breathed life into her and the lands she ruled for a short time. Libbie Hawker writes in such a descriptive way that I felt a part of this ancient world she wrote about from the dry desert to the camel rides.

In the author’s note Libbie makes it clear that not a lot is known about Zenobia, the Empress of the East, but what is known is that she was the only woman who had proved to be a threat to ancient Rome. She was a strong and courageous woman in a time when women ‘had their place’ and that certainly didn’t include leading armies and taking control over lands. I feel the author did a wonderful job of telling what Zenobia’s life story may have been from the time she was young to when she’s finally captured as what is available about her is mostly myth and legend. She portrayed Zenobia in such a way that she came across as very real. A woman like any other except that she had an inherent desire to be more than her culture allowed women to be.

I also have to mention that I felt an emotional connection to this story which is really odd for a historical novel. I’m not entirely sure I would have liked Zenobia had I known her just because of her raw ambition that didn’t allow for much else but as the author told of her rise and then her capture and fall I felt so sad for this woman who really only wanted to do right by her people. There was even a few points where I felt very close to shedding a few tears.

Zenobia was a warrior. She was a proud woman who only wanted to control her own destiny and that of her people. I hadn’t known much about her before reading this book and after reading it I can say that I greatly admire her courageous spirit. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction!

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GIVEAWAY – OPEN TO US & CANADIAN RESIDENTS
1 copy up for grabs
*CLICK HERE* and fill out the form to enter
Draw Date December 16/15

Source: Digital review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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The Conqueror’s Wife by Stephanie Thornton & Giveaway (US only)

November 23, 2015 by Darlene

If I could describe Stephanie Thornton’s latest novel The Conqueror’s Wife in one word it would be Wow! I’ve read all but one of her books (which I will soon remedy) and this one is my favorite. Despite being almost 500 pages once I began reading I fell head long into an ancient world where the times and the people were ruthless. As I read I could smell the death and see the destruction as though I was walking the same path that Alexander the Great was on. Full of memorable characters and rich in historical detail Stephanie Thornton has weaved an amazing story about a great man and the women who loved him.

Alexander the Great was a powerful man but so were the women who stood behind him – they were strong, independent, and powerful in their own right and they all helped to shape the man Alexander was. There is Alexander’s half-sister Thessalonike who so badly wants to travel the world and wants nothing more than to go along with Alexander but she is forbidden to. Then we have the Persian princess Drypetis who refuses to let go of her traditions and customs despite Alexander taking her father’s throne. Finally there is the crafty Roxana who is extraordinarily beautiful and she uses that beauty to become Alexander’s queen. She’s a dangerous one though and will do anything to keep her crown. As Alexander comes to control an ever vaster empire he learns that not all are to be trusted and long after he’s taken his last breath these women will still be fighting to keep his legacy alive.

Before reading this novel I knew a bit about Alexander the Great but certainly not much. The more I read the more interested I became in all of the characters and I began to search online for more information. To me that is the sign of great historical fiction and a great author. When a book encourages a reader to delve even deeper into history it’s done its job and more. The Conqueror’s Wife is not only an insightful journey into history but also a novel that will captivate the reader and hold them enthralled until the very last page is turned. I loved it and highly recommend it to all readers of historical fiction and if you haven’t experienced a novel of Stephanie Thornton’s yet you truly should!

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GIVEAWAY – OPEN TO US RESIDENTS ONLY
1 paperback copy up for giveaway
*CLICK HERE* and fill out the form to enter
Draw Date December 8/15

Source: Digital review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams (Audiobook Review)

November 18, 2015 by Darlene

Book Summary from Penguin Audio

Each of the three Schuyler sisters has her own world-class problems, but in the autumn of 1966, Pepper Schuyler’s problems are in a class of their own. When Pepper fixes up a beautiful and rare vintage Mercedes and sells it at auction, she thinks she’s finally found a way to take care of herself and the baby she carries, the result of an affair with a married, legendary politician.

But the car’s new owner turns out to have secrets of her own, and as the glamorous and mysterious Annabelle Dommerich takes pregnant Pepper under her wing, the startling provenance of this car comes to light: a Nazi husband, a Jewish lover, a flight from Europe, and a love so profound it transcends decades. As the many threads of Annabelle’s life from World War II stretch out to entangle Pepper in 1960s America, and the father of her unborn baby tracks her down to a remote town in coastal Georgia, the two women must come together to face down the shadows of their complicated pasts.

Indomitable heroines, a dazzling world of secrets, champagne at the Paris Ritz, and a sweeping love story for the ages, in New York Times bestselling author Beatriz William’s final book about the Schuyler sisters.

My Thoughts

Having listened to Tiny Little Thing which is the second book about the Schuyler sisters I was excited to listen to Along the Infinite Sea as well. As a note though these books do stand quite well on their own. I also love to listen to books narrated by Kathleen McInerney and will jump at a chance to do so. This book comes in at 15 hours and 30 minutes but listening to a performance by her goes by so quickly. I truly become lost in the books she narrates.

In this story we are swept from 1960’s America to World War II and it is dazzling. In the present we have Pepper and true to form Pepper is in a tad bit of trouble. She’s pregnant, has no place to go, and is being chased by the baby’s father. While she may not have much she does have a rare vintage Mercedes that she’s managed to sell at auction. The new owner Annabelle Dommerich reads Pepper very well and offers her a place to stay. In doing so the story unfolds further and we travel back in time with Annabelle to a time when she was married to a Nazi but had a Jewish lover. Annabelle’s story is a love story that sacrifices all and lasts a lifetime. Both of these women have issues in their past that need sorting in order for both to move forward with their lives.

Beatriz Williams has become a favorite author of mine. I’ve read/listened to a few of her books now and I always find them to be a wonderful escape from life for a while. Recommended for those who love women’s fiction!

Buy: Audible

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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Medicis Daughter by Sophie Perinot

November 16, 2015 by Darlene

I became a fan of Sophie Perinot’s work when I read her first novel The Sister Queens and later her part in the novel A Day of Fire. Her talent at weaving history with a captivating story is what makes her novels so entirely readable. In her newest Medicis Daughter: A Novel of Marguerite de Valois, Perinot whisks us away to the Valois Court and into the life of Marguerite Valois and a very turbulent time in French history.

The story is told to us through Marguerite (Margot) de Valois who we first meet as a young girl who has been summoned to the court of her brother King Charles IX. She quickly learns that it’s not all she thought it would be. As with most royal children Margot is used as a pawn in a struggle for power – power that her mother and the king crave. Her mother, Queen Catherine de Medicis, rules Margot with an iron fist making sure she knows that her only duty in life is to do what she’s told especially in regards to a royal marriage. Margot knows she must do her duty to her family and marry Henri of Navarre, leader of the Huguenots and a heretic, but her heart belongs to the Duc de Guise. Margot could never predict the events that will come about from her wedding. While she is depending on the peace that is promised from this marriage her mother and brother have very different ideas. Ultimately Margot has to choose between her family and what she believes is right as France erupts in the St. Bartholomew’s Massacre.

Medicis Daughter has all the elements of fantastic historical fiction – court intrigue, family politics, love, and betrayals. I loved it! I’ve read a bit about Catherine de Medicis but never about Marguerite and I was fascinated by her story. Despite being brought up to always follow orders and being used as a pawn she still had a conscious which drove her to do what she thought best. While I felt sorry for her throughout much of the novel I ultimately admired her for her strength of character.

Well researched and rich in historical detail Medicis Daughter is sure to please any historical fiction fan and it’s one of my favorites of the year. Highly recommended!

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Source: Digital review copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie

August 24, 2015 by Darlene

The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie is just the beginning of a historical fiction trilogy about King Louis XV of France and the women who captured his heart and shared his bed. This novel is rich in details of the era and it has one feeling as though they are at court and experiencing all that it had to offer which includes all the court intrigue and backstabbing to get ahead in the King’s affections. The Sisters of Versailles centers around the five Nesle sisters with the spiciest tidbit being that four of them became mistresses of the King. How’s that for court scandal?

As I began reading this novel I couldn’t believe something like this could happen … but happen it did. The story of the sisters is true in every detail making it even more intriguing. We all know that in matters of the King and the court people will destroy anything in their paths to get ahead in the favors of the King but sisters? The five Nesle sisters – Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne were close as girls but that all changed when Louise became mistress to the King. Back at the convent Pauline plotted to get an invite to court and once she did plotted to take over her sister’s place as the King’s mistress. It doesn’t stop there though as when those two sisters are out of the way Marie-Anne, once thought to be the kind and sweet one, turns out to be even more vicious in her efforts to secure her place with the King… even to the point of involving her sister Diane. Wow you say! Right! It reads like a good soap opera but it’s all true! With sisters like these who needs enemies?

Hortense is the only sister who never became a mistress to the King and she never had a desire to. Louise was the first but she was much to naive and caring to survive the court and that’s exactly why she had been so easily replaced by her sister Pauline. Pauline was not someone to like. She was mean and had no trouble pushing her sister away. The true evil one though was Marie-Anne. She was very crafty and meant to secure her position in any way she could including pretending that she didn’t even have a sister named Louise. Truly I’m still shocked that sisters could treat each other in such a manner but I imagine that’s what greed and the need for power does to some.

The Sisters of Versailles is told from the viewpoints of all the sisters. I liked how the author clearly let us know which sister was speaking and the letters she included from the sisters to each other really let the reader know how the sisters were feeling emotionally.

Rich in historical detail The Sisters of Versailles and all the juicy happenings (all the better as they are true) are sure to please the historical fiction fan! I really enjoyed it and I’m already looking forward to the next in the trilogy!

Please remember to pop by next week as I spotlight a bio on Pauline, one of The Sisters of Versailles!

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Source: Digital review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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The Passion of Marie Romanov by Laura Rose (Audiobook)

July 29, 2015 by Darlene

If you’re anything of a history buff you likely already know about the Romanov family and their horrible end and in The Passion of Marie Romanov, Laura Rose brings that history to life. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Lillian Webb and Travis Smith and they bring even more power and emotion to the story. The majority of the story is narrated by Lillian Webb as the narrative itself is told by one of the Romanov daughters Marie. The ending is narrated by Travis Smith who in a very realistic way brings the tragic end of the Romanov’s alive in our minds. Very well done by both narrators who kept me rapt throughout the telling of the Romanov’s story and the very beautiful writing of Laura Rose.

The story is told from the perspective of the third Romanov daughter Marie and is based on original diaries and letters written by her. It’s a fascinating although terribly sad accounting of what happened to the Romanov family as they were kept in captivity. When taken the Romanov’s were told they were being taken somewhere safe and so they assumed their privileged lives would carry on as they had. It wasn’t long until they realized it wasn’t so when they were unable to even get proper provisions such as food and were no longer treated to the finer things like butter and coffee. At one point the guards even whitewashed their windows effectively cutting them off from the world. As it is historical fiction there are some things like the romance Marie has with a guard brought into the picture. For me I can see a young girl of nineteen yearning for love but I’m not sure that within the time period that the Romanov’s would have lived that a well brought up girl would have carried the romance as far as she did or even had the opportunity to do so. That aside the story is so beautifully told but I will say that the ending is not for the faint of heart. The Romanov’s execution is brought to life in vivid detail and I think that’s to portray the unfairness and downright evilness that was done to this family.

I have read a bit about the Romanov’s in the past including researching them a bit on the internet because their story is so tragic. To imagine that people can kill others so brutally is so horrific to me. One has to wonder how history would have changed had they all been allowed to live. I found this account by Laura Rose to be rich in historical detail with a fictional story weaved throughout that will definitely entice the historical fiction fan. Highly recommended … especially in audio!

Listen to a Sample
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Buy: ListenUp Audiobooks, Audible

Source: Review copy provided by ListenUp Audiobooks for an honest review. No compensation was received.

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