Peeking Between the Pages

...escape into the pages of a good book

NetGalley

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

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FirebirdCanada

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley is the She Reads selection for July and what a great book to start the month off with!  I have only had the pleasure of reading one of Susanna’s books and that was The Shadowy Horses and I was thrilled to discover a character from that book as a main character in this one.  In The Firebird Susanna Kearsley seamlessly weaves history and fiction together to build a captivating tale sure to please readers!

The Firebird takes us on two journeys, one in the present and one in the past and in both there is love to be found.  In the present we have Nicola who has a gift but it’s a gift she hides from others because she desperately doesn’t want to be different.  Nicola can touch objects and see into the past into the lives of those who have previously owned the item.  Nicola is living her normal life working for an art dealer when a lady comes into the art gallery with a carving she calls the Firebird that she claims is quite old having been in her family for many, many years.  She needs money but unfortunately there is no way to determine how old this piece is or if it’s even worth anything.  That is until Nicola holds the item in her hands and is transported back to a time in history that Nicola knows would prove this item authentic.  Yet it’s not like she can tell her boss how she knows this item is the real thing, but feeling sorry for this woman Nicola sets out to prove just that along with an old love Rob McMorran who also has gifts of his own.  Through the gifts that both Nicola and Rob possess they are able to see back in time where we meet Anna. They follow her from Scotland to Russia in an attempt to solve the mystery of the Firebird.  As we go back in forth in time the story continues to build and you simply can’t wait to see how it will all come together in the final pages.

One thing I’ve learned about Susanna Kearsley already is that she is a fantastic writer who weaves beautiful stories.  I love that The Firebird was based on mainly real life characters from history and that her fictional characters are such that you feel a connection with and care about.  I really liked Nicola both for her struggles with wanting to be ‘normal’ and for being kind enough to want to help someone she didn’t even know.  Rob was a fantastic character as well and it was interesting to see him all grown up in this novel.  I like how he was proud of who he was no matter what others thought and also how sweet he was in loving Nicola. Anna was a great character as well being outspoken for a girl from the 1700’s.  Normally in books where the past and present come together I find I like one story more than the other but in this one both were equally interesting and I really enjoyed them.

If you’re looking for a great historical novel to curl up with The Firebird is a great pick.  Susanna Kearsley is fast becoming a favorite author of mine and lucky for me I’ve got a few of her books on audio to enjoy soon!

The Firebird is available at Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N and Susanna can be found on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Source:  Review copy provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.  No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell & Giveaway (US only)

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Shadow on the Crown is the debut novel of Patricia Bracewell and it releases today!  This novel is the perfect blend of historical fact and fiction and lucky for us the first in a planned trilogy by the author.  In Shadow on the Crown, Patricia Bracewell has brought alive Queen Emma of England and weaved us a tale of what her life may have been like back in medieval times.  The author has taken liberties with the story which she explains in the author’s note but the story stays true to the actual characters in history as well as the events.  To me this is what historical fiction should be – a novel that gives me just enough fact not to be bored and then a story that fully captures my attention.  I am already anxiously awaiting the second novel in this trilogy.

In the year 1002, Emma of Normandy is just fifteen years old when she is crowned Queen Emma of England and married to King Athelred.  She is in a world totally unfamiliar to her and King Athelred isn’t all that happy to have her there; so much so that he doesn’t even meet her when she arrives.  Her first meetings with the King don’t go well as he doesn’t trust her and he’s a cruel man and this seems to set the tone for their relationship as it goes forth.  As Emma tries to gain a hold on her place with the English she finds that the King, who is a bit of a wanderer, has a woman on the side who is showing herself to be a rival to Emma and one who needs to be stopped.  As is the life of any Queen, Emma needs to produce an heir and if she can’t she knows that her position as Queen is precarious at best.

Just as Emma knows that a son could secure her place and future as Queen, so do Athelred’s sons and they too do not trust Emma at all.  If she does produce a son he could easily take their place as heir to the throne as he will be the one son actually born to a Queen and not just a consort.  Yet as time goes on Emma finds herself drawn to King Athelred’s eldest son and yet she realizes that no good can come of that.  For Emma there is no one she can truly trust other than herself and her only goal in life is to produce a son and then guard him with her life.

I liked Emma as a character.  I have read one other book on her years ago so she wasn’t entirely unknown to me.  At times it seems frustrating to read about women back in this time because they seem to give in so easily to those around them that are in power.  It is those times though that you have to remember how different things were for women then.  Girls were forced into being women long before their time.  I’m looking forward to seeing how her character develops in the two novels to come.

Shadow on the Crown is a novel full of court intrigue, ambition, betrayal, and love.  It is a must read for historical fiction fans and one that I loved!  You can learn more about Patricia on her website as well as Facebook, and Twitter.   There is also a reader’s guide for Shadow on the Crown making it a great book club selection and you can pick up your own copy of the novel at Amazon, Amazon.ca, B&N, and IndieBound.

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US only)

I have one copy of Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell to share with my readers.  To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
  • For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you already do let me know so I can pass the entry on to you as well.
  • For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway is open to US residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, February 23/13.  Good luck!

Source: Review copy provided by Viking via NetGalley. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Book Review: Beside Two Rivers by Rita Gerlach

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Beside Two Rivers by Rita Gerlach is the second book in The Daughters of the Potomac series, the first being Before the Scarlet Dawn which I reviewed yesterday (my review).  This is a fantastic Christian series and I really enjoyed the second book as well as it took me again from America to England and back to America again.  As with the first book, Beside Two Rivers also pulled me into the story immediately and held me there on another emotional and hopeful journey.

Beside Two Rivers centers around Darcy, Eliza and Hayward’s daughter.  Darcy believes her mother is dead and her father disappeared years ago.  He left her with his half-brother and she’s grown up healthy and happy with her uncle, aunt, and cousins in America.  Although Darcy barely remembers either of her parents she carries many of their traits especially her mother’s adventurous spirit.  Darcy loves life and wants to experience all she can to the point where sometimes she jeopardizes her own safety and scares the dickens out of her aunt.  On a beautiful summer day at a party being held at Twin Oaks Darcy meets Ethan, a man who takes her breath away, but he is also there from England and with a woman who he apparently has an arrangement with to marry.  She loves him and believes he loves her as well until the day she receives a letter from him telling her there can never be anything between them and that he is returning to England.

Darcy is saddened but not one to be held down for long and when a letter arrives from England from her grandmother who she’s never met asking her to come and live with her for a while Darcy jumps at the offer.  Needless to say it’s a long journey from America to England but meeting her grandmother turns out to be a wonderful experience for them both.  But Darcy is also there to try to learn more about her father and mother if she can as there is so much she doesn’t know about them.  The days seem to go by pleasantly enough but nothing prepares her or her heart for meeting Ethan again.  Will their love finally blossom into more?  Or are there too many outside forces at work to keep them apart? Soon enough Darcy is faced with events that have the power to change her life forever.

Rita Gerlach can really write characters that manage to enmesh themselves into your life and make you care about them.  It was great to read about Darcy all grown up and to see how, despite all that had happened to her already, she still has a strong faith in God and his plan for her.  There were many characters from the first novel that were brought back into this story like Eliza and Fiona and while their parts weren’t huge it was still nice to revisit them.  I have really enjoyed both books, Before the Scarlet Dawn and now Beside Two Rivers, a great deal.  I am very excited that there is a third book in the series, Beyond the Valley, that will be releasing in February of 2013 and oh yes, I will most definitely be reading it!

Beside Two Rivers by Rita Gerlach is on tour with Pump Up Your Book.  Be sure to check out all the other tour stops to see what others think of the book as well.  You can connect with Rita on her blog or Facebook and your own copy of Beside Two Rivers can be purchased here in the US and here in Canada.

Source: Review copy provided by Pump Up Your Book. and the Publisher via NetGalley. No compensation was received for this review and all thoughts are my own.

Book Review: Illuminations by Mary Sharratt

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I was first introduced to Mary Sharratt’s writing when I read her novel Daughters of the Witching Hill and loved it. So of course I was excited to read her newest novel Illuminations and I was once again impressed by the writing style and story telling ability of Mary Sharratt. Illuminations by Mary Sharratt is the story of Hildegard von Bingen, who was an amazing woman who lived during the Middle Ages. She is a woman I knew nothing about before reading this novel and I found her story completely enthralling. Mary Sharratt has perfectly weaved together fact and fiction to bring alive a woman from long ago who led an extraordinary life.

Hildegard was offered to the church at eight years old and was to be an handmaiden to a more noble girl than herself called Jutta who wanted nothing more than to give herself over to the church for life. The girls weren’t just going to be nuns; they were put in a small room and actually bricked in. They had no freedom to go in and out and while this was what Jutta had wanted, it was never really a life that Hildegard desired. She missed running free, being able to see wide open spaces. All she had was a small courtyard where she grew herbs and such and she loved to study books that thankfully a young monk who became one of her best friends always brought to her.

Jutta ended up becoming saintly because of her beauty and piety. She refused to eat or sleep as she believed that sacrifice was her duty. Over time she became thinner and thinner and more and more disturbed. When a heretic tells her that Hildegard will outshine her in the years to come she decides that she no longer wants her as her handmaiden and demands to get a younger, more malleable girl. However as Hildegard took vows in the church she was not turned out and instead ending up being pretty much a mother to the two young girls are later entombed with them in the room.

When Jutta finally passes on Hildegard manages to get herself and the other two women whom she calls her daughters released from their prison where she has spent thirty some years of her life. She begins to be recognized for her visions although not everyone is happy about it and she makes a few enemies in the church. She also starts writing a book about her visions which is another thing that wasn’t looked upon to favorably by many in the church thinking that she was a heretic. Eventually she leads the other nuns away from the monks and builds one of the very first religious houses and becomes a very respected visionary although that doesn’t come without it’s own tragedies as over the years she loses many people who had become important to her.

Illuminations is one of those books that grabs you from the very first page. What makes it even more amazing to me is that it is based on historical fact. Hildegard existed at a time when women didn’t have many rights at all and yet she was willing to stand up for what or who she believed in. It’s hard to believe that there was ever a time that such young children were offered to the church and then literally kept in prisons to lead such secluded lives. In truth many families felt that they didn’t have any other options and also a life in the church was often better than what may have happened to a young girl otherwise.

I can’t possibly review Illuminations in such a way to showcase how good it is. Anybody interested in historical fiction would most definitely enjoy reading it or those interested in the workings of the church of the past. Mary Sharratt is such a talented writer who so vividly brought to life this world that Hildegard changed in her own way through her visions. Once again I will be left anxiously awaiting the next book that Mary writes for us!

Please be sure to pop by the blog tomorrow as Mary will be joining us with a guest post and a chance to enter to win a copy of her very wonderful novel Illuminations!

Source: Review copy provided by Saima Agency via NetGalley. No compensation was received for this review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony & Giveaway (US/Canada)

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The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony is not a story I will soon forget and it is one that I really enjoyed. There isn’t a lot of historical fiction  that has to do with lace and when I saw this one I was automatically drawn to it just as I am to lace itself. For me lace is intricate, delicate, and beautiful and I find its patterns as fascinating as I did this story. The Ruins of Lace is a tale wrought with obsession, treachery, greed, and loyalty in seventeenth century France with lace smuggling at it’s center and it’s effects on the people.

Lisette is a young girl when she accidentally sets fire to a lace cuff of a nobleman visiting at her home.  Unfortunately he doesn’t make allowances for young children’s mistakes and as her family didn’t have the money to reimburse the Count for the lace they ended up paying dearly for it in other ways in the years to follow.  Alexandre is a young man that came to live with Lisette’s family and has always harbored a fierce love for her even though Lisette herself feels unworthy of anyone’s love after all the trouble she’s caused.  Ultimately the Count demands as payment for keeping the families secrets that they smuggle him lace and this sets Alexandre off on a journey that will change not only his life but others as well.

On the other side is Katharina who has been making lace since she was a young girl.  She is the best lace maker at the convent but after all the years of needlework her eyesight is pretty much gone.  If you can not see, you can not make lace.  So far she’s been able to hide it as she’s been working on the same pattern for a long time and can do it by memory and feel.  Her sister Heilwich has been trying to get enough money together to buy her sister back because she knows what happens to the girls who are still young by the time they can no longer see anymore or are crippled up from the position they keep all day.  They are thrown out from the convent and left to fend for themselves and for the most part are picked up by very undesirable men and used for unmentionable purposes.  Heilwich will go to almost any extent to protect her sister from this fate.

This story is told from seven points of view, including even a dog (which at first was not a part of the story I liked), which can be a bit confusing in the beginning but quickly manages to weave itself together.  All of these people, in one way or another, are involved in lace smuggling or the desire to have lace.  I found it amazing that lace was ever even forbidden and have to admit to not knowing this as truth until reading this novel so I most definitely learned quite a bit reading this book.  That brings me to the part of the story that I was most drawn to and that was Katharina’s life.  I was horrified at the treatment of the young girls who were from poorer families that were forced into making the lace as they were essentially robbed of their lives.  By the time Katharina was thirty she was blind and so hunched over that she seemed to be an old woman.  I was fascinated though with the making of lace and the descriptions that the author uses were so vivid that I felt I could see and feel the delicate pieces of lace slipping through my fingers.

The Ruins of Lace is a fantastic story which is somewhat dark at times and yet funny in a few places as well.  Iris Anthony has a beautiful writing style that simply flows from the page and I found myself being lifted away with this tale.  I really hope to see more from this author because I wouldn’t hesitate to read another of her books which of course means I also wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this one!

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony to share with my readers.  To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
  • For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you already do let me know so I can pass the extra entry on to you as well.
  • For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, November 10/12.  Good luck!

Source:  Review copy provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.  No compensation was received for this review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley & Giveaway (US/Canada)

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The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley is the first of her books that I’ve read but it certainly will not be the last.  This book was fantastic and had me hooked from the very beginning.  I alternated reading and listening to this one and I think that made it all the better because the narrator Sally Armstrong was really awesome.  The Shadowy Horses is an atmospheric novel of ghostly happenings, history, mystery, romance, and visions of Scotland; all in one beautifully told tale.  I loved it!

Verity Grey(I love her name!)  is an archeologist and a very independent and opinionated young woman.  She’s been offered the opportunity via an old boyfriend to work at an ancient archeological site in Scotland.  She’s really not quite certain what’s going on once she arrives and she’s not even sure she’s going to stay until she meets the elderly and eccentric gentleman who is financing the dig, Peter Quinnell, and takes an instant liking to him.  He tells her that he thinks he has found the lost Ninth Legion of Rome and even more interesting he’s found it through a young boy who seems to be able to communicate with ghosts, who in this case is The Sentinel.

Soon enough Verity is embroiled in the lives of everyone and especially the little boy Robbie.  At first she doesn’t believe in anything as crazy as this little boy being able to talk to ghosts or the fact that he seems to be able to tell her what her own thoughts are but soon enough she knows he’s the real thing and she even begins to believe that there is indeed a ghost lurking about.  Then of course there is David who she meets there as well and even though the last thing she needs is a romance she can’t help but be attracted to him and it seems as though the feeling may be mutual.  As the story progresses there are twists and turns and an escalating element of suspense that kept my attention completely.

This story is so well told and the author is able, with her vivid descriptions of the village of Eyemouth in Scotland, to make you feel as though you are right there and I loved that.  I enjoyed learning a bit about the customs and ways of the Scottish as well as a bit on archeology as well.  All of the characters are well developed and interesting with Verity being my favorite.   Like I said before she’s independent with a good career, she’s spunky, and she has a good head on her shoulders.  I also learned that Susanna Kearsley is a fellow Canadian which puts her even higher on my list of books I need to read.  The Shadowy Horses is a great novel and one that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to my friends!  I can’t wait to read more from Susanna Kearsley!

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley to share with my readers.  To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
  • For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you already do let me know so I can pass that extra entry on to you as well.
  • For 3 entries, blog or tweet this review & giveaway!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, November 3/12.  Good luck!

Source: Review copy provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley as well as audiobook from personal library. No compensation was received for this review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.