strange and random happenstance

A Bride's Story, Vol. 15 by Kaoru Mori
Published by: Yen Press
Publication Date: December 16th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
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Henry Smith's time in Asia has come to an end, or so his family has decreed. He has been captivated by his study of the Silk Road and the people he has met along the way. But his family are worried about him, his sporadic correspondence might be to blame, and they have "requested" that he return home. His family friend in Ankara, Mr. Hawkins, has been asked to intercede on their behalf as he himself is leaving the conflicted region. The fact that Henry is still alive is a bit of a shock to Mr. Hawkins, but nothing to the shock he will receive. Henry had wished to retrace his steps and say a fond farewell to all those he had met along the way, to try to capture them forever in his mind and on film with a camera he was able to acquire. This would have been a long, parlous, and probably impossible journey with the movement of Russian troops, but Henry has an additional hitch. Awhile back he met a young widow, Talas. They had fallen in love but her duty to her mother-in-law made her say goodbye to the scholarly Englishman. Yet her love for him endured and she has followed him to Ankara. Mr. Smith now intends to take her on this journey as his wife. Not just through their abbreviated sojourn among his past acquaintances, but all the way back to England. Mr. Hawkins begs him to reconsider but Henry's mind is made up. Eventually Henry, Talas, and her beloved horse Chubar, make their way to the Port of Bombay. There they book passage back to England. But Henry's homecoming is anything but welcoming. His mother won't even meet Talas and will do anything to stop them from actually marrying. The scandal would ruin them. Or so she claims. Thankfully Mr. Hawkins comes to the rescue. His family have a disused hunter lodge that Henry and Talas can live while things settle down at home. Henry will work on assembling his copious notes for publication while Talas will keep sheep. English sheep might look different, but a sheep is a sheep and she knows what she's doing. She's a practical woman. She's even considering putting Chubar out to stud. Yet Henry is her opposite, a true dreamer. Which is why he decides that if he presents Talas and his marriage as a fait accompli his family will accept her. They set out for Scotland with his brother and Mr. Hawkins as co-conspirators. But will their plan work? Only time will tell.

I first discovered Kaoru Mori back in 2010 through her manga series Emma. I was so desperate to read this story that was out of print stateside that I ordered the first volume from England. Thankfully the proceeding six volumes were available through my local library. Though, if you are a fan of this manga about a Victorian maid finding love, you will perhaps notice that my library didn't have the final three volumes and I had to wait until they were rereleased in an omnibus format to finally read the ending. And that didn't happen until seven years later. All this is to say that when a Kaoru Mori book comes out you buy it. You do whatever you can to buy that book because before you know it you won't be able to get your hands on it ever again. Yes, I'm looking at you Shirley. You're the holy grail. When A Bride's Story first started getting released in English in 2011 we were spoiled in that twice we got two volumes in a single year. Now it's a volume about every other year. Not that I'm complaining. Kaoru Mori's art is so intricate and amazing, down to the finest detail of fabric or bread, that I can't believe she can even keep to a biannual schedule. From the day I picked up this series I have been captivated but this "slice-of-life tale that is at once wholly exotic, yet familiar." The stories of each and every character have captivated me. They are my friends. We readers have journeyed with Mr. Smith along the silk road and met nomadic tribesmen, overstimulated twins, skilled hunters, sister wives, and blunt bread makers. When he started to head towards Ankara in Vol. 10 it was wistful. Because as readers it felt that once his journey came to an end the series would come to an end. And as he traveled with Talas to Port Bombay it felt like a farewell tour. We weren't just saying goodbye to these characters but this way of life that Russia would soon destroy. Yet this volume showed how this story could continue outside of Asia. We see Talas and Henry struggling and succeeding to make a life. It's a different, solitary kind of life, but I can't help feeling that as long as they have each other they will survive and thrive. Though what touched me most was the quiet moments. Kaoru Mori always has these vignettes that don't tie into the rest of the story but show a moment in time in these characters' lives. Here it was how Chubar was struggling on the sea voyage and how the ship's cat came to befriend and therefore calm him. It was this moment of two animals living symbiotically that brought a smile to my face on the darkest of nights. This series just keeps me in it's thrall. The black and white line work, the characters, their stories, I never want it to end. I can't wait for Vol. 16, but it will be at least two years. Perhaps I should reread it all again? Or maybe reread Emma... You can never have enough Kaoru Mori in your life.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Bride's Story, A Bride's Story Vol. 15, Asia, Chubar, Emma, England, Horse, Kaoru Mori, Library, Manga, Marriage, Mr. Henry Smith, Russia, Ship's Cat, Shirley, Silk Road, Talas, Top Ten, Turkey, Widow

I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who remembers the miniseries Cambridge Spies. Starring Toby Stephens, Tom Hollander, Rupert Penry-Jones, and Samuel West as the famous Philby, Bugress, Maclean, and Blunt respectively. This was a whose who of top British talent that followed the infamous spies from their halcyon days at Cambridge up until they were exposed. Needless to say it was kind of a rose tinted view of spying. They had scruples but their idealism, their conviction that they were doing this for the greater good, outweighed the downside. Yes they would touch on issues like Burgess's alcoholism, but I think it was more because Tom Hollander plays a wonderful dipsomaniac than any darker import like guilt. I felt at the time that it was missing a beat. The DVD set I had rented had a documentary on it and I think that did a better job than the entire miniseries in showing how what they did was a betrayal of their country. They might have been idealistic fools but they were also traitors. Which is why I was so excited for A Spy Among Friends. Based on the nonfiction book by Ben Macintyre, this seemed like it would actually give us a version of the truth. Because the truth is that we will probably never know the whole truth. And even here, even in a world of "truth" we are warned that some things aren't as they seem. This miniseries gets to the heart of the old boys network by showing that the education and comradery forged within the upper echelons of British aristocracy was ripe for infiltration because in the world they moved in it was something that simply wasn't done. The question isn't how it was done or why it was done it's a more intimate look at two friends who come to the realization that their shared history isn't what they thought it was. Damian Lewis as Nicholas Elliot was sent to Beirut to interview Kim Philby as played by Guy Pearce and Elliot let Philby run. Much like in the Watergate scandal there was some missing minutes on their taped debriefing and that lead to much speculation. A Spy Among Friends spins out what could have happened in that time and who is playing who. It's a cat and mouse game involving Russians, Americans, Britons, and old old friends. But by pulling back the iron curtain and seeing what Philby's life in Russia was actually like gives his crimes a greater weight. Was this the glorious life he was fighting for? And what of those he left behind and those he's reunited with? Through flashbacks and dreams, we see these two men circle each other. We see the same events over and over again through different eyes with new knowledge. The genius of this miniseries is that it relies on two of the greatest actors today, Guy Pearce and Damian Lewis. They bring a weight to this miniseries that makes every betrayal land a punch. You actually feel the dead Philby's legacy is propped up with. I don't know if I have ever seen a better Cold War thriller and the fact that it rests on the shoulders of so few yet talented actors shows that with the right people and the right material you can make magic.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: A Spy Among Friends, And the Emmy Goes To, Ben Macintyre, Cambridge Spies, Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce, Kim Philby, Nicholas Elliot, Rupert Penry-Jones, Russia, Samuel West, Spy, Toby Stephens, Tom Hollander, Traitor

The Flames by Sophie Haydock
Published by: The Overlook Press
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
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The official patter:
"Set in the extravagant, Bohemian art world of early 20th century Vienna, the electrifying untold story of the four women who posed for and inspired the groundbreaking erotic art of controversial painter Egon Schiele.

Amid an opulent society living under the shadow of war are four muses, women whose bodies were shown in intimate detail, depicted by the charming yet controversial artist Egon Schiele. Adele, his passionate and fierce admirer; Gertrude, his sister who survived their blighted childhood but is possessive, single-minded, and jealous; his mistress Vally, a poor young woman from a bad background but with steel at her core; and the two, very different, Harms sisters, Edith and Adele, both of whom vie to become Schiele's wife.

Over the course of little more than a decade, the four women risk everything - their reputations, their most precious relationships, and their sanity and souls - as they try to hold on to the man they adore. As World War I throws their lives off course forever, and the Spanish influenza pandemic ravages Europe, threatening everyone in its path, one question remains: Will any of them emerge unscathed from their relationship with this man? Sophie Haydock’s The Flames reimagines the intertwining lives of these women: four wild, blazing hearts longing to be known. In an elegant Bohemian city like 1900s Vienna, everything seems possible. But just as a flame has the power to mesmerize, it can also destroy."

Oh, the college undergraduate who majored in art and loved her art history classes is loving this!

The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
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The official patter:
"A haunting, epic novel about betrayal, revenge, and redemption that follows three generations of Russian women, from the 1917 revolution to the last days of the Soviet Union, and the enduring love story at the center.

In a faraway kingdom, in a long-ago land...

...a young girl lived happily in Moscow with her family: a sister, a father, and an eccentric mother who liked to tell fairy tales and collect porcelain dolls.

One summer night, everything changed, and all that remained of that family were the girl and her mother.

Now, a decade later and studying at Oxford University, Rosie has an English name, a loving fiancé, and a promising future, but all she wants is to understand - and bury - the past. After her mother dies, Rosie returns to Russia, armed with little more than her mother's strange folklore - and a single key.

What she uncovers is a devastating family history that spans the 1917 Revolution, the siege of Leningrad, Stalin's purges, and beyond.

At the heart of this saga stands a young noblewoman, Tonya, as pretty as a porcelain doll, whose actions - and love for an idealistic man - will set off a sweeping story that reverberates across the century...."

Oh I love sweeping generational tales and nowhere are they better set than in Russia.

Daughter Dalloway by Emily France
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 350 Pages
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The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Marie Benedict and Renee Rosen, Daughter Dalloway is both an homage to the Virginia Woolf classic and a brilliant spin-off - the empowering, rebellious coming-of-age story of Mrs. Dalloway's only child, Elizabeth.

London, 1952: Forty-six-year-old Elizabeth Dalloway feels she has failed at most everything in life, especially living up to her mother, the elegant Mrs. Dalloway, an ideal socialite and model of perfection until she disappeared in the summer of 1923 - and hasn't been heard from since.

When Elizabeth is handed a medal with a mysterious inscription from her mother to a soldier named Septimus Warren Smith, she's certain it contains a clue from the past. As she sets out, determined to deliver the medal to its rightful owner, Elizabeth begins to piece together memories of that fateful summer.

London, 1923: At seventeen, Elizabeth carouses with the Prince of Wales and sons of American iron barons and decides to join the Bright Young People - a group of bohemians whose antics often land in the tabloids. She is a girl who rebels against the staid social rules of the time, a girl determined to do it all differently than her mother. A girl who doesn't yet feel like a failure.

That summer, Octavia Smith braves the journey from the countryside to London, determined to track down her older brother Septimus who returned from the war but never came home. She falls in with a group of clever city boys who have learned to survive on the streets. When one starts to steal her heart, she must discover whether he is a friend or foe - and whether she can make it in the city on her own.

Elizabeth and Octavia are destined to cross paths, and when they do, the truths they unearth will shatter their understanding of the people they love most."

The hook here is Mrs. Dalloway disappeared!

Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire
Published by: W. W. Norton and Company
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to Sotheran's, one of the oldest bookshops in the world, with its weird and wonderful clientele, suspicious cupboards, unlabeled keys, poisoned books, and some things that aren’t even books, presided over by one deeply eccentric apprentice.

Some years ago, Oliver Darkshire stepped into the hushed interior of Henry Sotheran Ltd (est. 1761) to apply for a job. Allured by the smell of old books and the temptation of a management-approved afternoon nap, Darkshire was soon unteetering stacks of first editions and placating the store’s resident ghost (the late Mr. Sotheran, hit by a tram).

A novice in this ancient, potentially haunted establishment, Darkshire describes Sotheran's brushes with history (Dickens, the Titanic), its joyous disorganization, and the unspoken rules of its gleefully old-fashioned staff, whose mere glance may cause the computer to burst into flames. As Darkshire gains confidence and experience, he shares trivia about ancient editions and explores the strange space that books occupy in our lives - where old books often have strong sentimental value, but rarely a commercial one.

By turns unhinged and earnest, Once Upon a Tome is the colorful story of life in one of the world's oldest bookshops and a love letter to the benign, unruly world of antiquarian bookselling, where to be uncommon or strange is the best possible compliment."

Hard to believe it isn't fiction.

All the Queen's Spies by Oliver Clements
Published by: Atria/Leopoldo and Co
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The "lively" (The New York Times) Agents of the Crown series continues with this thriller about Queen Elizabeth I's advisor John Dee in a race to save the Empire with the help of a mysterious manuscript that offers global power.

With rumors of the end times swirling, philosopher and astronomer John Dee travels to Prague in an effort to prevent one of Catherine de Medici's seductive ladies-in-waiting from luring the Holy Roman Emperor into a crusade against England.

To convince the famously occult-loving Emperor to join his side, Dee entices him with the esoteric Book of Secrets, a volume that, if decoded, could provide the chance to control the levers of heaven and earth. But Dee faces enemies at every turn, including a female codebreaker who could be the undoing of Dee and the British Empire."

Did someone say John Dee!?!

Death on Deck by Verity Bright
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Kindle, 332 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Lady Swift embarks upon her first luxury cruise she imagines a gilded ballroom, afternoons on deck taking tea and all the delectable food she can eat. But she can't seem to escape from murder...

Lady Eleanor Swift is all set to spend her birthday with her beau, dashing Detective Hugh Seldon, until he calls to cancel on her again at the last minute. What's a girl to do? Pack up her staff and her faithful old bulldog, Gladstone, and head off on a cruise to New York, that's what!

On the stunningly opulent ocean liner Celestiana, Eleanor tries to forget her worries and make the most of her trip. That is, until she sees a man being shot and falling overboard. On closer inspection of the scene, Eleanor literally stumbles over the likely murder weapon. And the nick in the barrel is unmistakeable: this gun belongs to Detective Seldon...

With some discreet digging, Clifford discovers Detective Seldon is aboard the ship on an undercover mission. Eleanor doesn't want to make waves but she's sure that something fishy is going on and he's being framed. To get Seldon off the hook, Eleanor casts her net wide and searches for the real murderer among a sea of suspects including European nobility, Italian opera stars and American nouveau riche. But does the victim's expensive gold ring point to a lavish lifestyle or is it a red herring?

When another passenger is found dead in his first-class cabin, a poisoned whisky glass clutched in his hand, Eleanor realises they are really in hot water. Will the killer be Eleanor's catch of the day, or will she spend her birthday at the bottom of the sea?

A totally charming, unputdownable Golden Age mystery with characters readers will adore. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss."

I adore the locked-room trope of sea voyages!

Death and Croissants by Ian Moore
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B and B in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that's the way he likes it.

One day, however, one of his older guests disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. Another guest, the exotic Valérie, persuades a reluctant Richard to join her in investigating the disappearance.

Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens... and you don't mess with a fellow's hens!

Death and Croissants is an unputdownable, hilarious mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club."

Anyone who names a chicken Ava Gardner is someone I need to know more about.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady - ah, lady of a certain age - who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to.

Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing - a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn't know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of...swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.

What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?"

Because sometimes you need a lighthearted mystery that takes place in San Francisco and you've read The Spellman Files a million times already.

So Shall You Reap  by Donna Leon
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the thirty-second installment of Donna Leon's bestselling series, a connection to Guido Brunetti's own youthful past helps solve a mysterious murder. On a cold November evening, Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from his colleague Ispettore Vianello arrives, alerting the Commissario that a hand has been seen in one of Venice's canals. The body is soon found, and Brunetti is assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant. Because no official record of the man's presence in Venice exists, Brunetti is forced to use the city's far richer sources of information: gossip and the memories of people who knew the victim.

Curiously, he had been living in a small house on the grounds of a palazzo owned by a university professor, in which Brunetti discovers books revealing the victim's interest in Buddhism, the revolutionary Tamil Tigers, and the last crop of Italian political terrorists, active in the 1980s.

As the investigation expands, Brunetti, Vianello, Commissario Griffoni, and Signora Elettra each assemble pieces of a puzzle - random information about real estate and land use, books, university friendships - that appear to have little in common, until Brunetti stumbles over something that transports him back to his own student days, causing him to reflect on lost ideals and the errors of youth, on Italian politics and history, and on the accidents that sometimes lead to revelation."

Because my mom loved this series...

The Lonesome Hunters by Tyler Crook
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 120 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Russ Manning award-winning and Eisner-nominated Harrow County co-creator Tyler Crook comes this supernatural fantasy about loss, power, and destiny.

An old and out-of-practice monster hunter in hiding crosses paths with a young girl that forces him to confront these chaotic creatures. As the beasts invade their tenement they set off on a supernatural road trip to stop these ancient evils in a story that explores the ways that youth informs adulthood and how early traumas can haunt us of in old age.

Collects The Lonesome Hunters #1–#4."

Tyler Crook is a genius.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Tarot Deck and Guidebook by Gilly and Karl James Mountford
Published by: Insight Editions
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Cards, 76 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Follow the wisdom of Buffy, Willow, Xander, Spike, and others with this beautifully illustrated tarot deck inspired by the beloved series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In every generation, there is a chosen one - explore your destiny like Buffy the Vampire Slayer with this magical and bold take on the traditional 78-card tarot deck. This set features the heroes you love, casting Buffy, Willow, Angel, Spike, Xander, Giles, and more in gorgeous original illustrations based on classic tarot iconography. Featuring both major and minor arcana, the set also includes a helpful guidebook explaining each card's meaning and simple instructions for easy readings. Packaged in a sturdy, decorative gift box, this alluring tarot deck is the perfect gift for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan or tarot enthusiast.

ORIGINAL ART: Each of the 78 cards in this deck and the booklet features never-before-seen original Buffy the Vampire Slayer-themed art.

GUIDEBOOK INCLUDED: This unique deck includes a guidebook to help tarot practitioners of all skill levels do fun and informed readings.

BEAUTIFUL GIFT: The tarot deck and guidebook are packaged in a deluxe gift box perfect for gift-giving.

OFFICIAL LICENSED BUFFY DECK: This is the only official licensed Buffy the Vampire Slayer deck and guide.

25TH ANNIVERSARY: This deck is the perfect way to celebrate 25 years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

As Deanna Raybourn recently asked, "Can one have too many tarot decks?" The answer is no when there's a Buffy one coming out!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Donna Leon, Egon Schiele, Emily France, Ian Moore, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Kristen Loesch, Mrs. Dalloway, Oliver Clements, Oliver Darkshire, Russia, Sophie Haydock, Tyler Crook, Verity Bright

A Swirl of Shadows by Andrea Penrose
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2022
Format: Kindle, 358 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Arianna has lost her baby. She didn't even know if she'd be able to conceive therefore it felt like a miracle. A very short lived miracle. A fortnight after their adventures in Paris she miscarried. The words of her friends and medical professionals fell on deaf ears when they told her it wasn't her fault. She gave Sandro hope of an heir and she failed him. She has lost her edge, her spark, her fire. She sits in darkened rooms claiming to be working on her book of recipes but really she is dwelling on her past, on her future, and on her letting Sandro down. Lord Grentham hopes to lure her out of her depression. Tsar Alexander has requested Arianna's help. A medallion has gone missing. But this is more than just a medallion, the Rurik Medallion is a talisman symbolizing a Tsar's right to rule Russia. If the Tsar doesn't have it with him for an upcoming event his reign will be cursed and he will be ousted. Yes, Arianna feels bad for the Tsar, but that doesn't mean she's going to drag herself far from home into the depths of a Russian winter. That is when Grentham plays his trump card. He thought she'd refuse so he sent her brother instead. She is furious. How could he send her innocent brother into the Byzantine bowels of Russian court intrigue!?! Especially once she learns that the Orlov family is still making a power play despite her killing whom she viewed was the worst of the lot. Still, Arianna needs peace and quiet, it's only when a Russian Baroness, Anna-Maria Gruzinsky, is brutally murdered with Arianna's name and address on a slip of paper in her reticule that Arianna decides she must go to Russia. Sandro and Sophie are obviously coming as well, and Grentham has saddled them with Arianna's old comrade Wolffy, as well as a new acquaintance, Major Prescott, who is half Russian and they might not be able to trust him. But Arianna feels a fire in her belly despite the cold surrounding her. She will keep the Tsar appeased, she will befriend his new religious guru Mrs. Schuyler, she will find the medallion, and she will keep the power structure stable in Russia in order to preserve Britain's most important alliance. But will the fire in her belly bring back her spark or do her actions bely the fact that her life is irreparably changed?

There's a trope in historical fiction that I don't much care for. That's when an active heroine blames herself for a miscarriage due to her lifestyle. In most fictional cases, sure, there is sometimes a direct cause and effect, and women do need to mourn, even fictional ones, but the blame game gets to be too much. My problem is that it's overused and, particularity in this case, Arianna's past medical history would indicate that she might not be able to carry a baby to term so it was more expected. Only time will tell if she can have a baby. Therefore I was kind of dreading an entire book about Arianna trying to find her spark, which of course she does, but thankfully because of the time lapse we join our heroine at the end of her deep mourning just in time for her to go to Russia more to prove to herself that she can than any other reason. Now THIS is why I loved this book. Russia! And all things you expect from a classic Russian tale, dubious rulers, dodgy mystics, deranged religious leaders, with more than a dusting of snow. Ah Russia. You are in my bones, literally, if it wasn't for Doctor Zhivago I wouldn't exist. Over the eighteen months or so I've been watching old Masterpiece Theatre series while I exercise. One of my favorite, hands down, was Anna Karenina. It brought the world of Russia to life the same way A Swirl of Shadows did. This felt like a great Russian classic and I never wanted it to end. Andrea Penrose captured St. Petersburg and it's court perfectly. I didn't realize until I got to the note at the end of the book that she had spent considerable time there. Well, it showed. After you read a lot of historical fiction you get a feeling as to who knows what they're talking about and who is passable with minimal research. Andrea Penrose knows what she's talking about. There's a verisimilitude that I haven't found in many writers, especially when if comes to capturing historical figures. And as for the medallion MacGuffin? Sure, it's note real, but it feels like it should be. The whole idea of it is very Russian, much like poisoning your enemies and killing ideologues. Mrs. Schuyler should be glad she got out when she could!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Swirl of Shadows, Andrea Penrose, Anna Karenina, Arianna Hadley, Doctor Zhivago, MacGuffin, Masterpiece Theatre, Miscarriage, Regency Romp, Rurik Medallion, Russia, Sandro, St. Petersburg, Tsar Alexander

A Tangle of Serpents by Andrea Penrose
Publication Date: April 6th, 2020
Format: Kindle, 358 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

With Napoleon's loss at Waterloo and his army in disarray the allied forces are descending on Paris to jockey for position and power. That means Lord Grentham's job behind the scenes is even more important, keeping everyone's ego in check so not one country can let the thought of more power or new territories go to their head. Which makes Grentham being accused of being a traitor rather convenient for someone. Especially when Grentham goes on the run, apparently lending credence to the rumors. But Arianna, despite their fractious past, is unwilling to view Grentham as a traitor. Her husband though, well, he's open to the possibility. If Grentham saw a way for England to succeed by going rogue, he might well do so. While the couple are at loggerheads, there's Sophia Kirtland's feelings to consider. Sophia, whose heart she exposed to Grentham. She CAN NOT believe this of him. She's in even more shock when Grentham threatens their lives. Not shocked that he did so, just shocked from the blast of the bomb. As she so eloquently points out, if Grentham had wanted them dead, they would be dead, if he had just wanted them to back off, this is exactly what he'd do. It's a cry for help. Help that he doesn't want. And Arianna, Sandro, Sophia, and Constantina are going to be there to help him whether he wants it or not. Therefore they are going to Paris. Whomever is framing Grentham has to be at the heart of the intrigue and the heart of all intrigues right now is Paris, and thankfully Sandro can attach himself to the scientific delegation going there. The problem is, they don't know where to start. The trail of evidence that Grentham left was planted by Gretham so it will get them nowhere fast. Therefore they walk the streets, go shopping, attend soirees, go to restaurants, visit attractions, all in the hope that they will overhear some telling bit of gossip that will lead them in the right direction. But there are also distractions, a young engineer, Mr. Richard Fitzroy, has introduced himself to Arianna as her half-brother. She doesn't doubt that they could be related, he's the spitting image of her father, but why introduce himself now? And things are getting to a head with Prince Orlov. He plans this to be his and Arianna's last encounter, and he might be right. With the tangles of intrigue swirling around them, can their friend's name be cleared or is his fate sealed?

Lady Arianna's adventures are very much comfort reads, it all starts with Arianna and Sandro hoping for some downtime, and then someone's friend or relative is threatened, lightning has now struck five times if Sandro's interested, the gaggle hare off somewhere, there are lots of weapons and women wielding weapons, much chocolate is drunk and ate, the elaborate conspiracy is uncovered, and everyone goes off into the sunset, until the next adventure, which might even be starting before this one has fully finished. Reading the adventures back to back they can be a little repetitive. Even turns of phrase start to insist on becoming a drinking game, this time around it was anyone who had a peal rung over their head. But please, I urge caution, if you are a fast reader and take up this drinking game you will get drunk very fast. What makes each individual volume stick out therefore comes down to the history. As anyone who has studied any bit of history will tell you once the war is over the peace negotiations begin. For some reason I had never really thought about this with regard to Napoleon. At least not after his second defeat. My mind had him caught at Waterloo and the monarchy that had been restored while he was on Elba just taking back over. This is not how it went down. Napoleon fled to the coast and was attempting to board a ship for the New World and instead ended up surrendering a full month after the battle of Waterloo! This tale takes place after Paris was liberated, again, and all the political forces were descending on the city to see and be seen while having a cultural exchange of ideas as well as jockey for power. France, Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia were all there with their own agendas. And Andrea Penrose posits, what if some of these powers were up to no good in order to get exactly what they wanted in what would end up being the Treaty of Paris, or more accurately, the Second Treaty of Paris. To me, this makes total sense. Of course if you have a seat at the table you want your plate to be piled the highest. But there's legitimate negotiation and then there's what happens here. And honestly, this seems more likely. If only the world had more righteously minded folk like Arianna, Sandro, Sophia, Grentham, and their numerous comrades in order to set things to right...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrea Penrose, Arianna Hadley, Battle of Waterloo, Chocolate, Lord Grentham, Mystery, Napoleon, Paris, Prince Orlov, Regency Romp, Russia, Sandro, Second Treaty of Paris, Sophia Kirtland, Traitor, Treaty of Paris

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and The Kingdoms, an epic Cold War novel set in a mysterious town in Soviet Russia.

In 1963, in a Siberian prison, former nuclear specialist Valery Kolkhanov has mastered what it takes to survive: the right connections to the guards for access to food and cigarettes, the right pair of warm boots, and the right attitude toward the small pleasures of life so he won't go insane. But one day, all that changes: Valery's university mentor steps in and sweeps him from the frozen camp to a mysterious unnamed city. It houses a set of nuclear reactors, and surrounding it is a forest so damaged it looks like the trees have rusted from within.

In City 40, Valery is Dr. Kolkhanov once more, and he's expected to serve out his prison term studying the effect of radiation on local animals. But as Valery begins his work, he is struck by the questions his research raises. Why is there so much radiation in this area? What, exactly, is being hidden from the thousands who live in the town? And if he keeps looking for answers, will he live to serve out his sentence?

Based on real events in a surreal Soviet city, and told with bestselling author Natasha Pulley's inimitable style, The Half Life of Valery K is a sweeping new adventure for readers of Stuart Turton and Sarah Gailey."

I'm always here for Natasha Pulley, even if I've had a bit too much of Russia lately.

Old Country by Matt Query and Harrison Query
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Based on the Reddit sensation, a horror thriller of a young couple who buys the perfect, secluded house - only to discover the terror within.

It's the house of their dreams. Former marine Harry and his wife, Sasha, have packed up their life and their golden retriever, Dash, and fled the corporate rat race to live off the land in rural Idaho. Their breathtaking new home sits on more than forty acres of meadow, aspen trees, and pine forest in the Teton Valley. Even if their friends and family think it’s a strange choice for an up-and-coming pair of urban professionals, Harry and Sasha couldn’t be happier about the future they’re building, all by their lonesome.

That is, until their nearest neighbors, Dan and Lucy Steiner, come bearing more than housewarming gifts. Dan and Lucy warn Harry and Sasha of a malevolent spirit that lives in the valley, one that with every season will haunt them in fresh, ever-more-diabolical ways. At first, it seems like an old wives' tale. But when spring arrives, so does the first evil manifestation, challenging everything Harry and Sasha thought they knew about the world.

As each season passes, the spirit grows stronger, the land more sinister, and each encounter more dangerous. Will Harry and Sasha learn the true meaning of a forever home before it’s too late? Haunting and bone-chilling, Old Country is a spellbinding debut in the horror genre."

Never knock stories that start out non-traditionally, I've spent many a sleepless night due to horror stories on Twitter and Reddit, and I'm not talking about the news thank you very much.

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda
Published by: Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda returns with a gripping and propulsive thriller that opens with the disappearance of a journalist who is investigating a string of vanishings in the resort town of Cutter's Pass - will its dark secrets finally be revealed?

Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter's Pass. Cutter's Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings - rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall - and its mysterious history. As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself.

Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she's come to view Cutter's Pass as her home. When Landon's brother Trey shows up looking for answers, Abby can't help but feel the town closing ranks. And she's still on the outside. When she finds incriminating evidence that may bring them closer to the truth, Abby soon discovers how little she knows about her coworkers, neighbors, and even those closest to her.

Megan Miranda brings her best writing to The Last to Vanish, a riveting thriller filled with taut suspense and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end."

A close community and a history of outsiders vanishing? Yes please!

Into the Sublime by Kate A. Boorman
Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A new YA psychological thriller from the author of What We Buried about four teenage girls who descend into a dangerous underground cave system in search of a lake of local legend, said to reveal your deepest fears.

When the cops arrive, only a few things are clear:
- Four girls entered a dangerous cave.
- Three of them came out alive.
- Two of them were rushed to the hospital.
- And one is soaked in blood and ready to talk.

Amelie Desmarais' story begins believably enough: Four girls from a now-defunct thrill-seeking group planned an epic adventure to find a lake that Colorado locals call "The Sublime." Legend has it that the lake has the power to change things for those who risk - and survive - its cavernous depths. They each had their reasons for going. For Amelie, it was a promise kept to her beloved cousin, who recently suffered a tragic accident during one of the group's dares.

But as her account unwinds, and the girls' personalities and motives are drawn, things get complicated. Amelie is hardly the thrill-seeking type, and it appears she's not the only one with the ability to deceive. Worse yet, Amelie is covered in someone's blood, but whose exactly? And where's the fourth girl?

Is Amelie spinning a tale to cover her guilt? Or was something inexplicable waiting for the girls down there? Amelie's the only one with answers, and she's insisting on an explanation that is more horror-fantasy than reality. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between?

After all, strange things inhabit dark places. And sometimes we bring the dark with us."

Personally, I would have been out at the underground cave system, which I why I love to read about spooky things I would never ever do.

The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson
Published by: Mobius
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It wouldn't be a country house weekend without a little murder...

Three rival actresses team up to solve a murder at the stately home of Lettice Davenport, the author whose sleuthing creation of the 1930s, Dahlia Lively, had made each of them famous to a new generation. A contemporary mystery with a Golden Age feel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Jessica Fellowes - and Janice Hallett and Richard Osman, of course!

In attendance at Aldermere: the VIP fans, staying at house; the fan club president turned convention organizer; the team behind the newest movie adaptation of Davenport's books; the Davenport family themselves; and the three actresses famous for portraying Dahlia Lively through the decades.

There is national treasure Rosalind King, from the original movies, who's feeling sensitive that she's past her prime, TV Dahlia for thirteen seasons, Caro Hooper, who believes she really IS Dahlia Lively, and ex-child star Posy Starling, fresh out of the fame wilderness (and rehab) to take on the Dahlia mantle for the new movie - but feeling outclassed by her predecessors.

Each actress has her own interpretation of the character and her own secrets to hide - but this English summer weekend they will have to put aside their differences as the crimes at Aldermere turn anything but cosy.

When fictional death turns into real bodies, can the three Dahlias find the answers to the murders among the fans, the film crew and the family - or even in Lettice's books themselves?"

It's like meta Agatha Christie if David Suchet and Kenneth Branagh stopped by!

The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Allison Montclair returns with the fourth Sparks and Bainbridge mystery, The Unkept Woman: London, 1946, Miss Iris Sparks - currently co-proprietor of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau - has to deal with aspects of her past exploits during the recent war that have come back around to haunt her.

The Right Sort Marriage Bureau was founded in 1946 by two disparate individuals - Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge (whose husband was killed in the recent World War) and Miss Iris Sparks who worked as an intelligence agent during the recent conflict, though this is not discussed. While the agency flourishes in the post-war climate, both founders have to deal with some of the fallout that conflict created in their personal lives. Miss Sparks finds herself followed, then approached, by a young woman who has a very personal connection to a former paramour of Sparks. But something is amiss and it seems that Iris's past may well cause something far more deadly than mere disruption in her personal life. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn is struggling to regain full legal control of her life, her finances, and her son - a legal path strewn with traps and pitfalls.

Together these indomitable two are determined and capable and not just of making the perfect marriage match."

Because life, and marriage, are always in need of investigative assistance.

Mint Chocolate Murder by Meri Allen
Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Riley Rhodes returns in the second delicious cozy set in a New England ice cream shop, Meri Allen's Mint Chocolate Murder!

When Udderly Delightful Ice Cream shop manager Riley Rhodes is summoned to Penniman’s Moy Mull Castle, it's the cherry on top of a successful summer season. The Gothic pile built by an eccentric New England Gilded Age millionaire has been transformed into a premiere arts colony by Maud Monaco, a reclusive former supermodel. As part of Moy Mull's Fall Arts Festival, Maud is throwing a fantasy ice cream social and hires Riley to whip up unique treats to celebrate the opening of an exhibit by Adam Blasco, a photographer as obnoxious as he is talented.

As Penniman fills up with Maud’s art-world friends arriving for the festival, gossip swirls around Blasco, who has a dark history of obsession with his models. Riley’s curiosity and instincts for sleuthing - she was a CIA librarian - are piqued, and she wonders at the hold the cold-hearted photographer has over the mistress of Moy Mull.

But when Adam is found dead behind the locked door of Moy Mull's dungeon, Riley realizes there’s more than one suspect who’d wanted to put the malicious photographer on ice."

Yes, the Gothic pile and Gilded Age mansion are all well and good but I can't be the only one willing to kill for that ice cream on the cover can I?

Bayou Sweetheart by Lexi Blake
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sparks fly in Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou when a Hollywood starlet falls for a local deputy in a small-town contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

After leaving the military, Major Blanchard moved to Papillon, Louisiana, to be with his aging father, where he's taken a deputy position with the sheriff's department. Now that he's settling into life on the bayou, he's trying out the dating scene. Every single woman in town seems to be pining after the handsome newcomer. But so far, nothing's worked out, and he's had some spectacularly bad dates. Major's getting ready to give up on love when a new lady roars into town to film a movie and turns his world upside down.

Actress Brynn Pearson is trying to make a successful transition from child star to leading lady. Now that she's landed her first lead in a major film, nothing can stop her. She's committed to focusing solely on her work, so romance is the last thing she needs - too bad she can’t get her mind off the dreamy deputy she keeps running into. He’s gorgeous, and something about him makes her feel safe. As Brynn’s feelings for Major deepen, she starts to wonder if maybe there’s more to life than her career.

When a family crisis throws Major's life into a tailspin, he turns to Brynn for support, and hopes their budding relationship will shine brighter than Hollywood lights."

A little southern comfort of a lazy summer day.

The Rake's Daughter by Anne Grace
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An earl is forced to play matchmaker for the daughters of a rake in a smart and witty new Regency romance from the national bestselling author of The Scoundrel;s Daughter.

Recently returned to England, Leo, the new Earl of Salcott, discovers he's been thrust into the role of guardian to an heiress, the daughter of a notorious rake. Even worse, his wealthy ward has brought her half-sister, the beautiful but penniless Isobel, with her. Leo must find Clarissa a suitable husband, but her illegitimate half sister, Izzy, is quite another matter. Her lowly birth makes her quite unacceptable in London’s aristocratic circles.

However, the girls are devoted to each other and despite the risk of scandal if Izzy's parentage is discovered, they refuse to be separated. To Leo’s frustration, nothing will convince them otherwise. Even worse, sparks fly every time Leo and Izzy interact.

Called away to his country estate, Leo instructs the young ladies to stay quietly at home. But when he returns, he's infuriated to discover that Izzy and Clarissa have launched themselves into society - with tremendous success! There's no going back. Now Leo must enter society to protect Clarissa from fortune hunters, and try not to be driven mad by the sharp-witted, rebellious, and intoxicating Izzy."

Here for ALL the Regency and ALL the Rakes!

Storm Echo by Nalini Singh
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into the hearts of two fractured people in a world on the brink of a psychic Armageddon...

Silence has fallen. The Psy are free to feel emotion. Free to love. But Silence was never a prison for Ivan Mercant. The biggest threat to his future lies dormant in his brain - a psychic monster that wants only to feed. And now, the brutal leash he's kept on that monster is slipping. He prepared for this day, for the end of Ivan Mercant...but that was before he met Lei.

As primal as she is human, this wild changeling brings color into his life, laughter to his soul. Then the dream shatters in a rain of blood, in silent bodies in the snow. Lei is gone. Vanished without a trace...until he meets strangely familiar eyes across a busy San Francisco street.

Soleil Bijoux Garcia is a healer who has lost everything. She exists in a world of desolate aloneness...till the day she finds herself face-to-face with a lethal stranger. The animal who is her other half knows this man, but her memories are tattered fragments. Sorrow and a need for vengeance are all that drive her. Her mission? To kill the alpha of the DarkRiver leopard pack.

But fate has other plans. Soon, a deadly soldier who believes himself a monster and a broken healer might be all that stand between life and death for the entire Psy race...."

A different side of San Francisco!

Master of Shadows by Joss Walker and R.K. Perez
Published by: Two Tales Press
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A lost grimoire. A dangerous new enemy. And a powerful magical weapon that could destroy the world.

Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian, is back for another exciting mission. When her mentor goes missing, Jayne is sent to Paris to find him, only to land in the crosshairs of a deadly terrorist organization and their diabolical weapon, a mysterious poison that renders their enemies powerless.

Fighting to combat this weakness, Jayne struggles to make peace with her sister, who has been hiding the truth of their family history for years, and overcome difficulties with her shifter boyfriend, who can't quite sync up with Jayne's new powers. Even worse, the terrorists demand she locate a necromantic grimoire in France, or they will kill her mentor.

As Jayne hunts for the grimoire, she unlocks the secret to summoning the Master of Shadows-a long-dead master magician possessing a dark and destructive magic. With this lethal power unleashed, she must protect her team from the worst magical threats they've ever faced...or suffer the deadly consequences."

A series heartily endorsed by Johnnie Cakes, and therefore a must buy from me!

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies - perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent and Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased - and not always true - divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he's crowned at the end of the summer - unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus's love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom - all depending on the prince's choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that's growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet's wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can't change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom - or doom them all."

A very Storyteller Sleeping Beauty vibe. 

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This dark, lush, and beautiful reimagining of the story of Rapunzel presents the witch's perspective in this tale of motherhood, magic, and the stories we pass down to our children.

Everyone knows the tale of Rapunzel in her tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there?

Haelewise has always lived under the shadow of her mother, Hedda - a woman who will do anything to keep her daughter protected. For with her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, Haelewise is shunned by her village, and her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches, of princes in wolf-skins, of an ancient tower cloaked in mist, where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it.

Then, Hedda dies, and Haelewise is left unmoored. With nothing left for her in her village, she sets out to find the legendary tower her mother used to speak of - a place called Gothel, where Haelewise meets a wise woman willing to take her under her wing.

But Haelewise is not the only woman to seek refuge at Gothel. It’s also a haven for a girl named Rika, who carries with her a secret the Church strives to keep hidden. A secret that reveals a dark world of ancient spells and murderous nobles behind the world Haelewise has always known...

Told from her own perspective, The Book of Gothel is a lush, historical retelling filled with dark magic, crumbling towers, mysterious woods, and evil princes. This is the truth they never wanted you to know, as only a witch might tell it."

I have always been obsessed with the story of Rapunzel and still remember being four or five and being shocked my teacher didn't know how to spell her name. She forever went down in my estimation.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Allison Montclair, Anne Grace, Cold War, Gina Chen, Harrison Query, Joss Walker, Kate A. Boorman, Katy Watson, Lexi Blake, Mary McMyne, Matt Query, Megan Miranda, Meri Allen, Nalini Singh, Natasha Pulley, Russia

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: June 4th, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy (Different edition then one reviewed)

Alina and Mal barely escaped the Darkling in the fold of darkness and death that divides Ravka. Alina wrested back control of her power from the Darkling, but not before a deadly price was paid. So many lives lost on that sand skiff. Hiding out halfway around the world Alina is haunted by what happened and the choices she has made. Sickening, she longs to use her powers and the ill gotten amplifier but it is too risky. She has turned her back on Ravka, hoping for a new life with Mal and that the rumors of the Darkling's continued existence are a lie. But they cannot hide forever. The Darkling finds them across the True Sea. He has plans for Alina and disturbing new powers of his own. He isn't just manipulating the world around him, he is creating something new, he is using the darkest of magics. He is dabbling in the forbidden. Instead of taking his captives back to Ravka the Darkling takes them far north on the hunt for another creature out of fairy tale and myth. A second forbidden amplifier for Alina's powers. Though little does the Darkling know that there are other people who also have plans for Alina. Plans that she can't ignore. Impossible you might say, but really you probably mean improbable. Alina can no longer turn her back on her country's suffering as the Grisha are ostracized and Ravka is divided. She agrees to return and lead the second army in the place of the Darkling with the sole purpose of his downfall. Yet are her new powers and believed divinity a match for the Darkling? Or does she need more power in order to succeed? The fact remains that the Darkling is the only one who understands what she is going through and therefore the only one she can turn to. A fact born out the more removed she feels from the other Grisha and in particular from Mal. But those are things that can wait, the battle with the Darkling is coming. Can she survive it in tact or will the power coursing through her corrupt her like it did the Darkling?

In the battle of good versus evil there always comes a time when the wiser action is to run. To regroup and come back hopefully stronger than before. While necessary, this can sometimes lead to boring storytelling. The suffering, the privations, the hardships, the hope of news that perhaps the luck of the enemy is running out. These stories are never my favorite. After the epic showdown in the fold between Alina and the Darkling Bardugo went in an unexpected direction. The Darkling forces Alina and Mal out of hiding almost immediately. Alina and Mal could go on the offensive while preparing a strong defense without us waiting until the next volume. A defense that might involve fairy tales. Bardugo has tapped into the vein of Russian folktales and brought out what modernization and progress mean to our shared past. In Siege and Storm the words of the Darkling that the time of the Grisha is coming to a close is not only explored but expanded on. There is this interesting dynamic of past versus future, with the old ways dying off. The future doesn't belong to Tsars and magic and fairy tales, but to iron and steel and guns. Yes, we see glimpses that perhaps, just maybe, there could be a world where they could coexist, feeding each other, but that seems like the true fairy tale. Yet what strikes me most is that while Ravka might possibly be saved by these modern military advancements, their only true hope lies with Alina. Alina isn't a creature of the modern world, she is of the old world. She is of the time when maps still bore legends that said beyond here there be monsters. She thinks in fairy stories of the too-clever fox. The third amplifier she seeks is that of the fire bird, a creature of myth that isn't just in one or two stories, but in every story of Ravka. A fairy tale holds the key to the future, and that is a world that I want to live in. A world where stories are real.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alina, Amplifier, Bardugo Bash, Deification, Fairy Tales, Fire Bird, Folktales, Grisha, Leigh Bardugo, Mal, Modernization, Myths, Ravka, Russia, Russian, Second Army, Siege and Storm, Sun Summoner, The Darkling, Tsars

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: June 5th, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy (Different edition then one reviewed)

Alina and Mal only have each other. Orphaned in the wars they grew up looking to each other for everything. Now they are in the first army together, Mal's a tracker and Alina's a cartographer. But little does Mal know Alina's true feelings for him. The way her heart thumps when he's near or how she worries that they might be parted. Their parting is near at hand. The land of Ravka is divided by a darkness, a nothing. The capital is cut off from the ports and the country has been vulnerable for hundreds of years while creatures roam the blackness killing those who try to cross it. Mal and Alina are about to attempt the crossing with their units; only everything goes wrong. They are attacked and it looks as if they are both going to die, but then a light as bright as the sun shines out and cuts the creatures down. Little does Alina realize that the light emanated from her. Being called before the leader of the second army, the Darkling, Alina thinks that for some reason she is in trouble, but doesn't know why she is brought before the Grisha. The Grisha are masters of the small science, innate abilities in them that classify them as Corporalki, Etheralki, or Materialki, with powers ranging from stopping a human heart to metallurgy. Summoning the Sun means that Alina is an Etheralki who somehow avoided detection. Finding out that she isn't in trouble but is in fact what their country has been praying for since the arrival of this dark rift puts pressure beyond measure on Alina. Not only is she trying to forget the pain of being separated from Mal, she's dealing with the cosseted little world of backbiting Grishas, all while coming to grips with a power she never knew she had and hoping that it's all just a big mistake. Yet what if the Darkling has a different purpose in mind for Alina's powers than banishing the darkness? Will she be able to withstand his magnetism and the allure of life at court and find her way back to Mal?

It should go without saying that I obviously had to re-read this entire series before the Netflix adaptation hit the small screen. I wanted to reimmerse myself in the Grishaverse before it became something more, something else. Plus with the way the world has been it's a comfort to sink back into a series where you know what to expect. There's a reason I reread Harry Potter so much. This time around I wasn't thinking so much about the series being Tamora Pierce meets Buffy meets Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games meets The Neverending Story meets on and on and on with Malcolm Reynolds by another name. Instead I enjoyed it fully on it's own terms, even with some of the bizzarre naming choices which I hope are jokes. Fjerda HAS to be a Swedish Chef joke right? Børk Børk Børk! But it's the subtler undertones of Mother Russia that drew me in again and that coheres the book, versus the more absurd elements (Børk!) The mirroring of the political situation of Russia at the beginning of the last century was spot on. Strip out all the Grishas and the magic, take out an evil nothing and what have we got? We have a country with a widening gap between the haves and the have nots. The King is just a figurehead that no one respects and has a mysterious religious leader as counsel. The power of the country resides in the army and out of this a megalomaniacal leader will take the country's reigns for his own will. So the Darkling is Stalin or Lenin, with the Apparat as Rasputin. Yet by seeing this through a filter of fiction and fantasy it somehow makes it more real than less real. When we travel with Alina from her life of drudgery in the army to her life of splendor in the Little Palace we get to see in stark relief the widening gap between the haves and the have nots. Sometimes it takes another medium to filter events for us to get at the truth of something, and that is what Leigh Bardugo has done in Shadow and Bone. It might not be perfect (Børk), but it is memorable and echoes down the ages to our shared history.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Adaptation, Bardugo Bash, Etheralki, Grisha, Grishaverse, Imperial Russia, Leigh Bardugo, Netflix, Rasputin, Ravka, Russia, Shadow and Bone, Sun Summoner, The Darkling, The Fold, The Little Palace, The Swedish Chef

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
Published by: Bullseye Books
Publication Date: 1936
Format: Paperback, 281 Pages
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Fun fact time. My mother wasn't a fan of ballet. Extra odd because she was a Russian major and I know studied the Ballets Russes. So either she didn't like ballet because of her studies or it was just something she said to me because she didn't want me to do it. In fairness I would have been a horrible ballet student and she was just heading off a battle before it started. But here's the thing, I couldn't care less about ballet. I never wanted to take ballet, the shoes just transfixed me the first time I saw them in a store window at West Towne Mall. So if my mom's outward dislike of ballet came about because I was eyeing those shoes, I feel bad that we couldn't unite in our dislike. Despite her "dislike" of ballet she adored Ballet Shoes. In fact, she adored any book written by Noel Streatfeild, an author that is shamefully underrepresented on US shelves with only a handful of her many "shoes" books available here. In fact I had to often order her books from England for my mom because she couldn't get enough of her writing! Thankfully Noel Streatfeild's books are a little more accessible stateside after the adorable 2007 adaptation of this book staring Emma Watson. So if you're an author whose books aren't showing up on the shelves just get a movie adapted of your work staring someone from Harry Potter and you're set apparently! As to why it's a favorite of my mom's? She loved historical fiction about children foisted into situations meant to test their mettle. Extra points if they're an odd conglomeration of a family with lots of quirks and ambitions. And if that's your jam this book will be up your alley too.   

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Adaptation, Ballet, Ballet Shoes, Ballets Russes, Emma Watson, England, Family, Harry Potter, Historical Fiction, Mall Rats, Noel Streatfeild, Russia, Shoes, These Are a Few of My Favorite Things, West Towne Mall

Nancy Drew: The Curse by Micol Ostow
Published by: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: March 30th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Based on the TV series Nancy Drew, the most-watched new show on the CW!

In this prequel novel, the beloved teen sleuth investigates a sinister, once-dormant curse that may be threatening her town once more. This is Nancy Drew for today, perfect for fans of Riverdale, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Stranger Things!

A curse is just a mystery dressed up in a sharp, stern warning. And everyone knows that I love a mystery.

Nancy Drew isn’t one for ghost stories. So when the annual Horseshoe Bay Naming Day celebration is threatened by eerie warnings of an old curse, Nancy is sure someone - someone human - is behind them. And no way is she letting this person stand in the way of her best friend, Daisy, finally getting her day in the spotlight as the lead in the much-anticipated Naming Day reenactment.

But as Nancy begins investigating, the so-called marks of the curse become bolder...and more sinister. A vandalized locker and ominous notes are one thing, but soon enough lives - including Nancy’s own - are at stake. Though the dreams and eerie visions plaguing Nancy are certainly just products of her own mind...right?

All old towns have their traditions and histories, but as Nancy will soon discover, they don’t always tell the whole story."

OK, so I'm addicted to the new Nancy Drew and thankfully while new episodes might be MIA for awhile I have a tie-in novel! 

Jane Goes North by Joe R. Lansdale
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: March 30th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 232 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jane has lost her job at the laundry due to a ketchup package she forgot to remove from an expensive item, and her prospects look dim. To top off matters, her younger sister, who lives up north, and who Jane has problems with, is getting married and has mailed her an invitation that Jane believes was sent due to her sister not expecting her to be able to come. A long bout of sibling rivalry makes Jane all the more determined to go, even if her car has gone to hell. To make the journey, Jane forms an uncomfortable alliance with a grumpy, one-eyed, weight-lifting lady named Henry, who may or may not abandon her along the way, and has plans to see a doctor Henry claims can renew her sight. Add past memories of a sexual dalliance with a drunk preacher in the back lot of the church across from her house, an infamous naked run along a creek bank, failed marriages, including an ex-husband that has a bit of goat ardor, and with a shoe full of money, Jane and Henry hit the road. They meet up with modern slavers, panty snatchers, disabled thieves with a sense of grandeur, a country singer named Cheryl who is on the downhill slide, and a quest for the world's greatest toaster that can toast four slices of bread all at once, or in sequence, and has a clock on it. It's one incredible quest consisting of rides in cow trailers, a stolen car, and a convertible, a pirate outfit for children, and what will become a unique friendship."

Who doesn't want a little Joe R. Landsdale right now?

The Gobblin' Society by James P. Blaylock
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: March 30th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For more than thirty years, James P. Blaylock has enthralled and delighted readers with a series of stories, novels and novellas featuring Langdon St. Ives, adventurer, man of science, Victorian gentleman. The best of these, such as Beneath London, Lord Kelvin's Machine, and The Aylesford Skull are among the most stylish, consistently witty entertainments of recent years. The Gobblin' Society, the latest episode in St. Ives's colorful career, belongs very much in that company. The story begins with an inheritance. Following a protracted legal battle, Alice St. Ives, Langdon's wife, has come into full possession of Seaward, the house left to her by her late Uncle Godfrey, a man with a number of bizarre proclivities. Heartened by this good fortune, Alice, Langdon and their surrogate son Finn prepare to take possession of the house. From this point forward, events spin out of control, taking on a madcap logic of their own that is exhilarating and - in typical Blaylock fashion - often quite funny. What follows is, in a sense, a tale of two houses. The first, of course, is Seaward, a “rambling, eccentric old house” with it its history, its secrets, its priceless accumulation of volumes of arcane lore. The other is a neighboring house known, for good reasons, as “Gobblin' Manor,” home base of The Gobblin' Society, a “culinary establishment” with its own peculiar - and very dark - traditions. In the course of an event filled few days, St. Ives and his cohorts will encounter smuggling, mesmerism, kidnapping, cannibalism and murder. It is, in other words, a typical—and typically eccentric - Langdon St. Ives adventure. Like its predecessors, this latest extravaganza is fast-paced, unpredictable, and a thorough delight to read. Few novelists evoke the essence of Victorian England as successfully as Blaylock. Fewer still bring such wit, style, and propulsive narrative talents to the task. In The Gobblin' Society, Blaylock has given vibrant new life to one of his signature creations. The result is a gift both for Blaylock's longtime fans, and for newcomers lucky enough to come along for this astonishing - and thoroughly enjoyable - ride."

Is it wrong that I'm all in on this book because I want to live in that house of the cover, no matter what goes on there?

The Sisters Grimm by Menna von Praag
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: March 30th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The critically acclaimed author of The House at the End of Hope Street combines love, mystery, and magic with her first foray into bewitching fantasy with a dark edge evocative of V.E. Schwab and Neil Gaiman.

Once upon a time, a demon who desired earthly domination fathered an army of dark daughters to help him corrupt humanity...

As children, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea dreamed of a strange otherworld: a nightscape of mists and fog, perpetually falling leaves and hungry ivy, lit by an unwavering moon. Here, in this shadowland of Everwhere, the four girls, half-sisters connected by blood and magic, began to nurture their elemental powers together. But at thirteen, the sisters were ripped from Everwhere and separated. Now, five years later, they search for one another and yearn to rediscover their unique and supernatural strengths. Goldie (earth) manipulates plants and gives life. Liyana (water) controls rivers and rain. Scarlet (fire) has electricity at her fingertips. Bea (air) can fly.

To realize their full potential, the blood sisters must return to the land of their childhood dreams. But Everwhere can only be accessed through certain gates at 3:33 A.M. on the night of a new moon. As Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea are beset with the challenges of their earthly lives, they must prepare for a battle that lies ahead. On their eighteenth birthday, they will be subjected to a gladiatorial fight with their father’s soldiers. If they survive, they will face their father who will let them live only if they turn dark. Which would be fair, if only the sisters knew what was coming.

So, they have thirty-three days to discover who they truly are and what they can truly do, before they must fight to save themselves and those they love."

Because I love me anything a little Brothers Grimm...

Double Blind by Sara Winokur
Published by: Anchor House Publishing
Publication Date: March 30th, 2020
Format: Kindle, 280 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young boy disappears in the chill of North Iceland. Twenty years later, a mysterious poem lands on the desk of his twin sister Brynja, a forensic geneticist, and rekindles her hopes that her brother might be alive. As Brynja unravels the clues, more poems arrive, each bearing dire consequences for those who receive them: the guard of the medieval manuscript of Icelandic sagas that possibly has the answer to her burning question, the prime minister’s secretary, the local pastor."

Language, literature, and murder intertwined to make me one happy reader.  

Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: March 30th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Well-heeled travelers from around the world flock to the Mena House Hotel - an exotic gem in the heart of Cairo where cocktails flow, adventure dispels the aftershocks of World War I, and deadly dangers wait in the shadows...

Egypt, 1926. Fiercely independent American Jane Wunderly has made up her mind: she won’t be swept off her feet on a trip abroad. Despite her Aunt Millie’s best efforts at meddling with her love life, the young widow would rather gaze at the Great Pyramids of Giza than into the eyes of a dashing stranger. Yet Jane’s plans to remain cool and indifferent become ancient history in the company of Mr. Redvers, a roguish banker she can’t quite figure out...

While the Mena House has its share of charming guests, Anna Stainton isn’t one of them. The beautiful socialite makes it clear that she won’t share the spotlight with anyone - especially Jane. But Jane soon becomes the center of attention when she’s the one standing over her unintentional rival’s dead body.

Now, with her innocence at stake in a foreign country, Jane must determine who can be trusted, and who had motive to commit a brutal murder. Between Aunt Millie’s unusual new acquaintances, a smarmy playboy with an off-putting smile, and the enigmatic Mr. Redvers, someone has too many secrets. Can Jane excavate the horrible truth before her future falls to ruin in Cairo...and the body count rises like the desert heat?"

Egypt! Need I say more?

The Woman of a Thousand Names by Alexandra Lapierre
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: March 30th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 640 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling author of the “fascinating epic” (Associated Press) Between Love and Honor comes a rich, sweeping tale based on the captivating true story of the Mata Hari of Russia, featuring a beautiful aristocrat fighting for survival during the deadly upheaval of the Russian Revolution.

Born into Russian aristocracy, wealth, and security, Moura never had any reason to worry. But in the upheaval of the Bolshevik Revolution, her entire world crumbles. As her family and friends are being persecuted by Vladimir Lenin’s ruthless police, she falls into a passionate affair with British secret agent Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart. But when he’s abruptly and mysteriously deported from Russia, Moura is left alone and vulnerable.

Now, she must find new paths for her survival, even if it means shedding her past and taking on new identities. Some will praise her tenderness and undying loyalty. Others will denounce her lies. But all will agree on one point: Moura embodies Life. Life at all cost.

Set against the volatile landscape of 20th-century Russia, The Woman of a Thousand Names brings history to vivid life in a captivating tale about an extraordinary woman caught in the waves of change - with only her wits to save her."

Because every once in awhile you feel a little Russian. 

Once and Future Volume 1 by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, and Tamra Bonvillain
Published by: BOOM! Studios
Publication Date: March 30th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a group of Nationalists use an ancient artifact to bring a villain from Arthurian myth back from the dead to gain power, retired monster hunter Bridgette McGuire pulls her unsuspecting grandson Duncan, a museum curator, into a world of magic and mysticism to combat the deadly secrets of England’s past that threaten its very future.

When a group of Nationalists use an ancient artifact to bring a villain from Arthurian myth back from the dead, retired monster hunter Bridgette McGuire pulls her unsuspecting grandson Duncan, a museum curator, into a world of magic and mysticism to defeat a legendary threat. Now the two must navigate the complicated history of the McGuire family, all while combating the deadly secrets of England’s past that threaten its very future.

New York Times bestselling writer Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Star Wars) and Russ Manning Award-winning artist Dan Mora (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Klaus) explore the mysteries of the past, the complicated truths of our history and the power of family to save the day...especially if that family has secret bunkers of ancient weapons and decades of experience hunting the greatest monsters in Britain’s history!"

Kieron Gillen from Doctor Aphra and Dan Mora from Hexed!?! YAS!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexandra Lapierre, Doctor Aphra, Erica Ruth Neubauer, Hexed, Iceland, James P. Blaylock, Joe R. Lansdale, Kieron Gillen, Mata Hari, Meena von Praag, Micol Ostow, Nancy Drew, Once and Future, Russia, Sara Winokur