April Roundup 2009

Books Finished: 10 - I feel bad; this was an all-reading, little to know reviewing month for me. I blame it on exams. Things are looking up, though. I'll be done in just over two weeks, and I've vowed to catch up (REALLY!).


Favorite April Book:

Bloodhound - Tamora Pierce
Bloodhound is the second in Tamora Pierce's new Beka Cooper series. Beka is a Dog, or a medieval style cop who works the violence and poverty-ridden Lower City. When counterfeit coins start damaging Corus' money supply, it is Beka and her mentor who are sent to investigate.

Seriously, who would have thought counterfeit coins would be so exciting? Who would have thought they could cause so much damage? But they are. And Beka is great, shy when she's not working, tenacious as they come when she is. I think this is some of Pierce's tightest plotting to date. I really felt like it all came together at the end. A great mystery, and I really felt like Beka became a stronger character by the end.

Plus, I just love Tamora Pierce. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her writing. And I adore the way she handles relationships - her characters have sex (off stage and non-explicitly), don't necessarily end up with the first person they fall in love with, she has homosexual characters, transvestites, everything (obviously not all in one book). And she handles it all in such a matter-of-fact 'this is how it is' way - no preaching, no big deal. I love that acceptance, and I hope it inspires her readers to acceptance of alternative lifestyles.

New Challenges:

I have broken down. There were just too many awesome challenges floating around to resist any longer now that exams are dying down. So I've signed up for the Seafaring Challenge (10), the Art History Reading Challenge (10), and the Shakespeare Challenge (6). Keep your eyes peeled!


Books Read:

1. Love Letters from a Duke - Elizabeth Boyle
2. Confessions of a Little Black Gown - Elizabeth Boyle
3. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher - Kate Summerscale
4. Wake - Lisa McMann
5. The Magic Thief - Sarah Prineas
6. Bloodhound - Tamora Pierce
7. To Love a Scoundrel - Kristina Cook
8. Darling Jim - Christian Moerk
9. Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye - Alison Goodman
10. Deja Dead - Kathy Reichs

(No Longer) Waiting on Wednesday

Because it came out yesterday! I could have squealed. This is my treat for finishing exams - if I can wait the next week to dig into it...

Memoir of a Scandalous Red Dress

When a lady loves a pirate the memories can be quite scandalous

Lady Philippa Knolles has loved Captain Thomas 'Dash' Dashwell since he first stole a kiss from her in This Rake of Mine. Now after what seems like a lifetime of waiting, Pippin is offered a chance to renew her scandalous affair with Dash. But the man from that first heady kiss and the man she rediscovers all these years later are hardly the same. But a red dress, the one she wore long ago to win his heart, may have enough memories left inside it to rekindle a passion she's never forgotten.

Excerpt

Buy it!

Why I'm Waiting: Due to the afore-mentioned exams. But I've been excited about this one for a while. I've been in love with Dash since he first turned up in This Rake of Mine, and I've been anxiously awaiting his and Pippin's story. After all, he's an American barging into the Regency world AND he's a pirate. What more could I possibly want?

Winning on Wednesday?

Steph over at Reviewer X is hosting a contest to win all four of Diana Peterfreund's Secret Society series!

Intrigued? You can read about Diana's road to being published in her Pub Story. If you can read all of that fun and not want to enter... well, this is clearly not the contest for you. I know I'm itching to get my hands on them!

Head over to Reviewer X to read the summaries and to enter (you have until next Wednesday!)

Can't wait that long? Amazon is offering a short e-book preview of Secret Society Girl for 49 cents! Or go check out the free excerpt on Diana Peterfreund's website.

Lady Anne & the Howl in the Dark - Donna Lea Simpson

**** - an entertaining blend of Gothic novel, mystery series, and romantic suspense. As I've mentioned before I was reminded of Amelia Peabody investigating the Hound of the Baskervilles. The focus is on the mystery, but the romantic elements are strong. Great fun!
Also - Anne is quite skeptical about paranormal elements, which reminded me of my Halloween post!

Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing me with a free review copy of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark.

When Lady Anne Addison is summoned to her friend's home in Yorkshire to investigate a series of werewolf sightings, her common sense insists that the beast is mere superstition. Upon arriving at Darkefell, however, she immediately stumbles over the body of a young woman, and she is determined to uncover the truth behind her death.

Anthony Bestwick, the Marquess of Darkefell, has a great deal on his hands - werewolf sightings, prejudice against his African secretary, a ninny of a sister-in-law, and of course dark family secrets. So the last thing he needs is the exasperatingly curious and intelligent Lady Anne poking around.

Where to begin? I loved Anne. She's smart and no-nonsense, certainly not the hare-brained heroine often found in Gothic novels, though she does share their unquenchable curiosity. I loved her blunt interrogations, her sympathy for others, and her willingness to hold her own against the over-bearing marquess. In many ways she reminded me of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody, though Anne is certainly quite different (not quite as eccentric), the two share a deep-seated determination and a quick intelligence. Anne is a wonderful character made unique in that she remains ever-conscious of her place in society and the demands it makes of her. If she was sometimes exasperatingly single-minded, it was nonetheless endearing both to the marquess and the reader.

The Marquess of Darkefell is an excellent Gothic hero - dark and mysterious, keeping secrets from the heroine and surrounded by a sense danger (but not in a way that has you screaming at the heroine to Run Away, you ninny!). He's at times brash without realizing it (the speech in the church really is a hoot), and he loves to spar verbally with Anne. I love seeing the two of them interact. One of my favorite scenes is when he compliments her terrible hairstyle (in mock-seriousness, of course) and she says:

"Your enthusiasm for my appearance is a paean to the lack of my lady's maid, Mary, who will arrive tomorrow, I hope," Anne said, her tone as dry as his was humorous. "Though if you think this style suits me," she continued, patting her snaky locks, "I'll be sure to have Mary copy its intricacies."

"I'm humbled by your reliance on my opinion of the mysteries of feminine hairstyling."

I just love the tone, it's very witty. The romantic scenes in particular left me with a smile on my face. Check out this excerpt! That added to the deliciously creepy Gothic atmosphere and the mystery surrounding the werewolf made this a successful blend of genres and an excellent read. I highly recommend Donna Lea Simpson's Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark to people who liked Northanger Abbey, the Brontes, or who enjoy Gothic novels. It won't disappoint!

Interested in other opinions?
Medieval Bookworm
Long and Short Reviews
Peeking Between the Pages

Psychotic State

A Duke to Die For - Amelia Grey

*** 1/2 - I quite liked Amelia Grey's A Duke to Die For; there was a nice story with the clever twist of the curse. I enjoyed spending time with all the characters and found them very believable. Quibbles? The ending seemed a bit abrupt, and some of the dialogue fell flat for me.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing me with a review copy of A Duke to Die For.

Lucien Blakewell is struggling to come to terms with the backlog of paperwork cluttering his desk , but he never expected the responsibilities of his new dukedom included the guardianship of a young lady. After all, the rakish Blake is the last person anyone would want looking after a beautiful debutante. But level-headed Henrietta Tweed turns up on his doorstep hoping to take charge of her own life and inheritance - and to save her latest guardian from the curse that has taken the lives of the last five men responsible for her welfare.

Henrietta - I really liked her. She was pleasantly sensible and take-charge without being overbearing. She has a touching vulnerability that arises from the accident that killed her parents and her being shuffled from home to home. I really enjoyed the scenes in the Season - Henrietta's first dance in particular was very touching. When Blake's cousins dance with Henrietta, it shows their concern for Blake and their acceptance of Henrietta in the most lovely way. A beautiful moment of the author showing, not telling the strength of the group's affection.

I loved that Henrietta wanted to manage her own accounts, and I appreciated the fact that she did not jump straight into the Duke's affairs to manage them. However, considering how set Blake is that women are incapable of managing their affairs, I would have liked to see more illustration of Henrietta's capability and good sense in a business sense. She kept a level head in some difficult situations helping Blake out of physical danger, but much of the time she seemed to be a bit buffetted about by Constance's whirlwind efficiency.

As to the curse, I loved the idea. It's unusual to see this sort of element in a straight (not paranormal) Regency, and it certainly added a degree of complexity to Henrietta's otherwise down-to-Earth character. I found Henrietta's reasons for believing in the curse compelling, and Blake's recognition that it could not be laughed off or simply reasoned away was one of the highlights of his character development.

The plot involving the hot air balloon (and Blake's vulnerability to vertigo) is novel, and allows the author to introduce the other cousins (and Gibby) for later books. There's a fair share of comedic moments (Lord Snellingly's poem, for instance), and overall the story is good fun. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the characters' inner feelings and their speech, but in certain scenes, I found the dialogue did not engage me in the story as much as I had hoped. Nothing cringe-worthy, though, so a minor quibble to an enjoyable book.

Interested in other opinions?

Long and Short Reviews

Medieval Bookworm

Confessions of a Romance Book Addict

Blogcritics Magazine

The King's Fool - Margaret Campbell Barnes

Not exactly Waiting on Wednesday - after all, you can buy this on Amazon, but I just needed to spread the word! A great book if you like historical fiction and/or the Tudors. Thanks so much to Sourcebooks for the chance to read and review King's Fool.


**** - I've been hearing good things about Margaret Campbell Barnes for a while among historical fiction readers and bloggers, but her books were out-of-print and quite tough to find. Luckily for me (and other Tudor-lovers), they're being reissued. I would have hated to miss such a touching, intimate portrait of Henry VIII and life at his court.

Will Somers grew up not fitting in - although he was always the center of attention at parties, he was neither learned enough to teach like his father, nor strong (or skilled) enough to work on his uncle's farm. Happily for Will, luck hands him employment with the wealthy merchant, Richard Fermor, and then a well-timed joke brings him to the attention of King Henry VIII himself. Over the next 20 years, Will spends his time providing mirth, entertainment, and a friendly ear to Harry, his charming daughter Mary Tudor, and the succession of Queens at court.

I really enjoyed King's Fool - Will has a charmingly humble outlook on life because of his low beginnings and a genuine desire to help others and serve his masters. Though he is (even after years at court) sometimes quite naive as to the machinations at the Tudor court, he remains a steadfast friend to those he holds dear and proves a sharp-tongued foe to others. Although the book is set at the Tudor court, there was surprisingly little focus on the day to day, or even on the dramatic episodes that took place. Instead, the novel lingers on Will's tender love story with the daughter of his former master and on his affection for Henry VIII.

The greatest strength of the novel is Barnes' portrayal of Henry - he is an utterly believable character: young, handsome and spoiled; middle-aged, lusty and suspicious; older, diseased and worn-out. All of these Henrys are shown through the loving eye of his fool who always bears in mind his King's extravagant kindnesses. Yet the king's flaws certainly aren't glossed over or made unimportant. Rather the reader comes to understand Henry's complexity, his fears, and his conflicting emotions. I also very much enjoyed the brief sketches of Henry's wives - especially that more was said about Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard than I've usually seen. It's always seemed to me that these two are generally treated as afterthoughts, and it was nice to get a sense of their characters here.

First and foremost this is a portrait - through snapshot-like scenes - of Henry VIII. King's Fool shows him in moments of strength, mirth, introspection and vulnerability - a fascinating look at a puzzling man. I wouldn't recommend this as a place to start reading about the Tudors (the novel assumes a basic familiarity with the King's 'Great Matter' and the drama surrounding Anne Boleyn in particular), but it's a wonderful read for someone looking to reconcile the conflicting sides of Henry Tudor's personality.

Interested in other opinions?
Historical Tapestry
Passages to the Past
Medieval Bookworm
Kittling
The Tome Traveller
Historical-fiction.com
Reading Extravaganza
Devourer of Books
A Reader's Respite
So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

The Buccaneers - Iain Lawrence

Remember when I promised you a brand new feature? Well here it is: MARITIME MONDAY!

I have a definite soft spot for all things nautical. Give me a story with sailing ships, creaking ropes, powder monkeys, pirates, and I'm one happy hoyden. Especially if there may be treasure involved! So to celebrate my love of the briny deep with fellow sea-farers (or at least armchair sea-farers), I've decided to dedicating Mondays (though probably more on a bi-weekly basis) to All Things Nautical.

I'd love to hear your suggestions or review requests, so please drop me a comment!


For our inaugural Maritime Monday, I thought I would begin with a review of The Buccaneers by Iain Lawrence:
**** - Third in the author's High Seas Trilogy aimed at young adults (I haven't read the first two, either, but they've definitely been added to my wishlist. This is fast-paced and full of adventure. The encounters with pirates and the buried treasure put me in mind of some of my favorite afternoons spent reading Treasure Island!

17-year-old John Spencer is finishing up his apprenticeship on his father's merchantman, the Dragon on its way to the West Indies. John laughs at his father's fears of cannibals and pirates, but things begin to go awry when the Dragon picks up a castaway in the middle of the ocean - a man feared as a Jonah. The truth, however, may be far more sinister as the Dragon is swept into the path of the fearsome buccaneer Bartholomew Grace and his lust for treasure.

The old gunner Roland Abbey has a prophetic dream that the Dragon will suffer a rain of iron, a flood, a pestilence, and a fire - doesn't that give you an idea of how action-packed this novel is? Because all of these things, and a great deal besides befall young John Spencer. Every page kept me turning to the next one to find out whether Horn was a Jonah, whether a plot was underfoot, whether the Dragon was sinking, what to do about the pirates, etc. Everything you could want in a nautical adventure was to be found within the pages of The Buccaneers.

The historical flavor is well done, and the details are nicely explained in an author's note at the end. John Spencer remains honorable and steadfast, but he's no paragon of virtue either. His lack of attention to his studies lands the crew in significant trouble. But he shows great courage and good sense as well. The only thing that bothered me really was the climactic scene. Bartholomew Grace was built up as this hugely fearsome pirate - so brutal and horrid that it is barely imaginable, yet his fate seems over much too quickly and without adequate payoff. I kept expecting him to re-emerge as a character. Aside from that minor quibble, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and I would highly recommend it to those seeking an adventurous (or nautical) read.

Interested in other opinions?
Panther Bay

Reviewed it? Leave me a comment with the link, and I'll add your review to the page!