I loved the setup of this novel - Niamh Ó Conchobhair a magical seamstress with the power to weave emotional enchantments into garments is sent from hI loved the setup of this novel - Niamh Ó Conchobhair a magical seamstress with the power to weave emotional enchantments into garments is sent from her rural home to the grand city with the purpose of tailoring wedding garments for the prince, Kit Carmine.
The system of magic and world building was great in concept but ultimately it took a back seat to the relationships, which was okay except that most of the characters never developed beyond two-dimensional and the whole book seemed rather flat. The love story was cute, with echoes of a regency romance, but was also on the predictable side of things. Overall, a charming but not overly memorable book....more
Fall of Giants is the first book in Follett's Century Trilogy and while daunting for some, the size and scope of the book are warranted for the years Fall of Giants is the first book in Follett's Century Trilogy and while daunting for some, the size and scope of the book are warranted for the years and subject matter the book encompasses. I'm not normally one to voluntarily embark on nearly a thousand pages of fiction but this one came highly recommended and I'm glad to say it did not disappoint.
The story follows multiple characters from a number of countries and continents - USA, Wales, Germany, Russia. While WWI provides the majority of the dramatic setting, Follett's brilliance lies in creating dynamic stories for the scattered cast that keep the reader invested in their lives. The war story also offers opportunities for the individuals from varying places and classes to interact, providing unique viewpoints of history to the reader. As the characters engage with each other, their separations and reunions drive different portions of the story giving a compelling narrative to a historical fiction in which the reader "knows the ending".
Overall, this is not a book for those that prefer short and concise stories, but the time and emotional investment a reader gives to the epic work will certainly pay off as a very rewarding read....more
A Magic Steeped in Poison is a unique and fantastical book. The protagonist Ning is the daughter of a shennong-shi - the story's mystical tea makers wA Magic Steeped in Poison is a unique and fantastical book. The protagonist Ning is the daughter of a shennong-shi - the story's mystical tea makers who use herbs and leaves to weave powerful magic to help, or possibly harm, those who drink their concoctions. When Ning's mother dies from poisoning and her sister falls ill from the same fate, Ning must travel to their nation's capital and enter a competition for shennong-shi while secretly pursuing her own goal of finding the poison's antidote as well as the poisoner's identity.
Ning soon finds herself entangled in the court's intrigue. Secrets surround her with rumors of the emperor's illness, threats to the princess's life, and a mysterious (and handsome) stranger who appears to befriend her. As the multilayered story unfolds, the reader drinks in the mysteries and adventures as though they are Ning's magical brews.
I really enjoyed author Judy I. Lin's fresh take on magic, competition, and political drama in this book. The descriptions of the ingredients and tools of the shennong-shi were vivid and really brought the story to life. At times the pacing felt a bit slow, but I liked many of the unexpected twists and felt the hesitancy of which characters to trust alongside the protagonist. Once I reached the final third of the book, I hurried to the end - only to be left with a definite need to seek out book 2!...more
I find myself amazed by this book! Part high school sports drama, part coming of age college novel, part Native American tribal story, part romance, pI find myself amazed by this book! Part high school sports drama, part coming of age college novel, part Native American tribal story, part romance, part crime drama - Firekeeper's Daughter not only does all these things, it does all these things WELL!
Daunis Fontaine, the titular protagonist, is a young woman living a life that straddles multiple worlds. She's biracial and constantly facing the racism surrounding her white appearance and half Ojibwe lineage. She's graduated high school but delays going away to school to help her ailing grandmother. She finds that her "hockey god" half-brother keeps pulling her back into the fanaticism surrounding the junior team despite her desire to leave the sport behind. And then there's the newly transferred hockey recruit complete with handsome looks and smooth moves on and off the ice.
When a series of upsetting events shakes all of Daunis's worlds, she's left clinging to her culture's rituals and traditions but unsure who to trust as her community is threatened from inside and out. A stunning and startling journey unfolds for the heroic protagonist and the reader is swept along in the unfolding layers of mystery through her eyes. Firekeeper's Daughter is a book I wish could read again for the first time, and I know I'll be seeking additional works by Angeline Boulley in the future....more
Oh the curse of book 2. We know our protagonists. We've seen them through so much already. We know their story has more drama in store. And we know...Oh the curse of book 2. We know our protagonists. We've seen them through so much already. We know their story has more drama in store. And we know...it won't end...here....
Yes, this book is pretty much an amped up, darker, harder hitting version of Fourth Wing. Yes, it's equally exciting and dramatic. Yes, I burned through it as quickly as it's predecessor. And yes there's an ending that will leave jaws dropping. Again.
Like many readers, I can only hope the next book is published soon!!...more
The Invisible Hour starts with the story of Mia Jacobs, a teenager trapped in an oppressive cult where books are forbidden and independent thought equThe Invisible Hour starts with the story of Mia Jacobs, a teenager trapped in an oppressive cult where books are forbidden and independent thought equally discouraged. The book reveals Mia's back story - originating with her mother Ivy seeking refuge in the cult as an unwed and abandoned teenage mother. Mia's life seems rather hopeless, but she finds a spark of life in a smuggled copy of The Scarlet Letter and soon finds herself enamored with Hawthorne and the book which parallels her stifled life.
Alice Hoffman's signature magical realism enters the story as Mia finds herself able to travel through time and meet Hawthorne directly. But even more than a fiction or a fantasy story, The Invisible Hour is a book for true bibliophiles, showcasing the power of literature to speak life into dire situations. For anyone who's ever seen themselves in a newly discovered novel or had the feeling that an author's stories are telling their own life's tale, this is definitely a book to enjoy....more
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