Feast of All Souls ~ By Simon Bestwick – 3.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Arthurian Legends, England, Historical Fiction, Horror, Loss of a Child, Supernatural

Thanks to NetGalley and Solaris for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: December 6th, 2016

382 Pages

Synopsis: Alice’s house stands at a gateway between worlds. Now something has awoken on the other side–and she’s in its way…

378 Collarmill Road looks like an ordinary house. But sometimes, the world outside the windows isn’t the one you expect to see. And sometimes you’ll turn around and find you’re not alone.

The suburb of Crawbeck , on a hill outside the English city of Manchester, overlooks the woodlands of Browton Vale. Alice Collier was happy here, once, but following the end of her marriage and loss of her daughter, she’s come back to pick of the threads of her life. 

John Revell, an old flame of Alice’s, reluctantly comes to her aid when the house begins to reveal its secrets. The hill on which it sits is a place of legends–of Old Harry, the Beast of Crawbeck, of the Virgin of the Height and of the mysterious Red Man–and home to the secrets of the shadowy Arodias Thorne.

And now Alice and John stand between him and the rest of our world…

What happened? I should have LOVED this. It had all the right ingredients for a perfect story: a haunted house, ghost children, multiple mythologies, horror beyond imagination… I’m going to stop there because I don’t want to give any spoilers away. Let me say that the story itself more than lived up to its incredible premise. As soon as I read the first couple of chapters, I was immediately sucked in. The story is told in the third person from the perspectives of Mary Carson in the 1830s, who was the secretary for the previous occupant of the house, Arodias Thorne and Alice Collier in the present day,  who has suffered one of the worst losses one can suffer, that of her daughter. Separated from her husband Andrew, Alice moves into this neglected house hoping to get a new start. Instead she gets ghostly children who right from the onset seem bent on killing her, supernatural monsters and sinister figures, a mysterious man in a red cloak and white mask, whose intentions are unclear, and multiple dimensions. Then, as Alice and later on her ex-lover, John investigate, even Arthurian legends come into play. And this all works. It truly does. There’s no confusion and the chapters seamlessly alternate between the two women. The world-building was spectacular and there wasn’t a single thing that left me wanting. So, why you may ask am I giving this only 3 stars? Well, it mainly comes down to Alice and Mary, neither who I was able to connect to even though I had the utmost sympathy for their positions. It’s not that they’re unlikable. They both are written as very nice women. I guess the best way I can describe them is bland. There’s nothing that stands out in either of them. They both find themselves in horrifically unimaginable circumstances yet I wound up feeling completely disengaged. I wound up being far more interested in the villainous Arodias Thorn, which now has me questioning what kind of person am I. The secondary characters are even worse, coming across a wooden, or in a couple of cases, completely unnecessary. Because of this, well before the halfway point in the book, I was forcing myself to continue. It took me close to two weeks to finish this, which if you’ve been following me any length of time you’ll agree that this is a highly unusual occurance. When I finally got to the ending, it wrapped everything up, but it finished so abruptly it left me a bit discombobulated. Now, I cannot stress enough that Feast of All Souls is getting mainly rave reviews on Goodreads, so I’m thinking that maybe this is a case of “it’s me, not you.” If you enjoy horror mixed with historical fiction and the supernatural, I encourage you to try this. You’ll quite likely love it and be left wondering what on earth I was blathering on about!

 

The Lost Property Office (Section 13 #1) ~ By James R. Hannibal – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adventure, England, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Mystery, Steampunk

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 8th, 2016

400 Pages

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Jack Buckles is great at finding things. Not just a missing glove or the other sock, but things normal people have long since given up ever seeing again. If only he could find his father, who has disappeared in London without a trace. 

But Jack’s father was not who he claimed to be. It turns out that he was a member of a secret society of detectives that has served the Crown for centuries–and membership into the Lost Property Office is Jack’s inheritance. 

Now the only way Jack will ever see his father again is if he finds what the nefarious Clockmaker is after: the Ember, which holds a secret that has been kept since the Great Fire of London. Will Jack be able to find the Ember and save his father, or will his talent for finding things fall short?

The Lost Property Office is an intriguing mash-up of fantasy, steampunk, and history with even a little Sherlock and Watson thrown in, and for the most part it’s a winning formula. 13- year-old Jack is an ordinary teen thrust into extraordinary circumstances. He’s a reluctant hero who is dragged into this quest by the overly enthusiastic Gwen and the villainous Clockmaker. All Jack really wants is his dad back. Instead he finds himself over his head with family secrets, a mysterious society of detectives and a gift that he neither understands nor wants. But following in the footsteps of other reluctant heroes, Jack rises to the occasion with help from the persistent Gwen. They’re such an appealing team and the dialogue between is clever and humorous. I wish some of the secondary characters had been developed a bit more, in particular Jack’s younger sister, Sally, who seems to have a mysterious gift of her own. I have a feeling though she’ll be playing a larger part in subsequent books. There’s a lot of history mixed in here about the Great Fire of London which I found fascinating, but I think it might slow the pace down a little for younger readers. The world-building though is wonderfully written especially in regards to the Buckle family’s history with the Lost Property Office. Overall, this is a solid middle-grade adventure that I think will appeal to a wide audience. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the author takes this series next.

 

 

Jane Steele ~ By Lyndsay Faye – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, England, Historical Fiction, India, Mystery, Romance

Thank you G.P. Putnam’s Sons for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 22nd, 2016

Synopsis: Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked–but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors.

A fugitive navigating London’s underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master of Highgate House, Mr. Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate’s true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household’s strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him–body, soul and secrets–and what if he discovers her murderous past?

Reader, I murdered him.

And thus begins one of the most buzzed about books so far this year, and I’m happy to say the hype is well deserved. First though, a word of caution: the novel is being called a retelling of Jane Eyre but it’s not, although there are similarities. Yes both women are orphans who are sent to bleak and miserable boarding schools and eventually become governesses, but otherwise, besides the main character sharing a first name with the fictional heroine, and being a devoted fan of the book, Jane Steele completely stands on her own as a thoroughly likable and original character which is odd as she’s described as a serial killer. I have to be honest and admit I’ve never been a huge fan of Jane Eyre, the character. Her constant attempts at self-sabotage due toward her prim sense of morality made me frustrated even though I realized she was a reflection of the time period. Actually, the description of Jane Steele as a serial killer isn’t quite true. While it’s true that Jane isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and does kill a few people throughout the book, she doesn’t do it for pleasure and each murder she commits is under extenuating circumstances. If you choose to read this I’ll let you be the judge of whether the killings are justified. Obviously Jane is quite capable of taking care of herself and is used to doing so. Once she takes the governess position at Highgate however, you see a softer and more vulnerable side. Not only does she find romance, but for the first time in her life she has people who truly care about her. But the closer she gets to Mr. Thornfield and the other inhabitants of Highgate, the more she fears they’ll discover her past. Even worse, she wrestles with the question of whether she’s wicked herself, and does she deserve forgiveness and her own happy ending. There many more things I could rave about which were in this book, but I don’t want to leak any spoilers. There are several clever plot devices that Lyndsay Faye employs including the question of why the basement of Highgate House is kept under lock and key, and why does the master of the house always wear gloves. And having Mr. Thornfield, his ward and the rest of the household come from India is simply inspired as it brings in the history of England’s colonization of that country as well as the Sikh religion. Let me just finish by saying this is one of those rare instances where I enjoyed a story more than the original classic it’s based on. Full of mystery, romance, intrigue and humor, I inhaled this over the course of one weekend. I love this so much so in fact, that I’m selfishly holding on to my copy instead of donating it to the library as I intended.

Not Always A Saint (Lost Lords Bk. 7) ~ by Mary Jo Putney – 2.5 Stars

Tags

Domestic Violence, England, Historical Romance

 I received this ebook from NetGalley and Zebra in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis: After the death of his sweetheart when he was at university, Daniel Herbert buried his grief in medical studies and his passion for healing. Viewed as a saint by those who know him, in his own mind he never quite manages to live up to his own high standards.

Most men would be thrilled to learn they’ve inherited a title and estate from a distant relative, but Daniel is appalled because the burden of wealth will interfere with his medical calling. Warily he accepts that he must enter society and seek a wife–a sensible woman who can oversee his properties, leaving him free to continue his work. He does not expect to become intoxicated by a woman called the Black Widow, who is as mysterious as she is shockingly beautiful…

Jessie Kelham’s looks have always been a curse. Now alone with a young daughter and a perilous secret, she is in need of protection. But dangerously attractive Daniel Herbert is not the kind of husband she has in mind. If he recognizes her, the demons of her past will surely erupt. Yet they cannot keep apart–and soon they are drawn into a union that may bring joy–or shattering danger…

Mary Jo Putney has always been one of my “go to” authors when I find myself craving some historical romance. When I read the synopsis, I thought Not Always A Saint looked like just my cup of tea. Unfortunately it turned out to be a tepid one at best, with stereotypical characters, and overwrought dramatization.

Daniel, is indeed a saint. He’s not only a doctor, but also an ordained minister in the Church of England. His first reaction to his unexpected inheritance is dismay because he feels as though his new responsibilities will take away from his healing ministering. He should have been a likeable character but I found him a little too perfect and one dimensional.

As far as Jessie is concerned, despite a traumatic past, I was never able to warm up to her. A lot is made of her looks. I only need to be told once how beautiful someone is, not repeatedly throughout the book. I understand that the author did this in part to show the negative outcomes judging someone by their physical appearance can have, but it just wound up annoying me. She’s also supposed to be incredibly smart, yet she makes some spectacular mistakes which push her right in to the villains’ trap.

And then there’s the dreaded insta-love, or in this case insta-lust. There was no credible reason for the instant attraction to spark up between Jessie and Daniel and because of this, the rest of the story lost me.

The villains are so over-the-top that they’re almost laughable. And as if one wasn’t bad enough, there are two. I could actually picture them twirling their moustaches as they let out their dastardly chuckles. To make things worse, one of them suddenly reforms in just a few pages, so the reader is supposed to believe he’s suddenly a good guy. I don’t think so.

Despite the promising premise centered around domestic abuse, the book devolved into a really bad soap opera. Putney writes in so many twists and turns I felt as though I was buried in layer upon layer of petticoats, desperately trying to free myself. In keeping with trying to find at least one positive aspect in every book I read, I will say the pacing was quick and I read it in two sittings. There’s also the welcome addition of Jessie’s little girl. She was adorable and provided some welcome relief from the other flaws of the story. While I can’t recommend this book, if you’re interested in trying some of Mary Jo Putney’s books, I’d suggest some of her early ones like The Rake and Wild Child. 

Suspicion ~ by Alexandra Monir – 3.0 Stars

Tags

Aristocracy, England, Mysteries, Paranormal Fiction, YA Fiction

 This ebook was provided to me by NetGalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.

The last words 10 year old Imogen hears from her father is: “There’s something hidden in the maze.” Shortly after making that enigmatic statement, her father, mother, aunt and uncle all perish in an inferno in the maze. This leaves both Imogen and her cousin Lucia orphans. Unable to cope with the tragedy and this mysterious power she seems to be developing, Imogen flees England and Rockford Manor to New York and for the next 7 years lives happily with her guardians and her best friend. Then she is contacted by the lawyer for the estate and is told that both her cousin and grandfather have died which leaves her as the sole heir. Now Imogen must accept the title of Duchess and all the responsibilities that come with it. Once she’s back at Rockland Manor she discovers the mysteries have deepened and the the only thing that is certain is that they involve herself and Sebastian, the childhood friend who she’s always secretly loved. 

Suspicion has been hyped as a modern version of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. While it has a similar theme, I actually found it more in keeping with The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. The story flows very nicely and I wound up finishing this over the course of two nights. All the characters were very interesting from Imogen and Sebastian, to the butler, the housekeeper, and her strange daughter. The mystery was well written and the twist actually did surprise me. There were a few things though that prevented this from being a great read for me. First, even though I liked both of the characters, the romance between Imogen and Sebastian just wasn’t believable to me. Secondly, according to the book, not only did the future of Rockland Manor’ s staff depend on Imogen’ s acceptance of the title, but also the adjoining town. Not being English I may be being unfair, but given the contemporary setting, this just seemed a bit overly dramatic. And do women of the aristocracy still have personal maids who run all their errands including their personal shopping? If I’m wrong about this I apologize. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the supernatural element was not only unnecessary, but it was actually distracting. I think Suspicion would have been better off as a straight YA mystery/thriller. Finally, not only did the villain get away, but there were several loose ends which were never resolved. It’s not clear if there will be a sequel so I found this a bit frustrating. Needless to say I find myself conflicted over this book. I’d be interested in hearing what other readers think.