Curse of the Specter Queen, By Jenny Elder Moke ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Celtic Mythology, Historical Fiction, Ireland, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 1st, 2021

352 Pages

Synopsis: MAY THE HAZEL BRING YOU WISDOM AND THE ASPEN GUIDE AND PROTECT YOU…

Samantha Knox put away her childhood fantasies of archaeological adventure the day her father didn’t return home from the Great War, retreating to the safety of the antique bookshop where she works. But when a mysterious package arrives with a damaged diary inside, Sam’s peaceful life is obliterated. Ruthless men intent on reclaiming the diary are after Sam, setting her and her best friend, along with her childhood crush, on a high-stakes adventure that lands them in the green hills outside Dublin, Ireland. Here they discover an ancient order with a dark purpose—to perform an occult ritual that will raise the Specter Queen, the Celtic goddess of vengeance and death, to bring about a war unlike any the world has ever seen. To stop them, Sam must solve a deviously complex cipher—one that will lead her on a treasure hunt to discover the ancient relic at the heart of the ritual: a bowl carved from the tree of life. Will she find the bowl and stop the curse of the Specter Queen, or will the ancient order bring about the end of the world?

Indiana Jones gets a refresh with this female-driven mystery adventure, set in the 1920s, full of ciphers, ancient relics, and heart-stopping action—the first in a brand new series! (Goodreads)

As soon as I read the premise for Curse of the Specter Queen I grew giddy with excitement. A female bookseller turned Indiana Jones? Count me in! After finishing this in one sitting I can definitively say it more than delivered.

The only reason why I’m not giving this a perfect 5 stars is because it took most of the book for Sam to find her footing. She dithers about almost everything: her feelings toward her childhood crush, Bennett, her relationship with her former best friend, Joana, her acceptance and confidence in her own abilities. She’s extremely insecure and second guesses herself frequently, and while I appreciated the reasons behind it, it grew a bit wearisome after a while. Slowly through the book though, she blossomed, and by the climax she became a force to be reckoned with. The romance between Sam and Bennett was sweet and slowly developed from friendship to something more. While Bennett’s alpha-male overprotectiveness was annoying at times, I liked that he believed in Sam right from the beginning. Joana, who Sam had become estranged for various reasons, came off as a vapid party girl at first, but showed she had hidden depths. She and Sam played well off each other.

Everything else in this book was spot on perfect. The time period of the Roaring 20s, combined with a thrilling quest to prevent a long thought dead sinister order, from raising a Celtic goddess of death and destruction was vividly brought to life. I could actually see this being played out as a movie in my head while I was reading. The setting of Ireland, land of myth and legend, was a wonderful choice for events to play out. The ending perfectly wrapped everything up, and left me utterly satisfied.

Overall Curse of the Specter Queen, is the epitome of a fun-filled popcorn book. I’ve heard that this is the first book in a planned series, which has me even more excited. I will be very surprised if Hollywood doesn’t scoop this up.

Unraveling Oliver, by Liz Nugent ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, France, Ireland, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

272 Pages

Synopsis: “I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.

So begins Liz Nugent’s astonishing debut novel–a chilling, elegantly crafted, and psychologically astute exploration of the nature of evil.

Oliver Ryan, handsome, charismatic, and successful, has long been married to his devoted wife, Alice. Together, they write and illustrate award-winning winning children’s books; their life together one of enviable privilege and ease–until, one evening after a delightful dinner, Oliver delivers a blow to Alice that renders her unconscious, and subsequently beats her into a coma.

In the aftermath of such an unthinkable event, as Alice hovers between life and death, the couple’s friends, neighbors, and acquaintances try to understand what had driven Oliver to commit such a horrific act. As his story unfolds, layers are peeled away to reveal a life of shame, envy, deception, and masterful manipulation.

Oh my gosh. Although I requested this, I have to be honest and say as soon as I was approved, I started having second thoughts. I absolutely loved the premise, but wondered how on earth Liz Nugent could possibly tell such a complicated story in under 300 pages. Well, not only does she pull this off, she does it brilliantly!

As the premise states, every chapter is from the POV of a different person who has come into contact with Oliver and Alice in some way. All of these voices have something important to add, even if you don’t originally think so. I mean, do we really have to hear from neighbors, childhood schoolmates, ex-lovers, and so on?. Yes. Yes we do. You see, every character adds to the puzzle that is Oliver, and their voices are all completely distinct from one another. The most chilling chapters are from Oliver himself, and I actually got goosebumps while reading. I connected with every single one of them, which itself is pretty amazing.

The story is filled with moments that shocked me, and it’s so cleverly told that it’s only at the very end that you see the entire picture. Unraveling Oliver is a captivating journey into the psyche of a monster, as well as the people whose lives are forever changed by being in contact with him. It would be a perfect choice for a book discussion group as it invites debate over the nature vs nurture question. I highly recommend this to fans of dark psychological suspense. I cannot wait to see what Liz Nugent comes out with next!

 

 

The Wonder ~ By Emma Donoghue – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Fasting Girls, Historical Fiction, Ireland, Religion

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 20th, 2016

304 Pages

Synopsis: Tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell, who believes herself to be living off manna from heaven, and a journalist is sent to cover the sensation. Lib Wright, a veteran of Florence Nightingale’s Crimean campaign, is hired to keep watch over the girl. 

Written with all the propulsive tension that made Room a huge bestseller, The Wonder works beautifully on many levels–a tale of two strangers who transform each other’s lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.

Evocative, breathtaking, disturbing, compelling, thought-provoking (I’m going to stop with the superlatives here, since you can probably guess how I feel about this book), The Wonder is another example of why Emma Donoghue is considered to be such an amazing writer. Anna is representative of the so-called “fasting girls” which was a phenomena that took place mainly  during the Victorian era, although it seems as though there are over 50 documented cases between the 16th and 20th centuries. Many young girls from Europe to the U.S. claimed they were able to survive without sustenance for long periods of time due to divine intervention. Most modern day medical professionals however see this as an early version of anorexia nervosa. I had never heard of this, so right away I was completely riveted. When Lib first arrives, young Anne hasn’t had any nourishment for four months, yet she seems perfectly healthy. Lib’s role is basically to observe and report, without interfering. The frustration she feels is understandable and resonates off the page. Anna seems to be a sweet innocent child who is accepting of believers and non-believers alike which makes you want to know what is really happening even more. What truly makes this story shine though, are the beautiful details the author uses to flesh out her story. From the very first page I was completely immersed in the beautiful setting of Ireland, the people, and its superstitions. Every aspect is brought to life in Donoghue’s talented hands, and I actually felt as though I was there on the O’Donnell’s small farm as the events unfolded. There’s also the intriguing mystery of whether it’s truly possible that Anna is surviving on just air and water, or is she receiving food secretly. Religion is a major theme of this story, but it’s portrayed in neither a positive or negative way. Rather, it serves as the backdrop to the overall story. What really made The Wonder a success for me is that it made me want to research its subject matter more. This is the third book I’ve read of Donoghue’s after Frog Music and Room and she’s turned into one of my go-to authors when I’m in the mood for an emotional, disturbing and compelling story. I believe fans of Emma Donoghue’s will find The Wonder as further proof of her remarkable storytelling skills, and if you’re new to her writing, this is an excellent book to start with. 

Words To Live By

Tags

Ireland, Marriage Equality

“Marriage Equality Is About More Than Just Marriage.

It’s About Something Greater. It’s About Acceptance.”

~ Charlize Theron ~