Blog Tour Review and Sweeps: The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

Title: The Lady of the Rivers
Author: Philippa Gregory
Series: The Cousin's War #3
Format: ARC
Pages: 497
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: October 18th, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: B-



Summary:
From Goodreads: Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou's close friend and a Lancaster supporter - until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV. Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines.

Why did I read this book? Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and it had been a while since I read anything by Gregory. When I had the chance to read one of her books in the Cousin's War series, I jumped at the chance!

Source: ARC provided by Simon & Schuster Canada

My Review
At first, I wasn't really sure about reading this book because it is the third in the series and I hadn't read the first two (though, not for lack of wanting). It worked out since this novel follows Jacquetta, mother of Elizabeth Woodville and so takes place before the other two books (The White Queen and The Red Queen). I had read Gregory many times before, including all her Tudor books and so I was anxious to see what she'd done with the War of the Roses era.

I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I felt this novel had a different feel from her previous books. I thought there was a lot of focus on telling the story of what happened politically during that time, rather than focusing too much on romance or drama between characters. The characters are brought to life and I felt connected to Jacquetta, a strong woman and mother, and her friend and Queen, Margaret of Anjou. I even found that I came enjoy her detailed and adventurous account of the tumultuous time, catapulting this novel to one of my favourites of hers. I also liked that aside from the beginning of the story, there isn't much time spent on the supernatural aspects that Gregory often injects (or hints at) in her historical tales. I thought it was enough to keep it interesting but did not distract from the story being told.

My only issue with the novel stem from some lulls in the story, often during the times when Jacquetta leaves court and thus, the action. I sometimes debated whether Jacquetta was a good choice for the point of view of the story, because while she is an interesting woman, there were times she was too far removed from the main plot of the story. I would have also liked to see her later life explored, where her husband and son are murdered.

Rating: B-
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel set in a time of political upheaval in England and I appreciated the focus on Jacquetta of Luxemburg. If you aren't sure about reading a story with references to Melusina for fear of detraction from the historical account, you could probably read this as I have an ignored what you are uncomfortable with. I recommend this to historical fiction fans and fans looking for a good War of the Roses read, and especially if you are already into the Cousin's War series.

Blog Tour Events

---

Click here for details.

Philippa Gregory will be in Toronto November 1st, 2011. For tickets please visit Tickets.ca by clicking here. Click the image on the right for information on how to enter the Lady of the River Sweeps hosted by Simon & Schuster Canada! See website for details.
Read an excerpt of the book
Visit the author's website

Read more...

Review: A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott

Title: A Wish After Midnight
Author: Zetta Elliott
Pages: 258
Genre: YA, Time Travel, Historical Fiction
Publication Date: March 5, 2009
Rating: A
Challenge: Calico Reaction's Book Club - September Challenge (Alternate)

A Wish After Midnight is the story of 15 year old Genna Colon and her turbulent life in Brooklyn, New York. Her days are filled with school (which she is very good at), taking care of her younger brother, Tyjuan, and dealing with her older brother and sister. Her father left the family when they were little; their tiny apartment is crowded with five people. Then Genna meets Judah, a Jamaican boy who teaches her about her African roots and who is also there to support her. Suddenly, she is thrown into a new time: the year of 1863. There she learns about America during the civil war the hard way and exposes us to the daily life of African-Americans, the Irish and American people of Brooklyn 1863.

This book is divided into three parts; the first being about Genna's life in Brooklyn. It is a struggle to say the least. Her family is financially drained, there is the threat of drugs and violence around her, and there are still racial undertones in the city. Genna doesn't fit it as much as she would want to. I thought that this first part of the book was a good way to introduce us to Genna and her life. It also creates and interesting parallel to 1863: there is, surprisingly, still a lot of changes to be made in society. Genna gets an after-school job babysitting for a white woman and ironically, that's the same job she gets in 1863.

The second part is based on Genna's life in 1863 Brooklyn. I personally was more interested in the past part of the story. This is probably because I like historical fiction so much and anything set in the past is attractive to me. I really was fascinated by all the information Elliott crams into one book without info dumping. She not only explores the lives of African-Americans of the time but also the racism against the Irish and the mistreatment of women as well.

I really felt immersed in this story and I think this has to do with the fact that it is told in first person by Genna. I thought it was very emotional and raw and real despite the fantastical premise.

Overall, I really liked this novel and I cannot wait for a sequel! The ending left in a pretty big cliffhanger and I'm really interested to see what happens in the present and the past. Also, I thought Elliott was just expert at creating a world where different characters have different opinions on everything and it serves to teach the reader about issues such as race in the present day and the past. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a gritty novel, a smart young adult read, or even just a great historical tale.

Read more...

Review: The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell (ARC)

Title: The Doctor and the Diva
Author: Adrienne McDonnell
Pages: 417
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: B

Note: I received this book through the Early Reviewers Program on LibraryThing.

From Penguin: It is 1903. Dr. Ravell is a young Harvard-educated obstetrician with a growing reputation for helping couples conceive. He has treated women from all walks of Boston society, but when Ravell meets Erika-an opera singer whose beauty is surpassed only by her spellbinding voice-he knows their doctor-patient relationship will be like none he has ever had.

After struggling for years to become pregnant, Erika believes there is no hope. Her mind is made up: she will leave her prominent Bostonian husband to pursue her career in Italy, a plan both unconventional and risky. But becoming Ravell's patient will change her life in ways she never could have imagined.

Lush and stunningly realized, The Doctor and the Diva moves from snowy Boston to the jungles of Trinidad to the gilded balconies of Florence. This magnificent debut is a tale of passionate love affairs, dangerous decisions, and a woman's irreconcilable desires as she is forced to choose between the child she has always longed for and the opera career she cannot live without. Inspired by the author's family history, the novel is sensual, sexy, and heart-stopping in its bittersweet beauty.

I enjoyed this book. What stood out for me was the plot and the fact that it was based on the ancestor of the author and therefore somewhat of a true story. What I didn't expect but welcomes was how I found myself really interested in the aspects of obstetrics during that time.

What I found to be negative about the book is that the writing was sometimes disjointed; sentences didn’t flow as well as I would have liked into one another. But this is a minor thing and in general I thought the writing was generally good. The story and the tone of the novel really makes up for this.

In the end I enjoyed the settings, the time period and the unusual but captivating premise. I recommend it to anyone interested in the early 1900s, opera, medicine, and good characters. B

Read more...

Review: Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn (ARC)

Title: Mistress of Rome
Author: Kate Quinn
Format: ARC
Pages: 460
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: April 6th, 2010
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Rating: 8.5

Summary:
From Goodreads: Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress.

Why did I read this book?

Source: ARC provided through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers Program

My Review
I was a little hesitant going into this book because I am such a fan of Roman history and I wasn't sure what I would be getting out of a novel based in that ancient society.

I wasn't disappointed. I think the author did a good job at portraying Roman society. There was everything you'd want to see: gladiators, the Coliseum, the Vestal Virgins, senators, and of course the Emperor.

I think the biggest asset of this novel is the intricate and fascinating plot which Quinn orchestrates. It's hard to believe this is her first published novel; I thought she dealt with the twists and turns of the plot and the cast of characters very well. Yes, there are quite a few characters, but I think each one had a distinct personality. There were evil people, good people and people in between. I really found myself attached to a few of them.

Despite all this, it wasn't a difficult or heavy read. One thing I didn't like too much was the way the book was structured. The narration is split between characters and first and third person narrative and therefore can feel a bit disjointed when switching from one to the other. However, this is easily forgotten in the whirlwind of the plot.

Rating: 8.5
I definitely recommend this read for anyone interested in Rome, romance, and family dynamics, politics, and stories that span the lives of the main characters.

Read more...

Review: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

Title: To Say Nothing of the Dog
Author: Connie Willis
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 493
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, Comedy, Historical Fiction
Publication Date: November 18th, 2009
Publisher: Bantam
Rating: 9

Summary:
From Goodreads: From Connie Willis, winner of multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, comes a comedic romp through an unpredictable world of mystery, love, and time travel...

Ned Henry is badly in need of a rest. He's been shuttling between the 21st century and the 1940s searching for a Victorian atrocity called the bishop's bird stump. It's part of a project to restore the famed Coventry Cathedral, destroyed in a Nazi air raid over a hundred years earlier.

But then Verity Kindle, a fellow time traveler, inadvertently brings back something from the past. Now Ned must jump back to the Victorian era to help Verity put things right--not only to save the project but to prevent altering history itself.

Why did I read this book? This is the March Challenge in Calico Reactions Book Club!

Source: Bought

My Review
This is my first time participating in calico-reaction's book club, and I have to say what a great start! I decided to participate even though I have limited time to read because I wanted to read more scifi and having a community to discuss it after just made it more appealing.

To be honest, when I started the book, I thought it was definitely funny and entertaining, but I really couldn't get into the actual story. I had trouble reading more than one chapter at a time (which is unusual for me). Ironically, the first part of the book which mimics Willis' inspiration, Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome in which there are in fact about 100 pages about three men in a boat - to say nothing of the dog - was in my opinion the most boring part of the book. Nonetheless I was held by Willis' talent in writing passages that evoked visions of the past and present. For instance, one of my favorites was: "She was a delicate blossom, capable of growing only in a single time, adapted only to the select hothouse environment of the late Victorian era: the untouched flower, the blooming English rose, the angel in the house. She would be extinct in only a handful of years, replaced by the bicycling bloomer girl, the cigarette-smoking flapper and the suffragette." (p.94)

I noticed my attention piqued when the plot moved into the mystery aspect, and also when Ned Henry and Verity Kindle began to have scenes together. I thought the mystery was so well done, although I did catch some hints and guessed right on a couple things, nothing prepared me for the ending in which Willis reveals a very thought out and masterminded conclusion. As for Ned Henry, I can't really describe Willis' skill in creating and maintaining such a distinct narrative voice through that character. I feel like I know the guy. Some of my favorite parts were when Ned was time-lagged and had the tendency to sentimentalize, which was quite charming and hilarious.

Rating: 9
I think this book is great fun and also contains an impressive plot and that it could be good for fledgling scifi readers (like me). Also, anyone who is interested in Victorian history should read this too as most of it takes place in that time. I hope to read more of Connie Willis in the future.

Read more...