Book Review: The Gathering - CJ Tudor

 

“The Gathering” is a mystery/supernatural/light horror book by CJ Tudor. Who I really liked was Barbara “Fang Doc” Atkins. From her asides to her “it’s the law” attitude, she was a great main character. At times I did get some of the characters confused (especially the males) especially toward the beginning. This book kept me engaged as I tried to puzzle out who was really guilty and who was possibly setting up things for the vampires to get destroyed (though I’ve seen too many “Supernatural” episodes; it’s really difficult to kill vampires!). I think the book ends with a potential sequel … and I did think things wrapped up a bit too neatly (and quickly), but it was a well written book that held my attention. Four stars.

Book Review: A Spartan's Sorrow - Hannah Lynn

  “A Spartan’s Sorrow,” by Hannah Lynn, is the second book in the Grecian Women Trilogy. This book can be read as a stand-alone. This book follows the Greek myth of Clytemnestra (most of the book) and her son, Orestes (last part). As Ms. Lynn notes in the preface, there are so many versions of these Greek myths that they become tangled - and this book took a few side trips into different stories of Clytemnestra, Electra, and Orestes. I think that if you ignore the last bit (a trial) the book is well done from a myth retelling. If you’re a person who knows your myths (or historical facts of the time), you may be a bit disappointed But, overall, I found this to be an engaging read and I like that Clytemnestra had a voice (finally) during the Trojan War time period. Four solid stars.

Book Review: All We Were Promised - Ashton Lattimore

 

 “All We Were Promised” is a debut historical fiction novel by Ashton Lattimore. I will say that the historical research of this book was fantastic. From reading other books, I’ve learned it’s difficult to keep track of the pre-Civil War state rules regarding slavery issues, so that (from what I could gather online) Ms. Lattimore seems to have gotten them correct, I tip my hat. This book combined the heartening and disheartening regarding those times. This book’s beginning seemed to be more character study and setting things up, with the last quarter of the book picking up with action and the worlds of the three main characters merging together. I didn’t find this book a quick read, but for a debut novel it was a good read. Four stars.

Book Review: Aoife of Leinster - Sean J. FitzGerald

  

"Aoife of Leinster” is a historical fiction book by Sean J. FitzGerald. This book tells the story of Aoife, an Irish noblewoman born in the mid-1100s. This book tells her story in an interesting way - giving her a voice to modern readers. It was interesting reading what the life of a Gaelic king was like - someone who not only loved her family, but also loved her home land - to the point of marrying a Norman, Richard de Clare (better known as Strongbow). I enjoyed learning more about Aoife and Ireland during those turbulent times. Do read the Author's Note and I'm glad that there's a set of family trees included in this book. Four stars.

Book Review: Finding Margaret Fuller - Allison Pataki

 

I had heard the name Margaret Fuller before reading this book (“Finding Margaret Fuller” by Allison Pataki), but I didn’t know much about her. She’s someone I think people should know about - so I’m glad that I read this book. Yes, it’s fictionalized, but Ms. Fuller lead a pretty interesting life - from being an editor to covering Italy’s rebellion to meeting famous people and being highly regarded due to her intellect … wow. I still may not fully understand what the Transcendendalist movement was (sorry, but not even Wiki helped!) but I can appreciate the host of folks who rallied about it. This is a very character driven book and for someone (me) who doesn’t like character driven books, I found this one rather interesting - you feel like you know Ms. Fuller and what’s going on. I must admit that I found the pacing to be a bit slow at times but overall, a very interesting dive into the life of a very interesting person. 4 stars.

 

Book Review: Dominoes - Phoebe McIntosh

  “Dominoes” is a book by Phoebe McIntosh, based upon her one-woman (one hour) play of the same name. I did not see the original play, but I think I would’ve preferred that version to this one. I can see the play being more condensed and felt at times that this book had extra information to, well, just have extra background information. I think the overall question posed was a good one - can a Black person marry into a former slaving owning family. However, having done genealogy searching in the past, I immediately thought of the scenario that happened in this book with Andrew’s family. Did Ms. McIntosh mean for it to be a surprise twist? I don’t know, but it wasn’t for me. I also didn’t really like Sera. While I understand her stance and her reasoning, some of her comments and actions seemed way off the mark and it seemed that Sera was really saying “choose me or your fiancé,” which just bugged me a lot. I did, however, really enjoy the main character’s grandfather - loved his view of life, loved how he loved his family, and loved how much he cared about so many precious things in life. Overall, I’d give this book a 3.5 rating - great idea and in a play (or short story) format I think it would’ve been preferred, but as a long story, it missed the mark for me.

Book Review: The Woman with No Name - Audrey Blake

  “The Woman with No Name” is a historical fiction book by Audrey Blake. This book mainly takes place during WWII in France. Yvonne, the main character going by the name Jacqueline, is working with the French resistance. I liked this book in part because it was based upon a real person - and the author’s note noted what was true and what was fiction. I do, however, wish that this book had been in chronological order as the jumping about had me a lot confused trying to keep track of what happened when. Overall, though, I found this book engaging and interesting. Four stars.