Historical Fiction
Kingdom of the Wicked Book One
Written by Kerri Maniscalco
Historical Fiction, Mystery, Witches, Romance
Published October 27th 2020
448 Pages
Thank you to Jimmy Patterson Books
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★★★★☆
Two sisters.One brutal murder.A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…And an intoxicating romance.Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe, witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin... Desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost, even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.
Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...
As children, Emilia and Vittoria listened intently to the stories of their grandmother and the Dicarlo family grimoire, monsters, demons and the stregheria, the matriarchal families of the Sicilian town of Palermo. As the ocean gathers the changing winds, the demon world becomes restless, it's been an age since demons were banished into the netherworld and with a solemn prophecy from their grandmother, the underworld has arisen.
Emilia and Vittoria are contrasting characters, Vittoria is spirited whilst Emilia is passionate about literature and culinary delights, a kitchenhand in their family owned restaurant Sea & Vine. As children, Emilia and Vittoria confided in one another but are now distant, Vittoria secretively indulging in parties and tumultuous love affairs until her body is found within the local monastery, her heart removed in a ritualistic killing. Emilia's sorrow is palpable and although the sisters have grown distant in recent years, she is determined to avenge her sister.
Throughout the narrative, Emilia discovers that Vittoria harboured a dangerous grimoire as she summons a demon from the underworld, the unsuspecting war general, the demonic prince of Wrath. Capturing the devastatingly handsome general for information. Wrath is one of seven demonic princes, each representing the seven houses of immortality. To freed the brothers, a willing bride must be chosen to break the binding spell placed upon the underworld. These princes are deliciously sinful and almost impossible to resist. Yes, they're evil but so incredibly handsome that you almost forget they're in the business of stealing souls. Because handsome.
Wrath is ridiculously attractive. He and Emilia share a vested interest in finding who killed Vittoria, reluctantly agreeing to work together. Over the course of the narrative, Wrath begins to care for Emilia and although she's more than capable of fending for herself, he is a wonderful yet alluring support for Emilia. Remember when you first discovered Twilight and couldn't get enough of the sexual tension? This.
Emilia is a vengeful witch, Wrath is a demonic prince and the mortal enemies to maybe lovers, smouldering attraction and very much wanting to get it on romance is slow and simmering and how I'm here for it. Chef kisses all round friends. If you've read the Stalking Jack the Ripper series with Audrey Rose and Thomas then you'll be well aware of the smouldering, agonising Kerri Maniscalco romances and this was painful in the most delicious meaning of the word.
Kerri Maniscalco writes incredible narratives, mysteries with dangerous undercurrents and passionate romances and Kingdom of the Wicked was intensely brilliant. So much so that I've run out of words. It's sexy. Damn sexy and hot as hell. Literally.
In summary, this is one of those reads you'll sell your mother for.
Written by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance
256 Pages
Published January 28th 2020
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia
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★★★★★
On Christmas Eve, 1617, the sea around the remote Norwegian island of Vardø is thrown into a reckless storm. As Maren Magnusdatter watches, forty fishermen, including her father and brother, are lost to the waves, the menfolk of Vardø wiped out in an instant.
Now the women must fend for themselves.
Eighteen months later, a sinister figure arrives. Summoned from Scotland to take control of a place at the edge of the civilised world, Absalom Cornet knows what he needs to do to bring the women of Vardø to heel. With him travels his young wife, Ursa. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa finds something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God and flooded with a mighty and terrible evil, one he must root out at all costs.
Inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1621 witch trials, Kiran Millwood Hargrave's The Mercies is a story about how suspicion can twist its way through a community, and a love that may prove as dangerous as it is powerful.
Throughout the island fishing village of Vardø, the women grieve for their husbands, their sons and their fathers as the weather churned the ocean, the fishermen losing their lives. The women of Vardø gathered their deceased loved ones, waiting until the season thawed the hardest terrain and farewelled those captured by the ocean as a man arrives on the Norwegian island. A man of the church to guide the female community spiritually and morally.
Maren Magnusdatter has lost her father, her betrothed and her brother, a newlywed young man expecting his first child. To survive, the women must become self reliant and although the newly appointed Christian Pastor believes it to be improper, food is scarce and the women, more than capable, embrace the role of hunters and gatherers.
The Mercies is based on an event that occurred during the early seventeenth century. A storm decimated Finnmark, forty men lost their lives in Vardø where it is said that the sky and sea merged to drown ten fishing vessels, resulting in the now infamous Vardøhus witch trials and genocide of Indigenous Sámi communities.
Maren is a formidable young woman, intelligent and resilient. Since the storm claimed the lives of the men of Vardø, including her father, brother and her betrothed, the atmosphere within the small coastal village is precarious, women who place their faith in Christianity and those who are tenaciously pursuing their independence. Neither mutually exclusive. The Christian women of Vardø are relying upon the Pastor and Lensmann Absolom Cornet, a Scotsman on behalf of the Monarchy instilled to ensure Christian values are being adhered and practised. The brutality and violence against women is confrontational, women are expected to marry and bear children, serve their community and attend church services. The Lensmann appointment has reverberated throughout the village, creating fissures within the community. On his journey to the small fishing village, Lensmann Cornet married Ursula, a dispirited young woman who reluctantly abandoned her family, her once privileged life and stately home for a small homestead on the island.
The tentative companionship of Maren and Ursula is tender and beautiful, Ursula enlisting the guidance of Maren to learn the customs of the Vardø community and tending to her home. As the Lensmann travelled under his appointment of the monarch, Ursula and Maren begun to depend on one another. Although Maren was betrothed to the young son of a village fishermen, she is attracted to women, preferring their company. Especially Ursula.
Maren's mother is becoming increasingly volatile, choosing the company of the Christian townswomen and isolating Diina and her grandson. Diina's shamanic faith victimising the young mother still grieving for her husband. The courage and fortitude of the women of Vardø is inspirational, especially Kirsten Sorensdatter, trouser wearer and reindeer caretaker. Kirsten's independence reverberates in whispers throughout the village, those who disobey the Lensmann and refuse to follow the teachings of Christianity are branded as witches, held responsible for the storm. The women guided by Kirsten didn't survive, they thrived until the Lensmann arrived.
The Mercies is a narrative of quiet feminism and the fortitude of woman. The women of Vardø refusing to yield as they are sentenced to death by those shielding behind their faith. Women who refuse to adhere to Christianity and traditional female roles of caregivers, wives and homemakers are branded and sentenced. A remarkable story and beautifully told, The Mercies is unequivocally breathtaking.
Maren Magnusdatter has lost her father, her betrothed and her brother, a newlywed young man expecting his first child. To survive, the women must become self reliant and although the newly appointed Christian Pastor believes it to be improper, food is scarce and the women, more than capable, embrace the role of hunters and gatherers.
The Mercies is based on an event that occurred during the early seventeenth century. A storm decimated Finnmark, forty men lost their lives in Vardø where it is said that the sky and sea merged to drown ten fishing vessels, resulting in the now infamous Vardøhus witch trials and genocide of Indigenous Sámi communities.
Maren is a formidable young woman, intelligent and resilient. Since the storm claimed the lives of the men of Vardø, including her father, brother and her betrothed, the atmosphere within the small coastal village is precarious, women who place their faith in Christianity and those who are tenaciously pursuing their independence. Neither mutually exclusive. The Christian women of Vardø are relying upon the Pastor and Lensmann Absolom Cornet, a Scotsman on behalf of the Monarchy instilled to ensure Christian values are being adhered and practised. The brutality and violence against women is confrontational, women are expected to marry and bear children, serve their community and attend church services. The Lensmann appointment has reverberated throughout the village, creating fissures within the community. On his journey to the small fishing village, Lensmann Cornet married Ursula, a dispirited young woman who reluctantly abandoned her family, her once privileged life and stately home for a small homestead on the island.
The tentative companionship of Maren and Ursula is tender and beautiful, Ursula enlisting the guidance of Maren to learn the customs of the Vardø community and tending to her home. As the Lensmann travelled under his appointment of the monarch, Ursula and Maren begun to depend on one another. Although Maren was betrothed to the young son of a village fishermen, she is attracted to women, preferring their company. Especially Ursula.
Maren's mother is becoming increasingly volatile, choosing the company of the Christian townswomen and isolating Diina and her grandson. Diina's shamanic faith victimising the young mother still grieving for her husband. The courage and fortitude of the women of Vardø is inspirational, especially Kirsten Sorensdatter, trouser wearer and reindeer caretaker. Kirsten's independence reverberates in whispers throughout the village, those who disobey the Lensmann and refuse to follow the teachings of Christianity are branded as witches, held responsible for the storm. The women guided by Kirsten didn't survive, they thrived until the Lensmann arrived.
The Mercies is a narrative of quiet feminism and the fortitude of woman. The women of Vardø refusing to yield as they are sentenced to death by those shielding behind their faith. Women who refuse to adhere to Christianity and traditional female roles of caregivers, wives and homemakers are branded and sentenced. A remarkable story and beautifully told, The Mercies is unequivocally breathtaking.
Written by Thanhhà Lai
Historical Fiction, Cultural, Diverse, Friendship
296 Pages
Published March 3rd 2020
Thank you to UQP
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★★★★★
Hằng doesn’t believe in adventures.
There are steps that must be done, and once done, another step awaits. The last step, after six years of minute planning by her grandmother, is a bus ride away. In Amarillo her baby brother has to be waiting. In her imaginings, he is always waiting.
National Book Award and Newbery Honor winning author Thanhhà Lại makes her young adult debut in this deeply moving story of courage, redemption, friendship, family and new beginnings.
The conflict in Việt Nam created impoverished conditions, families malnourished, communities decimated as the communist government occupied Southern Việt Nam. Hằng has escaped Việt Nam, her journey as an asylum seeker harrowing as she is resettled with her uncle Chú Quốc and her cousins in the American South. As the conflict in Việt Nam concluded, authorities begun evacuating orphans from Saigon. Hằng and her brother Linh prepared for evacuation among the children experiencing the devastation of losing their families. Their mother and grandmother sacrificing to provide the children with safe passage amidst the conflict.
A young girl only twelve years of age, Hằng was denied passage, Linh forcibly removed from his sister and taken onboard for evacuation. Hằng returning to their small Việt Nam village devastated and grieving for her brother. In his absence, his grandmother became inflicted with illness, his father passing, believing his son was abducted. Hằng has endured famine and conflict as a young woman evading the attention of soldiers settled within the community.
Tens of millions of communities around the world are displaced, seeking asylum from persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations within their native countries. In Australia, where many refugees from Việt Nam were brought, our human rights violations are deplorable, denying those seeking asylum refuge. Hằng and her mother boarded a small, crowded fishing vessel en voyage to find Linh. Their journey is fraught with uncertainty, dangerous conditions on a small ramshackle vessel unable to elude pirates on the open waters. Passengers slain, women and girls captured, Hằng disguised as a young boy, surviving as a nonthreatening figure and disregarded.
Arriving in Dallas, Hằng is homed with her uncle Chú Quốc and his family, Vietnamese Americans living affluent lives. The contrast between Hằng and her cousin, both of Vietnamese descent is immense. Hằng isn't consumed by material possessions, she's fixated with finding Linh and although her uncle suggests seeking legal advice, Hằng journeys alone to retrieve her brother.
Leeroy is an aspiring cowboy, modelling himself on a local legendary rodeo champion and travelling the infamous Panhandle in search of the American dream despite his parents insistence on attending college. Ambushed by an Christian couple on Southern hospitality, Leeroy is coerced to accompany a destitute Hằng to her brothers last known address. An unlikely and tentative companionship begins as the two young adults find employment as ranch hands on a sprawling homestead neighbouring Linh and his adoptive mother, his horse lodging at the ranch. It's a precarious situation, Linh or David as he's now known, is twelve years old and seemingly remembers little from Việt Nam, including Hằng. Hằng's intensity is balanced by Leeroy's humour and carefree attitude, David and Leeroy developing an easy rapport while Hằng observes from a distance.
Hằng's narrative is heartachingly tender. Her journey unravels to reveal her ordeal, the traumatic circumstances of leaving Việt Nam, losing her family, losing her brother, the traumatisation she endures in silence. Hằng's character is based on a photograph Thanhhà Lai encountered of a young girl at a Buddhist temple she visited, photographs of lives lost. Her journey is distressing and confronting, encouraging readers to examine our privileges. Although Butterfly Yellow is a fictional narrative of the refugee experience, it represents the precarious and volatile conditions in which those seeking asylum are escaping. Encouraging compassion and understanding throughout the western world. A remarkable and thought provoking read that will ignite discussion.
Achingly beautiful.
contains alcoholism, death, abuse and drug abuse
Written by Jennifer Mathieu
Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Family
336 Pages
Published 10th September 2019
Thanks to Hachette Australia
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★★★★
How can one family have so many secrets?
It's the summer of 1986. Joaquin and Elena, two teenage siblings live in a toxic environment with their alcoholic mother on an island off the Texas Gulf Coast.
Elena falls for a new boy who has just arrived from California. Joaquin must wrestle with his decision to stay on Mariposa Island to protect his sister or flee from his mother's abuse.
As both teenagers struggle to figure out who they are and want to be, they are caught in a web of family dysfunction and secrets from their mother's past.
Can fierce love save them, or will their truth tear them apart?
During the nineteen eighties, Mariposa Island is a summer playground for the wealthy and frivolous, for siblings Joaquin and Elena Finney, it's home. Under the vigilant and suspicious scrutiny of their mother, Joaquin is allowed to socialise with friends without a curfew, Elena is only given permission to leave the house accompanied by Joaquin and to work minding children for a wealthy family on the island that visits during summer each year. Her Mami warning Elena of menacing boys who will leave her in ruins. Elena is expected to tend to their small, ramshackle home while her alcoholic mother seethes about her own life, the breakdown of her marriage and her life as a pampered debutante in Havana during the rise of the Communist Party and Fidel Castro.
Caridad de la Guardia was the only child of attentive parents, wealthy socialites of Havana, cherished by her parents, treasured by her housemaid and revered by her island community. As a young woman, Caridad was removed from her home and sent to the United States under the guise of an education during the Cuban Revolution. Fostered by an American family, Caridad despised being abandoned by her parents and learning to communicate in English. Her only means of escapism was to fall in love with an American boy and create a life similar to her opulent lifestyle in Havana. Now living on the Island, Caridad seeks companionship in alcohol and reminding her children of their own father's abandonment.
Mariposa Island thrives on secrets and untruths, of tangled lives and manipulation. Told from the perspectives of Caridad as a child living in Havana and siblings Elena and Joaquin, presently residents of the island, the narrative explores family and tangled lives of deception.
Now a parent with two children on the pinnacle of adulthood, Caridad's nonlinear narrative fluctuates between carefree child and the hostile, vitriolic woman she's become. An alcoholic and an abuser. Her children are a reminder of the life she believes she was cruelly denied, her parents sending her to the United States to escape the Cuban Revolution and unbeknown to Caridad, saving her life. She's hostile towards her foster parents, an American family who care for Caridad despite her growing resentment.
Joaquin and Elena have never known their father, only the distant memory of the man their mother continuously reiterates that abandoned his young family. Elena is a sheltered young woman, suffocating under the judgemental scrutiny of her mother and a peacekeeper, simmering arguments between Joaquin and their mother while yearning for her mother's approval. Joaquin is independent and often challenges their mother, confronting her about her alcoholism and the animosity she holds for her children. Although siblings, Elena and Joaquin live parallel lives. Joaquin is employed in a local family restaurant and Elena is a casual nanny for the Callahan family each summer and her only means of escape from her mother's tyranny. Joaquin is the preferable Finney sibling and although he despises his mother, he's fond of Elena and encourages her to defend herself.
Elena begins sneaking out during her mother's drunken unconsciousness to see her boyfriend, a nineteen year old staying in town for the summer. Manipulated and exploited by an older, experienced man, Elena has become reckless and abandons her best friend. When Elena's and Caridad's lies begin to unravel, it becomes apparent that Joaquin's survival depends on escaping the island. No longer able to live with the lies and deception. He's suffocating.
I was captivated by the intensity of the narrative and their tangled deception. Elena was an unreliable narrator, her untruths had become her reality and I was swept along by her dishonesty. I believed her. Caridad's alcoholism to escape her reality is distressing, disregarding her own children while reminiscing about her life in Havana and regretting the life she's been saddled with. Lies layered upon untruths and manipulation, it was a toxic and vicious cycle that was destroying Elena's, Caridad's and Joaquin's lives.
Jennifer Mathieu is a remarkable storyteller, I was captivated by the Finney family and their entwined deception and betrayal. To put it bluntly, they're fucked, they'll fuck you up and you'll enjoy every fucking moment.
Written by Meg Caddy
Historical, Pirates, #LoveOZYA
320 Pages
Published May 7th 2019
Thanks to Text Publishing
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★★★★★
Anne Bonny was eighteen when she ran away from her violent husband, James, into the arms of pirate captain Calico Jack Rackham. Now she’s ensconced aboard Jack’s ship Ranger, passing as a cabin boy and playing her ruthless part in a crew that is raining down mayhem and murder on the ships of the Caribbean. But James Bonny is willing to pay to get his property back. And pirate hunter Captain Barnet is happy to take his money. The Ranger’s a fast ship, Anne might just be able to outrun Barnet. But can she outrun the consequences of her relationship with Calico Jack?
Devil’s Ballast is action packed yet nuanced, culturally relevant and sharp as a cutlass. Based on the true story of Anne Bonny, this new novel by the remarkable Meg Caddy brings to life one of history’s most fascinating anti heroines.
As the dawn rises, Anne Bonny binds her breasts with bandages, pulls on her britches and prepares for another journey on board the Ranger, a pirate ship bound for the Carribbean. The crew believes Anne is a young man, small, intelligent and arrogant. The ocean doesn't welcome young women and women on board are abused, disgraced and often degraded. After escaping her violent husband, Anne is labelled an adulterer by the lawmakers of Nassau, a bounty offered for her capture by her volatile husband, furious that Anne was stolen away by infamous pirate Calico Jack, Jack Rackham.
Anne Bonny is remarkable. As a young woman, defying her father and marrying James Bonny, living in a small, ramshackle hut on the Nassau coast. Her husband begun to abuse her, stumbling home in a drunken, violent rage until Anne was presented with a lifeline, the handsome Calico Jack and despite the crew of the Ranger believing Anne was a slight boy of no more than fourteen, Anne and Jack became lovers on the open seas, pillaging merchant vessels and gaining notoriety.
Although her life can only be speculated upon, Anne Bonny is an incredible historical figure. Anne is portrayed as a young woman of incredible strength and conviction, exchanging an oppressive marriage for life as a marauder throughout the Caribbean. She's accused of adultery, a suspected sex worker and if she escapes execution, then she'll be returned to her violent husband who has employed a pirate hunter to capture his wife.
It was highly suspected that Anne Bonny was bisexual, involved in a romantic relationship with Mary Read, also known as Mark Read. Women were often abused during the Golden Age of Piracy, only valued as wives and caregivers by honourable men. Anne bound her breasts in bandages to conceal her gender with only Calico Jack enlightened that Andrew Bonny is female. When Anne is captured and kept prisoner, she befriends a passive, unassuming pirate, Read. Read suspects Anne is female and under the cover of darkness, they both escape. Read is a transgender man, binding his chest and in Devil's Ballast, identifies as male. Their friendship was beautiful, the two pirates are kindred spirits and sought solace in each others company. Although Anne is in a relationship with Calico Jack, she has infinitely greater chemistry and compatibility with Read.
A fictional account of the journey of Anne Bonny, Devil's Ballast is superbly entertaining and swashbuckling fun. Meg Caddy has captured the romantic essence of a ferocious and passionate heroine that will be remembered as a famed and sensationalised young woman. Remarkable reading.
Warrior Bards Book One
Written by Juliet Marillier
Fantasy, Folklore, Celtic
400 Pages
Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia
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★★★★
Bard. Warrior. Rebel.On Swan Island, apprentices are disciplined in warfare and espionage in preparation to become elite soldiers, a distinguished position garnering the admiration of the communities of Erin. Siblings Liobhan and Brocc are revered for their proficiency, accomplished apprentices on the threshold of their inaugural assignment on the mainland. Accompanied by adversary Dau and the chieftains of Swan Island, their assignment is to retrieve the Harp of Kings, a traditional stringed instrument of considerable importance. The harp will be played at Breifne's coronation ceremony for the incoming kingship and without the traditional ceremony, the new king shall not be accepted by society.
Eighteen year old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan's burning ambition is to join the elite warrior band on Swan Island. While she and her brother are competing for places in this band, they are asked to go undercover as travelling minstrels. For Swan Island trains both warriors and spies.
Their mission is to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship. If the harp is not played at the upcoming coronation, the heir will not be accepted and the kingdom will be thrown into turmoil. Faced with plotting courtiers, secretive druids, an insightful storyteller and a boorish Crown Prince, Liobhan soon realises an Otherworld power may be meddling in the affairs of the realm. When ambition clashes with conscience, Liobhan must make a bold decision and the consequences may break her heart.
Each apprentice has been provided with a new identity and persona for their assignment. Dau will be employed as a lowly stable hand and labourer, a young man with mutism. Liobhan and Brocc will be employed by the empire as travelling minstrels, selected for their musical capabilities much to the annoyance of Liobhan. The journey to the Kingdom of Breifne is fraught with danger. Legends speak of an otherworldly realm in which the fair folk reside, an elderly storyteller guarding a gateway to another world which is being decimated. Of a tempered, volatile King and the uncanny, what resides in the beyond.
Liobhan is an ambitious and intelligent young woman who challenges authority and an extraordinary musician. Entering the academy at Swan Island is among her greatest accomplishments, vying for a place as a permanent resident among the chosen warriors and accompanied by brother Brocc. Brocc is an accomplished young man and esteemed amongst the Swan Island community. Unlike Liobhan, Brocc prefers to create music, mesmerising crowds with his angelic melodies and although he's a capable combatant, he faces an internal conflict of identity. Dau is a stoic young man and Liobhan's main adversary. He segregates himself rather than establish friendships with his comrades. Beneath the surface lies a young man traumatised by his youth, tormented by older siblings and tortured by traumatic stress disorder.
In The Kingdom of Breifne, Druids live with a segregated community, men of spirituality who upon entering the brotherhood are deprived of their former identity. Their families forbidden to speak of their loved one. The Druids are the protectors of the Harp of Kings, essential for the incoming King's crowning ceremony. Brocc must garner the confidence of the Druids to investigate the disappearance of the harp and along with chieftain Archu, play nightly for the Breifne court under the guise of travelling minstrels.
Liobhan and Dau begin a tentative friendship, from adversaries to a gentle companionship while Brocc finds himself attracted to a mysterious women in which he finds a sense of solace. The romance is subtle and delicate, which will no doubt be explored in the next installment. Within the court, Liobhan befriends a neglected and frightened young girl, we see a tender side of the feminist warrior and I really enjoyed their interactions. Throughout the narrative, we see how difficult it is for women within the Kingdom. Women work within traditional roles, caring for children, sewing, cooking, washing and seen as inferior to men by often remarking, you're quite intelligent, for a woman. Given her place within the court as a mere minstrel, Liobhan is unable to challenge these sexist ideals publicly but secretly seethes with frustration.
Liobhan and Dau begin a tentative friendship, from adversaries to a gentle companionship while Brocc finds himself attracted to a mysterious women in which he finds a sense of solace. The romance is subtle and delicate, which will no doubt be explored in the next installment. Within the court, Liobhan befriends a neglected and frightened young girl, we see a tender side of the feminist warrior and I really enjoyed their interactions. Throughout the narrative, we see how difficult it is for women within the Kingdom. Women work within traditional roles, caring for children, sewing, cooking, washing and seen as inferior to men by often remarking, you're quite intelligent, for a woman. Given her place within the court as a mere minstrel, Liobhan is unable to challenge these sexist ideals publicly but secretly seethes with frustration.
The Harp of Kings is extraordinarily exquisite, an enchanting fusion of fantasy and fictional Celtic folklore, a journey of resistance, resilience and realisation. Atmospheric and vividly imagined, Juliet Marillier is exceptional.
Enchantée Book One
Written by Gita Trelease
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance
464 Pages
Published February 26th 2019
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia
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★★★☆
Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries and magicians...
When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic, la magie ordinaire, Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won't hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family's savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark, the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist, who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible.
But la magie has its costs. And when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she's playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose, love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic, before Paris burns.
In eighteenth century Paris, the streets whisper with discontent. The wealthy aristocratic community collecting taxation payments from the lower socioeconomic castes, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette holding lavish parties for the affluent society. Camille Durbonne provides for her sister Sophie, recovering from the small pox virus that their parents succumbed, her brother Alain an alcoholic indebted to the dazzling lights of the royal casino.
Camille relies upon magie ordinaire and her ability to manipulate metal into currency, using sorrow as motivation for the transformation. Once celebrated for their abilities, magicians were revered by royalty and aristocrats to transform the Palace of Versailles into a glittering showcase of wealth, beauty and privilege. For a lowly printers daughter, Camille needs money for Sophie's medication and to keep the roof over their heads, brother Alain is unable to hold down a job and has sold anything of value within their crumbling, rented rooms. On a drunken rampage, Alain ransacks their home, assaults Camille and flees to Versailles with their overdue rent money.
Camille is a resilient young woman, using whatever means are at her disposal to earn money to care for her younger sister Sophie. Sophie is recovering from small pox, a disease which had taken both their parents lives and left the siblings for fend for themselves. And one another. While Camille and Sophie have been a means of support for one another, Alain begun gambling, seduced by the bright lights of Versailles and the careless life of an aristocrat.
Alain is an abusive character. He cares little for the welfare of his sisters, rather his own lifestyle of drinking and gambling which has lead him debt with dangerous creditors. Not only does he attempt to manipulate Camille but also threatens to sell Camille and Sophie with the implication of selling their bodies to clear his debts. Sophie is awestruck by this lavish life Alain leads and idolises her brother, Alain filling her head with false promises of Sophie meeting a wealthy aristocrat and marrying. Sophie is frustrating. Although incredibly naive at only fifteen years of age, she's only beginning to realise the toll that magic takes on Camille and begins working for a local milliner creating hats for the wealthy women of Paris. Unfortunately it still isn't enough money to survive.
Using her mother's glamoire gown and the last of their savings, Camille uses magic to manipulate her appearance to join the aristocrats at Versailles, where she's taken into the fold as the young widow Baroness de la Fontaine. For Camille, it's impossible not to lose her sense of identity within the dazzling atmosphere of Versailles and the privileged aristocrat lifestyle. Although Camille is seduced by her new lifestyle, she returns home with her winnings each day to provide for sister Sophie.
Sophie's loyalties seem to lie with Alain, her brother convincing the fifteen year old that she will one day become an aristocrat with influence, marrying a wealthy man and living a life of affluence. She becomes increasingly jealous of Camille, even as magie ordinaire slowly begins to destroy her sister. I found Sophie incredibly self centred and it's not a term I use lightly. Understanding that she is only fifteen years of age and recovering from a life threatening illness, she showed such little compassion for Camille except for wanting her sister to pursue relationships for societal gain.
The subtle romance was lovely. Meeting in the most unconventional manner, the aeronautic Lazare is dashing, charming and oh so chivalrous. His wonderment at Camille is absolutely delightful and he cares not for her societal standing. Leading her double life, Camille meets the wealthy, mysterious Seguin, an acquaintance of her new friends. Seguin is incredibly forward with his intentions, he likes Camille as her alternative ego but Camille also suspects he is aware there is more to her than the wealthy, lonely widow she portrays.
The subtle romance was lovely. Meeting in the most unconventional manner, the aeronautic Lazare is dashing, charming and oh so chivalrous. His wonderment at Camille is absolutely delightful and he cares not for her societal standing. Leading her double life, Camille meets the wealthy, mysterious Seguin, an acquaintance of her new friends. Seguin is incredibly forward with his intentions, he likes Camille as her alternative ego but Camille also suspects he is aware there is more to her than the wealthy, lonely widow she portrays.
It was incredibly atmospheric. I was lured into the world of Versailles and the the lavish romanticism of the wealthy aristocrats. Gita Trelease has sprinkled words and phrases in French throughout the prose, creating such a lovely narrative and authenticity. An inclusion I really enjoyed.
My only complain is of the pacing. It's incredibly slow to begin. We follow Camille throughout the streets of Paris as she collects scrap metal to transform into coins and gambling to create a better life for her and Sophie. There was so much emphasis on the gambling and Camille stumbling home each night from exhaustion that there was little left for romance or developing Sophie's character.
Overall, it was slow but incredibly lovely. I expected more from the brewing revolution subplot rather than glittering casinos but really enjoyed it despite the slow beginning. Fans of lavish historical romances will love this one and looking forward to the next installment.
My only complain is of the pacing. It's incredibly slow to begin. We follow Camille throughout the streets of Paris as she collects scrap metal to transform into coins and gambling to create a better life for her and Sophie. There was so much emphasis on the gambling and Camille stumbling home each night from exhaustion that there was little left for romance or developing Sophie's character.
Overall, it was slow but incredibly lovely. I expected more from the brewing revolution subplot rather than glittering casinos but really enjoyed it despite the slow beginning. Fans of lavish historical romances will love this one and looking forward to the next installment.
Contains sacrificial animal and human death, death and slavery
Written by Wendy Orr
Middle Grade, Survival, #LoveOZMG
288 Pages
Published July 2018
Thank you to Allen and Unwin Australia
Add to Goodreads
★★★★★
Leira's family flee to the island of Crete just before a huge volcanic eruption destroys their island and sends a tsunami to where they thought they had found safety. Another thrilling adventure by acclaimed author Wendy Orr.
I wonder if the first day of Learning is always like this, do the girls on the hill always feel the ground tremble under their feet? Leira is about to start her initiation as a priestess when her world is turned upside down. A violent earthquake leaves her home and her family in pieces. And the goddess hasn't finished with the island yet.
With her family, Leira flees across the sea to Crete, expecting sanctuary. But a volcanic eruption throws the entire world into darkness. After the resulting tsunami, society descends into chaos, the status and privilege of being noble born reduced to nothing. With her injured mother and elderly nurse, Leira has only the strength and resourcefulness within herself to find safety.
Each morning as the sun rises, the small island nation of the Swallow Clan sings the praises of their creator, The Goddess. Leira is preparing for her Learning ceremony, her transformation into womanhood after her first bleed where she will serve The Goddess guided by Our Lady, a woman and spiritual leader among the Swallow Clan community. As the chosen young women begin the pilgrimage upon Crocus Mountain to collect saffron for their ceremonial offering, the mountain begins to tremble. The Goddess has awoken.
The small, spiritual island is experiencing earth tremors as the volcanic activity increases. Residents return to their homes, their offerings and song to The Goddess remain unanswered as the sky clouds with ash, decimating the pastoral landscape. Awoken by the sound, the Swallow Clan community is in ruins. Homes have collapsed including Leira and her mother, her father and brother upon the waves as the island fractures, cursed. As Leira, her mother and elderly servant Nunu are rescued, the neighbouring families find solace within the vast landscape of farmland within the island nation, before sickness infects the community. The island is no longer a haven and reluctantly, families board vessels for the mainland.
Leira is a beautiful young woman, spiritual, whimsical with a quiet determination and wisdom. When her journey to become a woman is overshadowed by the trembling island, Leira believes The Goddess is awakening, the scent of sulphur from the active volcano lingers as a reminder of the sacrifices the community has blessed upon The Goddess. The island women are empowered as their daughters receive their first bleeding, signalling their journey to becoming women and serving The Goddess, a hereditary honour. The tremors become frequent, the crater sending ash across the landscape, smouldering until the island is suddenly decimated.
As her family finds refuge, it soon becomes apparent that her island is contending with starvation, illness and as her father departs for assistance abroad, Leira will be responsible for her mother and Nunu. Since Leira, Nunu and her mother escaped the devastation, her mother has recovered from her physical injuries but has regressed under the emotional anguish of seeking asylum. The narrative also centres upon Nunu and her capacity as a caregiver. Nunu is a servant and although now an elderly woman, was purchased as a child for the purpose of nursing children from the esteemed, privileged family. The displacement of families, vagrancy and slavery from the narrative of a young, privileged girl.
The island mythology is breathtaking and whimsical. Girls are considered women after their first bleeding and chosen for the Learning, serving the Goddess and creator as the community sings the sunrise, throughout ceremonies, illness and for the deceased. The narration cascades between prose and verse, reiterating the significance of Leira's internal monologue and how the young lady matures throughout her journey.
It was magnificent. I was so enamoured by Leira and her island community, the beautiful seaside landscape, the small and colourful dwellings and a community brimming with life and spirit. The research of the island civilisation is superb, recreating the stunning and atmospheric Mediterranean so wonderfully. A true storyteller. Swallow's Dance will be enjoyed for generations to come. Simply brilliant.
The island mythology is breathtaking and whimsical. Girls are considered women after their first bleeding and chosen for the Learning, serving the Goddess and creator as the community sings the sunrise, throughout ceremonies, illness and for the deceased. The narration cascades between prose and verse, reiterating the significance of Leira's internal monologue and how the young lady matures throughout her journey.
It was magnificent. I was so enamoured by Leira and her island community, the beautiful seaside landscape, the small and colourful dwellings and a community brimming with life and spirit. The research of the island civilisation is superb, recreating the stunning and atmospheric Mediterranean so wonderfully. A true storyteller. Swallow's Dance will be enjoyed for generations to come. Simply brilliant.
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