Category Archives: Book Reviews

Fire & Steel (King’s Bane Book 1) by C.R. May – Review

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Title – Fire & Steel (King’s Bane Book 1)
Author –  C.R. May
Genre –  Historical Fiction
Length –  355 Pages
Publication – March 2016
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

523 A.D. Arthur is dead.

As Britannia burns a small tribe clings to its colony of Anglia.

Across the German Sea powerful enemies covet Engeln itself.

But the English are not easily cowed.

As Spear-Danes threaten the homeland a hero returns,

leading the fightback with ferocity and guile…

Review

I always like to do a bit of research before I read a book from an author.. as in do they have any other books out etc and a quick look shows C.R. May has a few books under his belt with some very decent reviews so I was looking forward to what could promise to be a great series to get into.

I wasn’t disappointed at all, it’s a nonstop ride for Eofer and his loyal men… honestly the man never stops moving.

I really enjoyed the descriptiveness and the language used to weave this tale, it was a nice blend of words I’m familiar with whilst also engaging my brain with some words I’ve not come across before.. I like this in a book, hooks you in.. keeps your brain active.

Not much is given away by the synopsis but you can tell from that and the cover that war is afoot..and lots of it. Revenge is the word to describe this book.. every action has a reaction and it left me wondering what was coming next..and indeed left me wondering what more can happen in book 2.

I did feel at times the story jumped too fast.. at one stage our hero arrives home and sees his family but with the turn of the page he’s off again. It didn’t leave much chance for the characters to develop or for me to bond with them but the authors style of writing leads me to believe these characters develop long term.. not just over 1 book

From reading the authors notes I can tell some of these characters have appeared in previous books also which will spur me on to read his previous books to gain more perspective into these characters.

While I would have liked to see a bit more growth with a few characters I did however fall I love with a few of the others. There were two who stood out for me as the most interesting Grimwulf and Spearhafoc.. I hope they play a bit part in the next book

The storyline itself took me a few chapters to get into.. to understand who Eofer was.. but once things got going I was hooked. I’m never one for spoiling a story but look out for some awesome battlefield scenes being played out.

Overall this is a very strong book; decent storyline with some very good characters who I hope will develop throughout the series. It’s a fast paced, well written story full of blood and death. The author clearly knows his stuff and the historical note at the end of the book helps keep fact from fiction. Credit to the author, he’s left me with a taste for his work.. and I want more

The book is out now! to find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Alvar the Kingmaker by Annie Whitehead – Review

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Title – Alvar the Kingmaker
Author – Annie Whitehead
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 329 Pages
Publication – Feb 2016
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

In 10th Century England, nobleman Alvar knows that securing the throne for the young and worthy King Edgar will brand him as an oath-breaker. As a fighting man, he is indispensable to the new sovereign, but his success and power gain him deadly, murderous enemies amongst those who seek favour with the king. Alvar must fight to protect his lands, and his position, and learn the subtle art of politics. He must also, as a man of principle, keep secret his love for the wife of his trusted deputy. Civil war erupts, and Alvar once again finds himself the only man capable of setting a new king upon the throne of England, an act which comes at great personal cost. His career began with a dishonourable deed to help a good king; now he must be loyal to a new king, Aethelred, whom he knows will be weak, and whose supporters have been accused of regicide. Can he bring about peace, reconcile with his enemies, and find personal happiness, whilst all the time doing his duty to his loved ones? And what of the fragile Queen, who not only depends upon him but has fallen in love with him? Aelfhere (Alvar) of Mercia was known to the chroniclers as the “The blast of the mad wind from the Western territories” but also as “The glorious earl.” This is his story.

Review

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book ever since I finished To Be a Queen. While the books are standalone tales I very much recommend reading them both. Annie has a way of writing her female characters which makes these novels stand out for me.

For the main this book follows Alvar as he tries to guide the king as best he can with numerous things getting in his way… mainly the church.

It’s another beautiful piece of work from the author who manages to make the pages cover alive with her descriptions of the surroundings and her way of describing death manages to humble the reader.

One of the things I liked the most about this book is once again Annie has managed to write a love story amongst all this war/hatred and backstabbing. It takes a while for Alvar to get to grips with the political game he’s forced into.

As mentioned I loved the female characters in this book, two stood out Kata & Alfreda.(although there were more). I won’t spoil the story but the author manages to show real strength within these two for different reasons and for me these two made the book what it is.

As far as historical accuracy goes Annie Whitehead takes a great approach, sticks to the facts when possible and uses her imagination where needed. The author handily gives the characters nicknames since most of the real names would be unpronounceable to most of us. I felt this gave the book a better flow as I would have been stuck every time a name popped up. All of these name changes along with any other liberties the author has taken are explained at the end of the book..this shows just how good of an author Annie is, The perfect mix of fact and fiction to showcase her talent.

This book is full to the brim of love & deceit.. it keeps you hooked wondering what else can happen.. Then when events play out your left with a lump in your throat. Real emotion from words set on paper is a wonderful thing.

I only wish we knew more about what happened to Alvar..

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

The Reaper’s Breath by Robert Southworth – Review

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Title – The Reaper’s Breath (The Ripper Legacies Book 1)
Author – Robert Southworth
Genre – Historical Fiction / Alternative History
Length – 242 Pages
Publication – Feb 2016
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Mary Kelly lies dead upon her bed… Her sorrowful eyes still hold captive, the agony of her fate. Anger, and fear walk side by side as the populace of London demand justice for the slain. Is it a single mad man or is there a bloody political game being played out in the grime filled streets of the old City? The authorities are powerless to stop the bloodletting and call for a new kind of law. William Harkness, former officer of the 66th Regiment of Foot will join the hunt. His task is not to bring an insane killer to court, his hands are not tied by the laws of the day.
William Harkness is the killer of killers, the assassin of evil…

Review

Finally we have the new book from Robert Southworth. It feels like I’ve been waiting ages.. but let me tell you the wait has been worth it!

If you’ve read Rob’s previous series focusing on Spartacus you will know he has a talent for making a story based loosely on history. It’s an interesting style of story and If I’m honest before reading this book I wasn’t 100% sure it would work..the whole ripper event are well documented so I just couldn’t see an story to be told.. but credit to the author, he easily manages to take a little bit of history and give it a twist which shows just how good his imagination is.

To be clear for anyone who reads the book.. this isn’t a ripper book as such. It’s based on some of the events and some of the real people are mentioned but this is entirely a book of fiction on which Rob has been able to show his unique style of storytelling. I’ve never read anything like Rob’s book before and I’m so glad I found his work.

So.. the story. Well this book follows William Harkness, the classic flawed character which every great book needs. William is approached by Inspector Abberline to help when people turn up murdered.. they think there’s more to these murders than they are willing tell the public… they want him to help catch a killer who has avoided the police for over 15 years!

There was some great stand out characters for me, namely Obadiah & Naismith. Obadiah had the aura around him.. like nothing could hurt him.. ever. Naismith.. mysterious Naismith.. he was just an intriguing character from the start.

Let’s get down to the honesty I like to bring to all my reviews… The plot itself seems well planned out.. everything made sense, nothing seemed out of place or had me confused. At one point I was 100% sure I had figured everything out..Then the author throws in some spectacular twists and turns that I just didn’t see coming.

Emily was an interesting character, to be truthful I would have liked to see more scenes between her and William to see the connection develop but what the author gives us didn’t disappoint me..

The biggest enigma in the book for me was Williams’ dad, Sir Simeon Harkness. You don’t know much about him at first only that he and his son have issues. Throughout the book he develops well and the author finally lets you into the family history that has plagued these two men.

In conclusion Rob has brought his unique style to this book, plenty of suspense and twists to keep you gripped and it’s written so well, enough detail to keep your mind activate but not enough to bog you down.

Robert Southworth has delivered another brilliant book which showcases his talent and I’m eager for more

Look out for an interview with the author on my blog in the near future!

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

Blue Wicked by Alan Jones – Review

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Title – Blue Wicked
Author – Alan Jones
Genre – Crime Fiction
Length – 283 Pages
Publication – Oct 2014
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

The tortured corpses of young alcoholics and drug addicts are turning up in Glasgow and only Eddie Henderson seems to know why. When he tries to tell the police, his information is ridiculed and he’s told to stop wasting their time.

One officer, junior detective Catherine Douglas, believes him, and together they set out to discover why the dregs of Glasgow’s underbelly are being found, dead and mutilated.

Review

This tale is dark; the crimes committed are designed to inflict as much pain for as long as possible. The person behind these crimes wants their victims to know they are dying and no matter what nothing can save them.

Initially when Eddie contacts the police no one takes him too seriously but things soon change and Eddie is brought in to help on the case.

There is a great build up throughout the book, each crime leaving you thinking what could possibly happen next.

Catherine Douglas has faith in Eddie and you can see from the start something is likely to happen between them. I wasn’t a fan of this I must admit but the way the author used this relationship throughout the book worked and led to some great reading towards the end of the book. I guess with the dark tone of the book I wasn’t prepared for a bit of love to be thrown in there. Nevertheless it made for a very good, fast paced read

I mainly read historical, syfy or fantasy works but I’m starting to find out there are some very good crime fiction books out there.. I’ve just never known.. and I’d definitely say this is one of the good ones.

My one other word of caution is that some of the slang used can be a little hard to understand. The author does provide a glossary at the end of the book but is does interrupt the flow of the story if you don’t understand what a word means and have to look it up.

The aspect of the book changes throughout, which gives you great insight to the person committing the crimes. Put this together with one hell of an ending and you’ve got a great story in my book

To sum up, Blue Wicked has a lot to offer. The darkness of the murders & the anger brought on by the police who won’t listen made this a book that’s hard to put down.

I see the author has a previous book out so I’ll be adding this to my TBR pile

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

The Lights Went Out and Other Stories by Fiona Cooke Hogan – Review

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Title – The Lights Went Out and Other Stories
Author – Fiona Cooke Hogan
Genre – Literary Humour
Length – 213 Pages
Publication – October 2015
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis              

An eclectic mix of flash fiction, short and longer stories. At times humorous, eerie and poignant; a mother burdened by financial troubles shares her problem with a stranger, a young couples’ journey to the the airport takes a strange turn, a wedding anniversary in Dingle goes from bad to worse, a small dog is forced to change his ways and a vampire hiding out in suburbia just wants to be left alone. Dip your toes into this quirky collection and find your favourite.

Review

I won’t lie.. this isn’t the normal type of book I’d pick up but I was presently surprised how much I enjoyed it. I must thank the author for suggesting I add her book to my review pile.

It’s a nice selection of short stories which shows off the author’s style of writing and her imagination. I must say they were all easy to read.. some made me chuckle.. some made me think..”hang on what am I reading here” Vampires..Zombies.. it’s a good old mash of stories but it kind of works.

For this this would suit anyone who doesn’t have a lot of time to read. This is the type of book you can read a story a day and not worry you’ve lost your place. As a reviewer I’m constantly reading books and I found this was a perfect book to read in-between longer books to give my brain something easy to digest, refresh myself.

As you can imagine there were some stories I liked more than others but this books gives you a nice range that I’m sure everyone will find ones they love.

Some of the stories and the writing style showed great promise to me for longer works. The author hooked me in.. it was a shame that some had to end so quickly.

Worth reading, have a look.

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

The Embroiderer by Kathryn Gauci – Review

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Title – The Embroiderer
Author – Kathryn Gauci
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length –  433 Pages
Publication – Nov 2014
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Set against the mosques and minarets of Asia Minor and the ruins of ancient Athens, ‘The Embroiderer’ is a gripping saga of love and loss, hope and despair, and of the extraordinary courage of women in the face of adversity.

1822: During one of the bloodiest massacres of The Greek War of Independence, a child is born to a woman of legendary beauty in the Byzantine monastery of Nea Moni on the Greek island of Chios. The subsequent decades of bitter struggle between Greeks and Turks simmer to a head when the Greek army invades Turkey in 1919. During this time, Dimitra Lamartine arrives in Smyrna and gains fame and fortune as an embroiderer to the elite of Ottoman society. However it is her grand-daughter, Sophia, who takes the business to great heights only to see their world come crashing down with the outbreak of The Balkan Wars, 1912-13. In 1922, Sophia begins a new life in Athens but the memory of a dire prophecy once told to her grandmother about a girl with flaming red hair begins to haunt her with devastating consequences.

1972: Eleni Stephenson is called to the bedside of her dying aunt in Athens. In a story that rips her world apart, Eleni discovers the chilling truth behind her family’s dark past plunging her into the shadowy world of political intrigue, secret societies and espionage where families and friends are torn apart and where a belief in superstition simmers just below the surface.

Review

I feel very lucky to have been offered the chance to review this book, I absolutely loved it.

For the most part the book focuses around Sophia, who came across as a very powerful character who has to deal with so much pain throughout her life… but there’s so much more to the book. It’s covers multiple generations and sometimes you are left with tit bits of information which light is shed onto later in the book. It made this book a fascinating read to say the least.

I felt a lot of time went into this book, the detail given not only to the characters but also the background..the places visited.. the people..and if I’m honest I loved the underlying family traits of painting and embroidery that were explored.

The major theme that plays out throughout the book is war.. and how it affects Sophia and her family.. and at times it was hard to read..i had my hand over my mouth a few times as some of the events.. it was so tragic.

This book was full of character development and the best part.. it was a natural development rather than forced… my heart ached for Sophia.

3 chapters in to the book I was already looking at rating the book a 4* simply because my brain couldn’t understand everything that was going on. It felt like three stories rolled into one.. I think that’s me.. I over think.. I look 10 chapters ahead wondering where a story will go. The way the author managed to tie everything together and to keep me waiting so long for the information I knew would come brought this up to the 5*. The suspense is what kept me reading even when I was tired..i just had to keep reading

The author also gives you a lot of background info to the wars that are being waged. It was hard to take it all in at times but rest assured this info doesn’t take anything away from the main story if you don’t quite understand it all.

In conclusion this is a wonderfully emotional book, full of heartache and love. The author has put so much into this book it’s hard to do it justice.. Read the book.. you’ll enjoy it

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

Rise of the River-Man: Mutter’s Story by L.S. O’Dea – Review

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Title – Rise of the River-Man: Mutter’s Story (Conguise Chronicles #1)
Author – L.S. O’Dea
Genre – Young Adult/Fantasy/Science Fiction
Length –  126 Pages
Publication – Oct 2015
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

In a world where the Almightys rule with absolute power over the other classes, being an unwanted Guard is a death sentence.

A Guard’s life is never easy, but Mutter’s has been particularly hard. An orphan at five, he had to fight for his survival on the streets and then he fought in a ring for an Almighty. Until, he lost. His master didn’t give second chances, so Mutter sits in the Guards’ shelter awaiting execution. His only chance is to be adopted but no one wants a Guard like him: big, strong and ugly.

Then his luck changes when an Almighty arrives at the shelter and gives him a choice: kill or be killed. Mutter chooses to live.

Things are looking up until he’s taken to a laboratory and stuck in a cage but that’s not the worst part. He’s not alone in the lab. There are…things in the other cages. Things that don’t move or smell like anything he’s ever known.

Now, the Almightys are giving him some kind of serum and he feels good, but does he feel too good? Is he changing into something else? Something like the creatures in the other cages? Can he escape before it’s too late?

Review

I was kindly gifted a copy of this book for review and I was presently surprised at the story considering the book is only 100+ pages.

The story was written well with a clear plot which developed at a fast pace. The characters were interesting; I particularly liked Mutter and Ableson. The interaction between these two was fascinating to read.

So the story is based in a time after a great death has hit the planet, lots of people died and those who survived now live under a new social structure.

The language used is perfect for young and old alike with enough detail to develop the characters nicely enough, especially Mutter.

I enjoyed the book, read it one day. It’s a perfect quick read but I have to admit I would have liked to have had more information on this “great death” and why only humans and large humans were affected and how these new social classes were then formed.

I’m not one for spoilers but the main reason for the 4* rating is because of the character Sweet… I’ll try not to give too much away but feel free to skip the next paragraph to avoid any spoilers.

Sweet for me was a great love interest for Mutter but I would have liked to see more development with her. When Mutter starts to change it would have made more sense to me that Sweet would struggle at first with this change.. then love would win out and she would love him no matter what he looked like.

Overall this was a nice book to read, perfect quick read. The book contains a scene which I would class as mild gruesomeness; this gave it some shock factor. The storyline developed quickly and since this appears to be a prequel to the authors Lake of Sins series I’m interested enough to add them to my TBR pile.

I’d definitely say this book is more suited to the younger reader but I’m 30 and I still enjoyed reading it.

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

The Prospect of This City by Eamonn Martin Griffin – Review

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Title – The Prospect of This City: Being a novel of the Great Fire
Author – Eamonn Martin Griffin
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 309 Pages
Publication – July 2015
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

London, 1666. Agent provocateur Rufus Challis is given a secret mission by the Dutch government; an attack on England’s capital in reprisal for wartime losses suffered that summer. He has a single weekend to put his plan into motion.

When Tom Farriner, second son to the King’s baker, intercepts an aspect of Challis’s plan, he investigates. Already, a friend’s blood stains the cobbles. Is Tom man enough to bring Challis down? And to what lengths is Challis prepared to go to in order to see the city fall?

A novel for fans of CJ Sansom, Hilary Mantel, and Manda (MC) Scott, The Prospect of This City is a dark historical thriller with a blade concealed in its sleeve

Review

The book focuses on Rufus Challis and Tom Farriner. I’m not going to spoil the plot for anyone but Challis is not a nice man and Tom suspects this pretty early on.

I’m going to tell you straight away why I’ve given this book a 4 star..as I bloody loved the book but I wouldn’t have looked twice at the book if I hadn’t been sent a copy for review. The cover just doesn’t do anything for me. I know not everyone is like me but a cover needs to grab me.. otherwise I wouldn’t turn it over to read what the book is about.

This book for me was a diamond in the rough. I could never have imaged how brilliant the story would turn out to be.

Challis was a brilliant character, I could have read a whole series of books with him in.. his skills, his insight was exceptional. Is it wrong that I found myself liking the bad guy in a book?

Anyhoo, the other character Tom..he’s a bit of a nosy kid but has good intentions. He lives with his father, brother and Alice. There’s a complex family relationship going on throughout this book which added to the plot that develops with Challis led to one of the best tales I’ve read.

This book is full to bursting with detail.. sometimes too much. When the fire starts I found myself rereading bits of text to make sure I understood what the author was conveying.. there was so much to take in to try and place yourself in the fire.

Saying that at times the detail was so good it really did help you imagine what walking the streets would have been like, urine and faeces all around, whores offering their services to mention a few.

For me this was a brilliant historical thriller that I can’t help but feel anyone would enjoy. The plot is exceptional and it would be a great shame if you didn’t read it.

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

To Be a Queen by Annie Whitehead – Review

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Title – To Be a Queen
Author – Annie Whitehead
Genre – Historical Fiction
Length – 406 Pages
Publication – Nov 2013
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

This is the true story of Aethelflaed, the ‘Lady of the Mercians’, daughter of Alfred the Great. She was the only female leader of an Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is the tale of one family, two kingdoms and a common enemy. Born into the royal house of Wessex at the height of the Viking wars, she is sent to her aunt in Mercia as a foster-child, only to return home when the Vikings overrun Mercia. In Wessex, she witnesses another Viking attack and this compounds her fear of the enemy. She falls in love with a Mercian lord but is heartbroken to be given as bride to the ruler of Mercia to seal the alliance between the two Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. She must learn to subjugate her feelings for her first love, overcome her indifference to her husband and win the hearts of the Mercians who despise her as a foreigner, twice making an attempt on her life. When her husband falls ill and is incapacitated, she has to learn to rule and lead an army in his stead and when he subsequently dies, she must fight to save her adopted Mercia from the Vikings and, ultimately, her own brother.

Review

Where to begin..I really enjoyed this book. It’s a powerful coming of age tale of Aethelflaed or Teasel as she’s referred to in the book.

At first I didn’t like her but after she was wed to Ethelred and she starts to warm to him I found myself warming to her. Although I have to admit Ethelred was my favourite character in the book. He oozed power and respect and I loved reading any scene with these two in.

The tale is set over many years and we see Teasel grow from a little girl into a powerful woman who manages to break down her defences and those of the Mercians to win their loyalty and to fight for their lives and their land.

We see Teasel deal with love & death.. and a lot of it. You could imagine yourself in her position having no choice to marry a man for convenience.. whilst being in love with another. As she grows she has to deal with those she cares about dying around her.. ageing.. fighting and you sometimes feel that she is about to crack.

The book is full of detail, add to this an insightful historical note from the author left me in no doubt this is a 5 star book. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

Annie Whitehead manged to make the character of Aethelflaed come alive for me.. I felt for her..i didn’t want to put the book down

I’ve used this word before but indeed the word that springs to mind when I think about this book is Powerful! Anyone who enjoys historical fiction will enjoy this and anyone who loves a female heroine will absolutely fall in love with it. The development of the two main characters was superb.

This book is a perfect mix of historical detail, love and death to engross any reader.

I was also left thinking about the frailty of life and how things don’t always go the way we would like but that doesn’t mean you give up.. you fight. Not many books leave me with afterthoughts such as this. Credit to the author.. this book had a lot of depth in my view and I loved it.

To find out more head to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com or Goodreads.

Everyone Dies at the End by Riley Westbrook – Review

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Title – Everyone Dies at the End
Author – Riley Westbrook
Genre – Horror
Length – 87 Pages
Publication – March 2015
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

Who knew the zombie apocalypse would be caused by something we all know is deadly…but that is also all around us? Two stories intersect as the world delves into chaos – Earl, a drugged out heroin addict constantly in search of his next fix, and a family struggling with the dramas of everyday life, get no reprieve during this zombie outbreak. Can any of them survive the deadliest game of all – survival against undead, each other, and the world around them?

Review

Okay.. I’m a big fan of zombies I won’t lie.. and I’ve always enjoyed books that centre around an apocalypse. The idea of humans needing to survive without things we class as essential today is fascinating to me.

This book was good.. if a little strange. The idea of mushrooms growing out of people’s heads was weird but interesting and the idea of how this apocalypse was quite good.

Two things didn’t work so well for me, one was how quick it was decided it was a zombie apocalypse… since this is only a short work I guess you can let that one slide a bit plus everything ties up at the end of the story.

Next was the use of drugs in the tale.. it was just too much for me.

I’ve given it a four star rating… I think that proves the things I wasn’t so keen on didn’t stop my enjoying the tale and its well worth the quick read

The book itself was well written so I’d definitely like to see what else the author comes up with

To read more reviews head to Goodreads.