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August 2013

reviews August 7, 2013

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Prophecy of the Sisters (Prophecy of the Sisters 1) by Michelle Zink

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters–one good, one evil.

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, they find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents’ deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets. (Goodreads)

After Lia’s father dies she discovers a mark on her wrist and learns about a prophecy that has been in her family for generations, and is now concerning Lia and her twin sister Alice. One sister is the Gate and the other the Guardian and the mission is to keep Samael and other demons from coming into this world.

First of all I had no idea when I started this that it’s set in 1890’s and if I had known I’d have been more hesitant to read it. But apart from characters riding in carriages and wearing gowns I could have said it’s set in modern times.

I enjoyed this but it was little slow going. The main problem was that it had way too many questions but few answers. I never got the sense of the prophecy and it was too evil vs. good, I mean Lia was so good and Alice so evil. When Alice started to turn evil and why? I didn’t feel the sisters had any connection with each other or that they were ever really close.

Blurb says that the prophecy has turned sisters against each other but I never got the feeling that there was problems between the sisters of previous generations. Lia’s and Alice’s aunt Virginia lives with them but it was never mentioned that she had problems with her sister.

The book was enjoyable but I was still little bit disappointed. I’m not sure yet if I’ll read the next book but I’m curious if there’s some improvement in it.

3/5
Published: Atom (2010)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 343
Source: my own

reviews August 7, 2013

Queen of Shadows by Edith Felber

Queen of Shadows by Edith Felber

In fourteenth-century England, beautiful Queen Isabella-humiliated by her weak, unfaithful husband-is emerging from the shadows to take her revenge. But her newly arrived, twenty-oneyear-old Welsh handmaiden, Gwenith de Percy, also seeks vengeance-against the English invaders who crushed her beloved Wales. Isabella’s once-golden marriage is now her penance. Due to his rumored relations with men, Parliament forced Edward to share his throne-a demeaning arrangement that torments Isabella.

With the help of her secret, noble lover, Roger Mortimer-an enemy of her husband, imprisoned in the Tower of London-the queen plots to take control. Thrilled by this turn of events, Gwenith realizes that a king cannot afford to be weak-especially when his formidable, discontented queen seeks his power as her due. (Goodreads)

Gwenith’s family is killed when Edward I crushes Wales and Gwenith grows up with her grandmother, who makes Gwenith promise to seek vengeance for her family. She starts to serve Queen Isabella intending to bring harm but comes to respect Isabella, but comes hate the Despensers.

Book is told mostly from Gwenith’s point of view, for reasons I can’t figure out. The idea of Gwenith taking revenge for her family is kinda far-stretching. Why does she want to kill Edward II who isn’t in anyway responsible for the things that happened to her family? It would have been far more interesting to hear the story just from Isabella’s point of view. Instead we get abruptly changing POV’s which made me so confused. I had to read a sentence few times to make sense of it.
But I have to say I didn’t like Isabella either. She was just too good to be true. She is constantly complaining how the women are treated, how everyone loved her in France more and telling all the time that she is the queen.

The most annoying this was that it’s hinted through the book that Edward II wasn’t the real father of future Edward III, and it’s never told who the real father is supposed to be! I mean why!? It’s mentioned that Isabella spent some time in Scotland when Edward abandoned her and had an affair from which Edward III was born. If you invent such rubbish at least you could tell the inventory man’s name!

Isabella is also sneaking out to The Tower to have sex with Roger Mortimer, multiple times. Because queen can just leave castles wearing a hood as her only disguise. Queens are constantly watched and very rarely alone so how could she have managed to get her little trysts?

In the afterword it’s told that Edward III had huge sexual appetites and had many mistresses and illegitimate children. I don’t remember reading about any other mistress than Alice Perrers but I’m not sure about the children. Wouldn’t call it “huge sexual appetite” if he has one known mistress.

1/5
Published: NAL (2006)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Source: my own

reviews August 7, 2013

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

The Fiery Cross (Outlander 5) by Diana Gabaldon

The year is 1771, and war is coming. Jamie Fraser’s wife tells him so. Little as he wishes to, he must believe it, for hers is a gift of dreadful prophecy—a time-traveler’s certain knowledge. Claire’s unique view of the future has brought him both danger and deliverance in the past; her knowledge of the oncoming revolution is a flickering torch that may light his way through the perilous years ahead—or ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes. (Goodreads)

The book starts where the last book ends. Jamie, Claire, Brianna, Roger and Jemmy are living in America and its few years before The American Revolutionary War. There is already unrest seen by people called the Regulators which leads to fighting, and Fraser’s are caught up in it.

While I liked this book it wasn’t as good as the previous ones. There wasn’t anything big happening, we just see them living their lives. There were parts that dragged on and for the first time I really felt that the book could have been lot shorter.

I loved seeing the relationship growing between Jamie and Roger. Jamie didn’t seem to have too high opinion of Roger in the last book and I’m happy to see that changing.
I still wish that we could have Fergus’s POV instead of Roger’s but I wouldn’t want to lose him though.

I loved the last surprise at the end but I really want to know what happened that lead to it!

3,5/5
Published: Dell (2005)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 1443
Source: my own

reviews August 7, 2013

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak

The Winter Palace (Catherine 1) by Eva Stachniak

When Vavara, a young orphaned Polish girl, is brought to serve at Empress Elizabeth’s glittering, dangerous court in St Petersburg, she is schooled by the Chancellor himself in skills from lock-picking to love-making, learning above all else to stay silent – and listen. Soon, she is Elizabeth’s ‘tongue’ – her secret eyes and ears.

Then Sophie, a vulnerable young princess, arrives from Prussia as a prospective bride for Elizabeth’s heir. Set to spy on her by the Empress, Vavara soon becomes her friend and confidante, and helps her navigate the illicit seductions and the treacherous shifting allegiances of the court.But Sophie’s destiny is to become the notorious Catherine the Great. Are her ambitions more lofty and far-reaching than anyone suspected, and will she stop at nothing to achieve absolute power? (Goodreads)

Barbara, or Varvara in Russian, becomes to Russian court during the reign of Empress Elizabeth. Chancellor Bestuzhev trains her to be a spy (tongue) and after the Empress brings the future Catherine the Great, then called Sophie, to marry her nephew Peter, Varvara becomes part of her retinue. Catherine doesn’t have easy time in Russia and the two soon become close confidantes.

The book is called “a novel of Catherine the Great” but Catherine is not the main character and is absent most of the book. It tells more to us about Empress Elizabeth than Catherine and the book is told from a servants point of view. It would have been more interesting if there would have been also Catherine’s point of view.
I did like Varvara however so in that sense I didn’t mind that she was the narrator, but it gave us only one side of the story which becomes clear at the end,

I’m not overly familiar with history of Russia so I can’t say anything about the accuracy but there was couple of things that bugged me. There were few times that Catherine made these escapades to town or somewhere and nobody didn’t see? With all the spies and all? And how Varvara seemed to be just little too familiar with Catherine and Elizabeth and her knowledge on pretty much everything.

I would have liked to read more about the relationship between Catherine and Peter, what really happened then. Peter was told to be real nutty but we don’t really see it. Also I don’t think it was good thing to remove Varvara off from the court for seven years while anything didn’t really happened in her life during that time.

I liked Varvara as a character but I think it would have worked better if told from Catherine’s point of view.

3,5/5
Published: Doubleday (2012)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 464
Source: publisher

reviews August 6, 2013

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Falling Under (Falling Under 1) by Gwen Hayes

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she’s seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia’s not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul. (Goodreads)

One night Theia sees burning man falling from the sky and her life will never bee the same again. She starts to dream about a boy and is more than surprised when the same boy starts the same school Theia does. Haden seems to avoid her but she can’t help but to be drawn to him.

I liked the idea of the book; The world of Under and how demons traveling between worlds. And for once in YA book there wasn’t love triangle! But I couldn’t connect with the characters.

They fell in love too soon and Haden was all over other girls and still Theia wants him. Seriously? Haden is telling Theia all the time to stay away from him because he’s dangerous but I just couldn’t tell why he’s so dangerous exactly.

Theia was brought up by overprotective father and I didn’t buy how she so suddenly decides to rebel. I liked Haden better but honestly he was total jackass most of the book.

And it really annoyed me how Haden calls Theia “lamb” all the time, And how Haden’s mother Mara calls her “pussycat”, I believe she called Haden that one time too…

I’m kinda torn between giving this 2.5 and 3. In the other hand there were so many things that annoyed me but it was also entertaining and quick read. But I think the annoying winns…

2,5/5
Published: NAL (2011)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 324
Source: library