Browsing Tag

historical

reviews May 21, 2023

The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams by M.J. Rose

Paris, 1942. Suzanne Belperron is known as one of the most innovative jewelers of her time. Elsa Schiaparelli and the Duchess of Windsor are just two of her many illustrious clients. What no one knows is that Suzanne and her dear friend, American socialite Dixie Osgood, have been helping transport hundreds of Jewish families out of France since the war began. But now, the war has come to Suzanne’s front door—the Nazis have arrested her business partner and longtime lover, Bernard Herz.

New York, 1986. Violine Duplessi, an appraiser for a boutique auction house, is summoned to visit the home of Paul Osgood, a scholarly lawyer and political candidate who aspires to take over the Senate seat of his recently deceased father. Paul has inherited everything inside Osgood Manor, from the eighteenth-century furniture to the nineteenth-century Limoges china. But a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk is what calls to Violine, with the surprising but undeniable thrum of energy that can only be one thing: the gift passed down to her by La Lune, the sixteenth-century courtesan. Since childhood, Violine has been able to read an object’s history and learn the secrets of its owners by merely touching it, but she silenced her psychometry when it destroyed her last relationship.

So begins a search that takes Violine to Paris to work with the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners. (Goodreads)

The book follows two storylines: one in 1986 and the second in 1942 in occupied France. Suzanne Belperron was a jewelry designer in Paris during WWII. Violine Duplessi works for an auction house and has a job to appraise an old trunk, which has some secrets. Suzanne and Violine’s lives are intertwined when Violine tries to solve the mystery regarding the old trunk.

I hadn’t realized this was part of a Daughters of La Lune series before I started reading, But I love the series, so that was a good thing. I loved both timelines but didn’t really care for the romance in the 80s timeline. I would have wanted to learn more about Violine’s gift and what she could learn about objects with it. In Violine’s family, the women have some kind of gift, and in Violine’s case, it’s understanding the secrets of the object’s owner.

3,5 stars

Published: Blue Box Press (February 7, 2023)
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley

reviews May 14, 2022

The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley

There are many who believe they know what happened, but they do not know the whole of it. The rumours spread, and grow, and take their hold, and so to end them I have been persuaded now to take my pen in hand and tell the story as it should be told…

Autumn, 1707. Old enemies from the Highlands to the Borders are finding common ground as they join to protest the new Union with England, the French are preparing to launch an invasion to carry the young exiled Jacobite king back to Scotland to reclaim his throne, and in Edinburgh the streets are filled with discontent and danger.

Queen Anne’s commissioners, seeking to calm the situation, have begun settling the losses and wages owed to those Scots who took part in the disastrous Darien expedition eight years earlier.

When Lily, the young widow of a Darien sailor, comes forward to collect her husband’s wages, her claim is challenged, and one of the men who’s assigned to examine her has only days to decide if she’s honest, or if his own feelings are making him blind to the truth, and if he’s being used as a pawn in an even more treacherous game.

A story of intrigue, adventure, endurance, romance…and the courage to hope. (publisher)

I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I requested this, but it worked fine as a stand-alone. I’ve read one book, Mariana, from this author before but that was about 20 years ago. I remember liking it, but memories are a bit hazy though… So I was interested to see how this turns out.

Lily Graeme claims to be a widow of a Darien sailor and has come to collect her husband’s wages. However, people don’t believe that she was married to this guy. They were from very different stations of life for one matter. Adam Williamson finds himself entangled in the task of finding out if Lily speaks the truth.

We have a dual timeline with Adam’s pov in the present and Lily’s in the past. The story starts when Lily is a child so there are about 20 years in between. I didn’t know about the Darien scheme or that Scotland tried to establish a colony in Caledonia. So a lot of new stuff. The book is set during the Jacobite risings in Scotland (The Old Pretender).

I liked both Lily and Adam. My one problem was that in the present day, which is from Adam’s pov, there is very little about Lily. Mostly it’s Adam talking about Lily with someone.

I liked the Scotland setting and the writing. Some people have complained about the slowness, but I didn’t have that problem. I’m definitely reading more from the author. Hopefully sooner than in 20 years this time…

4/5

Published: Simon & Schuster UK (May 4, 2022)
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley

reviews May 2, 2022

Elektra by Jennifer Saint

The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.

Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon – her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them and determines to win, whatever the cost.

Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.

Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence? (publisher)

I haven’t read the author’s first book Ariadne, but I’ve heard so much good about it that I was very excited to read Elektra.

The story is told from 3 pov’s: Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon and sister of Helen, her daughter Elektra and Cassandra of Troy.

Cassandra was my fav of the three, liked Clytemnestra, but didn’t like Elektra or understand her. She definitely wasn’t sad about her sister and the jealousy of the slaves (Briseis and Cassandra) was just weird. I sort of wanted to yell that it could easily be you who’s the slave. Especially as the house of Atreus was such a peace-loving family… Mostly I was between wanting to shake or slap her.

I liked the writing, and I think that I would like Ariadne more. I’m less familiar with the tale and characters and don’t have such strong ideas about them. I felt like the book was much more Clytemnestra’s story than Elektra’s, who has such a small role, especially in the beginning. Elektra becomes more prominent in the end though.

3/5

Published: Wildfire (April 28, 2022)
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley

reviews February 10, 2022

The White Rose Network by Ellie Midwood

1943, Germany: “I won’t be able to live if anything happens to you,” she whispered into his ear as they said goodbye, not knowing if they would ever see each other again. The White Rose Network brings to life the incredible true story of Sophie Scholl––one of history’s bravest women, who risked everything to lead a revolution against darkness.

Sophie was born to be a rebel, raised by parents who challenged the brutal Nazi regime. Determined to follow in their footsteps, she leaves for university, defying Hitler’s command for women to stay at home.

On her first day in Munich, Sophie’s brother Hans introduces her to his dear friend. When she meets Alexander, with his raven-black hair and brooding eyes, she knows instantly that she isn’t alone. There are more courageous souls like her, who will fight against evil.

Together, and with others who also refuse to back down, they form the White Rose Network. In an underground vault, Sophie and Alexander conspire in whispers, falling in love as they plot against Hitler. Promising her heart to Alexander is the most dangerous act of all––with each risk they take, they get closer to capture.

As snowflakes fall on a frosty February morning, Sophie and her brother scatter Munich University with leaflets calling for resistance: “We will not be silent; we will not leave you in peace!” (publisher)

But their lives hang in the balance, with the secret police offering a reward to anyone with information on the White Rose Network. It is only a matter of time before the Gestapo closes in… And when Sophie is imprisoned in an interrogation room, staring a Nazi officer in the eye, will she take their secrets to her grave? Will she sacrifice her freedom for love? (publisher)

Sophie Scholl moves to Munich to study at university and to live with her brother Hans. Nazi regime doesn’t exactly encourage women’s higher education so that’s a win by itself. In Munich, she meets Hans’ friends and soon discovers that Hans and his friends have been writing leaflets against the Nazi regime. At first, Hans wants to keep Sophie safe from all that, but Sophie insists on getting in on the group called The White Rose. Their father was against the nazi ideology from the start and has been quite vocal about it. He’s been in jail because of that, so the sisters know that resistance will get them in trouble.

This was my first book by the author and the first book about the White Rose and I really enjoyed this one. The book has dual timelines from Sophie’s POV: the interrogation and events leading to the capture. In a way, it would have been interesting to see how and why she first started to question the Nazi propaganda. Because every Scholl sister belonged to a youth program at some point and was very enthusiastic about it.

I knew very little about the other members of the group besides the Scholl sisters and loved learning more about them. My only problem was the Gestapo officer who interrogated Sophie. I don’t totally believe that he would have been that sympathetic towards her. But that was pretty much my only complaint.

4/5

Published: Bookouture (February 9, 2022)
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley

reviews December 20, 2021

The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis

In the quiet streets of Prague all manner of mysterious creatures lurk in the shadows. Unbeknownst to its citizens, their only hope against the tide of predators are the dauntless lamplighters – secret elite of monster hunters whose light staves off the darkness each night. Domek Myska leads a life teeming with fraught encounters with the worst kind of evil: pijavice, bloodthirsty and soulless vampiric creatures. Despite this, Domek finds solace in his moments spent in the company of his friend, the clever and beautiful Lady Ora Fischerová – a widow with secrets of her own.

When Domek finds himself stalked by the spirit of the White Lady – a ghost who haunts the baroque halls of Prague castle – he stumbles across the sentient essence of a will-o’-the-wisp captured in a mysterious container. Now, as its bearer, Domek wields its power, but the wisp, known for leading travellers to their deaths, will not be so easily controlled.

After discovering a conspiracy amongst the pijavice that could see them unleash terror on the daylight world, Domek finds himself in a race against those who aim to twist alchemical science for their own dangerous gain. (publisher)

In 19th century Prague, Domek Myska is a lamplighter, which is an organization that hunts monsters. They also light the streetlamps of Prague. He has a very black and white view of the world. Monsters = bad. There are no shades of grey for him. Then there is Ora Fischerová, a pijavice (vampire). Ora has been avoiding the company of other pijavice for decades and was married to a human but is now a widow. They’ve been flirting for a while, and Domek is none too happy when he finds out that Ora is a monster he’s supposed to hunt.

I don’t think I’ve read a book set in Prague before so that was a nice change.
For the majority of the book, Domek makes stupid choices because he thinks he’s the only one who’s right and has morals. Sees only black and white and jumps to conclusions because of that. At times, it felt like he was a bit too naïve. Ora makes him see some shades of grey too.

But despite those few gripes, this was a very enjoyable debut. For some reason, I’m having trouble finding something to say about it… But it truly was a good book.

3,5/4

Published: Titan Books (May 25, 2021)
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley

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