England, 1044, Harold Godwinesson, a young, respected Earl, falls in love with an ordinary but beautiful woman. He marries Edyth despite her lack of pedigree, pitting him against his turbulent family and his selfish King, Edward.
In France, William, the bastard son of a duke, falls in love with power. Brutal and dangerously smart, william sets his sights on England, finding ambition a difficult lust to conquer.
With Edward old and dying, England falls vulnerable to the winds of fate - and the stubborn will of these two powerful men.
In this beautifully crafted tale, Helen Hollick sets aside the propaganda of the Norman Conquest and brings to life the English version of the story of the last Saxon King, revealing his tender love, determination, and proud loyalty, all shattered by the unforgiving needs of a Kingdom. Forced to give up his wife and risk his life for england, the chosen King led his army into the great Battle of Hastings in October 1066 with all the honor and dignity that history remembers of its fallen heroes. (Taken from the back of the book)
First, this is not a light read. I'm a quick reader and it still took me several days. Believe me, it's worth it! This book is absolutely epic. This isn't just a book. It's a reading experience.
The characters I found fascinating. Every one is imbued with realistic faults and flaws. Though we find ourselves despising them one moment, the next we find ourselves realizing where their thought process is coming from. Sometimes this even brings us to the point of empathizing with the 'villain'. It seems as though Hollick took years to perfect each character and then bring them together in one story. You really know and care about the characters.
Normally I'm not excited by politics. I'm even less excited by history. Those are character flaws, I'm aware, but I am what I am. That being the case, I was expecting to find myself bombarded with several historical and political passages in the book that I would have to muddle through. To my great delight, this never happened! I think I might have even accidentally learned something!
What I really enjoyed about this book is that it was able to be historically accurate, without having to result to child porn, as another book so recently did. Everything was tastefully portrayed and I appreciate it.
This is a definite must-read for serious readers. It's definitely not a beach read, but it's really worth the time invested. You'll find yourself sucked into a world from the past where everything is different, yet nothing is.
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick - Giveaway
Vera at Luxury Reading is currently giving away 3 copies of The Daughter's Walk until March 24th. Hop over and enter!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Pondering Grapefruit Spoons
About a month ago, I was talking to someone and they mentioned grapefruit spoons. I know what you're thinking. Why was she having a conversation where grapefruit spoons were mentioned? Well, welcome to my life! Isn't it grand?! Stick to the point! They were mentioned! Anyway, I started thinking about grapefruit spoons and realized I've never owned any. That was a problem that must be remedied! I stuck my happy butt in my computer chair and started with the online browsing. I ended up ordering some really adorable ones that were all yellow with little pictures of grapefruits on them. Once they arrived, I was all excited to try them until I remembered that I'm not really a huge fan of grapefruit. Don't get me wrong, it's ok, but not something I wanna eat every day. So...what to do with the spoons???
They're awesome for digging in dirt! They have these great little serrated edges that slice right through tougher sections and they're strong enough that if you come up across a nasty rock, you can use some leverage and flick those suckers right across the yard!
They're great for jello fights! It works just like a normal spoon for flicking, but the awesome triangular design allows your jello to fly further!
They're darn cute :)
They're great for flicking kids in the head :) They work like a normal spoon except they look a lot scarier!
They make really cool tracks in play dough :)
They're awesome for digging in dirt! They have these great little serrated edges that slice right through tougher sections and they're strong enough that if you come up across a nasty rock, you can use some leverage and flick those suckers right across the yard!
They're great for jello fights! It works just like a normal spoon for flicking, but the awesome triangular design allows your jello to fly further!
They're darn cute :)
They're great for flicking kids in the head :) They work like a normal spoon except they look a lot scarier!
They make really cool tracks in play dough :)
Friday, March 4, 2011
World from Rough Stones by Malcolm McDonald - FREE e-book
For a limited time, Sourcebooks is offering a FREE e-book copy of World from Rough Stones. I haven't read any of McDonald's work, so I can't tell you how it is. This is the first novel in the Stevenson Family Saga. Give it a shot!
Darcy's Voyage by Kara Louse - FREE e-book
For a limited time, Sourcebooks is giving away Darcy's Voyage for free in e-book format!
'In this retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth sets out for the new world aboard the ship Pemberley’s Promise. She’s prepared for an uneventful voyage until a chance encounter with the handsome, taciturn Mr. Darcy turns her world upside down.' (Taken from Sourcebooks site)
Kara is the author of Only Mr. Darcy Will Do, which I just recently reviewed. Definitely worth checking out!
'In this retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth sets out for the new world aboard the ship Pemberley’s Promise. She’s prepared for an uneventful voyage until a chance encounter with the handsome, taciturn Mr. Darcy turns her world upside down.' (Taken from Sourcebooks site)
Kara is the author of Only Mr. Darcy Will Do, which I just recently reviewed. Definitely worth checking out!
The Liberation of Alice Love by Abby McDonald - Review
An alright read, but not amazing. I'd wait until it's on sale somewhere.
Ah, poor Alice! She's worked so hard and been so responsible, only to become a victim of identity theft, leaving her stranded with nearly 100 grand in debt. The betrayed feeling is doubled once she finds out who the culprit is. Is this necessarily a bad thing, though?
The back of this book billed it as 'refreshing, fun, and sexy...a perfect beach read.' I don't know about the refreshing or sexy, but it would be a fun read for the beach, unless there happen to be a lot of hot guys walking around. In that case, I'm sure I could think of something better to do. Seriously, I don't have any problems with the book other than that it's mediocre. I didn't hate it enough to say anything bad and I didn't like it well enough to say anything good. Let's see what I can come up with though, shall we?
Good: There was one character that I actually cared about. Of course, she was one of the villains, but I actually found myself having a strong reaction to her. It's a brilliant character study.
Bad: There really isn't anything bad. It's just mediocre. It's readable, sure, but not something that I read and went 'Wow! I'm glad I read that!' It's not boring. It's also not exciting.
I have to apologize. This has to be one of the worst reviews I've written. It's nearly impossible to take several hundred words to write, 'This book was blah.' Honestly, if you have nothing else to read, this will pass the time. However, if you have something you know you want to read, definitely grab that first.
Ah, poor Alice! She's worked so hard and been so responsible, only to become a victim of identity theft, leaving her stranded with nearly 100 grand in debt. The betrayed feeling is doubled once she finds out who the culprit is. Is this necessarily a bad thing, though?
The back of this book billed it as 'refreshing, fun, and sexy...a perfect beach read.' I don't know about the refreshing or sexy, but it would be a fun read for the beach, unless there happen to be a lot of hot guys walking around. In that case, I'm sure I could think of something better to do. Seriously, I don't have any problems with the book other than that it's mediocre. I didn't hate it enough to say anything bad and I didn't like it well enough to say anything good. Let's see what I can come up with though, shall we?
Good: There was one character that I actually cared about. Of course, she was one of the villains, but I actually found myself having a strong reaction to her. It's a brilliant character study.
Bad: There really isn't anything bad. It's just mediocre. It's readable, sure, but not something that I read and went 'Wow! I'm glad I read that!' It's not boring. It's also not exciting.
I have to apologize. This has to be one of the worst reviews I've written. It's nearly impossible to take several hundred words to write, 'This book was blah.' Honestly, if you have nothing else to read, this will pass the time. However, if you have something you know you want to read, definitely grab that first.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick - Review
I would rather be repeatedly bashed in the head with a moldy 2x4 than read this book again.
The adored and spirited daughter of England's greatest knight, Mahelt Marshal lives a privileged life. But when her beloved father falls foul of the volatile and dangerous King John, her world is shattered. The king takes her brothers hostage and Mahelt's planned marriage to Hugh Bigod, son of the Earl of Norfolk, takes place sooner than she expected. Mahelt and Hugh come to care for each other deeply, but Hugh's strict father clashes with the rebellious Mahelt. When more harsh demands from King John threaten to tear the couple's lives apart, Mahelt finds herself facing her worst fears alone, not know if she - or her marriage- will survive. (taken from the back of the book )
Sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it? I thought so too until I started to read. In fact, I had planned to put in this review in the morning, but I just can't sleep with this book rattling around in my head. I have a few things that I need to get off my chest.
First, this book is boring. I'm sorry, but it is. It may be historically accurate, but I can write a historically accurate depiction of me stepping in grape jelly this morning. That doesn't mean it's going to be interesting. There's a huge difference between carrying the reader with you to watch a beloved character being viciously kidnapped by an unjust king and a girl getting a letter that says 'Oh! By the way, the King took your brother!' Please! What a cop out! And this is a huge book! All those wasted words just make me angry!
Secondly, I don't care how historically accurate it is, I do not, DO NOT, care to read explicit sex scenes starring a 14 year old CHILD! I do not care that it was acceptable back then, it is not acceptable now and I for one want no part of it. I will admit that there are times when a sex scene can be necessary, sometimes enjoyable. In this book, it's simply there to show the progression of their relationship. It's portrayed as a loving scene and invites the reader to simply forget that this is a child bride and think of her as a fully grown woman, especially when shortly thereafter she becomes pregnant. Again, I realize this may be historically accurate, but it definitely could have been told without being told in the manner it was. I do NOT want to be told exactly where and how this child was being touched!
I was expecting an adventurous, romantic read and I ended up disappointed and angry. For once, I can't even cite flawed editing as my point of anger. I can tell you this: I'll never read another Elizabeth Chadwick book. And now, having purged my views on this book, I'm off to slumber :)
The adored and spirited daughter of England's greatest knight, Mahelt Marshal lives a privileged life. But when her beloved father falls foul of the volatile and dangerous King John, her world is shattered. The king takes her brothers hostage and Mahelt's planned marriage to Hugh Bigod, son of the Earl of Norfolk, takes place sooner than she expected. Mahelt and Hugh come to care for each other deeply, but Hugh's strict father clashes with the rebellious Mahelt. When more harsh demands from King John threaten to tear the couple's lives apart, Mahelt finds herself facing her worst fears alone, not know if she - or her marriage- will survive. (taken from the back of the book )
Sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it? I thought so too until I started to read. In fact, I had planned to put in this review in the morning, but I just can't sleep with this book rattling around in my head. I have a few things that I need to get off my chest.
First, this book is boring. I'm sorry, but it is. It may be historically accurate, but I can write a historically accurate depiction of me stepping in grape jelly this morning. That doesn't mean it's going to be interesting. There's a huge difference between carrying the reader with you to watch a beloved character being viciously kidnapped by an unjust king and a girl getting a letter that says 'Oh! By the way, the King took your brother!' Please! What a cop out! And this is a huge book! All those wasted words just make me angry!
Secondly, I don't care how historically accurate it is, I do not, DO NOT, care to read explicit sex scenes starring a 14 year old CHILD! I do not care that it was acceptable back then, it is not acceptable now and I for one want no part of it. I will admit that there are times when a sex scene can be necessary, sometimes enjoyable. In this book, it's simply there to show the progression of their relationship. It's portrayed as a loving scene and invites the reader to simply forget that this is a child bride and think of her as a fully grown woman, especially when shortly thereafter she becomes pregnant. Again, I realize this may be historically accurate, but it definitely could have been told without being told in the manner it was. I do NOT want to be told exactly where and how this child was being touched!
I was expecting an adventurous, romantic read and I ended up disappointed and angry. For once, I can't even cite flawed editing as my point of anger. I can tell you this: I'll never read another Elizabeth Chadwick book. And now, having purged my views on this book, I'm off to slumber :)
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