Review: Wildalone by Krassi Zourkova

Title: Wildalone
Author: Krassi Zourkova
Publisher:  William Morrow (January 6 2015)
ISBN: 9780062328021

Pages: 384 pages

How We Read It: eARC

Genre: fiction, paranormal, mythology, romance
Our Rating: 3 cups 

Synopsis:
In this darkly imaginative debut novel full of myth, magic, romance, and mystery, a Princeton freshman is drawn into a love triangle with two enigmatic brothers, and discovers terrifying secrets about her family and herself—a bewitching blend of Twilight, The Secret History, Jane Eyre, and A Discovery of Witches.

Arriving at Princeton for her freshman year, Thea Slavin finds herself alone, a stranger in a strange land. Away from her family and her Eastern European homeland for the first time, she struggles to adapt to unfamiliar American ways and the challenges of college life—including an enigmatic young man whose brooding good looks and murky past intrigue her. Drawn to the elusive Rhys and his equally handsome and mysterious brother, Jake, she ventures into a sensual mythic underworld as irresistible as it is dangerous.

In this shadow world that seems to mimic Greek mythology and the Bulgarian legends of the samodivi or “wildalones”—forest witches who beguile and entrap men—Thea will discover a family secret bound to transform her forever . . . if she can accept that dead doesn't always mean gone, and love doesn't always distinguish between the two.

Mesmerizing and addictive, Wildalone is a thrilling blend of the modern and the fantastic. Krassi Zourkova creates an atmospheric world filled with rich characters as compelling as those of Diana Gabaldon, Deborah Harkness, and Stephenie Meyer.

Our Thoughts:

We were hugely intrigued by the description of this book. It was compared to some of our favorite authors and books. It also referenced a connection to Greek mythology, which we love, and Bulgarian legend, which we were curious to learn about, so we were eager to dig in. We should mention from the outset we were not aware when we began reading this book that it is the first book of a planned series rather than a stand alone book. If you expect everything to be tied up neatly at the end, be forewarned - It is NOT and the reader is left wondering.

That being said, this is a somewhat difficult review to write. We loved the first 75% of this novel and felt it had the potential of a strong 4 cup read. The folklore is fascinating. The author creates a mysterious sense of atmosphere and the mythology is well incorporated and thought provoking. The writing itself is rich and beautiful. Some of the passages about music are particularly poetic.

“Hushed, delicate sounds filled the room with a haunting fragility I had never heard in music. Each tone drifted up and died in the air almost instantly, leaving behind a silence that made one's heart fold in on itself with aching.”

However, the last 25% of this book was troubling. Given the solid beginning we were hoping for a strong finish, but instead felt it really stumbled and lost the plot. Following the big 'reveal' (which we guessed) the mythology goes too far over the top and the sense of mysticism completely evaporates. The end then simply centers on the fairly stereotypical love triangle, with the main character remaining frustratingly passive and indecisive, and there is no ultimate resolution. The tale simply leaves off, presumably ready for the next book to pick up the story.

 “Have you noticed that for everything you want or love, something in you always begins to want or love the exact opposite?”

While disappointed in the ending, there were many things we liked about this debut novel. We certainly feel this author has a great deal of potential and hope she continues to hone her craft and develop her skill, particularly with regard to plot. We look forward to seeing what she is capable of once she matures as a writer.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Any quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna van Praag

Title: The Dress Shop of Dreams
Author: Menna van Praag
Publisher:  Ballantine Books (December 30 2014)
ISBN: 9780804178983

Pages: 336 pages

How We Read It: eARC

Genre: magical realism, women's fiction, contemporary
Our Rating: 5 cups 

Synopsis:
For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, The Dress Shop of Dreams is a captivating novel of enduring hopes, second chances, and the life-changing magic of true love.

Since her parents’ mysterious deaths many years ago, scientist Cora Sparks has spent her days in the safety of her university lab or at her grandmother Etta’s dress shop. Tucked away on a winding Cambridge street, Etta’s charming tiny store appears quite ordinary to passersby, but the colorfully vibrant racks of beaded silks, delicate laces, and jewel-toned velvets hold bewitching secrets: With just a few stitches from Etta’s needle, these gorgeous gowns have the power to free a woman’s deepest desires.

Etta’s dearest wish is to work her magic on her granddaughter. Cora’s studious, unromantic eye has overlooked Walt, the shy bookseller who has been in love with her forever. Determined not to allow Cora to miss her chance at happiness, Etta sews a tiny stitch into Walt’s collar, hoping to give him the courage to confess his feelings to Cora. But magic spells—like true love—can go awry. After Walt is spurred into action, Etta realizes she’s set in motion a series of astonishing events that will transform Cora’s life in extraordinary and unexpected ways.

Our Thoughts:

As a huge fan of the magical realism genre, and having read and enjoyed this author's previous book, The House at the End of Hope Street, I was extremely eager to read this novel. Happily, it did not disappoint! The few minor quibbles I had with the prior book -- uneven pacing, abrupt point of view changes, and slightly one-dimensional characters -- were completely rectified here. There is still a fairly large cast of characters, but all are well-written and appealing, even those that are not the 'heroes' of the tale. I found myself fully invested in each of their stories, and felt the changes in POV were much smoother this time as van Praag deftly maneuvered the various storylines to come seamlessly together.

Once again, van Praag's lyrical writing enchants. As soon as you open the stunning front cover, you fall right in from the very first pages, as her prose wraps around you and transports you fully into the story where you happily remain until turning the final page. The imagery is so engaging you feel as though you are trying on dresses at Etta's dress shop,

“Wear this dress and you'll find what you're missing: confidence, courage, power, love, beauty, magnificence....Wear this dress and it will transform your life....For these are dresses that unlock the wisdom and wishes of women's hearts, dresses that help them to heal themselves and, eventually, attain their deepest desires.” 

or experiencing the book shop for the first time alongside young Walt,

“He had stepped into a kingdom: an oak labyrinth of bookshelves, corridors and canyons of literature beckoning him, whispering enchanting words Walt had never heard before. The air was smoky with the scent of leather, ink and paper, caramel-rich and citrus-sharp. Walt stuck out his small tongue to taste this new flavor and grinned, sticky with excitement. And he knew, all of a sudden and deep in his soul, that this was a place he belonged more than any other.”

I enjoyed all the elements within this tale. There is a bit of mystery mixed in along with van Praag's trademark 'life lessons' and plenty of personal growth for all the characters as they endeavor to find their places in the world, especially the overly analytical Cora.

“Not all of life's answers are found in your head, some you have to sense with your heart.”

This was a truly delightful book from cover to cover. It left me with a huge smile on my face, feeling that satisfied 'after book glow', and firmly ensconced this author on my list of favorites. She strikes a perfect balance here, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Pick it up and experience a little magic for yourself!

“Most people think this world we live in is mundane, you remind us that it's magical. You wrap reality in the wonder and joy of fiction, until it infuses us and becomes true.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

GIVEAWAY: First Frost Challenge

From the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells comes a story of the Waverley family, in a novel as sparkling as the first dusting of frost on new-fallen leaves...

Take theFIRST FROST CHALLENGE

Enter to Win a Grand Prize of an iPad Mini and a Signed Copy of First Frost.25 runner-ups will receive a signed copy of First Frost.(open to US residents only)

Complete Four Steps:

1. Go to Goodreads
2. Add the Book
3. Watch the Trailer
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Click HERE to be taken to Goodreads to enter the competition

But hurry because January 11th is the last day to enter - GOOD LUCK!

Review: The Night Falling by Katherine Webb

Title:  The Night Falling

Author: Katherine Webb

Publisher: November 25 2014 by Hachette Australia – Orion

ASIN: B00KM19WQA

Pages: 432 pages

How We Read It: ARC ebook

Genre: historical fiction

Our Rating: three ½ cups

Synopsis:

Puglia, 1921. Leandro Cardetta, born into poverty, emigrated to America to make his fortune and has returned home to southern Italy a rich man, accompanied by his glamorous wife, Marcie, an ex-showgirl fighting middle age. Now Leandro has money enough to hire renowned English architect, Boyd Kinsgley, to renovate a crumbling palazzo into an Art Deco statement of wealth, and host Boyd's teenage son and his diffident young second wife, Clare, for one extraordinary summer.

Under the burning sky, beyond the luxury of Leandro's home, tensions are high. Veterans of the Great War are desperate for work and food. Among these is Ettore, Leandro's nephew. Gripped by grief at the loss of his fiancée, Ettore has sworn to identify Livia's killer, and take his revenge. He is too proud to go to his uncle for charity, but when he injures himself one day, he has no choice but to knock on Leandro's door. Meeting Clare there will change everything - and in the most violent way.

During the fierce summer of 1921, all these lives converge. Exactly how did Leandro grow rich in America, and what is the strange hold he has over Boyd? What happened to the first Mrs Kingsley, and what secret haunts the outwardly exuberant Marcie Cardetta? Hearts will be broken, blood will be spilt and the hardest of life's lessons will be learnt as shadows fall.

Our thoughts:

“The streets of Gioia feel poised, as tense as a pent breath; like the whole town is waiting to exhale, and that exhale might be a roar”.

We have mixed feelings about this book. We were expecting to get swept away immediately, and kept telling ourselves, that the author was taking her time in establishing the characters and situation etc. So the first odd hundred pages are not inspiring. Persevere though, for the tale will take over and you will be rewarded by a very skilful pulling together of separate threads into a climactic ending.  The plot twists, especially towards the finale, are most noteworthy.

“There are things we can’t force, and things we can’t help but do, where the heart in involved”.

This is a tale based on alternating chapters between the two lead characters – Clare and Ettore – and is set mainly in the South East corner of rural Italy in 1921. There is such an array of strong characters in this tale that you will be pleasantly surprised. They will do, and have to do, so much just to survive, with each individual convinced that their path is the right one.  

“This is not Britain, Mrs Kingsley; this is not even Italy. This is Puglia”.

Initially we found the political component of the story rather tortuous. But as the author correctly states, this is a tale that is true to the era and to the social and political landscape of the time. There is a lot to be learnt in this small post-war area of Italy – the suffering that existed and how the people tried to overcome such dire poverty with methods that may not be sanctioned and peaceful, and ultimately, had such devastating consequences.

We only wish we'd had the impulse from the start and that whilst the author remained as true as possible to facts, captured the readers attention earlier. Some aspects of the tale were a little too wordy for us – a sensory overload in adjectives – but then again, you might like to get lost in lavish descriptions.

“He’s one of a silent multitude who have broken themselves against the rocks and hard ground, who have starved and toiled and ground a life out of dust, and afterwards have given back their bones for the privilege. Short lives, anonymous lives; lives lived hand to mouth, with their fleeting moments of joy like tiny sparks that flare and are then snuffed out”.

If you give yourself the time to become immersed, then perhaps you'll rush to the end as we did. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Girl on the Golden Coin by Marci Jefferson

Title: Girl on the Golden Coin:A Novel of Frances Stuart

Author: Marci Jefferson

Publisher: February 11th 2014 by Thomas Dunne Books - St. Martin's Press

ISBN: 9781250037220

Pages: 336 pages

How We Read It: ARC ebook

Genre: historical fiction, European literature 17^th century, romance

Our Rating: three cups

Synopsis:

Impoverished and exiled to the French countryside after the overthrow of the English Crown, Frances Stuart survives merely by her blood-relation to the Stuart Royals. But in 1660, the Restoration of the Stuart Monarchy in England returns her family to favor. Frances discards threadbare gowns and moves to gilded Fontainebleau Palace, where she soon catches the Sun King’s eye. But Frances is no ordinary court beauty—she has Stuart secrets to keep and her family to protect. King Louis XIV turns vengeful when she rejects his offer to become his Official Mistress. He banishes her to England with orders to seduce King Charles II and secure an alliance.

Armed in pearls and silks, Frances maneuvers the political turbulence of Whitehall Palace, but still can’t afford to stir a scandal. Her tactic to inspire King Charles to greatness captivates him. He believes her love can make him a better man, and even chooses Frances to pose as Britannia for England’s coins. Frances survives the Great Fire, the Great Plague, and the debauchery of the Restoration Court, yet loses her heart to the very king she must control. The discovery of a dangerous plot will force her to choose between love for herself and war for her beloved country.

In the tradition of Phillipa Gregory, debut author Marci Jefferson brings to life a captivating woman whose beauty, compassion, and intellect impacted a king and a nation.

Our thoughts:

“King Charles had shown me an ancient coin:

“See this woman here. This is the figure the ancient Romans chose to represent this land when they conquered it more than a thousand years ago. They called her Britannia. I plan to issue new farthings….my profile shall be on one side, and you, as a triumphant Britannia, will….(be) on the reverse”.

Thus is the infamy of Frances Stuart and her role in the English court during the Restoration period. She led an interesting life in two powerful countries, if half of what is written in this novel were to be true. Overall we found this story enjoyable and interesting to learn about a historical figure that was new to us. We just wish we could have learned more, seeing that we are not that familiar with Charles II and Restoration England. A definite highlight is that Jefferson provides an ‘Author’s Note’ at the conclusion explaining the historical facts and myths taken in the novel and some of her motives in how she portrayed the people and events.

There were a few token parts on religious conflict and war, some sumptuous illustrative descriptions of court and the clothes worn of the period, but overall, the authenticity was lacking as the focus is on what we would call soap opera. Sadly at times we found this tale to be likened to a high school drama, it read like a regency romance: who they like and who they don’t, proposals, squeals (good and bad), rejections and cat fights over who was sleeping with whom. This certainly makes the novel more romantic fiction than historical fiction.

Also, as necessary as it is to move the historical storytelling along, it did at times however, have major skips in time that made some made events feel superficial and an ending that was somewhat abrupt. Perhaps the book needed to be longer to provide both characters (this would have gone a long way to help explain emotional feelings and decision making) and events (the Great Fire of London was lucky to be detailed in a couple of pages) with more depth.

We don't want to sound too negative because we didn't actually dislike Girl on the Golden Coin – it was a quick read that kept us entertained and helped provide us with a brief introduction to Charles II reign. If you enjoy historical romance and either like this particular period or are looking for something slightly different, in the light historical fiction genre, you may well enjoy this. It's glamorous, sexy, and a quick read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.