The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett (Review)

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett

Blurb

A shivering of worlds

Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring. The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots. An old enemy is gathering strength.

This is a time of endings and beginnings, old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a shifting of power. Now Tiffany stands between the light and the dark, the good and the bad.

As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her. To protect the land. Her land.

There will be a reckoning…

Review

I have a confession to make. This book has sat on the top of my TBR since the day it was published but I haven’t been able to bring myself to read it. Terry Pratchett is one of my all time favourite authors and I just couldn’t bring myself to read his last Discworld book knowing there would never be another one. Finally in July I decided it was time and it was so nice to be back in the world of Nac Mac Feegle’s and Tiffany Aching.

I know this book isn’t actually finished but it has a beginning, a middle and an end and I thought it was wonderful. Yes, certain sections are not very well written and some sections clearly need more work but it is also clearly Sir Pratchett’s story and characters.

Tiffany is working hard being the witch of her steading but Jeanie the Kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle’s is worried that Tiffany is overworked and has no life outside of work. But something is brewing, an old enemy is rising and getting stronger and Tiffany must find a way to conquer the enemy and keep her people safe.

One of my all time favourite characters from Discworld is in this book. Nanny Ogg is just the best and of course her cat Greebo. Nanny Ogg is always a character but in this she really showed her caring side and her strength.

We meet a new character in this book called Geoffrey. I really liked Geoffrey and would have loved to have seen him in more books especially with his goat. Geoffrey is an unconventional character and I think that is one of the reasons I like him so much. Geoffrey is a peaceful character who brings peace to everyone around him and sheds. I love how sheds feature in this book!

Reading this book made me so happy but also very sad and I will be honest when I got to the end I had a little cry. This is the last Discworld novel and I didn’t want it to end. I have read every Discworld book and they have got me through some hard times. Whenever I have been stressed or hurting a Discworld book has helped me and I will always go back to them. I give this book a massive 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

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About the author

Sir Terence David John Pratchett OBE (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humorist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his Discworld series of 41 novels.

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The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths (Review)

The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths

Blurb

The chilling discovery of a downed World War II plane with a body inside leads Ruth and DCI Nelson to uncover a wealthy family’s secrets in the seventh Ruth Galloway mystery.

Norfolk is suffering from record summer heat when a construction crew unearths a macabre discovery—a downed World War II plane with the pilot still inside. Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway quickly realises that the skeleton couldn’t possibly be the pilot, and DNA tests identify the man as Fred Blackstock, a local aristocrat who had been reported dead at sea. When the remaining members of the Blackstock family learn about the discovery, they seem strangely frightened by the news.

Events are further complicated by a TV company that wants to make a film about Norfolk’s deserted air force bases, the so-called Ghost Fields, which have been partially converted into a pig farm run by one of the younger Blackstocks. As production begins, Ruth notices a mysterious man lurking on the outskirts of Fred Blackstock’s memorial service. Then human bones are found on the family’s pig farm. Can the team outrace a looming flood to find a killer?

Laced with dry humour and anchored by perennial fan favourite Ruth, The Ghost Fields will delight fans new and old.

Review

I recently had Covid and felt pretty rough and so I needed a comfort read. Elly Griffiths’ books are always my comfort reads. I truly believe that the Dr Ruth Galloway books just keep getting better and better and just when I think they can’t get any better they do.

I love catching up with my favourite characters in these books and seeing what they are up to. Each book in the series shows a progression in their lives and I just love watching them grow especially Kate. Cathbad as ever is my all time favourite character although I was disappointed that Thing his dog didn’t feature more in this book. Cathbad is such a magical soul and cares for everyone and all things. The world would definitely be a better place if we had more people like Cathbad. Nelson was his usual self in this book which I was pleased about but it still annoys me that he insists on calling Kate, Katie.

There were a few surprises for me in this book especially around certain relationships but I couldn’t help but think that maybe it was only fair in a certain case. The other surprise was found on a pig farm but I will say no more.

The historical research in this book was impeccable as per usual and it was really interesting to read about the RAF in WW2 and the different airbases in Norfolk. So much history is left in these abandoned airfields which are called Ghost Fields.

As usual the scene setting and imagery that Griffiths uses is just sublime and I always pester my best friend who lives in Norfolk about all the places that are mentioned in the story (I want to visit them all). I also thoroughly loved the dramatic weather that featured in this book and it really added to the intensity of the story, although the giant duck boat was an amusing surprise and definitely unexpected. Another 5 Dragon rating for a book from the Dr Ruth Galloway series.

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

About the author

Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly’s husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece’s head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton.

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The Book of Days by Francesca Kay (Review)

The Book of Days by Francesca Kay

Blurb

Things change; we have to recognise that; the world will not stay still. What we must hope is that the new is better and stronger than the old. Anno Domini 1546. In a manor house in England a young woman feels the walls are closing round her, while her dying husband is obsessed by his vision of a chapel where prayers will be said for his immortal soul. As the days go by and the chapel takes shape, the outside world starts to intrude. And as the old ways are replaced by the new, the people of the village sense a dangerous freedom. The Book of Days is a beautifully written novel of lives lived in troubled times and the solace to be found in nature and the turning seasons.

Review

This is my first book by Francesca Kay and I will be honest I really didn’t gel with the book for the first half and almost gave up several times. I loved the imagery used in the book and the detailed descriptions of the scenery and different seasons but I found the book lacked direction and spent a lot of time meandering around and not really going anywhere.

Alice is a character who is basically lost which seems strange because her world is so small and isolated. She is desperate for children but she is married to a much older man who is dying and she is trapped on her husband’s estate with no possibility of adventure. When Alice escapes the sick room of her husband she explores the grounds and also spends a lot of time seeing all the improvements taking place on the chapel. The chapel is her husband’s obsession and his plan is to one day be laid to rest in a grand tomb and have prayers said everyday for his soul. It is clear Alice’s husband is worried about his immortal soul but we don’t know why. However, the outside world is about to encroach on Alice’s small and sheltered world and it is not going to go well and her husband’s plan for his immortal soul might not be going according to his wishes. The way people worship and use their churches is about to change and the change will not be gentle.

There were so many times in this book that I wanted to shake Alice. She is such a gentle soul but her step daughter Agnes is clearly trouble and clearly in need of a firm hand which nobody seems willing to give and to me Alice should have been that firm hand and also put her foot down to how Agnes treated her. Alice just wants to be friends with everyone and nice to everyone and sometimes that just means you get walked over and this happens to poor Alice.

The thing that saved this book for me was the detail and imagery because the characters and lack of direction really put me off at times. I also didn’t enjoy the latin snippets in the book because I found they detracted from the flow of the text and didn’t really add anything. I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons.

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

About the author

Francesca Kay’s first novel, An Equal Stillness, won the Orange Award for New Writers in 2009. She lives in Oxford with her family.

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The Hedgerow by Anne Leigh Parrish (Review)

The Hedgerow by Anne Leigh Parrish

Blurb

It’s 1949, the freedom granted women by the Second World War is over, and stifling social conventions are once more at play. Edith Sloan, the rebellious, well-educated heroine of An Open Door returns in The Hedgerow to pursue her dreams of owning a thriving bookstore on Harvard Square and establishing a poetry press to publish the silent and underserved. Free of her dreary marriage to Walter, she receives a proposal from Henry, a wealthy British peer and the man who made the purchase of her bookstore possible. When she accepts, is it from love or gratitude? Will being his wife help or hinder her plans? Edith soon finds herself at the intersection of free expression and censorship. Duty competes with desire, while serious endeavours are undermined by trivial pursuits. As she tries to balance the competing demands in her life, troubling facts from Henry’s past come to light. Edith also discovers that being a pioneer in publishing comes with consequences she hadn’t foreseen. The decade draws to a close and delivers one more surprise Edith must summon extraordinary courage to face.

Review

Firstly, a huge thank you to Mindbuck Media Book Publicity for sending me a free copy of this book for an honest review.

I was a little concerned when I first started this book as I hadn’t read the previous book but thankfully this concern was not warranted as I didn’t feel the book lacked anything because I hadn’t read the first book. This book is set predominantly in America in the year 1949 and shows the freedom that women now have because of the Second World War but also about the constraints a woman still faces in 1949.

The main character is Edith Sloan. I will be honest I admire Edith and I think she is great and her accomplishments are fantastic but I really wouldn’t be her friend. Edith has separated from her husband because of quite a few reasons but the big reason is that Walter wanted Edith to be the ideal wife for his career and didn’t care less about her needs or dreams of a career. So Edith now finds herself living with a British peer called Henry and she makes use of him. Henry helps Edith purchase her bookshop, he supports her and caters for her every need when she leaves Walter but this leads to Henry asking a question that Edith really does’t want to hear. Edith has plans, big plans for her bookshop and publishing company and she is not sure Henry fits into these plans.

The one I felt for in this book was poor Henry. Yes he had some bad traits, mainly due to his upbringing but he really loved Edith and when he really needs her she isn’t there. Henry has some problems which really become clear as the novel progresses and sadly he doesn’t have the support he needs. He does have Alistair his manservant though. Alistair has been there for Henry for years and years and seen Henry at his worst and best.

This is a beautifully written book and I loved Parrish’s writing style, her style really reminds me of Dorothy Whipple. It was a quiet little book which showed the struggles women of that period had to cope with and I loved the storyline. However, I didn’t like any of the characters. This is probably the first book I have loved but disliked the characters. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.

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Purchase Links

Waterstones

About the author

Anne Leigh Parrish lives in a forest in the South Sound Region of Washington State. She is the author of thirteen previously published book which include short stories, novels and poems. She has recently ventured into the art of photography.

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Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (Review)

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Blurb

For years, rumours of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. Kya Clark is barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, locals immediately suspect her.

But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life’s lessons from the land, learning the real ways of the world from the dishonest signals of fireflies. But while she has the skills to live in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world—until the unthinkable happens.

Review

I have owned this book for a very long time but kept putting off reading it because I never seem to get on with books that are really hyped up. However, my sister in law recently read it on holiday and told me I must read it. I’m glad I listened because finally I have found a hyped up book that I enjoyed!

I flew through this book and it definitely helped me get out of the reading rut I have been in recently. I loved Owens’ writing style and the detail she put in about the marsh. I always think of marshes or swamps as damp smelly places but Owens made the marsh sound positively beautiful and a place of great tranquility. I also loved the descriptions of the animals in the marsh.

Kya has not had an easy life but her love of the marsh and the wildlife that lives within it makes her life bearable and she finds purpose and joy from it. Most people in her circumstances would have either left or gone mad but instead Kya flourishes in her own way. She learns from the marsh, she studies it and loves to learn new things and the marsh looks after her. When Kya is scared the marsh hides and protects her, when she is upset it comforts her. The marsh is her guardian and greatest friend.

However, Kya does have friends looking out for her and Jumpin’ and his wife Mable are definitely some of my favourite characters in this book. Jumpin’ and Mable help Kya when she is most in need and show her love and friendship when nobody else would. They don’t judge, all they do is love.

This book has so many good things going for it; a murder mystery, a loveable main character, atmosphere, drama, coming of age, romance and even poetry. I absolutely loved this book and will happily read it again in the future. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

About the author

Delia Owens is the co-author of three internationally bestselling nonfiction books about her life as a wildlife scientist in Africa—Cry of the Kalahari, The Eye of the Elephant, and Secrets of the Savanna. She has won the John Burroughs Award for Nature Writing and has been published in Nature, The African Journal of Ecology, and International Wildlife, among many others. She currently lives in Idaho, where she continues her support for the people and wildlife of Zambia. Where the Crawdads Sing is her first novel.

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Destination Maisie by Mel Frances (Review)

Destination Maisie by Mel Frances

Blurb

Destination Maisie is the perfect balance of adventure, joy, sadness and humour. A trip full of emotional twists, turns, and hope. The journey begins in 1960 when an illegitimate baby girl named Maisie Florence, is born in a London nursing hospital. Following a disrupted adoption and ten years in foster care, Maisie, aged 17, discovers a hidden letter from Ellen, her birth mother. In 1977 Maisie absconds from care, making an anxious journey to Manchester, where she reunites with Ellen and meets her characterful half-sisters. But does she truly belong? Decades later, in 2019, Maisie discovers her birth father was born in Crete. Encouraged by granddaughter Fran, fuelled by fantasies of long-lost birth family reunions, the women embark upon a road trip through Paris, Florence, and Athens to reach Heraklion. Both women find love on the idyllic Greek island, which changes their lives forever. When Fran has to return to England, Maisie connects with her Greek aunt by birth. Dark secrets are revealed, leaving Maisie stunned at past revelations. She is lost, alone and adrift on a Greek island wondering if she’ll ever find her true self. With her emotional scars exposed, the consequences for Maisie are devastating.

Review

Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you to Mel Frances for sending me a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.

At first I struggled with this book because of the jumping around of time periods but once I got used to this I really started to get into this book. Although this book is called Destination Maisie it focuses on so many other characters and I loved their character development, especially Fran’s. For me Fran was the star of this book and I felt so proud of her development. Fran is Maisie’s granddaughter and decides to help her beloved grandmother as much as she can and takes her grandmother on an epic adventure to find her past. Fran is a young woman with big plans for her future but she puts everything on hold to go on the big trip and with this trip she discovers her true self and that maybe her plans for the future are not exactly what she wants. Fran is so brave, she knows Maisie has scars and is traumatised by her past but she is right there to help Maisie through it.

Maisie has not had an easy beginning in life. In fact it is a beginning that could throw some people completely off the rails but Maisie always pushes through. Maisie is unbelievable strong but as the book goes on we witness just how strong she is and just what her past and present life put her through. Maisie has real trauma in her childhood and it could have been so easy for her to stay put with her foster family safe and secure but she never gives up and at 17 years of age, and a sheltered 17 at that, she embarks on a journey to find her real mother. Thankfully, that journey ends up happily with Maisie finding her birth mother and her half-sisters. However, Maisie still feels something isn’t quite right and needs more answers and so the big adventure in Crete begins. So often in this book I kept crying out for someone to help Maisie. Yes she is strong but also she is bruised and keeps getting bruised and she just needed someone to help guide her, to comfort her but as so often happens with strong characters people don’t see below the strong facade the struggle and the damage.

I was so happy a good portion of this book was set in Crete because Frances’ descriptions of Crete were wonderful! Frances’ details of the scenery, the ruins, the history, the culture, even the shopping centre were beautifully detailed and I could imagine myself there sitting on the beach listening to the sea reading a good book between going for a swim. This book really was a joy to read and I was constantly routing for Maisie and Fran. I can’t wait to read Frances’ next book and enjoy some beautiful scenery again. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.

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About the author

Mel grew up within a large extended family in North East England. She is married with two adult sons. After a period of study, Mel settled in Lancashire for fifteen years, before returning to her beloved city of Newcastle. Following a career in Children’s Social Care, Mel has fulfilled her passion for writing contemporary fiction. When she is not spending time with family and friends, she can be found at her desk planning her next novel.

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Accidental Dragons by Astor Y Teller (Review)

Accidental Dragons by Astor Y Teller

Blurb

There will be dragons…

With Donnowan’s expedition lost to a dragon, Miriam Huckerpucker gathers a ragtag band of undeads and sets off to the fringes of the known world to rescue the remnants. And also find the true villain behind the dragon attacks and why dragons suddenly appeared in this world.

Could the villain be the same one who makes old and new enemies show up on the road? Like the old hag who comes haunting from her past or the new hag who comes hunting her in the present?

Miriam doesn’t have time to ponder as she hurries along, but with painted barbarians, disfigured corpses and wanted criminals by her side she has to stay clear of the main roads, losing valuable time sidetracking through the wilderness.

But it is the same wilderness that Donnowan’s expedition travelled through. On her way she stumbles on vital clues and learns an odd thing or two.

Like accidents happen.

And dragons too, apparently.

Review

I was so excited to get reading about some of my favourite characters again and learn more about them. I nearly read this book in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down but sadly I had to go to work.

This book did have some sad moments in it for me, one really upset me but I won’t say more as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. There was the usual banter between characters that we had in the first book but there was definitely a more serious tone at times. I also liked the camaraderie that developed between Miriam’s ragtag band of undeads.

I loved the extra details we learn about the characters in this book. Miriam’s revelation was a big surprise and rather sad. You really start to get a better understanding of the characters in this book and their past lives. You also get to see a more vulnerable side to the characters.

This book had quite a few surprises in it and I spent quite a bit of time working out who the villain was (I got it wrong). Learning how dragons were made was brilliant and I also liked learning about the power of bone clippings.

The scenery descriptions in this book were also excellent. Yes, I absolutely loved this second instalment of the series and I can’t wait to read the next book. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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About the author

Everybody makes a story about themselves. Here is my take:

I started out

1) as a kid telling myself stories using my imagination, then

2) growing up to tell stories to others as a gamemaster (which I still do), then

3) getting sucked most unwilling into occult stuff (the flip side of quantum physics?), escaping that to

4) hesitantly get an education in programming, then

5) surviving dull years surrounded by the machines that go ping and keeping the weekends occupied by reading and being artful and conjuring exhaustion for the work week, then

6) saying enough is enough and submitting myself to another long streak of education, this time in art, where I started out painting (and still do) but graduated in spontaneous storytelling (or bearing witness to my imaginary worlds if you want a fancy way of saying it) then

7) start writing down these stories instead of telling them to an audience, ending up like

1) the kid I began as, telling myself stories using my imagination…

…which is the nation I prefer to be in (after doing my stint of travelling abroad) and where I go by the name of Astor Y Teller.

The rest of me can be gleaned from the books and if not, it’s not worth telling.

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A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women by Emma Southon (Review)

A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women by Emma Southon

Blurb

Here’s how the history of the Roman Empire usually goes…

We start with Romulus, go on to Brutus overthrowing Tarquin, bounce through an appallingly tedious list of battles and generals and consuls, before emerging into the political stab-fest of the late Republic. From there, it runs through all the emperors, occasionally mentioning a wife or mother to show how bad things get when women get out of control, until Constantine invents Christianity and then Attila the Hun comes and ruins everything. But the history of Rome and empire is so much more than these Important Things.

In this alternative history, Emma Southon traces the story of the Roman Empire through women: Vestal Virgins and sex workers, business owners and poets, martyrs and saints. Each gives a different perspective on women’s lives and how they changed, across time and across class lines.

Review

Emma Southon is a new author for me but the title of this book intrigued me so much I had to buy it. It’s always so refreshing to have some ancient history told from the female perspective because, let’s face it, most of the history we know is about men and recorded by men. A few years ago I did a Masters in Classics and I really focused on the women in ancient Greece and Rome so this book seemed a good choice for me.

The thing I loved most about this book was how Southon tells these women’s stories. I just love her writing style and her humour. Honestly, I could not stop laughing whilst reading this book. Instead of this book feeling like you are reading it, it feels like Southon is having a conversation with you and telling you about these 21 amazing women from history. Her writing style is very conversational which I can see might put some people off but I loved it. It was so nice to read a history book that was fun and upbeat and not stuffy.

The other thing I loved was how Southon bridged the gap between the past and modern day. Her use of connecting the past with modern day things was excellent and highly amusing at times.

In this book I read about women from Roman history that I knew of (some more than others) and I loved reading about them in such a different light. Somehow I think I will remember these women more now I have read this book because of how Southon portrayed them and linked them to modern day.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am now off to buy all of Southon’s other books. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones |

About the author

Dr. Emma Southon holds a PhD in ancient history from the University of Birmingham.

After a few years teaching Ancient and Medieval history, followed by some years teaching academic writing. She quit academia because it is grim and started writing for her own enjoyment.

She co-hosts a history/comedy podcast with Janina Matthewson called History is Sexy.

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The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan (Review)

The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

Blurb

In The Fires of Heaven, the fifth novel in Robert Jordan’s #1 New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time, four of the most powerful Forsaken band together against the Champion of Light, Rand al’Thor.

Prophesised to defeat the Dark One, Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, has upset the balance of power across the land. Shaido Aiel are on the march, ravaging everything in their path. The White Tower’s Amyrlin has been deposed, turning the Aes Sedai against one another. The forbidden city of Rhuidean is overrun by Shadowspawn.

Despite the chaos swirling around him, Rand continues to learn how to harness his abilities, determined to wield the One Power–and ignoring the counsel of Moiraine Damodred at great cost.

Review

This is the second time I have read this book and I will be honest the first time I read this book it put me off continuing with the series. However, I decided last year that I would complete the series and started reading it again from book one.

Even though I had forgotten a lot of what happens in this book my opinion of it hadn’t changed. The main thing I remembered was the waffle and the waffle was still there and there was loads. I can’t help but wonder how short this book would have been if there wasn’t quite so much waffle. For one thing if you took all the obsessing over clothing and how much breast is showing or not showing in all the female characters’ dresses, Jordan would have probably saved 50 pages. I won’t even go into all the mentions of braid pulling! It was only when I got to the last 300 odd pages that I really started to get into the book and start enjoying it.

The thing I really missed in this book was my favourite which is Perrin. I missed his level head and how calm he is. You can always depend on Perrin for common sense which in all honesty you don’t get from most of the characters in this book. Perrin also generally gets to the point and doesn’t skirt the subject like Rand does.

The ongoing arguing between Nynaeve and Elayne was just exhausting and I was so glad when Egwene gave Nynaeve a talking to because quite frankly Elayne and Nynaeve need to grow up. Egwene has taken quite a turn in this book and grown into a mature woman it’s just a shame Nynaeve and Elayne haven’t had the same growth yet.

I really liked learning more about the Aiel in this book and I actually started to like Mat’s character more. Mat has really started to grow up in this book and I loved seeing him lead men into battle. Yes, he is still resisting his fate and can still be annoying but I think he is starting to grow on me.

For such a huge book (nearly 1000 pages) not a lot happens in this book and to be honest it is a big disappointment after reading the previous books. I’m really hoping the next book proves to be a better read. I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons.

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

About the author

James Oliver Rigney Jr. (1948-2007) was an American author of epic fantasy who wrote under the pen name Robert Jordan. Jordan also wrote historical fiction under the name of Reagan O’Neal, a western as Jackson O’Reilly, and dance criticism as Chang Lung.

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A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Review)

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Blurb

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.

Brimming with humour, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavour to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.

Review

I started watching the TV series of this before I started reading the book but when I was in Waterstones I saw a copy and thought I would like to read the book. As soon as I got home I started to read it and now I have finished the book before the end of the TV series and inevitably I’m getting frustrated with the TV series.

It took me a long time to read this book and I’m not entirely sure why as I really enjoyed it and by the end of the book many characters were like old friends that I didn’t want to let go of.

The book begins in 1922 where we meet Count Alexander Rostov who is sentenced to live out the rest of his days at the Hotel Metropol. If he tries to leave he will be shot. He is stripped of his wealth (although he might have a few little hidden stashes around), his home and his beloved grandmother but he isn’t stripped of his self respect and his sense of purpose. Although as the book goes on we see the Count’s sense of purpose change somewhat. The Count is never beaten down by the regime, he never lets bad thoughts hold him down for long. He always holds his head up high and presents himself as the true gentleman he is.

The first thing that really struck me was how clever this book was. The whole book is set in a hotel but I was treated to so much more. Count Rostov’s insights into world events, into what is happening in the Russian politics, into books, music and even the movies is wonderful. You learn so much and yet it is all set in a hotel. It really is very clever writing by Towles.

You get to meet some fantastic characters in this book. The more notable hotel staff who are there right from the beginning to end and are always the Count’s friends and of course there is Anna the famous actress. However, the two most intriguing characters are two young girls. Nina is a nine year old girl when she meets the Count and she is full of questions but they become firm friends. Nina gives the Count a sense of purpose, he goes on adventures around the hotel with her, he looks forward to her visits and seeing what experiments she is working on. He sees Nina grow and he loves her so when Nina turns up with her daughter Sophia and asks the Count to look after Sophia for a while, he can’t refuse.

This book spans decades and in those decades we see the Count become head waiter, a friend, a teacher, a father figure, a bee keeper and much more. He goes from a gentleman of distinction to a gentleman of work and different purposes. We see the Count grow and those around him grow, especially Sophia. I loved this book and I love Towles’ writing style and will definitely be reading more of his books. The only problem for me with this book was the big time jumps where I would have liked a bit more detail of what had been happening in the gaps. I was also really disappointed in the ending where I was left with so many unanswered questions. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

About the author

Born and raised in the Boston area, Amor Towles graduated from Yale College and received an MA in English from Stanford University. Having worked as an investment professional in Manhattan for over twenty years, he now devotes himself full time to writing. His first novel, Rules of Civility, published in 2011, was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback and was ranked by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best books of 2011. The book was optioned by Lionsgate to be made into a feature film and its French translation received the 2012 Prix Fitzgerald. His second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, published in 2016, was also a New York Times bestseller and was ranked as one of the best books of 2016 by the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the St. Louis Dispatch, and NPR. Both novels have been translated into over fifteen languages.