Category: Reviews

Review: Time and Chance

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Time and ChanceSharon Kay Penman, Time and Chance

This novel, the sequel to When Christ and His Saints Slept, continues the story of Henry II after his accession to the throne of England. Henry and his new wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, seemingly have a charmed life, with all the power and riches they could desire. But their great ambitions come with great costs: Henry is constantly on the battlefield defending his holdings in France and skirmishing for power in Wales, while Eleanor is forced to the sidelines and must undergo the rigors of repeated childbirth. The book tells the story of their tempestuous marriage but also examines another important relationship in Henry’s life — his friendship with his chancellor (and later Archbishop of Canterbury), Thomas Becket.

I read When Christ and His Saints Slept a few years ago, but this book contains enough reminders of past events that I was able to follow along without a problem. Overall I enjoyed this novelization of the birth of the Plantagenet dynasty; it’s what I would term an intelligent romp. Penman does her research, but she also manages to write page-turners that are filled with action, scandal, and intrigue. The parts that focused on Henry’s deteriorating relationship with Thomas Becket were both interesting and frustrating to me. Even though I knew how their argument would end, I found myself hoping against hope that they’d be able to communicate with each other and work things out! As for Henry and Eleanor, I think their story in this book will pale in comparison to the events of the sequel, when their children are all grown up. I will be reading Devil’s Brood this summer, and I’m looking forward to it!

Review: The Poisoned Chocolates Case

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The Poisoned Chocolates CaseAnthony Berkeley, The Poisoned Chocolates Case

Roger Sheringham is the president of an amateur criminology club. The club has six members, almost all of whom are famous in their respective fields of law, drama, and literature. Since Roger and the other club members are fascinated by crime, they are delighted when a unique opportunity comes their way: a Scotland Yard inspector invites them to try their hands at solving a prominent murder case that has stumped the police. The club members, confident in their abilities, decide that that they will each formulate a possible solution to the mystery and present it to the club as a whole. If all the members agree on the murderer’s identity, they will inform Scotland Yard of their conclusion. As the members take turns presenting their solutions, however, it becomes clear that the case is much more complicated than they originally thought.

This is one of the most unique and interesting mysteries I have ever read. The format is unlike most other mysteries because it doesn’t focus on practical detective work like discovering clues and interviewing suspects. Rather, almost all the evidence is presented to the club members at the beginning of the novel, and the book spends most of its time exploring the characters’ different theories of the crime. I really liked how the book pokes fun at various detective-novel conventions, particularly the idea that facts necessarily lead to one and only one conclusion. Here, all the club members have access to the same facts, but they all argue convincingly for different solutions. I didn’t guess the ultimate answer to the puzzle (although I did have the same theory as one of the club members), but the answer really isn’t the point. Instead, this book is all about the philosophy of the detective novel, and as such, I would definitely recommend it to mystery fans!

Review: Grave Mercy

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Grave MercyRobin LaFevers, Grave Mercy

Ismae has grown up hating and fearing her abusive father, and when he sells her to an equally abusive husband, she despairs of ever finding a different path for her life. But a twist of fate brings Ismae to the convent of Saint Mortain, the ancient Breton god of death. Though Brittany has been superficially Christianized, worship of the old gods still persists, and the sisters of Saint Mortain serve their god by training young women as assassins to do his will. Ismae happily embraces her new life and devotes herself entirely to Mortain. But when she is sent out into the world to do the god’s bidding, she learns that serving him is more complicated than it appears. Her task is to pose as the mistress of Gabriel Duval, a knight of the duchess of Brittany, who is desperately trying to keep the duchy independent of French rule. As Ismae encounters conspiracy and treachery at every turn, she also becomes increasingly attracted to Gabriel. But can she continue to serve Mortain while also following her heart?

I picked up this book from the library because the premise sounded interesting, but I’m still surprised by how much I liked it! First of all, convent-trained assassins? Yes, please! The book is also far more rooted in historical reality than I thought; while there are some fantasy elements, the book reads as straight historical fiction, and many of the characters and events are real. I really liked the novel’s focus on political intrigue and Ismae’s realization that, despite her  training, she is completely out of her depth at the Breton court. There aren’t many scenes of killing or ass-kicking, though, which might disappoint some readers. I also liked the romance between Ismae and Gabriel, which was predictable but still very well done. I am definitely planning to read the rest of this trilogy; book 2, Dark Triumph, just came out and focuses on two minor characters from this book. Looking forward to it!

Review: Fire and Hemlock

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Fire and HemlockDiana Wynne Jones, Fire and Hemlock

College student Polly believes that she has led a completely ordinary, uneventful life. But while packing for her return to school after a vacation, she begins to contemplate a photograph that has hung on her bedroom wall for years. As she looks at the photograph, she slowly begins to remember a different version of her past — a past in which her closest friend was a talented cellist named Thomas Lynn. In this alternate timeline, Polly met Tom when she was a little girl, and they quickly struck up a friendship, writing letters to each other full of strange and magical events. But when their made-up stories started to happen in real life, Polly knew that something sinister was at stake. Now she must sift through her rediscovered memories in order to save Tom from seemingly certain doom.

This is a book that I really liked overall, but I have a couple of major nitpicks. First, I love Diana Wynne Jones’ style; I’ve read a few of her books and enjoyed them, but I really need to seek out the rest of her work! I also really like the concept of the book: basically, Polly has two sets of memories and has to figure out what that means. It was a really interesting idea to explore, and I think it was executed very well. My biggest quibble is the ending, which I don’t think works at all. Polly realizes why she has the dual memories, figures out how to save herself and Tom, and then it just kind of happens with no real explanation. What happens to the baddies? What will Polly and Tom do going forward? There are a lot of unanswered questions, and that bugs me. My other problem with the book was the romance; I just found it really icky that the hero was so much older than Polly and that he basically had his eye on her since she was a child. I can see where DWJ was trying to go with it, but it did not work for me. Still, this is a book I would definitely recommend overall, especially to fans of retold fairy tales.

Review: The Trouble with Paradise

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The Trouble with ParadiseJill Shalvis, The Trouble with Paradise

Dorie Anderson desperately needs a vacation. She’s single, overworked, underpaid, and stuck in a dead-end job at Shop-Mart when she’d rather be designing her own clothing line. So when she suddenly wins a spot on a luxury cruise to the South Pacific, she jumps at the chance to have an adventure. And adventure seems to be headed her way in the form of adorable baseball star Andy Hutchinson. He’s sweet and kind, and he has a sexy Texas drawl…so why can’t Dorie stop thinking about the brooding ship’s doctor, Christian Montague? As Dorie struggles with her feelings for these two men, she also faces much bigger problems, including a storm, a shipwreck, and even a potential murder.

I’ll admit, I picked up this book solely because I needed something set in the South Pacific for the Around the World in 12 Books Challenge. I’ve also heard really good things about Jill Shalvis, who is apparently a very popular author in the contemporary romance genre. Unfortunately, I wasn’t particularly impressed by this book. It’s a fun, beachy read with a fair amount of bodice ripping (or the modern equivalent), but that’s about it. I enjoyed the direct writing style: Shalvis doesn’t waste a lot of time setting the scene or developing backstory, preferring to dive into the action instead. But the dialogue did make me cringe on occasion, and there wasn’t much character development in either Dorie or her hero. The “mystery” subplot also felt completely unnecessary and uninteresting. I might give Shalvis another chance, but I’ll look for one of her more recent and more popular novels.

Review: The Crystal Cave

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The Crystal CaveMary Stewart, The Crystal Cave

This novel, the first installment of Stewart’s Arthurian saga, reimagines the story of Merlin, legendary wizard and mentor to King Arthur. Merlin is the illegitimate son of the king of South Wales, a status that brings both privileges and dangers. He never goes hungry and is able to study with tutors, but he is also a target for anyone who might wish to succeed the king or seize power. When the king dies, the ensuing struggle for the throne puts Merlin in grave danger, and he decides to flee the kingdom. At age 12, with no name, no friends, and no particular skill with a sword, Merlin must learn to survive in a hostile world. He also begins to learn that he possesses unusual abilities — powers that enable him to see into the future and foretell the coming of Arthur, who will eventually become king of a united Britain.

I really enjoy Mary Stewart’s novels of romantic suspense, so I was excited to acquire her first three Arthurian books at a library sale a few years ago. But I have to admit, I was a little disappointed by this book. It’s well-written, and the historical insights into Roman Britain are fascinating…it just moves so slowly! It seems like the first hundred pages of a not-very-long novel are just about Merlin as a child in the king’s home, where nothing much happens to him, and he spends all day hiding in the ruins of the underground plumbing system. Once he leaves South Wales, the story picks up, and I quite enjoyed the descriptions of battles and political maneuverings among the various claimants to the British throne. I’ll read the remaining books because I already bought them, but I wasn’t as excited by this book as I’d hoped.

Review: A Little Folly

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A Little FollyJude Morgan, A Little Folly

Louisa Carnell and her brother Valentine have grown up in the shadow of their tyrannical father, who devoted his energy to controlling their lives and repressing their spirits. So when he finally dies, the Carnell siblings are ready to come out of their shells and experience life. They re-establish contact with some distant cousins (who had been estranged from the family when their father was alive) and eventually go off to visit them in London. However, their ignorance of the world soon leads them into some fairly big trouble: Valentine becomes attached to a married woman, and Louisa has to navigate her way among various suitors who might hope to win her fortune rather than her love.

Despite — or perhaps because of — my fanatical devotion to Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, I’m almost always disappointed by books that attempt to mimic their plots and style. The copies are almost never as good as the originals, and why read something inferior when you could have the real thing? But Jude Morgan is a writer of Regency-era historical fiction whose books I truly enjoy, and this book is no exception. I loved Louisa as a heroine because she is both romantic and level-headed. It was also nice to read a book that featured a close sibling relationship. I enjoyed the compelling storyline, witty dialogue, and satisfying romance. In short, definitely recommended to fans of fiction set in this time period!

Review: The Best Man

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The Best ManKristan Higgins, The Best Man

Faith Holland hasn’t been back to her hometown for three years — ever since her fiancé Jeremy revealed that he was gay and left her at the altar. Now she’s coming home to refurbish an old barn on her family’s vineyard, but she’s not sure she can handle being around Jeremy again. Unfortunately, she keeps running into his best friend, Levi Cooper, whom Faith blames for ruining her wedding by encouraging Jeremy to come out. Meanwhile, Levi is annoyed that he keeps running into Faith; he remembers her as the goody-goody who would have (albeit unknowingly) ruined his best friend’s life. Neither of them expected that they would feel so attracted to each other; but can Faith and Levi ever build a future together when they have such a complicated past?

I really like Kristan Higgins’ contemporary romances, so of course I had to buy this one as soon as it came out. There are a few differences between this book and the other Higgins novels that I’ve read, but I think they’re good differences. First of all, normally Higgins writes from the heroine’s point of view, but in this book she uses a 3rd-person p.o.v. that follows Faith and Levi in turn. I was glad that she focused on the hero and heroine equally, so that I could get some insight into both characters and understand where they were both coming from. I also really liked Levi, because he’s not quite the stereotypical romantic hero. He’s occasionally crude, shallow, and quick to judge, which makes him a real person rather than an idealized fantasy. Overall, I devoured this novel and am looking forward to Higgins’ next book!

Review: Death in the Stocks

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Death in the StocksGeorgette Heyer, Death in the Stocks

When a dead man wearing evening dress is found locked in the stocks on the village green, the local police are only too happy to turn the case over to Scotland Yard. The corpse is Arnold Vereker, a universally despised man who kept a tight hold on the family purse strings. When Superintendent Hannasyde questions Vereker’s young relatives, they all declare themselves extremely happy that their unpleasant half-brother is dead at last. Hannasyde doesn’t know what to make of Antonia, Kenneth, and their various love interests, but he suspects that there are secrets hidden beneath their lighthearted jokes. He sifts through the muddle of motives and alibis with help from Giles Carrington, the Vereker family’s solicitor, who has his own reasons for wanting to uncover the murderer.

I’m a longtime fan of Georgette Heyer’s romances, but I’m quickly coming to love her mysteries as well! As someone who loves a good period piece, I found this an extremely fun book to read. The mystery is perfectly fine, with some interesting little twists and red herrings; I figured out some pieces of the puzzle but didn’t ultimately guess whodunit. However, the real pleasure of this book is the characters, their witty conversations and their blossoming romantic attachments. While the Verekers and their friends take center stage, though, Superintendent Hannasyde is also an intriguing sleuth, and I look forward to reading about more of his cases in subsequent Heyer novels.

Review: Adorkable

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AdorkableSarra Manning, Adorkable

Jeane Smith has never been what you’d call a normal teenager. She dyes her hair weird colors (it’s currently gray, like an old lady’s), buys her clothes at jumble sales, and has a blog on youth culture that’s turned into a full-fledged brand. Jeane has no patience for the boring, vapid teenagers who go to her school, so she’s shocked when all-around golden boy Michael Lee approaches her and informs her that his girlfriend and Jeane’s boyfriend appear to have a thing for each other. At first Jeane is angry and suspicious, which causes her to turn her wrath on Michael. In turn, Michael is extremely put off by Jeane’s in-your-face attitude. But when one of their arguments inexplicably turns into a makeout session, Jeane and Michael begin spending more time together and growing closer to each other in the process.

I really liked Manning’s novel You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, so I was excited to read this one when it came out. I ended up devouring it in a single day — it may not be great literature, but it sucked me in! What I really like about these characters is that they’re not too good to be true. They have real flaws, to the extent that they’re downright unlikeable at times: Jeane is obnoxious, Michael is cocky, and they’re both extremely self-centered. But the beauty of the story is that it lets you see that they are both lovable despite their faults. I also liked that Jeane and Michael’s relationship is not the perfect, magical love that so often seems to appear in romance novels (both YA and adult). For example, Michael still has a deep attachment to his first love, and his relationship with Jeane doesn’t make that previous relationship any less significant. So I would definitely recommend this book to fans of YA romance.