Tag: Fiction Book Recommendations

Review: The Callista Alignment by Steve Gay

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

‘No one remembers the moment they were born, but I do… the second time at least’.

Abducted and thrust into a bewildering alien world, Kali has no idea that she’s the only Earth-born ‘natural’ in a population of enslaved humans scattered across the stars. She’ll push the limits of her captivity, turn her owner’s life upside down, and challenge everything he believes about her species. Then, when the public spotlight suddenly turns to her, she’ll drag him into a revolution.

The Callista Alignment is the first instalment in a new science fiction series, an epic saga of prejudice, redemption, and human courage in all its forms. Join a new kind of heroine for an extraordinary adventure in an alien civilisation.

If you enjoyed reading ‘Divergent’ or ‘Silo’ you’ll be captured by The Callista Alignment and swept into a world you’ll never forget.

Meet the cast:

The Professor:
Yan Feyrsten is worried that he’s made a big mistake. The human he’s just bought is upending his quiet academic life. Kali won’t settle, won’t eat, won’t comply. She can’t even grasp that here on Antaris, she’s nothing more than an animal.

The Naturalist:
Henik Varkesen understands why. He’s imagined meeting an Earth-born ‘natural’ his entire professional life. But he realises the trouble Kali could bring, that she’s either a wonderous scientific discovery or the most dangerous human on the planet.

The Bounty Hunter:
Torsta Jai knows an opportunity when she sees one. Reduced to hunting feral humans in the Derelict Zone, the disgraced police chief is looking for a way to restore her position. She realises Yan’s human could give her the political leverage she needs, and will stop at nothing to possess her.

The Human:
Kali is just trying to get by in a baffling alien world. She’ll start with Yan, use her gift with language to confound his expectations, force him to reassess everything he believes. But when she is stolen away from him and thrust into the public spotlight, she’ll discover the truth, that a restive human population has been waiting for a sign, waiting for their moment. They’ve been waiting for her.

Favorite Lines:

“Somehow the battle for survival, and the knowledge that she had taken lives herself had steeled her for further losses. Some would be warriors, but others were innocents like this one, knowing nothing of the forces that shaped the world.”

“Then followed the moment when he knew she’d gone, that his Kali had turned to nothing more than a falling object, mass subject to the force of gravity. And in that moment, he mourned, he felt the loss of her as if his whole world had tilted irretrievably, and what he’d found with her had gone forever.”

“It not be heart that do miss me in prison – it be stomach.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story takes place in Antaris, a world where humans are considered feral, enslaved, and are looked upon as no better than wild animals. When Kali, a human woman from Earth is kidnapped and taken to Antaris, she is the first of what is considered a “natural human” in that part of the universe in a long time and sets off a chain of events that revolve around themes of both political and philosophical topics.

I will admit that I went into this a bit blind but as a lover of science fiction, I was excited to read it and it did not disappoint. I thought this was an excellently written story that takes a deeper look at some difficult subjects such as slavery and prejudices from a science fiction perspective.

At times, Kali reminded me of Leeloo from The Fifth Element and at other times, some plot points in this reminded me of Cloud Atlas, both of which I am huge fans of and, despite the reminders to those stories, Gay still managed to create a world and a story that is uniquely his own. I found this to be captivating, creative, and quite frankly, refreshing.

While I really enjoyed the creative world building in this story, I also enjoyed the character writing and the fact that the characters were not written as one-dimensional beings; I would say that there isn’t one character in this story that is simply black and white. Despite not being human themselves, a majority of the characters still had very relatable, very human traits and motivations, which I found added to the authenticity of the story and drove home some of the overarching points being made in the writing.

While this was my first book by Gay, it certainly won’t be my last. This story wraps up quite nicely at the end and I felt like I had pretty sufficient closure. However, I know that this is going to be a series so I am excited to see where Gay takes it next.

Summary:

Overall, if you are a fan of science fiction that touches on philosophical and political topics surrounding prejudice, humanity, and what it means to be human, then this book could be for you! Happy reading!

Check out The Callista Alignment here!

Review: The Clock and the Candles by Anthony Dean

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

Roland, the Keeper of the Clock, and Gwen, the former crown princess of the Lands, are separated by 46 feet of stone. After seizing the throne from her father, King Adolphus had the Prison Maximus constructed around Gwen. She lives in a cell with no door that measures eight feet on every side, and which is centered in a structure that measures a hundred feet on every side.

One day in the seventh year of Gwen’s imprisonment, Roland returns home from his duties tending the Ebony Clock to find that someone has entered his cabin and left an unsigned letter on his table. The letter reads:

Dear Roland,

Consider five statements. Three of them are true. Two of them are lies.

1. You are the last of your kind.

2. King Adolphus is an immortal being.

3. The creatures who walk the Lands after sunset serve no master.

4. Gwen’s prison was not constructed according to specifications.

5. The Ebony Clock is not connected to anything at all.

Sort the truth from the lies, and you will be free.

With the help of allies that come to include an old friend, an elderly chemist, two disgruntled members of Adolphus’ guard, and an elf, Roland tries to make use of the new information in the beginning of a new epic from Anthony Dean, author of the Voided Man series.

Favorite Lines:

“‘I’d pay a great price to find a love like that.’…’I think you will find that it does not require a great price or a small one.'”

“A man who will give comfort to a woman who has no ability to give anything in return is the kind of man who will find love easily, although such things work on their own timetable. You’ll see.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story takes place in a fantasy world with hints dropped that it may actually be our own but something has happened to change it into the version we read about (I am waiting to see how this pans out) and follows Roland, a Keeper of the Clock, who returns home after a day of work to find a mysterious note left for him. What follows is an epic fantasy adventure while Roland tries to uncover the meaning behind the note.

While I have read several of Dean’s science fiction books, this is the first fantasy book from him that I have read so I was going into this a bit unsure of what to expect but as a fan of both fantasy and Dean, I knew I wasn’t going to  be disappointed and spoiler alert: I wasn’t. As always Dean’s writing tone comes off as creative and warm. He does a great job at giving you just enough information to keep you on the edge of your seat without giving everything away, leaving you wanting more and craving answers.

I thought that the pacing of this story was just right, we get enough details to understand what is happening without too much to get bogged down in. I also thought that that character writing was well done although some characters did seem a bit too straight forward and perhaps motivated a bit too much by either good or evil. I would have perhaps liked to see some more multidimensionality to them – although that might be the exact point of the story so I think I will just have to wait and see as more details come to light later in the series.

Summary:

Overall, this was a refreshing and original plot, as all of Dean’s seem to be. He took some classic fantasy themes and made them uniquely his own for this story which I really enjoyed. Only book one in this new series, this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and I am excited to see where Dean takes it next. If you like fantasy, mystery, action, and adventure, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out The Clock and the Candles here!

 

Review: Watercolors and Tears by José Orlando Castañeda 

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

Manuel, a young Ecuadorian, sells medicinal herbs in the market and paints watercolors in his spare time. In search of a better life, he emigrates to Port Chester (New York). Elvira, his wife, intends to join him by sea, but she is shipwrecked. Her plans change after her rescue, and she ends up in Madrid, where she is employed as a nanny. Antonio, the father of the children in her care, discovers her secretly reading a novel from his antique books collection. He slyly labels a passage with a strip of paper, intending for her to read it. Intrigued, Elvira responds by indicating her own phrases in the book. That’s the beginning of an innocent exchange of literary quotes through which love quietly slips in. While Manuel takes refuge in his paintings and herbal remedies on the other side of the world, Elvira finds herself falling for Antonio. When her hopes are dashed through a casual blunder, she seeks to regain her marital home and travels to Port Chester to be with her husband. Confronted by an unexpected tragedy, she discovers the watercolors that Manuel has painted in his solitude. His brushstrokes cut deep into her heart.

Favorite Lines:

“When Manuel and Elvira’s gazes finally met, their silence broke. In simple words, they exchanged life impressions; and in a slip of their souls, they felt a strong attraction.”

“The watercolor paintings were a testimony to his life and dreams. She concluded that while she sought a spiritual connection in the teachings of books, he used his art to perceive life from different angles. In that sense, she found him closer to God.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows Ecuadorian couple Manuel and Elvira as they pursue better lives for themselves. Manuel is a medicinal herbs merchant who paints watercolors in his free time. In the face of financial hardships, he finds himself making the impossible decision to emigrate to New York to try and support his wife and children who he must leave behind in the meantime. When Elvira tries to join Manuel in New York, she is in a shipwreck that ends up leading her to Madrid where she finds work as a nanny. Throughout the story, we see life through the eyes of both characters in very different parts of the world as they struggle not only the new worlds that they find themselves in but also with the distance between them.

This is Castañeda’s debut novel and I was blown away with his ability to showcase such deeply personal emotions and handle them with beauty and grace as well as his ability to tackle very complex and challenging themes. This story evolves around topics of emigration that are very real for many in the world including the guilt that is felt when leaving loved ones behind, the language barriers and isolation that many feel when leaving their home countries, and much more. I felt that Castañeda did a beautiful job writing all of this in a thought-provoking and, quite frankly,  captivating manner.

I also really enjoyed his capability to weave such colorful descriptions. I felt like I was in the market with Manuel while he sold his herbs or watching him paint his watercolors on the canvases. Castañeda’s vivid descriptions and rich imagery transported me into the world on the page which only made the emotions in this story that much stronger and the pages turn that much faster.

Summary:

Overall, this was a very beautiful and elegant story about the complexities of life that tackled very real topics surrounding the realities of emigration in the pursuit of a better life for you and your family. Full of rich descriptions, love, loss, sacrifice, tenacity, and family, this book could be for anyone who is interested in the deeply honest portrayal of what it means to be human in this world. Happy reading!

Check out Watercolors and Tears here!

Review: We Meet Again: Book One by Brownell Landrum

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

Separated by centuries… Reunited to change the world

Have you ever wondered if you met someone… before?
When she meets the Artist, his first words to her are, “We Meet Again.” Yet they hadn’t met before.
Or had they?

Brownell Landrum’s celebrated We Meet Again trilogy is an epic reincarnation mystery + love story about a famous couple from history reunited today to fulfill a prophecy that will change the world.
But is the world ready to change?
Follow the clues tracing back centuries, even millennia through this remarkable story of love, fate, and destiny against a backdrop of lifetimes from present day to 1930s Brazil, 1500s Renaissance Europe, the Middle Ages, and even ancient Greece.

In Book One, meet Marielle and Dante, a modern-day couple navigating a new relationship while re-living a previous lifetime as a nun and a priest in 1930s Brazil protecting a valuable artifact from a nefarious organization still on the hunt today.

Favorite Lines:

“Don’t fall in love, darling. Rise in love.”

“The love that moves the sun and the other stars”

“Love is born into every human being; it calls back the halves of our original nature together; it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows Marielle and Dante, two individuals who meet and feel so familiar to each other that they explore the possibility that they have met before in a previous lifetime. What follows is a story rich with historical references, romance, suspense, and adventure.

If you’ve been following this blog at all, you know I am a sucker for anything romance related and this book scratches the itch. Among its classifications, it is considered a historical romance, and I really enjoyed the love that Landrum has created that spans across lifetimes. I do want to warn readers that this quite a spicy read (like 50 Shades of Grey level spicy) and may not be suitable for younger readers.

Landrum has done her research and seems to be quite knowledgeable of the histories, cultures, religions, languages, and settings that she includes in this story because she has been able to build quite a detail oriented world that makes a reader feel fully immersed while we follow along in both the present day storyline and the flashbacks to the past.

Summary:

Overall, this was an interesting reincarnation love story full of history, romance, and adventure. Part one of a trilogy, I am excited to see where Landrum takes the rest of this series. If you like romance, especially historical romances, adventure, mystery, suspense, and metaphysical fiction, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out We Meet Again: Book One here!

 

Review: Cosmic American Rhapsody by Ray Sweatman

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

Get ready for a wild ride as country-rock pioneer, Gram Parsons, struggles to survive, both physically and spiritually at the Lost Highway Motel. As his life flashes before him, several colorful characters try to help him find the meaning of life such as the ghosts of his parents, a strange policeman, a transcendentalist, and the animated animals from “Hee Haw.” With rich allusions to both popular and classical culture, it is at turns hilarious, poetic, tragic, and thought-provoking.

Favorite Lines:

“A star falls between the moon and the boat and plops softly in the water beside us, lighting all the sacred life teeming beneath it.”

“Time has no treasures, we want not its then, but its now.“

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a work of biographical fiction based loosely on the life of Gram Parsons, an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as both a solo artist and with the band, The Byrds. While Sweatman has several published works, this is his first novel and a first for me for any of his works. 

I found this to be an artistic and eccentric story told with a unique storytelling voice. Sweatman has crafted together a biographical fiction unlike any that I have read previously with a blend of humor, poetry, satire, and much more. With fun dives into different perspectives from a rich cast of characters, Sweatman does a good job at taking readers through a colorful journey that has thought-provoking undercurrents hidden beneath the lively surface. 

If I had to nitpick one thing, it would be the lack of quotations when someone was speaking. I can appreciate that that this was an artistic liberty, but it made it difficult to follow where someone speaking would start and end and I found myself having to back track in several places to organize my thoughts. 

Summary:

Overall. I can say this was an entirely unique biographical fiction and unlike anything I have read before. If you are interested in Gram Parsons, colorfully artistic writing, and/or biographical fictions, then this book could be for you. You can check out the book trailer here! Happy reading!

Check out Cosmic American Rhapsody here!

 

Review: Lost Grove: Part One by Charlotte Zang and Alex J. Knudsen

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

For fans of Twin Peaks and Stranger Things, Lost Grove is the first in a paranormal mystery duology that explores the twisted legends and mysteries in one small town.

In the eerie, enigmatic town of Lost Grove, where secrets whispered among the rustling pines are as thick as the fog rolling in from the sea, the discovery of Sarah Elizabeth Grahams’ lifeless body on the windswept beach is but the first note in a haunting symphony of mysteries.

Sergeant Seth Wolfe, the town’s tenacious lawman, penetrates the cryptic and labyrinthine secrets veiled beneath the town’s cheerful facade. A connection to Sarah Elizabeth, one he could never have fathomed, begins to take shape, blurring the lines between his own existence and the mysteries that enshroud the town. Suspects multiply like whispers in a haunted forest, but each lead unravels, and the mysteries of the case deepen.

Meanwhile, a group of local teenagers embark on their own harrowing mission, driven by a relentless desire to answer the riddle of their friend’s vanished brother and expose the sinister secrets harbored by an affluent institute nestled in the heart of Lost Grove. Further complicating matters, one teen’s father left town the morning Sarah Elizabeth’s body was found. With ties to a similar case seven years prior, he has become a prime suspect in the case.

As Seth dives deeper into the abyss of darkness gripping Lost Grove, an unsettling discovery threatens to derail his investigation and shatter the illusions of safety the town has harbored for far too long. A chilling web of malevolence begins to tighten its grip, ensnaring them all in a nightmarish dance that will test the limits of their resolve.

Readers who love the eerie, unsettling mystery of Stephen King’s The Outsider and the monstrous legends of Brian McGreevy’s Hemlock Grove will enjoy this twisty, taut thriller.

Favorite Lines:

“If it’s cold, Zoe likes it. The weather, food, water, you name it.”

“The angel’s wings stretched out against the inky night sky like a graceful paintbrush, his feathers rich with a hue of grapefruit and perfectly symmetrical.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story starts off with the body of Sarah Elizabeth Grahams being found on an empty beach in Lost Grove. Sergeant Seth Wolfe is put on the case and finds himself falling down a rabbit hole full of mysteriously forgotten memories and haunting dreams. While word of Sarah’s death spreads around town, two psychic siblings attempt to escape their past and start over at a new high school and a group of teenagers set out on their own dangerous mission to find a missing brother which leads them to question if changelings exist. That’s all to say that there are several strange things going on in Lost Grove and readers get to buckle in for the ride.

The story alternates between a present day storyline and flashbacks from multiple characters’ pasts which gives an inside perspective to a variety of events and only lends to the notes of mystery throughout this book. I found that the authors did a great job at setting the stage for Lost Grove to be what seems like a normal small town only for readers to quickly realize that there are a lot of unexplainable, and sometimes downright creepy, undercurrents that create a shroud of suspense and mystery around the town. I applaud the authors for being able to spin such a tangled web of secrets and connect them all together to become the town of Lost Grove. 

In addition to a deliciously creepy setting and plot, I also enjoyed the character writing throughout this book. The authors create a diverse cast of characters with their own personality quirks, secrets, and mysterious backstories that only add to the intrigue of this story. I thought the balancing of these characters, especially because there are several of them, was very skillfully done and there were several times while I was reading this that I thought there had to be some type of detective-esque board with strings attaching points together; how else were they able to keep everything so straight to write this story? I almost felt like I needed to make one a few times while reading this… This story is definitely something I could see being made into a TV show and, if you’re like me, you’ll be binge watching it in one sitting (maybe with a light or two on).

I also wanted to quickly highlight how cool I think it is that Knudson and Zang  are a husband/wife duo. I always love when spouses create something special like this together. Talk about a power couple!

Summary:

Full of horror elements, suspense, the paranormal, mystery, and much more, Lost Grove leaves no rock unturned while taking readers on an addicting dark and thrilling journey that will have them turning page after page desperate answers. If you’re a fan of Twin Peaks, and want to read something similar with a bit more of the supernatural and paranormal, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out Lost Grove: Part One here!

 

Review: Focused on Love by Melody Carson

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

Rodeo nights and a city girl who’s all trouble. I must protect this damsel at all costs.

I’m Shane, a lonely cowboy and billionaire bronc rider with a memory I can’t shake.
Then enters Zoey, a sexy city fashion photographer, stirring up dust in my private world.
Sparks fly as we’re instantly drawn to each other.

But, then Zoey unknowingly captures a kidnapping on film
and our attraction takes a very dangerous turn.
I must protect her from the shadows as we unravel an unspeakable
crime that threatens everything.

I’m not only wrestling with broncs,
but I’m protecting the only woman who’s ever stolen my heart.
Together, we’ll face the evil in this small-town mystery that threatens to tear us apart.

This rodeo holds more than bronc riding –
it may just be the place where two hearts find their way home.

But, first, we must outsmart the danger and find our love amidst the chaos.

Favorite Lines:

“Think again, asshat, ’cause that’s not going to happen.”

“You know you’re getting old when sleeping hurts.”

“I didn’t just fall in love with you that day. I fell in love with your spirit, your resilience…your heart. You’re the strongest woman I know, Zoey. And I admire and respect you more than anyone else in this world.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows Zoey and Shane. Zoey is a photographer who is sent to Montana to take pictures at a rodeo but finds herself out of a job when her boss gets a bit too flirty for her tastes. When she confronts him about it, he fires her on the spot. Meanwhile, Shane is a rancher and bronco rider at the rodeo who is addicted to the thrill and wants to ride until he is physically no longer able. Shane has no interest in a city girl from LA being at the rodeo but when a girl goes missing, the unlikely pair team up to help solve the case.

This is a contemporary enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy that features cowboys; what is not to love? Like many of Carson’s other books, this is a short and sweet romance that features strong female characters and the men that fall for them. Carson’s writing style flows well and creates an easy to follow story that is easy to get addicted to. If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself turning page after page until you’re staring at the end of the book all in one sitting.

Summary:

Overall, if you like contemporary romances featuring cowboys, small town love, action, suspense, intrigue, and of course romance, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out Focused on Love here!

 

Review: Her Dark Promises by E.H. Raven

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

Stuck in a dead-end job and unable to afford independence, Jamila’s dreams of success fade daily. Desperate, she agrees to an arranged marriage orchestrated by her father, but it backfires, deepening her depression. 

She finds solace in horror movies about demonic possession, leading her to research real-life cases. Discovering some achieve success through dark means, she decides to summon her demon, hoping to change her fate. Possession grants Jamila immense confidence and success, but the dark alliance exacts a steep price.

The demon consumes her sanity, blurring reality and nightmare.

Can Jamila escape the darkness she unleashed?

Favorite Lines:

“Nothing I eat satisfies my hunger. This must be what stress eating is.”

“She recognized the tragic irony in humanity’s plight: their yearning for a better life had led them into an inescapable trap.”

“In her moments of clarity, Jamila realized the irony of her situation. She had sought possession to gain knowledge and power, but it was only in her damnation that she truly understood the depths of the world’s corruption. The knowledge she had gained was vast, but it came at the highest cost imaginable: her soul.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion and just in time for spooky season to begin!

Can I start this review off by saying that something that really drew me in to this book was the cover alone. It was the perfect level of creepy and ends up fitting this book very well!

This story follows Jamila, a young woman who feels trapped in a mundane existence with a draining job who is unable to see a light at the end of the tunnel. To make matters worse, her father keeps insisting on an arranged marriage that she is less than thrilled about. To escape her reality, Jamila watches a lot of horror movies and becomes interested in real-life stories of people who have summoned demons. Taking inspiration from these stories, Jamila tries to summon a demon herself. What starts as a confidence boost for Jamila, quickly spirals out of control and readers follow along as Jamila fights a darkness as it begins to consume her.

I am a sucker for any psychological thrillers and this one did not disappoint – and it came just in time for spooky season! This is my first book by Raven and I loved the way that the world was set up only to have a purposeful tone shift once Jamila summoned the demon. Raven did a great job at setting up a terrifying and thrilling plot that had me on the edge of my seat. Throughout reading this, I regularly found myself picturing this on the big screen and think it could be a great plot for a scary, demon possession movie!

If I had to nitpick one thing, it would have to be the flow of the book. As some points, it came off as a bit choppy and could have probably flowed more smoothly from one scene to the next. However, I want to emphasize that this didn’t take away from the overall plot which I still found to be creative and interesting.

I wanted to put a trigger warning that this book does contain graphic violence, self-mutilation, sexual content, horror themes, and more and may not be suited for everyone.

Summary:

Overall, while this was my first book from Raven, I am confident that it won’t be my last. This was the perfect blend of creepy, thrilling, and addicting and I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of horror and psychological thrillers. Happy reading!

Check out Her Dark Promises here!

Review: Mr. Bingley: Just As A Gentleman Ought To Be by Brandon Dragan

~ likelystory18 ~ 3 Comments

Synopsis:

“Finally, a novel that reveals the true Bingley! Heartily recommend to all Bingley-philes!” — Crispin Bonham-Carter, Mr. Bingley in the BBC Miniseries, Pride & Prejudice

For centuries Jane Austen’s classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, has been dearly loved he world over. However, few people know the hidden truth about Mr. Darcy’s closest friend, the affable Mr. Bingley—who is much more than he appears on first impression.

Mr. Bingley: Just as a Gentleman Ought to Be is the previously untold story of a young man who unwittingly uncovers an evil cabal among the British Empire’s aristocracy. Bingley finds himself confronting an enterprise so nefarious, he cannot help but act to redress it, even if it costs him his own reputation and the love of his life, the angelic Miss Jane Bennet.

Follow Mr. Bingley down a rabbit hole of intrigue and corruption, as he fights to protect the country’s most vulnerable alongside friends old and new. Can he set things right before he loses Jane forever?

Favorite Lines:

“She is undoubtedly the most handsome creature I have ever beheld, but more than her beauty, it is her serenity, or rather, the effect her serenity has had on me that gives me cause to ponder my own feelings.”

“In her presence, and in her presence alone, I seem able to be at peace with the world.”

“There is no defense for the fixed state of vanity in which you at times operate, Darcy.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

As someone who watches Pride and Prejudice at least once a year, I was very excited to review this book. This story follows the Charles Bingley we know and love while giving new depth to his character like we have never seen before.  I would like to imagine that this story is happening in parallel to Pride and Prejudice giving new perspective to Mr. Bingley’s life outside of the P&P storyline.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this book but I can say I wasn’t expecting such a creative blend of Pride and Prejudice meets James Bond meets Sherlock Holmes; especially coming from a character like Mr. Bingley. Dragan does an excellent job at creating a plot that is entirely his own in a world that many literary fans are already familiar with and love.

As mentioned above, the Pride and Prejudice world is one many are already familiar with but I think Dragan did an excellent job at expanding upon that world and building one that is unique for this story. I also really enjoyed the character development and conversation writing. Dragan added hidden depths to several characters featured in the Pride and Prejudice story beyond just Mr. Bingley and introduced some new ones too.

If I had to complain about one thing, it would be out of pure selfishness coming from my inner romantic – I wish there had been more in the plot to feature interactions with Jane from Mr. Bingley’s perspective. I am a sucker for split POVs and seeing what the male love interest thinks of their counterparts and I would have loved to see more of that here. We do get some behind the scenes thoughts but not very many direct interactions seen from Mr. Bingley’s eyes. However, this is almost made up for by hearing Mr. Darcy tell Bingley about Elizabeth. I would like to emphasize that this is nitpicky and understand that the point of this book wasn’t necessarily the romance – I still enjoyed the book immensely. 

Summary:

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a creative and unique twist to the familiar Pride and Prejudice world. I would recommend to anyone who is a P&P fan who wants a new take on a familiar character, and even those who are less familiar with P&P but love literature set in the 19th century that feature action, mystery, comradery, and a touch of romance. Happy reading!

Check out Mr. Bingley: Just As A Gentleman Ought To Be here!

 

Review: She Tames the Sea by E.M. Etheridge

~ likelystory18 ~ 1 Comment

Synopsis:

Men fear a woman on the sea. They say women bring about bad luck and anger from the gods who rule the waters. Estella Bohem fears being aboard Captain Eric Price’s ship, amongst the pirates who kidnapped her for her abilities. It was the Bohem family who used magic to tame the beast of the sea decades ago. They trapped it in an ancient spell to make the waters safe to travel, but it was the vagabonds of the sea who wanted to free it, tame it, and use it for their own ambitions. All her life Estella never had control of her future, but as the notoriously brutal Captain Edward Laggatt hunts her down for the key to the beast’s cage, she has no choice but to trust the same men who stole her away from her socialite life in Charleston South Carolina.

She Tames The Sea is an adult dark fantasy novel that delves into the complications of familial relations, magic and mythology.

Favorite Lines:

“Remember this, my love, a woman alone in this world is an easy target for foolish men. Society hates a woman who is strong enough to live outside of them and will burn them to the ground. Pirates and Politicians are all the same in that aspect. Humans crave power and will either kill witches like us or enslave us for it.”

“I don’t know of any spells that can give me the power of a man in the patriarchal shitstorm of a society I lived in.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story follows Estella Bohem, a secret witch stolen away from her life in South Carolina by pirates who need her help to release and tame a beast of the seas that her own ancestors had locked away many years ago. What follows is a tale full of magic that had me addicted until the very end.

My first impression of this book was it is Pirates of the Caribbean with witches – a combination that I didn’t know I needed until I was reading this book and found myself unable to put it down. Etheridge has a beautiful and unique storytelling voice that brings to life a creative story full of pirates, witches, magic, action, adventure, and femininity in a world that is run by men. I really want to emphasize that Etheridge’s unique storytelling voice that is used in this book really sets it apart from a lot of other modern books I have been seeing and reading from places like BookTok, and I mean that in the best way possible – it was a breath of fresh air that added to the appeal and mysticism of this story.

What I found most compelling about this story was the vivid imagery, elaborately crafted mythology, and strong character development. As a woman myself, I appreciated the theme of strong femininity that was present throughout the story. I also really enjoyed the plot twist at the end. No spoilers here, you’ll just have to read for yourself.

Summary:

Overall, I LOVED this book. A creative dark fantasy featuring witches, pirates, romance, action, adventure, and magic, I cannot recommend this book enough and am crossing my fingers that we will see more in this series in the future! Happy reading!

Check out She Tames the Sea here!