The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab

September 9, 2024

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab

After the battle for control of the four Londons and Kell's loss of his powers, Kell and Delilah have roamed the world in her ship, returning regularly to visit Red London where Kell's brother Rhy is now king. The city is thriving with peace, prosperity and magic. But not everyone is happy with that, and a group calling themselves The Hand are working to sabotage the peace of the kingdom. Meanwhile, in White London, magic is dying out and the new queen is desperate to restore magic to her kingdom.

A return to the world of Schwab's beloved Shades of Magic trilogy, with a new story line featuring many of the beloved and despised characters from that series. The White London sections are less interesting than the Red London plot line, but I am assuming the author is setting up another book focused on White London. The audiobook is narrated by four different narrators which helps to differentiate the various threads and POV's. It would be helpful to read at least the first book in the trilogy before tackling this one to get an idea about the characters. Recommended for readers of high fantasy.

The Windsor Conspiracy by Georgie Blalock

September 7, 2024

The Windsor Conspiracy by Georgie Blalock

King Edward VIII abdicated his throne in order to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee and the love of his life. But their plans backfired: they expected the Prime Minister and Parliament to change the law so that Edward could marry Wallis and still remain king. But the government accepted his abdication and proclaimed his younger brother King George VI. Edward and Wallis never forgave the government or the royal family for allowing the abdication and exiling them from Britain. Worse yet, they fell in with anyone who flattered them, no matter how evil they were (think Hitler, Mussolini, etc.).

An honest portrait of the Windsors, historically accurate; the author has very little sympathy for them and rightly so. While the Duke was spoiled, lazy, and dim, Wallis and her friends were passing information about British war plans to the Nazis, believing that if the Nazis conquered Britain, they would restore the Duke to the throne he had tossed aside. All their lives, the Windsors were two people who gravitated toward the wrong types of people, as long as they flattered the Windsors and paid their bills. If you are interested in reading another book about the Windsors, try Beatriz Williams' The Golden Hour, about the Windsors time in the Bahamas during WW II. 

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in their later years

Daughters of Olympus by Hannah Lynn

September 4, 2024

Daughters of Olympus by Hannah Lynn

Demeter, goddess of the harvest was one of the 12 Olympians, a daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. After her brother Zeus raped her, she gave birth to Core, later known as Persephone. After the death of her human lover and the loss of her other children, Demeter lived for her daughter until Core was stolen by Hades, god of the underworld.

A retelling of the myth of Persephone and Demeter. The first part is from Demeter's POV, and the second part is from Persephone's POV. Slow moving narrative with a lot of description of the settings. Will appeal to readers who enjoy reinterpretations of myths and fairy tales, such as Madeleine Miller's Circe.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Persephone with her mother Demeter

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

August 26, 2024

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

On a summer night in 1994, two 10 year old boys camp out in a tent in one of their backyards, as they did every Friday night. One of the boys disappears in the night, never to be seen again. Thirty years later, the surviving boy, now a 40 year old man, reluctantly returns to his childhood home. Almost immediately, strange things begin happening that indicate that someone knows what happened to the missing boy.

The premise was interesting, which is why I picked up this book: people who grew up on the same cul-de-sac reuniting as adults to solve the mystery of what happened to one of their friends. But the text got repetitious quickly: the reader is reminded every other page that Billy was taken in the middle of the night, that he was obsessed with ghosts, there are repeated descriptions of Ethan's dream, the lights coming on and off in the neighborhood, descriptions of the ominous mansion just a mile from where they lived. Lots of family secrets, but I didn't really care because the characters were flat and two-dimensional, and it took forever to reveal the secrets. Not terrible but not great, either. I started skimming about halfway through. Fans of Freida McFadden will enjoy Sager's latest novel. I think I'm done with both of them.

The Nightingale's Castle by Sonia Velton

August 24, 2024

The Nightingale's Castle by Sonia Velton

A young girl named Boroka is sent to work at the castle of Countess Erzsebet Bathory, one of the wealthiest and most influential women in Hungary. The countess employs dozens of women and girls as seamstresses, laundresses, and kitchen help, as well as running a school for the education of daughters of the gentility. But before long, Boroka begins to notice that an unusually large number of girls are falling ill of a mysterious illness.

Known as the Blood Countess, Erzsebet Bathory is believed to have lured young women to her castle to murder them in order to bathe in their blood. But she may have received a bad rap, since the accusations against her may have been an attempt to bring down her politically powerful family and destroy their influence. Legends about her evil deeds were recorded long after her death through oral tradition passed down by locals. Vlad the Impaler was accused of some of the same misdeeds as the countess. A well-researched novel about a lesser known historical figure.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Erzsebeth Bathory, the Blood Countess - this is the portrait that is featured in the story

Kings of Coweetsee by Dale Neal

August 20, 2024

Kings of Coweetsee by Dale Neal

Former schoolteacher and recent widow Birdie Barker Price is the docent of the rarely visited Coweetsee County Historical Society. One day, Birdie arrives home from work to find a ballot box from the contested 1982 sheriff's election on her front porch. Not only is the box on her front porch, it is full of uncounted ballots. When Birdie opens the box, she releases a flood of corruption, crime, and passion, all hidden under the guise of a quiet country town.

Dark times in small town America, with all the small-mindedness that expression conjures. The themes remind me of John Hart or Greg Iles: corruption, politics, revenge, old crimes, crimes against women, prejudice. While this was all right, you should read John Hart's Down River if you haven't already - he is a far superior writer. I'm not a big fan of politics, so this one didn't tick the boxes for me. The title comes from the idea that each town or county is a sovereign kingdom with individual rulers, that is encouraged by the isolation of small towns in Appalachia. 

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Appalachia

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu

August 15, 2024

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu

A year in the lives of the teachers and staff at a large urban high school, beginning with the sudden death of a substitute teacher in the faculty lounge (conveniently between classes, so that the office staff has time to find someone to fill in for him).

Character driven storyline rather than plot driven, with each chapter devoted to a different character and how they became the people they are. Endearing characters from the young janitor to the curmudgeonly veteran math teacher, who all want the best for their students and co-workers as they fight against a school system more concerned with test scores than education. Even if you're not in education, you'll appreciate the camaraderie and sarcasm. Recommended for readers of contemporary fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Traditional no-frills teacher's lounge