I, Jane by Diane Haeger
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 6:42 AM
The book written by Ms. Haeger provides a vivid account of Jane's early years. The story begins with Jane as a 9-year-old girl living at her family's estate, Wolf Hall. As the reader progresses, they learn about Jane's love for a local boy named William Dormer. Unfortunately, their love was not meant to be due to several obstacles, including a scheming servant, Will's ambitious mother, and eventually the King's love. I highly recommend this book, especially for those interested in Tudor history. It sheds light on a lesser-known queen and provides an interesting glimpse into her life. While not everything written may be agreed upon, the story is enjoyable and transports one back in time to the court of Henry VIII. It's fascinating to read about how one plain girl became Queen Jane of England.
It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 4:11 PM
I found “It’s in His Kiss” to be delightful! What made this novel different from the others in the Bridgerton series is that it incorporated elements of mystery and humor in addition to romance. Gareth St. Clair is in a bind and is hoping that whatever is hidden within the pages of an old family diary will free him of his father’s debts. Unfortunately, the diary is written in Italian. Cue Hyacinth Bridgerton. The ton views Hyacinth as incredibly smart and outspoken. It is for this reason that Gareth simply believes she is not his type. Hyacinth believes Gareth to be a devilish rake and is determined to stay away from him. However, the two eventually find themselves working side by side to translate Gareth’s family diary. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that maybe they were made for each other. These enemies-to-lovers novels held my attention the whole way through! It was incredibly fun to read excerpts of the diary as Hyacinth translated them. They revealed secrets about Gareth’s family and possible jewels that could free Gareth of debt. I found myself trying to solve many of the riddles on my own, to no avail. This book also made me laugh out loud! Gareth is related to Lady Danbury, so I got to see more of her character and witness her humorous side. Hyacinth and Gareth’s banter was also very amusing. I loved how they really could not stay away from each other, no matter how hard they tried to poke fun and tease each other. Their whirlwind romance was full of passion and incredibly addicting!
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 8:52 AM
“I should rather have you than a heap of gold, even if it were very comfortable to sleep on.”
What if Dragons were around during the Napoleonic Wars? What if they were used to fighting? This is the premise of this book and boy does it stand up to the challenge. I loved it. Pure fantasy, pure entertainment, not to be missed.Capt Will Laurence and his crew board a French ship at sea. Aboard the ship, they find a dragon egg. The egg is about to hatch. The French ship has been delayed by disease and weather and the shell of the egg is hard. When they discover what they have, Will has the men draw lots to see if they can halter the dragon. The English dragon force is severely limited, and this dragon is more than needed in the English ranks. At the hatching, the dragon doesn’t seem to like anyone, especially the chosen one. However, he approaches Will and asks him a question. Yes, dragons are born sentient and with full abilities to speak. Will answers the question and then the dragon asks what is his name? Will tells him his name is Temeraire. Thus begins the stunning adventures of Will and his dragon Temeraire. Will must resign his commission and follow Temeraire to his assignment with the English flying forces. But Temeraire is a very unusual dragon, and he gets more unusual as time goes by. It seems he is a Chinese dragon, a Chinese Imperial. Not bred to be a fighting dragon at all, however, his intelligence can help both he and Will face the war.
Month of July: Best of Quotes
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 7:21 AM
“Why does it always happen that just when I begin to feel life simply couldn't get any better, fate drops a disaster into my path to prove me right?”
This is the third of a rare find: a well-researched, well-written, historical romantic mystery series. Pre-ordered it, got it this morning, and just finished. One of the most pleasant days I’ve had since the pandemic started. Lady Frances Harleigh comes into her own in this one and she and George Hazelton face down not just a murderer but her dragon of a mother all while working to get her sister Lily married to true love Leo. There’s a lot to like in this series, but I think what I like best is that Frances never does anything really stupid that causes me to roll my eyes and say, “Lady, you could get killed doing that!” She always acts within the confines of what a confident, mature widow of her time might do. I can’t say any more about the plot without giving too much away. Suffice it to say, there’s a lot of action—beginning on page 2; lots of subplots that are very well handled, and lots of twists and turns. Very clever and well-thought-out as well as well-written.
Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 3:00 PM
“Miss Grantham's sense of humour got the better of her at this point, and, tottering towards a chair, she sank into it, exclaiming in tragic accents:'Oh Heavens! I am betrayed!' His lordship blenched; both he and Miss Laxton regarded her with guilty dismay. Miss Grantham buried her face in her handkerchief, and uttered one shattering word: 'Wretch!”
Set in the late 1700s, Heyer’s novel about the beautiful Deborah Grantham and her verbal sparring with the wealthy Max Ravenscar is a real delight to read. Deborah helps run her aunt’s gaming house in London and the young nephew of Max falls in love with her. Max hopes to extricate him from “the toils of a harpy” but his grudging admiration of her and Deborah’s growing feelings for the seemingly hard-hearted Max drives this story. A kidnapping, a runaway, an elopement, and a curricle race with a fortune at stake are all part of the tale of the intelligent Deborah, who is described as tall and “queenly”, and Max who is rich and handsome but hard-hearted. How their prejudice changes to love is a delight to read. One of the charms of reading Georgette Heyer’s books is the fact that her heroes and heroines are all different. There is not always a handsome and pleasant hero, and the heroines come from all walks of life, some of them shy and retiring, others intelligent, or naïve and even silly. But even with the inevitability of the “hero getting the heroine”, Heyer makes us love them in all their infinite variety. A case in point is “Faro’s Daughter”: we can imagine Max and Deborah’s lives together: probably not easy, a lot of arguments, but a grand and fiery passion that would be a love story to the very end.
The Empty Throne by Bernard Cornwell
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 11:36 AM
“We live in a world where the strongest win, and the strongest must expect to be disliked.”
At the end of “The Pagan Lord,” both Uhtred and his hated cousin Æthelred, the Lord of Merica, suffered terrible wounds at the battle of Teotanheale. Uhtred was stabbed in the side by Cnut Ranulfson, with his legendary sword Ice-Spite, and it’s unclear by the end of “The Pagan Lord” if Uhtred will survive. Of course, we learn in this novel he lived, though he remains weak and wounded and spends much of the novel with one foot inside death’s door. That said, however, he ends up doing far better than Æthelred. It turns out that Æthelred is dying without a male heir, so the nobles have summoned a Witan to decide Mercia’s future. Æthelred leaves behind only his teenage daughter and his estranged wife, Lady Æthelflaed, one of the heroines of the last several novels and Uhtred’s former lover. Uhtred wants Æthelflaed on the throne, but the thought of a woman ruling Merica does not sit well with many of the nobles, especially the Ealdorman Æthelhelm of Wessex.Æthelhelm is not only King Edward’s father-in-law and the second richest man in Wessex, but he also has designs on controlling Mercia’s throne. His pawn in the game is Eardulf, the slick and mischievous commander of Æthelred’s household guards, but Eardulf isn’t noble, and the only way he can claim the throne is to marry a woman of royal blood. Uhtred is prepared to ensure that never happens, and his attempts to prevent the marriage propels the novel into a thrilling adventure, with plenty of intrigue and battles of the kind that Cornwell so masterfully writes. This novel is a bit unique among the series because Uhtred is too injured to fight, forcing one of the great warriors in fiction to rely even more on his mind than his battle prowess. But it also forces him to rely more on others, which makes “The Empty Throne” a family affair, Uhtred style. In the last book, we got to know Uhtred’s son Uhtred, who has grown into a warrior like his father. And in this book, we’re introduced to his resourceful daughter Stiorra, a spitting image of Uhtred’s late wife Gisela, who has inherited some of her mother’s gift for prophecy. Stiorra is quietly pagan, genially natured, and fierce when crossed, which quickly made her one of my favorite characters in the series. In addition to its Game of Thrones intrigue, the novel offers plenty more, including a new and unexpected love interest for Uhtred, a new and dangerous Viking threat, and even a quest to find Ice-Spite after a priest tells Uhtred that if he finds the sword, the wounds it caused will finally be healed.
“Loyaute me lie - Loyalty Binds Me”
Anne Neville is not well known. She is most famous for being the wronged wife of Richard III. At the time of her death, many whispered that she’d been poisoned by her husband to make way for his marriage to his niece Elizabeth of York. That marriage never happened, because Richard was obliged to deny before parliament that he’d had a relationship with Elizabeth. Shortly thereafter, on August 22, Richard was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Anne is also known as the daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick “Warwick the Kingmaker” for his making and unmaking of England’s kings during the Wars of the Roses. And lastly, she is known for being the wife of Edward, Prince of Wales, the son and heir of Henry VI and Marguerite d’Anjou. They married in 1470 when Anne was only 14. Edward was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, leaving Anne a widow at the age of 15.
So it was a pleasure to read Philippa Gregory’s account of her, in which Anne is the protagonist. In Ms. Gregory’s account, Anne emerges as an endearing and intelligent heroine, caught up in the snares of her father’s politics as he swings from one side to another. Originally promised to Richard of Gloucester, a younger brother of the Yorkist King Edward IV, Anne is married off to Edward, Prince of Wales of the House of Lancaster. When Edward regains his throne and the House of Lancaster is crushed, Anne chooses to marry Richard of Gloucester as her second husband. Thus, her marriage to the man who later becomes King Richard III starts as a love match. Ms. Gregory keeps very close to her characters in her stories, and I think this is what makes them so popular. In this novel, you feel as if you are actually with Anne as the events of her life unfold. The author has also done a superlative job with Anne’s voice. Anne is not a charismatic person like Elizabeth Woodville or Jacquetta de St. Pol. Her voice does not have the bite of Margaret Beaufort. Nevertheless, her quiet determination shines in this novel.
Month of June: Best of Quotes
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 2:41 AM
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The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 2:29 PM
“Thomas More once told me: lion or king, never show fear or you are a dead man.”
I love historical fiction. It is simply one of my favorite genres. This book is a wonderful example of historical fiction, as it provides an intriguing perspective of the reign of King Henry VIII of England from one who would have known it well: Margaret Pole, the Countess of Salisbury. A daughter of the house of York, as she was the daughter of George, the Duke of Clarence, who was tried and executed for treason by his brother, King Edward IV. Margaret was no stranger to court intrigues and plots. So, it is through her eyes that the reader sees the reign of Henry VIII unfold. The reader should not lose sight of the fact that this is historical fiction. The story is built around the construct of actual history, but is fictional nonetheless, as very little is known about women other than the basics, births, marriages, deaths, or gleanings from correspondence that may have survived. The author capably takes this figure from the annals of history and brings her to life, creating a believable, three-dimensional character that is immersed in her 16th-century life, one that is fraught with peril for her and her family by her ancestry. We see the significant events of the time from Margaret Pole’s point of view, as she lives through them. It is from her perspective that these events are interpreted. I am very partial to Tudor's History, and I found this book gripping, especially as there has been so little written about her. The author creates a very believable construct based on known historical facts and develops the story of Margaret Pole based on what is known about her and her family, creating a fascinating portrait of a woman of royal blood living on the edge. I could not stop turning the pages! Those who enjoy well-written historical fiction will love this book.
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 2:11 PM
“There are no ambitions noble enough to justify breaking someone's heart. ”
A unique novel that digs deep into the soil of reality, it focuses on forbidden love that every intelligent person knows happens often in real life. The story builds on the star-crossed lives of a humble family trying hard to make a living in the Australian outback, and Father Ralph, the exquisitely handsome and worldly Catholic priest to whom the family has entrusted their faith and prayers. A young daughter, Meagan, is enthralled by the priest to whom her love and admiration never dull as she, and Father Ralph, grow older in the hardscrabble outback. The book paints a breathtakingly beautiful portrait of hard living in a hard, untamed, but wonderful land. Through the years, Meagan and Ralph must always remain separate. She becomes a beautiful and successful rancher, and he is a rising star in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, all the while trying to hide their mutual attraction for each other. Ralph struggles with his priestly vows to the church, and Meagan fights her demons of lust in her desire to hold Ralph between her hungry thighs, knowing that if she ever could seduce him, he would make his vows to her, not to the greedy church who steals this magnificent specimen of adulthood from her. The Thorn Birds are hard to put down. The gripping and heart-rending will keep readers spellbound, and a little mystified, but never unsatisfied. One of the best novels of our time, The Thorn Birds, is destined to remain a classic. It’s a tale of romance that is gripping and gritty, but also soft and sweet. A must-read for anyone who has ever had an ounce of romantic fantasy in their heart.
“No matter how well you plan. Disasters are a fact of life. Just accept it. Yes, you can and should plan carefully, but you are dealing with humans and they all have their own lives, plans, and needs. There’s no telling what can happen when you gather a group of them together. The important thing to remember is when disaster strikes you must face it with aplomb.”
A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder by Dianne Freeman The Second Countess of Harleigh Mystery. While most of the aristocracy has left for their country estates, Frances, the Countess of Harleigh, is content to stay in London. Her home is bustling as Aunt Hetty is helping her brother-in-law make sense of his investments, Lily is preparing for her wedding, and sweet, but socially awkward and clumsy, Lottie visits from America. Frances herself has been occupied with a bit of matchmaking. When Frances introduced her cousin Charles to Mary Archer, she thought the two would make a good match. Surprised when Charles told her they didn’t suit, she was stunned to learn that Mary was murdered! Even more alarming are notes with all manner of gossip found hidden in Mary’s house. With a keen investigative mind, Frances joins her friend and neighbor George Hazelton in sorting through the gossip, and proving her cousin innocent of murder! The second Countess of Harleigh Mystery is a fantastic addition to the series. I loved every minute of it, from the multilayered characters to the well-plotted mystery. This historical mystery has a modern sensibility. It engages readers with contemporary themes and ideas while remaining true to its time period with wonderful Victorian detail. The independent nature of the women here is admirable, especially as seen in the Victorian era. Even those women living the traditional “suitable” roles have minds of their own. There are no simpering misses or mistresses here! While I quite liked Lily in the first book in the series, I was a bit taken aback by her behavior here. I fear Lily is on her way to becoming a Victorian Bridezilla! While I value Frances’s independent nature and understand her need to be on her own, I love how the relationship between Frances and George is developing. I admit the last lines of the novel had me grinning. A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder is a delightful novel filled with charming characters and a perplexing mystery.
