- ADULT, ARCS, BOOK REVIEWS, CULTURAL, FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, NETGALLEY, WOMEN'S FICTION
BOOK REVIEW : THE EXILES BY CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline is a well-researched historical fiction set in 19th century Australia. The book tells us the story of three women, Evangeline, Hazel, and Mathinna. Evangeline and Hazel are the two English convicts who get sentenced to Van Diemen’s Land. The Prisoners from Newgate Prison got often transported to the Island, where they had to complete the rest of their sentences. Mathinna is the Aboriginal orphan who gets uprooted from her life to live with the governor and his wife. The book is vividly descriptive and meticulously researched, giving the readers a distinct impression of the hardships and oppression faced each of these women during their…
BOOK REVIEW : THE MISSING PIECE BY CATHERINE MILLER
The Missing Piece by Catherine Miller is a contemporary fiction is an endearing and heart-warming story of two unique people who meet under an unusual circumstance. Keisha is a Ph.D. research student studying Broken Heart Syndrome. During a research project, she meets the seventy-nine-year-old Clive, who manages to burrow under her tough exterior and make a lasting impression. Clive's story fascinates Keisha, and she decides to help him through a difficult time. Clive's past is one big mystery, and as they both help each other out, the past unravels, bringing forward second chances, new-loves, and opportunities to live one's life to the fullest. Clive and Keisha were fascinating characters. I…
BOOK REVIEW : THE GIRL OF HAWTHORN AND GLASS (THE GIRL OF HAWTHORN AND GLASS #1) BY ADAN JERREAT – POOLE
The Girl Of Hawthorn And Glass is the debut book from the author Adan Jerreat Poole. This YA fantasy is the first book I completed in October. It was the cover that drew me in, and the synopsis also sounded promising to me. The story is of a young girl Eli who is the daughter of one of the witches. Eli is a trained ghost hunter and comes to earth to hunt the ghosts living among humans. She has lived her whole life with a tyrant witch-mother with the fear of being unmade into her original parts. On of the ghost hunting missions, things go wrong, making her question all…
BOOK REVIEW : A SINGLE SWALLOW BY LING ZHANG, TRANSLATED BY SHELLY BRYANT
A Single Swallow is the story of a young woman Ah Yan. Ah Yan's life story, her journey from a naive young girl to a courageous young woman, is told from the perspectives of the three men in her life. After Japan's surrender, bringing an end to World War 2. The three men, after a day of joyous celebrations, take a vow to meet every year at the village. It was where they have lived, fought a war, and survived challenging times. Now seventy years later, they get to fulfill their promise. The American missionary Pastor Billy, the gunner’s mate Ian Ferguson, and a local soldier Liu Zhaohu come together…
BOOK REVIEW : THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES BY ALEX E. HARROW
The Once And Future Witches is my first book by Alex E. Harrow. I haven't read her debut novel, Ten Thousand Doors Of January. But I have seen a lot of raving reviews for it and, I knew I needed to check out her feministic story of justice and women's rights movements with witching to aid the cause. It is a story told from the perspective of the three Eastwood sisters, and we get to know them intimately through the novel as it unfolds. The three estranged sisters come together in New Salem at a suffragist's march, pulled by ancient witching. They want to make the fight for women's rights…
BOOK REVIEW : THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF H BY SARAH BURTON
The Strange Adventures Of H is a fascinating memoir-style coming-of-age story of a young girl by the name H. This story is set during the Great Plague of London. It also covers The Great Fire of London and The Shrove Tuesday Riots that happened in London. H tells the readers her life story by taking us through a series of unfortunate events that drive her to make difficult decisions and having to fend for herself in the 17th century London that wasn't kind to young women who didn't have a man's protection. This is such an honest and raw account of her life experiences that make her the person she…
BOOK REVIEW : MYTHOPEDIA – AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MYTHICAL BEASTS AND THEIR MAGICAL TALES BY GOOD WIVES AND WARRIORS
Mythopedia is a brilliantly illustrated encyclopedia of mythical beasts and fantastical creatures from around the world. The beautiful cover pulled me in from the moment I laid my eyes on it. The book is well researched and filled with enlightening information regarding various beasts and creatures often heard in lores. It was an absolute delight to read this book and a visual feast as well. I was awed by the vivid details added to the beautiful art in this book. The bright colors, the imagery this book presents is breathtaking!!
BOOK REVIEW : ETERNAL DARKNESS REVELATIONS (ETERNAL DARKNESS #3) BY J.F.JOHNS
Eternal Darkness Revelation is the epic conclusion to the Eternal Darkness Series. I binge-read the whole series back-to-back, and now, I don't know what to do with myself. I am furious, frustrated, and hopeful in a good way. Trust me, you will be too after reading this book. I loved that it concluded in a realistic manner rather than our favorite group riding into the sunsets living their happily ever after. This book was an emotional rollercoaster and kept me on the edge of my seats the whole time. I finished an entire pack of 1 kg Egyptian seeds during the binge-read of this series. That alone should tell you…
BOOK REVIEW : ETERNAL DARKNESS OBLIVION (ETERNAL DARKNESS #2) BY J.F.JOHNS
Oblivion is the second book in the Eternal Darkness Series. Scarlet Lock is missing. She wakes up in chains at a different location. She is in the custody of Lucian White, the leader of Revolutionaries. Scarlet's memory hasn't completely returned and she struggles to figure out her history with Lucian. Even though Lucian tells her he is on her side, she doesn't trust him. She is then sent on a mission to find the rest of the X-prototypes to fight against the government. Meanwhile, Eric and Sam are worried and have been trying their best to find Scarlet with no success. Andrew ends up getting into trouble and needs Eric's…
PRISM BOOK TOURS – BOOK REVIEW : ESME’S WISH (ESME SERIES #1) BY ELIZABETH FOSTER
Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster is the first book in the Esme Series. This is a vividly original and imaginative story of Esme. Esme is a teenager who goes on to find out the reason behind her mother's disappearance. On this journey, she gets transported into the magical world of Aeolia where she discovers new things that make her question everything she had known about her mother's life. As she gets pulled into the enchanted world she finds new friends she could rely on and new things that cause her to wonder if she knew her mother well. Esme goes onto retrace her mother's steps leading her to the discovery…
