Historic / Paranormal Novel – Jo Clifford, a successful journalist, is all set to disprove hypnosis and past-life regression, until she submits to a simple hypnotic session and finds herself reliving the experiences of Matilda, Lady of Hay, the wife of a baron at the time of King John.
I do love a Barbara Erskine book. In my opinion, I think she is an under-rated writer with not enough exposure. Whilst this was a lengthy read, I still enjoyed the historical journey that Erskine takes her readers on.
I always say that books are timeless. Published over thirty years ago, Lady of Hay proves this. So there aren’t any mobile phones, this is the only exception that seemed to show this is an older book. Job roles, researching into the past and relationships seem to not have changed. I think this keeps the appeal of this book alive and I hope this review will encourage new readers to Erskine’s catalogue.
With the history theme comes the paranormal element as Jo finds herself transported back to the thirteenth century. Through hypnosis, Jo regresses to relive the life of Matilda, a strong and brave woman who is stuck in a typically loveless marriage. Through illicit love and fear of the King, Jo moves through Matilda’s life as if it were her own. Yet, things take a turn for the worse when there is a love triangle introduced. Split between feelings for Sam, ex-boyfriend Nick, and colleague Tim, Jo soon discovers that these men played a similar role in Matilda’s ancient life. As her regressions continue, Jo finds it increasingly difficult to separate Matilda’s past with her own present.
One thing that really struck me was how frequently the characters drink! They always seem to turn to the wine, whiskey, brandy… You name it! Maybe this reflects the age of the book, but I did find it quite interesting when coupled with progressive hypnosis. For all we know, the characters are just ridiculously drunk!
However, that funny image aside, I still found this a very interesting history lesson of 13th century Britain. Like many of her historical novels, it is clear that Erskine has carried out her research. And whilst this is a very long novel (over 700 pages) it did not feel dry and boring like many would fear. Undoubtedly the paranormal elements makes this a rather exciting read and I could not see how the story would conclude.
As you may have guessed, I am a true Erskine fan! I have grown up with her books and I’m delighted to always read a new story that I haven’t encountered before. This novel has been on my bookshelves for so many years, possibly decades, and I am really glad to have finally picked up this five-star read. With the past, ghosts and plenty of love, I am sure this should interest and delight many readers out there.
Book Bingo 2020 category completed: Published in the year you were born.
In Colombia you have to pick a side. Or one will be picked for you . . .
All Pedro Gutiérrez cares about is fishing, playing pool and his girlfriend Camila’s promise to sleep with him on his sixteenth birthday. But his life is ripped apart when Guerrilla soldiers callously execute his father in front of him, and he and his mother are banished from their farm.
Swearing vengeance against the five men responsible, Pedro, with his best friend, Palillo, joins an illegal Paramilitary group, where he is trained to fight, kill and crush any sign of weakness.
But as he descends into a world of unspeakable violence, Pedro must decide how far he is willing to go. Can he stop himself before he becomes just as ruthless as those he is hunting? Or will his dark obsession cost him all he loves?
Colombiano is a an epic novel of rural villages held to ransom, of jungle drug labs, cocaine supermarkets, witch doctors and buried millions, of innocent teenage love and meticulously-planned revenge.
Both blockbuster thriller and electrifying coming-of-age story, Rusty Young’s riveting novel is also a mediation on the redeeming power of love.
I am so proud of myself. This is the longest book I have read on my Kindle (800 pages) and I completely stepped out of my comfort zone. I really wasn’t sure that I would enjoy it and after the first five chapters, I was ready to throw in the towel. But, that isn’t how I roll and I persevered through the 165 chapters. It was undeniably long but at the same time, I could not help but be drawn in to Pedro’s story of revenge.
One thing is for certain, reading this story, you do forget how young Pedro is. He joins the Paramilitary at such a young age but seems to be older than his years. It is only his hot-hotheadedness and poor judgements that reminded me that Pedro is still a young boy who should not be experiencing the life he is living. It is tragic on all accounts: from witnessing his father’s murder to the steps he goes to ensure revenge on all those involved.
The supporting cast of characters add variety to the story although, I did sometimes find it confusing to keep track of each character’s identity. By far, my favourite was Palillo: he is young, fun and provides much needed humour. But, he is also the steady support that Pedro needs throughout his difficult, emotive journey. Palillo stands by Pedro right until the very end and with Young’s Epilogue, I really hoped it was an indication of a very happy future for the two.
Events that are portrayed in this account are a mixture of fact and novelisation. However, knowing that young children are being exposed to this lifestyle is both terrifying and horrific. Innocence is eradicated and it felt like a Hollywood film set, especially the disregard for violence and guns. The writer successfully captures this traumatic lifestyle and how few choices young people had: fight, or be fought with. The Author’s note at the end of the book indicates that Young is dedicating 10% of profits to helping young Colombian children who are exposed to violence and, after reading this novel, could not agree more to such a worthwhile cause.
Whilst I found my attention waning in places, this was still an interesting and exciting story. Having taken a leap of faith by reading this book, I think Pedro’s story will continue to haunt me for a while. Over the many pages, I grew to care for him and felt frustrated by his sometimes immature, impassioned decisions; other times, I completely supported his quest and wanted to see him find peace within himself.
This novel exposes a way of life that is known about, but the true extent of it is only fully revealed if you take the time to research it. Young has done this for his readers and created an epic story that shows a son’s love for his father can dominate a lifetime of choices.
With thanks to Havelock & Baker and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Aoife O’Reilly had the perfect life: her dream job working in a publishing house, a successful boyfriend, and the two best friends she could ever ask for. But, when tragedy strikes, she begins to feel like her life is unravelling. Seeking some sort of divine answer to what she should with her life she seemingly finds her answer in the charming village of Ballyclara, and in a bold move, Aoife uproots her cosy life in Dublin and moves to the Irish countryside.
Purchasing the long-abandoned Aldridge Manor, she throws herself into the task of renovating her new home with the help of local pub owners and contractors, Michael Flanagan and Brendan McCaffrey. While Aoife easily becomes friends with the other residents of Ballyclara, she finds herself perpetually at odds with Michael, who seems to have a deep dislike of her she cannot explain. But somewhere beneath his stubborn and irascible exterior, Aoife slowly uncovers a man she feels she may have misjudged at first, and who may have misjudged her. As the two try to find common ground, her old life begins to intrude, and she has to choose between her life in Dublin with her boyfriend, Danny, or the possibility of a new life here with Michael.
Just as Aoife finally finds peace with her choice, a career opportunity in New York presents itself and she is left with the question: will she choose to stay in Ireland? Or should she take the job in New York and leave everything behind?
A lovely story, I became quickly engrossed in this lengthy novel. Not sure what to expect, I rapidly warmed to all of the characters and found myself loving many and hating some of the cast.
This was an unexpected read but the blurb provides so much detail on the plot that I knew it would appeal. Aoife is a genuinely lovely person although her naivety towards boyfriend Danny and local pub owner did make me feel rather frustrated. The writer makes it clear quite early on that Danny and Aoife are not compatible and, whilst many of the characters around her realise this, Aoife totally ignores the signs. On the other hand, I enjoyed disliking Danny and was pleased to see that he eventually got what he deserved. In my head, Michael was the obvious “knight in shining armour” and I was desperate to see whether he and Aoife would ever make a connection. Michael is such a strong and supportive character that whilst his bad tempered nature was slightly terrifying, I know he would be a good neighbour to have around the corner!
This novel has many aspects to it, which I guess is to be expected, considering it is nearly 800 pages long. In some ways I felt it was like a drama/saga as it closely follows Aoife after the death of her beloved grandfather. Her relationship with the rest of the family is significantly strained, eventually strongly juxtaposing with the warmth and inviting company of the Flanagans. This adds to the romantic element as she tries to rediscover herself in the Irish countryside, renovating a beautiful, abandoned manor. As Aoife finally allows herself to focus on writing her novel, she barely realises that much of her story is biographical. I only wish that the writer had allowed us a little more of a glimpse into what Aoife has written.
This was a novel that was very easy to immerse yourself into. Written in such detail, Bowlen brings both the characters and countryside alive. It was effortless to imagine yourself a part of the Ballyclara community and although Aoife’s best friends, Millie and Bex, felt like over-used stereotypes, they did fit within the storyline perfectly. Sometimes I found that Aoife’s family took more of a backseat to the developing storyline than expected however, with a novel at this length, sometimes you have to make a cut somewhere.
I raced through this book and am so glad that I had the opportunity to read it. It is a satisfying plot and one that you can easily involve yourself with. A novel without too much serious “life” issues, I was desperate to see how it concluded. And the ending? Well, all I can say is: when is the next one coming out?! It was unexpected, unpredictable and I honestly thought there were more chapters coming. Bowlen provides an energetic end to this developing story and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Born in a burning castle in 1218, Princess Eleyne is brought up to support the Celtic cause against the English. She is taught to worship the old gods and to “scry” into the future and the past. Eleyne’s second sight, however, involves her in the destinies of England, Scotland and Wales.
Prepare yourself for a long haul when reading Child of the Phoenix. Just short of 1100 pages, you are probably going to be reading this for quite a while. But the reward is a rich, intriguing story that draws you in and leaves you sharing the protagonist’s love, loss and anguish.
The novel follows Eleyne throughout her lifetime, and it is a pretty eventful life at that. Fiery, rebellious and strong-willed, you can’t help but support Eleyne through all her campaigns – from a young girl against her parents to those helping defend Scotland. But the tragedy that follows her throughout her life is heart-breaking and I just desperately wanted her to have a chance for happiness in her life. Every time it seemed that things were going Eleyne’s way at last, fate comes along and destroys it with a vengeance! You definitely feel sorry for her and simply, just want to give her a big hug.
Erskine writes cracking historical novels and this is no exception. I have read many of her novels and they always deliver with the depth of plot and enigmatic characters. Based on fact, you get the sense of how much research was carried out to create such a developed storyline. But don’t let that put you off, whilst it is based on historical fact, it is not a dense read and it was easy to have the chapters slipping away as I became engrossed in the novel. It was only in the last 100 pages that I found the plot less gripping; I’m not sure if this was because I knew I was close to completion or that the plot, like Eleyne’s old age, had started to slow.
Whilst I wouldn’t necessarily start with Child of the Phoenix if you are new to Erskine’s writing, (despite giving this a 5 star rating, I think there are even better ones that Erskine has written), if historical novels with romance and tragedy are of interest, then you can’t afford to miss this one in your reading lifetime. True, the vast number of characters can be confusing, but there is a very helpful family tree at the beginning of the novel, so definitely use this as a reference guide. Don’t be put off by the length and topic, you won’t be disappointed.
‘The Avatar of Calderia: Awakenings’ – David M. Echeandia
The Avatar of Calderia Book One: Awakenings – David M. Echeandia
A Dark sorcerer is Awakened from eight hundred years of ensorcelled slumber, unleashing an ancient and terrible scourge upon the land as he uses his malevolent powers to enslave a continent and create an empire built on blood magic and death.
Across the Luminous Sea in Calderia, a crown prince grows to manhood, unaware that he carries within him a seed of divine power that must now be Awakened, if his people have any hope of surviving the evil sorcerer’s coming invasion of his homeland.
But to do so, the human prince must help forge an alliance with other warring nations, including his blood enemies, the Elves, and their warrior princess who wants him dead. Somehow, these sworn foes must join forces, gathering other companions as they undertake a perilous journey to find a hidden talisman, solve an age-old mystery, and save their world from oblivion.
“I was raised on the East Coast, enduring the freezing winters and loving New York pizza by the slice, the kind you fold in half and start eating with the hot melted cheese dripping down into your mouth. Now a psychologist, I live here in the California sun with my wife and daughter, and assorted pets. I don’t regret leaving the cold weather behind, but I do still miss the pizza.
I have been enamoured with science fiction/fantasy since I was (as my southern grandmother used to say) “knee-high to a grasshopper.” Thank the gods for ebooks, because I ran out of room to store my collection many moons ago. I enjoy reading, RPG’s, canning homegrown preserves, old time radio, more reading, and Scottish Highland Games (middle name is McMaster). I actually had a kilt of my clan tartan made, and I’ve been promising myself to learn how to play “Scotland the Brave” on the bagpipes. Perhaps one day…”
This book is what I would describe as a classic fantasy. It has very dense and lengthy descriptions and the plot felt very Lord of the rings-esque. And whilst the story did feature expected elements of a fantasy novel, such as magic, sorcerers and elves to name but a few, it was very sexually explicit in places and this made it quite uncomfortable to read.
I initially found this quite a complicated plot to get my head around. As it is so in-depth, there are a lot of characters and with the unusual names, I did find myself getting lost with where loyalties were directed. I think this did lessen my enjoyment of the story and wonder that on reflection it would have been helpful if author had included a character list at the end of the story. That being said, I enjoyed reading about the quest unravelling and was keen to see the chosen two begin their adventure to save the kingdom. We are given a lot of history about the characters and I felt this made them more interesting to read about. However, sometimes the histories that were recounted were a little long winded, but I guess that does fit in with author’s descriptive writing style.
I enjoyed reading about the prince and princess, particularly as they are forced to get to know one another. I think I can guess how their relationship will develop in the next story, but I liked the stubbornness that both showed towards each other. It will be interesting to read what role they play as they continue their quest and I hope the author throws in some surprises along the way. I was glad this book included the start of their journey together and found their initial discoveries enjoyable to read, clearly setting them up for the next stage of their journey.
My rating was really difficult to decide as I felt that in some places it was worthy of more than 3 stars, but at other times I found my mind drifting. Whilst the writing is very vivid, there were times when I felt sections could be condensed and the pace could have picked up more. I was also really surprised that author did not choose to close the story on the characters on the quest; readers have no idea about their progress and are instead left with a rather ominous finish. Effective maybe, but I did want to know what was happening to the prince and princess as a final update. I enjoyed the fantastical elements in this story but wished Echeandia had moved further away from Tolkien. Whilst it does work, I don’t think it was quite original enough and this is what gives this book a solid three out of five stars.
This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Give-away:
Author David M. Echeandia is giving away two $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Cards (winner’s choice) to two lucky winners! Enter with Rafflecopter. The giveaway runs 5/3/14 – 20/3/14 (Midnight Eastern Time).
Excerpt from the novel:
Killian moved forward to the edge of the clearing, then turned and looked at Ellianthia, holding out his hand. After some hesitation, she inhaled deeply and walked over to his side, raising her hand tentatively to press her palm to his. The Elfin princess looked up at him, his flame-red hair gleaming in the sun, his blue eyes clear and bright with excitement. What kind of power did this human possess, that he could so easily enter this sacred place, this Elfin sanctuary where even Mellisandria, an ancient Wise One, trod lightly? She gripped his hand more tightly, wondering what might happen if she let go.
They walked directly to the mound, hearing no sound save that of their own footsteps, the pounding of their hearts, and the rustle of the grass as they brushed against it in their passing. When they reached the mass of tangled vines and stood before the Stone, he felt humbled by its megalithic size and grandeur. The surface visible beneath the branches and the blossoms appeared smooth and flawless, with no sign of weathering, as if time had stood still for ages here in this place of power.
Killian did not know what he was meant to do next, but he felt drawn to walk around the Stone while it waited for him to unlock its mystery. Still leading Ellianthia by the hand, he had paced perhaps a quarter of the way around its base before he found that same palm-sized circle that he had seen in his vision, positioned partway up the side of the monolith. Knowing instinctively that this was what he had been seeking, he raised his hand toward the circle and looked at Mellisandria for final confirmation that he should proceed.
“It is your destiny,” she said, nodding once. With that, he stepped forward and placed his palm flat upon the circle.
At the instant of his touch, a brilliant flash of golden light erupted from the circle, encasing the Calderian prince and the Elfin princess. Then several gasps arose from the observers, Ellianthia’s loudest and nearest of all, for Killian’s eyes were two luminous orbs glowing with divine presence, as if the gods themselves had entered his body and now looked out through their Avatar upon the awestruck mortals gathered there. In that moment, any lingering doubts that he was indeed the chosen vessel of the deities vanished from the minds of all who had witnessed it.
Almost immediately thereafter came a deep rumbling that shook the ground and rattled the lofty branches of the trees around them. A strong gale sprang up, whipping hair and clothing about, and making them blink from the force blowing against their faces. The deep vibration seemed to be emanating from within the Stone itself as, before their wind-stung eyes, a vertical crack appeared in that flawless gray surface.
Soon, the crack became a narrow crevice running down from top to bottom, then widened steadily into a rift that grumbled and creaked with every inch of movement, cleaving the granite and snapping the vines that covered it. Then two stone doors, each some five feet in width, pivoted as if on hinges and swung outward, revealing a dark, mysterious opening into the monolith.
Killian glanced at Ellianthia, who was staring back at him with the same expression of shock written on the faces of the other Elves and humans waiting behind them on the edge of the clearing. Though the glow in his eyes had dimmed, he was undeniably the prophecy fulfilled, for all could see that the “One who will come to split the stone” stood before them. She tried to pull her hand away, but he shook his head slightly and pointed toward the opened doors, knowing that their presence was required there. Gathering his courage, he led her inside.
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