The Painted Girls ~ Cathy Marie Buchanan

The Painted Girls ~ Cathy Marie Buchanan

Publisher: Riverhead Books/Penguin USA
Pages: 357
Year: 2013
Rating: ««« ½ 

Book Blurb:

A gripping novel set in Belle Époque Paris and inspired by the real-life model for Degas’s Little Dancer Aged Fourteen and a notorious criminal trial of the era.

Paris. 1878. Following their father’s sudden death, the van Goethem sisters find their lives upended. Without his wages, and with the small amount their laundress mother earns disappearing into the absinthe bottle, eviction from their lodgings seems imminent. With few options for work, Marie is dispatched to the Paris Opéra, where for a scant seventy francs a month, she will be trained to enter the famous ballet. Her older sister, Antoinette, finds work—and the love of a dangerous young man—as an extra in a stage adaptation of Émile Zola’s naturalist masterpiece L’Assommoir.

Marie throws herself into dance and is soon modelling in the studio of Edgar Degas, where her image will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. Antoinette, meanwhile, descends lower and lower in society, and must make the choice between a life of honest labor and the more profitable avenues open to a young woman of the Parisian demimonde—that is, unless her love affair derails her completely.

Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural, and societal change, The Painted Girls is a tale of two remarkable sisters rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of “civilized society.”

My thoughts:

This is a gritty story of survival in the gutter of the Belle Époque in Paris. It was written in such a way that it felt as if I was transported back into the late 19th century Paris, back to a time of despair, poverty, where the poor would do anything to support themselves and their family. The tone of the book is dark, the dark side of Pairs, of ballet, of art. It was full of rich details, from the life of a petit rat, to that of a washerwoman, to that of lady of the night. The story is filled with both sisterly love and rivalry. I thought that Buchanan did a fantastic job building and developing the complicated relationship between the sisters.

Normally I am not a huge fan of the constant POV changes ... I find them to be extremely irritating and sometime downright confusing, pointless and even detrimental to the story. This however, was not the case with this novel. I actually enjoyed the dual POV approach for the majority of the novel. I think that Buchanan was able to successfully make each girl her own character and to have her own story while still intertwining throughout the story. It wasn't until the end of the book that the dual POV really started to bother me - when each girl was only given 1/2 a page at most before switching to the other.

It was a little slow paced for a while, it did not always hold my attention. I found that I was disappointed with the last quarter of the book - I really didn't like how the characters developed. I was a fan of Marie throughout the book until she started to fall apart, then I became annoyed with her. Immensely annoyed.

Overall, I would say that it was a decent read, however I feel that it could have been so much better.

The Harem Midwife ~ Roberta Rich

The Harem Midwife ~ Roberta Rich

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Pages: 320
Year: 2013
Rating: ««««

Book Blurb:

Hannah and Isaac return in this opulent, riveting, and suspenseful tale--a continuation of the hugely successful Midwife of Venice. 

      The Imperial Harem, Constantinople, 1579 
Hannah and Isaac Levi, Venetians in exile, have set up a new life for themselves in Constantinople. Isaac runs a newly established business in the growing silk trade, while Hannah, the best midwife in all of Constantinople, plies her trade within the opulent palace of Sultan Murat III, tending to the thousand women of his lively and infamous harem. But one night, when Hannah is unexpectedly summoned to the palace, she's confronted with Zofia, a poor Jewish peasant girl who has been abducted and sold into the sultan's harem. The sultan favours her as his next conquest and wants her to produce his heir, but the girl just wants to return to her home and the only life she has ever known. What will Hannah do? Will she risk her life and livelihood to protect this young girl, or will she retain her high esteem in the eye of the sultan?
    
An adventurous, opulent and deliciously exciting read, peopled with fascinating, unforgettable characters (a court eunuch; the calculating sultan's mother-in-law; the beguiling harem ladies; and a very mysterious young beauty from Venice who shows up on Hannah's doorstep causing much havoc), this novel is sure to please fans of The Midwife of Venice and extend Roberta's reputation as one of Canada's most loved historical fiction authors.

My thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed The Midwife of Venice – and I have to say that the sequel did not disappoint. A lot of “series” out there now a days, you really don’t always have to read book 1 before book 2 – not the case here. This is a true sequel, you need to have read The Midwife of Venice before picking up this novel. The Harem Midwife continues the story of Hannah Levi, a Jewish midwife, who now makes her life in Constantinople with her husband Isaac and her son Matteo.

Like in The Midwife of Venice Hannah is forced to make a difficult choice: use her skills to help another woman in need or protect her family. Only this time, there is another problem to deal with that threatens Hannah’s family.

Again, I am impressed with Ms. Rich’s writing. It is beautifully written and very well researched. The characters are all well developed and have a life-like quality to them. The scenery is vivid and fascinating. The descriptions are wonderful – you can see things, you can smell things, you can feel things!!! Love it! I absolutely loved the description of the palace and the harem rooms. Ms. Rich is able to describe the grandeur and opulence of life in the harem of Constantinople. From the lavish bathing rooms, the menagerie, the gardens, the marketplace and the streets of Constantinople – the details given make it feel as if you are there and you see what the characters are seeing.

The only problem I had with this story was the ending. It was just too simple, too neat. Other than that, I loved the book.

The Inquisitor’s Wife ~ Jeanne Kalogridis

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Pages: 400

Year: 2012

Rating: ««½

Book Blurb:

In 1480 Seville, Marisol, a fearful young conversa (descendant of Spanish Jews forced to convert to Christianity), is ashamed of her Jewish blood. Forced into a sham marriage with a prosecutor for the new Inquisition, Marisol soon discovers that her childhood sweetheart, Antonio, has just returned to Seville and is also working for the inquisitors. When Marisol’s father is arrested and tortured during Spain’s first auto da fe, Marisol comes to value her Jewish heritage and vows to fight the Inquisition. When she discovers that her beloved Antonio is working to smuggle conversos safely out of Spain, she joins him and risks her life on behalf of her people; a passionate romance follows.

Unfortunately, Marisol does not realize that her supposedly kind and gentle inquisitor-husband has been using her all along to lead Antonio and her fellow conversos to their doom.

My thoughts:

I have to say that I was disappointed with this novel. I am normally a huge fan of Ms. Kalogridis’ work, but I definitely think that there was so much wasted potential. There were times where I found myself dozing off during the novel – it was so slow moving. There were also times where I found myself skipping sections because the story wasn’t holding my attention, and then I would have to go back and re-read the same section again. That being said, there were also parts where I felt that a more in-depth explanations and where dialogues felt unfinished.  I was hoping for so much more.

Characters were also a problem for me. I really did not like Marisol a whole lot – I found that I was not able to connect with her. I felt that she was a very one-dimensional character and quite frankly, she really didn’t have a winning personality. The other character who I had an issue with was Marisol’s husband Gabriel. The book description describes him as being “kind and gentle”, meanwhile in the book he is anything but that. Honestly, pretty much all the characters were under developed and flat.  

All of my negativity aside … there were some pretty good parts. The settings were beautifully described. There was also clearly a lot of research that went into the writing of this novel. There is a lot of interesting and informative information woven throughout the story.

The French Mistress ~ Susan Holloway Scott

Publisher: NAL Trade

Pages: 377

Year: 2009

Rating: «««

Book Blurb:

The daughter of a poor nobleman, Louise leaves the French countryside for the court of King Louis XIV, where she must not only please the tastes of the jaded king, but serve as a spy for France. With few friends, many rivals, and ever-shifting loyalties, Louise learns the perils of her new role. Yet she is too ambitious to be a pawn in the intrigues of others. With the promise of riches, power, and even the love of a king, Louise creates her own destiny in a dance of intrigue between two monarchs-and two countries.

Louise de Keroualle is the daughter of an impoverished French nobleman, who leaves her families country chateau to serve in the house of Madame D’Orleans, who also happens to be the beloved sister of King Charles II of England. She also happens to be the wife of the sadistic, cruel brother of King Louis XIV of France. Louise is depicted as a virtuous young lady, a rare commodity in Louis XIV’s court, who is dedicated to not only protecting her virtue but also protecting her mistress, Henriette from her evil husband.  Louise and Henriette form a close bond – a bond that resulted in a trip to the English court for Louise with Henriette to visit her brother the King. Upon their return to France, Henriette dies suddenly and mysteriously. Louise is ultimately sent back to the English court by Louis himself where she becomes maîtresse en titre to the King.

My thoughts:

This was not only my first novel written by Susan Holloway Scott, but it was also my first novel revolving around the life of Charles II of England. I had no idea that this in fact is a part of a series about Charles II’s mistresses.

I found the story to be well written and definitely an interesting read. I really enjoyed the first part of the book, Louise’s life at the French court and hers and Henriette’s trip to the English court, however after that … it started to die.

There were a few problems that I had with this book, and both occur once Louise returned to England after Henriette’s death.  First, it dragged . . . it took forever for Louise to finally succumb to King Charles II’s wills to become his mistress, and then the last 100 pages where Louise recounts Charles’ seamlessly endless problems with parliament never seemed to end.

Second, I really was not a fan of Louise once she returns to England. She all of a sudden became self-righteous, smug . . . and she wondered why nobody liked her – she thought she was better than them because she was French, and Catholic, and they were simply English and Protestant. Not to mention that she was extremely annoying, crying all of the time when things didn’t go her way. Plus SHE WAS A SPY!!! Seriously!!!

All of my complaining aside, the first half was great – a dazzling account of life in the French court and the English court as well (at least the first time Louise was there…). I loved the relationship between Henriette and Louise. There were detailed scenes and emotional dialogues. I don’t know if I would necessarily recommend this book, at least not very highly. I am going to give the author another chance. Hopefully her other books are more like the first half of this one. 

New Year . . . New Blog

So it appears that I have neglected my blog over the past year, and for that I am extremely sorry. I started this blog a few years ago, and my life was very different back then. 

I initially started this blog while I was in Teacher's College, back when I was living by myself, with my cat in a bachelorette apartment, going to school and working a part-time job. Other than my classes and assignments, a few shifts a week and the occasional get together with friends... I had A LOT of free time on my hands. Free time that I spent reading and blogging. 

After I graduated, I got hired by the school board where I grew up as a supply teacher. Again, other than supplying 4-5 days a week, with no planning, no marking and again a lot of free time to read and blog. Then I got a long-term supply job that involved planning and marking ... that's when the blogging began to slow down.

And then I met a guy. A wonderful guy. Now I'm not saying that he was the problem, because he definitely was not, but my free time was no longer spent curled up with a book, but rather hanging out with him. 

And then I got a full time, permanent teaching position. Along with the planning, and the marking, I happen to teach French - that means creating a whole lot of resources for my kiddos. Not that I don't enjoy creating wonderful things to help my little guys learn a new language, it just takes up a lot of my free time. And so I had to cut something - I wasn't cutting my friends or my family and definitely not my boyfriend so blogging unfortunately took the hit. 

Well things have changed since then. I still have my wonderful boyfriend, however now he goes by the term fiancé, and in another 6 months he will be my husband. I am still a full time, permanent French teacher, however with a few years under my belt, I am starting to learn that everything does not have to be perfect. I have also made the conscious decision that I need to get back to doing the things that I love. I have missed reading. I have missed blogging. 

Now, I'm not saying that I will be posting like have in the past. I have decided to change the format a bit on this blog. I will still post reviews of books that I have read and I will occasionally post about upcoming and new releases, depending on how busy life is of course.

Things might look a little different but it's a compromise that I am willing to make. 

Kyrsta

The Kingmaker’s Daughter ~ Philippa Gregory

Publisher: Touchstone

Pages: 417

Year: 2012

Rating: ««««

Book Blurb:

Spies, poison, and curses surround her...

Is there anyone she can trust? 

The Kingmaker's Daughter is the gripping story of the daughters of the man known as the "Kingmaker," Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick: the most powerful magnate in fifteenth-century England. Without a son and heir, he uses his daughters, Anne and Isabel as pawns in his political games, and they grow up to be influential players in their own right. In this novel, her first sister story since The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory explores the lives of two fascinating young women.

At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Married at age fourteen, she is soon left widowed and fatherless, her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Anne manages her own escape by marrying Richard, Duke of Gloucester, but her choice will set her on a collision course with the overwhelming power of the royal family and will cost the lives of those she loves most in the world, including her precious only son, Prince Edward. Ultimately, the kingmaker's daughter will achieve her father's greatest ambition.

My thoughts:

As much as I like to think of myself as being pretty knowledgeable when it comes to European history, especially where it concerns the royal families, I have to admit that I really did not know much about Anne Neville before I read The Kingmaker’s Daughter. I have to say that Anne Neville is a very interesting character and her prospective of this tumultuous time was refreshing.

I am (and have been for years) a HUGE fan of Philippa Gregory. I love how she is able to take an event, such as the War of the Roses, which can potentially be a tedious subject full of politics and make it into something intriguing and exciting to read. I love how she is able to weave in court life and the fashions in with political scandals and betrayals, all well making the story realistic and plausible.

The relationship between the Neville girls, Anne and Isabelle, was reminiscent of the relationship between another set of sisters in a previous Gregory novel – the Boleyn sisters, Mary and Anne, in Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl (which, coincidentally was the book that got me hooked…). Clearly, the sisters love each other, but neither one of them even hesitated to turn on the other to further herself or her own cause. Speaking of characters, I actually found myself to like Richard III in this novel. Normally, I cannot stand him but here he is portrayed in a sympathetic light, as a caring husband who truly loves his wife Anne but he is still a calculating politician.

Once again, any amazing novel from Ms. Gregory. Can’t wait to read The White Princess, the next novel in the Cousin’s War series. 

The Boleyn Deceit ~ Laura Andersen

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Year: 2013

Pages: 416

Rating: ««««

Book Blurb:

Henry IX, known as William, is the son of Anne Boleyn and now the leader of England, his regency period finally at an end. His newfound power, however, comes with the looming specter of war with the other major powers of Europe, with strategic alliances that must be forged on both the battlefield and in the bedroom, and with a court, severed by religion, rife with plots to take over the throne. Will trusts only three people: his older sister, Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by Anne Boleyn. But as the pressure rises alongside the threat to his life, even they William must begin to question-and to fear.

My thoughts:

So this is the second book in the trilogy, the first being The Boleyn King and the third The Boleyn Reckoning (due out in 2014). The Boleyn Deceit picks up where The Boleyn King ends. I would STRONGLY recommend, nay INSIST that you read The Boleyn King before you read this book. It is most certainly not a stand-alone novel.

I really enjoyed this novel, however I honestly have to say that it just wasn’t quite as good as the first book. I found that there was a lot more politics in this book (not necessarily a bad thing) and the love story … oh the love story … It occasionally got on my nerves in the first book but OMG … Half way through the book I wanted to reach in an literally punch William and Minuette in their faces (I couldn’t do it to Dominic, I have a soft spot for him). Speaking of William – I am really, really beginning to dislike him. A lot. Even sweet Minuette began to get on my nerves.

There were some redeeming parts of the book – I really enjoyed the political intrigue, and the reveal of the mystery from the first book, but it was a duo of new characters and one of the holy quartet who made the book for me. I loved the introduction of Dr. John Dee and of Francis Walsingham, and of course Elizabeth. I wanted more of Elizabeth!!! She is such a fiery personality and she is an absolutely fascinating personality.

As for the ending …. GRRRR!!! I hate cliff-hangers! I cannot wait to get my hands on the third installment to see how the rest of the story plays out. I definitely hope that Elizabeth gets a larger role.  

Side note ... Yet another gorgeous cover. Love it :)

The Boleyn King ~ Laura Andersen

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Year: 2013

Pages: 358

Rating: «««« ½

Book Blurb:

The Boleyn King is the first novel in an enthralling new trilogy. Reimagining history in sumptuous detail, Laura Anderssen takes readers back to the deadly intrigue, turbulent affairs, and treacherous passions of Tudor England - and answers the compelling question What if Anne Boleyn had given Henry VIII the son he so desperately wanted?

Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William's mother, Anne Boleyn.

Against a tide of secrets, betrayal, and murder, William finds himself fighting for the very soul of his kingdom. Then, when he and Dominic both fall in love with Minuette, romantic obsession looms over a new generation of Tudors. One among them will pay the price for a king's desire, as a shocking twist of fate changes England's fortunes forever. 

My thoughts:

I was honestly intrigued with the premise of the novel: Anne Boleyn’s son survives and becomes King of England?  I will admit that it took some internal persuading to pick up this novel. The idea of “what if” totally fascinates me however that being said I am a stickler for historical accuracy. In the end (obviously), I decided to take the plunge. And am I ever glad that I did.

The story revolves around a group of four teenagers in Tudor-style England; William, the son of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII; Princess Elizabeth; Dominic, a close friend of William whose role is to act as the young King’s conscious; and Genevieve (aka Minuette), an orphan who was raised alongside the Princess as a royal ward. The story itself is told from the point of view of four different characters. As I have said in the past, I am typically not a fan of this. There were definitely times during this novel where I was somewhat lost or confused as to whom was speaking, often confusing when it was William and when it was Dominic. I am very happy with Andersen’s portrayal of Princess Elizabeth, the only character who actually existed, as she is still fiercely independent and extremely intelligent.

Upon reading other reviews of this novel I have to say that I am a little surprised – only a handful touched on the evident research that Andersen must have done prior to writing this novel. There is so much more to this story than a simple, what if. As far as I can tell, there is really only one real change to history – albeit it was a MAJOR change, allowing Anne’s son to survive. Yes, this prompted other changes, Anne was not beheaded and wives 3 through 6 did not exist … but even in Andersen’s alternative world, certain parallels still exist. Jane Grey is still being thrown at the feet of a Tudor King, George Boleyn is still a shady character who is still wed to an embittered Jane Parker, and Princess Elizabeth is still infatuated with a very married Robert Dudley. Andersen clearly attempted to maintain some degree of authenticity.

That’s not to say that there are not a few things that were missing. One glaring omission in my opinion was that of Katherine Howard. Obviously in this universe, she would have never caught the eye of Henry VII let alone become wife #5, but considering that the Howard family plays a critical role in the story, I was surprised that she wasn’t a part of it, or even mentioned. I also felt that due to the love triangle (which honestly at times really irritated me) and Minuette’s personality, the story read more like a YA historical fiction. Not that I really have a problem with that, I often quite enjoy them, however I would have preferred it to be marketed as such. Just a little bit of a let down there.

With all that being said, The Boleyn King seems to have it all. There’s intrigue, romance, mystery, suspense . . . Andersen definitely does not disappoint! Even though the premise of the story is completely imaginary, Andersen seamlessly creates an amazing alternative universe that seems totally plausible … if only. I would absolutely recommend this novel to Tudor fans. 

The Crown ~ Nancy Bilyeau

Publisher: Touchstone

Year: 2012

Pages: 448

Rating: «««««

Ok, let’s be honest. When I first picked up this book I was a little skeptical. I mean, really, how interesting or exciting is a book about a nun going to be? Well I am extremely happy to announce that I was totally wrong. This book was fantastic! There was mystery, suspense, espionage, deceit, treachery, vengeance, blackmail … and some nuns and friars.

A mystery set in the time King Henry VIII’s reign, during his marriage to Jane Seymour, amidst a world of religious peril. Joanna Stafford is a Dominican novice who, really doesn't seem to have the personality, despite her devotion and her beliefs, to be a nun. She was raided to be a lady of the court before her family’s downfall. She is educated, rebellious, opinionated, and quite frankly, she doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. Great qualities for a heroine, not so great for a nun.

The plot was exciting with great twists and turns as they search for Athelstan’s crown, an ancient crown said to be hidden in Joanna’s priory. The crown is said to have powers that would be extremely dangerous if it happened to fall into the wrong hands. The book as an essence of The Da Vinci Code as they search for the crown throughout England’s monasteries.

I cannot wait to read the sequel The Chalice which is the continuation of Joanna Stafford’s life, which is good considering The Crown had one of those … WHAT?!?! That’s how it ends?? endings.