I don’t know what kind of otherworldly sorcery Arden imbues her words with to make them feel so visceral, poignant, truthful, beautiful and powerful. I’ve rarely felt with the depth that I have through her writing, even when it’s over extremely simple or seemingly mundane things. But I do know she’ll keep having a space on my shelves any time she writes anything. This latest novel merely cemented that.
Historical
Review: The Knowing by Emma Hinds
I think it’s important to start this review with a warning that The Knowing is a very dark book, and there are themes of sexual violence from almost the very first page. I wouldn’t say that there’s a single relationship within the book that doesn’t have some kind of manipulation or abuse in it.
If you’re okay with reading books with these types of content warnings then you’ll be utterly spellbound. Once I’d gotten over the shock of how almost every event in the book centres around sex I found myself wrapped up in the story. Flora is a mystic who can speak with the dead, only she’s been told she should never acknowledge the ghosts (and boy does it get interesting when she does)
Review: The Judas Blossom: Book I of The Nightingale and the Falcon (#1) by Steven Aryan
An imaginative and sprawling epic fantasy reimagining of the Mongol Empire’s invasion of Persia, following the lives and treacherous journeys of four key figures in the heart of war. 1260, Persia: Due to the efforts of the great Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire covers a vast portion of the known world. In the shadow of […]
Review: The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec
Historical and mythological inspired fantasy, showcasing the sisterhood between Queen Gunnhild and her childhood friends, Signy and Oddny.
The Words of Kings and Prophets (Gael Song #2) by Shauna Lawless
Synopsis Ireland, 1000 AD. Gormflaith is unhappily married to Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, and although a queen she struggles with her limited position. As an immortal Fomorian with the secret gift of magic, Gormflaith has a burning desire: to find and destroy the hidden fortress of her sworn enemies, the Descendants, who seek […]
Review: The Corset by Laura Purcell
If nuanced character work calls to you, you don’t shy away from gothic horror with explicit gore, and you want something that keeps you on the edge of your seat with you breath held tight, dear reader, you’ll devour this cleverly woven book.
Review: Assassin’s Creed: The Golden City (#1) by Jaleigh Johnson
A young emperor’s life hangs in the balance in ancient Constantinople, and only the Brotherhood of Assassins can save him, in this action-packed historical adventure from the award-winning Assassin’s Creed universe Constantinople, 867 – A murderous plot is afoot. Assisted by the Order of the Ancients, the emperor schemes to assassinate his son and throw the city […]
Review: Bellatrix (Legion XXII #2) by Simon Turney
Synopsis: Warrior and combat medic of the Twenty Second Legion, Titus Cervianus, must fight the armies of the fabled Warrior Queen in this blistering new Roman adventure from Simon Turney. Egypt, 25 BC. Titus Cervianus is no ordinary soldier. And the Twenty Second is no ordinary legion. Formed from the personal guard of a conquered […]
Review: Ithaca (The Songs of Penelope #1) by Claire North
A beautiful retelling of Penelope’s life through the eyes of goddess and protector, Hera.
Blog Tour Review: Essex Dogs (Essex Dogs #1) by Dan Jones
Essex Dogs is a triumphant novel, full of moments, people and ideas that will stick with me for a very long time.
Review: Roman Britain’s Pirate King by Simon Elliott
Synopsis: In the mid-3rd century AD Roman Britain’s regional fleet, the Classis Britannica, disappeared. It was never to return. Soon the North Sea and English Channel were over-run by Germanic pirates preying upon the east and south coast of Britain, and the continental coast up to the Rhine Delta. The western augustus (senior emperor) Maximian […]
Review: The House with the Golden Door (The Wolf Den #2) by Elodie Harper
Synopsis: The life of a courtesan in Pompeii is glamorous yet perilous . . .Amara has escaped her life as a slave in the Wolf Den, the city’s most notorious brothel, but now her survival depends on the affections of her patron: a man she might not know as well as she once thought. At […]