My Rating: 5 Stars Complex, thrilling, brilliant novel! I’ve had a few issues with putting thoughts and opinions on paper in a way that makes sense, so much to say! Welcome to Glendaig, a little town in the Scottish Highlands. A peaceful place until the remains of a person wearing a German watch are discovered in a beach nearby. Young Neil Strachan, a career cop with a background in History is given the task to solve the mystery. When the young policeman gets in touch with a German novel historian specialist called Matthias Fuchs, they soon discover that, not only they have a murder case that dates back seventy years on their hands, but also the revelation of something that could have changed history. It was a long and intense read, one that I will remember for a long time. Allan’s style of writing is absolutely incredible and along with his great descriptions, the deep knowledge in historical events, police procedures and the way everything comes together is breathtaking. The clues are analysed in a great way and the psychological details make this novel unique and for me one of the best mysteries I’ve read so far. I actually had my heart on my throat from trepidation in wanting to know what came next. A real page-turner, filled with twists and turns, just how I like them. The author organised the story in a hasty manner, connecting the present and the past in flashbacks of the life and activities inside a submarine in 1941, so it gives the perfect balance between the historical events with the present modern investigation and interpretation of what happened back then. The different sets of characters are very well thought and very well represented in my opinion and their depth made them more than just simple characters. I managed not to lose track of who is who in the novel, the idea of a genealogical tree in the beginning was a great idea, I definitely consulted it a few times. Neil is a great protagonist and the details of his personal life make him more than a mere policeman. I really enjoyed the setting of the story. Like I mentioned before, the descriptions in general are great, but those of Scotland are memorable and I definitely got the urge to visit. A great read that I highly recommend to the fans of the mystery, thriller, suspense, historical genres. I want to thank the author Clive Allan for reaching out and sending me the digital version of The Drumbeater.
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My Rating: 5 Stars Probably the most amazing historical novel I’ve read in a while! Wow! This book is so much; it’s hard to express the feelings and thoughts in an organised way. This is the first historical novel that I have read and reviewed from this particular historical period, that's why it took me a bit more time to put everything down. Hopefully you will be able to enjoy it! Let me start from the beginning. This epic tale of rivalry, ambition and conspiracy takes place in the 11th century Anglo-Saxon Britain. The chronological timeline takes us in depth to the events that lead to the fall of King Harold Godwinson and the rise of William the Conqueror to the throne of Britain. Familiar historical figures and historical facts come together to shed light into one of the most decisive periods of the English history. First off, the passion, the knowledge and research put into this novel was the first thing that blew me away. Between the description of the characters, the settings, the battles, the travels and the strategies, it was impossible to go dive into authentic, original and authoritarian novel. The harsh reality of history is not sugar-coated at all which really brought me back to a time-frame where the desire to conquer had no limit and no border. The second is the clever and magnificent way that this novel was written both in structure and style. The timeline structure was a great approach to get a broader vision of events and not to get lost in the sea of historical characters. I didn’t have the feeling that this novel had a main character. For me, all the characters had a role that contributed for the turn of events that led to the end of the Anglo-Saxon period and, even if they didn’t seem to be related at all, in the end everything comes together perfectly. I got to read and admire King Harold Godwinson, his intellect, his leadership and his politics. I loved every minute of it. The battle scenes were so exciting to read, I had my heart jumping all the time. By the end of the book it’s clear that, unfortunately, the best man doesn’t always win. I wish with all my heart that history didn’t happen the way it did. All of this because Holloway managed to do the humanisation of the characters so well that it was impossible not to feel for them. This is probably my favourite historical novel so far and I regret nothing! Definitely looking forward to read more of Mr. Holloway's work. Highly recommended read for the fans of historical novels, very very worth it! Thank you Mr. Holloway for reaching out to me to review your book and for sending the amazing paperback version. My Rating: 5 Stars Just... Wow. Ms Pacat did it again and I think I developed an addiction in the process. Two volumes in two days and I must say I regret nothing. Absolutely perfect, still as fast-paced as before with a style of writing that makes it impossible to stop reading. I must say though, that I'm still not a fan of Laurence. Before that, there is a brief description of the second volume of the Captive Prince trilogy. Tension is building between Laurence and his uncle. Forced to travel to the border with Akielos as a punishment for childish actions and as an attempt to have him killed, Laurent must unite forces with Damen in order to avoid a war between their countries. Surrounded from both sides by usurpers and unknown traitors, the two kings must fight for their lives, their freedom and their people while trying to ignore the growing sensual tension between them. Can Damen keep his identity a secret for much longer? In this book, I could see the rising tension between the Regent and Laurence. The Regent's determination to get ride of Laurence that was very well concealed in the first volume is completely revealed and it shows the length of his greed and thirst for power. Laurent is still a very complex character and, like I mentioned in the review of the previous novel, I believe that he has some sort of trauma from his childhood and I don't mean his brother's death. I can't bring myself to like him though, and it's probably related to how he uses people to achieve his means no matter the consequences or cost. On the other hand, Damen is a character that doesn't let his nasty experience in Vere change who he is and who he's meant to be. He proved to have more King material than Laurent could ever hope to have: the knowledge in battle strategy, how to make the troops happy and avoid conflict, how to predict situations and act under pressure. Furthermore and most importantly, he has the heart of a king, his people come first. I absolutely loved the ending. It was simply perfect and very gratifying. No doubt that this trilogy made it to my Top favourite. My Rating: 5 Stars Ms Stacy King did it again! A perfect adaptation of the Jane Austen classic Emma. I've read the Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice so far and I'm very glad I get to read other classics of this collection. This manga, even in black and white, shows the liveliness, the humour and the innocence of Emma as she drags her friends into a love-match game! The drawings are beautifully mastered and I particularly liked the dresses and how they flow so nicely in the story. The expressions of the characters are perfectly represented. I think the graphics really match the emotions of the novel. On the contrary of Pride and Prejudice that is set in a more mature and disciplined environment where social rules have to be obeyed, Emma is set in a more innocent and playful way, full of colour, laughter and it portraits perfectly the spirit of young Emma. Fans of Jane Austen, I highly recommend it! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Udon Entertainment, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 4 Stars I always had an interested in lost civilisations, unexplained events in history. I really enjoy going through the extinct civilisations, the facts, the theories. I also enjoyed the back-research that I found here. Frank Joseph did a great work on the research of the details, theories and places, presenting it in a writing style that motivated me to read more. I usually grow bored when I read theoretical books, but this one is like an adventure that took me on a travel. Everything is very well explained and easy to understand. It also easy to notice one of the main ingredients that clue this book together: passion. Joseph is clearly passionate about history and mythology, and for me, the book overflows with it. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Arcturus Publishing Limited, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars Another great book by the Queen of Crime and Mystery! I had problems getting into the story in the beginning and keeping up with all the characters, but after the first chapters, it was impossible to put down. I loved the setting, being a big fan of the ancient Egypt history and mythology. It was the main reason I picked this book in the first place. Agatha Christie shows imagination and very good and deep research that supports the story beautifully. She creates a world with her incredible descriptions and it's definitely a great historical mystery! Furthermore, the reader sees the side of the family drama and the intrigues that mark the powerful families of the time. All the members of the family are suspects and I didn't have any idea of who could be the murder. Everyone had a motive and the opportunity to commit the crimes. In the final chapters, I was in shock. The twist was so unexpected that I saw everything spinning. The way Christie points out the murder and the reasons, it brings all the events and clues together, leaving no lose-ends. I honestly was not expecting it at all. Definitely one of the finest books of the Queen of Crime and Mystery! My Rating: 5 Stars Greek history and mythology are one of my favourite fields not only to study but also to explore in my free-time. This is the main reason I wanted to read this book, and the promise of "new" Greek myths". It didn't disappoint at all. This book contains 17 myths and stories of ancient Greece, written in a way that will grab the attention and the heart of its readers, no matter the age. There a few myths that I never really heard of or read about and the curiosity of knowing more just made me unable to up it down. Even the stories that everyone is familiar with are written in a different way. Stories are presented beautifully. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that is bored of reading the same old tales of Greek mythology and is in need of a twist. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars I usually don't go for the romance genre because it bores me. This time though, I made a good choice. This first book of Katrina Snow proved to be worth the read mixing magic, romance and adventure in a historical reality. The book is very compelling and it was very difficult to stop reading it. The characters are incredibly described, especially Kate, the heroine of the book. The secondary characters also grew on me, all coming together in a world where the lady is the one that was to battle to win the charming prince! This book will send your emotions and your heart on a wild ride! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher KL Andersen, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars Absolutely addictive. This is a page-turned historical thriller and definitely, couldn't put it down from the very beginning. Luke Garcias' style of writing, the high-levelled suspense will keep you in your seat unable to put the book down, leaving you to wonder what will happen next. For the first time in a long time, I had to stop myself from reading it in one seating because it was too good to finish in one go. Absolutely loved the strong female characters and the details of the several historical events and places. Gracias took me on a journey across the world and in an amazing adventure. This book will definitely make you shiver and leave your pulse racing! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Australian eBook, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars The long fight of Victor Hugo against the death penalty is put into the pages his short novel that will move any reader. This book tells the story of an unnamed condemned man a few days before he is executed for an unknown crime. It describes in detail the torment, the emotion, the general state of mind of a man. A man, because when someone is condemned to death, they become something else, something less important and less human. The torture that this man goes through knowing that time is against him and for some reason, it seems to escape through his fingers. And of course, the most human question, if it's going to hurt. It's a very moving novel that serves has a reminder that even in the last minutes of a condemned man, there is always hope to be forgiven and the desperate wait for the inevitable ending. In the end, the message is: no matter what we do, how many mistakes we make, we are all human. |
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