Mini-Reviews #5: The Selchester Mysteries

I've recently enjoyed three books from the Selchester Mysteries series by Elizabeth Edmondson, so I thought I'd combine my reviews into one post. These are a series of mysteries set in 1950s England, featuring a castle, a cast of eccentric characters, a few puzzling murders, and some Cold War intrigue. I found them very enjoyable.

  

 

A Man of Some Repute

 

This was a good book, although not outstanding. The mystery aspect was very intriguing, and well done, and there was at least one twist that took me by surprise. The writing was good enough; there were no bits that stood out particularly, but it wasn't bad.

It took me a while to get invested in the characters; I think because the author had two many points of view, and would often move slightly away from the main characters to have a little bit from the viewpoint of another, more minor character. I guess this was partly to show how characters were seen by other people, but I wish she had stuck to just Hugo and Freya, so that we could get to know them quicker. However, by the end of the story I realised that I actually had become quite attached to the characters and location, and wanted more! This was probably just as well, as the story ends on rather a cliffhanger (although the main mystery is resolved, it's clear that there's a lot more to find out).

 

A Youthful Indiscretion

 

This was a quick read, only 60 pages long. I enjoyed it, although it definitely felt like it was just a bridge between two books rather than a story in its own right. It follows on from the cliffhanger at the end of A Man of Some Repute, but also introduces several new plot elements, such as a new colleague for Hugo, that are seemingly unrelated to this and not really developed in this book. Presumably they will be important later.

The ending was not very satisfying; the main plot thread is only partially resolved, and there are still many questions to be answered.

A Question of Inheritance

 

This book carries on pretty much where the last one left off. It takes a pretty long time to get to the main mystery, with lots of details of the characters' lives, and events which later turn out to be important. I found it harder to keep track of the plot in this book; I'm not sure if this is because it was more complex or just because there are a number of things which don't seem very important at the time but become significant later, and I wasn't paying enough attention to remember them. However, I still enjoyed the book a lot. Fortunately, this one doesn't end on a cliffhanger, although there are still some (rather important) loose ends that need tying up. The next book in the series will presumably do that.

 

Sadly, the author died before finishing the next book in the series, A Matter of Loyalty, but it has been completed by her son and is being released in October. This is the last one, so hopefully it will clear up all the remaining plotlines. I'm hoping it will be just as good as the previous books in the series, although I'll be sad to leave these characters behind.

Both A Man of Some Repute and A Question of Inheritance are currently 99p on Kindle (at time of posting), so if you are interested in this series now is probably a good time to look into it :)

Mini-Reviews #4: Historical Settings

 

The Archers of Isca by Caroline Lawrence

The sequel to Escape from Rome; this was almost as good as its predecessor! This book focuses more on Fronto, the eldest sibling, although we also get a lot more of the other characters than the book description implies. I love the characters in this series so much, so that was great. Like the first book, there is a fast-moving plot but it is also quite character-driven, which I like. The ending does feel a bit inconclusive, as there are a few plot strands left quite open, but since this is part of a series that is understandable (although it is quite a long wait until the next book comes out!) There was one twist in the story that, as a Roman Mysteries fan, I found very exciting, but I won't spoil it for you! All in all, this was a very good book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story develops through the rest of the series.

 

 

Unequal Affections by Lara S. Ormiston

For a Jane Austen sequel, this was actually pretty good! It tells the story of what might have happened had Elizabeth accepted Darcy's first offer of marriage, in Kent. I'm not sure I can quite accept that, but if you can get past the premise, it's a pretty good book. The development of Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship feels fairly realistic, if a little fast; they have quite a lot to work through, since in this version of the story Elizabeth never receives Darcy's letter trying to explain what she perceives as the injuries he has done to those around her, and since she is not entirely honest about just how much she disliked him (until his proposal began to change per perception of him). The author also does a good job of delving into the implications of their decision - for example, what will Bingley's reaction be to his friend doing something that he had recently convinced him not to do (getting engaged to a woman of low connections who doesn't love him)? How will Elizabeth's family and her neighbours react, and how will they get on with Darcy? The characterisation and dialogue is mostly true to the original novel and the time period - although there are a few modern turns of phrase, and one or two historical inaccuracies, these are not major issues - and I enjoyed spotting a few quotes from the original novel.

 

 

The Princess Virginia by C.N. & A.M. Williamson

Princess Virginia has always fancied herself in love with the Emperor of Rhaetia (who she has never met), so when he offers to marry her, she ought to be delighted - however, she decides that she only wants to marry him if he truly loves her, so she decides to travel to Rhaetia under an assumed name and try to win his love. Naturally, not everything goes quite as planned, but everything comes right in the end. It's a slightly ridiculous story, but a very entertaining one, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Mini-Reviews #3: Children's and YA

Here are my thoughts on four books I've read recently. Read previous mini-review posts here and here.

 

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

I really liked this book. It retells the story of Lady Jane Grey, set in an alternative version of sixteenth-century England where some people (Edians) have the ability to turn into animals. Others think that this ability is unnatural and that Edians should all be destroyed. It's very well done and very entertaining. Definitely recommended, especially if you are a history fan.

Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff

This was my second attempt at reading this author; I have to admit I didn't especially enjoy The Eagle of the Ninth, but I'm glad I gave Rosemary Sutcliff another try! I really enjoyed this book. It was in essence a fairly straightforward story, about a boy trying to escape from slavery and find a place to belong, but it was very well done. I think the tension between "light" and "dark" moments was exactly right; there was enough suffering and danger to make the story authentic and to make you care about Beric, and what happened to him, but it never got so bleak as to be depressing; generally it was just at the darkest moment that Beric's fortunes seemed to change, and the ending was happy, although it relied on one or two convenient coincidences. Overall, I thought this was a very good, and very enjoyable book, and I'm definitely going to be reading more from the author in the future.

Autumn Term by Antonia Forest

I did enjoy this, but I didn't love it like I was expecting to. I'm not sure why that was - I think I just didn't feel enough interest in the main events of the story. I liked the characters - the sister/family relationships especially, although we only get little glimpses of them. But I definitely would like to read more of this in future books; I own one other in the series, and will look into getting the rest (they are a little bit pricy though; I was lucky to pick up the two I own cheaply at a charity shop).

Pea's Book of Best Friends by Susie Day

I really liked this. It was quite reminiscent of Hilary McKay, who is one of my favourite authors. It's quite a simple story, the story of three sisters who move to London when their mother becomes a  successful author. Although excited at first, it's not quite what they expected; Pea (the main character) finds she has a hard time making friends, and there are other aspects that don't quite go to plan - like when they arrive in their house and find they've forgotten to buy furniture, so only have a small amount from their old (much smaller) house. Overall, this was a quick but entertaining read. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series (there are four books in all, plus a companion book about the Llewellyns' next-door neighbours).

Book Review: Outcast by Rosemary Sutcliff

 

This was my second attempt at reading Sutcliff; I have to admit I didn’t especially enjoy The Eagle of the Ninth, but I’m glad I gave her another try! I really enjoyed this book. It was in essence a fairly straightforward story, about a boy trying to escape from slavery and find a place to belong, but it was very well done. I think the tension between “light” and “dark” moments was exactly right; there was enough suffering and danger to make the story authentic and to make you care about Beric, and what happened to him, but it never got so bleak as to be depressing; generally it was just at the darkest moment that Beric’s fortunes seemed to change, and the ending was happy, although it relied on one or two convenient coincidences. Overall, I thought this was a very good, and very enjoyable book, and I’m definitely going to be reading more from the author in the future.

Ten Books Set in the Middle Ages

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is Top Ten Books With X Setting. I've decided to do a list of books set in the Middle Ages. I read a lot of historical fiction and this is one of my favourite time periods. All of these books are ones I've enjoyed, to varying degrees.

 

 

Gatty's Tale by Kevin Crossley-Holland

The story of a young girl who journeys to Jerusalem. I reread this recently and wrote about it here.

 

The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Penman

The story of Richard III, told in nearly 900 pages. It's very long, but definitely worth reading.

 

The Queen of Last Hopes by Susan Higginbotham

The Wars of the Roses again, but from the opposite viewpoint.

 

Crusade by Elizabeth Laird

The stories of two boys on opposite sides of the conflict.

 

Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman

A children's book about a young girl trying to find her place in the world.

 

 

The Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mysteries by Sarah Woodbury

I've actually only read three of these books, but I enjoyed them a lot. I've reviewed two of them here.

 

The Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters

Again I've only read the first three of these, although I have the fourth book on my TBR pile and hope to get to it soon.

 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by Simon Armitage

I haven't read much poetry, but I enjoyed this more than I expected to. The original is a medieval poem by an unknown author, telling the story of one of King Arthur's knights.

 

The Arthur trilogy by Kevin Crossley-Holland

The story of a boy living in twelfth-century England, who is given a "seeing stone" which allows him to watch events taking place in King Arthur's court, whose life parallels his own.

 

The After Cilmeri series by Sarah Woodbury

This is a time travel/alternate history series about two modern-day American teenagers (and a few others, later on) who travel back to medieval Wales and fight to keep it independent from England.

 

 

Have you read any of these books, or do you have any other suggestions for good books set in this time period? Let me know in the comments, and feel free to add a link to your TTT post if you've participated this week!

Miriam by Mesu Andrews

Summary (from Goodreads):

The Hebrews call me prophetess, the Egyptians a seer.
But I am neither. I am simply a watcher of Israel and the messenger of El Shaddai.
When He speaks to me in dreams, I interpret. When He whispers a melody, I sing.

At eighty-six, Miriam had devoted her entire life to loving El Shaddai and serving His people as both midwife and messenger. Yet when her brother Moses returns to Egypt from exile, he brings a disruptive message. God has a new name – Yahweh – and has declared a radical deliverance for the Israelites.

Miriam and her beloved family face an impossible choice: cling to familiar bondage or embrace uncharted freedom at an unimaginable cost. Even if the Hebrews survive the plagues set to turn the Nile to blood and unleash a maelstrom of frogs and locusts, can they weather the resulting fury of the Pharaoh?

Enter an exotic land where a cruel Pharaoh reigns, pagan priests wield black arts, and the Israelites cry out to a God they only think they know.

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This book tells the story of the Israelites' escape from Egypt, told from the point of view of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. I think this is the first biblical fiction book that I've read. I found it interesting and thought that it was a good exploration of the life of Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron. Although Miriam had a very important role in the life of Israel, and obviously in her brothers' lives, the Bible doesn't actually tell us that much about her, and we don't know much about how any of the characters were affected by the events that occurred during this time. How did she feel when her brother Moses returned to Egypt after forty years in the wilderness, proclaiming that God wanted to free Israel from slavery? How were she and those around her affected by the plagues and the events surrounding them? This book helps to answer these questions and to explore what Miriam's life might have been like and how she might have thought and felt about what was going on at this time. The story covers the period from just before Moses' return to Israel until the crossing of the Red Sea.

 

I really liked the character of Miriam and I thought that the depiction of her inner struggles was well done. I also liked how the story makes you consider what the consequences of the plagues and the events surrounding them might have been, both for the Hebrews and the Egyptians, and for the relations between the two nations. From a historical viewpoint it seemed mostly accurate and there is quite a bit of historical detail which helps you to understand the context of the time. I think too that it does help to give the reader new insights into the story and the characters who appear in it.

There were some things about the story that I didn't like as much. There were a couple of romantic subplots that I didn't particularly care for (I don't think they were badly done, I just wasn't particularly invested in them). Although I thought that Miriam was a really good character, I found that many of the characters in the story weren't that interesting (and a few of their attitudes seemed a bit too modern for the time period), and I felt that the story dragged a bit for me in the middle (although it started and ended pretty strong). There were a few events in the story that I thought were unlikely, although I realise that it is fiction and we can't know for sure about a lot of the things that happened.

So overall, I did enjoy this book although there were parts of it that I didn't find interesting or didn't particularly care for. I did feel that it gave me a deeper understanding of the events surrounding the Israelites' escape from Egypt, in particular how they would have affected the people involved in them, and raised some interesting points to consider. I would recommend it to people who like this sort of fiction or are interested in finding out more about the events in portrays.

Some quotes that I liked:

"Never be grateful for tragedy, but always trust that God can use it in His good plan for you."

"We can tell you how El Shaddai makes Himself known to us, but only He can teach you [to know Him] - as you trust Him."

"Anyone can develop a God sense similar to the way we use other senses to experience things. Though we can't taste, touch, see, hear, or smell our invisible God, He sometimes uses those experiences to communicate His nearness."

 

Rating: 3/5
 

You can read the first few chapters for free here.

 

Find it on Goodreads or Amazon or visit the author's website.

 

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Gatty's Tale by Kevin Crossley-Holland

I first read this book back in November 2011. Although I know I really enjoyed it, I'd forgotten most of what happened in the story. This was probably a good thing from a re-reading point of view, since I was surprised by some of the twists the story took, although I remembered the main plot points. I think overall my feelings are not much changed from the first time I read it (so it has stood the test of time for me fairly well so far).

The heroine of this story is Gatty, a fifteen-year-old field-girl living in the year 1203. After her father's death, she is given the opportunity to become a chamber-servant to Lady Gwyneth de Ewloe, raising her position in the world. This leads to the chance for her to travel to Jerusalem when Lady Gwyneth decides to go on a pilgrimage there. (Although I have described it as an opportunity, Gatty isn't given much choice in any of these matters; she has to go along with what is decided for her by her superiors.) In the Middle Ages, journeying from England to Jersualem is a fairly major undertaking; the entire journey takes almost a year to complete, there and back. So it's a pretty big deal, and Gatty grows up a lot and learns a lot about the world, and herself, on the way. As she reflects towards the end of the book, she is "the same, but not the same".

I liked Gatty a lot as a character, and she definitely grows and develops throughout the story. The developments of her relationships with the other characters, particularly Lady Gwyneth (who is like a mother figure to her) and Nest (Lady Gwyneth's other chamber-servant, who is very different from Gatty and initially dislikes her, but they come to like and understand each other better during the story), are also very well done.

  

I like the concept of a journey as a plot device, as a chance for self-discovery. The journey itself is interesting to read about, as there are a number of problems and difficulties to overcome, and not all of the pilgrims make it to Jerusalem. Quite a few things happen on the journey; thieves, unscrupulous tradesmen, dangerous terrain (such as riding along the edge of a precipice), and various other dangers and temptations, and there are times when it looks as though everything is lost - but all comes right in the end. Naturally, we also learn about life in the 1200s, and see the sights of medieval Europe along with Gatty.

The writing is also very good, and the ending of the book is just about right too. Although overall it is a slightly bittersweet book, in which bad things do happen, there is enough good in it to outweigh the bad and to finish with a happy ending.

This is technically a sequel to the author's Arthur trilogy, which it would probably be helpful to read first, but you definitely don't have to have read it. (I did enjoy it overall, but not as much as this book.) It has also been published under the title Crossing to Paradise. Find it on Goodreads here.

Book Review: Escape from Rome by Caroline Lawrence

 


Summary (from Goodreads): The year is AD 94. When the evil Emperor Domitian sends soldiers to seize his family's home in the middle of the night, Juba must escape with his brother and sisters, and journey to distant Britannia on the edge of the known world.

His task: To avoid capture and death.
His quest: To find a safe haven in Britain.
His destiny: To save the children.

I really enjoyed this book.

It has the distinction of being one of the few books I've read in recent years which I actually knew about prior to publication (although I didn't realise it was out until I came across it at the library last month). It's the first in a new series, which is a (sort of) sequel to the Roman Mysteries series, which was one of my favourite series when I was younger. It's been seven years since the last book in that series was published, so obviously I was very much looking forward to reading this one, and it did not disappoint. I think I liked it even better than most of the Roman Mysteries books.

What I liked about it:
The characters. I liked the characters a lot. They were all well-drawn with interesting and unique personalities, and they all developed a lot during the course of the story. Ursula especially I liked; she is kind-hearted and likes animals (like Nubia in the Roman Mysteries series), but is also pretty fearless and much more confident than Nubia. Juba and Fronto also were well developed and the other characters the children meet along the way, Castor and Bouda, I also liked a lot (as characters).

The story. The plot was quite character-driven, as the major plot points mainly rested on the children having to make difficult decisions, about whether to do the right thing or not. But there is also a fair amount of action and enough tension to keep the story moving.

Plus the reappearance of some old friends from the Roman Mysteries series definitely added to my enjoyment of the book. However, there is no need to have read the series to understand or enjoy this book.

Overall, I really did like this book, more than I thought I would! Now I have to wait until October to read the next book in the series.

Jane Austen Spin-offs and Sequels

There are a lot of them out there: continuations, sequels, spin-off, retellings, books inspired by Jane Austen's novels. Even though they are often not that great, for some reason I still end up wanting to read more. However, there are some good ones that I've discovered too. So I've decided to put together a list of the Jane-Austen-related books that I've read - the good and the not-so-good.

 

Sequels

  

Lady Catherine's Necklace by Joan Aiken

This was OK. It wasn't quite believable as a sequel to Pride and Prejudice, but if you ignore that it is a sequel it isn't a bad story in its own right.

Georgiana Darcy's Diary by Anne Elliott

This was a fairly enjoyable sequel to Pride and Prejudice, focusing on Georgiana (obviously) and her search for romance. It wasn't anything special but I did enjoy it. (I got it as a free Kindle download; you can still get it for free now at Amazon (UK or US).

 

The Matters at Mansfield, or, The Crawford Affair by Carrie Bebris

I actually did really enjoy this book. It's part of a series which involves Elizabeth and Darcy solving mysteries, which involves them meeting characters from each of Jane Austen's novels (in this case, the characters of Mansfield Park, although most of these characters play a fairly minor part in the novel). The mystery was intriguing, the dialogue felt fairly authentically Regency and the characters were pretty close to their original representations, so overall, this was a very enjoyable read. (There is a slightly gruesome description of a murder, but it's not that bad.) I intend to read the rest of the series, sometime.

 

Retellings

 

Mr. Darcy's Diary and Mr. Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange

Both of these books were quite good, an entertaining look at Pride and Prejudice and Emma, respectively, from the hero's perspective. I have to admit that I don't remember that much about either of them, so they didn't leave a very lasting impression, but I did enjoy them, although I preferred the former.

 

Longbourn by Jo Baker

This was one that I didn't enjoy. I liked the concept of it and it started out fairly well, but then it kind of went downhill and the middle section was just ... not good. I kept reading in the hope that it would get better, which it did, a bit, but I wouldn't recommend it.

 

Jane Austen: Her Complete Novels in One Sitting by Jennifer Kasius

This book provides a brief summary of the characters and plot of each of Jane Austen's novels. It's a useful reminder if you can't exactly remember the plot of each novel or have trouble keeping track of the characters (I know I used to).

 

Modern-Day

 

Mr. Darcy Goes Overboard: A Tale of Tide and Prejudice by Belinda Roberts

This was another book that started off fairly well but I got bored of it towards the end. It is quite funny, but I think the jokes get tiresome after a bit and it gets a bit ridiculous towards the end. So overall it wasn't that great.

Other

 

Dear Mr. Knightley and Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay

These books are not so much spin-offs from Jane Austen's works as just books that are inspired by them. In both cases the main characters have a strong interest in classic literature, especially Jane Austen, and this influences their perceptions and how they think about things, and there are a lot of references to Jane Austen and other classic authors in them. I enjoyed them both, perhaps not quite as much as I'd hoped to, but they are both good stories in their own right, and definitely worth reading if you like classic books or a good story. (You can read my review of Dear Mr. Knightley here.)

Book Reviews: The Uninvited Guest and The Bard's Daughter by Sarah Woodbury

I read the first book in Sarah Woodbury's Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mysteries series, The Good Knight, last summer; I was a little apprehensive about it because I got it as a free Kindle download (it's still free now, if you want to check it out) but I was pleasantly surprised: I actually really enjoyed it! It took me a while to get around to reading some more of the series, but I'm glad I did, and I'm now looking forward to reading book three sometime in the (hopefully) near future. These are my reviews of book two, The Uninvited Guest, and the series prequel, The Bard's Daughter.

The Uninvited Guest

Summary (from front of book): It is the winter of 1143 and all is not well in the court of Owain, King of  Gwynedd in North Wales. His future in-laws are untrustworthy, the Norman lords on his eastern border are restless, and among his wedding guests lurks a cold-blooded killer. Gareth and Gwen have marriage plans of their own, but their love will have to wait while the pair race to separate truth from lies, friends from foes, and unravel the mystery before King Owain—and his new bride—fall victim to their uninvited guest.

I enjoyed this book; not as much as the first book in the series, but still it was good. The main attraction of this series is the characters - I love Gwen and Gareth and Hywel - and the stories in both this and the first book were quite interesting and exciting, although they tend to be more adventure-type stories than mysteries - lots of time spent trying to chase and/or get away from the bad guys rather than following clues and trying to deduce the culprit  (although there is some of that too, but the mysteries mostly seem to get solved mainly by accident). Another issue I had with this book, probably more than with the first, is with the writing - the dialogue sometimes feels a bit too modern and it is a bit awkward in places. I'm also not sure about how quickly Gwen is accepted as a detective by most of the people around her - I'm not sure most people in the Middle Ages would have been happy about a woman doing that sort of thing. But on the other hand, I do really enjoy this series and just try not to let those things bother me, because it is worth it for all the good bits. I'm definitely planning to continue with the series, although I have so many books to read currently that I'm not sure when I'll actually get round to reading the next one.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10

The Bard's Daughter

Summary: When Gwen's father is accused of murder, she can't believe that he is guilty. But since all the evidence seems to point to him, everyone else seems to take it for granted that he was the murderer, and so it is up to Gwen to prove his innocence by finding the true culprit, before time runs out.

Despite its short length, I think I enjoyed this book more than either of the two books I have read in the main series, although I did miss Gareth and Hywel being in it. But this book seemed to focus more on the actual mystery than the other two books, which was nice, and I liked Gwen's story and her development throughout the book - it was nice to get to know her better.

I feel like this would probably be better read before the main series, although it was written later than the first two books - not that reading the other books first diminished my enjoyment of this one, but I felt when reading The Good Knight that I was missing some things which had happened previously which were talked about but not fully developed. It certainly isn't necessary to read this first, but I would recommend doing so.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10