RaveBookreporterAlison Weir works wonders yet again. While there are no surprises in this story --- we all know what happens to Henry VIII’s wives --- she still makes it fresh and exciting. We meet Katheryn at a young age, being handed off to a string of relatives to be cared for. In her most formative years, she is left to her own devices and then led astray. While you may not feel too badly for her, considering the decisions she makes, you will be intrigued by her. If you are like me and cannot pass up an opportunity to read about the Tudor court, this one is for you.
Natasha Pulley
RaveBookreporterI was thrilled to be reintroduced to Thaniel and Mori and the future that Mori seems to shape for those he loves. Their relationship is delicate and lovely, and in so many ways reflects who they both are ... I am a sucker for a ghost story, and I loved the way that Natasha Pulley made the ghosts real and an integral part of the novel. The fear they elicit and what they represent is a direct manifestation of the feelings present in Japanese society in 1888 toward foreigners. The introduction of the ghosts is terrifying and fascinating at the same time. Their appearance illustrates a future, past and present colliding in an electrified space not meant to exist. Pulley makes that space very believable, so much so that it is difficult to put the book down. At times, it is a love story, a story about a family doing their best, a ghost story, and a science experiment gone awry. Pully has created an amazing world in The Lost Future of Pepperharrow. I was so glad to once again spend time with these characters and look in on Thaniel, Mori and their family.
Temple Drake
RaveBookreporterI love when a genre I think I know surprises me. Temple Drake does just that in NVK. She gave me a world that’s so much more entrancing, dark and fascinating than that of a typical vampire story. Here, the vampires are trapped between the folds of the living world, hoping that no one will ask where they came from. It’s intriguing, dangerous and oh so wonderful, and it makes you think of this world as a place where only vampires exist, weaving in and out of human lives as though they were smoke and not real at all. I fell hard for this story and want more of this gritty, dark world ... Supernatural tales that shock are ones that I want to read again and again, which is why I’m happy to see that Drake will be exploring more of NVK’s world. I want more of the people and more of this world. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this new series.
Linnea Hartsuyker
RaveBookReporterHartsuyker is an amazing storyteller ... This is a wonderful story of family, relationships, and how the world gives and takes no matter how much we try to change its course ... I fell in love with this story early on thanks to the characters and a deep appreciation of all things Viking, set in a ninth-century world of adversity. It has not disappointed, and while I’m sad to see the end of the series, what a great ride it’s been ... Hartsuyker tells an outstanding tale that is so much more than the Viking ships that roam through her books. The family bonds and oaths that tie everyone in this story together are the real threads here. You can alternately love and hate all of the characters and still come back to them because you want them to do better and be better, even as they suffer and cause suffering. It’s an extraordinary story, and I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed following this family saga.
Howard Norman
PositiveBookreporter... a heart-wrenching story of endings and grief, but also of new beginnings ... sad but not overly so, and sometimes even heartwarming in the way that life can be in times of great sadness. It’s creepy, though not exactly how you’d expect. But then again, not all ghost stories must be scary to be effective ... While there are a few things I might quibble with, overall The Ghost Clause is a homey book that I didn’t want to put down. It lures you in, making you feel comfortable and safe. Then enters a ghost. I adored the characters and loved that an old farmhouse captivated me with its history and stories. Norman provides an excellent excuse to read the day away.
Samantha Shannon
PositiveBookreporter\"It’s so easy to get lost in the novel—all 800-plus pages of it—and along the way, you’ll find yourself wanting even more of the story and this world. Shannon does an amazing job of building an imaginary world that feels very real and modern, with characters who tug at the heartstrings and make you want to cheer for them and yell at them to get it together. They don’t fall into typical stereotypes, and I like that Shannon lets love be love without restrictions on gender, politics and accepted norms. She has created a world that keeps expanding for the story she wants to tell and brings readers along for a fantastic ride ... Shannon’s writing and worldbuilding have grown, and I love the journey she takes us on here. This is a whole new world to enjoy and savor.\
Andrew Gaddes
PositiveBook ReporterFull of interesting characters and makes you want to know what happens to them even after the last page has been turned. I was fully engrossed in the story, wanting to know what would transpire in this small village and wondering if the Inquisition would be dragging people out of their homes and accusing them of witchcraft ... hit the right balance, letting the supernatural feel very real, but also served as a reminder that some things in life can’t be explained or are outside of the human imagination ... If you are looking for a new read, love mysteries, and like a bit of the supernatural mixed in, Those Who Go By Nights is a good pick. It’s a fast read that will fully absorb you in the story.
Yan Lianke, Trans. by Carlos Rojas
PositiveBookreporter\"The Day the Sun Died makes you wonder and your mind wander all the way to the last page—sometimes in directions you didn’t expect ... I wasn’t sure what to think of The Day the Sun Died in the beginning, but as it moved forward, I couldn’t put it down ... The dark undertones make this bizarre book an amazing and sometimes frightening tale worth reading.\
