Born of Tyranny: Port of Errors by Steve V Cypert

I was very excited to start this book. I love pirate stories. Even as I read through the, rather slow, start of the story, I still had high hopes. Soon my high hopes began to fail and confusion took over.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Some are introduced in flashback so there is also the confusion as to how the flashback characters fit into the current story. Some were orphans growing up and when they were auctioned off their names changed. As readers we are privy to the change but I still had to keep flipping back to keep track of the new name. It is also hard for an author to develop this many characters well. I had trouble connecting with the characters.

I was also confused as to the author's intended audience. The sentence structure, vocabulary and glossary at the end of the book, suggest a young audience but the level of graphic violence and sexual innuendo is much higher than I would be comfortable recommending for a child. Privateers of the time were brutal and the author is likely accurate in his portrayal but some things are better glossed over in the presence of young ears.

There is some appealing dark humour in the book that was appropriate, and many of the characters are eccentric and fun. I loved the introduction of young Edward Teach (pirate lovers will better know him as Blackbeard). He just wouldn't take 'no' for an answer!

Arguably, the best part of the book was the ending. Everything came together nicely and yet left room for more. As this is the first book in the 'Born of Tyranny' series, we know there are other adventures in the offing. Hopefully now that the stage is set and the characters fleshed out, future books in the series will move at a faster pace.

/5

Character Development          3

Editing                                     5

Sex                                          1

Violence                                  4

Romance                                 0

Readability/Flow                    3

Flesh and Grass by Libby Cone

Wow .... just wow. You know that feeling when your partner hands you a gift and it's in a really little package and you know it is going to be an expensive and amazing gift? Well this book is like that. An amazing gift in a small package. 

A fictional group of immigrants from The Netherlands land in America in the hopes of building a community that allows them to live and worship as they wish. Despite this description, the book is not what I would categorize 'Christian Fiction'. It is, more realistically, historical fiction that Libby Cone states is "a work of fiction loosely based on the story of the Plockhoy settlement." (if you are interested in more info on the Plockhoy settlement, Google it. If you want a more concise synopsis of this book, click here)

Pieter Boom takes his wife and son, Cornelis, to begin a new and better life in the New World in 1662. First twist: Cornelis is blind. He is also the narrator of the story. Consequently his descriptions are based mostly on smell. (The odorous descriptions of all the good food is why I blame Ms. Cone for the total destruction of my diet) The descriptive passages in the book are so vivid that I could smell the baking bread, the beer, the spices, the sun on the grass. Being blind also means that people tend to speak freely around Cornelis so he is privy to the goings on in the community and able to keep his family updated on the news of the day.

Second twist: life in America is not all it's cracked up to be. It starts off great but soon war intrudes on the idyllic life of the new community. It becomes apparent that tribulations are not endemic to where people live, instead they are endemic to living. And if the smells of food did damage to my diet, so did the smells of destruction - no meat for me for awhile.

I picked this 167 page gem off of my TBR pile this morning and before I knew it, I was closing the book on the last page. The narrative is easy to read although the language is true to the 1600's. There are lots of big words and the syntax is often unfamiliar but, somehow, the story doesn't get bogged down or lost in the vocabulary. This one is going to stick with me - in a good way.

Louisa and the Missing Heiress by Anna MacLean

Some of my favorite books when I was quite a young girl were Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon mysteries. As I got older I loved Little Women. So really... a Nancy/Trixie type mystery starring Louisa May Alcott? Anna MacLean could have written this book just for me. Want to know what it's all about? Check here.

It has been a really long time since I have read Nancy or Trixie and I wonder if there is room for another young female sleuth flouting convention, courting danger and solving crime. I really hope there is because Anna MacLean puts together a pretty fun read (and this is only the first in the series). Louisa reminds me so much of Jo from 'Little Women'. In fact, secondary to the mystery, as we learn about Louisa and her life it's possible to find hints and beginnings to the author Louisa would become.

Being an historical novel, the language is sometimes tricky but that adds to the feel of the setting. The descriptions of 1800's Boston life and society are well presented. In some books, description can slip over into the realm of lecture which is boring and slows the story. Ms MacLean doesn't allow that to happen in her novel. Rather the descriptions are cleverly woven into the story so the reader feels the heaviness of the fog without realizing it is being described.

The mystery is clever and well constructed. I was kept guessing until very close to the end of the book. There is so much going on in Louisa's life, and the life of her family, that the reader is just distracted enough to miss a few clues here and there - but there's not enough going on to be confusing or to interfere with the flow of the story. A perfect balance.

Louisa, her family and the rest of the cast are now a part of my life. Can't wait to read the next one! Best part is, as much as I (an adult - really!) enjoyed being part of Louisa's adventure, so would any girl old enough to read chapter books. What a pleasure to find a good book that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Effigy by Alissa York

While cruising the stacks at the local library, I ran across 'Effigy' by Alissa York. I was immediately drawn to the cover and pleased to see it was a Giller Prize finalist. Historical fiction - inspired by the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857; and polygamy - very interesting subject; throw in a little weirdness with the fourth wife who spends all of her time in the barn practicing the art of taxidermy and it all should add up to a compelling read. (For those of you who commented on my Tuesday Teaser, it was a scene where Dorrie is preparing a wolf family for stuffing)

Sadly, I felt a little let down after reading this novel. Maybe I had built it up too much in my mind but I found it lacking. I didn't ever get close enough to the characters to care much about their experiences. Their personalities were all just too bizarre, which made it hard to think of the characters as real. There was also a lot of jumping around in the story and that tends to lose me as a reader unless there are definite separations - like different font or chapter titles that explain who is speaking. I always felt like I was finally drawn into one plot line when I was, unexpectedly tossed into another.

All in all Ms York's 'Effigy' is a dark portrayal of a strange time - maybe just a little too dark and strange.

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

Seriously, seriously disturbing book! I know it is fiction: a novel written to fill in the blanks left by history, but seriously disturbing. The facts are that the Rev. Charles Ludwidge Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, liked to hang out with young girls; like to photograph young girls; "Rather provocatively posed young girls". (quote from ' A note from the author' at the end of the book) One of these young girls was Alice Liddell, his inspiration for 'Alice in Wonderland'. I don't want to give too much away but if you read the author's notes at the end of the book, red flags pop up everywhere. Of course, no one knows what the actual relationship between Mr. Dodgson and Alice looked like, we can only guess. That's why it's fiction!

I am sure that I could not have written this book. I have great admiration for Melanie Benjamin, in that she did. The novel she wrote is dark. As I read it, I always felt there was something going on that I just couldn't quite catch. It was like trying to catch smoke. Even having just finished reading, I feel unsettled.

The adults in the book really annoyed me. As did the 'blame the victim' philosophy that permeated the story. But, I'm thinking that these portrayals are likely true to the Victorian era. Now that I am more aware of the story behind the story, I want to do a little digging of my own and see what I can add to my understanding. (Considering the thorough research Ms Benjamin has done, I will likely find nothing new - but I am still compelled to try.)

Re-reading what I have written it seems like I am trying to say I didn't like the book. Not true. 'Alice I Have Been' has embedded itself in my brain and I am glad I read it. It is just not a sunshine and rainbows kind of book. I would be totally comfortable with my thirteen year old reading this book. It's 'cleaner' than many of the books written specifically for teens. 'Alice' is a compelling read, just don't expect a 'feel good' story.

The Devil's Daughter by Suzie Grant

If you have read my review policy, you will know that I do not review e-books. The idea of reading without holding the book in my hands and the action of turning pages just doesn't hold any interest for me. Before I wrote this policy, however, I agreed to read and review 'The Devil's Daughter'. You guessed it - it's an ebook.


Testament to the story and writing style of author, Suzie Grant, I cuddled up on the couch and read this lovely novel in one sitting on my laptop. Not only did I read it in one sitting but I got so lost in the story that I totally forgot I was reading it off of my computer. What a lovely escape from my afternoon.

Who can resist a romance of the old west? Cowboys and outlaws, saloons and sprawling ranches. Sigh. Each of the characters in this novel is flawed in some way. Each needs to come to terms with their past and the impact past events have had on their lives. But for me the very best part of the entire experience was the heroine of the story: Blaze Marie Austin. I have to admit I am a sucker for a strong female lead. Any woman that can out shoot the men and live her life her way, is a woman I want to know.

Every steamy romance novel I have ever read has the same basic formula. Man and woman meet. Man and woman are attracted to each other but that attraction manifests itself as a war of wills. Man overpowers woman and she gives up everything to be with him. Ms Grant follows the formula to a point. I suggest you read the book and discover for yourself at which point she deviates. For me it was the deviation that made the book.

So if you want an easy, satisfying read to take with you to the beach or curl up with on those cold rainy or snowy days, or if you've never tried an ebook and want the experience, you might want to give 'The Devil's Daughter' a go. It was good for me, let me know if it was good for you too. ;o)

Christmas Moon by Elizabeth Lane

Do you remember the movie 'Romancing the Stone'? Kathleen Turner was a romance novelist and the movie starts with a sequence of her narrating her latest book? Well, Christmas Moon reminded me of that book. Similes run rampant as do phrases like "The stallion-sized shaft jutting against her rump ..." (pg147)

The story is about a nine-months pregnant Emma Carlyle who crashes her car in a blizzard on Christmas Eve 2010. When she comes to, she makes her way to a nearby cabin and discovers she has arrived on Christmas Eve 1870. The cabin she has found belongs to legendary lawman, J D McNulty. What do you think happens next? You're right!! The story is totally predictable from here on.

BUT ... (yes, capital letters) I found this book so fun to read. There are a ridiculous amount of similes (as I have said) and numerous references to classic literature, and it just works. One of those books that makes you smile when you finish. It is silly and the plot has as many holes as a piece of swiss cheese, but I enjoyed every minute.

In my opinion, a book doesn't need to be Nobel Prize worthy to be a good book. Some books teach, some enlighten, some move us and drive us to make changes in our lives, and some just entertain. Christmas Moon entertained me and that has value.

Lunenburg Letters by Bobbi Lou Gray

Before I begin my review of this self published novel, you need to be aware of a HUGE caveat: The author happens to be a good friend of mine. She is one of the sweetest and most courageous women I know. So, what follows is an honest, fair review ... with a (hopefully) barely noticeable sprinkling of bias.

Bobbi Gray has written a saga of two families, friends for generations, who decide to emigrate to Canada. Most of the book is written in the form of letters exchanged between two characters who are star-crossed lovers. 

Lunenburg Letters is an ambitious debut novel. There are an, at times, overwhelming number of characters and sub-plots to keep interesting and active without confusing the reader. I'll admit there were times I got a little lost and had to search back in the book to figure out which family a character belonged to and where they were at that point in the story. For this reason, family trees and ship manifests added to the beginning of the book would have been helpful.

That said, from the first page of the book, I began to care for the characters and was drawn into the story. The history and setting were very well researched by the author and this came through in the writing. She managed to do an amazing job of giving each character his/her own distinct personality. There were times, through the middle of the novel, that I felt the narrative got somewhat sluggish but the bright beginning, and the storyline involving the young lovers, pulled me through the slower parts to a brilliant ending. The noticeable lack of contractions and use of formal English by the characters gave the feel of newly English speaking immigrants and their struggle to grasp the language. It also added to the feel of the times.

An interesting side note is that many of the characters have the names of actual people including the some of the author's own ancestors. However, the events are fictionalized. 
 
Realistically I would suggest an appropriate readership for Lunenburg Letters would range from about 12 years to adult.

This book is available for loan at the Strathcona County Library in the adult fiction section and also at Chapters in Sherwood Park.

Remarkable Creatures - Tracy Chevalier

I have been avoiding this book for months now. It keeps popping up and I keep popping it back down. Fossil hunting in the nineteenth century - what a dull subject for a novel, right? Wrong! When I finally could no longer avoid it, I thought I'd get it out of my system for good. Happily, it is one of those books that may just stay in my system for good. Reading a book that looks like it will be a real dud and instead discovering a literary gem helped me to empathize with Elizabeth and Mary and how they felt when they hammered open a dull rock and found a fossil inside.

Before reading this book (and I really suggest you do) you should know that the characters are not fictional. They lived and they were all a part of the scientific revolution that was occurring at the time. The author leaves us with a postscript explaining what is true and what is speculation. The joy of it is that it might all have happened just this way. We don't know.

While it is true that fossil hunting provides the background for everything else that happens in the book, and I am not very interested in fossils, I did find myself totally drawn to the other themes of the book. The attitudes toward women, and class differentials of the time, were stark and astounding. The friendship between the two women in the book, and how it was affected by the events and ideology of the day, was honestly portrayed and intriguing. But, for me, the attitudes of the common people and clergy in the face of astounding scientific discovery really made the book! How would you react in the face of scientific evidence that turns your entire world view on its ear? Could you find a way to interpret that 'evidence', grow and learn without having to question and redefine everything you believe to be true? Hard questions that the characters in the book are faced with and answer in their own way. It's interesting to realize that things we now take for granted were once the source of great upheaval. I love it when a book makes me look at something in a new way; makes me think of things in a new way. This book did that for me.