Tag: Historical

Pastime Pleasures #24 – The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

Posted January 9, 2015 by Charlotte in Pastime Pleasures / 4 Comments

Welcome to my feature, Pastime Pleasures, posted every other Friday. Today is the turn of The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman. Here I will look at books that have given me great pleasure in the past. These are books I can read over and over again. The only rule is that the book must have been published five or more years ago. Sally is sixteen, an orphan and for the time has had a most unusual education and upbringing. After her father drowns in suspicious circumstances in the south China sea, Sally finds herself in grave danger. And to make matters worse Sally only has one living relation, an extremely scornful aunt, and due to her father’s complicated will, her inheritance is a little less than what she was expecting. And then what is Sally meant to do with the anonymous misspelled note sent to her in the post. What on earth could “Sali beware of the seven blessings. Marchbanks will help chattum. Bware darling.” possibly mean? Sally is a resourceful, intelligent and independent person, who manges to […]

Review: The Crimson Ribbon by Katherine Clements

Posted December 2, 2014 by Charlotte in Reviews / 1 Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The Crimson Ribbon by Katherine Clements Published by Headline on March 27, 2014 Genres: Fiction, Historical Pages: 352 Format: Hardback Source: Publisher Buy on Amazon Goodreads England 1646. The Civil War is raging and society turned upside down. What should be a rare moment of blessing for the town of Ely takes a brutal turn and Ruth Flowers is left with little choice but to flee the household of Oliver Cromwell, the only home she has ever known. On the road to London, Ruth sparks an uneasy alliance with a deserting soldier, the battle-scarred and troubled Joseph. But when she reaches the city, it’s in the Poole household that she finds refuge. Lizzie Poole, beautiful and charismatic, enthrals the vulnerable Ruth, who binds herself inextricably to Lizzie’s world. But in these troubled times, Ruth is haunted by fears of her past catching up with her. And as Lizzie’s radical ideas escalate, Ruth […]

Review: Age of Iron by Angus Watson

Posted September 24, 2014 by Charlotte in Reviews / 0 Comments

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Age of Iron by Angus Watson Series: Iron Age #1 Published by Orbit on September 9, 2014 Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Pages: 520 Format: Paperback Source: Publisher Buy on Amazon Goodreads Legends aren’t born. They’re forged. Dug Sealskinner is a down-on-his-luck mercenary travelling south to join up with King Zadar’s army. But he keeps rescuing the wrong people. First, Spring, a child he finds scavenging on the battlefield, and then Lowa, one of Zadar’s most fearsome warriors, who’s vowed revenge on the king for her sister’s execution. Now Dug’s on the wrong side of that thousands-strong army he hoped to join - and worse, Zadar has bloodthirsty druid magic on his side. All Dug has is his war hammer, one rescued child and one unpredictable, highly-trained warrior with a lust for revenge that’s going to get them all killed . . . It’s a glorious day to die. On the very first […]

Guest Post: ‘A Spoiler-free Introduction to The String Diaries Sequel’ by Stephen Lloyd Jones, author of The String Diaries

Posted July 24, 2014 by Charlotte in Blog Tour, Guest Post / 0 Comments

Today I am delighted to be part of the Blog Tour for The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones. And to entice you I have a Spoiler-free introduction to The String Diaries Sequel. Promise! I loved reading The String Diaries (see my review) and I cannot recommend it enough! Don’t forget to visit other blog stops along the tour for other great content. Below Stephen explains what to expect of book two in the series which is out later this year! This article, perhaps miraculously, remains spoiler free, the story of The String Diaries and its sequel await your reading pleasure. With the paperback edition of The String Diaries only launching this summer – it may be out by the time you read this – I’m going to assume that you haven’t read it yet. (Please do, though. I’ll be enormously grateful.) That said, how do you write a teaser for a sequel, while avoiding spoilers? If I tell you anything about the characters who appear in the new book, you’ll know that they must have survived the last one. If I tell you much at all, in […]

Review: The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones

Posted July 23, 2014 by Charlotte in Reviews / 4 Comments

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones Series: The String Diaries #1 Published by Headline on July 17, 2014 Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Mystery, Thriller Pages: 419 Format: Paperback Source: Publisher Buy on Amazon Goodreads Selected for the Radio 2 Book Club. He has a face you love. A voice you trust. To survive you must kill him. The rules of survival are handed from mother to daughter. Inherited, like the curse that has stalked Hannah and her family across centuries. He changes his appearance at will, speaks with a stolen voice and hides behind the face of a beloved, waiting to strike. Generation after generation, he has destroyed them. And all they could do was to run. Until now. Now, it is time for Hannah to turn and fight. THE NEW NOVEL BY STEPHEN LLOYD JONES IS AVAILABLE NOW – THE SILENCED: A DARK AND GRIPPING THRILLER The String Diaries is […]

Escapades of a Bookworm

Books, Films and Random Thoughts

esbookworm