Review: Tsarina

Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC Kindle edition of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let's get the trigger warnings out of the way: this book gets rather graphic when it comes to sex (including rape and incest) and violence (including torture). Personally, I can tolerate this (mostly), but sensitive readers will have trouble with this one.

This book is a historical fiction that follows Catherine I from her lowly beginnings as Marta the serf to her becoming Catherine I, Tsarina of all the Russias. While, I did enjoy this book, there were times where it started to drag on an on about celebration after celebration and Peter the Great's insistence that everyone drink until he says so. The repetition started getting to me after a while.

I enjoyed the way the book was structured. You can almost see a movie while you are reading. The book opens with the death of Tsar Peter in 1725. The rest of the story is told almost through memory or flashbacks of sorts. Occasionally you are brought back to 1725 as the book progresses.

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Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are expecting this book to be attention grabbing and action packed like the trilogy, you will be disappointed. This book took on a more philosophical tone. It is the origin story of Coriolanus Snow and how the games turned into what they were during the trilogy. It examines human nature through Snow's point of view.

I do hope there are other origin stories such as Haymitch or a more detailed story of District 13 and what led to war.

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Review: Murder in Old Bombay

Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC Kindle edition of this book from NetGalley.

I do like a good murder mystery and have not read a page turner in quite some time. The more you read this book, the more hooked you will become.

I enjoyed the time period and setting of India in the 1890's. After watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and reading this book, I would really love to travel to India some day.

The one thing I did not like about this book was Diana's character. At no point in this story could I get myself to like her. The more I got through the book, the more I wished she had less of a part in the story.

I still give this story 4 stars because I did enjoy the story overall.

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Review: Murder on Cape Cod

Murder on Cape Cod by Maddie Day
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I won a paper copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway; however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we were given the option of an e-book copy until the publisher is able to send out the paper copies. I am reviewing an e-book copy of this book.

Sometimes, I just need a book that does not require brain cells or critical thinking to process. Especially after reading a couple in a row that were rather heavy ready. With that being said, I was really looking forward to this book. On the one hand, that's what I loved about this book. On the other hand, it is also the reason I did not like the book as much as I wanted to.

Even with "stay-at-home" orders in place, I have not done a lot of reading (sadly, for reasons unknown). I was really looking forward to having a break and reading a pager turner, but one that I did not have to sit and think about for an hour to get it.

I do not know if it is because I have been distracted during COVID, but this book was somewhat putdownable and not the page turner I was looking for. I would still read the second book just to see if it picks up now that the character introductions (and some development) have happened.

There are a couple recipes at the end. They sound great and I am interested in trying them!

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Review: This Eternity of Masks and Shadows

This Eternity of Masks and Shadows by Karsten Knight
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gods and goddesses of multiple pantheons are living among the mortals in Boston, but mystery surrounds the systematic murders of them.

This was not the page turner I was hoping for, but it was still a great story. A slow start, but a big bang by the end. Being born and raised in Rhode Island, I really appreciated the Boston references. For example, the aquarium. Had I not been there, I would have had a hard time picturing the scene. It is the only aquarium I can recall ever seeing a cylindrical tank with the ramp circling it. I loved the twists this book had as well.

If you like books like The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky where mythologies/folklore meet, you will like this one too.

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Review: Westside Saints

Westside Saints by W.M. Akers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC through a Goodreads Giveaway.

Is resurrection possible? According to the Byrd family preachers it is. When Gilda Carr’s dead mother walks through the door, she goes on a mission to find out how it is possible.

The book is somewhat slow paced. The book’s twist comes from nowhere, really. It was not even on my radar. I was somewhat disappointed because it was almost like a (somewhat) plausible explanation was needed, so this particular explanation was picked out of a hat and put into the story. I had to read it twice to make sure I read it correctly. Once I got over that disappointment and kept reading, I was pleasantly surprised with how well it was weaved into the story.

I have not read book 1 of this series, but I am putting on my TBR list. There are references to the previous book, but this can be read as a standalone without being confused.

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Review: The City of Tears

The City of Tears by Kate Mosse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a advanced reader copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.

The Burning Chambers series is a historical fiction series based on the Wars of Religion in France and Amsterdam. The series is supposed to span three centuries. So far, only the prologues have taken place in the 1800s. Book 1, The Burning Chambers covers a ten-year period 1562 – 1572. Book 2 picks up where Book 1’s epilogue left off in 1572 beginning with the Royal wedding of Henry de Navarre and spans to 1594. While you could probably read this as a standalone book, I do not recommend it. You will need the character development and background of Book 1 to understand the references in Book 2.

This book was slow to start, but turned into an emotional roller coaster. The further along into the book, the more I read in a sitting. I think I read the last 60% in 2 sittings. While the story itself was decent, the prologues of both books are keeping me going in this series. There is a lot of mystery surrounding them and I cannot wait to see how the series will circle back.

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