Emmie and the Tudor Queen review

 

Emmie and the Tudor Queen is the stunning sequel to 2019, Emmie and the Tudor King. The latter was one of my favourite reads of last year and I was excited to fall back into the same world and immerse myself with the characters I’d come to love. It did not disappoint as it integrated another one of my favourite things, history and in particular, Tudor history! If you haven’t read the first book you may want to stop here, or if you are happy with some mild spoilers, feel free to read on!

The book starts where the last one finished up, with Emmie deciding she wants to live in the 16^th Century with Nick and leave her old life behind. She is announced as the future queen and there is still a strong sense of scepticism about who she is and where she has come from. While there is a lot of other problems within the inner circle going on throughout the course of the book, the key part of the plot is Emmie ultimately deciding if the 16^th Century is really worth it or if she should return to the 21^st Century to be with her parents.

My favourite part of sequels is the opportunity we are provided with to reconnect with the characters we came to love in first instalments. It was great to see the character development of the main characters, Emmie and Nick, and how they started to approach problems they were faced with in a different way. Emmie’s resilience really shone through in this book and there were numerous times where I thought she would give up but she persevered. I also really enjoyed some of the side characters and felt they added so much to the experience. Alice Grey and Francis were highlights, whose development grew so much in this book and it was nice to see the chemistry grew between them.

It was certainly a fast-paced book which wasn’t too long, and kept me engaged throughout. There was always some form of drama unfolding which needed to be dealt with, whether it being Emmie and Nick’s difficult decision to make about where to live, Alice and Francis’ relationship which was very entertaining and overall, Emmie’s dilemma which was the key focus of the text. Something that really stood out and I felt worked really well was the shifting back and forth in time between the 21^st Century and 16^th Century. In this book, it happened more often and each time Emmie went home, she was more torn about whether to stay or whether to leave again to be with Nick. I also loved the dynamic between her and her mum which started off a bit hostile but grew throughout the pages as she came to understand the situation (however unreal it may have seemed!)

As a lover of historical fiction and someone who is, admittedly, becoming fonder of romance as she grows older, I thoroughly enjoyed the wild ride that Emmie and the Tudor King took me on. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will grow to love the characters who each bear their own strengths and weaknesses. Definitely excited if there is a sequel! 

Emmie and the Tudor Queen is available now in Australia/US! Thank you to the author, Natalie Murray, for providing me with a copy for review! 

I rated this book: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Where We Begin review

 

Where we Begin is a unique, coming of age novel which has the reader hanging on until the final pages. While marketed as a YA contemporary, it includes some mature themes which would be targeted for older young adult readers and adults. It is a book which includes elements of a variety of genres including mystery, romance and part thriller while the key theme identified is the emphasis of family.

In the book, we follow seventeen-year-old Anna. She is unhappy with her home life as her dad works overseas, there is tension with her mum, her mum also dislikes her choice of boyfriend due to his race and she is overall, very stressed. She packs her things and runs away in the night, to her estranged grandparents house in Central Victoria. She thinks the move will help her work out her feelings, but with two people she hasn’t met before who are acting very strangely, will it bring up ghosts from the past?

I devoured this book in a couple of days. Hooked from the first page and drawn into Anna’s very intense life, I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going on. From the first chapter, it was clear that there was more going on but as we read on, more information is disclosed and clues are dropped. The plot was fast moving, even while Anna was living with Bette and Hessel, and continued to throw things at Anna until the end of the book. I loved the mystery and how it was evident there was something sinister going on in the small town. and This kept me guessing until the conclusion. I don’t want to go into detail because it would be a bit spoilery but there are certainly some family twists and turns! As a frequent reader of mysteries and thrillers I may have caught on to the twist but it still packed a punch.

The highlight of the book for me were the characters. Every single character had strong, distinct characteristics which set them aside from the others. All too often main characters in contemporary books seem to melt into one another and appear the same but not in this one. Anna is a fearless, determined young woman who is seeking answers about her mother’s mysterious past life and won’t let anyone get in her way. Bette and Hessel, the unusual grandparents who have been absent from Anna’s life but the reader is unsure as to why. A stand out character for me was Basil. From his first appearance, he was an instantly likeable larrikin who lit up the room. He was very well written as his enthusiasm and care towards others spanned throughout the entire book. Despite them only just meeting, Basil and Anna struck up an instant friendship which felt authentic. Another character who wasn’t featured much but had a strong impact was Cathy, Anna’s mum. Cathy and Anna had a complex relationship which was fleshed out as the plot progressed and it was nice to see by the conclusion, they were each able to identify their mistakes and begin to move on.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book in its entirety. The descriptions of setting were vivid throughout, making the reader feel like they had stepped out in Central Victoria. The plot was well thought out and the flashbacks provided further context to the issues in the present day. Nieman has approached some serious issues in a sensitive manner and considered scenarios which could be based on true events. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read about the key themes of family, belonging with some mystery intertwined.

Where we Begin is released on the 25^th of August. Thank you to Macmillan for providing me with a copy for review.

I rated this book: 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review: You Were Made For Me by Jenna Guillaume

You Were Made For Me is a fluffy, contemporary YA novel that leaves the reader in a ‘feel good’ mood. Contemporaries are some of my favourite reads as they confront realistic issues which are present for many teenagers and adults alike. Something else that is great is that it is written by a Love Oz Ya author!

The book is focused on main character Katie and her dream of having her first kiss and a dream boyfriend. She is seventeen years old and embarrassed that unlike her best friend, she’s never had a love interest and feels like she needs to change this. One day, she and her best friend magically make her dream boat character and the rest of the book deals with the implications of this.

When I first came across this book, the plot instantly intrigued me. A girl creating her perfect boyfriend? It seems like something every woman would be interested in and I couldn’t wait to read it to see one, how it happened and two, what the issues arising might be. I wasn’t disappointed. It is a short book but one which the reader will fly through as it keeps you engaged, from start to finish. While it addresses somewhat similar issues to contemporary YA novels, it adds an extra element by having a character developed out of basically nothing. It was interesting seeing the dynamic between the characters change once this addition was introduced and how Katie and her friends attempted to hide him from their families (quite unsuccessfully!)

The characters in this book each differed significantly and their own traits were very distinct unlike some other YA reads. I liked how Katie and her friends were not part of the popular clique and were the ones trying their hardest to fit in as we got to witness their struggles and later, triumphs. Theo was probably my favourite character in the book; he remained the realist throughout and just wanted to help Katie, Libby and Guy rather than trying to shift the focus to himself. He is so selfless despite losing him mum previously to illness and being a bit of a forgotten soul in his family. Guy was one character that I struggled to get into. He was essentially a long lost Hemsworth brother as described by Katie and as he was ‘perfect’, had very robotic tendencies. He wanted to be everything Katie was, hanging out with her 24/7. I feel he may have needed some more depth but I think the author was going for these characteristics to make him appear needy so Katie would realise that being perfect, isn’t actually a reality. It also allowed her to eventually see that her crush at high school, Declan Bell-Jones, was an absolute waste of time!

One thing I did find I struggled with was some of the writing. The writing felt quite juvenile, aimed at characters aged in their early teens rather than late teens. This was evident as main character Katie appeared overly dramatic which seems to be a characteristic of younger protagonists. She was referring to kissing a boy as being a milestone moment for her whilst many other young adult books grapple with other issues at this age. I was intrigued that within scenes similar to this that there would be a random outburst regarding sex or something more mature, which seemed out of place considering the rest of the plot. The characters just needed to appear a bit older than they were portrayed to make it seem more realistic for the age group.

A real stand out and the focus of the book would be the themes which were addressed throughout. The overarching theme was that being perfect isn’t really all that it’s perked up to be and friendships trump relationships every time! I applaud the author for also including a diversity including a Filipina-Australian, referencing asexual and aromantic and also considering characters who were not the stereotypical size small. These are things which are starting to be more commonly found in young adult books and it is great to see more people being represented!

Overall, I found this a great, easy read which read quite similarly to a rom-com. It was fun, had a wide cast of characters who you either loved or hated and kept me turning the page to see what happened next! I’d highly recommend to anyone wanting something lighter to read to raise their spirits.

3 and a half stars

Thank you to MacMillan for providing me with a copy for review

You Were Made For Me by Jenna Guillaume is released in Australia on the 11^th of August!

Music From Another World review

Welcome to July and to another book review from me! 

Music from Another World is a beautifully written and heartfelt novel which deals with some diverse issues in a different time period. While it is ultimately classed as YA historical fiction, it feels more like a contemporary novel which delves into 1970s America and follows the two protagonists as they fight for causes close to their hearts. At times it made me smile, laugh and cry all in one!

The book follows Tammy, a closeted lesbian from Orange County and Sharon, a girl just trying to find her place in a hyped up San Francisco and their journey as pen pals over a year long period. Both girls attend highly religious Christian schools and are working towards supporting the LGBTQI scene, but attempting to conceal it so that they are not punished by their families. At this time, the LGBTQI scene was only starting to emerge and this is evident throughout the book as the girls come to terms with what it means to support the cause and how it may impact their lives forever.

First up, I need to rave about how this book was formatted. It was written as a series of letters, between both Tammy and Sharon and their own personal letters that they wrote in their diaries. It gives the story a personal touch as you get an insight into how they were feeling and wanted to approach different situations they were confronted with. In these letters, they also went into detail about things that they were doing and how they unfolded which other books written in this way tend to neglect. I also liked how there were gaps of time in the plot. While there were a couple of months missing at various points, the narrative still plodded along and it was easy to decipher what had happened during this time without missing knowledge.  

Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed were the characters. While the plot of the book was extremely engaging, the characters really made this book. I loved reading from the perspectives of both Tammy and Sharon: Tammy who wanted to reveal herself to her family but was too afraid of how they would judge her and Sharon who wanted all LGBTQI people to be equally treated and respected within society. Both of these girls were genuine, had flaws and faced issues which were representative of the time in history. Despite the hardships that they faced, I loved how they remained true to themselves right the way through. Another character that really made the book was Tammy’s aunt. While depicted as the ‘villain’, I felt that Aunt Mandy added an extra element to the book. She was nasty, she was manipulative while putting on a façade and having her as a close contact as Tammy made it even more realistic- I am sure that there were situations like this that have arisen throughout history as families attempt to oust family members because they may not conform. Sharon’s brother was also a favourite as he was the only one that she could rely on to be honest with her.

The diversity in this book is what made it such a great read for me. While I have read a number of books with gay main characters (namely Simon Vs, Autoboyography), I had never read a book featuring lesbian main characters. I feel like there may not be as many books featuring female-female relationships but am hopeful that more will be featured/more well known in times to come! I also really enjoyed the contrast between the Christian characters and those hoping to break free from the constraints.

Overall, a very informative and enjoyable read with some strong themes throughout! I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting a quick read with a strong message at the forefront.

Rating: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Harlequin for providing me with a copy of the book for review. Music from another world is available for purchase in Australia now! 

Review: Precious You

Precious You is a psychological thriller like you’ve never read before. From debut author Helen Monks Takhar, we read the narrative from the perspective of the master and the apprentice, the woman who is trying to extend her career and the young woman who is trying to sabotage it. As the story goes on, the plot becomes more intense and things you never imagined begin to occur, which makes it a page turning nail biter.

The book starts out by introducing Katherine, a 40 something magazine executive from London. She is having trouble with her love life as she feels disconnected to her partner, she is struggling in her job and her boss gives her a new intern to assist (who just happens to be the boss’s niece!) To make matters worse, this intern begins to manipulate Katherine and over time, the situation deepens to unimaginable lengths. The relationship between these two characters is the primary focus for the narrative and what they do to try and get back at each other in the process.

I read this book relatively quickly. Psychological thrillers, while I enjoy them, are not books I reach for regularly. I’m not sure why this is the case as I thoroughly enjoy them and trying to work out what it happening throughout the course of the novel. The pacing is consistent throughout, with many twists and turns. Once Katherine thinks she has the evidence, once again it is not in her favour. It did become painful throughout the book to see Katherine be pinned for everything as Lily appeared to be so awful but it made the reader think, over the course of the entire book, what is the actual reason behind this? Which I won’t go into as SPOILERS, but it made for an interesting finale!

For a debut thriller novel, the characters were written incredibly well. They were not supposed to be likeable, and I couldn’t stand any of them by the conclusion of the book. Each character had their flaws and these were evident from the outset and played upon throughout the book. Katherine was anxious, Lily liked control and Iain was naïve: these traits were perfectly woven throughout the narrative. It was also great to have the book told in first person, through the perspectives of both key main characters. It allows the reader to get into the head of both characters who are plotting against each other and see why they are thinking in this way. The side characters in this book are also fascinating. While we don’t directly hear from them, they are all very easy targets who have a tendency to be walked over without realising. I couldn’t stand Gemma, the boss of the magazine firm, while she claims to be the head of the business, she allows her niece who has just started there to begin to make all the executive decisions. Does that sound brainwashed or what? By having her like this, it made the rest of the story flow well.

My favourite part of the book was the constant mystery. You couldn’t predict what was going to happen with radical changes at every turn. By having it this way, it made the reader want to see what was going to happen next.

Overall, this was an intense ride and a book I’d recommend to those who love a good psychological thriller!

Precious You is available for purchase in Australia now from where books are sold!

Thank you to Harlequin for providing me with a copy for review!

The Sin Eater Review

As a historical fiction lover, I was thoroughly looking forward to sinking my teeth into The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi. A beautiful cover with very little explanation for it was about. While the blurb gives little information,

An old adage says that there are really only two stories: a man goes on a voyage, and a stranger arrives in town. This is the third: a woman breaks the rules

I was intrigued to read on to find what the book was about. The book is set in the 16^th Century and focuses on the main character, May, who commits a minor crime and pays for it with significant consequences. She becomes the titular character, a sin eater, someone who people call for when a loved one is dying and she takes on board all of their sins as her own. It also involves food, as particular foods represent particular sins and then there is a feast afterwards where the sin eater will eat these foods in the presence of the deceased person. It’s all very strange and reminded me somewhat of a dystopian world where women are viewed as inferior and given this job to repay for their sins.

I loved the idea of this book, something completely different for the genre of historical fiction. I was fascinated by the relation of sins to different items of food, the role of the sin eater and wondered while this was fictional, if something similar was around in the medieval times. The portrayal of the main character of a sin eater was a wise choice too. All too often, the main character of a book would be someone who would be confronted with a character like this but it was eye opening to read through May’s perspective. She went through so many changes at such a young age but approached them with grit and determination. She was really the only character in the book that you really got to know. The other characters were all minor and many were not even referred to by their first names. I was a little confused by the nicknames of the characters living in the castle and they seemed to blur into one. I was not able to identify anything about them and feel it would have been beneficial to know more about them to engage more with the plot.

Another crucial aspect of the plot was the mystery. I love reading about mysteries and trying to decipher who did what, it really draws my interest to a book and makes me want to keep reading. The mystery in this book started off well, trying to work out who committed the crimes by using clues. By the end of the book, it got a little strange and even once it was solved, I found myself very confused as to what actually occurred and ‘who dunnit’. Again, this may have been due to my lack of connection to these other characters and forgetting who was who.

My favourite part of this book would be the writing. It is woven together beautifully, the author carefully considering the language to use to make it feel authentic to the time period. While I may not have been completely engaged with the plot and the characters, it was the writing that kept me reading on. I admire the way that Campisi created the character of May and how she built her up over time: from a fragile young girl who seemed frightened and lost, to a strong, determined and capable young woman who had to grow up almost overnight. She had to face such hardships but would not let others get her down.

I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction that is a little bit different, with dark undertones. It is an interesting book that makes the reader think about life through a different lens.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for providing me with a copy to read and review! The Sin Eater is available for purchase now in Australia, in stores and online!

Review: Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian

Ember Queen is the final installation in the Ash Princess trilogy, where we follow Theodosia and her journey towards reclaiming her country which was taken away from her and her family. It is a conclusion of epic proportion that emphasises the justice that should prevail. As this is the final book in the series, there will be spoilers for previous books so if you have not read Ash Princess or Lady Smoke and you do not want spoilers, maybe avoid reading until you catch up! Or if you love spoilers, read along!

The synopsis:

Princess Theodosia was a prisoner in her own country for a decade. Renamed the Ash Princess, she endured relentless abuse and ridicule from the Kaiser and his court. But thought she wore a crown of ashes, there was fire in Theo’s blood. As the rightful heir to the Astrean crown, it runs in her veins. And if she learned nothing else from her mother, she learned that a Queen never cowers. Now with a misfit army of rebels to back her, Theo must liberate her enslaved people and face a terrifying new enemy; the new Kaiserin. Imbued with a magic no one understands, the Kaiserin is determined to burn down anyone and everyone in her way. Theo must learn to embrace her own power if she has any hope of standing against the girl she once called her heart’s sister.

I came into this book with high expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the series and with the (semi) cliff hanger at the conclusion of Lady Smoke, was determined to see Theo finally rise to power. This book ultimately builds up to the final hurrah where we see Theo and her allies working towards their goal of regaining the power that was taken from them years ago. This has been the focus for Theo since the beginning of book one so to become so close to the goal in this book creates an air of anticipation. The plot is well paced throughout as it builds gradually before reaching the climax in the ‘final battle’ between Theo and the Kaiserin. While many books rush to get to this point, Sebastian successfully builds the excitement and anticipation as many other things are happening in the background. I loved the inclusion of each of the leaders being immersed in each other’s dreams and how while they thought they were safe during this ‘down time’, they eventually discovered they were susceptible to injury.

Another aspect of the book which I really enjoyed and think stood out from other fantasy books, was the magic system. While it has been included in the other two books in the series, I feel like it really made a huge impact in this final installation. The different powers and the impact of characters, including Theo, going into the mines gave them powers beyond their control. I thought it was great that they also freed all the prisoners in the mines too as they could have just kept them there to work for them so that Theo and co could have an even greater hold of power. I admired the way that the characters came to terms with their powers and aimed to use them for the greater good, especially Blaise. Throughout the series he struggled with his strength but in this book, he finally sees how it can contribute in a positive way. The friendship that builds throughout the series feels so authentic and it is great to see that even though Theo and the others are so different, that they can come together to fight for the greater good. Art was a personal favourite of mine and it was wonderful to see her grow over the trilogy and reach her potential despite several setbacks.

I feel like the conclusion of Ember Queen was what the readers were hoping for but it was not without heart ache. It was certainly an epic ending which gave justice to the storyline we have been working towards since the beginning. Like all great fantasy books, it was not without some plot twists which threw what we were expecting out the door. I was on the edge of my seat and finished the second half of the book in one sitting as I couldn’t wait to read what was going to happen next. 

Overall, a wonderful fantasy series that focuses on a strong female protagonist and her hoping to reach the justice that she deserves for herself and her family.

I rated this book: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian is available to purchase in Australian bookstores and other shops where books are sold from today

Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy to review!