Archangel's Prophecy

Archangel's Prophecy- Nalini Singh
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: October 30, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind—and now they are failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill. 

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering across the world. In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.
 
This time, survival may not be possible…not even for the consort of an archangel.

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Elena Deveraux.  Vampire Hunter. Hunter born.  Bad-ass fighter. Archangel's Consort.  The first mortal to become angel-made.  Elena has grown into her role as all of these things over the course of the Guild Hunters series.  But now she is regressing into a mortal and no-one, angel or vampire, can figure out why.  With the world still shaken from the effects of the Cascade and the madness of Lijuan fresh in everyone's memory, everyone is jumping at the smallest strangeness.  Sudden lava pits, a strange set of murders, and ghost owls only Elena can see take things to a whole new level of Cascade-Weirdness.  Elena and Raphael must try to change destiny and protect their friends and their world or an ancient prophecy will come true- and Elena may not survive it.

Like most of the Guild Hunters series, (Archangel's Viper) Archangel's Prophecy does a good job of walking the fine line between personal problems and relationships and world-shattering change and clashes of archangels.  And Elena is, as always, the heart of the series.  Her view guides readers through the harsh world of immortals while at the same time reminding many immortals of their own capacity for kindness and wonder.  And she does her best to always remember (and remind others) that what is most important in the world, whether you are human or immortal, is love, friendship, and family.  So it is really no surprise that even when her own world seems to be crashing down around her, what she focuses on is a sudden threat to her sister and niece.  And it is a testament to Raphael's love and understanding that he doesn't try to wrap Elena up and hide her safely somewhere, but supports her hunt for a murderer even when she is at her weakest.  Elena and Raphael remind me a lot of Eve and Roarke in J.D. Robb's In Death series.  They may view the world very differently at times, and have come to the same place in very different ways, but despite the occasional fight, they are a perfect partnership.  Supportive, wildly in love when they thought it wasn't possible, they compliment and anchor each other perfectly. 

It's hard to talk too much about Prophecy without giving away too many spoilers.  But it is another example of Nalini Singh's wonderful writing genius: emotional, compelling, fast-paced, edge of your seat action, with just the right amount of humor and softer moments mixed throughout.  Readers new to the series would probably do best to read some of the earlier books first to get the most out of Prophecy and long-time series readers won't be able to put it down!  Just be aware that it ends with the biggest cliff-hanger Singh has ever given us and will leave you begging for the next book to find out what happens!

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

Bartered Brides

The Bartered Brides (Elemental Masters)- Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books/Penguin Group
Release Date: October 16, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: The threat of Moriarty is gone—but so is Sherlock Holmes.

Even as they mourn the loss of their colleague, psychic Nan Killian, medium Sarah Lyon-White, and Elemental Masters John and Mary Watson must be vigilant, for members of Moriarty’s network are still at large. And their troubles are far from over: in a matter of weeks, two headless bodies of young brides wash up in major waterways. A couple who fears for their own recently-wedded daughter hires the group to investigate, but with each new body, the mystery only deepens. 

The more bodies emerge, the more the gang suspects that there is dangerous magic at work, and that Moriarty’s associates are somehow involved. But as they race against the clock to uncover the killer, it will take all their talents, Magic, and Psychic Powers—and perhaps some help from a dearly departed friend—to bring the murderer to justice.

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Returning to the world of Elemental Magicians, psychics, and Sherlock Holmes, The Bartered Brides takes the series to its next logical step: what if Professor Moriarty had a necromancer in his organization and, after Reichenbach Falls, that necromancer tried to bring Moriarty back in a new body?  With Holmes in hiding to keep up the presence of being dead so he can track down remaining members of Moriarty's crew, it is up to the Watsons, Nan Killian, Sarah Lyon-White, the parrot Grey and the raven Neville to deal with a case Sherlock wouldn't be able to handle anyway.  But can they track down the villain who is murdering innocent girls to power seriously dark magic before he can bring the Napoleon of Crime back from the dead?

The idea behind The Bartered Brides is a classic, and fits perfectly into Lackey's Elemental/Holmes universe.  It also provides a good showcase for John and Mary Watson, who get overshadowed in the more 'traditional' Holmes world.  As Elemental Masters, John and Mary have always worked to deal with the cases Holmes couldn't, and to try to provide magical insight when his own cases seemed to need it.  Here they are recognized as powerful Masters in their elements, willing to take risks when needed and devoted to hunting down the man responsible for headless corpses turning up in the Thames.  Brides in particular also celebrates the close bond between them.

While John and Mary shine here, Nan and Sarah- the theoretical heroines of the series- fade a bit.  Unless they are using their particular talents (Nan as a mind reader, Sarah a medium) the two girls are pretty interchangeable in Brides.  They think the same way, act the same way, plot the same way, and half of the time I could only remember who was who because of the birds.  As brave and dedicated as all the heroes were, Brides pretty much stars the necromancer Spencer.  Our heroes chase leads and dead ends while Spencer gets all the action.  The reader is horrified by what Spencer is doing, and cheers his (eventual) failure, but he is still the stand out in the book.  I spent most of the book waiting for something to happen.  Which was also what our heroes were doing for most of the book.  With what seemed to me a rather uncharacteristically hurried ending, I didn't feel like I got quite the payoff I was hoping for.

Unlike Lackey's earlier books (The Black Gryphon for example) Brides spends most of its time wandering.  Loosely written, with largely mediocre and forgettable characters (although I greatly enjoyed meeting Caro!), this was not one of Lackey's best efforts.  Devoted Mercedes Lackey fans will be willing to spend an afternoon with these familiar characters and in this familiar world, but I wouldn't recommend it as a starting point for those new to the works of a usually stellar author.

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

Napoleon

Napoleon: A Life- Adam Zamoyski
Basic Books/ Hachette
Release Date: October 16, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: "What a novel my life has been!" Napoleon once said of himself. Born into a poor family, the callow young man was, by twenty-six, an army general. Seduced by an older woman, his marriage transformed him into a galvanizing military commander. The Pope crowned him as Emperor of the French when he was only thirty-five. Within a few years, he became the effective master of Europe, his power unparalleled in modern history. His downfall was no less dramatic.

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Napoleon Bonaparte is one of those larger than life figures who becomes a myth, a hero, and a villain, and in the process the true human being often disappears.  In Napoleon: A Life Adam Zamoyski works to discover the man behind the legend.  Zamoyski works to place Napoleon in the context of his time period, both politically and philosophically. He works to explain the occasionally unexplainable mindset of the French Revolution and French Republic so that readers can understand how ready France was to accept someone like Napoleon as their leader.  

Zamoskyi warns readers in his introduction that he examines the military aspects of Napoleon's life only as he feels they effected his political and personal situation.  This leads to an uneven study of the military aspect of Napoleon, heavily emphasized in the beginning and much less so by the 1812 campaigns in Russia.  Waterloo receives barely a page and a half.  But since these are well researched and frequently written about in other books, I think the unevenness worked in the book's favor.  More is certainly known about those times than about Napoleon's family, his work on restoring France, or his behavior to enemies and colleagues.  

Here we discover Napoleon's formative years on Corsica and his work to define his life on his own terms.  Corsican traditions emphasized family above all and Napoleon followed this throughout his life- while his brothers and sisters only considered family when it benefitted them directly.  Napoleon was a man who grew up despising the idea of love, only to fall head over heels in love with Josephine- who I also learned far more about in this book than I had ever known before!  He was not a man who was comfortable delegating authority, which became a serious problem when he was on campaign and trying to run an empire. Even when he wanted peace, he felt his only true claim to the throne of France was as a general. 

A well-written and well researched book, Zampyshki's Napoleon delves behind the myths to get as close to the man as possible.  Neither a saint nor a demon, Napoleon is instead presented as a man with both genius and faults, who retained until the end of his life an incredible charisma that caused men to devote their lives to his star, even when it seemed hopeless.  Which is perhaps a large part of why he is still so fascinating today.

An excellent biography for those interested in learning more about French history and the Napoleonic Wars, as well as the self-made man behind the legend.

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

Ravenmaster

The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London- Christopher Skaife
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: October 2, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: The ravens at the Tower of London are of mighty importance: rumor has it that if a raven from the Tower should ever leave, the city will fall. 

The title of Ravenmaster, therefore, is a serious title indeed, and after decades of serving the Queen, Yeoman Warder Christopher Skaife took on the added responsibility of caring for the infamous ravens. In The Ravenmaster, he lets us in on his life as he feeds his birds raw meat and biscuits soaked in blood, buys their food at Smithfield Market, and ensures that these unusual, misunderstood, and utterly brilliant corvids are healthy, happy, and ready to captivate the four million tourists who flock to the Tower every year.

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In The Ravenmaster, we have the first behind-the-scenes, insider story of what it's like being the Ravenmaster at the Tower of London. I follow Skaife on social media and have been looking forward to reading this book for a long time- and it does not disappoint!  Ravenmaster Christopher Skaife generously shares his successes and learning experiences, triumphs and tragedies, and gives readers a glimpse into his life caring for some of the most famous ravens in the world. He tells us the Story of the Tower as if giving us a tour of the grounds: its history, famous residents and prisoners, and woven throughout are stories of the ravens. Ravens past and present, their personalities and habits, and his relationship with each one of them.

Throughout this fast-paced, witty  and enthralling account, Skaife's love for the ravens comes through loud and clear.  It is clear that you need not only to think like a raven to succeed in this job, but always need your sense of humor about you! By the end, the reader not only has a delightful glimpse into his life, but the lives of his feathered friends as well.  Skaife is a natural storyteller, and reading The Ravenmaster is like he is sitting down with you over a drink and telling you about the latest exploits of Merlina and her cohorts.

An absolute must-read for history-lovers, Anglophiles, and animals lovers, make sure to clear a few hours for yourself when you sit down with The Ravenmaster, because once you start you won't be able to put it down!

Behind the Throne

Behind the Throne: A Domestic History of the British Royal Household- Adrian Tinniswood
Basic Books/Hachette
Release Date: October 2, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: In Behind the Throne, historian Adrian Tinniswood uncovers the reality of five centuries of life at the English court, taking the reader on a remarkable journey from one Queen Elizabeth to another and exploring life as it was lived by clerks and courtiers and clowns and crowned heads: the power struggles and petty rivalries, the tension between duty and desire, the practicalities of cooking dinner for thousands and of ensuring the king always won when he played a game of tennis.

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Adrian Tinniswood's Behind the Throne explores the lives of English royalty from Queen Elizabeth I to Queen Elizabeth II through the eyes of those who served them.  In a light, conversational style of writing, Tinniswood examines how costly Elizabeth I's 'visiting' her nobility was and the incredible lengths nobles needed to go in order to house and entertain her- not only in a way fit for royalty, but also in a way fit to recommend them to Elizabeth the next time she had a gift to bestow.  It is hard to imagine the number of residences that have come and gone during this time period, and what one royal thought of as the best of all houses the next might hate and ignore.

Much of the book looks at the inevitable balancing act of how a king (or queen) should be seen to live like royalty, while at the same time trying (or not) to keep in some kind of budget.  Throne has an uneven amount of behind the scenes stories to tell, and often instead of newly discovered research into the daily life of English royalty and those who serve them, we read the same stories we've heard in any history.  While I didn't learn anything new about the Prince Regent (George IV)'s living habits, there were many good glimpses behind how Elizabeth I and King James I lived.  George V and the more modern royals become more known and accessible and we see the harbingers of the modern day paparazzi and the new balancing act between private lives and what the public wants to know.

From what has changed to what hasn't, Behind the Throne gives an entertaining, and highly readable, account of 500 years of history and the lives of English royalty and those who surround them.  A good read for history lovers and those who think they don't like history, but always enjoy a good bit of royal gossip.

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

Dracul

Dracul- Dacre Stoker & JD Barker
G.P. Punam's Sons/ Penguin Group
Release Date: October 2, 2018

Rating:
📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead

Synopsis: It is 1868, and a twenty-one-year-old Bram Stoker waits in a desolate tower to face an indescribable evil. Armed only with crucifixes, holy water, and a rifle, he prays to survive a single night, the longest of his life. Desperate to record what he has witnessed, Bram scribbles down the events that led him here...

A sickly child, Bram spent his early days bedridden in his parents' Dublin home, tended to by his caretaker, a young woman named Ellen Crone. When a string of strange deaths occur in a nearby town, Bram and his sister Matilda detect a pattern of bizarre behavior by Ellen—a mystery that deepens chillingly until Ellen vanishes suddenly from their lives. Years later, Matilda returns from studying in Paris to tell Bram the news that she has seen Ellen—and that the nightmare they've thought long ended is only beginning.

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A young and sickly child, Bram Stoker is cared for by his sister Matilda and nurse, a young woman named Ellen Crone.  While Bram and Matilda love "Nanna Ellen" they are not blind to certain oddities about her- they never see her eat, she disappears for days at a time, and is the one who miraculously cures Bram when family doctors and modern medicine fail.  Once grown, Bram tries to forget the mysterious Ellen and the terrifying things he and Matilda saw, but when Matilda sees Ellen- looking exactly as she did twenty years ago- they know they won't be allowed to forget.  

The narrative of Dracul, like its' inspiration, Bram Stoker's Dracula, is told through multiple viewpoints. Through the journals of Bram and his brother Thornley, through Matilda's letters, we see events unfold.  These are interspersed with short "now' moments: Bram trapped in a tower, with something evil trapped on the other side of a door.  It takes until there are about 100 pages left in the book before the "past" catches up to "now" and we find out why Bram is in the tower and what is going on. 

The first two-thirds of Dracul focused on trying to building up suspense. While is shorter bursts this works, I have to admit that more than 300 pages of it seriously lowered my feelings of suspense, instead making me feel like I was being dragged through the book.  Is it Ellen who's threatening the Stoker family, or the mysterious, tall, dark stranger? What exactly are they being threatened with?  Who's on the other side of the door in Bram's tower? While the writing is clever enough to keep us guessing, I would have found the build up of suspense more satisfying if these questions had been answered earlier.  Instead it felt like an interminable build up that I was getting more bored by than anything else.  I also found the "now" writing- a present tense "he is doing this and seeing that" style- to be one I particularly detest (though that may be solely my own problem and not one that bothers other readers).

The last 100 or so pages of Dracul do make up for the crawling pace of the rest of the book.  Once we are finally in the "now" time and all the pieces are put together for us by Ellen, things start racing.  Hoping to outrace the evil Dracul, the Stokers and their convenient ally who just happens to know all about vampires travel to Germany.  Now suspense pays off and I found myself interested to know what would happen next.  By the very last page you are left with the rather creepy and confused questions of how much was fiction and how much fact in this version of Bram Stoker's life- a clever ploy by the authors to leave you thinking about Dracul long after you've finished the book.

Advertised as a prequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula, Dracula himself plays little part in the book and no additional questions about him are answered.  This is not his origin story but more a fictionalized origin story of how Stoker came up with the idea fo the book.  With the idea that this fictional 'biography' is the true story behind Dracula, readers will see plenty of parallels between the original book and this one.  The characters themselves, despite telling the story in their own words, are flat and one-dimensional; the writing style usually a rather over done mimicking of the classic gothic style of the original.  A much more streamlined book with stronger character development would have made it much more enjoyable for me.  While the ending bit left me liking Dracul more than I expected to (considering the slowness of most of it), I didn't find it a book I could overwhelmingly recommend to any but perhaps highly obsessive Stoker fans.    

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