READALONG: Tam's Tale - Michael Findlay

Tam grows up in a remote rural village, dreaming of escape across swamps, forests, and mountain passes to reach the famed city of Colonia. When he finally sets out, his adventure yields more than he bargained for: a mysterious golden eye, a treacherous sea serpent, and an encounter with a young woman of royal blood living rough in a mountain hideaway. She is Queen Kristina — determined, dispossessed, and fighting to reclaim a throne seized by a savage tyrant. What begins as an unlikely alliance becomes a dangerous quest to overthrow a ruler who has turned justice into a distant memory — and to fulfill a prophecy neither of them fully understands.

Tam's Tale sits proudly in the tradition of classic heroic fantasy.

 

What did I think?

Tam's Tale is a fantasy adventure story that is aimed at readers aged 8 and over.  Michael Findlay has created an eventful journey for the main character of Tam and the illustrations by Lon Eric Craven are exquisite.

There's a fabulous map and a very useful cast of characters at the start of the book and there's a glossary at the back to help with some of the Scottish words with which some readers may be unfamiliar.  There are a lot of characters so I found that I often referred to the character list to remind me who was who.

Although I don't have children, the writing seems quite advanced for young readers and the story feels more aimed at adult readers to me.  It's an entertaining adventure story but I couldn't really get into a good reading rhythm with it, I think perhaps due to the number of characters so younger readers will probably fare better than me with my old and pickled brain.

The hardback edition is stunning and it has the look and feel of a classic tale so it's one to consider adding to your bookshelf.

I received a gifted hardback for the Love Books Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: When Stars Will Shine - Various Authors

When Stars Will Shine is a collection of short stories from your favourite authors who have come together to deliver you a Christmas read with a twist.

With true war tales that will break your heart, gritty Christmas crimes that will shake you to your core, and heart-warming tales of love lost and found, this anthology has something for everyone. And, with every penny made being sent to support our troops, you can rest assured that you’re helping our heroes, one page at a time.

From authors such as Louise Jensen, Graham Smith, Malcolm Hollingdrake, Lucy Cameron, Val Portelli, and Alex Kane, you are in for one heck of a ride! 

When Stars Will Shine is the perfect Christmas gift for the bookworms in your life!

What did I think?

I'm not usually a fan of short stories, strangely enough because I feel like it takes me too long to read them as an anthology doesn't flow as well as a novel, however, When Stars Will Shine has certainly changed my mind about that.  Without pausing, I effortlessly read one story after another to the point where I was like a child in a sweet shop wondering what festive delight I could devour next.  The best thing about this book is, not only do you get 24 fantastic stories from a vast array of outstanding authors (and what a terrific line up it is), but the sale of every single copy raises funds for the amazing charity Help for Heroes.  I consider many of the authors among my favourites and I was delighted to see that the talented writers of North East England make up a good proportion of this anthology.

Part of me wants to say 'stop reading now and just buy the book' but please do read on and I'll try my best to tell you how awesome When Stars Will Shine really is.  There is definitely something for everyone in this anthology with a good mix of military and Christmas stories, each one making me experience a range of emotions.  I can't possibly mention every single story in my review, and to single out any in particular would be unfair because they are all brilliant, but they range from heartwarming, poignant, thought-provoking, hopeful, spooky, spine-tingling, sobering, scary and as downright chilly as the winter snow.

If you're not tempted yet, have a look at the list of contents below.  Can you spot your favourite author?  Perhaps you'll find a new favourite among them as there are some absolutely brilliant books in their back catalogues.  There are certainly a few new (to me) authors that I intend to check out, having read their outstanding stories in When Stars Will Shine.

Contents
Fredrick Snellgrove, Private 23208 by Rob Ashman

Four Seasons by Robert Scragg

The Close Encounter by Gordon Bickerstaff 

Believe by Mark Brownless 

What Can Possibly Go Wrong? by Lucy Cameron 

Mountain Dew by Paul T. Campbell

The Art of War and Peace by John Carson 

A Gift for Christmas by Kris Egleton 

Free Time by Stewart Giles 

Died of Wounds by Malcolm Hollingdrake 

The Christmas Killer by Louise Jensen 

The Village Hotel by Alex Kane

A Present of Presence by HR Kemp 

The Invitation by Billy McLaughlin

Brothers Forever by Paul Moore

Girl in a Red Shirt by Owen Mullen 

Pivotal Moments by Anna Franklin Osborne

Uncle Christmas by Val Portelli

Time for a Barbeque by Carmen Radtke
Christmas Present by Lexi Rees

Inside Out by KA Richardson

Penance by Jane Risdon

New Year’s Resolution by Robert Scragg

Family Time by Graham Smith

Emma Mitchell has really outdone herself in pulling together this marvellous anthology and she deserves every accolade for arranging publication of this masterpiece.  With more variety than a Christmas selection box, make sure that you ask Santa for a copy of When Stars Will Shine or better still, buy a copy for all of your family and friends.  

With stories that will make you laugh, smile and cry but best of all support our troops while you're reading, When Stars Will Shine is the must read book of the year.  It is my absolute pleasure to give a rating of 5 shiny stars. 

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from: 
Amazon UK
Amazon US

Follow the authors on Twitter:

Robert Scragg: @robert_scragg

Paul Moore: @mooros69

Graham Smith: @grahamsmith1972

Malcolm Hollingdrake: @MHollingdrake

Alex Kane: @AlexKaneWriter

Owen Mullen: @OwenMullen6

Gordon Bickerstaff: @GFBickerstaff

Lexi Rees: @Lexi_Rees

Megan Steer: @tjsarcat15

Anna Franklin Osborne: @HomeOsborne

Stewart Giles: @stewartGiles

Jane Risdon: @Jane_Risdon

Louise Jensen: @fabricating_fiction

Rob Ashman: @RobAshmanAuthor

Carmen Radtke: @carmenradtke1

Val Portelli: @ValPortelli

Mark Brownless: @MarkBrownless

John Carson: @JohnCarsonBooks

Kris Egleton: @Mouse6420

Paul T. Campbell: @PtcCampbell

Lucy Cameron: @lucycomeron22

KA Richardson: @KerryAnn77

Billy McLaughlin: @bilbob20

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