Storyland - Amy Jeffs

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN MIST AND MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS AND DISCOVER HEROES AND MONSTERS RIGHT ON YOUR DOORSTEP . . .

You will have heard of Thor, Medusa and Hercules. But what about the myths of the British landscape? The Trojan heroes who wrestled giants. The Syrian sisters who found refuge on our lands. The dragons who slept in hollow hills. And the kings who communed with the dead . . .

In this vivid and beautifully illustrated mythology of Britain, children will discover enchanting tales of magic and adventure, giants and demons, princesses and prophecies.

Travelling across the wildest of landscapes - as far north as Orkney and south as Cornwall - young readers will build Stonehenge with the young Merlin, chase hounds up the mountains of Wales, ride stags into the forests of Scotland and sail with Trojans along the rivers of Britain, discovering a land steeped in myth, monsters and heroes.

Adapted from Amy Jeffs' bestselling Storyland, this is a definitive and dynamic children's introduction to Britain's lost myths and legends, packaged in a beautifully illustrated gift hardback.

What did I think?

Storyland may be aimed at children aged 10 to 12 years old, but I absolutely loved it and I’m in my fifties.

It’s beautifully illustrated throughout and the hardback is stunning with metallic copper accents on the dustjacket and the cover beneath.  There are 19 stories of myth and legend in the book, all in bite sized chapters for less confident readers.

I had heard of some of the characters before (like Gogmagog and Merlin) but I didn’t know the stories about them so I found Storyland to be very informative and engaging.  Amy Jeffs follows each myth or legend with a little bit of history to accompany the story and it’s very well written to inform and delight the reader.

With tales of wizards, fairies, giants, goddesses, dragons and more, there’s something for everyone in Storyland.   Magical, informative and compelling, Storyland is sure to quickly become a favourite book for children (and adults) of all ages.

I chose to order a beautiful hardback via the Amazon Vine programme and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Goddess with a Thousand Faces - Jasmine Elmer

 

Steeped in ancient magic, dark divinity and wild ways, Goddess with a Thousand Faces takes you on a historical journey like no other...

Blending mythological retellings with historical research, Goddess with a Thousand Faces traverses the world and transports through time to bring ten formidable and inspiring ancient goddesses to life. Meet Artemis, the Greek goddess of the wilderness, never without her bow and arrow; Sedna, Inuit goddess of the ocean, guarding the icy waters and all its creatures; Isis, Egyptian goddess of healing, who dwells by the River Nile, just to name a few...

Jasmine Elmer explores these goddesses of our past, uncovering their truths, their rebellion and their freedom. For too long, they have been written out of history; lost to the sands of time and stamped into silence. Goddess with a Thousand Faces restores these women to their glory.

Pour over this treasure trove of myths, legends and mighty goddesses. Hear the messages echoing through the ages and see yourself in the faces of these icons. For while their stories might be ancient, today they are more important - and more powerful - than ever.

A treasure trove of beautiful storytelling and ancient wisdom, perfect for fans of Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola and Storyland by Amy Jeffs.

What did I think?

I love historical myths and retellings so I was very eager to read Goddess with a Thousand Faces and I was completely blown away by this amazing book.  Jasmine Elmer has selected ten ancient goddesses from a vast range of cultures, some you will know and some you won't, and retold their stories.

The retellings are breathtaking and really bring each goddess to life.  Each retelling is followed by the history of the goddess, their country and their culture.  I learnt so much whilst reading this fabulous book and although I read it cover to cover, it's a book you can dip in and out of at your own pace.

I was astonished at the differences of the goddesses; they are all unique with their own individual characteristics.  I was shocked that I had only heard of three out of the ten goddesses and have to applaud Jasmine Elmer for telling their stories and reminding the world about these powerful goddesses.

Informative, empowering and contemplative, Goddess with a Thousand Faces is a powerful novel that encourages introspection and perhaps you will see glimpses of these mighty goddesses within yourself.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: God of Fire - Helen Steadman

‘LOVE WAS SURELY THE GREATEST PUNISHMENT OF ALL’

He’s a rejected immortal. But can this magical blacksmith fight against fate and overcome the darkness of his past?

Hephaestus fears he’ll never be accepted. Cast down from Olympus and raised by a powerful sea witch, he sets out on a quest to discover his unknown father’s true identity. But he struggles to be taken seriously by the other gods who only want him for his ingenious inventions.

Convinced that solving his paternity will help him earn the love he seeks, the god of fire traps his mother and refuses to free her until she reveals a name. But when he uncovers a terrifying truth, he finds himself with more enemies than allies amongst the wrathful Olympians.

Can Hephaestus unlock buried secrets and prove himself worthy?

God of Fire is an imaginative standalone historical fantasy. If you like forgotten legends, fantastic beasts, and dark tales punctuated with humour, then you’ll adore Helen Steadman’s fascinating expedition into mythology.

Buy God of Fire to unravel the mysteries of ancient Greece today!

Recommended for fans of Mythos, Song of Achilles, Circe and Pandora’s Jar.

 

What did I think?

By Ouranos, God of Fire is an absolute masterpiece of reimagined fiction!  I feel like I've had the most entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable lesson in Greek mythology as Helen Steadman brings the gods to life in her exquisite new novel.  

The amount of mythology packed into this 335 page novel is amazing and I learnt so much whilst reading God of Fire, having known very little about Greek mythology beforehand.  The way that the characteristics and individual personalities of the gods are depicted is fantastic and it made each god, gorgon, nymph or mortal completely unforgettable.

There are a lot of characters in the novel and I found that jotting down their names helped me to remember who was who, especially as some of their names get shortened as the story progresses.  I also used my list of characters to research each god myself, but found that the most important parts of their stories were already covered in God of Fire anyway.

Hephaestus (or Heph as he is fondly referred to) craves the love of his mother Hera, who threw him from Olympus as a baby as she found him to be too ugly.  Awww, doesn't your heart just go out to him from the start?  Even his wife Aphrodite doesn't love him which is such a shame as Heph has such a big heart.  

God of Fire is an extraordinary novel and I loved every single perfectly written word.  Hephaestus' story is fascinating and Helen Steadman's research is impeccable; to take so many Greek myths and weave them into a captivating and entertaining story that holds the reader's interest throughout is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Absolutely brilliant, completely unmissable and very highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy links: books2read.com/u/mlL0RP

About the author:

Dr Helen Steadman is a historical novelist. Her first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the seventeenth-century Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf was inspired by the Shotley Bridge swordmakers, who defected from Solingen, Germany in 1687. Helen’s fourth novel is God of Fire, a Greek myth retelling about Hephaestus, possibly the least well-known of the Olympians. Helen is now working on her fifth novel.

Despite the Newcastle witch trials being one of the largest mass executions of witches on a single day in England, they are not widely known about. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.

The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who defected from Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive research and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook blacksmith training, which culminated in making her own sword. During her archive research, Helen uncovered a lot of new material and she published her findings in the Northern History journal.

Social media links:

Author website: https://helensteadman.com/

Publisher website: https://www.belljarbooks.com/

Twitter handle: @hsteadman1650

Instagram handle: @helensteadmanauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helensteadmanauthor 

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BLOG TOUR: The Gifts - Liz Hyder

In an age defined by men, it will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are . . .

October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders.

Meanwhile, when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London, a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger . . .

THE GIFTS is the astonishing debut adult novel from the lauded author of BEARMOUTH. A gripping and ambitious book told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London, it explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition.

 

What did I think?

I think The Gifts is a novel that we will be hearing about a lot this year, and rightly so.  The writing is beautiful, the plot is completely immersive and the finished copies (complete with illustrations) will be stunning.

Through the character of surgeon Edward Meake, Liz Hyder has really captured the Victorian obsession with science and the workings of the human body.  So it's no wonder that Edward's interest is piqued when he hears rumours about the body of an angel being found in the Thames.  Intent on capturing and studying a live angel, Edward begins his quest to acquire the impossible: a live angel.

It's both fascinating and horrifying to see the way that women were treated in the 19th century.  Not just the angels, who were treated as things rather than women, but Edward's wife Annie and budding writer Mary.  Annie is very much kept in the dark about her husband's work and Mary has to adopt a male pseudonym for her writing to be taken seriously.  I absolutely loved the character of Mary; she's bold, courageous and strong, especially when she's following a story.

Although the story is completely immersive, I had difficulty getting into the rhythm of the book as most of the chapters are very short and they swap between the viewpoints of several characters.  I think the finished copy with illustrations will be better as it allows the reader to pause and absorb what they have just read.  I loved the newspaper articles that are scattered throughout the novel - it really brings the book to life.

Haunting, powerful and mesmerising, The Gifts is an astonishing novel that combines historical and feminist fiction with a touch of the ethereal.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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Fifty Words for Snow - Nancy Campbell

To celebrate the paperback release of Fifty Words for Snow by Nancy Campbell today, I am delighted to repost my review of this stunning book.  It really is as beautiful inside as out so make sure to pick up a copy for yourself.

 

The perfect winter gift – each of these linguistic snow crystals offers a whole world of myth and story.

In this lyrical, evocative book, Arctic traveller and award-winning writer Nancy Campbell digs deep into the meanings and etymologies, the histories and the futures of fifty words for snow, using them as clues to the many ways in which we are all connected to one another and to our planet.

From Iceland to Hawaii, every language and culture has its own word for the magical, mesmerising flakes that fall from the sky. Fifty Words… is a journey from the ornate ice houses of country estates to the artificial snow of the movies, from the snow roads across the frozen lakes of Estonia to Kilimanjaro’s snowy peak – a meeting point between the human and the divine. Exploring language in its broadest sense, Campbell includes American Sign Language for ‘snowboard’ and shares how the Inuktitut oral language came to be transcribed. 

What did I think?

Everything single thing about Fifty Words for Snow is stunning: the mesmerising frosty cover, the continuation of the design on to the endpapers, a beautiful snowflake dividing each chapter and, last but not least, the interesting and informative words within.  

Although I read Fifty Words for Snow cover to cover for the purposes of review, it could also be a book to dip in which to dip in and out.  I think it would be a great winter activity to choose a word a day from this book and read the story behind the word.  The only difficult thing would be to close the book after reading just one chapter as I was so charmed and delighted by the stories that I couldn't wait to see what would come next.

As much as this is a book that celebrates climate, it is also a celebration of language.  Seeing words in languages I hadn't even heard of, such as Ojibwemowin and Tamazight, suggests that Nancy Campbell did indeed scour the globe for the fifty best words for snow.  The chapters are perfectly balanced with the stories behind each word appearing to be both detailed and concise.  

There's something for everyone in Fifty Words for Snow, whether you're interested in climate, language or just want to broaden your general knowledge.  I love reading about global myths and legends so I was fascinated by the beautiful Cherokee tale that explains why the pine tree is evergreen and the legend of the snow woman of Japan who disappears as fast as melting snow.  There are some amazing words to discover in this book and although I would find it very hard to name a favourite, I was rather ticked by the final word: suncups.  It's such a simple but perfectly descriptive word and was perfectly placed to end the book.

Fifty Words for Snow is a hugely entertaining and informative book, written in such a warm and engaging style that makes you read 'just one more chapter', which is rare to find in non-fiction.  It's the perfect gift for linguists, booklovers or that hard to buy for person.  I would highly recommend buying a physical copy as even though the words are beautiful whether you're reading on kindle or a physical copy, the hardback is seriously stunning.

Thank you to Elliott and Thompson for sending me a beautiful hardback to review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the author:

Nancy Campbell is an award-winning writer, described as ‘deft, dangerous and dazzling’ by the former Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy and whose writing has been inspired by the polar regions.

Her travels in the Arctic resulted in several projects responding to the environment; The Library of Ice: Readings in a Cold Climate was longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2019; Disko Bay, shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection 2016 and How to Say ‘I Love You’ in Greenlandic received the Birgit Skiöld Award 2015. In 2020 she was the recipient of the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award for her published work on the polar regions. She is currently a Literature Fellow at Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia in Germany.

Website: www.nancycampbell.co.uk

Twitter: @nancycampbelle

Instagram: @nancycampbelle

BLOG TOUR: Fifty Words for Snow - Nancy Campbell

 

Fifty international words for snow, revealing a whole world of culture, myth and story – explored by an award-winning writer.

Every language and culture has its own word for the magical, mesmerising flakes that fall from the sky. From Iceland to Hawaii, frozen forest to mountain peak, school yard to park, snow may be welcomed, feared, played with or prized. In this lyrical, evocative book, Arctic traveller and award-winning writer, Nancy Campbell, digs deep into the meanings and etymologies, the histories and the futures of fifty words for snow from across the globe, using them as clues to the many ways in which we are all connected to one another and to our planet.

Fifty words… is a journey from the ornate ice houses on country estates to the artificial snow of the movies, the construction of iglu by Inuit, and jäätee, the ice roads across frozen lakes of Estonia. Exploring language in its broadest sense, Campbell includes American Sign Language for snowboard and shares how the Inuktitut oral language came to be transcribed.

At a time of great environmental change, it is a celebration of climate, and a warning of what may be lost. 

What did I think?

Everything single thing about Fifty Words for Snow is stunning: the mesmerising frosty cover, the continuation of the design on to the endpapers, a beautiful snowflake dividing each chapter and, last but not least, the interesting and informative words within.  

Although I read Fifty Words for Snow cover to cover for the purposes of review, it could also be a book to dip in which to dip in and out.  I think it would be a great winter activity to choose a word a day from this book and read the story behind the word.  The only difficult thing would be to close the book after reading just one chapter as I was so charmed and delighted by the stories that I couldn't wait to see what would come next.

As much as this is a book that celebrates climate, it is also a celebration of language.  Seeing words in languages I hadn't even heard of, such as Ojibwemowin and Tamazight, suggests that Nancy Campbell did indeed scour the globe for the fifty best words for snow.  The chapters are perfectly balanced with the stories behind each word appearing to be both detailed and concise.  

There's something for everyone in Fifty Words for Snow, whether you're interested in climate, language or just want to broaden your general knowledge.  I love reading about global myths and legends so I was fascinated by the beautiful Cherokee tale that explains why the pine tree is evergreen and the legend of the snow woman of Japan who disappears as fast as melting snow.  There are some amazing words to discover in this book and although I would find it very hard to name a favourite, I was rather ticked by the final word: suncups.  It's such a simple but perfectly descriptive word and was perfectly placed to end the book.

Fifty Words for Snow is a hugely entertaining and informative book, written in such a warm and engaging style that makes you read 'just one more chapter', which is rare to find in non-fiction.  It's the perfect gift for linguists, booklovers or that hard to buy for person.  I would highly recommend buying a physical copy as even though the words are beautiful whether you're reading on kindle or a physical copy, the hardback is seriously stunning.

Thank you to Elliott and Thompson for sending me a beautiful hardback to review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the author:

Nancy Campbell is an award-winning writer, described as ‘deft, dangerous and dazzling’ by the former Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy and whose writing has been inspired by the polar regions.

Her travels in the Arctic resulted in several projects responding to the environment; The Library of Ice: Readings in a Cold Climate was longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2019; Disko Bay, shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection 2016 and How to Say ‘I Love You’ in Greenlandic received the Birgit Skiöld Award 2015. In 2020 she was the recipient of the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award for her published work on the polar regions. She is currently a Literature Fellow at Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia in Germany.

Website: www.nancycampbell.co.uk

Twitter: @nancycampbelle

Instagram: @nancycampbelle

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BLOG BLITZ: The Faerie Tree - Jane Cable

I've got a Rachel's Random Resources Blog Blitz for you today which means you not only get to read my review of The Faerie Tree by Jane Cable, there's also a fabulous giveaway!  Scroll to the end of my post to enter.  Good luck!

HOW CAN A MEMORY SO VIVID BE WRONG?

In the summer of 1986 Robin and Izzie hold hands under The Faerie Tree and wish for a future together. Within hours tragedy rips their dreams apart.

In the winter of 2006, each carrying their own burden of grief, they stumble back into each other’s lives and try to create a second chance. But why are their memories of 1986 so different? And which one of them is right?

With strong themes of memory, love and grief, The Faerie Tree is a novel as gripping and unputdownable as Jane Cable's first book, The Cheesemaker’s House, which won the Suspense & Crime category of The Alan Titchmarsh Shows Peoples Novelist competition. It is a story that will resonate with fans of romance, suspense, and folklore.

What did I think?

The Faerie Tree is quite an unusual book; officially in the romantic fiction genre, Jane Cable writes a story that is so very true to life, warts and all.  Dark in places but uplifting in others, it touches on grief and mental health among many other subjects you would come across in your life.  The book is very much the story of Robin and Izzie from their first meeting, full of hope and excitement for the future, to meeting each other again 20 years later when Izzie is a young widow.

A Faerie Tree

Robin and Izzie finding each other again feels very much like fate, or perhaps the magic of the faerie tree where they once made a wish.  The faerie tree itself is such a magical idea; a lone hawthorn tree growing in a field is said to be a gateway between the human world and the fae.  With their strong beliefs in the little people, I wasn't surprised to read that you can find a lot of faerie trees dotted around the Irish countryside.  People leave gifts and letters on the bark or branches whilst making a wish.  This is such a lovely idea, whether you believe in fairies or not, as we could all do with a little bit of magic in our lives.  

Robin's life has been anything but magical; he seems to have been bombarded with one tragedy after another.  He is such a sensitive soul and very much on the side of 'flight' when faced with fight or flight events.  Robin's constant running away from perceived problems annoyed me a little; I wanted to give him a good talking to but his response to such events is what made him who he is, which is the man that Izzie was meant to be with.

I love how Jane Cable writes such a realistic story; Robin and Izzie's life is not full of hearts and flowers but challenges that they must overcome in order to make a future together.  It did feel like everything happened the way it should have, even though both Robin and Izzie have suffered their own individual heartbreaks in the time they were apart.

Aside from the faerie tree itself, there is a theme running through the book of memory.  Robin and Izzie have very different memories of their first meeting and it is hard to decide whose is correct; Izzie is very convincing and Robin is too easy to be convinced that his memory is wrong.  It is quite thought-provoking to see how two people can remember the same event differently.

Thought-provoking and filled with emotion, The Faerie Tree is a fascinating novel written with warmth and realism.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Jane Cable writes romantic fiction with the over-riding theme that the past is never dead. She published her first two books independently (the multi award winning The Cheesemaker’s House and The Faerie Tree) and is now signed by Sapere Books. Two years ago she moved to Cornwall to concentrate on her writing full time, but struggles a little in such a beautiful location. Luckily she’s discovered the joys of the plot walk.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @JaneCable

Facebook: Jane Cable, Author (https://www.facebook.com/romanticsuspensenovels/ )

Giveaway

Giveaway to Win PB copies of The Faerie Tree and The Cheesemaker’s House (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Little Darlings - Melanie Golding

THE TWINS ARE CRYING.
THE TWINS ARE HUNGRY.

LAUREN IS CRYING.

LAUREN IS EXHAUSTED.

Behind the hospital curtain, someone is waiting . . .

After a traumatic birth, Lauren is alone on the maternity ward with her newborn twins. Her husband has gone home. The nurses are doing their rounds. She can’t stop thinking about every danger her babies now face. But all new mothers think like that. Don’t they?

A terrifying encounter in the middle of the night leaves Lauren convinced someone or something is trying to steal her children. But with every step she takes to keep her babies safe, Lauren sinks deeper and deeper into paranoia and fear. From the stark loneliness of returning home after birth, to the confines of a psychiatric unit, Lauren’s desperation increases as no one will listen to her. But here’s the question: is she mad, or does she know something we don’t?

Loosely inspired by the ghostly folktale The Brewery of Eggshells, where a mother becomes convinced her twins are in danger, Little Darlings offers a fresh perspective on modern motherhood, postnatal psychosis and the roles women play. It has always been thus: folk tales do not spring from whimsy; they warn us and teach us, and speak to the fear in us all.

What did I think?

I could not ignore the buzz on social media about Melanie Golding's debut, Little Darlings, so, despite my toppling TBR pile, I hot-footed it over to NetGalley for a copy and started to read it the minute it dropped on my kindle.  Unable to put it down, 24 hours later I released the breath I had metaphorically been holding as I turned the final page.

What an absolute creepfest!  Despite having nothing in common with her, I really felt for the character of Lauren.  Not only has she given birth for the first time, but she has double trouble in the form of twin boys.  On her first night in the hospital after the birth, she hears a mother in the cubicle next to her eerily singing to another set of twins.  When Lauren gets out of bed to ask the mother to keep the noise down, she is unprepared for what she sees and hears...a threat that her own perfect boys will be swapped for the monsters in the other mother's basket.  Blaming stress of the birth and postnatal psychosis, nobody believes that this even happened...then the boys change, but only Lauren notices the difference and she will do ANYTHING to get her sweet babies back.

Oh my word!  These creepy babies will give me more nightmares than the Chucky doll ever did.  The way they didn't cry like normal babies but watched every movement made my skin crawl and, along with DS Joanna Harper (who has her own baby shaped demons), I had no hesitation in believing Lauren's story.  Was I as deluded as Lauren?  You can make up your own mind when you read Little Darlings.

I love how the story is loosely based on the Welsh fairytale, Brewery of Eggshells.  Any book that has me rushing off to google gets a big thumbs up as it just shows how intriguing and effective the story is.  It also brings a hint of realism (even though it is based on a fairytale) and just maybe this could actually happen.  EEEEEK!!!!

Little Darlings is so creepy that as much as you want to hide behind the sofa, you can't tear your eyes from the page until you have devoured every single word and turned the final page.  It's an outstanding debut that has me eager to see what Melanie Golding comes up with next.  Do not miss this intriguing, addictive, dark, creepy and scarily believable story that may very well give you nightmares!

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

The Beast is an Animal - Peternelle van Arsdale

The Beast is an animal

You'd better lock the Gate

Or when it's dark, It comes for you

Then it will be too late

Alys was the only one to see the soul eaters when they came to her village. The others were sleeping. They never woke up...

Now, an orphan, Alys knows the full danger of the soul eaters. She's heard the nursery rhymes the chidren sing about the twin sisters who feed on souls. She's seen people disappear into the fforest and never come back. So why, then, does she find herself mysteriously drawn to the fforest? Is she what everyone around her says she is? A witch? 

Alys soon finds herself on a journey that will take her to the very heart of the fforest. There she must decide where true evil lies. And face the thing they call ...

The Beast.

What did I think?

I do believe that you are NEVER too old for fairytales, and as with all fairytales there is good and a LOT of evil in The Beast is an Animal.  Marketed as a YA book, this is definitely one that many adults will enjoy as much as I did.

I adored the setting of the scene with a farmer and his wife being blessed with twin girls, Angelica and Benedicta.  Now these twins are the mirror image of each other but they both carry the mark of the beast (a simple birthmark) so it isn't long before the farmer succumbs to the pressure of the village and casts his wife and daughters out into the fforest.  For a while he visits them but as time goes on, they are forgotten.  Left to fend for themselves, the girls return and take their vengeance on the village - eating souls of the kind of people who have harmed them.  Only little Alys, who struggles to sleep, saw the girls and she is so unafraid of them that Angelica and Benedicta leave her unharmed.  The Beast is an Animal is Alys' tale of how she survived and her fight against the thing they call....The Beast.

I have Welsh ancestors so I loved the Welsh setting of The Beast is an Animal, and the story flowed as effortlessly as a babbling brook through the Welsh valleys.  I was completely sucked into the story and felt both sorry for Angelica and Benedicta as well as mightily scared of them.  They have such power - they can eat your very soul and I, for one, didn't want to come across them on a darkened night.

I completely underrated Alys' strength at first.  She is a young child left orphaned but, against the odds, she survives.  She goes from strength to strength and like any heroine, I really rooted for her as The Beast continued to cast its shadow over her life.

Don't be fooled by the YA label, this is a dark and scary tale for all ages.  It's so imaginative,  dark and dreamlike that you will find it hard to put down.  You WILL enjoy this or The Beast will come for you!

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Sealskin - Su Bristow

What happens when magic collides with reality? Donald is a young fisherman, eking out a lonely living on the west coast of Scotland. One night he witnesses something miraculous … and makes a terrible mistake. His action changes lives – not only his own, but those of his family and the entire tightly knit community in which they live. Can he ever atone for the wrong he has done, and can love grow when its foundation is violence?

Based on the legend of the selkies – seals who can transform into people – Sealskin is a magical story, evoking the harsh beauty of the landscape, the resilience of its people, both human and animal, and the triumph of hope over fear and prejudice. With exquisite grace, Exeter Novel Prize-winner Su Bristow transports us to a different world, subtly and beautifully exploring what it means to be an outsider, and our innate capacity for forgiveness and acceptance. Rich with myth and magic, Sealskin is, nonetheless, a very human story, as relevant to our world as to the timeless place in which it is set. And it is, quite simply, unforgettable.

For fans of Angela Carter, Eowyn Ivey, Alice Hoffmann and Geraldine Brooks.

What did I think?

Although I do have a lot of books to read, I have a soft spot for Orenda Books so I bought this on a Saturday afternoon when it was on special offer for 99p.  Wow!  Is this the best £1 I have ever spent, or what?  I almost didn't make it out for my friend's birthday evening but I made sure that I had a clear head so I could finish off the wonderful story on Sunday.  

Donald is a lucky man - one night he sees something that people have only dreamed about, but his thoughtless actions break the magic and he finds himself, and his family, living with the consequences.  Donald's mother, Bridie, is well respected in the village and people come to her for potions and help with delivering babies.  When Donald brings Mairhie home, Bridie takes her under her wing and teaches her everything that she knows, plus Mairhie has a little magic of her own.  The villagers are naturally suspicious of Mairhie, but gradually they warm to her as she endears herself to them, however, the sea starts to call... Will Mairhie listen or will she accept the life she has been given on land?  She doesn't have a choice while her sealskin remains lost...but does somebody hold the key to its whereabouts?

Sealskin is perhaps the most beautiful book I have read in a long time.  I was captured in its net from chapter 1 and only released when I had turned the final breathtaking page.  Su Bristow has such lyrical writing that I felt as if I was in the book myself, standing at the door of the cottage or watching the fishing boats coming back to shore.  I had serious difficulty in putting the book down and, had I not been going out, would have read Sealskin in one sitting.

Make sure you have a few hours spare before reading Sealskin, as you will not want to put it down and it deserves, and cries out, to be read in one sitting.  Gather your bucket and spade and head to the seaside as Sealskin is a bucketful of adjectives: beautiful, breathtaking, magnificent, exceptional, outstanding and magical...to name but a few.  I will definitely be reading it again, and that surely must be a cast-iron recommendation!

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Bear and the Nightingale - Katherine Arden

The beautiful cover of The Bear and the Nightingale gives a little hint as to the magic that is hiding within the pages.  Based on Russian fairytales and myths, it is an outstanding fairytale for adults and you can read my review here.  As part of the blog tour, I am thrilled to be able to share the first chapter with you.  Happy reading!

Now wrap up warm and enjoy a brief frosty visit to Russia (click on the arrow in the top right corner to read full screen).

You can buy The Bear and the Nightingale from Amazon by clicking here and I recommend that you treat yourself to the beautiful hardback.

Follow the fabulous tour: