Monday, June 17, 2019

Book Review: Twilight Empress




This book is 2 years old at this point, so why it is still up on Netgalley is beyond me.  Although I took Classical Studies in my undergrad, my classes covered to Constantine.  I am fascinated by this portrayal of Rome and its rulers from this period.
It is a fascinating novel that takes place in Italy just following the fall of Rome.  When Rome is sacked by the Goths, Galla Placidia, sister to the emperor, is taken as a prisoner of war.  Being used as a political pawn doesn’t sit well with her, so she sets her own destiny and builds a life among the Goths.  When her life takes another unexpected turn, she is named Augusta. She is forced to live a life of politics and intrigue up until the very end.
The pacing in this book is excellent!  I could not put it down. I very much enjoyed the secondary characters and how they were used as foils to reflect the change in her.  It was also a realistic portrayal of her being torn between her duties to the empire and her heart.

#TwilightEmpress #NetGalley

Monday, June 10, 2019

Book Review: The Glass Sentence

The Glass Sentence

The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

This was an amazing book that was hard to put down! When I did put it down over the Easter weekend, it was with great reluctance. When I started reading it, I couldn't stop until I got to the ending!  I stayed up much too late to find out what happened.
In 1799 the world experienced the Great Disruption in which something happened so that time in the world was fractured and then came together in different times. The year is now 1891, Sophia is the daughter of two explorers who have gone on an adventure, leaving her with her uncle Shadrock. When he is kidnapped, she goes after him with the help of Theo. Together, they have great adventures while searching for him and heading into danger. Will Sophia be able to decipher the map in time or will she doom the entire world?
Read Alikes: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Monday, June 3, 2019

Book Review: Grilled Cheese and Dragons #1

Grilled Cheese and Dragons #1 Grilled Cheese and Dragons #1 by Nancy Krulik

This book was amazing! The Princess Serena, or as she prefers to be called, Princess Pulverizer wants to join Knight School. When she begs and pleads her father to allow her to attend, he instead sends her off on a Quest of Kindness in order to gain more knightly attributes. She must perform 8 acts of kindness and have proof of each one. However, her plans go a little awry when she meets some unexpected help.
I read it aloud to my niece and she absolutely adored it. She is 5 and understood the concepts quite well. However, I would say that the reading level is more around 8 or 9. There are also great illustrations and, thankfully for my voice, short chapters.
Read a likes include Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede.