en-US Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:55:02 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7454464776 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:55:02 -0700 /review/show/7454464776 Allie gave 4 stars to A Slash of Emerald (Dr. Julia Lewis Mystery, #2) by Patrice McDonough
bookshelves: historical-fiction, mystery, period-mystery
I am a big fantasy reader but a good historical fiction is my go to palate cleanser when I need a story more rooted in our world. As such it was so nice to catch up with Dr. Julia and Inspector Tennant in this new installment of the Dr Lewis Mysteries. This is by no means a cosy mystery book though, this series is a reflection of the dark and dangerous side of 1800s London. Dr Lewis our protagonist is the first female doctor in London as well as Scotland Yard. Historical fiction is made better by brave, bold and unconventional women who paved the way for the women of today.

The blurb covers the primary storyline of women artists being harassed and threatened and their models being killed or “disappearing� but this simple premise hides the undercurrents of a very well written story that twists and turns through the subjection of women by evil and rich men.

Throughout the book there is also the simmering and growing affections between Dr Julia and Inspector Tennant, Dr Julia is trying to recover from the traumas of the first book where she was almost killed. Inspector Tennant is entrenched in the Yards politics and difficult superiors. Their incredibly awkward courting in this installment was amusing but it is hopefully not an indication of it continuing to be dragged out for too long.

The central mystery revolves around the murders, threats, disappearance and harassment of female artists and the models that sat for their paintings. AS the plot unfolded my inner armchair detective was working at full speed trying to decipher the murder. The plot twists, rationale for the murder and the murderer was expertly drawn out and I am looking forward to more installments of Dr Lewis and Inspector Tennant. But that ending???? 👀

My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for my free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
]]> Review7056771867 Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:44:13 -0800 /review/show/7056771867 Allie gave 5 stars to Days of Shattered Faith (The Tyrant Philosophers, #3) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
AT has swiftly become of those epic high fantasy authors I auto buy to enjoy complex mind-boggling world build with a host of characters that are each unique and fully formed. An author I sit alongside Stephen Donaldson, Robert Jordan and Steven Erickson.

After two essentially stand-alone predecessors, Days of Shattered Faith marks The Tyrant Philosophers transition to a more liner classic book series. The book is huge, of course, and this broad scope has its upsides, with the implications that past events in books 1 and 2 have already begun to reshape the world's story and a return of some beloved characters from book 1 and 2.

This book parallels obviously to the real-world history of British colonialism in India but it's presented brilliantly, with AT presenting the ambiguities and ironies on both sides of the imperialist game that is easily ignored by books thay havent committed to such a complex and intricate world build. ]]> Review6573070607 Thu, 29 Aug 2024 09:53:00 -0700 /review/show/6573070607 Allie gave 5 stars to Legacy of Ash (Legacy Trilogy, #1) by Matthew Ward
]]> Review6658733629 Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:05:26 -0700 /review/show/6658733629 Allie gave 4 stars to Daughter of Redwinter (The Redwinter Chronicles, #1) by Ed McDonald
]]> Review6488361486 Mon, 08 Jul 2024 13:43:07 -0700 /review/show/6488361486 Allie gave 4 stars to Seeker (The Sentinel Archives, #1) by Samuel Griffin
This book was a masterful debut book for the author with a prose and flow of writing style you see nowadays in the most established of high fantasy authors. We have here a flintlock fantasy, a world of political intrigue and machinations in a prose that is for those who are willing to dedicate the time to reading the long lyrical descriptions of the world build and lore that is throughout the book will greatly enjoy the payoff.


I feel so sorry for Shay, our main character as she is plucked from obscurity and dropped into a world that is so unlike her own that her naivety is prayed on by those who have only their best interests at heart. Her world is slowly expanded with the political machinations of the elite around her and the threat of war, she is forced to grow up quickly and a responsibility is foisted onto her shoulders that she feels nowhere near capable of handling, though she rises to the occasion. 


If you have read and enjoyed Stephen Donaldson, Steven Erikson et al. I think you should give Seeker a shot.

Gifted book for a honest review! ]]> UserFollowing305880487 Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:53:42 -0700 ReadStatus8022446377 Sun, 09 Jun 2024 12:32:26 -0700 /review/show/6573070607 Allie is currently reading Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward
]]> ReadStatus7903199741 Tue, 07 May 2024 14:22:30 -0700 /review/show/6488361486 Allie is currently reading Seeker by Samuel Griffin
]]> Review6462987848 Sun, 28 Apr 2024 03:58:13 -0700 /review/show/6462987848 Allie gave 5 stars to This Woven Kingdom (This Woven Kingdom, #1) by Tahereh Mafi
Oh I loved this on the basis of the blurb I thought it would be a very standard fantasy novel. But the world build is just fantastic it's so unique and I was absorbed straight away into this and I read it in a day which when you're an adult is quite hard to do. It has political intrigue it's got a really unique magic system I love the utilization of the Jinn as a mythological device in this story. Love it great book. ]]>