Arabian Nights Illustrated 1800-1950 by Albert Seligman

December 4, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Arabian Nights Illustrated 1800-1950 by Albert Seligman
Publisher: Dulace Books
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Non-fiction
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

This is a survey of the illustrated editions of The Arabian Nights, also called The Thousand and One Nights, published in England and America between 1800 and 1950. It begins with one of the earliest editions illustrated in 1802 by English artist Robert Smirke, who painted especially for inclusion in books. Following are the earliest attempts to print color plates, made from tin or copper, through the beginnings of wood blocks and photographic reproduction.

Featured are the most famous artists and illustrators of the Victorian and Golden Age, including John Gilbert, famous for his Dickens illustrations, William Harvey who engraved the wood blocks by hand, FOC Darley, the first American Brandywine illustrator, Walter Crane, the beginning of the Golden Age illustrators for his full color woodblocks.

Modern editions include Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, Willy Pogany, Maxfield Parrish, the three Robinson brothers; William Heath, Thomas Heath and Charles, Rene Bull, Charles Folkard, Gustave Dore, Frances Brundage, JD Batten, William Strang, HJ Ford, George Soper, Helen Stratton, Walter Paget, VF Sterrett, Eric Pape, and many others.

The illustrated stories include are ‘Aladdin, and the Wonderful Lamp’, ‘Sinbad the Sailor’, ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’, ‘The Enchanted Horse’, ‘Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Peri Banou, and many other favorites of the 1001 tales.

Arabian Nights fans, take note! These sketches are just as exciting as the stories themselves.

One of the recurring thoughts I had while reading this and looking carefully at the paintings and drawing was how much work went into all of it. Not only was it more difficult to get ahold of certain art supplies back then than it is today, artists didn’t have access to the types of technology that can make planning out an illustration easier. It took hours of hard work, but the results have entertained generations. Kudos to Mr. Seligman for honoring everyone who was involved in the creation of these images. I think they would be pleased to know that people still enjoy them so many decades later.

This is the second art collection I’ve reviewed that Mr. Seligman gathered together into the same book, and I was once again surprised by how beautiful it was. Due to how expensive printing was back then, I’d assumed that most illustrations from the 1800s would be in black and white, so the inclusion of examples of them that were in color was a wonderful surprise. Morgiana’s Dance was one of my favorites because of how it captured the exhilarating feeling of dancing in a colorful outfit. It’s always nice to have one’s assumptions challenged about what the past was like, and I look forward to checking out more of his work if or when Mr. Seligman can provide it.

I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the images that discussed things like how they were made and what certain aspects of them would have meant to someone living in the 1800s to mid-1900s. Cultures can shift quite a bit over time, after all, so not all of these details were necessarily things that someone would immediately recognize today. This made me feel like I’d traveled back in time to experience certain parts of the world as they used to be.

Arabian Nights Illustrated 1800-1950 was delightful.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dohva – The Land Within: A Tale of Elemental Sorcery and Ancient Mysteries by Sophie Haeder

December 3, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Dohva – The Land Within: A Tale of Elemental Sorcery and Ancient Mysteries by Sophie Haeder
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Embark on a journey to the enigmatic realm of Dohva, where elemental magic reigns supreme and ancient secrets lie buried beneath the mountains.

In the isolated land of Dohva, where souls are trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth by an ancient elemental sphere, a malevolent force wields the forbidden dark magic of the demon prince Agthod. Avala, a rebellious air sorceress haunted by the loss ofher closest friend, is driven to unravel the mysteries that have long plagued her world. She finds unlikely allies with three anti-heroes, a colourful and diverse cast who each struggle with their own demons and desires for redemption.

But as the shadows deepen and the threat grows, Avala and her newfound companions must set aside their differences and forge an uneasy bond. But can they confront this powerful enemy force that threatens to consume their world and change their destiny forever?

It’s never too late to try to live happily ever after.

The romantic subplot was well developed and fit into the storyline nicely. To be honest, I’m the sort of reader who is often a little wary about romances that heat up rapidly, but the characters involved in this one had logical and excellent reasons for both their sudden interest in each other as well as for how quickly they decided they wanted to become a couple. It was nice to see this trope used so smoothly and as such an important aspect of the plot!

This book had a large cast of characters that I struggled to keep track of. Since there were two different narrators that kept taking turns sharing what was happening, it was even more confusing for me as I was often switched over to the other perspective just as I was beginning to understand what was happening for one set of characters. As much as I would have liked to choose a higher rating, my confusion with who everyone was and how they were connected to each other was a hindrance to that.

I was intrigued by how reincarnation affected everyone’s lives in this universe. Individuals who developed close ties with each other in one lifetime often found each other again in the next one, although the precise types of relationships they had might change from being relatives to friends, to give one example. This meant that problems from previous lifetimes could be approached again the next time everyone involved was reborn. While I don’t want to give away too many details about how this worked for spoiler reasons, it led to so many interesting plot developments and chances for characters to address things they weren’t able to fix the last time around. The passages that dove into what this meant for everyone as they remembered their previous lives were some of the most interesting ones in my opinion.

Dohva made me smile.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Dirty Money by Richard Stark

December 2, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Dirty Money by Richard Stark
Publisher: The University Of Chicago Press
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Parker’s got a new fence and a new plan to get the loot back from a botched job. But a bounty hunter, the FBI, and the local cops are on his tail. Only his brains, his cool, and the help of his lone longtime dame, Claire, can keep him one step ahead of the cars and the guns in this final Parker thriller.

Parker has a new plan to get back the money he lost in his most recent adventure. Returning to the small town and avoiding the many swarming police and government agencies is the least of his problems when more old faces begin to turn up unexpectedly.

This is the final Parker book and I was both thrilled and devastated to have reached it. Not only is this the last book of the series, but it’s the culmination of the triology rounding out the series as a whole. While it might be read alone I would strongly suggest readers at least read the two previous books as there is not a huge introduction to some of the previous characters that were involved in this particular heist. I do think readers should be able to follow along but I’m confident the enjoyment will be much better knowing the whole of this tale.

Readers who enjoy their mysteries to be a little on the leaner, grittier side should find this whole series a delight. Parker isn’t exactly a villain or bad guy – but equally he is far from a hero. He’s usually so focused on the job, and of ensuring his own odds are the best they can be, he doesn’t have a lot of time or space for social niceties or playing games. It’s a pure delight to read as the writing itself is equally spare, lean and focused on the point. I’m very much going to miss having another book to look forward to like this.

While most of the books in this series revolve around a heist – and the planning going into it or the repercussions coming out of it – this book is more involved in recovering the money stolen in a previous heist. This only occurred two weeks previously in the book so the heat is still very intense and I loved that this plot was pretty much a different perspective on a well known theme. I loved this book so much and can strongly recommend it to all mystery/action readers.

An exceptional ending to a fabulous series, this is a great heist/adventure style of mystery. I can easily recommend all the books in this delightful series and am certainly going to reread this a number of times in the future.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ A Celtic Yuletide Carol by Jennifer Ivy Walker

November 30, 2024 By 1 Comment



A Celtic Yuletide Carol by Jennifer Ivy Walker
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical Romance
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Snapdragon

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Once a royal Breton knight, Sir Cardin is now infamously known as Basati, the Basque Wolf. Savage and sullen, he drowns his guilt in raucous taverns, accruing enormous debt and acquiring vengeful enemies.

Ulla, widowed daughter of a Viking chieftain, is a skilled archer who lives as a recluse in a secluded woodland cottage. Rendered mute by trauma, she avoids humans, preferring the company of her wild wolf and falcon as she hunts in the Forest of Brocéliande.

When his mother’s dying wish calls Basati home, he finally meets the son he abandoned at birth and Ulla, the enigmatic priestess who is teaching the boy to hunt. As the holidays approach, Basati finds himself smitten with the beguiling beauty as he bonds with his once forsaken child.

But past enemies plot against him, and Basati is ensnared in darkness.

Can music lure the savage wolf into the light of love?

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze by David Scott Richardson

November 29, 2024 By Leave a Comment


An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze by David Scott Richardson
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze, recipient of the Literary Titan Gold Book Award and runner-up winner of the PenCraft Book Award, renders life on the home front through the watchful eyes of 15-year-old Scotty Johannsen as WWII rages across the globe. Against the backdrop of blackouts, bomb shelters, rationing, and victory gardens, Scotty and his friends follow the rhythms of yesteryear, weaving their wartime worries through the “wilds” of Seattle’s Ravenna Park, where their imaginations run free.

Into this fragile balance a neighborhood threat emerges: Someone is lighting fires during the mandatory blackouts. Scotty, whose father is an air raid warden, is soon caught up in the firebug mystery and tries to smoke the arsonist out. When the local bully throws suspicion on Scotty’s draft-age brother, and when even his best friend’s actions don’t seem to add up, Scotty must navigate a moral and ethical thicket while treading a path toward maturity. Even as scarcity slips into every nook and cranny, An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze celebrates a youthful spirit and hearkens to simple pleasures, where free time and family abound.

Even hard times can have some good in them.

I was impressed by the character development. Mr. Richardson had well over 300 pages to explore the personalities and growth of both major and minor characters, and he used them to dig deeply into their lives and showcase both their flaws and their strengths. Sometimes I had to remind myself that this wasn’t actually a memoir because of how well-rounded and realistic nearly everyone was. Even the characters I would not necessarily want to live with due to certain habits they’d developed over time that I find irritating were still interesting to read about because their best moments were also given a chance to shine.

The pacing was a little slow at times, especially in the beginning as the characters were being introduced and the mystery was being set up. This is something that paid off beautifully later on as character development deepened and more clues about who was starting the fire began to emerge, but it does ask the reader for some patience upfront as certain aspects of the plot are being assembled behind the scenes. I tend to prefer a faster pacing in most cases, but that is a subjective topic and I was glad I hung out to see where this tale was going.

The world building couldn’t have been better. I appreciated how much effort the author put into describing what daily life was like during World War II for children and teens in the Pacific Northwest. Everything important was included, from the homemade meals they enjoyed – or in some cases complained about – to homework to the games they improvised when the radio didn’t have anything interesting playing on it. It truly felt as though I’d slipped back 80 years into the past as I read this which is exactly what I was hoping to find.

An Empty House Doesn’t Sneeze was well worth the effort I put into reading it.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Celtic Yuletide Carol by Jennifer Ivy Walker

November 27, 2024 By 5 Comments



A Celtic Yuletide Carol by Jennifer Ivy Walker
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical Romance
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Snapdragon

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Once a royal Breton knight, Sir Cardin is now infamously known as Basati, the Basque Wolf. Savage and sullen, he drowns his guilt in raucous taverns, accruing enormous debt and acquiring vengeful enemies.

Ulla, widowed daughter of a Viking chieftain, is a skilled archer who lives as a recluse in a secluded woodland cottage. Rendered mute by trauma, she avoids humans, preferring the company of her wild wolf and falcon as she hunts in the Forest of Brocéliande.

When his mother’s dying wish calls Basati home, he finally meets the son he abandoned at birth and Ulla, the enigmatic priestess who is teaching the boy to hunt. As the holidays approach, Basati finds himself smitten with the beguiling beauty as he bonds with his once forsaken child.

But past enemies plot against him, and Basati is ensnared in darkness.

Can music lure the savage wolf into the light of love?

Incredibly, unexpectedly, it is the clever machinations of one woman who sets alight the plot of A Celtic Yuletide Carol.

The strength of family and sincere attachments brings readers close to the characters in this new historical romantic adventure. Cardin, one of Brittony’s royal knights, proves to be a deep and complex character. His nickname might mean ‘wolf,’ but he seems more like the brute the word also means.  However, we heart-wrenchingly come to see why he makes the choices he does.  And Ulla is not the just a lovely damsel. She, with her falcon, wolf, and horse create an image that is almost magical.

Yet, if not for a brilliant bit of trickery by a very secondary character, the two might never have met. It seems a step outside the usual, for this type of medieval romance.

A healer, Ulla is not merely beautiful, but is an active, important and thinking character. Her working companionship with her animals is thrilling to read. I really appreciated the strength and resourcefulness of the fairer sex in this tale. However, there is a lot more to it. At times, the descriptions become near poetic.

Truly, the author can describe a tavern so perfectly, you will believe you can smell it. ‘Odin’s blanket’ (snow), mistletoe, and druidic celebration all work to give this a Yuletide setting. The wonderful characters together with the believable setting have we can foresee further developments between the characters.

However, the motivation of every character is not always good, and alliances between various kingdoms across France, might, indeed, be fragile. The larger world intrudes quite abruptly, and all is not smooth sailing for Ulla, Cardin, and the extended family. Their story will keep you on the edge of your seat!

I always have to find something to complain about, and in this case it’s the cover. It is a great looking, dramatic cover that says, ‘historic Celtic Adventure,’ but it just isn’t different enough from others of its ilk. Yes, Cardin is every bit as masculine as one could imagine, but in my mind, Ulla ought to dominate this cover.

That said, it was my great pleasure to read this book. Many congratulations to the author… and to readers, I highly recommend you put this one on the top of your TBR list.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Burnt Island by Kate Rhodes

November 26, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Burnt Island by Kate Rhodes
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: Three stars
Reviewed by Fern

INTRUDERS HERE ARE BOUND TO DIE

As the sun sets on St Agnes on bonfire night, a man’s charred body is found on Burnt Island, surrounded by threats in the old Cornish language.

Deputy Chief of Police Ben Kitto has no choice but to ban all travel between the islands, forcing the community of just eighty islanders to remain within reach, while he hunts for the killer. Ben quickly suspects the motive is to rid the island of newcomers who threaten tradition, and when a second fire results in the disappearance of another islander, he only has forty-eight hours before another life is lost . . .

On the tiny Scilly Island of St Agnes moments before the annual Fifth of November fireworks and festivities one of the locals is found burned to death, his charred body a very clear message that a killer looms large amongst the 80 locals. DI Ben Kitto is determined to keep the small community safe, but there are many hidden currents, and he can’t deny the tension looming between the old Cornish ways and the newer incomers.

I have been really enjoying this British Police procedural series revolving around a small group of islands off the Cornwell coastline. While Ben and Eddie – his sergeant – as well as their boss the Chief of Police are all regular characters each book so far in the series had felt very much like a standalone because while the links between the islands are strong and plenty of the locals visit the other islands the core community of each group remains quite discreet. This lets the books feel very much as if they stand alone, because each community is quite distinctive, and this helps keep the stories separate. I am really enjoying this, and I definitely feel readers should feel comfortable starting pretty much anywhere so far in the series.

I thought the plot to this book was very well handled. After Ben begins to investigate it’s quite clear there is no real reason for the victim to have been killed. Instead of feeling random this leads to the fact that there’s something much deeper underlying the plot and I thoroughly enjoyed the investigation looking into what was really going on. I thought this was paced very well, my only small disappointment was how Ben followed through on one thread that was clearly an “easy out” kind of explanation and while I could clearly see why and how he went down this path and the supporting evidence that led him there, I was a bit sad Ben didn’t listen to Eddie or his advice and thoughts and neither did Ben stop to think about how this lead was a bit of a cop out and too pat and easy to be readily believed. In a backhanded way I could see that jumping on believing that the local weirdo was responsible certainly pushed the plot forward and helped develop the tension and pacing, but it felt to me rather like picking on the shy and quiet kid instead of actually looking for the real answer.

With quite a bit of action and a good pace I enjoyed this murder mystery and am growing to be quite a fan of the series as a whole. I’m looking forward to the next story in this series.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

We’ve Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging by Ritu Bhasin

November 25, 2024 By Leave a Comment


We’ve Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging by Ritu Bhasin
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Genre: Contemporary, Non-Fiction
Rating: 3 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Many of us feel constant pressure to mask and curate who we are–to perform as someone we’re not rather than be who we are. And it hurts us. But we don’t need to live this way.

With We’ve Got This, award-winning and globally recognized DEI and empowerment expert Ritu Bhasin delivers a much-needed guidebook on how to heal, thrive, and stand in your power in the face of hate and hardships. She reveals how to unlock belonging–for yourself and for others.

Ritu knows firsthand that the path to belonging can be both beautiful and hard. As a child of working-class immigrants of color, she experienced relentless struggles with racist bullying and cultural confusion growing up. Even as a successful lawyer and business leader, Ritu grappled with knowing, embracing, and being her authentic self–until she realized the freedom that comes with claiming belonging, which she passionately shares in these pages.

Combining empathy, humor, and research with life-changing wisdom and savvy, We’ve Got This is the guide for finding belonging and joy that readers from across backgrounds have been waiting for.

The world needs more inclusiveness.

While I’m not Punjabi like Ms. Bhasin is, I am a member of a few other minority groups that are also misunderstood by society at large at times. I smiled and nodded along as I took note of the many similarities between our two lives that may not appear to have much in common at first glance. There is something refreshing and encouraging about discovering what one has in common with a stranger, and I was glad I took this journey with her.

The repetition in this book made it difficult for me to remain highly interested in reading the next page or chapter. As excited as I was to explore this topic and as much as I wanted to give it a higher rating, repeating the points so many times made them less meaningful to me as a reader. So many passages could have been trimmed down or combined into previous chapters.

Some of the most memorable sections for me were the ones that explored how yoga can bring about both physical and emotional healing. This is a form of exercise I’ve practiced on and off for years, and I’ve also found it incredibly helpful for dealing with all sorts of physical and emotional sore spots. The more people who become aware of this option, the better if you ask me!

I also struggled with how much time the author spent sharing her own story. Obviously, it was important to understand her catalyst for writing about standing strong in the face of hate and discrimination, but I kept wishing for more advice on practical ways to do so instead of more examples of prejudice. There was so much more that could have been done with these later sections.

With that being said, I did find the section that talked about how to let someone know when they’ve said something offensive useful. It can be difficult for some people to hear that they’re being hurtful, and they may not always be open to listening to how certain words feel when one is on the other side of them. There are ways to nudge those automatic reactions aside, though, and it’s good to do so when possible.

We’ve Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson

November 18, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A wickedly witty cosy crime novel set in Sydney in the swinging sixties, ideal for fans of Richard Osman and Bonnie Garmus. They keep everyone’s secrets, until there’s a murder… Sydney, 1965: After a chance encounter with a stranger, tea ladies Hazel, Betty and Irene become accidental sleuths, stumbling into a world of ruthless crooks and racketeers in search of a young woman believed to be in danger. In the meantime, Hazel’ s job at Empire Fashionwear is in jeopardy. The firm has turned out the same frocks and blouses for the past twenty years and when the mini-skirt bursts onto the scene, it rocks the rag trade to its foundations. War breaks out between departments and it falls to Hazel, the quiet diplomat, to broker peace and save the firm. When there is a murder in the building, the tea ladies draw on their wider network and put themselves in danger as they piece together clues that connect the murder to a nearby arson and a kidnapping. But if there’ s one thing tea ladies can handle, it’ s hot water.

It’s the 1960s and Mrs Hazel Bates has been the Tea Lady at Empire Fashionware practically forever. She is welcome everywhere, from the busy factory floor right up into the CEOs board room. When her tea trolly rattles down the hallway everyone is pleased to see her no matter what else is going on in their lives. Hazel herself enjoys a quick cuppa and maybe a cheeky slice of cake with her staunch friends when they have their own break in the alley out the back. Her fellow Tea Ladies in the neighboring factories talk about everything and between them they have a wealth of knowledge. But when they each piece together evidence of a kidnapping, arson and even a dead body turns up unexpectedly, Hazel and her fellow Tea Ladies need to put their brains together to help the police sort out what’s going on.

As an avid tea drinker myself I simply had to purchase this book for the title and cover alone. I really enjoy a good mystery story, but rarely do I dip my toe into the historical context books, so this was a big leap of faith for me, and I was thrilled when this story turned out to be an exceptional tale. Part cosy mystery, part women’s fiction with a hefty slice of humour and good cheer this was a cracking read and before I was half way through I had both searched out the author (who has a number of other books out and a sequel of Hazel and her fellow Tea Ladies recently released) and made a note to purchase it in my next book order.

Set in Sydney, Australia in the 1960s I would strongly encourage other readers to not let this scare them away. I felt Hazel and her close friends are extremely relatable – women of a “certain age” and strong characters and I really loved and enjoyed them. Considering the time they’re in – and the war and difficult historical times they’ve lived through – I found them wonderfully strong, independent and yet still believable and relatable and to my mind that shows extreme skill on the author’s behalf and a real testimony to the strength of the plot and world she has built. I was also very pleased that all of the plot was neatly tied up – with no loose threads or unanswered questions.

Even better, I found myself engrossed in the plot – both with the occurrences in Hazel’s private life, the story of what the factory itself was going through with the fashion and women’s issue changes roaring through the 1960s and the murder mystery itself was strongly written and deeply interesting. Rarely have I been so pleased with a randomly picked up book and not only do I plan to re-read it very promptly, but I’ve actually purchased a second copy to post to a friend of mine who lives internationally and can’t find herself an easily accessible copy. I strongly feel it is well, well worth a try and tracking down.

With interesting, relatable characters, a lovely cozy mystery feel and a number of plots that were well balanced and circling around each other this book was a true joy to read, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out. Highly Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Kill For Me by Tom Wood

November 15, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Kill For Me by Tom Wood
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE…

Victor is the killer who always delivers…for the right price. And Heloise Salvatierra, patron of Guatemala’s largest cartel, is ready and willing to pay him just that to eliminate the competition: her sister. Heloise has been battling Maria for control of the cartel in an endless and bloody war. Now Victor decides who survives. An easy job if it weren’t for the sudden target on his back.

…AND THEIR ENEMIES CLOSER.

Victor’s not the only one on the hunt. Someone else has Maria in the crosshairs and will do anything to get the kill. In the middle of cartel territory with enemies closing in from all sides, Victor must decide where to put the bullet before one is placed in his head….

For years two sisters have fought ruthlessly on the streets of Guatemala City to try and take the turf of their dead crime boss father. The war is still fiercely fought, but the sisters are at a stalemate. Until one decides to hire Victor to assassinate the other. Now caught up in the center of this vicious family feud, can Victor find his way out of the mess he’s stepped into?

I really enjoyed this book – an addition to the Victor The Assassin series. In part I thoroughly enjoy Victor’s character despite him being an anti-hero in virtually every respect. A cold and unquestionable killer, Victor’s perspective and rules are incredibly different from most other characters – even other anti-heroes. But despite that it is a pleasure to read the story and come along for the ride.

Despite this being a book in the middle of the series I felt the plot was very well encapsulated just within this addition. Readers who have read the prior installments will find a few Easter Eggs within these pages – mostly in the form of brief memories or recollections Victor has where one thing reminds him of a previous person or experience. While readers who haven’t read the prior books will realize this is reflecting on something prior the memories are always quite brief and while they are fun for the fans I truly feel not knowing/understanding the reference shouldn’t detract any from the enjoyment of the story this book tells.

I also feel this is definitely a book for people not expecting a Happy Ever After (and not even a Happy For Now) style of ending. This is very much a Suspense/Thriller style of assassin story where there are a number of Bad Guys and not even really a clear “Good Guy”. This is a somewhat different tale where readers should be aware it’s not a traditional story and while I feel satisfied with the ending it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Readers looking for something different, non-traditional and a bit outside of the regular box will likely be really impressed with this story.

With vivid and memorable characters, a rather twisty turn of plot and where no character is safe or considered off limits, this is a slightly different book that I found highly enjoyable. There is plenty of killing – though I don’t feel anything in this book contains over-the-top gore nor any titillation or overly graphic violence or glorifying of the killing. Keep in mind though this is a book about an assassin and there is plenty of killing, shooting and fighting.

A different read with a memorable anti-hero, and I will keep reading this series.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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