The Runaways by Brenda Barnes Clark

February 24, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Runaways by Brenda Barnes Clark
Publisher: RBC Books
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Paranormal, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Review ed by Astilbe

What if Penny, an abused pony at a 1946 West Virginia county fair, runs away to eleven-year-old Billie Rose Tackett?

What if, through “think-speak,” Penny tells Billie that she was stolen and did not belong to the carnival or the horrible, terrible pony ride keeper? How can Billie prove the theft when no one in their right mind would believe that a horse speaks? In her quest to save Penny, Billie and Penny show amazing courage and tenacity to overcome seemingly impossible, life-threatening situations. In this fast-paced adventure story, Billie grows in confidence as she deals with prejudice, disability, bullying, family loss, compassion, and forgiveness while doing whatever it takes to save the runaway pony.

Empathy makes the world a better place.

The pacing was perfect. I ended up reading far longer than I was intending to because I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the page or wait to see what happened next. There simply wasn’t a good time to take a break. That’s the sort of writing I love to see, and it makes this first-time reader eager to see what Ms. Barnes Clark might come up with next. She couldn’t have made a better first impression with me.

Billie lost some of her hearing as a result of an infection she had as a child. The scenes describing her memories of that illness and how it affected her life as well as the lives of her mother and sister were written beautifully, and I’m saying that as someone who lives with a person who is hard of hearing. It’s rare to find characters who have partial hearing loss but who can still hear certain tones, so I was thrilled to see this topic covered here.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that included the mind reading between Billie and Penny. The paranormal elements of their adventures were subtle but unmistakable. That suited these characters nicely, and I enjoyed coming up with my own theories about why they could communicate telepathically. Not everything needs to be fully explained in a tale like this one, especially when there was so much else going on in their lives simultaneously.

I appreciated how descriptive this book was about everything from the physical appearances of the characters to what their homes, barns, gardens, and other settings looked like. The author did a wonderful job of fleshing out the world she was describing, and I found it easy to close my eyes and picture everything in my mind. What made this even better was how seamlessly she included all of the details in the storyline. The pacing of the plot never needed to slow down in order for her to describe all of the little but important details that created such a memorable read.

The Runaways was an exciting adventure that I’d wholeheartedly recommend to adults just as much as to the middle grade audience it was originally intended for!

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Scandals of Tokyo by Heather Hallman

February 24, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Scandals of Tokyo by Heather Hallman
(Tokyo Whispers, #1)
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

In the Foreign Quarter of Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan, Victorian England is alive and well. Manners and etiquette are as valuable as gossip and deceit. Men are more rakish than ever – so far from home, societal rules seemed to be relaxed. But courting young women still requires a deft hand, a smart wit, and a man with something to offer.

INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL

Intent on being an international journalist of repute, Evelyn Prescott will do what it takes to make her mark.

It doesn’t hurt her father has built a newspaper empire, but finding a scandal in Japan is no easy task.

As much as she hates to admit it, she is forced to meet with the owner of the Tokyo Daily News, Ned Taylor, also an Englishman.

Ned holds a deep-rooted dislike of Evelyn’s father’s approach to journalism, and Ned, a notorious rake, pushes her to see just how far Evelyn is prepared to go to get her story.

Evelyn Prescott is intent on being a famous international journalist, yet she may have bitten off more than she can chew!

In this prequel, we meet the young journalist, Evlyn Prescott. She’s finally left home and must find a worthy story to make her mark. Yet, when she finds herself face to face with the handsome, Ned Taylor, who just so happens to own Tokyo Daily News and is her biggest rival! Oh year, did I mention his devilishly good looks and his known reputation as a rake?

While this to the series intro is a short prequel, sparks fly! This young couple is an interesting match, and I loved seeing them finally pair off after learning of Evelyn’s family business and knowing Ned owns the Tokyo Daily News, her father’s biggest rival.

I loved meeting Ned, Evelyn, and others in this exciting introduction to this historical story set in Tokyo, Japan 1896. In addition to meeting this fun couple, we also meet Evelyn’s Aunt Prissy and another important character, Natsu who is also featured in Talk of Tokyo, book 2 in this series.

I read this one easily in one sitting, loved the ‘deal’ made between these two, and seeing how things played out for them! I look forward to seeing more of their story in the future!

As a romance, I’m sure you’re wondering, how steamy is this one? Seeing as this prequel is only right around three chapters, the tension between the characters is mostly limited to flirty banter and a good dose of sensual tension. There is one instance where these thoughts do see our alluring yet untouchable Ned having a detailed and heated fantasy-dream that ends on a spicier note! It’s also suggested that their story isn’t over yet, and that more heated scenes are to come for these two, and other couples in the series!

I enjoyed getting to meet these characters and getting a taste for the setting and what’s to come in this series! The next installment features another reporter hinted about in this story, along with another character talked about but not yet introduced here. Seeing how this story leads up to that one, and knowing a bit of the background and how Ned and Evelyn fit into the plot has me excited for more of Hallman’s Tokyo Whispers series!

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Live Alone and Like It by Marjorie Hillis

February 18, 2022 By 1 Comment


Live Alone and Like It by Marjorie Hillis
Publisher: Virago Modern Classics
Genre: Self-Help, Non-Fiction, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In this witty, engaging guide, a renowned Vogue editor takes readers through the fundamentals of living alone by showing them how to create a welcoming environment and cultivate home-friendly hobbies, “for no woman can accept an invitation every night without coming to grief.”

“Whether you view your one-woman ménage as Doom or Adventure, you need a plan, if you are going to make the best of it.”

However, purchasing cialis properien appalachianmagazine.com online has certain pros and cons. Utilizing the precious appalachianmagazine.com cheapest cialis properties of the herbs, there is no way the supplements can affect your body in negative way. This drug can be tadalafil 5mg tablets taken when needed or on a daily basis. This will sent to you via shipping across the world. prices generic cialis Thus begins Marjorie Hillis’ archly funny, gently prescriptive manifesto for single women. Though it was 1936 when the Vogue editor first shared her wisdom with her fellow singletons, the tome has been passed lovingly through the generations, and is even more apt today than when it was first published. Hillis, a true bon vivant, was sick and tired of hearing single women carping about their living arrangements and lonely lives; this book is her invaluable wake-up call for single women to take control and enjoy their circumstances.

With engaging chapter titles like “A Lady and Her Liquor” and “The Pleasures of a Single Bed,” along with a new preface by author Laurie Graff (You Have to Kiss A Lot of Frogs), Live Alone and Like It is sure to appeal to live-aloners—and those considering taking the plunge.

Tips for living even in a modern world.

I have to preface this review by noting this book is a reprint of the version that was a bestseller in 1936. It is dated. Yes, I know that. But that’s a lot of the charm of this book.

The tips are geared toward the 1936 woman and some if it won’t fly in modern times. That’s where going into this book by looking at is as a slice of the past helps. Take it for the time it was written. Not many people are running around in mink coats any longer, but the stories are cute. There are practical tips about knowing you are enough and can achieve what you want if you put the work in.

Go into this book with an open mind and expect a dated read that has funny moments and those to make you think. You’ll be glad you did.

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

Get Back by John Harris

February 16, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Get Back by John Harris
Publisher: Callaway Arts & Entertainment
Genre: Historical, Recent Historical, Music, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The most anticipated book in more than a decade by the legendary band, The Beatles: Get Back is the official account of the creation of their final album, Let It Be, told in The Beatles’ own words, illustrated with hundreds of previously unpublished images, including photos by Ethan A. Russell and Linda McCartney. Half a century after the 1970 Let It Be album and film, this milestone book coincides with the global release of Peter Jackson’s documentary feature film, The Beatles: Get Back.

The book opens in January 1969, the beginning of The Beatles’ last year as a band. The BEATLES (The White Album) is at number one in the charts and the foursome gather in London for a new project. Over 21 days, first at Twickenham Film Studios and then at their own brand-new Apple Studios, with cameras and tape recorders documenting every day’s work and conversations, the band rehearse a huge number of songs, culminating in their final concert, which famously takes place on the rooftop of their own office building, bringing central London to a halt.

The Beatles: Get Back tells the story of those sessions through transcripts of the band’s candid conversations. Drawing on over 120 hours of sound recordings, leading music writer John Harris edits the richly captivating text to give us a fly-on-the-wall experience of being there in the studios. These sessions come vividly to life through hundreds of unpublished, extraordinary images by two photographers who had special access to their sessions—Ethan A. Russell and Linda Eastman (who married Paul McCartney two months later). Also included are many unseen high-resolution film-frames, selected from the 55 hours of restored footage from which Peter Jackson’s documentary is also drawn.

Legend has it that these sessions were a grim time for a band falling apart. However, as acclaimed novelist Hanif Kureishi writes in his introduction, “In fact this was a productive time for them, when they created some of their best work. And it is here that we have the privilege of witnessing their early drafts, the mistakes, the drift and digressions, the boredom, the excitement, joyous jamming and sudden breakthroughs that led to the work we now know and admire.” Half a century after their final performance, this book completes the story of the creative genius, timeless music, and inspiring legacy of The Beatles.

Have you ever wanted to know how the recording of Get Back really went? Want to be an insider at the sessions? Then this book takes you there.

I’m a huge Beatles fan. Have been my whole life. I live for the next tome about their work and love the unreleased weird sidetracks, plus the tracks that show how far the song ends up going during the creation process. This book is a lot like that. There are pieces of undiscovered treasure in the conversations and interesting things to learn about the band.

It’s also a bit sad. I thought I knew a lot about the band, but I didn’t realize how much the band was breaking apart during the recording of this album. This book touches on that tension. There are entire pieces of conversation written as dialogue and the exact words from each member are there. It’s sad because there were definite cracks in the foundation of the band and like many groups, no one wanted to deal with said cracks.

If you don’t have time to sit through the entire Get Back tv special, then this might be a good alternative. There are a lot of photos. Since this was a documentary, there is a lot of insider info and little held back. It’s worth a read.

If you’re looking for a Beatles fix, then this might be the book for you. Check it out.

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

Sparrow by Brian Kindall

February 1, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Sparrow by Brian Kindall
Publisher: Diving Boy Books
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A boy. A wish. A secret desire gone horribly wrong.

Timothy Sperling misses his mom and dad terribly. Left behind with his morose uncle while they’re off on an expedition to avert an environmental crisis, the bird-boned boy would give anything to see them again. But when he spies a shooting star, instead of wishing to be reunited with his parents, he falters and asks for snow… only to conjure up a blizzard that won’t quit!

As a town that never sees winter is buried in mountains of white, Timothy teams up with a wise explorer to figure out how to stop the relentless frozen flakes. And with all the blame being shoveled on his family, the clever kid’s connection to sparrows may be his one chance to pull the city out of its deep freeze.

Can Timothy undo his fateful wish and bring back the sunshine?

Sparrow is a high-flying middle grade novel. If you or your child like relatable characters, timeless settings, and high-stakes adventure, then you’ll love Brian Kindall’s feathered flurries.

Wishes can change the world, so be careful how you phrase them.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones that explored guilt and regret. Timothy’s uncle had made a terrible mistake many years ago that still haunted their family when this tale began. There were also some things that Timothy himself regretted doing, so uncle and nephew were on similar journeys to fix the troubles that they’d caused. It was fascinating to see how both of these characters approached the question of how best to do that, especially for the problems they were dealing with that didn’t seem to have easy solutions at all.

It would have been helpful to have a little more time spent on world building. I was intrigued by what was included, but there was never quite enough of it for me to feel immersed in the city of Candela or in the lives of the people who lived there. Having more details about this community in general and how it functioned would have gone a long way in giving me the opportunity to lose myself in their world. If this had been included, I would have happily chosen a five-star rating instead.

I adored the way magic was used in this book. Sometimes it flowed so quietly that it would have been easy to overlook it entirely. Other scenes included more obvious examples of how it worked, but even then it fit into the landscape so seamlessly that characters didn’t always necessarily realize just how special those experiences were. Occasionally, it was so blatant that no one could deny it, but in every case I loved seeing how the characters reacted to the existence of magic in their universe and how even the smallest choices they made could be magically amplified in all sorts of clever ways.

Sparrow was a delightful winter read.

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A Difficult Truce by Joan Wolf

January 27, 2022 By Leave a Comment


A Difficult Truce by Joan Wolf
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Taken captive by her ancestral enemies, the hated British, beautiful Irish aristocrat Christina MacCarthy had only one route of escape: marriage to one of England’s most powerful, dangerously handsome lords, the Duke of Dacre. In his embrace, Christina would have to fight a threat more perilous than a stone cell and chains . . . the prison walls of love.

Wowza! Joan Wolf never ceases to amaze me. When I think of her, there is one characteristic that comes to my mind “talent”. She is nowhere near a cookie cutter author. I’ve lost count how many Joan Wolf books I’ve read but each one feels different to me. I can’t explain it. I love each one in their unique way. A Difficult Truce blew me away. I should have known when I read the Author’s Note in the beginning of the book. In fact, I have a suggestion for future readers; If the synopsis sparks your interest, then read the Author’s note before you begin. If you are still intrigued, then go for it. This is a true historical romance! Personally, I don’t come anywhere close to being a history buff. Why I like historical romance books is incomprehensible to me. Regardless, I love them and before this book I couldn’t tell you anything about Irish history and their battle for the Catholic Emancipation. I now know more about the struggle then I’d ever want to know thanks to Joan Wolf who magically spun a romance in that history lesson. Now that I think about it, if history class was taught like this in school, then I’d might have liked the class. That thought just made me giggle.

Joan Wolf states in her note that her purpose was “solely to create what I hope is a good story”. I for one can testify that A Difficult Truce was an excellent story. I was torn apart for the hero, Dacre, and the heroine, Christina. I should have known after reading the synopsis that I was going to be emotionally distressed. The synopsis says in capital letters, “How could she vow to love the man she was sworn to hate?”.

The answer to that question is easy, because the Duke of Dacre was dream worthy. Dacre was open minded and possessed a heart of gold. It didn’t matter how “fiercely independent born-and-bred rebel” Christina was because Dacre was irresistible. I fell in love with both of them. Their romance was very slow, but they had major outside obstacles in their way. I became a “prisoner of their love”. I’m not going to lie; I was anxious for them. I wasn’t sure if they were going to reach their happily ever after.

To say I was entertained is putting it mildly. There was a large cast of characters, but the focal point was Dacre and Christina which kept the pace of the story consistently moving forward.

I was speechless when I finished this book because I felt bad for the Irish. Joan Wolf wrote in her Author’s note that she “took the liberty of compressing a whole century of Irish history into a few years’ time.” I couldn’t help but feel horrible for the way the Irish were treated back then.

I definitely feel this was one of Joan Wolf’s better books and worthy of putting on my “keeper’s shelf”. I’d encourage anyone who enjoys a true historical romance to start reading this book as soon as possible. It was an educational and entertaining read for me.

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The Tower Steps by Aelth Faye

January 26, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Tower Steps by Aelth Faye
(Fairytale Hour #2)
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Marjoram has lived in her tower since her parents gave her to the witch to protect her family from her magical accidents. She sometimes wishes she could leave the tower, but she hates her magic and refuses to learn to control it, a prerequisite for getting out. The gardener boy exchanges letters with her, and she is content to stay a prisoner. But one day her foster mother brings a doctor who specializes in helping people like Marjoram. But the friendly doctor has dark secrets…

Who would have ever guessed that stealing a few herbs from a neighbor’s garden could be so life changing?

Marjoram was the quintessential fifteen-year-old girl in the best possible way. She was old enough to have nuanced conversations with her foster mother, but she wasn’t quite old enough to make the same decisions that an adult would make given the same experiences. Sometimes her impulsiveness made me shake my head, but I was impressed by how well the author captured what it’s like for a teenager to repeatedly butt heads with the people around her because she’s not quite developmentally ready yet to make other choices instead.

I would have preferred to see more character development in this novella. The first book in this series had a generous amount of it, so I was a little surprised by the reduced amount of attention it was given here. Marjoram was definitely amusing, but she didn’t grow and change from her experiences as much as I thought she could have. Her childhood was such a unique one that it sure seemed like it could have been the catalyst for something amazing in this area of the storyline. If that had been the case, I would have gone with a much higher rating as I liked everything else about it.

The world building was handled nicely. Marjoram grew up in such an isolated home that she and the audience had only the most rudimentary knowledge of the outside world. It was a great deal of fun for me as a reader to piece all of those scraps of information together and try to figure out how they should be interpreted. Some of them could easily be taken in multiple contradictory ways, so it required critical thinking to narrow down the possibilities. That’s exactly what I like to see when an author is describing the world their characters live in.

This is the second installment in a series, but it can be read as a standalone work.

The Tower Steps was a memorable retelling of Rapunzel, the classic German fairy tale, that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre.

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

Smoke And Ashes by Abir Mukherjee

January 25, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Smoke And Ashes by Abir Mukherjee
Publisher: Pegasus Crime
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Captain Sam Wyndham and his sidekick Surrender-Not Banerjee return in this prize-winning historical crime series set in 1920s Calcutta.

India, 1921. Haunted by his memories of World War I, Captain Sam Wyndham is battling a serious addiction to opium that he must keep secret from his superiors in the Calcutta police force.

When Sam is summoned to investigate a grisly murder, he is stunned at the sight of the body: he’s seen this before. Last night, in a drug addled haze, he stumbled across a corpse with the same ritualistic injuries. It seems like there’s a deranged killer on the loose. Unfortunately for Sam, the corpse was in an opium den—and revealing his presence there could cost him his career.

With the aid of his quick-witted Indian Sergeant, Surrender-Not Banerjee, Sam must try to solve the two murders, all the while keeping his personal demons secret, before somebody else turns up dead.

Captain Sam Wyndham is a British officer in Calcutta’s Imperial Police Force in the early 1920s. Keeping his battle with opium addiction a fiercely held secret, everything begins to unravel on him the evening he barely escapes an opium den during an unscheduled police raid and discovers a murdered man on his exiting the building. With his police partner Surrender-Not Banerjee can they discover what’s really going on and manage to keep Sam’s secrets safe?

I found this to be an interesting and well plotted story. This is the third book in the series and while I strongly feel it can be read as a stand-alone, I equally feel most readers will find a lot more depth and interest in the characters if they begin at the start and read the series in order. That said I definitely believe the plot and mystery can absolutely be read intact in this story and no previous knowledge about the characters and their relationship would be necessary.

While this book is absolutely a mystery set in historical times, there is an incredibly tepid “romance” between Sam and Annie. I strongly feel this relationship is utterly superfluous to the story as a whole and I just don’t understand why the author doesn’t drop it. Indeed, calling whatever lies between Sam and Annie doesn’t really fit into the category of romance to my mind at all, considering there are only two or three scenes between them in the whole of this book and while they did date off stage between two of the prior books, certainly neither of them feel there is currently a relationship between them – merely history. Added to that I felt no chemistry, no meaningful connection or spark really between them so I just don’t really understand why the author continues with Annie being present in this story. I feel in most ways the book would be a lot stronger without this aspect to it.

In all other ways I found this story really strongly written and entirely engrossing. I enjoyed the fact that Sam and Surrender-not’s working relationship and friendship continued to grow stronger. I also adored Sam’s growing knowledge and acceptance of the historical British-ruled-India that the story is set in. The historical aspects and exotic setting really helped sell the series as a whole to be and I loved delving in once more. I was also impressed with the strength of the plot of the mystery itself. I feel the author is really beginning to find his feet with each book and his pacing was really on point for me.

Finally, I really enjoyed how Sam in particular is growing as a character. His opium addiction really came to a head in this story – partly forced upon him by circumstances in general, but I feel it was clear that Sam, himself, was also coming to the strong realization that he couldn’t coast along for much longer – that a firm decision either to get clean or to move on would be needed. I felt this aspect of the story was particularly well handled and I found it both realistic and satisfying.

Readers looking for a strong mystery/police procedural story set in a historical setting (1920s British-ruled-India) should find this enjoyable book is deeply satisfying. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to future installments in this series.

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

The Portrait by Joan Wolf

January 24, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Portrait by Joan Wolf
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Isabel Besson’s father owns a French Equestrian Circus in which she grew up, touring throughout France and performing with her brilliant horse, Alonzo. In the audience at a performance in London is Leo Sommers, Earl of Camden, who is stunned when he sees in Isabel the replica of his famous great-grandmother, whose portrait hangs in his drawing room.

This is no coincidence, as it soon comes to light that Isabel had been kidnapped as an infant and adopted by “Papa” and his wife when an English woman attempted to sell them the baby.

Isabel isn’t interested in meeting her natural family, but when she learns that her birth father, the Earl of Mansfield, has left her a great deal of money, Isabel sees a means for her Papa to retire from circus life, and she heads for a summer at Camden Hall to prove her right to the inheritance.

Camden Hall is one of England’s Great Houses, and everything about it feels alien to Isabel. She misses her Papa, the circus, France…everything from the life she knows. She does not like her new relatives: Lady Augusta, Leo’s elderly aunt who is always correcting her; Leo’s cousin Roger, who calls her “circus girl” and undresses her with his eyes; her own brother Henry, Earl of Mansfield, who doesn’t want to surrender their father’s money to her.

There is one person at Camden Hall who Isabel comes to love…the Earl of Camden—and Leo feels the same about her.

Which will win out…love, or money?

I think it’s impossible to dislike a Joan Wolf romance book. I must be enchanted by her style of writing. I was excited to start The Portrait because the synopsis sounded original to me. I’ve never read a plot where the heroine was kidnapped as an infant. Isabel, the heroine, grew up in an unconventional lifestyle compared to the life that she was born into. It was fascinating how the story evolved from beginning to end with the cast of characters and plot twists.

The hero, Leo, is every bit the Webster Dictionary definition of a hero, hands down. He was easy to fall in love with. He made the discovery and transition for Isabel’s new way of life bearable. I can’t imagine what it would be like to discover that I was the daughter of an earl after living nineteen years of my life. There is no comparison between growing up part of a French Equestrian Circus vs. growing up at Camden Hall, one of England’s Great Houses.

While I was pleased there was an epilogue included in this story, I was slightly disappointed with the plot thread regarding the death of a certain person. That thread felt weak, rushed or just tossed in there. Traditionally, Joan Wolf would weave a thread like that throughout her story making me riveted to my seat, not able to turn the pages fast enough. I didn’t let this disappointment hinder my enjoyment of the story. It just didn’t meet my level of exception that I’ve grown accustomed to from a Joan Wolf book. The Portrait was still a great read.

I recommend this book to a reader that is looking to escape into a sweet original romance. I enjoyed the relaxing romance between Leo and Isabel. I particularly enjoyed Isabel’s comments regarding “Off with their head”. It made me laugh. The Portrait was a fun read for me.

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

The Pig Wars by M. K. Theodoratus

January 24, 2022 By 6 Comments

The Pig Wars by M. K. Theodoratus
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Historical(medieval) fantasy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

After inadvertently causing her father’s death with her magic in battle, Lady Rena avoids the political in-fighting among the Half-Elven of the Marches. She spends her days weaving and managing her lands, trying to heal from the trauma. But this fragile peace frays…

Renna’s neighbor, Lord Gorsfeld, has plans for the retiring young woman. As the richest man in the Marches, but one without magic, he decides to woo Renna to gain control of her magic and her lands, by setting himself up as a strong protector, who can save her from the marauders who harass her border villages. However his campaign goes awry when Black Tail, Renna’s pet pig, injures dumps him in the mud.

Gorsfeld intensifies his vandalism, hoping to scare Renna into his arms. Renna must fight to protect her people without angering the Lord High Commander of the Marches who expects his childhood friend to help him keep the peace. But she is caught off guard and is forced to ue forbidden elf-fire to protect her people.

Renna discovers she must fight for her life.

Author M.K. Theodoratus offers a stunning and captivating fantasy novel that will have audiences on the edge of their seats in “The Pig Wars”. This compelling and intriguing book is unique in its beautifully-crafted world, fascinating characters, and a fast-paced story line that is both fantastical and political. “The Pig Wars” is an absolute must-read that fantasy lovers won’t want to miss!

I absolutely loved this book, the characters, the world they lived in, the slight hint of a romance, and… of course…the pig!

This is the first book of a new series and, while I am excited to get in on the ground floor, I couldn’t help but feel there were backstories I didn’t know about. So, I did some research and, voila! There are other stories set in the same world that are available and so I grabbed them all up (it didn’t hurt that they are currently FREE on Amazon! You’re welcome.)

The characters were fully fleshed out and complete with all their good and bad parts on display. I loved Renna. She’s the kind of leader I love – one who gets down with her people and leads by example. It’s obvious how much they love her, and they would do anything for her.

The worldbuilding is amazing. I loved what I could see of it here and am looking forward to finding out more as I dip into the other books of the half-elven.

There are untied ends (not a cliffhanger) but elements that lead me to believe things are going on in the background that we will hear more about in book two. I’m so excited!

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