Review: And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) by Kiersten White

Published June 28th 2016 by Delacorte Press

“A dragon did not crawl on its belly in front of its enemies, begging for their help. A dragon did not vow to rid the world of infidels, and then invite them into its home. A dragon did not flee its land in the middle of the night like a criminal.

A dragon burned everything around herself until it was purified in ash.”

Goodreads Synopsis

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

My Review

“If we were not pushing, fighting, claiming what is ours and challenging what is not yet ours, others would be doing it to us. It is the way of the world. You can be the aggressor, you can fight against crusaders on their own land, or you can stay at home and wait for them to come to you. And they would come. They would come with fire, with disease, with swords and blood and death. Weakness is an irresistible lure.”

This was one book that made me feel ecstatic and ashamed in equal measure- ecstatic because it was enchanting in plot, characterisation, emotion and substance, and ashamed because it made me aware of my ignorance of Eastern European history. I actually mistook Wallachia to be a fictional place initially and only after a sound googling session was I made aware of my folly. The googling session acquainted me with the fascinating history of the Ottoman empire and mde me realise how cleverly Ms White has twisted a few facts and manipulated history to potray Vlad The Impaler as a girl.

Which brings me to the best part of the book- Lada!

“On our wedding night," she said, "I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied.” 

Even though I'm straight as a ruler, I'd be lying if I denied that I was totally crushing on Lada. I'd expected her to be a badass, but she was in a different class entirely. She was ruthless and efficient (almost to the point of being cruel and callous), independent and brave and fiercely protective of those she cared about at the same time. She was a chaotic mess of emotions and it was sooooo much fun to see her struggle to choose between love and duty, herself and her country. 

Radu, her brother, was another very interesting character. He was her stark opposite in almost every way- soft to her innate hardness, kind to her callousness, scared to her brash bravery. But his character development came as a complete surprise. It's commendable how flawlessly Ms. White melded his mouse of a character to be a smart, strategic, almost cunning man, while retaining all the essential qualities that made Radu Radu.  I can't wait to see how his character shapes up in the later books. 

Mehmed's character was also very captivating. It was entertaining to see his transformation from a nobody to an able emperor. The world building was perfect. Nowhere in the 400+ page journey was I bored. There was a subtle build up before any major plot twist, enough to make me squirm with excitement in my seat. Ms. White paints a very vivid picture of the dreary lands of Wallachia, of the opulent wealth of Edierne, of bloody battles and of sexy romantic scenes. It was a delicious mix of characters and emotions and I adored every bit of it. 

The ending was perfect and painful in equal measure. It was kind of meant to be, and at the same time I couldn't help hoping for an alternate one. 

I'm eagerly awaiting to get my hands on the sequel and read more of these characters to see them get the ending they deserve. 

Highly recommended: 5/5 stars!

Review: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

Published June 7th 2016 by HarperTeen

“On everyone’s lap rested a book. Any book. In case the wedding got boring.” 

Goodreads Synopsis

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane is about to become the Queen of England.

My Review

What an amazing way to kickstart 2017! Yeah indeed, this book pleaseth me greatly. ;-)

You know you've struck gold when the dedication of the book goes something like:

“For everyone who knows there was enough room for Leonardo DiCaprio on that door.
And for England. We’re really sorry for what we’re about to do to your history.” 

I picked this one up because I was in the mood for something light and of course there's this whole fascination I have with modern retellings of the Tudor era. I expected some light hearted rom-com stuff, but nothing could have prepared me for the super cutesy fluff and hilarious laugh-out-loud jokes that the trio of authors dished out in this rib-tickling (and splendidly inaccurate) retelling of English history. People who are anal about not messing with history or to whom a healthy dose of entirely illogical and inappropriate humour does not appeal too much, will not be great fans of this book. But if you are looking for a quick comic read with a dash of endearing romance thrown in, this is the book for you. 

I loved how the book overrode gender stereotypes of the olden era; how every female character in the book was a definite badass and how the male ones were gloriously supportive and how they broke through their sexist ideologies to rediscover their beliefs. There were impossible situations and impossible solutions. There was subtle toe-curling romance and characters so enchantingly cute, that all I wanted was to bring them to life and then cuddle them to death. There was politics, backstabbing, power hungry royals, our favourite dish which is best served cold and tons of drama. 

“No horse jokes," he said.
"My lord, I apologize for the horse joke. If you put down the book---unharmed!---I will give you a carrot."
He brandished the book at her. "Was that a horse joke?"
"Neigh."
"Was that a horse joke?” 

*snorts indelicately* Just read it. :-)

Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog- Anne Blankman

Published April 22nd 2014 by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads Synopsis

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

My Review

I've always had a morbid fascination about wars- the reason behind such large scale destruction, the psychological effect of the huge losses, the inclination to fight for petty reasons and so on. So needless to say, any tidbit of info about WWII is considered a treat. 

I do not usually read war fiction as very few authors can actually capture all the grisly details with perfection. Exceptions always exist; Gone with the Wind is one mind blowing masterpiece which triumphs above all war fiction novels.

But as soon as I read the blurb for Prisoner of Night and Fog, I was completely hooked onto it. The idea of a novel based on romantic association between Hitler's pet and a Jew in Nazi Germany was too interesting to resist. What I loved best about the book was how the author has so ingeniously shaped her fictional characters around real ones. Anne Blankman has woven the story of a fictitious murder around two of the most devastating real events in Hitler’s life: Germany’s surrender while he was being treated for hysterical blindness and the Beer Hall Putsch. The fact that the story is set around the time before the actual Nazi regime began only heightens its appeal. 

It describes the story of Gretchen- Hitler's 'sunshine' and his saviour's beloved daughter- who discovers that everything she has been told about her father's death is a lie. That he had not voluntarily taken bullets to protect Hitler during the Putsch shootout, but had been murdered. She joins forces with an ambitious Jewish Reporter, Daniel Cohen and embarks on a quest to find the truth hidden under a blanket of cunningly woven lies. She realises that her beloved 'Uncle Dolf' might not be the affectionate caretaker he seems to be. She uncovers the macabre truth about his twisted mind, the fact that he is indeed a 'classic psychopath' and realises that this knowledge could mean doom for her family and herself.

The story might appear slow to some, and indeed in some places it was. But I think that was essential for the gradual thickening of the plot. In retrospect, the truth about Gretchen's father's demise was pretty obvious. But if I try to put myself in Gretchen's shoes, I think accepting the bitter truth about her father's murder and her Uncle's treachery would have been painfully difficult. Daniel was perhaps the only really likeable character in the entire book. He was moralistic, ambitious and headstrong. However, the ease with which he accepted Gretchen was downright weird, what with him being an outcast in the world created by her Uncle Dolf. 

The book was also frightening in some aspects. The revelation about Hitler's psychopathic tendencies gave me the heebie-jeebies, especially since this was before the time he started the holocaust. 

Overall, the book was an engrossing read. Highly recommended to lovers of historical fiction who have a preference for factual precision. 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

About The Author:

Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.

After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.

Anne Blankman is the author of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG, the first in a three-book deal slated for publication in spring 2014 from Balzer + Bray | HarperCollins. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

ARC Review: The Boleyn King- Laura Anderson

There is always another secret...

Goodreads Synopsis

Laura Andersen brings us the first book in an enthralling trilogy set in the dramatic, turbulent, world-altering years of Tudor England. What if Anne did not miscarry her son in January 1536, but instead gave birth to a healthy royal boy? Perfect for fans of Philipa Gregory and Allison Weir.

Henry IX, known as William, is a 17-year-old king struggling at the restraints of the regency and anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics plotting at home, Will trusts only three people: his older sister, Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by Anne Boleyn. Against an undercurrent of secret documents, conflicting intelligence operations, and private murder, William fights a foreign war and domestic rebellion with equal resolve. But when he and Dominic both fall in love with Minuette, romantic obsession menaces a new generation of Tudors. Battlefields and council chambers, trials and executions, the blindness of first love and the betrayal of true friendship...How far will William go to get what he wants? Who will pay the price for a king's revenge? And what twists of fate will set Elizabeth on the path to her destiny as England's queen?

My review

Laura Anderson is the third historical fiction author I’ve tried out this year and I’m beginning to grow quite fond of the genre. I received a copy from the publisher at Netgalley for an honest review and hope that I’ve captured the book’s essence here. For my ease of dissection and the readers’ ease of comprehension I will start with the things that were spot on followed by certain aspects of the story that could’ve been better.

Where Anderson hit the nail on the head…

• The setting of the story:- Tudor England where Anne Boleyn remains queen and Henry Tudor is deceased. Now that held scope for an excellent historical fiction novel, especially amidst all the speculation about whether Anne’s son William is the real heir to the throne or just a product of incestuous relations between Anne and Rochford.

• Characterization and the writing style:- Great descriptions and interesting characterization. Elizabeth and Mary Tudor’s characters seemed incredibly realistic, what with Elizabeth inheriting her mother’s shrewdness and her father’s tenacity and Mary being appropriately resentful with a desire for vengeance. Dominic’s impenetrable composure and unwavering loyalty, along with William’s impulsiveness and occasional petulance (no doubt a side effect of being fawned over forever) were also quite endearing.

• Plot:- I’d been wary about the kind of story the author would come up with- whether it would just be some meaningless love triangle or if there would actually be an intricate plot to support the intriguing assortment of characters. Seems like my fears were unfounded. Not that the romantic element was lacking in any way, but a dramatic plot and an unexpected ending only augmented the book’s appeal.

• The love triangle:- A Tudor king, used to getting what he wants, and his loyal best friend fall for their mutual best friend, who incidentally loves them both. Need I say more?

• Also, loved the underlying message- ‘There is always another secret’- it seemed quite chilling when used in a certain context.

Things that could’ve been better….

• Minuette’s character was a bit of a let down sometimes. Though she seems intelligent enough, she is very confused about her love life. I suppose that’s essential to the theme of the story but owing to the fact that I dislike that in female protagonists and throwing herself at one guy and then running off to snog another was very Eleanor Howard kind of behavior, it was a little off-putting.

• Also, I’d always thought that if Anne Boleyn had not been executed she would have the real power in the kingdom, what with her being the woman for whom Henry had given up his queen, daughter and religion. But she kind of faded into the background in the book- something that seemed just wrong,  along with Rochford having so much power at court.

But apart from these couple of minor loopholes it was quite an enjoyable read. I am quite eager to see William’s reaction to Dominic and Minuette’s relationship in the next installment and getting more info on Rochford’s schemes….

Rating:- 3/5 stars!

Review: Wolf Hall- Hilary Mantel

....Assuming that the last part is figurative since I'm not the most widely travelled person in the world although my beloved paperbacks have been my bedmates for as long as I can remember. Hello readers...this is procrastinator135 and I look forward to reviewing some of the books I read. Hopefully they'll all bag 5-star reviews and not prove to be a waste of precious time, ink and paper. You can leave a comment if you want me to read and review a particular book for you or you can share your thoughts with me on my latest review.

I'm not fussy about genres though I have to admit that I'm partial to fantasy/fiction and psychological thrillers and after Hunger Games I'm definitely hooked on to dystopia. But I don't really dig mediocre stuff lacking plot and grammatical precision. I suppose my ideal book would be a combination of Dan Brown's plots, JKR's characterisation, Jeffrey Archer's writing style, Douglas Adam's sense of humour and Eoin Colfer's cockiness. Okay...that may not be that most practical combination but a girl can dream right?

Ahem...back to business. I recently got my hands on a copy of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Amidst all the hype about the booker prize winning novel whose sequel too has thwarted all competition to win the honour as well, it was almost impossible to read it with an unbiased point of view. It would undoubtedly be a right treat for all the historical fiction lovers who crave for factual accuracy and precision since Mantel's attention to detail is admirable. 

The book peels back history to show us Tudor England in all its disastrous glory as a half made society. Tudor era is an addictive one to read about. A petulant king who wants to annul his marriage of 20 yrs to Katherine of Aragon(who happens to be his dead brother's ex-wife) to get a male heir to avoid all possibilities of a civil war, the power hungry seductress Anne Boleyn and the brilliant cardinal Wolsey, the king's advisor who is destroyed by a peremptory king's quest for freedom- oh the drama...a heady combination indeed.

The book's protagonist though is none of these charming people but Thomas Cromwell- the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political genius, a briber, bully and a charmer who steps into this impasse to occupy the power vacuum created by Wolsey's death. Mantel's multilayered characterisation of all the characters is great. She has a distinct writing style with just the right amount of description. 

'Lock Cromwell in a deep dungeon on the morning,' says Thomas More, 'and when you come back at night he'll be sitting on a plush cushion eating lark's tongues, and all the gaolers will owe him money.'

'What he says about Gregory is, at least he isn't like I was, when I was his age; and when people say, what were you like? he says, oh, I used to stick knives in people.'

'You're sweeter to look at than the cardinal,'he says.

'That's the smallest compliment a woman ever received.'

'And I've been working on it all the way from Yorkshire.' He shakes his head.

Cromwell rises from a personal disaster and picks his way through a court where 'a man is wolf to man'. The book was richly overflowing with incident and although the reader might get irritated with the slow pace of the story at some point, the high doses of drama in court life more than make up for its shortcomings.

Overall a nice read but for me it lacked that certain element of intrigue that a fast paced novel has that keeps the reader hooked on till the end and makes the book unputdownable. But if you are not plagued by copious amounts of homework or you don't have a from-pits-of-hades boss who keeps you nose to the grindstone-in other words you have the time and patience to finish the 650 pg masterpiece- you might want to catch a glimpse of tudor England through Hilary Mantel's eyes.