Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Publisher: Bantam Dell
Page Count:  850 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Date Published: First published 1991
Find it on Goodreads: Outlander
Source: Was given as a gift

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. 

Whatever is was that I was expecting, it wasn't that. This was recommended and gifted to me by an exchange student that my family hosted from Germany a few years ago. She was a huge fan of epic fantasy, so when I picked this up, that's what I was most expecting.... Boy was I surprised.

*possible minor spoilers ahead if you haven't read this?*

Epic fantasy, this was not. I knew Outlander was a time travel novel, yet I didn't really realize that was only a simple part of the plot, that the story was more about the history of Scotland and the romance between Claire and Jamie. Then, as I was getting used to the historical overload, Jamie and Claire have their wedding night.

Now, I  know this is probably tame compared to other books people read, but having not expected any sort of explicitness, I was reading this in my French class and well, my cheeks went a little red.

Speaking of their marriage, I'm unclear on my opinion of whether or not Claire was committing adultery by marrying Jamie while being in a different time than her husband, Frank. Plus, the brutality of her punishment from Jamie made me sick to my stomach. I understand that it was part of the times, however it still made me uncomfortable, as well as the talk of him possibly forcing himself upon her.... it all just made me a bit squeamish, considering those actions are now rightly considered unacceptable.

What I did appreciate was the vivid historical detail and how much obvious research Gabaldon did for this novel. It made the story feel all the more real while in a setting so foreign to me. There were times where it felt almost as if there was too much detail, too much information, and the plot was overloaded with descriptors. The first 100 pages were honestly really dull, and I skimmed through much of it, hardly paying attention. The middle felt mostly like world building and a bit of plot, but kind of jumped around. Then the third quarter was filled with action, albeit was a bit odd, but I was hooked. Then the last quarter dragged on for a while longer, ending in a scene that I was glad I wasn't near anyone for, because my cheeks were redder than a tomato.

I don't know if I will be reading the rest of this series, but this was surely an enjoyable book, if not a bit dragged out. This is purely escape fiction, which is not what I was expecting, but once I got into it, I didn't really mind. It was a nice break for my tired brain.

 Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review: Brazen by Katherine Longshore

Author: Katherine Longshore

Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Page Count:  528 Hardcover
Date Published: June 12th 2014
Find it on Goodreads: Brazen
Source: Purchased

Mary Howard has always lived in the shadow of her powerful family. But when she’s married off to Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, she rockets into the Tudor court’s inner circle. Mary and “Fitz” join a tight clique of rebels who test the boundaries of court’s strict rules with their games, dares, and flirtations. The more Mary gets to know Fitz, the harder she falls for him, but is forbidden from seeing him alone. The rules of court were made to be pushed…but pushing them too far means certain death. Is true love worth dying for?

It is no secret on this blog how much I adore Katherine Longshore and all of her works and Brazen is no different. This book was just AMAZING and completely tore at my heart. Once again, Katherine Longshore has written a book about people who lived long ago that tugged at my heartstrings, made me laugh, made me angry, and made me swoon completely. I want my own Henry Fitzroy please and thank you. Mary is such a (subtle) badass and is probably one of my favourite historical characters of all time. She stood up for herself and her gender and it was incredible. If you're not sure if you like historical fiction but want to give it a try, I'd 100% recommend this series. It's brilliant. They're incredibly riveting reads, filled with intense scenes and romance and drama and betrayal and I can't even describe how amazing it is. I loved this book and I loved this series and I wish there were more coming out. 

One last thing, Katherine Longshore:

Happy reading!

~Kristy

Review: Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

Author: Katherine Longshore
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Page Count: 448 Pages, Hardcover
Date Published: June 18th 2013
Find it on Goodreads: Tarnish
Source: Purchased

Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court--and to convince the whole court they're lovers--she accepts. Before long, Anne's popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice--but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart's desire and the chance to make history.

Last year, when Gilt was released, I was reintroduced to my love of historical fiction. As a child, I loved reading historical fiction books and I went through a phase where that's all I really did read. But then as I grew older, I wandered into different sections of the school library and discovered mystery novels and contemporaries and of course, more fantasy other than Harry Potter. But historical books were always something that I loved, even after I stopped reading them all the time. And then I picked up Longshore's masterpiece of a book and fell in love again with the concept of reading a story about someone who lived long ago. Tarnish was the same thing. I adored reading about Anne Boleyn when I was in elementary school... I remember this one series of MG books that I loved and one of the books in the series was on Anne and it was in my top 5 favourites. Anne is such an interesting character to read about and Longshore did a beautiful job of creating a story that kept me captivated the entire time I was reading Tarnish.


Anne was such an intriguing character with her strong personality and a past that haunted her at court. Tarnish was an incredible book that I could not put down, no matter how busy I was. It gave me an urge to study Anne Boleyn more and the other characters in this book. I find the Tudors extremely interesting and this book gave me even more reason to feel that way. I'd highly recommend Longshore's books to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction or anyone who is interested in trying it out!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review: Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

Author: Teri Brown
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Page Count: 373 pages, Hardcover
Date Published: June 11th 2013
Find it on Goodreads: Born of Illusion
Source: Purchased

ANNA VAN HOUSEN HAS A SECRET.
A gifted illusionist, Anna assists her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage shows and seances, easily navigating the underground world of magicians and mentalists in 1920s New York. For Anna, the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini - or so Marguerite claims - handcuffs and sleight-of-hand illusions have never been much of a challenge. The real trick is keeping her own gifts secret from her mother: because while Marguerite's power may be a sham, Anna possesses a true ability to sense people's feelings and foretell the future.
But as Anna's powers intensify, she experiences frightening visions of her mother in peril, which lead her to explore the abilities she's tried so long to hide. And when a mysterious young man named Cole moves into the flat downstairs, introducing Anna to a society that studies people with gifts like hers, she begins to wonder if there's more to life than keeping secrets.
As her visions become darker and her powers spin out of her control, Anna is forced to rethink all she's ever known. Is her mother truly in danger, or are Anna's visions merely illusions? And could the great Houdini really be her father, or is it just another of Marguerite's tricks?
From Teri Brown comes a world bursting with magic, with romance, with the temptations of Jazz Age New York --- and the story of a girl about to become the mistress of her own destiny.

Born of Illusion was one of the books of 2013 that I had been most anticipating. It promised to be filled with intrigue and magic, as well as secrets and romance and drama, all set in the time of the flappers. It promised to be an incredible book and it kept that promise. I was so impressed by how Brown executed this novel... She created a story filled with plot twists that took me by surprise, characters that fascinated me and a vibe that had me craving for a time machine. Oh how I want to live in Anna Van Housen's world.

No, Born of Illusion is not the perfect book. I did have a few issues with it, but they were just that... few. I found some of the characters to be a bit stereotypical and dry, as well as underdeveloped, but that didn't bother me all too much due to the other characters that were filled with detail. I also had some problems with a bit of the pacing, finding some of it a little too slow for my liking, although the book eventually began to speed up and I was impressed after that.

Anna was a witty and electric main character with a mysterious air to her that made me absolutely adore her. She had an intelligence about her and a charm as well that made her so intriguing and I adored being in her head. She was so passionate about her magic and as someone who has always been fascinated with illusions and magicians, this book was incredibly interesting for me. I thought the romance in the book was a bit off, but at the same time, I liked it. There was a small love triangle, but at the same time, it wasn't super prominent. What I liked about this book was that the romance was not the main aspect of the book... It was the magic and the mystery and the suspense!

Born of Illusion was thankfully, not a disappointment as a highly anticipated book of 2013 for me. Yes, some of it was quite predictable, but some of it absolutely took me by surprise. I was overall very impressed and cannot wait for the sequel to see what happens with Anna and Cole, as well as hopefully learn more about Houdini!

.5

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review: Gilt by Katherine Longshore

Author: Katherine Longshore

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Page Count: 406 pages, Hardcover

Date Published: May 15th 2012

Find it on Goodreads: Gilt

Source: Purchased

Blurb from Goodreads:

In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free—
and love comes at the highest price of all.

When Kitty Tylney’s best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII’s heart and brings Kitty to court, she’s thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat’s shadow, Kitty’s now caught between two men—the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat’s meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

My Thoughts: I found this book fascinating. It was thrilling, addictive, and sinister... It hooked me up and shipped me away to a time filled with drama and betrayal, romance and friendship.

Although I am a huge historical fiction fan, I always seem to shy away from it and read the books with paranormal twists and cute romances. But Gilt has changed my ways! I've always been fascinated with both English and French history, but have studied more about France and its history than that of England. But the Tudors have been a subject that I've been longing to know more about. I was familiar with the story of Catherine Howard, but this book opened my eyes to so much more. Longshore is quite obviously an open history fanatic and it shows with this novel. She did her research and the story was believable and sinister. The blurb above makes this book sound a lot sweeter than it is. Gilt really gives an insight to court life during the reign of Henry VIII; I think Longshore did an incredible job with that.

AGH I love this story! Kitty was an amazing character, with her steadfast loyalty even when people didn't deserve it, namely Cat. Her voice was an absolute delight to read from. Longshore did an amazing job in keeping the language from that era, making the book that much more believable. I was completely immersed in the book, reading it in only a day because I found it almost addictive. I couldn't tear myself away. Even now, I want to read it again and again. I could relate well to Kitty, with her having a friend that she just couldn't say no to, although this was to a whole other extent. Cat is a very difficult character to like... Actually I didn't like her too much at all. But she wasn't a character that many people would like. She was selfish and arrogant and quite cruel to Kitty. But there were moments where I pitied her and moments where I hated her. I teared up for her (but mostly for Kitty) and I wanted to scream at Cat as well. Then there were the boys. The blurb suggests a love triangle for the ages, but this book involved something quite a bit more dark. She has William, whom she met before she moved to court and Edmund, the man who knows what she saw that one day in the woods... I personally loved William. I thought he was the absolute perfect gentleman, and a character we don't find often in books about this time period. I adored their relationship, and thought it was so sweet. But then there was Edmund, who was someone that I liked at first, but then eventually I grew to absolutely despise. I could understand why Kitty liked him, but then even she came to her senses and I cheered. But he didn't exactly leave in peace... 

I loved how Longshore divided the book into time frames, so that the reader knew which year an event happened in. The story was very interesting and filled with everything from dark, frightening moments, to the happiest and sweetest. The book put a lot of the romance on the back burner though, and that was actually nice. I learned a lot about Tudor life at court and it reminded me so much of everything I know about the royals in France, (I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I am obsessed with Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI). But it was different, too, and that made it so enjoyable. I love history, especially stuff like this, so this was the perfect book to get me out of my reading rut. I wouldn't read this if you're looking for a light, happy read, because the ending is very bittersweet. But if you are a fan of realistic historical fiction, then this would be a fantastic book to read. I will be recommending it for a very long time. I could go on and on about how great this book was, but I think everyone should just go out and read it!

I am so anxious to see what Katherine Longshore comes up with next. I would love to know more about what happens with Kitty, but I'm not sure what the next book's story would have, because of how this one ended. But nevertheless, I will be waiting not-so-patiently for her next book. Don't forget to look for my interview with Katherine on August 30th as part of the Authors are Rockstars tour! I'm really excited!!! Let me know what you thought of this book, I'd love to know!
Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review: Silver Knight by Caron Rider

Author: Caron Rider

Page Count: 278 pages, Paperback

Date Published:  February 24th 2012 (first published December 1st 2011)

Find it on Goodreads: Silver Knight

Source: Received for review from author in exchange for an honest review.

When seventeen-year-old Diana recognizes an elderly priest in a video on YouTube, she realizes that reincarnation is real and that she’s been alive before! Every night in her dreams, she relives her past learning that it’s kill or be killed. Now a bishop at the Vatican whom she saved in another life calls on her once more. She is needed to help defeat evil within the catacombs of Rome. But when she arrives in Rome, she meets Alexander – the man of her dreams! Through the centuries she has loved him…betrayed him...been killed by him. Will she give him another chance or this time will she strike first?        




My Thoughts: Silver Knight was fast paced and captivating.

Caron Rider's book was great. It was relatively well written and had a really great story line. Diana was a very loveable protagonist.  She was strong willed and confident and a great role model. There were so many paranormal creatures in this book and so much going on. It all happens very quickly and save for the occasional akward sentences, it was a great read. The historical aspects were all really neat as well, and they made this book even more so enjoyable to me, being a bit of a history buff.

I love books about reincarnation, but this one was unlike any I've ever read. The author most definitely succeeded in making it unique, in both good ways and bad. Though I understand the need for the flash backs, they were disorientating and pulled me out of my rhythm plenty of times. There were a lot of times where I was unsure of which time period Diana or whichever other character it was, was in. Perhaps if there had been a different formatting with these flash backs, in that they were each their own chapters, they would have been much easier to interpret and enjoy. There was also the fact that the author sometimes randomly threw in a chapter that was from the first person perspective of a different character. Yes, it says at the beginning of the chapter if it isn't Diana, but that was really confusing at some points.

But other than some formatting and jumping around, I really did enjoy this book quite a book. It just wasn't the simplest read in the world. I loved the fact that some of the warriors had actually been in their 'past lives' great historical figures we all know, like per say, Helen of Troy. I loved the fact that Ms. Rider took so much history and put it into this book. There was plenty to learn from this book, that's for sure. The story left on such an incredible cliff hanger that I'm definitely looking forward to the next book. This was a book that kept me thinking and I enjoyed it for sure. It's a book full of mixed genres and it works well. If you're into books filled with action, this book would be a great choice for you.

Have a great day/night guys!
-Kristy

Review: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Author: Jillian Larkin

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Page Count: 432 pages, Paperback

Date Published: August 9th 2011 (first published December 14th 2010) 

Goodreads Description:

 Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination.

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?
Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .  

Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .

 My Thoughts: It was just fabulous! 

Vixen is set in the 1920s, which is my favorite time-period to read about. This is why I can easily say that I LOVED this book! I have said this a million times before and I'll say it a million times more, I was born in the wrong era!

The story moves incredibly fast and is really well written. I never got bored, not once. It was a great change from all the paranormals and dystopias that are so huge in YA books. I have always had a fascination with this time-period, as I mentioned before, but I don't have much luck in finding good books set in it. Larkin made me forget about our modern world for the day that it took me to read this novel and it felt like I was transported back in time to the world of Gloria, Lorraine and Clara. The story changed from the point of view  of each girl every chapter, but once again I was impressed with how flawlessly the author pulled this off. I was never confused as to what was happening, as it was all chronological. The characterization in this book was phenomenal. Each girl had their own lives, their own struggles, their own flaws. Each of them have very different lives that show us unique aspects of the decade. I loved that Larkin was able to show Lorraine in a way that, although her actions should make the reader despise her, she was really just a damaged and jealous girl in need of a hug. 

Now, onto the romance side of things. Of course! This was a part of Vixen that both bugged me and intrigued me. The fact that Marcus and Gloria are just friends was delightful. No love-triangle there, with the forbidden love and the best friend. It was obvious that there was no way that could happen, which made me extremely pleased. That type of triangle gets a bit old after a while, don't you think? So I suppose I should actually specify the 'forbidden love' as Jerome Johnson, the African-American piano player. It was sort of an almost love at first sight situation with Gloria and Jerome, but of course it blossomed into something more. I felt as if their relationship took of very quickly and there wasn't a lot of time in between when they were singing in the basement and when they were sipping hot chocolate at the ice rink. It was sweet, but a little fast in my opinion. I don't even know why I think that, but I do. Then there's Sebastian, Gloria's fiance. No doubt about it, I didn't feel any sympathy for him at all. He was just a lying, cheating pig in my eyes. GO JEROME!

The end of this novel was crazy. I was kind of expecting it, but not so much that I didn't enjoy it. The shock of it all was a huge twist from the romantic scene right before. It left me craving more of this incredible world that Larkin wrote about and I really wanted to go talk to my great-grandmother to see if she could tell me any stories of her mother in the twenties. Vixen is the perfect novel for anyone who takes interest in the Roaring Twenties and I'd recommend it to anyone who is getting tired of the same old YA material, (that I enjoy, of course) and are needing a break. Larkin has written a novel that is intricate and detailed, suspenseful and amusing. I loved every minute of it and I can't wait to get my hands on Ingenue, once it is restocked in the bookstore.


Just wanted to throw this out there before I finish: I'm sorry I haven't been on much lately. I've had hours and hours of homework each night this week and lots of tests. I will be on more this weekend and hopefully set up a schedule for the next few weeks so that I'm more organized.

Have a great day/night everyone!
Happy reading!
-Kristy