Review: Peril in Paris

Peril in Paris
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

It’s 1911, and the young detectives of TAYLOR & ROSE are turning their talents to ESPIONAGE.

On a case for the mysterious SECRET SERVICE BUREAU, the daring MISS SOPHIE TAYLOR and MISS LILIAN ROSE must leave London for the boulevards and grand hotels of Paris.

But DANGER lurks beneath the bright lights of the city - and INTRIGUE and MURDER lie in store. As aeroplanes soar in the skies overhead, our heroines will need to put all their spy skills to the test to face the PERIL that awaits them... 

As you guys know I freaking loved the Sinclaire's Mysteries series and I was devastated to learn it was coming to an end...until I heard there was going to be a new series continuing Sophie and Lil's adventures! So I've been very excited to crack on with this book! 

Peril in Paris has a very different vibe to the first series. The first series is all solving cases Scooby Doo style, and this one is shifted more towards spies and espionage. It also seems a bit more...professional, in a sense. They're working for the Secret Service Bureau and they have their own detective agency! 

This book gives us a glimpse inside the Taylor and Rose detective agency, before getting to see parts of the fictional Arnovia and plenty of Paris! My one issue with reviewing this, is that it's kind of hard not to spoil the Sinclaire Mysteries....so I'm going to try my hardest not to! 

We get a split POV this book. The first being Anna, who's wary of her new governess. Said governess is a familiar face once you work out who it is. Anna is on to the fact there's something strange about her and is determined to figure out what it is, she's the Princess of Arnovia, by the way. I understand her and why she did what she did but at the same time, I was like.....you little cow! How rude! Because you know...it's only *redacted because spoiler*. If I didn't know who the governess really was, I probably would have been on Anna's side more. 

Sophie is our other POV, and when we meet her she's on her own little mission before she's sent out on a bigger one. To solve a murder in Paris with Tilly. I feel like Sophie becomes a much stronger character in this book, not that she wasn't before, but she...comes in to her own a bit as she's out on her own pretty much, without the group. She has to rely on herself a lot more. Plus she's having to come to terms with a few things, she thinks a lot about how different her life could have been and what her life could have been if her parents where still alive. 

Peril in Paris is nicely paced, with plenty of mystery and intrigue as we have the events in Paris and Arnovia, one being a murder investigation and one a secret mission that's to do with some political plotting. 

There's an air race about to go on in Paris so we get to meet Captain Nakamura who's one of the pilots. I'm hoping we'll get to see more of him in at least the next book, if not more given how this one ends! Miss Russell is another new character...a reporter. I was quite impressed with her, nosy as she was, until she completely blew one of the girls cover like the silly cow she is! Then we have Captain Harry Forsyth. He's just a bit of a prat really. I fully believed he was a snake at one point but...turns out he's just a prat! There's always room for redemption though. 

I'm not sure if the same will be true for the coming books in this series but we only got a little glimpse of Joe, Billy and Mei, and didn't get to see Jack at all. We did get a little bit of Tilly, but the focus was mostly on Sophie and Lil, which I have no problem with! The friendship between them is utterly brilliant, and you can see the bond between them a lot in this book. I'm kinda sad we didn't get to see the whole gang but we did get a nice group of new characters some of whom we'll hopefully see again. 

I enjoyed the storytelling, the way the two stories/POV's slowly came and wove together. It was maddening to see the characters from each POV just miss each other, or a new character catch a glimpse of Sophie, for instance. I was like JUST MEET ALREADY! The plot was built up nicely, with more and more clues being thrown in to add more intrigue and depth. It's brilliantly paced, and has a nice mix of action and smarts when it comes to solving the case. 

I one-hundred percent loved the ending, Lil and Sophie's reunion and working together...I feel like they not necessarily struggled, because they did very well, but didn't enjoy working alone or in pairs as much as they did working together and as a group. There was more pressure, more stress and no backup. They where essentially alone and far away from home and potential backup. At least that's how it seemed from Sophie's POV. 

Everything fantastically links to the previous series, and we're left with a bit of an open ending. While one mission is complete, the other one is left hanging slightly and is on going, and should provide us with lots of interesting adventure I hope! Plus a thread from the previous series rears it's head. The historical detail is once again fantastic, there's a nice amount of detail that builds up an image of what  the time period was like, and the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat. This one has a different vibe to the previous series, and things are definitely stepping up a notch! I'm incredibly excited to see what's going to happen to Sophie and Lil next! 

Review: Bellewether

Bellewether
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

It's late summer, war is raging, and families are torn apart by divided loyalties and deadly secrets. In this complex and dangerous time, a young French Canadian lieutenant is captured and billeted with a Long Island family, an unwilling and unwelcome guest. As he begins to pitch in with the never-ending household tasks and farm chores, Jean-Philippe de Sabran finds himself drawn to the daughter of the house. Slowly, Lydia Wilde comes to lean on Jean-Philippe, true soldier and gentleman, until their lives become inextricably intertwined. Legend has it that the forbidden love between Jean-Philippe and Lydia ended tragically, but centuries later, the clues they left behind slowly unveil the true story. 

I'm sure you guys are well aware that this book sounds riiiight up my street! History and ghosts...I'm all over it. I freely admit, right here, that I was not aware of The Seven Years War, or it's something I've heard of briefly in passing but didn't know anything much about. I was excited to learn more about it and this book certainly does a good job! 

The opening is intriguing and rumour filled, detailing the history of the Wilde family and the rumours around Jacob Wilde, the man who built the house, before we hear about the alleged ghost. I liked getting all of this background information to the family, it started to paint a picture before we delved in to the actual story. 

We have three POV's, Charley in the present and Lydia and Jean-Philippe in 1759. Charley is restoring the house to turn it in to a museum, and set it up how it used to look. She's also trying to piece together what happened with Lydia and Jean-Philippe after she becomes aware of the story and finds evidence that Jean-Philippe was actually there. Lydia is the daughter of the house, obviously, and Jean-Philippe is the Lieutenant sent to live at her house after being captured in the war, he can't speak English, but I admired his determination to try. As well as the fact instead of sulking like the other officer with him, he attempted to help out and fit in with the family as best he could. I don't really have much to say about Lydia to be honest. 

I really liked the way we switched between the POV's, a lot of the time they where connected, for instance the first time it was a part to start raining in Jean-Philippe's POV and it had started in Charley's. Sails connect another POV change, it was very nicely done. 

The writing was brilliant, it lures you in with the basic story and then builds it up through the different POVs. The modern one lends clues to what happened or is going to happen. Lydia and Jean-Philippe's builds up the situation, the circumstances starting from when Jean-Philippe arrives, and filling in all of the details. The history weaves throughout providing plenty of information on the time period, as well as on the story. Seeing as I didn't know about this particular war, I was particularly intrigued about the details of it. 

One thing that did surprise me was the ghost. Honestly I thought the ghost was just going to be a story with nothing much to it. But it would appear the ghost actually does exist and it was trying to help Charley. I enjoyed how it was portrayed, it was very Most Haunted but also realistic, no white spectre, or see through actual version of the person. Just paintings being turned round, and white lights. 

I liked how the different times showed you what it's like delving in to history. You see in the past what actually happened, and then you see Charley in the present attempting to piece things together but not getting the whole story. Like when you try to use Ancestry to do your family tree, you see who lived when and died when and married when, and how they where related, but you don't get all the details. You don't get how the people felt, or all the intricate details and this book really shows that, especially as Charley was off the mark a couple of times. 

There where a lot of really nice connections between the past characters and the present characters. You could see who was descended from who, and how history repeated itself in some cases like Charley's father and Pierre. Another nice touch! Honestly, I actually talked to myself a lot while I was reading this one as I tried to puzzle things out. 

I found Bellewether to be a brilliant read, it was totally engrossing for me and it pulled me in and I loved the way history was woven throughout the book instead of textbook style shoved in. There where a couple of parts that did drag a little bit, but overall I really enjoyed it, and I loved the ending and how everything came together! 

Review: Olivia Twist

Olivia Twist
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Olivia Brownlow is no damsel in distress. Born in a workhouse and raised as a boy among thieving London street gangs, she is as tough and cunning as they come. When she is taken in by her uncle after a caper gone wrong, her life goes from fighting and stealing on the streets to lavish dinners and soirees as a debutante in high society. But she can’t seem to escape her past … or forget the teeming slums where children just like her still scrabble to survive.

Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.

Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for her herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future. 

I so, so love books set in the Victorian era, and this sounded like such a blast! I forever have memories of the musical....the movie....and the Disney movie drifting through my head, and I feel like this is kind of a post Oliver Twist thing but I haven't actually read the actual book so I'm not 100% sure. Either way, this is the kind of book I pick up and devour and love, and I freaking love this version of Oliver Twist! I really loved how the story and characters where twisted to fit the narrative! 

I loved Olivia, she's headstrong and capable and she stands her ground. I loved her attitude and her sass, she had me chuckling. But she also had such a kind heart too, looking after the orphans and so on. She's a socialite by day and she runs around London dressed as a boy at night! She can be sophisticated when she needs to be, but she's also street smart too. 

Jack/Dodger...he's the dashing criminal, let's be real. He's my adorable little cinnamon roll, and he has his vulnerable moments...but then he's also a badass thief who can casually take out three dudes with a brolly and his fists. He's trying to fit in with Society and the toffs, and he was such a fun character. I loved him, and I couldn't not ship he and Olivia...I'm not going to lie. 

I really loved the romance between the two of them, it gave me the warm and fuzzies, and it had me shrieking and squealing throughout the book! I shipped them so freaking hard, and I was rooting for them, and the contrast between the love interest was so very obvious. This was literally everything you need in a good historical romance! 

As for the other characters...I didn't want to like Topher at first but as Jack said....he grew on me and provided the odd chuckle too. I really liked Vi too and...oh look, Langdon provided me another ship to ship! 

I loved Langdon's writing style, it was period appropriate without being overly stodgy! Plus there was no over blown cockney phrasing continuously which as a Londoner...has made me cringe hardcore in other books! The writing was enough to aid in painting the picture of the setting and helped to draw you in to this London. 

Olivia Twist is fast paced, with a nice amount of action mixed in with the fancy parties and the cute fluffy moments with the romance! Sure some things where a little bit convenient towards the end, but it was a fun and entertaining read. I found myself chuckling and getting completely swept away with the story! I really loved how the romance was done, it along with some of the tense scenes had my heart racing! I'm hoping for more in this genre from Langdon!

Review: Before The Devil Breaks You

Before The Devil Breaks You
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

New York City.
1927.
Lights are bright.
Jazz is king.
Parties are wild.
And the dead are coming...

After battling a supernatural sleeping sickness that early claimed two of their own, the Diviners have had enough of lies. They're more determined than ever to uncover the mystery behind their extraordinary powers, even as they face off against an all-new terror. Out on Ward's Island, far from the city's bustle, sits a mental hospital haunted by the lost souls of people long forgotten--ghosts who have unusual and dangerous ties to the man in the stovepipe hat, also known as the King of Crows.

With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over, and New York City on the verge of panic, the Diviners must band together and brave the sinister ghosts invading the asylum, a fight that will bring them fact-to-face with the King of Crows. But as the explosive secrets of the past come to light, loyalties and friendships will be tested, love will hang in the balance, and the Diviners will question all that they've ever known. All the while, malevolent forces gather from every corner in a battle for the very soul of a nation--a fight that could claim the Diviners themselves.

Fiiiinaaaallllyyyyy! I feel like I've been waiting for an eternity for this book to come out, but it's well worth the wait, I'm not going to lie! Before The Devil Breaks You immediately pulls you in with the eerily atmospheric and creepily vivid writing. I love how rich the writing and descriptions are and I love the language and turns of phrase used. It all adds to the mental picture Bray creates for you and really puts you in to the time period. And you know...as usual it's creepy from the start, I mean...this time we're at an asylum on an island in the middle of nowhere and there's ghosts everywhere! 

All of our favourite characters return, naturally! Evie is quite possibly the most relatable character I have ever come across. Much like Evie, I talk too much, I'm too loud, and I understand what she wants and where she's coming from. I want to be someone too. So I actually find her so relatable that it hurts. I have a tendency of getting a bit too emotionally attached to her! In this particular book, she really showcased how relatable she was and we got a deeper look at her and how she thinks and feels. 

Sam and Henry are my other two favourite characters. I love them. They both crack me up, but they both have more vulnerable sides to them. Sam and Evie's bickering is hilarious but he's also quite sweet when he wants to be and we see more of him this book and what he's really like beneath his mask. Henry is just too adorable. He's there for his friends, he's always happy and cheerful and then in this book we get to see more of Henry's struggles. What he went through as a child and how it effects him, and we kind of see him lose his cool a little bit. 

Theta...well things are going pretty well for Theta but she's struggling with her power and being haunted by her past. She's so brilliantly written, and when she comes face to face with her past you're rooting for her but she's so easy to understand and empathise with. Her character and her story and emotions are very believably written. Theta goes on quite the journey this book and we really get to see just how strong she is, but you also see how much she's been through and how vulnerable she is too. Theta is quite possibly about to come over all Sabrina the Teenage Witch too, which should be interesting! 

Ling is still very blunt, and her hero worship of a certain two characters worried me for most of the book buuuuttt the betrayal to her is going to be interesting to see play out. Ling also provides some more LGBTQ rep in the book along with Henry...I don't want to spoil it, but I loved finding out that little fact about Ling, it's not a representation you see a lot in historical books. Memphis....guys I spent half of this book shouting at him about Bill. Like COME ON MEMPHIS! He and Theta have a bit of a rough ride this book but they come out the other side, and Memphis and his brother are going to be going on quite the interesting journey I think. 

Jericho.....oh Jericho. He's like Captain America for most of the book, but I had a feeling it wouldn't end well and then a certain part of the book happened. Jericho is Captain America meets Jekyll and Hyde. I had a feeling he was going to go that way and then he disappears in to the ether...where is he? What's he doing? Who knows, but I'm not sure if he'll be able to repair things with certain people and it's going to be interesting to see how he handles the changes and fits back in. Mabel...I felt for Mabel, believe me I did. But I really wanted to shake her once or twice and her new friends where largely a group of a-holes. Really didn't like Aron and I was undecided on Luis and Gloria for most of it. Let's just say they didn't make a good first impression. Alma and David both pop up again and I'm excited to see more of them (Hopefully) and what happens with them. They join Team Ghosbuster and I'm really hoping to get to see a lot more of them in the coming books! 

We really get to delve more in to each of the main characters, and get a more in depth look at them and their thought processes and what makes them tick. We get more glimpses of their pasts, see their personalities more and more, and get to see more depth in their relationships with each other. I really do think they become closer and their relationships with each other grow and develop more over the course of this book. Particularly with Ling and Memphis and his brother all of whom are relatively new to the group. 

I have to say, I've never been sure of Woody. There's been times that I've flat out hated him and wanted to smack him one. But in this book my opinion of him changes a lot. His banter with Evie made me chuckle, and he called Sam and Evie a perfect couple and is clearly a fellow shipper so I'm pretty much willing to give him a pass for everything ever now. But he really shows his solidarity with Evie and the other Diviners and was pretty much the only one on her side at one point. He's genuinely trying to help them with Project Buffalo too. Bill...well....I have never liked him. He was shady from the start and then there's what he was doing...I've been waiting for him to get what's coming to him. I was actually disappointed in Memphis for what he did, but Bill has really turned it around. I'm actually excited to see what's going to happen with his character and see what he's capable of and how much he can develop and change as a character. 

Along with our favourites we get a couple of new characters! Connor I really felt for and I felt like his role in this book was a bit of a disappointment in the end. We finally meet the King of Crows and I'm not entirely sure what to make of him. He's slippery. We don't really see much of Mabel's new friends in this book, but I didn't like what I did see, I'd have been curious to see a bit more of them and their storyline. Arthur has always been shady to me, and he didn't get any less shady but he and Mabel where quite cute. I just wish his past had been expanded on a bit more! 

My favourite ship gets a lot of page time in this book which made me super happy. It's not that I don't like Jericho, I just feel like Sam and Evie fit better! It was a bit rocky at the start of this book, but over the course of this book my ship started sailing again and I can't even. Sam is just too sweet when he wants to be! There where some brilliant scenes between them, funny scenes, cute scenes, and some nice little romantic and steamy scenes. I like that there's romance in this book without it taking away from the main plot and I'm intrigued to see how this is going to play out. I'm hoping this will be it and there won't be anymore problems for my ship but I'm not hopeful! 

After the revelations of the last book, it was pretty obvious our Diviners where about to form their own team and I've been super excited to see that happen. This book lets us explore everyone's powers more. What they can do, what they can't do, how they can strengthen their powers and what they can do with their strengthened powers. Not to mention how they can boost each others powers too. We also get a tonne more information on what the Diviners really are and the history of them. There's so many revelations in this book and shock plot twists. 

Interestingly, we get some flashbacks to Will and Margaret's time at the Department of Paranormal and more insight in to their friendship, the Department, and Wills relationships with Marlowe and Rotke. We also get some of Margaret's past. These little tidbits being thrown in really helped to flesh out the characters, and provided some more puzzle pieces. It also finally changed my opinion of Marlowe. He was a bit shady...then he was really shady, and in this book he just comes across as more and more sinister. The more you find out about him and what happened in the past, the more you realise his character doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of being redeemed. The amount of times I pinched the bridge of my nose while uttering the words "effing hell" because of him was astonishing. He really is....quite the piece of work. "Radiation does no harm". Really bro? Reaaaaaally? 

There's so much I've been wanting to find out and waiting to see happen and a lot of it does happen in this book. We finally get to learn some mroe about Cornelius and Liberty Anne Rathbone. Most importantly...we FINALLY get that scene. You know. The one that explains Evie's dream, and Luther and her brother and 144? Yep. That one. Sweet Jesus this book hit me with all the feels. Like I was happy that we where finally getting some answers and getting some blanks filled in but my feels took quite the hit. 

One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was seeing all of the Diviners coming together, and working together towards boosting their powers and handling what was coming and putting all the pieces together. They're like the Avengers meets Sherlock Holmes. The truth about Project Buffalo and what it did and how the Diviners came to be finally came out in all it's glory and it was something I'd suspected. We've had plenty of hints and tidbits dropped and it's nice to finally get some payoff in this book. Most things are laid out in this book which helps to set up for the next books, and kind of shifts us from part one of the story, as it where, on to part two. Like one story ac comes to a close and then we're all ready for things to step up next book. 

Things get a little bit Most Haunted in the asylum. When I read the synopsis I was picturing an old, abandoned one, but I think the occupied one was more terrifying to be honest. Seeing how the patients where treated and what they where there for. Some of them didn't even need to be there. The Asylum also kicks off our merry band of Diviners going full Ghostbusters too! 

The detail in this book is extraordinary, and not just with the historical facts. History permeates this book down to the tiniest details that you wouldn't even think twice at. It's mind blowingly well researched. The places, the food, the makeup, the nitty gritty, tiny little details that we see a tiny glimpse of, or are just mentioned in passing yet must have taken a good deal of time to research. So much effort goes in to these books to make them authentic and historically accurate, which is why I don't mind the wait between books!

But the plot details are extraordinary too! For the first two books, we've gotten hints about various different things and characters and their pasts and so on, like Theta for example as well as Sam and James and Henry and everyone. All these little hints and tidbits have helped us start to form a picture, and some of them come home to roost in this book. I love how things have carried over from the previous books, to be more embellished upon or fully revealed in this book. How the hell does Bray keep track?!

I have to say, this book was creepy. But I think the scariest thing about this book was all the truth in it, and the knowledge that in some respects....things really haven't changed all that much in this day and age. There's just so many relevant things in this book to do with multiple things, eugenics, inter-racial couples, domestic abuse but particularly racism, it's very well done and shown...but it also makes you think about how things have or haven't changed. Regardless it does well to educate on the various issues it brings up.

Before The Devil Breaks You has a steady pace that steams along towards the end. This one broke my heart a little bit, I have to say. Fair warning...there's some character deaths. There's also some shock plot twists and plenty of betrayal and explosive arguments. The Diviners understandably have enough of being lied to and kept in the dark and break out on their own. Things take a darker and deadlier turn as things go downhill towards the end of the book. We end with one kidnapped, and Diviners swiftly losing popularity in the city. I'm not going to lie, things are looking pretty dire and desperate at the end with multiple characters having to flee.

Before The Devil Breaks You sets up the next book, while answering questions and filling in blanks. It raises the stakes and turns things down a darker and more serious path as well as giving us an idea of the coming fight. I'm eagerly awaiting the fourth book already! These books really are decadent with the writing and the detail and how everything fits together so well and this one is no exception!

There weren't any new songs in this book to add to my playlist, buuuuttt back when I reviewed Lair of Dreams I made a playlist with all the songs I could find on Spotify that come from the first two books, check it out:

Review: The Wicked Cometh

The Wicked Cometh
Rating: 3/5
Buy or Borrow: Either
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

The year is 1831

Down the murky alleyways of London, acts of unspeakable wickedness are taking place and no one is willing to speak out on behalf of the city's vulnerable poor as they disappear from the streets.

Out of these shadows comes Hester White, a bright young woman who is desperate to escape the slums by any means possible.

When Hester is thrust into the world of the aristocratic Brock family, she leaps at the chance to improve her station in life under the tutelage of the fiercely intelligent and mysterious Rebekah Brock. But whispers from her past slowly begin to poison her new life and both she and Rebekah are lured into the most sinister of investigations.

Hester and Rebekah find themselves crossing every boundary they've ever known in pursuit of truth, redemption and passion. But their trust in each other will be tested as a web of deceit begins to unspool, dragging them into the blackest heart of a city where something more depraved than either of them could ever imagine is lurking . . .

I eagerly dove in to this, I mean...two awesome ladies out to solve a sinister mystery? Sign me the hell up! 

The Wicked Cometh is richly written, vivid and very authentic. It's dripping with historical fact and interesting little tidbits, so it's clearly been well researched. For the most part, it's a good read. I loved the way the author didn't shy away from vividly writing the seedier, darker side of London, the poor and the poorer elements where really brought to life in this book whereas most historical novels focus on the rich and middle class. The writing is incredibly authentic and really goes with the time, which helps to pull you in. While I did feel like the romance was a bit unnecessary to the plot, another side track, it was nice to see some LGBTQ rep. 

My issue with this book is that it's quite slow in the beginning, and while things are alluded to vaguely here and there, there's no sign of the mystery element until a good chunk of the way through the book. It didn't really hold my attention much in the beginning and I found my mind wandering. The mystery doesn't really get going until half way-ish through the book, I think it was. From that point on the pace really picks up and the threads of the mystery twine together so brilliantly. I ended up incredibly hooked and it went in a completely different direction than I thought it would! It was like reading a legitimate novel from the time thanks to various aspects. 

All in all, while it failed to immediately hook me in and grab my interest, I loved the writing and how authentic it was. The characters where interesting too! And while it wasn't entirely what I was expecting, once the story got going and the mystery started I was engrossed in trying to work out how everything fit together and who was responsible! 

Review: Empire of Time

Empire of Time
Rating: 3/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Fifteen years on from the events of NEW POMPEII, and New Rome is cut off from the rest of the world in a new Cold War. The Romans, lead by Calpurnia, have control of the time travel technology, which keeps western governments at bay. But the public at large know nothing of this, and are eager for action to destroy New Rome, a place where slavery and deadly gladiatorial combat flourish. Meanwhile Calpurnia is fending off threats to her control over her people, aided by Decimus Horatius Pullus, the man who was once Nick Houghton Has Nick truly embraced the Roman way of life? Can the Romans harness the power of time travel or will the new world destroy them?

Jurassic Park: Roman Edition continues, and I had really high hopes for it after loving the first book so much. Unfortunately for me, this book fell a bit short of the mark for me. I feel like it's partially because I had high expectations, but there's not the same energy and sense of wonder as I had when reading the first book. 

You're thrown right back in, and I will admit, I struggled to remember exactly how the previous book had ended so it took me a little bit to settle back in. We jumped 15 years on and I feel like it might have been a bit too big of a time jump. With everything combined together I felt like it was a bit too much and we'd missed a book in the middle. 

There's plenty of political intrigue again, Achillia was a badass and I really loved her. I was so fascinated by her and her life! Godfrey really writes the historical aspects and characters fantastically. He really brings history to life and that's what makes these books so believable and realistic. It's my favourite part of the entire book and I'm far more interested in the Romans their lives than Nick, I'm not going to lie. 

There's some characters you really love to hate in this book. Harris, who I wanted to throttle. Waldren who was a complete a-hole. Seriously. This book had a rather large quantity of a-hole characters to be honest. Possibly because of all the political manoeuvring and ploys, it's not conducive to nice, friendly characters who all get on! 

There's some brilliant plot threads and the different narratives combine and intertwine very well. I enjoyed trying to put the pieces together and being surprised until the very end when it all finally came together so brilliantly. My one issue with this was that I did feel like things became overly complicated at some points, and there where some parts that where slow and a tiny bit boring. I feel like there where some bits that didn't really need to be included to be honest. 

All in all, while I did enjoy reading Empire of Time, it fell a bit short for me and didn't live up to the first book. I was genuinely quite devastated by this too as I'd completely loved the first book and it was so original and brilliantly written! A couple of things let this one down, but it still had it's good points too! 

Review: Dark Asylum

Dark Asylum
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

The lips had been darned closed with six long, black, stitches. Clumsily executed, they gave the face a crude deaths-head appearance, like a child's drawing scrawled upon a wall . . .

1851, Angel Meadow Asylum. Dr Rutherford, principal physician to the insane, is found dead, his head bashed in, his ears cut off, his lips and eyes stitched closed. The police direct their attention towards Angel Meadow's inmates, but to Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain the crime is an act of calculated retribution, rather than of madness. 

To discover the truth Jem and Will must pursue the story through the darkest corners of the city - from the depths of a notorious rookery, to the sordid rooms of London's brothels, the gallows, the graveyard, the convict fleet and then back to the asylum. In a world where guilt and innocence, crime and atonement, madness and reason, are bounded by hypocrisy, ambition and betrayal, Jem and Will soon find themselves caught up in a web of dark secrets and hidden identities. 

I liiiiiiive for this series you guys! I wasn't sure when I read the first book, if it was just a one off, so I was so excited when I saw there was a sequel, and now it's a series and aaaahhh I'm so pleased! I'm sure you can tell that I loved the first book. 

Thomson puts so much work in to her books. She does an amazing amount of research and manages to work it all in to the plot and the settings and the characters subtly. So you end up with an authentic and believable read that pulls you back in time, and you pick up all these little interesting facts as you read. I'm so genuinely fascinated by Jems job! 

Now, in this book Jem and Will are at it again with their sleuthing and this time the backdrop is an asylum. In the first book, I didn't really know all that much about the medicine and doctors and so on. For this book, I had a bit more knowledge. Back when I was doing my acting classes, we did a piece set in a Victorian asylum and so I had to do a lot of research. I knew this was going to be a dark and grim read. Asylums weren't a great place to end up. But I still picked up so much information from reading that I didn't know. I feel like the asylum was a very creepy and mildly terrifying setting, considering how they treated patients and what they did to them....and the kind of rubbish you could be admitted for. They're genuinely mildly terrifying. 

I'm going to straight up say that the main victim of this book, so the first one, totally had it coming and totally deserved it. Rutherford was an a-hole like...personally I feel like he was evil. I know it was the time and he was trying to work things out but....evil. *makes sign of the cross* I was sad to see a couple of characters go though! 

I continue to love Jem as our main character, and I still find Jem very interesting. Jem's dealing with some feelings this book, and I'm intrigued to see how it will end up. I lowkey ship Jem and Will I'm not going to lie. I can't help it. I see ships everywhere. Plus I love how well Jem and Will work together and get on with each other. I love how Will always gets drawn in to the crime solving! 

I love the different POV's, and the extracts from the journal. Those extracts provide information and intrigue, and they're a huge source of clues as you try to work out who the killer is, but I was fairly sure that the journal writer wasn't the actual killer...but I did change my mind about fifty times as I was reading! Like...it's totally the killer...okay no it's not the killer...okay yes it is....no it's not...and so on. 

The thing I love most about this book, and the previous one, is that they keep you guessing right up until the end. There are so many clues that you're trying to put together, and make sense of, and you have so many suspects that you slowly narrow down and you change your mind so many times. Or at least I did! I just love how well Thomson writes her mysteries! I usually end up groaning like "noooo what did I miss?!" and then I go back and re-read little bits and I'm like "aaaahhh I'm so stupid!". It's brilliant. There's also a heartbreaking story in this book, and I'd like to think it wasn't a common story but I doubt it. I just enjoy how Thomson gives the characters both main and secondary, brilliantly crafted backgrounds and life stories. 

Dark Asylum is a fantastic sequel, every bit as atmospheric and dark as the first. There's twists, and turns and surprises, and it's such a richly authentic read it's easy to get sucked in to the book. I love how Thomsons research is woven throughout the entire book, present in everything, even the littlest detail. I always find out so much that I didn't previously know. Dark Asylum once again keeps you guessing right up until the end, and I'm so excited for the third book as there's a rather interesting tidbit in the authors Q & A at the back of the book so check it out! 

Review: The Smoke Hunter

The Smoke Hunter
Rating: 4/5 
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

London, 1898. Archivist Eleanora Mallory discovers a map to a legendary city . But is it the key to unravelling an ancient mystery or a clever hoax?

Compelled to find out, Ellie journeys to Central America - with a merciless enemy hot on her heels.

In a race to uncover the map's secret first, Ellie is forced to partner with maverick archaeologist Adam Bates, a man she's not sure she can trust. Together, they venture into an uncharted wilderness alive with smoke and shadows, where an even greater danger awaits them.

For what lies there whispering to be unearthed has the power to bring the world to its knees. 

Okay, I jumped at the chance to review this because, history nerd that I am, it sounded right up my street! But I had no idea exactly how up my street it was! The opening is intriguing, pulling you in to the world and the mystery. I found this book incredibly hard to put down and stayed up to a ridiculous time reading half of this in one go! I got completely lost in the book, and I was disappointed to finish it! I'm really hoping that the author will write more books with these characters! 

I loved Ellie, I completely rooted for her. She's educated, and she's living in a man's world where woman aren't expected to do more than marry and sit at home. She was bold, courageous and had so much determination it was inspiring. I LOVED that she didn't wait for Adam to come to the rescue but went about rescuing herself. She was such a brilliant MC. While I understand her prickliness to Adam on certain subjects, because she's fought to get where she is, and fought for everything against prejudice, but it did reach a point where it was like, "okay enough" Adam wasn't exactly like every other man of the time, he had no problem with Ellie being educated. Plus the lying thing went a bit out of proportion to drag the angst out. It was a smidge cheesy at times, but I don't have a problem with that, because sometimes it's just what you need! 

Adam was such a brilliant hero. He was badass, but also kind of a little bit adorable. He was well aware that Ellie was just as educated and intelligent as he was, and he always tried to put himself between Ellie and danger. He's quite a sweet adventurer, and he was a lot of fun to read about! I also really liked the character of Constance, who's only response to Ellie saying she stole the map was "Oh fantastic" I'm SO hoping for a book about Constance, who's last seen heading off for Egypt (You know I love Egypt you guys!) or Constance featuring more in more adventures of Ellie and Adam! Not to mention Neil, Ellie's cousin who is mentioned quite a few times! Seriously, the end has left a thread dangling for another book or two, and I'm really hoping the author will give us some more adventures! 

I loved Ellie and Adam, the romance between the two of them brought the warm and fuzzies and I was rooting for them the entire time. I mean at the end I wanted to knock their heads together because it was SO obvious they liked each other but still. I liked how authentic the book was, and as a nod to the time, our two MC's did nothing more than make out. I liked getting different POV's we mostly got Ellies, but I loved getting Adam's as it gave us more insight in to him and you got to know him better. I really enjoyed the Central American settings, it was vivid and colourful and really created a vibe to the book. The mythology and the history where fascinating and I'd love to know how much of it was real and how much was twisted! My ARC copy had nothing more than the story, so I'm hoping the finished copy has an authors note! I just really enjoyed all of the history to the book, it awakened my imagination and also added a nice creepy vibe to the adventure! 

Now I have to say it, because it really was glaring me right in the face! You guys know how much I love The Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser? Like I watched it so many times when I was younger that I can quote it like it's my job. I still completely love the movie, and I watch it whenever it's on TV and after a relative died, I went through a phase of watching both movies on a loop because they cheered me up. The point is, I know those two movies. I really, really couldn't help but notice how similar this was to The Mummy. There where so many Mummy vibes. The boat, being pushed in to the water, the ending was similar to the second movie, and there where so many other things. Evie and Adam's romance was by no means exactly the same, but the general vibe of it, the bickering and everything, was similar. Ellie and Adam where like Evie and Rick, but instead of Egypt and Mummies, we had Central America and El Dorado! Asif I couldn't love the book anymore! That pretty much sealed it, I was loving it! 

The Smoke Hunter is a fantastic blend of history, action, adventure, romance and a quest with a supernatural twist. I was genuinely completely hooked and it had me laughing more than once. The characters where memorable and where ones you could root for, and the setting was vibrant and authentic. Not to mention the already mentioned and gushed about history and mythology! It was a lovely blend of things and such a fantastic debut from the author! Who I will beg again and again for more adventures with Ellie and Adam, and Constance and Neil! I could totally see Constance and Neil as a thing, just saying! 

Review: Ivory and Bone

Ivory and Bone
Rating: 3/5 
Buy or Borrow: Either
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher, Harper 360! 

Hunting, gathering, and keeping his family safe—that’s the life seventeen-year-old Kol knows. Then bold, enigmatic Mya arrives from the south with her family, and Kol is captivated. He wants her to like and trust him, but any hopes of impressing her are ruined when he makes a careless—and nearly grave—mistake. However, there’s something more to Mya’s cool disdain…a history wrought with loss that comes to light when another clan arrives. With them is Lo, an enemy from Mya’s past who Mya swears has ulterior motives.

As Kol gets to know Lo, tensions between Mya and Lo escalate until violence erupts. Faced with shattering losses, Kol is forced to question every person he’s trusted. One thing is for sure: this was a war that Mya or Lo—Kol doesn’t know which—had been planning all along. 

Okay guys, this was a mixed bag for me and it's taken me a while to finally decide how to rate it and what to write! I liked the book, don't get me wrong, I really liked it, but there where a couple of things about it that didn't click for me! I'll kick this off with the good, then head on over to the ugly, because there is no outright bad here! 

First off, I know a lot of people didn't like the book or where let down by it because they thought it was a fantasy book, and to be fair, I've seen the word fantasy all over this book, in connection to it. It's not. It's historical, I would say! I knew that going in so I was expecting it, I'm just not sure why it's being called a fantasy unless it's because there's not all that much solid fact and the author had to fill in the gaps or something? I don't know, my knowledge of the prehistoric times isn't so hot, which is shocking for me, I know! 

ANYWAY. The good.....I loved the setting. I really did. I have never, ever read a YA book set in prehistoric times. I don't even think I've read a fantasy book set in prehistoric times, so I loved the setting and the author made it as vivid as possible, although my brain kept implanting scenes from Brother Bear in to it, (I used to love that movie okay, it made me cry!) and I can imagine the research that's gone in to it to give us such a setting, it's incredibly unique. The setting really pulls you in as the characters go about doing prehistoric-y things. My brain failed me though at one point and I have to admit...I was one of those people. You know, the one who's like "man this all could have been avoided if they had mobile phones", I know. I wanted to smack myself. 

It's atmospheric, like really atmospheric. The setting sucks you in and the atmosphere does the rest. The characters live in clans, and our main character lives in a clan that hasn't seen any other clans for like two years because they had a falling out with the nearest clan and the others all move around a lot. Therefore, there's a feeling of isolation and solitude as you read. You can imagine the sweeping vistas that the character is seeing or moving through, and you can feel the desolation in the scenery. You feel probably how the characters feel, but then they're probably used to it, so maybe it was just me who felt such a sense of solitude! 

Ivory and Bone feels authentic and you have to admire the characters for how they manage to keep on surviving, facing their day to day struggles. I imagine the pure amount of research that went in to this goes some way to the authenticity, as does the names that seem to fit with the book and the setting. I'm going to hold my hands up and say I don't know what kind of name is a 'prehistoric' name, but I feel like the author did a good job with it! 

I actually really loved the way the story was told, I'm not going to lie. I started to read and the prologue kinda bit was a regular narrative, then as you hit chapter one it switches to second person. You're still with Kol as the main character and narrator but he's referring to Mya as 'you' all the time and so on, he's speaking to her basically. I rarely read books with that kind of narrative, and honestly, I thought it was going to bug me. But it didn't, and as the book went on I got more and more used to it so it was a bit jarring for me when it switched back and we caught up! 

Kol made for an interesting narrator, because I can probably count on my hand the number of times I've read a YA book with a male narrator. I really liked Kol, sure he needed a smack once or twice, and he wasn't all that bright when it came to figuring out Mya, but I liked the fact that he felt for the mammoths they have to kill, he knew it was survival but he still felt bad, which I thought was an interesting trait for a character of the time. He's intelligent, and serious and courageous and I enjoyed reading his voice. I also liked Mya, she too was intelligent, a really good hunter and kind of badass, it has to be said. She's fiesty but also has a vulnerability to her that you start to see. 

Along with Brother Bear, I got some serious Pride and Prejudice vibes as I was reading, from the whole hate/love thing they had going on, and the family drama and marriage matches and everything. So it was kind of like P&P but with mammoths and spears and death. Cool right? And this brings me to the next thing I liked, the strong family theme running throughout the book! You get to see lots of Kols family, his brothers and his parents and the rest of his clan! His family had a constant presence and you got to know them a little as you read, and I thought that was nice to see for a change. You even get to see a fairy bit of Mya's family too, which made another interesting change. 

Okay, on to the stuff I wasn't all that wild about! First up is the romance. Okay. This is a solid mix for me, because I liked the two of them together, I thought they where a good match for each other considering their personalities. It was certainly an interesting relationship to watch develop what with everything going on, and what had gone on influencing it, it took most of the book to come to fruition too so it's snail burn. At the same time, Kols main focus in life, as well as his brothers, was finding a girl to marry because there aren't any girls in their clan. But then by some lucky happenstance, two stroll on in to camp that very day. So while I liked the romance, I wasn't really down with Kols burning need to find a girl and that being a huge focus for him. I get it...survival of the human race and all that but still. I hate to say it but as a lot of this book revolved around the romance and the marriage matches, if you took it all out this book wouldn't work. 

But...prehistoric....mammoths...clan fighting...spears....right? Yes. There is all of those things, but by the time the clan rivalry comes in to play, I think it was a little bit too late and squeezed in at the end. Things burned. Peace maker dude took a spear to the shoulder but despite the fact it's prehistoric times it was all good, he was fine. Barely a scratch. But he was like 'I will not hurt them, they are our clan' and then genuinely seemed surprised to find a spear lodged in him. Like how did you not see that coming? The word murder has been thrown around ALOT. Only two people died. Now while I liked that there was a softer side to the time, as it where, and it wasn't all savagery all the time...I was expecting some. When I learned about the clan rivalry...I was expecting a huge battle, loads of blood and people dying left right and centre. Two die. Accidentally. 'Whoops I slipped'. Boom. Conflict resolved. Happy endings all round. I couldn't get invested in this little clan war when the stakes weren't high enough. SO yeah. No romance...no plot. I was never at any point, on edge and scared for my faves, because next to no-one died, which I thought was odd for the time period, but then what do I know? 

While there is action in the book, there's a lot of day to day stuff that goes on. It was kind of a double edged sword for me because while I found it oddly fascinating to read about how they lived, what they ate, how they did things and so on, it was also kind of boring. I'm a history nerd, so I found that sort of thing fascinating, but not everyone will, and it slows the pace right down and makes it drag. I was expecting some more action in this book, and while it was there, it wasn't nearly enough to keep this from being boring a good chunk of the time. The detail was good...but also some of it was really unnecessary and just clogged up the narrative and made it so there was a lot of time when not much was going on. 

I actually managed to read this quite quickly, and I did enjoy it, but coming off the back of reading a lot of books that are fast paced, and have a good combination of action/detail/romance, once I'd put the book down and really thought about it, I had to admit that I did find my interest wandering a time or two, and find myself a little bit bored as not much was happening but eating. Which made me hungry actually, not that I want to crack in to some mammoth meat anytime soon but still! So this is a bit of mixed bag, if you like action, action, action...you probably won't make it through this! I do think it's worth a read though, for the setting, and the fascinating information you can pick up as you read! I'd love to have had an authors note telling us just how much of what was written was fact, and what was embellished a little! 

Review: Six Tudor Queens

Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

A Spanish princess. Raised to be modest, obedient and devout. Destined to be an English Queen.

Six weeks from home across treacherous seas, everything is different: the language, the food, the weather. And for her there is no comfort in any of it. At sixteen years-old, Catalina is alone among strangers.

She misses her mother. She mourns her lost brother.
She cannot trust even those assigned to her protection.

KATHERINE OF ARAGON. The first of Henry's Queens. Her story.

History tells us how she died. This captivating novel shows us how she lived.

Before I start reviewing this book, I've got to tell you a little something about where I live and my childhood! You see I live down the road from Hampton Court Palace, so I went on no less than 5 school visits to the place, and we learned probably more than usual about it at school. There's not much I don't know about the place and the people who lived there, I know all about Henry and his Queens and how Anne Boleyn's ghost is casually chilling in a certain corridor and all of this. But while I know the basic facts about them all, I was blown away by this book and just how much I didn't know. It's like the synopsis says...I know all about how she died, but I don't know all that much about her life. I know Henry was trying to get rid of her so he could be with Anne, but I didn't know a lot the finer details. I mean...I got some information from The Tudors as well, but ya know...TV. Not all that reliable! 

We start with Katherine arriving in England, go through the marriage negotiations with Henry VII, her marriage to Arthur (a question is cleared up regarding that) and then everything with Henry VIII throughout their marriage and right up until the end. Now all I knew was she married Arthur, then he died, so she married Henry and then the whole thing with Anne happened. But this book has so much additional information, what happened to her after Arthur died, what exactly she went through when married to Henry and then what happened with Anne. A lot of the letters are real and so is the dialogue and it's mind blowing reading all the detail in this book. The research is clearly extensive. Although the writing can be a little stodgy at points. 

You learn about all the politics of the time, and the politics involved with Katherine herself as she's stuck in England on her own with her husband dead. Then when everything with Anne and Henry kicks off. There's so much scheming and danger and I really wouldn't have liked to be her, but she handled everything with such composure, it was amazing to read. I liked seeing how Katherine and Henry interacted together when they where young and throughout their marriage before things went wrong. It was actually quite interesting seeing Henry from Katherine's point of view, both in the beginning and towards the end. I feel like I got a very different look at Henry than I've gotten from anything else I've read or watched, and it was very interesting to see how much Katherine loved him even when he was trying to get rid of her. 

I'm really not sure what to make of Anne at some points she seemed nice, I felt for her, and then as the book goes on she has no respect for Katherine and she's a total cow basically! I loved reading about how Katherine's ladies and the public where on her side, it was nice to know people where on her side and saw through what Henry was doing, reading about the labourers guarding where she was staying and all of that was astounding. I'd had no idea! 

Weir achieved what she set out to do according to her note at the end, she transports you to the time and the more you read the more you understand just how different that time was from the present day. It was mind blowing, as was Katherine's determination. There's a timeline at the back you can refer to if you need a simpler look or to check something. You watch Henry go from loving Katherine and being a really reasonable and nice guy to becoming more and more filled with hate and anger and becoming more and more unreasonable, it's really, really amazing to read. The only thing with this book is like I said, a lot of the writing is dense to wade through, and there's none of the romance of other historical authors. I am excited to read Anne Boleyn's book, as well as the other Queen's because I think people know the most about Anne to be honest, so it'll be interesting to see if there's anything I didn't know, and it'll be interesting to learn more about the other Queen's! 

Review: The Amber Shadows

The Amber Shadows

Rating: 5/5

Buy or Borrow: Buy 

Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher, Simon and Schuster! 

Bletchley Park typist Honey Deschamps spends her days at a type-x machine in Hut 6, transcribing the decrypted signals from the German Army, doing her bit to help the British war effort.
Halfway across the world Hitler's armies are marching into Leningrad, leaving a trail of destruction and pillaging the country's most treasured artworks, including the famous Amber Room - the eighth wonder of the world.

As reports begin filtering through about the stolen amber loot, Honey receives a package, addressed to her, carried by a man she has never seen before. He claims his name is Felix Plaidstow and that he works in Hut 3. The package is postmarked from Russia, branded with two censors' stamps. Inside is a small flat piece of amber, and it is just the first of several parcels.
Caught between fearing the packages are a trap set by the authorities to test her loyalty or a desperate cry for help, Honey turns to the handsome enigmatic Felix Plaidstow. But then her brother is found beaten to death in nearby woods and suddenly danger is all around… 

I'm going to straight up tell you all that I'm a huge fan of this authors work! I completely and utterly loved her debut book The Hourglass Factory and I've been so excited to see what she does next, and it's like the author read my freaking mind! She seems to know which bits of history fascinate me and that I want to know more about and then makes it her book! Like I said when I reviewed Hourglass Factory...I'm excited to see what she does next, and she's an author that I'll keep an eye on and read pretty much anything she writes! 

As soon as I started reading I immediately found myself getting swept away with the authors writing again, I was right there in every single scene, I could feel the atmosphere, picture what the scene would have looked like and I found myself walking the grounds of Bletchley. I know a fair bit about World War Two, it's the war we studied the most at school, but I still keep finding there are bits I didn't know. For instance, when we took a school trip to learn more about WW2 it was to Berlin we went and we saw the German side, if you will. I had no idea about Bletchley Park until The Imitation Game was released and upon watching that film, I immediately wanted to know more. Then Lucy Ribchester is casually like "oh yeah my next book is Bletchley Park"...you see why I'm convinced she read my mind! 

The thing I like most about Ribchester's books is that yeah they're fiction, but they're also historical and full of so much fact. There's so much knowledge in this book, woven throughout the narrative and dialogue. You find yourself learning more and more about the time period, the events and what went on at Bletchley without feeling like you're trudging through pages of information. Ribchester's research is immaculate and you can tell just how much research has gone in to it. Not just about the Park, but about the time period. Ribchester writes so authentically, she brings the time period to life with descriptions yes, but also with words. Which makes no sense, but she uses the language and slang of the time to help bring you in to the world and without overusing certain phrases. She uses little tidbits here and there, like an actor from the time period that was popular, a film that everyone saw, food that was eaten, and so on. So you can see how thorough the author's research was, not just on the big stuff, but on the little stuff, so you get an authentic look at the time. I'm honestly in awe of her research skills! 

Honey is an interesting main character, she has a brother who is a CO, Conscientious Objector, and who's a ballet dancer, a mother who is a singer and is singing for the troops (although she's put out she has to sing White Cliffs of Dover), and a step-father who's main business is in soap. I found it interesting to see how Honey has such a musical and kind of eccentric family, yet she herself is rather plain in comparison. She's intelligent, she'd have to be to be at Bletchley, and she has no idea about her father, only what her brother has told her. I felt for her, thinking she was in contact with her father this whole time, and finding out that everything is a lie, everything her brother said was a lie and so on. You root for Honey and can't help but be suspicious when she is and so on. Not to mention when she got in to trouble and had a talking to about being in an "out of bounds area" with a "foreigner" and how it "looks" and got handed a load of pamphlets! 

There's plenty of other characters to bring this story to life, the mysterious Felix from Hut 3 who's not all he seems, Honey's previously mentioned family (I will admit, I was surprised by her step-father, I was expecting someone nasty!), there's a very brief Alan Turing cameo, Moira, the other girls in the hut and so on. All of them are so realistic and so authentic that you feel like you've stepped straight in to the time, and the place. I love how Ribchester writes her characters and brings them to life. 

This book doesn't half make you feel angry as well. You get a front row seat to how women where treated in the time, yeah we were allowed to help out and everything, but we got paid less than the men, I mean, I didn't know that and I really shouldn't have been surprised but there you go! The unfairness to women was insane, especially what happens to Moira, I can't even with what happened to Moira! I felt for her so badly, and she was one of the few friends that Honey had! Although, I can't say I was surprised at the behaviour of that Reuben bloke, we have a family story that reflects what things where like in the War, although we're not actually sure how true it is, because I'm the only one who bothered to research it and I think it's a fairy tale, but still! 

While there's mystery and action, the book isn't all excitement and danger. You learn about the bruises the ladies got from typing so much, how the CO's spent time in prison and how they where generally treated by others. You saw how much everyone was monitored, how bad the rationing was, how bad the looting was. The book somehow takes things you know and makes them hit home more than they do when you read about them in a history book. You have such a sense of unease as you're reading, everyone's always monitored, always watched. It creates an uncomfortable and suspicious atmosphere that is rather infectious as you're reading. 

I loved how the movie Suspicion was twined with the plot of the book, I can't say I've seen the film but it was appropriate and worked so well with the book and the atmosphere for it. The plot kept you guessing, there where twists and turns, and you where suspicious of everyone and trying to work out just what was going on, what was true and what was not, and no matter what you worked out...you where wrong! I loved reading and not knowing what was going to happen next, to be honest, I've found a recent influx of books that are rather predictable! It's a truly brilliant plot line, it has to be said! We also get another fantastic historical note, Ribchester lists plenty of books that you can check out to learn more and other little bits that prove how much research she's put in to the book, in case you where in doubt! 

The Amber Shadows is another fantastic novel from Lucy Ribchester, her writing is on point, the plot is perfect and full of surprises, her research is insane and her characters are authentic and believable, as is the world and setting. Reading this book is like watching a photograph come to life. You know what Bletchley Park looks like, whether you've come across it in your own reading or googled it, you'll have seen a photo of what it looks like and have that image in your mind. Well the author takes that image/photograph and she brings it to life by adding the hustle and bustle, and the characters, and the extras as it where. What was before in your memory, an empty, ghost of a building, is once again busy and full of people as the drama plays out, and you are engrossed until the very end.