Cyci Cade - Tut Reborn

17. Tut Reborn by Cyci Cade (2016)

Length: 432 pages 

Genre: Historical Fantasy 

Started: 27 September 2016

Finished: 6 October 2016

Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.

How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 13 August 2016

Why do I have it? I like historical fantasy and Cyci Cade is a new author for me.

According to Egyptian history, in 1323 BC, Egypt's youngest pharaoh died at the age of nineteen after ruling his country for a decade. You may think you know the true story of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun and of ancient Egypt, but what if the actual story didn't end quite the way you had always believed? Suffused with love; permeated with conspiracy; and immersed in treason - Tutankhamun's spectacular story unfolds in a myriad of surprising ways; ways that you can't even begin to imagine. As a matter of fact, what if Tutankhamun's story never ended at all?

After the Pharaoh Akhenaton is murdered, his nine-year-old son Tutankhamun succeeds him to become the new pharaoh. Right from the beginning of his reign, the boy king faces many enemies and struggles to prove himself even to his own councilors. Although he eventually becomes capable enough to vanquish the numerous enemies who threaten his kingdom, Tutankhamun may never actually defeat the enemy that resides within his own palace. 

When the pharaoh falls in love for the first time in his life, the woman who captures his heart wields an awesome power indeed. Yet Tutankhamun has always had to make difficult decisions and to sacrifice his own personal happiness in order to protect Egypt. He realizes fairly quickly that when matters of the heart and the duties of the pharaoh are in conflict - his duties toward Egypt must always take precedence over his emotions.

When the cruel Pharaoh Khufu is resurrected, and becomes a vessel for the god of Chaos, Tutankhamun faces an impossible situation. He must fight this usurper of his throne - the embodiment of true Chaos - but does he have the strength and wisdom to fight against such fantastical deities and unimaginable odds? He must call upon the powers of the gods Horus, Thoth, Ra and Anhur to aid him in the impending battle, and in order to save the woman he loves and the people of his kingdom.

I have always enjoyed reading historical fantasy as long as the chosen historical era is accurately portrayed. I also enjoy reading anything about King Tutankhamun and his reign. In my opinion, Tut Reborn by Cyci Cade is a fascinating glimpse into the culture of ancient Egypt. I was also just as intrigued to see how Egyptian mythology could be woven into this story as a plausible yet equally fantastic element of the plot. I would certainly give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Sarah Remy - Across the Long Sea

15. Across the Long Sea by Sarah Remy (2015)
The Bone Magic Series Book 2
Length: 288 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Started: 5 September 2016
Finished: 21 September 2016
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read. I also acquired a second copy through Apple I-Books.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 22 June 2016 from Dorothy; Since 12 September 2016 from Apple I-Books.
Why do I have it? I like historical fantasy and have read and enjoyed Stonehill Downs: A Novel by the same author in the past.

Malachi Doyle is the King's Lord Vocent - a man of many talents and very few fears. His responsibilities to king and kingdom are many: as protector, royal investigator and assassin, the trusted right hand of King Renault, himself. Indeed as the most valued asset in Wilhaiim, Malachi has become much beloved by the king, and truly indispensable. And until he met Avani of the cursed village of Stonehill Downs, Mal had always believed himself to be the last of his kind - a magus with the extraordinary ability to communicate with the dead.

When Mal receives an urgent summons to return home to his native province of Selkirk, he reluctantly sets out to make the journey. However, the kingdom of Wilhaiim is left vulnerable when the magus and his young page, Liam, are ambushed and seized from the bustling seaport of Selkirk. As the two hostages battle for their lives on board a ship bound for the fractured kingdom of Roue - a warring kingdom across the Long Sea - Malachi soon learns that Roue is a kingdom in need of its own magus; willing to resort to such desperate measures to acquire one.

To make matters worse, a springtime plague is spreading rapidly through Wilhaiim and decimating the population. While it is believed that the sickness is being caused by some natural contagion - and nothing more mysterious than that - the situation is no less dangerous in the realm of the fair folk. Beneath the earth the sidhe have been preparing for war; but otherwise have kept to themselves for the past year.

A year ago, a majority of the residents living in the village formerly known as Stonehill Downs were murdered, and the entire village razed to ground by dark magic. While many others believe the land is now cursed, Avani - one of the very few survivors - nevertheless has been working diligently with certain members of the sidhe to rebuild her home. However after she receives devastating news of Mal's abduction from his own home province, Avani reluctantly steps into his position as Wilhaiim's magus.

Her allies are few and treachery may surround her - but despite hearing a myriad of conflicting reports to the contrary - she is beyond certain that Mal is still alive. Avani's own innate talents tell her that much. However, while her powers as a magus may be wholly unreliable and completely untested, will she ultimately be able to use them appropriately - to keep Wilhaiim, as well as herself - safe?

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to Stonehill Downs: A Novel by Sarah Remy. While I was only slightly disappointed that the two main characters spent the majority of the story apart, I soon came to understand that this distance actually enhanced their separate storylines. In my opinion, this was definitely a dramatic sequel - one which moved the story along at a surprising pace. I was intrigued by this story and appreciated the further development of the characters. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and would certainly give Across the Long Sea an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Stephen C. Merlino - The Jack of Souls

21. The Jack of Souls by Stephen C. Merlino (2014)

The Unseen Moon Trilogy Book 1

Length: 343 pages 

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Started: 28 April 2015

Finished: 11 May 2015

Where did it come from? Many thanks to Stephen C. Merlino and to Dorothy from Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.

How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 6 March 2015 as an ebook; Since 10 March 2015 as a physical book.

Why do I have it? I like historical fantasy and Stephen C. Merlino is a new author for me.

For most of his nineteen years, Harric Dimoore has lived under the shadow of a curse - and the identity of the curse weaver is his very own mother. According to her premonitions, Harric's mother - a banished member of the Queen's Court, and a sorceress driven to the brink of insanity by her visions - was convinced that the Queen's demise would most certainly come at the hands of her own son. To protect the Queen, his mother cursed Harric to die on his nineteenth birthday.

As his nineteenth birthday approaches, Harric is determined to do everything in his power to break the curse his mother has put on his fate. Even in death, the mad sorceress still haunts Harric, and nightmares from the spirit world stalk him and tear at his sanity; his mother's sorcery eats at Harric's soul. Raised to be of service to the Queen, his courtly education was interrupted by his mother's frequent bouts of insanity.

To save himself, Harric has become an outcast rogue - a cunning trickster, honor-bound to defend the innocent and help the downtrodden in a way his mother never could. Yet to survive, Harric will need more than his usual bag of tricks. He'll need help - and a lot of it - but on the kingdom's lawless frontier, his only allies are other outcasts.

One of these outcasts is Caris - a mysterious runaway with an almost crippling fear of humans, yet a young woman who also has a remarkable affinity for horses. The timidly quiet horse-whisperer has dreams of becoming the Queen's first female knight. Another one of Harric's allies is Sir Willard - a knight errant: an ex-immortal, ex-champion of the Queen, now addicted to pain-killing herbs and banished from the court. With their help, Harric just might manage to keep his curse at bay. But for how long?

But Harric's companions both bring perils and secrets of their own: Caris bears the scars of a troubled past that still haunts her; Willard is still at war with the Old Ones, an insane order of immortal knights  who once enslaved the kingdom. Now, the Old Ones have returned to murder Willard and seize the throne from his queen. Willard is on the run from his pursuers, and in the midst of one final, desperately personal quest to save his queen.

Together, Harric and his companions must overcome fanatical armies, murderous sorcerers, and powerful supernatural foes. Alone, Harric must face the temptation to use a forbidden magic that could break his curse forever, but cost him the only woman he's ever loved. This is the beginning of a triumphant epic fantasy - a tale of magic, mischief, and miscreants. 

I have always loved reading epic fantasies and this book was no different. The story and plot was well-written and exciting, and I was drawn quickly into the story right from the beginning. The characters were sympathetically drawn and well-developed. In my opinion, this was a fantastic beginning to an unusual series, and I'm absolutely caught up in the story and really want to know how the series continues. I give The Jack of Souls by Stephen C. Merlino an A! and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series: The Knave of Souls.

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Sarah Remy - Stonehill Downs: A Novel

19. Stonehill Downs: A Novel by Sarah Remy (2014)
The Bone Magic Series Book 1
Length: 387 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Started: 12 March 2015
Finished: 30 April 2015
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 12 March 2015
Why do I have it? I like historical fantasy and Sarah Remy is a new author for me.

Malachi Doyle is the King's Lord Vocent - a magus with the ability to communicate with the dead, and who relies on the assistance of the souls of the dearly departed to help him keep his kingdom safe. He is the last of his kind - highly regarded yet secretly feared by many - in his office as Royal Coroner. When he's sent to investigate a series of brutal murders in the isolated village of Stonehill Downs, he uncovers some dangerous and deadly sorcery and unleashes a killer who strikes close to home - much too close to home.

Avani is a newcomer to the Downs - one of the few survivors from the Sunken Islands - a victim of an horrifying natural disaster that swept her island home beneath the sea. Four years later, Avani is still considered an outsider living on the Downs - liked by almost everyone, yet she still values her solitude. She has innate and ancient magics of her own, and when she discovers the mutilated bodies of the first victims, she fears that the darkness which claimed them will return sometime soon. Avani's fear forces her to make an uneasy alliance with Malachi, reluctantly accompanying the eminent magus to somewhere far from home.

But Mal is distracted by the mysterious death of his mentor. Despite being present at his bedside, Mal still has his own troubling suspicions over how the the old man died. He is also haunted by his memories of the past - holding secrets within his heart that are best kept buried in his past. And Avani discovers several disturbing truths about the magus through her visions. She could free Malachi, yet first they must work together to save the kingdom from the lethal horrors that have arisen.

I really liked this story; it was a dark, action-oriented fantastic plot that I absolutely loved. Despite this being a very dark fantasy, there was still an inherently realistic element to the story that I enjoyed. Malachi and Avani are relatively similar characters, each wounded and flawed in their own ways, and unwillingly tossed together to save a kingdom that is not really their own. I give this book an A! and am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series; I want to know where the story goes from here.

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Francesca Pelaccia - The Witch's Salvation

29. The Witch's Salvation by Francesca Pelaccia (2013)
The Witch's Trilogy Book 1
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Started: 28 April 2014
Finished: 8 May 2014
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 23 March 2014
Why do I have it? I like historical fantasy and Francesca Pelaccia is a new author for me.

Trendy urban princess Anasztasia Senaslau is hiding a secret that only her relatives, family physician, and her best friend Chloe know anything about. Annie is an actual princess, born shockingly mortal in an otherwise immortal family that traces its royal lineage back to the time when Romania was known as the principality of Wallachia. Five and a half centuries before - according to family lore - a witch's humanity was stolen by two immortal families. As punishment, the witch cursed the patriarchs of both families - casting one patriarch from his homeland and imprisoning the other in Wallachia.

Anasztasia has grown up with the knowledge that her grandfather was of the House of Senesti - the patriarch who was exiled so long ago. His counterpart - Alexandru Craiovescu - was the imprisoned patriarch of the House of Barbat. Annie had always been told that on her eighteenth birthday, the Senaslau family would return to Romania and have "the circumstance of her birth": her mortality - in her grandparents' words - "remedied".

Annie has always felt out of place within her family. However, having grown up around immortality all her life, she has never felt like her life was her own. The words of the witch's curse have constantly haunted her, and her fate has always been inevitable. When she is subsequently kidnapped from a royal ball honoring her family's arrival to Romania, Annie has no idea that she and her captor will soon become pawns in the witch's sinister scheme.

Desperate to find out any information about his missing father, Matthias Craiovescu - the mortal grandson of the patriarch of the House of Barbat - agrees to deliver the American princess Anasztasia to his family's immortal nemesis - the witch known as Strigoaic. To ensure Matthias' cooperation, the witch imprisons his best friend Austin within a mirror.

The Houses of Senesti and Barbat had denied her of her humanity. But she could be compassionate; their mortal descendants would be granted immortality - but only if they go back in time and restore the witch's humanity. She will also break the 550-year-old curse which imprisons Matthias' family in their ancestral home.

To make their lives their own, the heirs must return to the most perilous day in their families’ past, Easter Sunday, 1457. This is the day Vlad III, aka Dracula, massacred all nobles and their families involved in the death of his father and older brother. However, is it possible for Anasztasia and Matthias to reverse the past when their families will not speak of their wrongs? How can they possibly refuse when the witch essentially owns their lives?

Comprehensive and deeply engaging, The Witch’s Salvation takes readers on a remarkable journey that spans time, immortality, family curses, and illuminates one of history’s most infamous and notorious figures.

Let me say, first of all, that I've always been fascinated by the life of Vlad III - ever since I watched Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula, when it came on television in 2000. So, that's initially what made me want to read this book. In my opinion, the plot was well-written and intriguing - the characters sympathetically drawn and fully developed.

This story completely captured my attention, and held it until the end. Ms. Pelaccia is a new author for me and in my opinion, this is an amazing debut. I give this book a definite A+! I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy - The Witch's Monastery.

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Andra Watkins - To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis

26. To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis by Andra Watkins (2014)
Length: 305 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Started: 13 April 2014
Finished: 23 April 2014
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 March 2014
Why do I have it? I like historical fantasy, especially when it also includes paranormal elements in the plot. Andra Watkins is also a new author for me.

On October 11, 1809, famed explorer and governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory, Meriwether Lewis was found dead of two gunshot wounds. The circumstances surrounding his death were suspicious, but his death was tentatively ruled a suicide. Drifting alone in the mists of Nowhere for the past two centuries, Merry has repeatedly attempted to gain redemption in various ways. However, with the taint of suicide shadowing his legacy, each attempt Merry has made has resulted in failure. Now, his last hope at redemption has finally arrived... 

Nine-year-old Emmaline Cagney is on the run. Fleeing her madame mother in New Orleans, Em desperately needs to find her father in Nashville. But with only a few of her daddy's letters to guide her, Em is not entirely sure where to start such a long journey. And with so many evil people looking for her, the only thing she knows for certain is that she'll need some help to get where she's going.

Merry had never imagined that his final assignment would involve helping a nine-year-old tomboy find her father in Nashville. He certainly knows the way, but to get there, Merry must cross his own grave along the Natchez Trace. He'll also encounter the corrupt Judge Wilkinson - an old foe who has held a grudge against Merry for the past two hundred years. The Judge also has his own despicable plans for Emmaline.

In my opinion, this was a very intriguing premise to begin with, and I was completely invested in the story by the end of the first chapter. The characters were well-developed, and the story was thoroughly engrossing and very poignant. I found myself caring for these characters, and I wanted to see how they worked through their various dilemmas. Andra Watkins is a new author for me at the moment, but I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from her in the future. I absolutely loved this book and give it an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

A. E. Kirk - Loving in Time

17. Loving in Time by A. E. Kirk (2013)
Length: 370 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Started: 10 March 2014
Finished: 17 March 2014
Where did it come from? Many thanks to A. E. Kirk and to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 February 2014 as an ebook; Since 3 March 2014 as a physical book.
Why do I have it? I like historical fantasy and A. E. Kirk is a new author for me.

Life is pretty typical for half Greek-half American teenager Helen Xenaxis. She's just started her senior year at Mount Bumont High in New England, gets relatively good grades, and does her best to stay under the radar when it comes to getting in trouble with the principal. Not always easy tasks to accomplish when her best friend Paris Dolon is a prankster, determined to make senior year at Mount Bumont High memorable. Helen has the typical family - a mother and father, and two bratty younger twin brothers.

But Helen Xenakis' life is about to change drastically; and it all starts when her mother welcomes two cute but strange boys, Marcus and Gus, into the house and into Helen's life. During their stay, the boys help Helen to discover that she is anything but normal and she is in fact part of an ancient love story that has stretched to every corner of the world. She is, in reality, Helen the Princess of Sparta.

As Helen begins to remember things from a previous life, she sees things that she can't explain. When five other boys join Marcus and Gus, Helen is caused great physical pain when she utters the name, Troy. Together, the seven boys have traveled across time to ask Helen to do something for them - to go back in time and help break an ancient cycle. They will be there to try and protect her from the evil Decurion who wish to stop Helen from breaking the cycle by any means possible.

Journeying to Ancient Greece, Helen must act as she once did. However, when the moment comes and the war begins, she must break the cycle. Helen is given a life changing choice. The question is, will she choose wisely?

I must say, that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have always enjoyed reading stories based on ancient myths - so I was completely drawn in to the story from the beginning. The story was fast-paced and action-packed, and the characters were well-developed. I give Loving in Time by A. E. Kirk a definite A+! I have to say that this was quite a debut, and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

A+! - (95-100%)

May you read well and often

T. C. Tombs - Run With the Wolves: The Pack

7. Run With the Wolves: The Pack by T. C. Tombs (2011)
The Run With the Wolves Series Book 1
Length: 392 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Started: 22 January 2014
Finished: 3 February 2014
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Tracee at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 January 2014
Why do I have it? I like historical fantasy and T. C. Tombs is a new author for me.

Europe in the fifteenth century is notoriously brutal and enmeshed in dire conflict. So it is for the three kingdoms of Medinia, Skoland and Varakov. Medinia and Skoland have been embroiled in a decade-long war, and Varakov has remained in uneasy neutrality during that time. Now, as a peaceful resolution provides tentative hope that the seemingly endless war will eventually reach an end, no one realizes that sinister forces are waiting to invoke chaos as a full moon rises.

On a farm nestled beneath the Euralene Mountains along the western border of Medinia, young Willie works for the Smythes as a serf. One moonlit evening, when the Smythes travel to a neighboring village to attend the annual fair, Willie hears the terrified cries of animals in the pasture. When he goes to investigate, he discovers a bizarre wolf pack raid unlike any other. Badly injured during the attack, he survives - but is afflicted by the full-moon madness that will soon transform him into one of the wolf creatures he dreads.

With his life seemingly warped forever, Willie must face the prospect of a lifelong descent into horror. In a time rife with witchcraft, superstitious folk lore and fearsome creatures roaming the night, Willie struggles with an uncertain destiny and must seek help from Woodrow, the Pack Leader - the one man he holds most responsible for the dark fate that awaits him during the next full moon cycle.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was drawn into the story from the first page, and needed to know how it ended. It was fast paced, suspenseful, and filled with a varied cast of deeply flawed characters - some suffering from afflictions beyond their control, others that were just distinctly evil. I give this book an A! and look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy some time soon. I want to know how this saga turns out.

A! - (90-95%)
                 
May you read well and often

Juliet Marillier - Daughter of the Forest

4. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (2000)
The Sevenwaters Series Book 1
Length: 554 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Started: 8 March 2010
Finished: 18 March 2010
Where did it come from? From Barnes and Noble
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2008
Why do I have it? I like fantasy and Juliet Marillier is a new author for me. I also liked that this book took place in medieval Ireland

Lovely Sorcha was the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. She and her brothers loved to run through the forest free and wild. Until their father married again; an Irish sorceress bent on destroying them all. Lady Oonagh started to slowly divide the family from each other until, in desperation, Sorcha's brothers take their sister into the forest to protect her. Lady Oonagh catches them and weaves an enchantment that the brothers can't escape.

Their very lives are in Sorcha's hands, but she is forced to stay silent on the orders of The Lady of the Forest who sets a task for her - spin six shirts from starwort and put them over her brothers heads herself to set them free. Sorcha is kidnapped by enemies of Sevenwaters and brought across the sea. She despairs of ever finishing her task, but the love of her brothers and the love that comes once in a lifetime sustains her. I give this story an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Mercedes Lackey - The Fire Rose

1. The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey (1995)
The Elemental Masters Series Book 1
Length: 433 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Started: 5 January 2009
Finished: 15 January 2009
Where did it come from? From Barnes and Noble
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2008
Why do I have it? I like fantasy and I like Mercedes Lackey as an author

Impoverished heiress Rosalind Hawkins is a thoroughly modern medieval scholar. When her father dies after losing all the family fortunes in bad investments, Rose has to apply for a position of some sort. What she receives is a request to become governess to a reclusive rail baron's precocious children. When Rose arrives in Jason Cameron's palatial mansion overlooking San Francisco Bay, she discovers that there are no children for her to teach, and the house is filled with invisible servants and a sour agent of Jason Cameron's named Paul du Mond. Her job changes to one that involves reading arcane tomes to Jason Cameron himself - a victim of a mysterious accident.

Jason Cameron is an Elemental Firemaster who has suffered an accident when he tried to perform a spell called the loup-garou - to turn himself into a werewolf. What has become of Jason is that he is now half man-half beast and in danger of losing his mind to the wolf side of himself. As a result, he has dismissed his whole staff except for his Apprentice, and relies on his mystical salamanders to help him.

As Rose reads Jason's books to him, she discovers that she has the potential for Air Mastery herself. She decides that, after necessity demands it, she will become Jason's Apprentice. As Rose and Jason come closer to an answer, they grow closer to each other. When an horrific attack takes place, can Rose trust that Jason is still the man that she loves? I give this historical fantasy an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often