historical fiction

Down the TBR Hole # 11

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 1 Comment

DOWNTHETBRHOLE

Welcome to another Down the TBR Hole! The last couple times I’ve done this I managed to purge 3/5 books each time. Hopefully I am able to continue the trend as I would very much like to get my TBR pile down to a more manageable number.

It works like this:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

Continue reading →

Book Spotlight: The Secret of Vesalius by Jordi Llobregat (Upcoming release)

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 3 Comments

BOOKSPOTLIGHT

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Title: The Secret of Vesalius by Jordi Llobregat

Expected publication: November 2017

Publisher: Riverrun

Page count: 582 (hardback)

Daniel Amat has left Spain and all that happened there behind him. Having just achieved a brilliant role in Ancient Languages at Oxford University and an even more advantageous engagement, the arrival of a letter – a demand – stamped Barcelona comes like a cold hand from behind.

He arrives back in that old, labyrinthine and near-mythic city a few days before the great 1888 World Fair, amid dread whispers of murders – the injuries reminiscent of an ancient curse, and bearing signs of the genius 16th century anatomist, Vesalius. Daniel is soon pulled into the depths of the crime, and eventually into the tunnels below Barcelona, where his own dark past and the future of science are joined in a terrible venture – to bring the secret of Vesalius to life.

Gothic and gripping, this historical thriller makes of Barcelona a diabolical character – emerging out of the dark into a new electrical age, aflame with spirit, superstition and science. Published in eighteen countries, Jordi Llobregat’s bestselling first novel mixes a passionate setting and cryptic mystery into a genre-crossing phenomenon.

First off, I would like to note that this book initially was released in 2015 but only in Spanish. This will be its first round in the English speaking market so I’m still going to count it as an upcoming release.

This book sounds like it has everything that appeals to me. Historical fiction? Check. World’s Fair? Always a fascination. Murder, mayhem, and mystery? Sign me up. If this title interests you as much as it does me, it can currently be found as an eARC on Netgalley. Sadly, it is not open to the American audience (only Australia, Europe, and the United Kingdom) so I’ll have to wait for official publication.

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Jordi has a passion for cities, and in particular their historical evolutions and transformations. His mother’s side of the family hails from Barcelona, and his great grandfather worked in the forge that produced Pere Falqués’ famous modernist lampposts found on the Paseo de Gracia. Jordi began writing at the age of twelve after watching the film The Man from Acapulco with Jean Paul Belmondo and Jacqueline Bisset.

He currently combines writing with his work as head of a company that works on community development in cities. His work has been included in several short story anthologies.

He is director of the noir fiction festival, Valencia Negra. (from Goodreads)

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Find this book on

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Book Depository | NetGalley

Throwback Thursday – Jackaby (Jackaby #1) by William Ritter

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 1 Comment

throwbackthursday

Renee began Throwback Thursday at Its Book Talk as a way to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books that she wants to read that were published over a year ago. Books that were published over a year ago are almost always easier to find at libraries or at a discounted sale price. As I have been sifting through my TBR list and purging those books that no longer hold my interest, I came across several from years past that I’d love to share with you! Continue reading →

Book Spotlight – A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn (Upcoming Release)

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 3 Comments

 

BOOKSPOTLIGHT

Each week in my Book Spotlight piece I will be bringing you an upcoming release. These books are ones I am excited about whether they be from a new or an established author. This week we have an upcoming release from one of my favorites!

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Title: A Treacherous Curse (Veronica Speedwell #3) by Deanna Raybourn

Expected publication: January 16th, 2018

Publisher: Berkley

London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can’t resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker. His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.
 
But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker’s past. Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats—and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe—Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything. 

COVER

I absolutely adore the cover for this book. It is a color we don’t see very often, first of all. Have you noticed that most covers seem to be black, white, or red? I love that this one took a jump off of that trend with this beautiful gold. There are also some hieroglyphics worked into the background which is a lovely touch.

CONCEPT

I have made it no secret that I am completely in love with Raybourn’s books. Just here on Literary Weaponry I have reviewed five of them! Now, one of my favorite authors is incorporating one of my favorite topics: Ancient Egypt. To say I am over the moon would be an understatement. In the previous two books in this series, A Curious Beginning and A Perilous Undertaking, we have been given hints and peaks at Stoker’s past but nothing in much detail. From the sounds of things Raybourn will be giving us a great deal more information about him. Hopefully it will also include more scenes with Stoker’s oldest brother who is easily one of my favorite secondary characters in any series. Period. I am absolutely itching to pre-order this one!

THE AUTHOR

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Deanna Raybourn. A sixth-generation native Texan, New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a double major in English and history and an emphasis on Shakespearean studies. She taught high school English for three years in San Antonio before leaving education to pursue a career as a novelist. Deanna makes her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband and daughter. – from Goodreads

 

 

Before her Veronica Speedwell mysteries, Raybourn wrote the Lady Julia Grey series which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries.

My reviews of Raybourn’s books:

A Curious Beginning
A Perilous Undertaking
Lady Julia Grey Series (1-3)

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Find this book on

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Penguin/Berkley | Book Depository

Throwback Thursday – Mozart’s Last Aria

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 1 Comment

throwbackthursday

Renee began Throwback Thursday at Its Book Talk as a way to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books that she wants to read that were published over a year ago. Books that were published over a year ago are almost always easier to find at libraries or at a discounted sale price. As I have been sifting through my TBR list and purging those books that no longer hold my interest, I came across several from years past that I’d love to share with you! Continue reading →

Throwback Thursday – August 10

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 2 Comments

throwbackthursday

Renee began Throwback Thursday at Its Book Talk as a way to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books that she wants to read that were published over a year ago. Books that were published over a year ago are almost always easier to find at libraries or at a discounted sale price. As I have been sifting through my TBR list and purging those books that no longer hold my interest, I came across several from years past that I’d love to share with you!

Continue reading →

Throwback Thursday – August 3

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 3 Comments

throwbackthursday

Renee began Throwback Thursday at Its Book Talk as a way to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books that she wants to read that were published over a year ago. Books that were published over a year ago are almost always easier to find at libraries or at a discounted sale price. As I have been sifting through my TBR list and purging those books that no longer hold my interest, I came across several from years past that I’d love to share with you! Continue reading →

Lady Julia Grey Series (1-3) by Deanna Raybourn

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ Leave a comment

 

“To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.”

I have not been shy about shouting my love for Deanna Raybourn’s books. In the past I have read and reviewed her first two Veronica Speedwell mysteries, A Curious Beginning and A Perilous Undertaking, both of which I feel I gave glowing reviews. Recently I have been a terrible book grump. Every story I have picked up I have ended up disliking even though their themes are up my proverbial alley. So, when I snatched Silent in the Grave off the shelf in the library I can honestly say that I wasn’t anticipating finding much joy in it. Especially not enjoying it so much that I end up reading the first three books in the Lady Julia Grey series in one week.

Whoops.

So, that brings us to today’s post. Today I will be discussing, as a whole, the first three books of Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey series. Honestly, I’m a little hazy on how many books are in this series. When you pull it up on Goodreads it gets into 5.5, 5.6, 5.7 etc. According to Raybourn’s website there are eight books in the series and novellas. Either way, several books, moving on…

Silent in the Grave starts with Lady Julia Grey witnessing her husband collapsing on the floor of their home. He had been ill for some time and Julia had been expecting his death but it was still a shock to her. Julia didn’t expect her husband’s death to be foul play so for the traditional year of morning after his death she was simply the grieving widow and thought nothing more about the circumstances surrounding his passing.

And that is where Lady Grey’s story begins. She along with the investigator Nicholas Brisbane embark on a journey to identify her husband’s killer. I must say that I completely fell in love with the characters in this book. Julia starts off as a shy, wilted thing. A mere shell of her former self. As she continues to investigate her husband’s death a strong and intelligent personality emerges. She is an unconventional woman for her time and she comes to embrace her uniqueness.

There is so much I can say about Silent in the Grave and the next two in the series. All of the characters show such depth. They are well thought out, have a purpose, and each has an unique personality. The mysteries themselves are fabulous. The first book has Julia’s husband’s murder and let me tell you, you will NOT see that ending coming. I never, not once suspected the killer. I reread the big reveal twice to make sure I understood it correctly. Simply amazing.

The next two books are also fantastic. Murder, mayhem, mystery, and a quirky little romance you aren’t sure is actually going anywhere. In the past I have made it abundantly clear that I am not fond of romance in what I read. The romance in these books, however, isn’t stifling. It doesn’t take the main stage in the story and you never feel like it detracts from what is actually going on. The focus is on solving the murders, connecting the dots, and finding hidden clues not on smoochy smoochies in the corner. However, I must admit, the smoochy smoochies are pretty heated.

I will say that the third book, Silent on the Moor, is not as good as the first two. The “who done it” becomes fairly obvious at an early stage which was disappointing. I kept hoping I was wrong. And the cast of characters for that mystery were not nearly as interesting as in the previous two books. It was still a good story, just not as good. I also think that the third one was not as good for me because of the setting. I just couldn’t picture the location in my head which made the story hard to follow.

Through this series and Raybourn’s newer series, the Veronica Speedwell mysteries, the author has quickly become one of my favorites. She writes strong, believable female leads and the stories she comes up with are completely engrossing. If you at all enjoy historical mysteries I would whole heartedly recommend picking up Raybourn’s books. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Read more about these books on Goodreads

Silent in the Grave | Silent in the Sanctuary | Silent on the Moor

 

 

WWW Wednesday – July 19

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 9 Comments

WWWWednesday

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words and was formerly hosted by A Daily Rhythm. It is open for anyone to participate, even without a blog you can comment on Sam’s post with your own answers. It is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

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Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones

So far this book is mildly entertaining. We have ghosts in London that are being murdered, a priest that does exorcisms, a black shadowing dog eating ghosts, a weird black goop that is invading London’s buildings, a boy that can talk to said ghosts, and his murderous uncle. A lot going on, right? The story is actually pretty interesting but the characters don’t stick with you. For it to be a completely effective story you should give a crap about the ghosts getting exterminated, but you don’t. I’m going to finish it just out of curiosity.

 

What did you recently finish reading?

Silent in the Grave (Lady Julia Grey #1) by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Sanctuary (Lady Julia Grey #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Silent on the Moor (Lady Julia Grey #3) by Deanna Raybourn

“To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.” 

I got on a bit of a kick last week, if you can’t tell. Once I picked up Silent in the Grave I couldn’t put it down. Then I needed to read the next book in the series, and then the next. I ended up knocking out all three of these 500+ page historical mysteries in a week. A little excessive, right? Couldn’t help myself. I’ll be doing a group review of all three of them which will be up on the 21st.

 

What do you think you’ll read next?

I am actually considering taking a short reading break and instead working on my own book. I’m feeling a bit burned out right now. I have finished a ton of books lately (at least for me) and setting that aside for a week and writing on my own work sounds like a tantalizing option. After the short break I do have a few options of books to read. I have purchased several, both new and used, recently which have been mocking me from the shelves. “Why did you buy me if you didn’t plan on reading me, Amanda? Come pick me up!”