Review: Bottle Demon by Stephen Blackmoore

Bottle Demon (Eric Carter, Book #6)

by Stephen Blackmoore

Release Date: May 4, 2021

2021 Daw Books

Kindle Edition; 295 Pages

ISBN: 978-0756412982

ASIN: B08F4KPPGL

Genre: Fiction / Urban Fantasy

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

After being attacked by a demon in the one place he thought he was safe, Eric Carter has been killed, his soul sent to take its place as a stand-in for the Aztec god of death Mictlantecuhtli. But somebody on Earth isn't done with him, yet. Somebody with the power to bring him back from the dead. He doesn't know who, and worse he doesn't know why.

Between an angry death goddess, family secrets steeped in blood, a Djinn who's biding his time, and a killer mage who can create copy after copy of himself, Eric's new life looks to be just as violent as his last one. But if he doesn't get to the bottom of why he's back, it's going to be a hell of a lot shorter.

 

My Thoughts

Bottle Demon is the next entry in the Eric Carter series, and I was immediately intrigued by the premise (and the ending in  the previous book) as I wondered how the author was going to pull off a miracle resurrection and make is plausible.  And..., he definitely managed it.  I thoroughly enjoyed Eric's confusion as he navigated a world that was both the same and quite a bit different from what he was used to, and attempted to piece together what happened and how he was going to solve this mystery.  Personally, I think this might actually be my favourite book by this author.

Eric Carter is such a fascinating character: he comes from a world that is run by wizarding families who seem to have lost their empathy over the years, which requires some tough-love on Eric's part to keep the world from imploding.  Being a Necromancer certainly doesn't help matters as he is looked upon with suspicion just because of what he can do.  I really thought it was interesting that Eric didn't want to come back and actually mourned the fact that he was resurrected: from pretty much the first page Eric is chased, shot at, attacked, etc...., with little knowledge as to what is happening, but through it all, his humanity still shines and we have this guy who mourns the peace he had when he was dead.  Although he is not the kind of person who whines about his fate, I did appreciate the interesting dialogue about what may be waiting for us on the other side, or at least on Eric's other side.  For a guy who has not had a lot of peace, it must be comforting.  There was one scene, in particular, that showed how much Eric cares about the people around him and I would be lying if I said it didn't being a small tear to my eye.  The author is able to capture many different sides of his characters which is something I really enjoy about his writing. 

The plot was full of twists and turns, but I definitely think the author's strength is exploring thematic devices by giving us flawed characters who are just trying to make the world a better place in which to live.  Naturally, some of the decisions these characters make go badly wrong, which creates some interesting scenarios and these plot twists. 

 

Verdict

Bottle Demon is well-written and certainly contains a number of surprises that I wasn't expecting.I really do feel like there is a different vibe to this book which makes me think the author is planning on shaking things up for Eric and the rest of the characters and that we may see things go in a very different direction than in previous books.  I like a good shake-up in books and although certain characters didn't make an appearance in this one and others were relegated to more minor roles, there are some characters that seem to be taking centre stage, so perhaps something new is coming.  I am looking forward to seeing what happens to Eric and company next.  

 

 

Review: Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

Not a Happy Family

by Shari Lapena

Release Date: July 27, 2021

2021 Pamela Dorman Books

Kindle Edition; 349 Pages

ISBN: 978-1984880550

ASIN: B08R1CZ966

Audiobook: B08SQ1ZM92

Genre: Fiction /Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

2.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

In this family, everyone is keeping secrets--especially the dead. Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there. And they don't come much richer than Fred and Sheila Mercer. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call. The Mercers are brutally murdered the night after an Easter Dinner with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated.

Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their capricious father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of them is more disturbed than anyone knew.

 

My Thoughts

Not a Happy Family is one of those books that missed the mark for me.  I usually enjoy a Lepena novel and look forward to reading them, but couldn't empathize with any of the characters and thought the story line was kind of repetitive.  

The main characters, the three children, are pretty messed up.  I don't normally mind it too much when I don't like the main characters as long as I can empathize with them, but I couldn't even do that in this book. I can't even put my finger on why as the author didn't deliberately do anything to write them as completely dislikable, but I just couldn't find it in myself to feel any sympathy towards any of them, even after learning about their childhoods.  A character can make a lot of wrong choices, and even make questionable decisions, and as a reader, you still root for them and hope they are not the one that did anything.  In this case, I actually hoped they were all involved so they would all end up in jail.  

The plot was fun at the beginning as I found it intriguing how the siblings all seemed to turn on each other and wonder what the others were actually up to the night of the murders.  All of them seemed to have different motives and they all definitely have their own secrets.  I also thought that Fred's sister was the most interesting character, in the beginning, simply because she was the odd person out and everyone seemed to vilify her.  I was definitely curious about the dynamics of this family and their respective motivations.

Unfortunately, the plot simply turned repetitive, and I didn't find the twists and turns to be that interesting, more predictable and plodding.  I thought both the characters and the plot were underdeveloped.  The motives didn't necessarily make sense, and while I liked the ending, I really wasn't sure about the motivations for the actual culprit as there wasn't a good explanation.  

Verdict

Not a Happy Family was a bit of a disappointment.  Both the story line and the characters were underdevelopped which made the book repetitive.  It was difficult to really know the motivations of the characters and to empathize with them.  This book definitely missed the mark with me.  

Review: Shadow Target by David Ricciardi

Shadow Target (Jake Keller, Book #4)

by David Ricciardi

Release Date:  June 15, 2021

2021 Berkley

Kindle Edition; 3223 Pages

ISBN: 978-1984804693

ASIN: B08KPCY9MC

Audiobook: B08KWLH4BX

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

When his small plane crashes in the Alps, Jake is the only survivor. A rescue helicopter soon arrives, but the men inside are not there to save anyone. They are determined to complete the murderous job they started.

 

Jake escapes from the mountainside deathtrap, but it won't be the only attempt on his life. If he's to have any chance at surviving, he'll have to find out who's behind the killings. But the circle of people Jake can trust is distressingly small as he suspects that someone inside the Agency is feeding his every move to the very people who are trying to end his life.

Jake's quest takes him to the candle-lit cathedrals of Paris and the rain-slicked streets of London. He makes contact with old friends and new enemies along the way—but his true nemesis may be closer than he imagines.

 

My Thoughts

Shadow Target is the next entry in the Jake Keller series, and I enjoyed it tremendously.  I find this series is deceptive in its storytelling as it seems simple in its concepts and in its story lines, but there is an underlying depth and deception that has been there since the first book and I am curious as to how it will all play out in the end.  If you've read the previous instalments, this one is a bit different, and although I was a bit skeptical at first about where it was headed, it soon picked up and I read the rest in one sitting.  

 

I enjoy Jake as a main character and this book really picked up on his character development as we learned a lot more about his past and how it has affected his present as well as his psychological state. There was a lot of introspection about his personal life and how so much was stolen from him because of previous situations and while I wasn't sure how to take all of this, it definitely worked in the end.  Seeing this side of Jake made you much more empathetic towards his character and some of the hard choices he has to make while doing his job and the impact those choices have on his psyche.  It was rather interesting.

 

One of the strengths of these books is Jake's willingness to work with other people and I always like it when previous characters show up in these books.  I think part of this is the author's way of showing that everyone needs to feel connected to someone else no matter the job they do and I found this kind of intriguing, this exploration of human connection and the toll the lack thereof can have on a human body.  Very subtle piece of writing, but it did make me think about a lot of things.

 

At first I wasn't sure about the plot as it didn't seem the same as in previous novels; it felt much more like a suspense novel with a huge mystery twist to it rather than a full-on thriller.  Despite Jake's having to avoid a few attempts on his life, the first half was more contemplative. But then, bang! It picks right back up, with a twist I should have expected but didn't (probably because I was paying too much attention to the relationship issues), and things were right back into what I would expect from this author and a thriller novel.  There was also a lot of subtle intrigue, some of it carrying over from previous books, ones that I don't know if a reader new to the series would pick up on unless familiar with the earlier books and the situations that created them, intrigues that will continue in future books.  

Verdict

Shadow Target is definitely one of my new favourite thriller series (right up there with the Orphan X books), and while this one started a bit differently than the previous instalments, it was still as strong as previous entries.  I like that the author can be versatile in his writing style and still write intricate plot twists and relatable characters.  While this could be read on its own, I do recommend reading them all in order to get a good understanding of the relationships and political goings-on that were only lightly explained  And while this book does have a satisfactory ending, there are some intrigues that will definitely be continuing in the next book and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. 

Review: A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor

A Duke in Time (The Widow Rules, Book #1)

by Janna MacGregor

Release Date: June 29, 2021

2021 St. Martin's Paperbacks

Kindle Edition; 366 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250761590

ASIN: B08FZ8B348

Audiobook: B08YLDWC75

Genre: Fiction / Historical / Romance

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Katherine Vareck is in for the shock of her life when she learns upon her husband Meri's accidental death that he had married two other women. Her entire business, along with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a royal supplier, is everything she's been working for and now could be destroyed if word leaks about the three wives.

Meri's far more upstanding brother, Christian, Duke of Randford has no earthly clue how to be of assistance. He spent the better part of his adult years avoiding Meri and the rest of his good-for-nothing family, so to be dragged back into the fold is…problematic. Even more so is the intrepid and beautiful Katherine, whom he cannot be falling for because she's Meri's widow. Or can he?

 

My Thoughts

A Duke in Time is the first book in The Widow Rules series, and I have to say, the first chapter really does open with quite an interesting scene. I thought the concept was intriguing, and I did like the characters for the most part, but remove the trappings of regency England, and you could just as well be reading a contemporary romance.  There is historical leniency in a lot of these romance novels, but I did feel like this one pushed it a bit too far.

I definitely liked Katherine as a main character, even if I thought she was way too modern for this time period.  She was kind-hearted, tough, determined, and loyal, but there were moments where I actually rolled my eyes.  I couldn't help it.  Empowering women is one thing, but convincing them they can do anything they want during this time period is modern thinking, not Regency thinking, and it bothered me when I saw this, not once, but over and over again. No, women could not do whatever they wanted, and telling children they can grow up to be whatever they wanted is definitely not something that would be common during this time period, especially for children who didn't know who their fathers were.  And it completely contradicted the other story line running through this book; women who now desperately needed a husband, or whatever, so they wouldn't be ruined when the truth came out.  

 

There always has to be this big 'secret' that comes between our lovers, and naturally, this book had one as well.  I did feel like the author was really stretching it here though as I didn't buy it.  And Katherine had a witness, so it just didn't work for me.  When a secret works, it can create some rather interesting dialogues and story lines, and some interesting times for the reader, but when it doesn't, it just seems silly, and I'm sorry, but this one was silly.  I was also frustrated by the whole Meri situation and would have loved to get an answer for what happened there; after reading this book, I just don't understand how Katherine would have married him.  

I didn't mind the plot too much, but I will never be a fan of insta-love.  I have read some of this author's work before and prefer the slower-burn of her other books.  I also thought the duke's introduction didn't match the personality she developed for him later on.  I get that he was confused over his brother's actions and that he didn't want anything to do with him, but he was also a duke and family responsibility is drummed into you from childbirth. He slowly grew on me though, but I'm not really sure I bought completely into their romance.  And while they did have chemistry, it needed to be developed and grown. The steamy sections kind of covered up the lack of relationship growth, but I have to say, the author definitely did a great job discussing the types of linens that were available during this time period during these scenes without taking away from the 'steam'.

Verdct

A Duke in Time is a well-written romance: the so-called secrets and the issues with Meri made the book a bit tougher to get through than I would have liked, and I just didn't buy into some of the story line and some of the reasons for why the characters behaved the way they did.  I'm not a fan of using miscommunication, or lack of communication, as a plot device, especially for grown adults who are so organized in other facets of their lives.  I did however, lover the other two wives and am looking forward to reading their stories in future books. 

Review: Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch

by Rivka Galchen

Release Date: June 8, 2021

2021 Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Kindle Edition; 288 Pages

ISBN: 978-0374280468

ASIN:B08FGVL7ML

Audiobook: B08PW7GS24

Genre: Fiction / Historical

Source: Review copy from publisher

2.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Katharina is an illiterate widow, known by her neighbors for her herbal remedies and the success of her children, including her eldest, Johannes, who is the Imperial Mathematician and renowned author of the laws of planetary motion. It's enough to make anyone jealous, and Katharina has done herself no favors by being out and about and in everyone's business.

So when the deranged and insipid Ursula Reinbold (or as Katharina calls her, the Werewolf) accuses Katharina of offering her a bitter, witchy drink that has made her ill, Katharina is in trouble. Her scientist son must turn his attention from the music of the spheres to the job of defending his mother. Facing the threat of financial ruin, torture, and even execution, Katharina tells her side of the story to her friend and next-door neighbor Simon, a reclusive widower imperiled by his own secrets.

 

My Thoughts

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch intrigued me because this was based on the true story of the mother of Johannes Kepler, and the trials and tribulations faced by the family when she was accused of witchcraft during the seventeenth century. While I know quite a bit about Kepler's contributions to the Scientific Revolution, I am always eager to read more about his mother so I was looking forward to an interesting story about intrigue and politics.  Plus, I thought the title was eye-catching. But the plot dragged and the way it was written kept the reader seriously detached from the characters and by the end I was relieved the book was finished.

 

My favourite parts of the books were the transcripts of the interviews with the various people from the village as well as some of the letters written to dispute, or to encourage, charges.  First of all, many of the transcripts were quite fascinating and allowed for an intriguing study of human nature and the goings-on of a small rural village during this time period.  Many of the petty squabbles that you would  think make up a village were evident, and I definitely enjoyed the thoughts behind why the villagers thought Katharina should be guilty, which ranged everywhere from the absurd to ones out of petty jealousy.  To the modern reader, the sarcasm behind these transcripts was quite evident, but done quite cleverly.  The letters were also interesting, and I especially liked the one listing the many reasons why Katharina was guilty.  I think there was something like forty reasons listed, some of them quite absurd to our way of thinking, but very relevant to the time period when certain scientific inquiry sent people to be burnt at the stake.   

The story though, while interesting, was a bit of a slog to read.  Unfortunately, the writing style made it difficult to empathize with the characters, and there were times I just wanted to wring Katharina's neck as she just didn't want to listen to anyone's advice.  I think the author was trying to show a woman ahead of her time period, especially with a son who was well-known, but she came across as silly and annoying at times.  I did like how she still looked at her son Hans (Johannes) as a little boy even though he was a famous mathematician by this point and even an imperial advisor. 

I get the book was written in this type of self-deprecating humour, but for me, it just didn't work.  The book was written as a type of journal: the main characters, Katharina, was illiterate, and her neighbour, Simon, wrote the journals for her.  I definitely enjoyed the thinking of the time period and could understand the humour and the irony when tackling a subject such as the witch trials simply because the reasons were absurd.  However, what happened to these women was serious and the fourteen months of imprisonment that Katharina suffered was glossed over: in fact, we learn of her financial difficulties through a letter written by the people who accused her as her jailors were burning too much fuel and wasting the money from her estate so there would be nothing left when she died. 

 

Verdict

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch is meant to have this dark, witty humour as Katharina Kepler is accused of being a witch and the story recounts the interviews with the villagers and goes to trial.  But the humour didn't quite work for me as it seemed to downplay the seriousness of what was happening, although the author did manage to show the absurdity of the situation quite well so the highlights were definitely the transcripts and the letters. However, I just didn't sympathize with any of the characters as the writing style kept you detached so it was difficult to empathize with their losses and situations.  If you are interested in Johannes Kepler and his mother, I do recommend this book (there is a LOT of information in it though and is not a light read) Kepler's Witch: An Astronomer's Discovery of Cosmic Order Amid Religious War, Political Intrigue, and the Heresy Trial of his Mother. 

Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

Release Date: May 4, 2021

2021 Ballantine Books

Kindle Edition; 476 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593135204

ASIN: B08FHBV4ZX

Audiobook: B08GB4FH52

Genre: Fiction / SF

Source: Review copy from publisher

4.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

 

My Thoughts

Project Hail Mary certainly had a gripping opening, one that had me hooked, and kept me reading way longer into the night than I should have.  I certainly found it intriguing how a biologist with a PhD who was teaching grade 8 would end up in a spaceship light years away from Earth tasked to save his planet. And the result was fascinating. 

 

While at first I had the feeling I was in the same setting as The Martian, that soon wore off as there were quite a few differences, as you would expect in a completely different novel.  The same sarcastic sense of humour was there, but that is what I enjoyed so much in the other novel and I was happy to have that back in this book.  I even found myself chuckling quite a few times at some of the situations in which Ryland found himself, and then that self-deprecating humour would come through, and I would think What would Mark Whatney do?  Oh year, science the sh&^ out of it!!  And that is exactly what Ryland did. 

 

Ryland Grace is one of those characters I just couldn't help liking.  While he understood the seriousness of where he was and what he was doing, it didn't let him down and he just got to work to try to figure out how to solve the problem he was given.  I liked his overall positive attitude, and while he might have been self-effacing on Earth, he had no choice but to take on tasks that were out of his comfort zone on the spaceship as he was the only one left.  And the conditions were harsh.  And this is where the math and the science comes in.

 

Best thing about this book? Rocky, hands down.  I'll leave it up to you to discover who or what that is. 

 

I have a background in science, but my background is biological science, not math and I remember distinctly swearing an oath that once I left university I would never touch another calculus or physics textbook again in my life unless I had to transport it somewhere.  Luckily, I remember enough that I actually found the science quite fascinating and liked the really heavy scientific discussions that were occurring on almost every page.  Some of them almost, and that's a big almost, made me want to delve into a physics journal again so I did the next best thing: I asked my son who is a mathematical physics major instead.   For someone who has little science background though, the scientific overload may be a little too much.  Personally, the balance between the science, the ethics, the dialogue, the plot, and everything else was quite good.

The story itself was quite intriguing and I did spend a lot of time reflecting on our planet and how things would go if we were in a similar situation.  The story jumps back and forth between his current situation and how he actually got  there, and there are a lot of ethical considerations that would make for some great discussions, something I think the author was trying to highlight. 

 

Verdict

Project Hail Mary was a delight, one full of intrigue and surprising twists, especially since I went into having avoided any and all discussions on it that I could.  I thought it was intricately plotted, with some major underlying themes that would make great discussion points, interesting characters, and a very satisfying ending.  I loved the intricate scientific details and thought the author did a great job blending the story and the science together.  If you enjoyed The Martian, I feel you would enjoy this book as well. 

 

Review: Murder in the Cookbook Nook by Ellery Adams

Murder in the Cookbook Nook (Book Retreat Mysteries, Book #7)

by Ellery Adams

Release Date: April 27, 2021

2021 Kensington Books

Kindle Edition; 336 Pages

ISBN: 978-1496729460

ASIN: B08F2XNKRD

Audiobook: B08SFKFD8Z

Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Cozy

Source: Review copy from publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Summary

Six chefs are preparing to compete in an outdoor tent at Storyton Hall in Virginia for prizes that will boost their careers—but is there someone who can’t stand the heat? It looks that way when one of the contestants is found dead in a pantry packed with two centuries’ worth of cookbooks, among other treasures and rarities.

Could there be a connection to other recent events in town, like tampering with the costume of a local mascot? Jane isn’t sure, but after someone serves a second course of murder, the kitchen must be closed and the killer must be found . . .

 

 

My Thoughts

Murder in the Cookbook Nook is the latest entry in one of my favourite cozy mystery series, the Book Retreat Mysteries.  I was so happy when I learned there was going to be another entry in this series as it really felt like it was all over after the events of the previous book, and I wondered where the author was going to take these characters next.  I enjoyed this story, and particularly liked that it was more of a traditional cozy murder mystery story although there is a part of me that would like the intrigues of Jane and the Fins to continue as well.

 

I have always thought the character development in this series to be one of the greater strengths, and this continues in this book.  The author spends time developing an interesting array of diverse characters and I find all of them intriguing in their own ways, even the ones meant to be boorish, or downright annoying.  I always enjoy the chapters where The Cover Girls are involved, and I like the diversity of Jane's friends.  And if you have read this author's other book series, you will recognize the name Olivia Lemoges in this book, a really nice surprise, and one I wasn't expecting. (Check out her mystery series, Books By the Bay Mysteries, if you are interested.)

 

One of the main themes always running through these books is family, and I love the importance the author puts on that theme, through Jane's love of her twin sons and the fierce protectiveness she feels when they are in danger, but also through the witty dialogue and interactions she has with her family members.  It plays such a huge role in Jane's decision-making and it's one of the things I love about this series.

 

The mystery was pretty solid as well, and as usual, there was a much darker side to what was happening, something I really like about these books, and something that made me go do some research to discover more about it.  While the book is supposed to be lighter than a regular mystery, the themes, and social issues, running through it are definitely not that light and I appreciate the author highlighting them in her book.  I was just so glad to see Jane and the Fins back in action, and it was nice to see them work on something that was a bit different than previous books, even if the subject material had some major themes underlying it.  I did figure out who the culprit was fairly early on in the book, but the author's ability to discuss uncomfortable social issues in such a format makes for an interesting read despite having figured it out. 

 

Verdict

Murder in the Cookbook Nook was a solid entry in this series and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  I thought the characters continued to evolve, especially as their roles were changing after the events in the previous book, and I liked reading about how they were adjusting.  The mystery was solid, with some major themes running through them that make you look at cooking shows in a different light.  And while you could start the series with this book, I do recommend you read from the beginning in order tolearn about Jane and the Fins. 

Review: Dance With Death by Will Thomas

Dance With Death (Barker & Llewelyn, Book #12)

by Will Thomas

Release Date: April 13, 2021

2021 Minotaur Books

Kindle Edition; 320 Pages

ISBN: 978 -1250624771

ASIN: B08BYC9F7D

Audiobook: B08BJD36QP

Genre: Fiction / Historical / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

In June of 1893, the future Nicholas II travels to London for a royal wedding, bringing with him his private security force and his ballerina mistress, Mathilde Kchessinska. Rumored to be the target of a professional assassin known only as La Sylphide, and the subject of conspiracies against his life by his own family who covet his future throne, Nicholas is protected by not only private security, but the professional forces of both England and Russia.

All of these measures prove inadequate when Prince George of England is attacked by an armed anarchist who mistakes him for Nicholas. As a result, Barker and Llewelyn are brought in to help track down the assassin and others who might conspire against the life of the tsesarevich.

 

My Thoughts

Dance With Death is the next entry in the Barker & Llewelyn mystery series and this one focuses on their ability to defend a spoiled tsarevich from being assassinated.  While the interaction between our two main characters continued to be interesting, with some intriguing politics thrown in, it was quite a bit slower than previous books.

Thomas Llewelyn has always been a character with whom I could empathize, and I have always enjoyed his slightly sarcastic spin on events and people.  His humour is what I would call deprecating, but it is never snarky or condescending, which I appreciate.  He is a bit bumbling at times and seems to catch the intentions of his partner, both politically and personally motivated, almost two seconds after everyone else, which still makes me laugh, but he is not portrayed as less intelligent than his partner, just that he doesn't think the same way, something I find interesting psychologically.

I enjoyed most of the other characters as well and enjoyed seeing how the author intertwined the real historical figures with his invented characters to being Nicholas' personality and difficulties to light.  I personally would have liked to have seen some more emphasis put on Nicholas' mistress, Mathilde, as even a star such as she would have had a difficult life during this time period.  I've seen some grumblings about the author talking about her weight, but during this time period, this is a valid thing to talk about as many of these ballerinas were starving and often were forced to prostitute for the company for which they were working to keep the donations coming in and were paid very little for the hard work they did. We all know the outcome of Nicholas' actions and behaviours today, but I could definitely understand her ambition and her fear.  

 

The overall story was its usual laidback format, but I did find it a bit slower than usual and I was also a bit irritated by Rebecca.  I don't want to give away any plot points, so I'll just say that I just rolled my eyes and thought it was so out of context and didn't fit with her personality and the story.  Was the author just trying to create some drama? Hard to say, but but for me, it didn't sit well.  Too much talk about how men will never understand women; I just felt like the author was trying to create some tension between certain characters for whatever reason and it sort of fell flat.  Tension that is believable, okay, but tension just for the sake of creating tension, no.

 

Verdict

Dance With Death had some very interesting historical concepts and I definitely enjoyed reading about Nicholas' visit to London for the royal wedding as well as about the attempts on his life.  I know the attempts were fictionalized, but so much else actually happened and it is evident the author did a lot of research for this book.  I didn't really notice a lot of character development in this one though, and I did think the plot was a bit slower than usual, with some repetitive elements.  I also thought the mystery was a bit weaker than usual as it focused far more on the historical aspects and was quite easy to figure out.  While you could jump into the series with this entry, there is a lot of information you may miss as the author doesn't really explain the relationships as there is an expectation you are already familiar with the characters.