The Tapestry - Nancy Bilyeau

The Tapestry by Nancy Bilyeau
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy, and I'm going to miss Joanna's reluctant adventures, as well as her stubborn strength and her compassionate spirit. She's a type of heroine that you don't see very often.

Each book in the trilogy has such a great combination of elements while not being a repetition of the same old story. There's Historical Fiction with a touch of mysticism and suspense, and a mild bit of romance. The focus is on a former novice during and after the dissolution of the priories, one who can't seem to manage the quiet, contemplative life that she longs for. And on top of that, we have the dizzying conflicts and moral struggles of people in the midst of religious upheaval, against the backdrop of a treacherous political scene that causes fear both high and low. (Not to mention beheadings.)

But all that aside, I just really like Joanna and several of the side characters as well. I am happy to report that there's more of both Geoffrey and Edmund in this book than there was in the previous one. I also really enjoyed the addition of the German court artist. And there's no lack of villains either, some not as black and white as they were when we met them before.

Much of this installment takes place in the court of Henry VIII during the time of his marriages to Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard (the 4th and 5th of his wives). One thing I really liked about the first two books was that they were about Tudor times without being centered on the court or the monarch. That changes in this book, but at least it's not focused on Anne Boleyn (which has been done so many times before). It didn't stop me from enjoying this one, but I was glad when the focus shifted away from the court.

Looking back, I believe it's possible some readers could find some lack of focus in the plot, not that it stopped me from eating it all up as fast as possible. Joanna is much less proactive in this one, mainly driven by King Henry's whims. Although there isn't a driving prophecy like in The Chalice, or a murder mystery like in The Crown, there was enough intrigue and danger to keep me turning the pages. It's really about Joanna's small life being caught up in the schemes of the powerful, and how she and a few other insignificant people manage to eke out an existence they can be satisfied with in that toxic environment. Managing to stay alive is always a plus. Anything more than that is a bonus.

I'm so happy with how it ended. It could easily have ended badly, but it was the perfect ending as far as I'm concerned. I have to say I wasn't the biggest fan of the love triangle (a relatively small, well-balanced aspect of the trilogy), but it ended well, and I am satisfied. I'll be eagerly looking for more from this author. This is Historical Fiction how I like it. Not so epic that you can't feel the lives of the individuals. And not at all dull.

The Lake House - Kate Morton

The Lake House by Kate Morton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So when is she writing another one?

Kate Morton is one of those authors whose settings are so vivid, they make you nostalgic for a similar time or place even when you've never been there. She also draws fully dimensional characters, and along with that comes sadness and failing, and reality of life. Normally I don't enjoy books that drag me into acknowledging harsh realities, but Morton is one author who does it in such a way that I can't help admiring it. This is another wonderfully written book, a joy to read even with the pain that is uncovered along the way.

The atmosphere in The Lake House is warm and nostalgic on the one hand, and full of overgrowth and decay on the other. As the story switches back and forth from the 1930s to modern day, you get such a sense of innocence and paradise lost, and can't help but fear knowing how the tragedy happened.

The mystery is explored in the modern timeline, with character perspectives from the past interspersed. The past timelines bring the tragedy alive so that it's not just a distant memory being uncovered.

The discoveries kept me involved, but I guessed some of the big twists before the characters did. Probably because I had extra information from seeing the past firsthand. But there were a couple of surprises in there for me still. I'm still not sure what I think about the final surprise. It was almost one coincidence too many. That's just a minor point, however, and the pieces do fit.

I also didn't hate the book once I knew everything, which can happen when the ending is too disturbing or senselessly tragic (I'm looking at you, The House at Riverton!). Thankfully, I was satisfied with this conclusion. Every tiny clue and action was accounted for. My only complaint is that I didn't get more of the characters. I wanted to follow them further, away from the Lake House. That's never a bad feeling to have at the end of a book.

Fox's Bride - A.E. Marling

Fox's Bride by A.E. Marling
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Fox's Bride is unusual, at times bordering on bizarre. Just the title gives that away. Yes, a woman is really supposed to marry a fox - the fox is an incarnation of one of the gods, but for all other purposes, it's a fox.

Then we have an enchantress (the bride) who can only work magic in her sleep, and spends much of the time struggling to stay awake. She infuses jewels with various purposes while asleep, and these jewels can be used in the waking world to protect, etc. The magic system is kind of interesting, and the story gets there too, when the enchantress uncovers an ancient evil that she has to deal with in order to free herself.

The story takes place in an Egyptian-like city, with pyramids that are the tombs of gods. I think. The city and world is still fuzzy to me. Some of the imagery was difficult to decipher, and I felt like I needed to turn upside down to get it. Like I said, it borders on bizarre!

I found the first half of the book hard to get into, especially because the world-building was so off-the-wall. It was also difficult to relate to a somnolent main character who was mostly passive at first. But sometime during the second half, I finally got into the story and stopped being confused. I believe that happened right around the time that the enchantress began to take action and throw a lot of jewels around. I quite enjoyed the tomb-raiding scenes.

If you're looking for a fantasy that's different, this could be for you. I don't think the writing style is for me, though. I prefer to see a world clearly, with all its detail, and that never happened here. After finishing the book, I still find it confused and hazy, like I never saw it come into focus. I still have questions about some loose ends as well, argh. Still, I'm glad I persevered to the end, and that I care enough to wonder about those loose ends.

A Lady of Spirit - Shelley Adina

A Lady of Spirit: A steampunk adventure novel by Shelley Adina
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is another installment that's missing the energy of the initial series with Claire as the main character. I honestly wish we just had more of Claire's adventures instead of jumping to Lizzie and Maggie. The portions that show her point of view are still my favorites, and there aren't enough of them.

There was so much setup to this one, much more to do with Maggie trying to fit into her determined place in society than anything else. With a couple of grandparents refusing to acknowledge her because she wasn't legitimate, this was a drag. There was also a distinct lack of adventure or steampunk until at least 60%. (Reference title.) Not cool. Luckily it did kick in, though, and when it did, it was fun, reminding me of why I am reading the series in the first place. It was enough to salvage a 3 star rating. Now if only it had started out that way.

The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Golem and the Jinni is a slow builder, that's for sure. I was never bored, but there were a couple times when I wondered what it was building towards and when it was going to step it up. It's not action-driven whatsoever, so I'd only recommend this if you enjoy 19th Century historical fiction that is character-driven.

The fantasy element is there, a fine thread woven throughout that adds an exotic touch. But it doesn't play a large role until near the end of the book. And by the way, I really liked how that aspect came together.

I also liked how the details of day-to-day living allowed me to savor the particular flavor of the immigrant experience in New York, and how it subtly built into something much more. By about 60% I didn't want to put it down because I was so invested in the characters and had to see what would happen to them.

The ending was not a perfectly neat bow, but not a cliffhanger, either. I'm glad to discover there will be a sequel, although it's jumping time periods to WWI, so I'm not sure what to think about that. A large part of what I enjoyed about this book was the setting, so we'll see. I'll definitely check it out.