Category: Historical

Review: Death In The Spires by K. J. Charles

Rating: 5🌈

K. J. Charles is such an incredible writer, a word artist with a passion for rich historical settings, layered characters, and complex plot development. All that is apparent here in Death in the Spires.

It’s a haunting story that Charles lays out for us immediately. And then in flashbacks. A man , Jeremy “Jem” Kite, is in the process of losing his job. It’s emotionally devastating. And it’s not even the first time.

His employer has received a letter accusing Jem of murder. A sensational murder that took place ten years earlier. A murder of a man Jem was close to. Went to Oxford with, and once was one of his close knit group of friends referred to as the “Seven Wonders” on campus. A murder that destroyed Jem and has remained unsolved.

Through memories of the past, and Jem’s new determination to find out who is behind the letters, Charles builds a layered historical narrative of differences in status, innocence, friendship, mystery, love, and murder. One that skillfully stretches over a ten year period from 1905 to 1915, moving from time frame to time frame with impactful results.

Charles brings all the laws and prejudices of this era vividly and thoughtfully into the various storylines, whether it’s about gender, race, sexuality, or birth control. I should also mention Charles includes the role of that primogeniture plays in this era with rights of inheritance . Repealed here in the US at the time of the Revolution, it was the foundation for the nobility, aristocracy or peerage abroad.

Then the author sets about weaving a tortuous tale of seven friends on the cusp of greatness. Some are innocent, there’s a difference in class status, relationships have complicated dynamics, but, seen through the lens of Jem’s early memories, it’s an idyllic place, a golden age of freedom, heights, and a future never to be recaptured.

Charles’ gift is the ability to make the reader feel Jem’s amazement at his time there in 1905 , and his absolute grief at it’s loss, at what he has become.

Every character is beautifully crafted in their details, from their past lives to the ones they are now living in. I can visualize each and every one.

That includes the dead man, Toby Feynsham, who gathered them all together and was finally responsible, in death, for their destruction.

The investigation, the growth and continued character revelations, the way in which Charles weaves twists and surprises into an already convoluted narrative made me appreciate more a novel I couldn’t tear myself away from.

Fabulous, fascinating. Ultimately incredibly satisfying. Death In The Spires by K. J. Charles is a must read!

Great cover. Cover design by Lisa Horton

Buy Links:

Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com › Death-…Death in the Spires: A completely gripping and addictive historical mystery

Blurb

The newspapers called us the Seven Wonders. We were a group of friends, that’s all, and then Toby died. Was killed. Murdered.

1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life. When an anonymous letter lands on his desk, accusing him of having killed Toby, Jem becomes obsessed with finally uncovering the truth.

Jem begins to track down the people who were there the night Toby died – a close circle of friends once known as the ‘Seven Wonders’ for their charm and talent – only to find them as tormented and broken as himself. All of them knew and loved Toby at Oxford. Could one of them really be his killer?

As Jem grows closer to uncovering what happened that night, his pursuer grows bolder, making increasingly terrifying attempts to silence him for good. Will exposing Toby’s killer put to rest the shadows that have darkened Jem’s life for so long? Or will the gruesome truth only put him in more danger?

Some secrets are better left buried…

From the bestselling, acclaimed author of The Magpie Lord and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen comes a chilling historical mystery with a sting in the tail. You won’t be able to put this gripping story down!

• Publisher: Storm Publishing (April 11, 2024)

• Publication date: April 11, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 273 pages

Review: Samuel, Earl of Crofton (Regency Earls of Crofton Book 4) by Rebecca Cohen

Rating: 4🌈

Samuel, fourth of the Regency Crofton Earl series, can be seen as a terrific companion story to his father’s book, Charles, as it’s events run simultaneously with those of that story.

Or if you prefer, as a standalone, since Cohen has done a marvelous job filling out the backstory of Charles and Timothy (Captain Thorne), both of whom are major characters here, as well as Aunt Amelia, and the rest of the foundation knowledge started in Charles.

There’s a topic that should be addressed in all the stories that often bothers some readers but it’s a common practice during this time period. That’s of taking sexual partners outside of the marriage, mostly because the marriages here are arranged by the families for reasons of politics and in their own royal interests . As long as they provide a heir or two, and their actions are discreet, other liaisons are likely and even expected. Some readers don’t want to read a book that has a “cheating “ element but historical fiction has parameters that make this quite difficult to follow. This story doesn’t try and it shouldn’t.

I enjoyed Samuel, not as much as I adore his father , Charles, but Samuel is definitely a man apart from the typical Redbourn in some respects. He’s less flamboyant, less aggressively dramatic, but against Charles, who could be?

Cohen instead builds layers of regret, pain, disappointment, and anger into Samuel. A man who’s had to deal with losses from his life, over and over. And without a support from the people who he needs most.

While I didn’t know Samuel well in his father’s book, we flip the perspective, and get a new sense of who this damaged man truly is. The drug fog he accepts rather than deal with the reality of the betrayal he’s just discovered, that’s believable.

It’s also an element that needs a trigger warning. A section of this story deals with drug addiction and withdrawal. If this is a trigger for you, please be aware.

The entire escapade with Charles working to create a wicked Earl scenario around Samuel? Priceless and very sexy. Loved this whole thread.

The only aspect of Samuel’s story I found lacking is Hugo Cavalier, the object of Samuel’s obsession and then love. Hugo is sort of there in the narrative for a couple of chapters. Then , he’s mentioned throughout as the one man Samuel can’t forget about. Then he reappears about 70 percent of the novel later, and , to my mind, Hugo never becomes a fully realized character.

Everyone else here is an animated, lively, breathing person, fully of personality. Yet Hugo remains sort of a one-note, beige person, one I cannot help but wonder why Samuel is so enthralled with.

That lack of chemistry, or two dimensional characterization keeps their relationship from truly mattering to me and this story from going from good to great.

It doesn’t help that there’s a fantastic couple there as comparison. Charles and Timothy are right there as couples goals, chemistry igniting, showing exactly why Samuel and Hugo come off as lacking.

But those parties! Oh my! Who wouldn’t want to be invited! So decadent, so delicious, so Redbourn!

I adored this!

Yes, I’m recommending Samuel, it’s great to see that family again and see how it all plays out. While not a huge fan of Hugo, I am of the rest! There’s a new modern Crofton on it’s way so enjoy the Regency era now!

The Crofton Universe :

🔷The Crofton Chronicles–Historical (Elizabethan/ Early Stuart):

✓ The Actor and the Earl

✓ Duty to the Crown

✓ Forever Hold His Peace

✓ The Love and the Anger Historical (Elizabethan/ Early Stuart)–Sebastian/ Anthony 10 years together

🔷The Earls of Crofton–Historical: (Different eras–can be read as individual standalone novels):

✓ Anthony, Earl of Crofton (Early Stuart)

✓ James, Earl of Crofton (Restoration)

✓ Charles, Earl of Crofton (Regency)

✓ Samuel, Earl of Crofton (Regency)

🔷The Modern Crofton–Contemporary:

✓ Saving Crofton Hall

✓ Making History at Crofton Hall

✓ Below Stairs at Crofton Hall

✓ Getting Married at Crofton Hall

✓ Starting Again at Crofton Hall

◦ Coming Out at Crofton Hall- TBD

🔷Standalones in the Crofton Universe

◦ Much Ado About Lady Macbeth Note: Sebastian Hewel is a minor character

Something extra for Crofton! Modern Crofton Short Story:

◦ Ben and the Mistletoe (set the Christmas after Saving Crofton Hall)

Buy Link:

https://www.amazon.com › Samuel-…Samuel, Earl of Crofton eBook : Cohen, Rebecca: Kindle Store – Amazon.com

Description:

Only the selected few get to attend the special evenings hosted by Samuel Redbourn, 9th Earl of Crofton, the Hellcat of the Ton.

Despite his reputation, Samuel is not the man everyone thinks he is. He has lost a lot in his young life, and after recovering from his addiction to laudanum, it’s time to make the Ton take notice. There’s one thing he wants above all, Hugo, the only man he’s ever loved. But Hugo Cavalier was sent away by his father after he was caught in bed with Samuel, and when he returns to England several years later, there is no guarantee they can rekindle what they once had.

Historical gay Regency romance. A standalone novel in the Crofton Universe.

Please note: contains scene of period drug use, addiction, and recovery.

Review: Molly Boys (London Underground Book One) by Vaun Cassidy

Rating: 5🌈

London 1885. Someone is killing molly boys. Horribly.

And in a terrifying window into this horror mystery story, we get to know just enough of each victim to empathize with them, then be with them as they walk to their deaths.

I had no idea.

Victorian England is such a harsh country to reside for certain individuals. It’s most livable if you’re lucky enough to be born into the aristocracy, especially the first born sons with expectations of inheritance. Less lucky, the spares of the landed gentry. Not necessary for the inheritance, you are pushed into the strict religious world, or married off, generally dealt with. Unless you are blessed with money of your own.

For those who have (well hidden) feelings for the same sex or what’s considered perversions, it’s a time for social charades , for subtlety and masks of every kind to hide your sexual persuasions behind. Because to reveal your truths is to risk not only scandal, but prison , potentially death. It’s to lose everything.

Vaun Cassidy captures this era and marginalized society in every raw , detailed aspect of its aristocratic lifestyle. As well as the poorer people who are hanging on about its edges. There’s the sex parties, the hazy drugs, and flowing alcohol. The entitlement, the fear of discovery, and constant knowledge of being trapped in a lifetime of denial.

The aristocracy has its ways. All of which are done in secrecy. Hidden apartments and rented houses in certain neighborhoods, where passwords and marked passages are in use.

It’s glittery, sordid, over flowing with young boys and older men, richly decorated, dimly lit, and eerie with an atmosphere that makes you feel unsettled. Especially , eventually knowing a murderer is hunting.

Lord Everett Stanley is a spare. He’s bound for the clergy by his father’s instructions and agreements. And he’s dying inside. A beautiful man, he’s been extending the inevitable by endless partying with his closest friend, a wealthy sybarite who’s lucky enough to have control of his estate, the drugs and alcohol are plentiful as is the forbidden sex.

Until the deaths start. Of young men they know and recently partying with.

Inspector Archibald Franklin is in charge of the investigation, and it’s hitting him close with his own hidden secrets.

Vaun Cassidy’s does exemplary work here , from the rich, sordid atmosphere of the secretive “perverse” world of Victorian England to the emotionally powerful characters Cassidy whose lives we get involved in. The narrative builds in evoking both the horror of the victims in their innocence , moments before they die , the thoughts of the murderer as he stalks his victims, the complexities of the investigation , as the lives of Inspector Franklin and that of the desperate Stanley collide , along with that of the terrifying killer.

Truly, the storylines are mesmerizing in how the layers of voices combine to build a narrative that so enthralls the reader, even as it becomes horrifying, that you can’t pull away.

The slow relationship that becomes so meaningful and so fragile between Stanley and Franklin, given each man’s status and the circumstances of their lives. Fraught with uncertainty and hopelessness, and yet still so desperate to go forward.

It didn’t end as I hoped but probably as it had to. Which is a realistic embodiment of the era and a logical, thoughtful response to the author’s characterizations and storylines.

Our hopes fall in the anticipation for the next installment in the London Underground series and the hard scrabble endurance and creativity these characters have shown themselves capable of. I don’t know what the author has planned but it will certainly be something compelling and complex, possibly traumatic, and maybe with a glimmer of hope. Maybe not.

I’ll be there to see what happens next.

Highly recommend but not for those of a queasy stomach or too kind a heart. Beautifully written historical horror romance.

Buy Link:

Molly Boys: An MM/Gay Victorian Mystery Suspense/Slow Burn Romance with a Supernatural Twist (London Underside Book 1)

London 1885:

For Lord Everett Stanley, escaping his fate seemed impossible. As the second son, he’s destined for ordination and the life of a Reverend, but he’s hiding a dangerous secret. The laws punishing homosexuality by hanging may have been repealed but he and others of his kind are far from safe. Given no other choice, they take solace in the underground molly houses of London. Now that fragile world is threatened when the East End is rocked by a series of gruesome murders.

Inspector Archibald Franklin worked hard to overcome his working-class roots, making a name for himself as a respected inspector of Whitechapel’s H Division, but when he begins to investigate the deaths of several beautiful young men, fate throws him into the path of the handsome and enigmatic Lord Stanley. His gut instinct tells him the young lord knows more about the murders than he lets on, but the closer he gets, the more Everett calls to him in a way he’s tried to deny his whole life.

As a reign of terror grips London, they are drawn together in order to stop a monster, but for Archie, the growing feelings he has for Everett are a betrayal of the very laws he has sworn to uphold. And as the killer closes in, the two men find themselves bound together by a passion that may be their ultimate salvation or their utter destruction…

Buy Link:

Molly Boys (London Underside Book 1)

Description:

London 1885:

For Lord Everett Stanley, escaping his fate seemed impossible. As the second son, he’s destined for ordination and the life of a Reverend, but he’s hiding a dangerous secret. The laws punishing homosexuality by hanging may have been repealed but he and others of his kind are far from safe. Given no other choice, they take solace in the underground molly houses of London. Now that fragile world is threatened when the East End is rocked by a series of gruesome murders.

Inspector Archibald Franklin worked hard to overcome his working-class roots, making a name for himself as a respected inspector of Whitechapel’s H Division, but when he begins to investigate the deaths of several beautiful young men, fate throws him into the path of the handsome and enigmatic Lord Stanley. His gut instinct tells him the young lord knows more about the murders than he lets on, but the closer he gets, the more Everett calls to him in a way he’s tried to deny his whole life.

As a reign of terror grips London, they are drawn together in order to stop a monster, but for Archie, the growing feelings he has for Everett are a betrayal of the very laws he has sworn to uphold. And as the killer closes in, the two men find themselves bound together by a passion that may be their ultimate salvation or their utter destruction…

Review: Charles, Earl of Crofton (Earls of Crofton, #3) by Rebecca Cohen

Rating: 4.25🌈

Rebecca Cohen’s Earls of Crofton series, past and present, are among my favorite romances to read. It’s a been a delight to be able to follow the members of the Redbourn family throughout the centuries, from the first Earl of Crofton, Anthony Redbourn and his lover, the actor Sebastian Hewel, all the way to the Modern Crofton series and present, Ben Redbourn, the 16th Earl of Crofton , and his husband, Ashley Niven.

Slowly, Cohen is filling in the gaps between the two eras, giving us the histories and romances of the Earls of Crofton of the time periods that bridge these men who share so many similarities of features and personality traits. And of course a title, a love of men, and Crofton Hall.

A neat narrative element in the Modern books has been to explore, via the “recently discovered” vast collection of Crofton books and papers that have been found in the caverns underneath Crofton Hall, some of the Earls of the past. Just hints and guesses as to their natures and backgrounds.

Now we’re getting their stories.

Charles Redbourn, 8th Earl of Crofton, is a man of many passions. Protected by his titles and inner circle of highly influential equally titled friends, he spends his time pursuing pleasure, partying, indulging in passionate sexual activities with those of both sexes, while insuring that his reputation may be wild , he himself never allows for anything to actually endanger himself, or his family. Wild and wily. Self indulgent, highly intelligent, and yet protective and intelligent.

Cohen paints a picture of wealthy, bored , over indulged entitlement that layers over a bedrock of steadiness and loyalty. Even more remarkable is that Charles exists within a family unit that enthusiastically encourages his lifestyle. Both his wife, yes he’s married with a son, and his sister both live and love much like he does. They treat each other with fondness, a loving respect, and have lovers of both sexes often, sometimes at parties they throw. Marriage is done for convenience and to preserve blood lines. It’s a time of high debauchery , endless wines, gorgeous clothes and incredible food and parties. Just be careful enough. And have the right friends.

I ended up understanding and liking both the sister, Amelia , and wife, Lucy. Great layered characters, full of personality, and with rich lives of their own. The author has a wonderful ability to create a supportive cast of characters , like Marchent, that fit in with the main people in such a tightly defined manner that it makes you feel as though you want more of them as well.

The other main character? That’s Captain Timothy Thorne, an officer of the Light Dragoons. And soon the spotted prey of Charles.

This aspect of the story would be reprehensible except that Charles is upfront about his pursuit. It’s discussed between the men, and Timothy is given the choice of calling it off. There are reasons behind the conflict between them, which make sense given Timothy ‘s upbringing, profession, and lack of personal experience.

It’s a complicated subject and I thought it required more page time to address all the issues brought up, especially when real, potentially devastating events occur to speed things up.

Cohen uses historical data to ground her books and storylines to help her readers understand the world around her characters. It works far better when she’s had the page time to dive deeper into whatever era she’s based her character in. I didn’t feel we actually got that with Charles. Only a mildest of outlines for the 18th century here and the troubles that were rocking the royals.

Perhaps we will find a greater depth of the era with his son’s story, Samuel. Samuel is a huge part of this tale. His own marriage, his failure of a romantic relationship with a man called Hugo, and how his father and Timothy help him survive a family tragedy with the help of the Redbourn’s family enduring legacy of decadence and debauchery. It’s a really great twist.

At the end, we leave all the entire Redbourn family together at the end, Charles, Timothy, Lucy, Amelia, and Samuel carrying on their lives together At Crofton Hall, with Samuel heading into the next stage of his life.

Cue up his story, the next in the Regency Earls of Crofton series.

My thoughts on Charles, the story, not Charles the utterly fabulous Earl of Crofton, was that we missed out on pieces, or had tears in the fabrics of the tapestry of his story so it felt as though we had not enough time or information to fulfill the fully rounded tale the storylines Rebecca Cohen promised. But it came very close.

I am recommending Charles for lovers of the Crofton universe, and fans of Rebecca Cohen , and regency romance. It’s another twist on romance of it’s time.

Regency Earls of Crofton series:

✓ Charles

◦ Samuel

The Crofton Universe :

The Crofton Chronicles–Historical (Elizabethan/ Early Stuart):

The Actor and the Earl

Duty to the Crown

Forever Hold His Peace

The Love and the Anger Historical (Elizabethan/ Early Stuart)–Sebastian/ Anthony 10 years together

The Earls of Crofton–Historical: (Different eras–can be read as individual standalone novels):

Anthony, Earl of Crofton (Early Stuart)

James, Earl of Crofton (Restoration) Charles, Earl of Crofton (Regency) Samuel, Earl of Crofton (Regency)

The Modern Crofton–Contemporary: Saving Crofton Hall

Making History at Crofton Hall

Below Stairs at Crofton Hall

Getting Married at Crofton Hall Starting Again at Crofton Hall

Standalones in the Crofton Universe Much Ado About Lady Macbeth Note: Sebastian Hewel is a minor character

Something extra for Crofton! Modern Crofton Short Story: Ben and the Mistletoe (set the Christmas after Saving Crofton Hall)

Buy Link:

Description:

Anyone who had thought Lord Byron mad, bad and dangerous to know, obviously hadn’t met Charles Redbourn, 8th Earl of Crofton.

Charles Redbourn cares little for anyone’s opinion, life is there to be lived and the London Ton provides a host of pleasures. He is used to getting his own way and, after another clash with the impertinent Captain Timothy Thorne, Charles is determined to put the uniformed upstart in his place.

Both are stubborn and passionate men, and someone is going to win this battle of wits—to the winner the spoils.

But when enemies turn into lovers, they face an uncertain future. Charles has to decide which is more important, Timothy or being the Earl of Crofton.

Trigger warnings: drug use and recovery.

Review: Into The Riverlands (The Singing Hills Cycle #3) by Nghi Vo

Rating: 5🌈

The brilliance and beauty of the narrative of Into The Riverlands (The Singing Hills Cycle #3) by Nghi Vo is the reason I read. It’s the reason I’ll stay up all night, my mind filled with the characters and imagery and possibilities Vo has created within this powerful story.

It’s the reason why I’ll be picking it back up because another thought has just occurred to me about one aspect of the story and I need to see how fluidly Vo has buried the clues I’d missed until now. It’s a never ending treasure of culture, mythology, myth, and life. As told from multiple perspectives in a manner so crafty, so subtle and seductive that the reader is often unaware of all the narrative currents flowing through the story until later on.

I tried to figure out how to explain such a utterly complex yet seemingly simple narrative style. A Chinese nesting doll perhaps? But that too was simplistic. More like a Chinese box structure . A Chinese nesting box structure can refer to a “frame narrative , where a novel or drama is told in the form of a narrative inside a narrative (and so on), giving views from different perspectives.”

This is a format that Vo uses to great effect with Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant. As they travel through to various locations, they gather information, knowledge of every type. They catalog it for transfer back to the Singing Hills Abbey and the other Abbey sites. But it’s not just a myth or story that they here from one person’s perspective but when they can, it’s a story they often have told to them from others experiences. Which often means a shared understanding and a deeper appreciation for the people and events that have happened.

But sometimes it’s something even more. Sometimes it’s a subtle change or something hidden behind the scenes that’s occurring that the reader isn’t aware of until later on that highlights the brilliance of the narrative that’s been building without us noticing it. And when you realize it, it’s everything.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading, discovering new authors, myths, the thrill of the beautifully crafted story and a great ending.

Romance? Subtle, look at the clues.

Chih uses pronouns they, them. It’s not understood whether it’s by personal preference or because they are a Cleric. Same sex couples exist and experience the same things heterosexual couples do in this world. That’s not always a happy ending. But sometimes it is.

Singing Hills Cycle:

✓ The Empress of Salt and Fortune #1

✓ When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain #2

✓ Into The Riverlands #3

◦ Mammoths at the Gates #4 – September 12, 2023

Btw, these covers are brilliant.

Buy Link:

Into the Riverlands (The Singing Hills Cycle Book 3)

Description:

Nghi Vo’s Hugo and Crawford Award-winning series, The Singing Hills Cycle, continues…

“A delicious bonbon of a novella about stories and their unreliable narrators, who wink at their listeners (or readers), fully expecting us to catch on.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Nghi Vo is one of the most original writers we have today.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid onSiren Queen

Wandering cleric Chih of the Singing Hills travels to the riverlands to record tales of the notorious near-immortal martial artists who haunt the region. On the road to Betony Docks, they fall in with a pair of young women far from home, and an older couple who are more than they seem. As Chih runs headlong into an ancient feud, they find themself far more entangled in the history of the riverlands than they ever expected to be.

Accompanied by Almost Brilliant, a talking bird with an indelible memory, Chih confronts old legends and new dangers alike as they learn that every story—beautiful, ugly, kind, or cruel—bears more than one face.

The Singing Hills Cycle

The Empress of Salt and Fortune
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain
Into the Riverlands
Mammoths at the Gates

The novellas of The Singing Hills Cycle are linked by the cleric Chih, but may be read in any order, with each story serving as an entry point.

Review: Midwinter Firelight by K.L. Noone

Rating: 4.5🌈

Midwinter Firelight, a sequel to the inestimable Snowed In, takes place 2 months after the events of that story that introduced us to Constable Kit Thompson, empath and Bow Street Preternatural Division, and his now lover, the Honorable Harry Alden, younger brother to the Earl of Fairleigh.

This is a case where the bar was set so high narratively speaking by the origin story, that anything that followed would have a difficult time getting close to the magic that first one captured.

And Midwinter Firelight doesn’t. It doesn’t have the setting. It doesn’t have the sense of isolation or otherness that allowed Noone’s prose to soar into episodes of poetry alongside scenes of beautiful imagery.

No, here in a London setting, Kit and Harry are firmly attached to more a emotionally busy and physically demanding time of it. They are still so new in their relationship but London is full of challenges and promises., as well as hidden obstacles.

Whereas Fairleigh was magical and sparse of people, London is the exact opposite. It’s the copious amounts of mundane , the demands of society, and more mysteries. It’s a more interesting and realistic grounding of this couple in their everyday realities and the rigidity with which society regards them.

Noone weaves both mens insecurities, which is interesting given that they are empaths, into the internal conversations each is conducting about their future. It shows the some of the limitations of that empathy bestows.

The mystery itself is the weakest part of the story. I found myself thinking about the participants for just a moment, then they were forgotten.

No, it could have been any problem to solve. The focus and power belongs on Kit and Harry. They are made of magic, both in the city and out in the countryside, as long as they are together.

I’m recommending Midwinter Firelight by K.L. Noone. It’s a lovely follow up to the sublime Snowed In.

Midwinter Firelightby K.L. Noone

Description:

Kit Thompson, empath and Bow Street Preternatural Division constable, is looking forward to Midwinter. His lover Harry, Viscount Sommersby, is visiting, and Kit has plans to show Harry his London … and plans for Harry in his bedroom.

But Kit’s Chief Magistrate needs him. And the case is important. Personal. Taking up Kit’s time.

Even worse, Harry wants to help. And Kit could use Harry’s magical talents. But that means endangering Harry … something Kit’s sworn never to do.

Review: The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle #1) by Nghi Vo

Rating: 4.75🌈

I’m not sure how I came across this incredible author and series. Perhaps it was that amazing cover or the hints of cultural magic mixed with references to strong women within an ancient history fantasy setting in the description. The Hugo award helped.

Doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t prepare a reader for the sheer beauty, the quiet cruelty, and vastness of the world found here. Love. Passion, rage , revenge. Lakes that seem benign until the sun lowers and start to glow an ominous red.

Everything revealed in the most powerful and astonishing way.

Our first narrator is the Cleric Chih. Pronouns they, them. Chih, is something of a prodigy within the Abbey, which from the occasional conversational mentions isn’t always easy or welcome. Their job along with the hoopoe, their companion Almost Brilliant is to record everything. The hoopoe , a neixin, is a being able to remember everything, store and then regurgitate the information to a “hive species brain” the entirety of all memory.

Almost Brilliant is a fascinating character with a history of devastating loss. Together they are instructed to catalog, by brush, or by memory, every detail, heard, seen, and more, which will then sent back to their Abbey for logging and recording for all time. They hold the world’s knowledge and secrets, no matter the size. Something not all leaders are easy with.

Our journey starts with Chih and Almost Brilliant on the way to the Capital when they decide on a side trip to the old Empress’s place of exile, the Lake Scarlet with its mysterious red glow and Thriving Fortune, the estate of the barbarian Empress In-yo, recently decommissioned.

There by the shores of Lake Scarlet, they meet an elderly woman, Rabbit, who leads them to Thriving Fortune. As Chih and Almost Brilliant begin to catalog the world of Thriving Fortune, that which remains, a second perspective and tale begins.

Against an almost poetical list of the contents of once alive dwelling, the intricate, powerful story of the Empress of Salt and Fortune, In-yo and her handmaiden, Rabbit, unfolds.

I don’t believe there’s a way to bring the depths, secrets, and power of this story into a review.

It will leave you with many questions about Chih, the Singing Hill Abbey and Almost Brilliant too. I’m hoping that the next books will supply some more information.

Is this a romance? No. Are there love stories? Yes. But not all in the manner of romantic love, although there are some. But this isn’t a book which lends itself to easy descriptions, or narrative boxes.

Much like the characters who defy description themselves.

I highly recommend The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle #1) by Nghi Vo. It will stay with you, leave you with images and characters long past the ending.

I can’t wait to meet up with Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant once again.

Singing Hills Cycle:

✓ The Empress of Salt and Fortune #1

◦ When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain #2

◦ Into The Riverlands #3

◦ Mammoths at the Gates #4 – September 12, 2023

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showThe Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

:

Reviewer’s Note: I find this so simplistic and the description actually leaves so much of the series foundation and story out. It’s a shame, because the gender neutral character of the cleric of the Singing Hills Abbey is the one that ties all 3 books together and is such an amazing character on their own.

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Description

With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women. A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully. Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor’s lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for. At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She’s a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.

Review: The Love and the Anger by Rebecca Cohen

Rating: 5🌈

It’s the 10th anniversary of The Actor and the Earl , the novel of Lord Anthony Redbourn , first Earl of Crofton, and actor Sebastian Hewel . This story launched two series (The Crofton Chronicles and Modern Crofton) and the beginnings of a long, remarkable love story.

The Love and the Anger is set in the early Stuart era and one of the best, most well written aspects of this story is the manner in which the dangers and obstacles this couple faces daily is woven into the many storylines.

Here, Anthony Redbourn and Sebastian Hewel have had ten yrs together , with their committed relationship known only to a few in their inner circle of family and friends. Anthony is married to the marvelous Lady Sara, who’s love interests lie solely with her ladies maid. But Sebastian remains stubbornly single, a state that in that era makes for a strained, stressful situation where he’s a constant matrimonial target for ladies and their families, while also being an extremely attractive sexual mark for all sorts of men and women eager for his bed.

Cohen excels at conveying the vulnerability of Sebastian’s situation and the spectrum of emotions it pulls from both men who are powerless in their hidden love . Anger, acute jealousy, irritation, anxiety, it all comes into play as the price of maintaining social niceties with members of the Ton while trying to protect each other.

The reader is never able to forget that there’s a power imbalance built into their relationship simply due to Anthony’s status as a married Earl. It comes with a great deal of security and power that Sebastian can only access by association.

If the true nature of their long established relationship was known, then it’s death or the Gaol, and all would be lost. This fragility, where any measure of safety and security is fraught with the dangers of exposure, brings a layer of overlying sadness and a pinch of bitterness into each scene of love and happiness.

It’s realistic and heartfelt. It’s there in the language the men use, the care they take in every situation not to raise suspicions, and the idea they’ve been doing this for ten years and will continue on is emotionally exhausting at times.

That too shows up in Anthony’s fears and jealousy.

The focus of the story is William, Anthony’s son and heir from his first, brief marriage. William is 14, getting ready for a university he’s reluctant to attend, and he’s rebellious in all aspects.

His actions, again he’s such a believable young teenager of that era, as well as a mystery plot where young children of the Ton are taken to be exchanged for large sums of money, make this a tightly crafted, beautifully written novel.

Cohen remains true to her research, no mention of the word kidnapping, which she says in her Author’s Note , didn’t appear until 1680. The cast of characters, some familiar some new, are layered and well defined.

But it’s always the deep, complicated relationship between Anthony and Sebastian that’s key. It effectively threads through each other’s scenes and exposition, whether that character is physically present or not.

The Love and the Anger by Rebecca Cohen is one of the finest stories in The Crofton Chronicles. It’s a must read if you are a fan of both series and this author.

I do recommend you read each series in the order they are written to see the characters, the relationships develop.

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showThe Love and the Anger by Rebecca Cohen

Description:

William, Viscount of Crofton, is missing, feared taken. Anthony Redbourn, 1st Earl of Crofton, is beside himself with worry and anger, and sets out with his lover, Sebastian Hewel, to find his fourteen year old son and bring him home.

Only William hasn’t been stolen away by a gang preying on the heirs of nobles. Enthralled by the theatre, he’s run away to join a troupe of travelling players, and all goes well until someone realises who he really is…

This novel is to mark ten years of my Crofton men. Anthony and Sebastian first appear in The Crofton Chronicles, and this story is set several years after Anthony, Earl of Crofton chronologically.

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Case of The Undiscovered Corpse (Cambridge Fellows/Alasdair and Toby Mystery ) by Charlie Cochrane

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s wonderful to return to those fabulous Cambridge Dons Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart, now in their 70’s, still living happily together in Hyacinth Cottage, and teaching at their beloved St. Brides College.

It’s 1952 when a movie producer with an idea for a potentially new film script featuring comes calling for the pair in Cambridge. The script would feature a real life mystery that the couple was involved in decades ago at the Old Manor, the famed Stewart estate. The film would have Orlando and Jonty played by the enormously popular actors, Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe, who just happen to be amateur sleuths themselves.

What follows is a fascinating, complicated story of multiple relationships, decades past family histories, and a murder that was never solved as the WW1 was the focus of everyone’s attention and energies.

It’s outstanding to see the lovely, intelligent and now deeply settled relationship that’s the combination of Orlando and Jonty in their 70’s. Still handsome, sparks flying, the joy of investigating and discovery making everything just sing.

Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe are a bit of a splendid discovery for me. I hadn’t read their stories and will now backtrack and gather those up. They are a remarkable team and combining them together with the Cambridge Fellows makes this a double couples delight , that never flags but builds gently onto each other.

Plus we get to see the brilliant Dr Panasur and others too.

If you’re not familiar with either series, then yes, you’ll be at a loss here. For the settings, scenes , and many a dialogue are awash with memories from other stories and characters now long passed away.

But for those of us who love this couple, the series, and probably the other too, it’s a great story and mystery as well.

Charlie Cochrane being fabulous as always.

I’ve listed the 2 series and their novels below.

I’m highly recommending all.

Description:

Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe are the darlings of post-war British cinema, playing Holmes and Watson onscreen and off. When they’re called on to portray their fellow amateur detectives-Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart-not only do they find distinct challenges in depicting real people, they also become embroiled in solving a century-old murder.

How did a body lie undiscovered so long in the Stewart family vaults, who’s been covering up the murder ever since and why was the victim killed in the first place?

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

The Case of the Undiscovered Corpse (An Alasdair and Toby and Cambridge Fellows Mystery)

Relates series:

Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe novels:

◦ An Act of Detection

◦ The Case of the Grey Assassin

The Cambridge Fellows Mysteries -Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart series

✓ Lessons in Love (set November 1905)

✓ Lesson in Desire (set August 1906)

✓ Lessons in Discovery (set November 1906)

✓ Lessons in Power (set Spring 1907)

✓ Lessons in Temptation (set July 1907)

✓ Lessons in Seduction (set September 1907)

✓ Lessons in Trust Summer 1908

✓ Lessons for Suspicious Minds (set Summer 1909)

✓ Lessons for Idle Tongues (set Summer 1910)

✓ Lessons in Cracking the Deadly Code (set February 1911)

✓ Lessons in Playing a Murderous Tune (set summer 1911)

✓ Lessons in Following a Poisonous Trail  (set October 1911)

✓ Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem (set spring 1912)

✓ Game of Chance (set 1916) – in the anthology Capital Crimes

✓ All Lessons Learned (set Spring 1919)

✓ Lessons for Sleeping Dogs  (set 1921)

✓ Lessons in Loving thy Murderous Neighbour. (set in 1922)

◦ Lessons in Chasing the Wild Goose (set in 1922)

Review: Once A Gentleman (Love in Portsmouth #2) by Eliot Grayson

Rating: 4.25🌈

Once A Gentleman is a M/M Regency romance by Eliot Grayson, the second in the author’s Love in Portsmouth series.

This reminded me why I loved the Regency novels so with characters at near constant flash points with each other , starting from the moment Kit Hewlett fell awkwardly into the arms of Andrew Turner, who walked into the bookstore Kit was working at.

Then fired from because of the incident. The first of many incendiary arguments stemming from misunderstandings and assumptions quickly follows.

Grayson’s two person pov contributes substantially towards putting the reader in the middle of this combustible relationship as it shouts, snarks, daydreams, argues, threatens, and finally ends up , in love . But even that has it’s stumbling moments.

The characters need to undergo, especially Andrew, a sea change in terms of his life and character. He does so by bringing Kit into his house, with all of Kit’s restraints and expectations. And Kit’s reactions towards Andrew’s own wildly unwanted impulsive actions to pull Kit towards him.

In between all the drama and character actions happening at the Turner household, there’s the ship being repaired and readied for a new assignment.

Grayson saves the reality of Turner’s maritime career until the last section of this story, bringing with it one of the most romantic moments of their journey together.

There’s more then once you will want to knock heads here over continuing issues and slights that could be solved by better communication. But I was absolutely committed to this story and couple, and read this book straight through from start to finish.

If you’re a lover of historical fiction and Regency romance, here’s a story and series for you.

Love in Portsmouth series:

✓ Like A Gentleman #1

✓ Once A Gentleman #2

https://www.goodreads.com › showOnce a Gentleman (Love in Portsmouth, #2) by Eliot Grayson – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Penniless, friendless, and with nowhere left to turn after his family’s ruin, Kit Hewlett can’t afford any more disasters. When a rakish, too-handsome gentleman—and Kit’s own clumsiness—cause him to lose his position as a bookshop clerk, Kit has no choice but to accept the gentleman’s offer of employment as his secretary.

Andrew Turner serves honorably in the Royal Navy, but when ashore he wastes his fortune and his time on an endless round of drinking, cards, and…other pleasures. He appreciates his new secretary’s slim body and pretty green eyes more than he ought, but he’s also struck by Kit’s quick wit and clever mind. To Andrew’s shock, he finds himself wanting more than a tumble. But that’s inconvenient. It’s irritating. And Kit won’t bed him anyway.

Trying to convince Kit that he’s more than just a debauched wastrel takes some doing, but once desire overrides Kit’s common sense, their attraction explodes into passion. Just as Kit dares to believe in Andrew’s love, Andrew’s ship is sent on a mission to the Continent. Will separation, worry, and fear tear them apart or will love bind them to one another forever?

This is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. Contains debauchery galore, a footman who wants to murder the butler, love letters, and gratuitous references to Gothic novels…and of course, a guaranteed HEA.

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.