Monday, March 16, 2020

Jeri Westerson, Louisa Morgan, and C.S. Harris--Historical Fiction

In Sword of Shadows by Jeri Westerson, Crispin Guest is again on the hunt of a fabulous artifact, this one more related to myth than religion.

 from description:  London, 1396. A trip to the swordsmith shop for Crispin Guest, Tracker of London, and his apprentice Jack Tucker takes an unexpected turn when Crispin crosses paths with Carantok Teague, a Cornish treasure hunter. Carantok has a map he is convinced will lead him to the sword of Excalibur - a magnificent relic dating back to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table - and he wants Crispin to help him find it.

 Tintagel, a hidden village, some murders, jilted lovers, and the return of Kat.  Another fun adventure with Crispin and Jack.

 Read in December.  Blog review scheduled for March 16, 2020.

 NetGalley/Severn House
Historical Mystery.  April 7, 2020.  Print length:  224 pages.
The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan features a family of witches with historical roots, some benevolent magic vs manipulative magic for self-interest, a social climbing stepmother, a young woman fighting for independence, a little romance.  

 Like with ghost stories, witch stories always appeal to me, but rarely satisfy me.  Although I didn't want to abandon it, The Age of Witches didn't make me want to seek out the author again.  For me, it promised more than it delivered.

 Read in December.  Blog review scheduled for March 16, 2020.

 NetGalley/Redhook Books
Historical Fiction/Paranormal.  April 7, 2020.  Print length:  448 pages.  

Whenever a new Sebastian St. Cyr book is released, I'm eager to begin!  Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris pits Sebastian (Viscount Devlin) against Jarvis and a political cover-up.  That damned Jarvis, he is the epitome of the influential politician.  Of course, he is also Hero's father, which puts Sebastian in many an awkward situation.

 Nicholas Hayes was transported to Botany Bay for life and reportedly died there.  Why has he returned to London?  Who killed him and why?  

 Sebastian's valet knew Nicholas Hayes and his opinion of the man differs greatly from those who name him as a murderer.  Hayes was accompanied by a young boy who has since disappeared, and Sebastian and Hero search for him.  Someone else is also searching, but the intent is vastly different.  

 As always, I enjoyed the history, the mystery, and the characters in C.S. Harris' enthralling series set in Regency England.

 Read in November.  Review scheduled for March 16, 2020.

 NetGalley/ Berkley Pub.
Historica Mystery.  April 7, 2020.  Print length:  336 pages.
at

7 comments:

  1. Lark March 16, 2020 3:11 PM

    I have Who Speaks for the Damned sitting in my room waiting for me to read it. (Devlin and Hero are two of my favorite characters!) And if the coronavirus keeps shutting everything down I just might have lots of extra time to read. I guess that's a silver lining, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jenclairMarch 17, 2020 10:24 AM

      Devlin and Hero--thumbs up. Jarvis, typical politician--thumbs down. :) More time to read is always good! Circumstances are not the best, but at least book lovers can entertain themselves. :)

      Delete
  2. MelodyMarch 16, 2020 8:23 PM

    The Age of Witches sounds like a good read to me! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jenclairMarch 17, 2020 10:25 AM

      Try it--you might like it! I'm always a little persnickety about witches. ;P

      Delete
  3. VerushkaMarch 23, 2020 6:31 AM

    Who Speaks for the Damned sounds sooo good -- I don't suppose you can start anywhere in this series, can you?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jenclairMarch 23, 2020 9:35 AM

      I think the best place to start if you don't begin with the first book, would be book 4. Where Serpents Sleep introduces Hero, and she has become my favorite character. :)

      Delete
    2. VerushkaApril 03, 2020 5:22 AM

      thank you!

      Delete