{A Kelly Coffee Review} Greenwode by J Tullos Hennig

Title: Greenwode

Autor:J Tullos Hennig

Series: Book One of The Wode

Genre: Historical, High Fantasy, slash

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Synopsis:
The Hooded One. The one to breathe the dark and light and dusk between….

When an old druid foresees this harbinger of chaos, he also sees whom it will claim: young Rob of Loxley. Rob’s mother and father, a yeoman forester and a wisewoman, have raised Rob and his sister, Marion, under a solemn duty: to take their parents’ places in the Old Religion as the manifestations of the Horned Lord and the Lady Huntress.

But when Gamelyn Boundys, son of a powerful nobleman, is injured in the forest, he and Rob begin a friendship that challenges both duty and ideology: Gamelyn is a devout follower of the Catholic Church. Rob understands the divide between peasant and noble all too well. And the old druid has foreseen that Gamelyn is destined to be Rob’s sworn enemy—to fight in a blood sacrifice for the greenwode's Maiden.

In a risky bid for happiness, Rob dares the Horned Lord to reinterpret the ancient rites—to allow Rob to take Gamelyn as a lover instead of a rival. But in the eyes of Gamelyn’s church, lust is a sin—and sodomy is unthinkable.

Disclaimer: This is an adult gay romance novel. That means sex between men. Don't like don't read--though in this case it would be a crying shame to pass the book up.

There is so much good about this book I'm not even sure where to start. First, I'm an old fantasy nerd, and Robin Hood hits it hard. This retelling is fantastic, in both the original meaning of the word and in the awesome meaning of the word.

Let's start with the basics: the language. A minor pet peeve of mine is historical novels where everyone speaks modern English. It just sort of hinders my willing suspension of disbelief. Hennig crafts a world where I can hear the accents in the voices--the variety between the low and high born. There are touches of French, Latin and Gaelic (I think, may be Welsh, I don't remember that it's specifically named), but their use is historically accurate and lends such depth to the world.

The myth maintained: I actually took a class that focused 1/3 of the semester on Robin Hood, so reading this story, seeing where the author has pulled from some of the oldest ballads and woven in all of the key components and characteristics of Robin Hood, yet, making them into a story that I haven't quite read was thrilling. The author did her research and it shows. Both in her weaving of the traditional tale and in her historic details.

The original take: One thing the original myths don't really focus much on is religion. It is present, but not a focus. So, Greenwode has a unique and creative--yet logical--twist on the Robin Hood myth, placing not only the rich against the poor but Christianity against the native pagan religion.

"The old gods aren't dead... we forget that at our peril..."

 --Brother Dolfin

The mysticism and magic of the old religion, and honestly, just the information about and portrayal of the old religion, is completely fascinating. 

And then, we have the characterization. The characters, the heart of the story and my ultimate draw-- They're the icing on the cake for this one. Rob and Marion are spectacular as brother and sister and Rob's developing relationship with the the near monastery-bound Gamelyn is portrayed wonderfully. The two are magnetic. I can't think of a character that isn't well crafted and defined--from Rob, to his parents, Gamelyn's family and the Horned God himself. All I could think at the end was "Wait, that's it?!"

No. Fortunately, it's the first in a duology... the second just doesn't come out until late this month. Where Greenwode explores mostly pre-myth Rob, the sequel promises to give us more of the Robin Hood--or Hode--myth that we know and love. Honestly, I can't wait for it.

This one is a highly recommended read. Just read it. It blew me away.

{A Kelly Coffee Review} The Actor and the Earl

Title: The Actor and the Earl
Author: Rebecca Cohen
Genre: Historical fiction, adult, slash, Romance
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Synopsis:

Elizabethan actor Sebastian Hewel takes his bow at the proscenium only to embark on the role of a lifetime. When his twin sister, Bronwyn, reneges on the arrangement to marry Earl Anthony Crofton, Sebastian reluctantly takes her place. At nineteen, Sebastian knows his days as a leading lady are numbered, but with this last performance, he hopes to restore his family’s name and pay off his late father’s debts. Never mind the danger of losing his head should he be discovered.

He didn’t expect Anthony to be so charming and alluring—not to mention shrewd. While he applauds Sebastian’s plan, Anthony offers a mutually beneficial arrangement instead. Sebastian will need every drop of talent he has to survive with both his head and his heart intact, because this is the best part he’s ever had.

This is a gay fiction book and contains homosexual content. Recommended for mature readers.

This was just a good read. When I first read the synopsis, I thought that Sebastian was going to be a traditional cross-dresser and possibly a caricature more than a character. I was completely wrong and very glad to be. Sebastian is a man who loves to act but was the sort of build that usually played women, so while he doesn't take particular issue with having to cross-dress, he doesn't actively enjoy it. It's a relatively minor, but important distinction that grounded him and just made him come alive to me.

The most compelling part of this book was the characters. Although the setting is fun--Shakespearean England--it is the characters who grounded it and allowed you to enjoy the setting. Sebastian was, in my opinion, exquisitely executed, and it is through him that the story is told. The heart of this book are the characters and that falls right into my preferred wheelhouse. They're believable, multifaceted and well-developed. Their interactions are amusing and heart-wrenching appropriately.

There were two minor things that kept this from being a 5-star review. The first was a strange pacing lull in the middle, where I just walked away for a couple of days. The second was that while I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, I wasn't blown away. There are some somewhat-lengthy Shakespearean quotes that didn't quite work for me (but I don't always enjoy Shakespeare). But on the whole, it is a very enjoyable book.

{A Kelly Coffee Review} SelfSame by Melissa Conway

Title: SelfSame
Author: Melissa Conway
Genre: YA History/ Paranormal
Publisher: Self-Published

Synopsis:

A stillborn child revived. The past and the future intertwined. One girl lives two very different lives.

By all appearances, Sorcha Sloane is a typical small-town teen taking twenty-first century life for granted. While two centuries in the past, Enid Thompson is a poor farmer’s daughter in colonial New England. But Enid and Sorcha are the selfsame girl – one soul split between two bodies in a link that stretches across time. Every night while Enid’s body is sleeping, she wakes in the future as Sorcha, just as the old medicine man prophesied at her birth. And every night when Sorcha sleeps, she wakes in the past as Enid, in a frontier world on the brink of war. She only trusts a chosen few with the truth, until Ben Webster comes into Sorcha’s life and tells her his family has been desperately searching for her for over two hundred years…

 As you've probably noticed, I've had a bit more time to read lately, and today was the sort of day made for curling up with a book, blanket and cup of something warm. So I finally sat down and decided to get through a book I've been meaning to get to for months. 

I received this book after reading another one by the author (Xenofreak Nation) and being wowed by it. Still, despite being enthralled by the author, I just wasn't quite sure that the premise was for me. I should have known better. 

SelfSame is a wonderful, original book. The way she integrates Enid and Sorcha's lives, integrates the people in them, just the way she develops the characters, they're all just fantastically done. The realities of a Colonial life, the disparity between social norms, the way that Sorcha and Enid are the same girl, but different, they're all masterfully crafted. And in Conway's books, I'm finding that everything is connected.

There is a supreme subtlety to Conway's writing that just draws you effortlessly into her books, her world. She hints and alludes before delivering with the promised secrets (the great "ah" moments when everything makes perfect sense), but she walks a fine line that is delivering the payout without dwelling on it or beating the reader over the head with it.

Although the point-of-view changes between Enid and Sorcha, they are basically the same mind in different bodies. This means that although the setting changes, there isn't that jarring cut-off that is usually found in a changing POV. The transitions are virtually seamless. It makes for a quick and absorbing read. 

I don't know why I waited so long to find time to read this one, but you shouldn't. It's an entirely immersing and satisfying read. And I anxiously look forward to more from this author. 

{Review} Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Title: Grave Mercy

Series: His Fair Assassin #1

Publisher: Anders Press

Author: Robin LaFevers

Synopsis:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart

When I first saw this book, it just called to me so I knew I had to have it!! It has a beautiful cover and one of the best series names I have ever seen! What made it even greater for me was that it is set in 1487 France, when I saw that, I was hooked. Even though it is set so far back in time you do end up feeling a connection with the characters and the female lead, Ismae, is strong and fierce and she doesn’t let herself get pushed around by men, as most women were at those times. She stood her ground and made sure she was included in everything, the fact that she is one of the daughters (assassin) of St Mortain (god of Death) helped even more. She held her own in a fight just like any man could. She is also very protective of those she loves and cares for. She was taken in by the convent of St. Mortain when she was 14 and was raised, with all the other novices, by some seriously badass nuns. They taught them how to fight, who to kill a man in every possible way and they make various deadly poisons. I know what you’re thinking, what if the nuns in our world really are kick ass assassins??? That’s what I wondered. Although i do have an imagination that runs away with me a few times.

Now about the wonderful, Gavriel Duval. He is the male lead in this story and he is just swoon-worthy. At first he is a little cold towards Ismae, but aren’t they all? At least he does have a valid reason for disliking her, since she gets in the way of his plans all the time with  all the, you know, assassinations. With time they start to tolerate each other so that they can work together on finding out who wants to take the Duchy from the Duchess. Duval develops a fierce protectiveness over Ismae and gets all iffy when other guys touch her, what I thought was kind of cute.

I am so glad that Robin LaFevers created a female lead that didn’t fold into herself in difficult situations. Especially in those times women needed to be assertive or the men would’ve walked all over them and I am all for the power of womenJ. The world she created was very interesting and intellectual and she kept you guessing throughout the whole book. That said, the English is a bit different since it was in a different time, but it isn’t difficult to understand. Even though it is in historical time it doesn’t have much history in it so those who do not like history novels do not have to worry.

This is a book I highly recommend. It is one of my favourites of this year, i was enthralled from the start. Now for one of my favourite quotes!!!!

“‘Not all men are the same, you know. With someone such as Gavriel, I would suggest appearing aloof, not chasing too much. He might see that as suffocating rather than charming.’ Her words are sharp, but her voice is sweet, like honey on the edge of a blade, and meant to be cutting. I comforted myself with the knowledge that if Duval ever felt smothered by me, it will be because I am holding a pillow over his face and commending his soul to Mortain.”

The Secret Of Lies by Barbara Forte Abate

Title: The Secret of Lies
Author: Barbara Forte Abate
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
Release Date: April 21, 2011

Synopsis:
Propelled by an insurmountable sense of desperation, Stevie Burke is recklessly abandoning home, husband, and outwardly contented life under cover of night; at last resigned to defeat in her long battle against the tortured memories of her past.

Days later, lost and floundering in a dreary motel room without plan or destination, it is a long ago song playing on the radio that gently tugs Stevie back through the dust of remembrance. 1957 - The last summer spent at the ancient house overlooking the North Atlantic. A season which had unfolded with abundant promise, but then spiraled horribly out of control - torn apart by a shattering tragedy that remains splintered in fragments upon her soul. And it is only now, when Stevie at last lifts her eyes to stare deep into the heart of her long sequestered memories, that the long held secrets of past and future are at last unveiled.

The Secret Of Lies follows the life of Stevie as she encounters deceit, first love, death, and lies. As a young girl, she and her sister spend summers on the beach with her aunt and uncle. Each year their lives become increasingly complicated until things finally culminate in an explosive combination of death and lies. Told in the first person, The Secret of Lies brings you up close and personal with Stevie's heartache caused by the events that surrounded her sister's death. These catastrophes will force Stevie into a type of seclusion that will rule the life she leads well into adulthood. Love never comes easy for Stevie.

The first couple of chapters were filled with fluffy descriptions that held back the flow of story for a bit. I've had this problem with several books lately, but once the action begins, I am hooked. That is exactly what happened with The Secret of Lies. Stevie's pain becomes deeper and more palpable with every flip of the page. It was a regular occurrence for tears to well-up in my eyes, threatening to overflow onto my Nook.

I read a ton of books and love almost everything I read. Seldom, though, do I come across a book that touches my heart like this book did. It was a very cathartic read that refused to escape my conscious. I do have to warn you that it is not a light and fluffy read. It is very dark and weighs heavy on your soul. If you love an intense and thought provoking mystery...this is the book for you.

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*I was provided a free ebook by the author in return for my honest review.

Waiting On Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…
Expected Publication: September 27, 2011

I'm really not a big fan of historical fiction but I am a huge fan of all things Fey. This book just keeps calling out to me...buy me, buy me!