Mary Ellen Dennis Double review & giveaway

Title: The Landlord’s Black-Eyed Daughter
Author: Mary Ellen Dennis
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4631-9
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Format: Mass Market Paperback
$7.99
Release Date: August 2011
Pages: 512
How I Read It: Mass Market UAC* from the Publishers
Rating: 4.5 Crowns

AND THE HIGHWAYMAN CAME RIDING, RIDING, RIDING…

Elizabeth Wyndham is a rarity--a young lady who writes novels--bestsellers in fact. But with her sharp tongue and quick temper, she is nothing like her vapid, charming heroines.

Rand Remington is an ex-soldier disillusioned with England’s less-than-honorable nobility. By day a gentleman, by night he robs the rich to try to make life better for the poor.

Rand and Elizabeth are drawn inexorably together, until the fateful night when the men trying to capture Rand use Elizabeth as living bait….
(from the back of arc)

My Thoughts:

A retelling of Alfred Noyes’ The Highwayman, THE LANDLORD’S BLACK-EYED DAUGHTER by Mary Ellen Dennis is a rather charming little read.

As a fan of The Highwayman, I find myself constantly looking for retellings of the poem so, when I received the chance to review Mary Ellen Dennis’ novel based on the poem, I jumped at the chance. While it draws inspiration from the poem, when reading THE LANDLORD’S BLACK-EYED DAUGHTER, you must keep in mind that this is a retelling and you should not expect the two to be identical.

With that being said, I do want to say that I did enjoy the book. The characters were brilliantly brought to life and completely different from what I would have expected. Bess, the landlord’s (innkeeper’s) daughter is a writer of Gothic romance. In fact she is a highly successful writer of Gothic romance. I liked the fact that she was spirited yet I felt that her courage began to falter as the story progressed which made me want to scream.

I have to say that I loved the name Rand Remington for the Highwayman, it had a brilliant “Stand and Deliver” quality to it. I also thoroughly enjoyed that it was through a book that he nicked, a novel penned by Bess, that his fascination with her began. Although he had good intentions, like a Robin Hood of sorts, he was still committing a criminal act that could lead him to the gallows. Once the hero and heroine finally meet up, they have a bit to contend with that was continuously causing you to wonder if they will ever be safe.

Overall:
For me, the book started a bit slow. Actually, the first 170 pages were a bit slow and it was the remaining pages that portrayed hints of the original poem. If I disassociate the poem from the book, then the book was truly brilliant, but if I compare the two I would have to say that poem was indeed the winner.

Final Thoughts:
THE LANDLORD’S BLACK-EYED DAUGHTER definitely has a heartbeat all of it own. Combining the elements of romance, danger and suspense laced with a touch of paranormal it made for an entertaining read that took you into a world most writers opt not to include.
Title: The Greatest Love on Earth
Author: Mary Ellen Dennis
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4982-2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Format: Mass Market Paperback
$6.99
Release Date: August 2011
Pages: 448
How I Read It: Mass Market UAC* from the Publishers
Rating: 4.5 Crowns




HE’S FEARLESS, EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO CALLIOPE KELLEY…
Nothing could shake the courage of lion tamer Brian O’Connor, until the circus is threatened and the love of his life deserts him…

DANGER, DRAMA, DAZZLING EXCITEMENT ARE HER WORLD…
Bold, beautiful Calliope Kelley would jump through flaming hoops to protect her father’s circus. But when disaster strikes and Calliope loses everything, she knows she must build brand new dreams…

Torn apart and betrothed to others, a twist of fate brings Brian and Calliope back under the bigtop, where together they’ll walk the high-wire to see if great loves turn to ashes or rekindle to burn brightly forever…
(from the publishers)

My Thoughts:

WOW! This is my first encounter with a book that features the Circus world as a setting and I have to say that I was both impressed and intrigued.

I wasn’t so sure about this book when it was offered for review yet the blurb had me a bit curious to see what it was all about. When it arrived in the post, I had the intentions of reading through the first couple of chapters, then setting it aside until the time came to read it. That never happened, I was hooked and had to find out more.

The events that took place in chapters one and two offered both a mystery and a budding romance and I simply needed to know more about these characters who drew me in and the predicament they were getting into. I also wanted to find out who was targeting the Circus. I will say that the events of chapter nine almost made me put the book down for good out of pure frustration, although I have to say that I am so glad I decided to give it another go.

Overall:

For me, this was a different type of book to read. I do have say that I truly enjoyed it. It was a very unique read that held me enchanted. My great-grandfather used to tell me that the world needs to be filled with things both “Aisteach agus iontach”, which is Irish for weird and wonderful, and I have to say that THE GREATEST LOVE ON EARTH is definitely aisteach agus iontach.

A Side-Note:

In the late 1800’s a circus train filled with both animals and performers were crossing a bridge, located about 15 minutes from the town in which I live, when the trestles broke causing the train to fall into the water below. Unfortunately there were no survivors. People have claimed they still hear the roars of the lions.


*********************************************

Giveaway:

I have both THE GREATEST LOVE ON EARTH & THE LANDLORD’S BLACK-EYED DAUGHTER to giveaway.

Giveaway is open to all!
To enter please leave your name and a valid email address.
Giveaway ends September 30.



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The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by L.J. Smith

Title: The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle
Author: L.J. Smith
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA Paranormal
Pages: 492 (Books 1 & 2 in one book)
ISBN: 9780061140976
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: Torn between two vampire brothers

Damon: determined to make Elena his, he'd kill his own brother to possess her.

Stefan: desperate for the power to destroy Damon, and protect Elena, he gives in to his thirst for human blood.

Elena: the girl who can have anyone finds herself in the middle of a love triangle . . . one that might turn deadly.

The Struggle starts off right where The Awakening ended, which was a little annoying in terms of…what on earth would you do if you hadn’t just read the last book? That being said, this one wasn’t as annoying as the first book and I did enjoy it quite a bit more.

My Review:

As a side note: true to the TV series, they seem to have a party, dance, or other outing like every week. This amused me since I laugh at it almost every week on the show.

The action moves very fast in this one, needing to get through a whole lot of stuff in a short amount of time. Damon has a much larger presence in the second book, which I think was part of why I enjoyed it more. Damon Salvatore = my Vampire Diaries boyfriend!

There are fewer deaths, yet more suspense, in The Struggle – a lot of the time is spent trying to avoid Damon, but also Elena trying to keep Stefan’s secret from her family and friends, yet keeping his name clear from suspicion around town. It wouldn’t be a high school setting without some good old friend betrayal, which is happily provided in the form of Caroline.

All in all, a decent follow up to the first book, and although this will not be my favorite series, I will read through to the conclusion of the original set.

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THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR by Ashlyn Chase

To kickoff Vampire Week here at Royal Reviews we are holding a Sunday Vampire Edition of Weird & Wonderful.


This weeks Weird & Wonderful book is THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR by Ashlyn Chase




Title: The Vampire Next Door
Author: Ashlyn Chase
ISBN: 978-1-4022-3663-1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
$6.99/£4.99
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release Date: August 2011
Pages: 384
Genre: Paranormal Romance
How I read it: Mass Market Paperback from publishers
Rating: 3.5

HOW DOES A VIGILANTE VAMPIRE…

Undead Sly just hasn’t been the same since he lost the love of his life many years ago. He devotes his vampiric powers to maintaining a nice safe neighborhood, until a chipped fang undermines his confidence--and leads him to a beautiful witch who awakens Sly’s long-forgotten desires.


HOOK UP WITH A WITCH WHO’S AFRAID OF THE DARK…

The charming Morgaine has spells to cure everyone’s problems but her own. Her intense phobias keep her in her shell, until she gets to know tall, dark, and brooding Sly. Just when these two unlikely lovers think they might find a cure for both of them, their deepest fears are realized, and suddenly they see their last hope for a “normal” life slipping away…


My Review:


Sly is vampire who was created 20-odd years ago by a villainous vampire who murdered his pregnant wife. With his beloved wife dead and daughter having been raised by another family, Sly has turned into a brooding crime fighter. When one of his vigilante sprees goes wrong in the form of a broken fang and silver poisoning, he seeks the aid of Morgaine, a neighboring witch.

Morgaine maybe be a witch with healing powers although she is unable to heal her own phobia’s which have led her to become a shut in. When Sly shows up on her doorstep looking a bit of help, she never imagined that he would be the one helping her.

My Thoughts:

While I did enjoy the characters of Sly and Morgaine, I felt that they fell flat when compared to the secondary characters who were so lively. I also felt that Sly and Morgaine lacked chemistry and the sex scenes felt out of character with the dirty talk. Then we have the important issues of the story, Sly’s maker coming back into his live and Morgaine’s phobias, resolved in an abrupt manner that did not reach its full potential.

Although I do have to say that this was a very enjoyable novel and I found that secondary stories/characters were the ones who shinned in this novel. Morgaine’s cousin, Gwyenth was especially fun to read with her Southern charm.

Steamy, witty, and thoroughly entertaining THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR was a light-hearted, fun read. The is the third book in Ashlyn Chase’s Strange Neighbor series, and while THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR, does read as a stand-alone novel, for me, I feel that I have lost a sense of the story by not reading the previous two.

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Ink Flamingos by Karen E Olson

Title: Ink Flamingos (A Tattoo Shop Mystery, # 4)
Author: Karen E. Olson
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 0451233794
Release Date: June 2011
Rating: 4 Crowns

Synopsis:

Dee Carmichael, lead singer of the pop sensation The Flamingoes, has been one of Brett Kavanaugh's most dedicated customers at her tattoo shop. When Dee is discovered dead surrounded by ink pots and needles, Brett is branded a suspect. It seems that someone is impersonating Brett. And if she doesn't act fast, the killer is sure to put the dye in dying once again..


My musings:


When I received a copy of Karen E. Olson’s Ink Flamingos, I didn’t exactly jump up and down. I left it in the box it arrived in and grimaced. I asked myself, “what in the world was I going to do with this tattoo series?” I must admit, the cover caught my eye, pulled me in to study it, then I flipped to the back & read the blurb. I made another face and hunkered down on the couch to read a chapter – NOT. I couldn’t put it down. AT All! I had to finish the awesomeness that is Ink Flamingos!

It was an enthralling read. Olson knows how to propel the mystery from the first clue to the reveal without leaving you discombobulated. She develops her characters with depth, weight, sass, smarts and heart. You become infused with the story Olson actualized, not just an armchair reader looking to pass the time away now that summer reruns are upon us.


I am shaking my head, smiling and reflecting about Brett. Wow, what a remarkable character Olson conceived, constructed and shared with the world. Brava, Ms. Olson and thank you.
The lush, glimmering Vegas strip serves as the spectacular locale and the plot is imaginative, credible and fun! I hadn’t guessed “whodunit” so score extra points Olson for that one.


I can’t wait to get my hands on Olson’s backlist and hang out again with my new friend and kindred – what? What? Geez, the only difference between the two of us in the diva hierarchy is she is on the opposite coast… and a smidgen more colorful ;p.


Olson, you got skillz!

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Feed by Mira Grant

Title: Feed (Newsflesh #1)
Author: Mira Grant:
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 0316081051
Release Date: May 2010
Rating: 3.5 Crowns

In 2014, two experimental viruses--a genetically engineered flu strained designed by Dr. Alexander Kellis, intended to as a cure for the common cold, and a cancer-killing strain of Marburg, known as “Marburg Amberlee”--escaped the lab and combined to form a single airborne pathogen that swept around the world in a matter of days. It cured cancer. It stopped a thousand cold and flu viruses in their tracks.

It raised the dead.

Millions died in the chaos that followed. The summer of 2014 was dubbed “The Rising”, and only the lessons learned from a thousand zombie movies allowed mankind to survive. Even then, the world was changed forever. The mainstream media fell, Internet news acquired an undeniable new legitimacy, and the CDC rose to a new level of power.

Set twenty years after the Rising, the Newsflesh trilogy follows a team of bloggers, led by Georgia and Shaun Mason, as they search for the brutal truths behind the infection. Danger, deceit, and betrayal lurk around every corner, as does the hardest question of them all:

When will you rise?

Thoughts:

I was craving a zombie book, after coming down from the high of Max Brook’s World War Z. I would highly recommend this book to book bloggers, Georgia and Shaun Mason are bloggers themselves! Obviously zombies are the news in this sort of post-apocalyptic world. At the beginning of every chapter we find a piece of their minds through their blogs, I really liked this form of story telling. Unfortunately, I was craving action, zombie chases, zombies going “arrrgg” at you through the page, and in that regard the book didn’t deliver for me. There are a couple of zombie attacks, and I can honestly say that the prologue is on of the best I’ve read and hooked me immediately. I think Grant’s take on zombies is novel (to me at least, I’m still a zombie literature newbie). She creates this story where the Kellis-Amberlee disease (which is what turns people into zombies) is used as a form of terrorism.

The story is interesting, and it deals more with journalism and political issues of this new form of terrorism. It’s an interesting take, and it’s a good read, just know that it’s not your typical zombie book. I also liked how Grant created her own mythology when it came to zombies, I was used to you regular getting nobody-really-knows-where-the-first-zombie-came-from explanation, and to me her take on the combination of two experimental viruses was refreshing and somewhat even more frightening because it sounds completely reasonable and something that could actually happen!



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Still Life by Louise Penny

Title: Still Life
Author: Louise Penny
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780312541538
How I Read It: Paperback purchased by me

Synopsis: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team of investigators are called to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal and yet a world away. Jane Neal, a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, has been found dead in the woods on Thanksgiving morning. The locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but Gamache smells something foul this holiday season...

My Review: I was pulled into this book from the first two sentences:

Miss Jane Neal met her maker in the early morning mist of Thanksgiving Sunday. It was pretty much a surprise all round.

Isn't that a great way to start out a murder mystery?

Even though Jane is obviously dead from the very first sentence, I felt that I knew her by the end of the novel, simply from the descriptions of her by other characters as the investigation of her murder takes place. And in the meantime, we're introduced to the cast of characters that will become more central to the Armand Gamache series as it continues.

I read my first Louise Penny book in this series last year, starting with the fifth book without exactly realizing it was a series. Similar to Agatha Christie mysteries, while it can be helpful to understand the characters from previous novels, that was a stand alone and I didn't feel like I was missing anything. However, I decided I wanted to start these from the start, because I loved my first experience so much.

This novel was entirely up to my expectations, which can be pretty rare. I was a little worried that I would be disappointed by it, that this was a case where the author had gotten better over time and earlier works may not have been so great. But I shouldn't have worried, because I absolutely loved this book. I was pulled into this mystery, wishing I was there and that I knew the characters in person. I'm not really a small town kind of gal, I hate the idea of everyone I run into knowing who I am, but these people are just so charming that I absolutely wish I could be a part of their lives!

I don't like to try and figure the mystery out on my own, so I didn't see the end coming at all, and it really made the experience more enjoyable for me. I love just sitting back and watching a story unfold before me - this one did that beautifully. As much as I love summer time, it did make me yearn for the fall when our own leaves will be changing and the weather getting more crisp. And since this is the first of now six books, I feel I have a lot to look forward to as the seasons progress and I have the chance to read further into this series. In fact, it's hard to stop myself from running right out and buying them right now!

Visit Crystal @ I Totally Paused

Tout Sweet by Karen Wheeler

Title: Tout Sweet: Hanging Up My High Heels for a New Life in France
Author: Karen Wheeler
ISBN: 978-1-4022-6118-3
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 320
Format: Trade Paperback
$14.99 US
How I read It: Trade Paperback ARC sent from Publisher
Rating: 4 Crowns


Thirty something fashion editor Karen has it all: a handsome boyfriend, a fabulous flat in west London, and an array of gorgeous shoes. But when her boyfriend leaves, she makes an unexpected decision to hang up her Manolos and waves good-bye to her glamorous city lifestyle to go it alone in a run-down house in rural Poitou-Charentes, central western France

Acquiring a host of new friends and unsuitable suitors, she learns that true happiness might be found in the simplest of things--a bike ride through the countryside on a summer evening, or a glass of wine or three in her neighbor’s courtyard.
(from the back of the arc)

My Thoughts:

There is a blurb on the back of the book that states:

Tout Sweet is the perfect read for anyone who dreams of chucking away their BlackBerry in favor of real blackberrying and downshifting to a romantic, alluring locale where new friendships, and new loves, are just some of the treasures to be found amongst life’s simple pleasures.

Tout Sweet is indeed the book to do just that. A memoir in novel form, this book chronicles Karen’s move from her crazy London life to the peaceful countryside of France. Having finally had enough of her life as a fashion editor, she decides that there must be more to life than putting up with spoiled photographs and the hubbub that comes with a high profile job. Accepting an invitation from a friend she made in a writing course, Karen realizes that she has truly fallen in love with the French countryside and purchases a rundown house. We see the formation of the house as well as that of her new life in France.

I have to say I had a hard time finding a bit of peace and quiet so that I could sit down and read this book due to a new roof being installed. Although once I finally was able to escape from the noise, I found that I could not put this book down. A very charming book truly makes you want trade in your city lifestyle for that of the countryside.

Being both a contemporary and French themed, I was surprised that I liked this book as well as I did.


About the Author:


Karen Wheeler is a former fashion editor for the Mail on Sunday and currently writes for the Financial Times How to Spend It magazine and London’s Daily Mail. Her work has appeared in the Evening Standard and You magazines, Sunday Times Style, and numerous international publications. A three-time winner of the prestigious Jasmine Literary Award for writing about perfume, she specializes in fashion, beauty and luxury goods trends. Karen also has a great blog at www.toutsweet.net and Twitters @mimipompom1


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Prisoner of the Inquisition by Theresa Breslin

Title: Prisoner of the Inquisition
Author: Theresa Breslin
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction
Publisher: Corgi Childrens, 2011
ISBN: 9780552560740
320p

Rating: 4 Crowns

Can she survive this time of fire and fury?

Synopsis: Zarita, only daughter of the town magistrate, lives a life of wealth and privilege. Indulged by her parents, she is free to spend her days as she pleases, enjoying herself in the company of an eligible young nobleman, horse riding, or leisurely studying the arts.

Saulo, son of a family reduced by circumstances to begging, witnesses his father wrongfully arrested and dealt with in the most horrifying way. Hauled off to be a slave at sea and pursued by pirates he encounters the ambitious mariner explorer, Christopher Columbus. Throughout his hardships Saulo is determined to survive - for he has sworn vengeance on the magistrate and his family.

As Zarita's life also undergoes harsh changes the formidable and frightening Inquisition arrives in the area, bringing menacing shadows of suspicion with acts of cruel brutality - and ultimately, amid the intrigues of the court of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in the splendid Moorish city of Grenada, betrayal and revenge

My Thoughts:

Although I don't often read YA fiction I'm glad I decided to read Prisoner of the Inquisition and not surprised it's shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and several other literary awards. It's a fast-paced and engrossing tale of romance and adventure set in Spain at a pivotal time in history and I enjoyed it very much.

By the end of the 15th century the world was on the brink of enormous changes that would challenge people to question beliefs held for centuries . This is the world both protaganists are growing up in and their stories reflect the contrast between the repressive and restricting old and the exploration and expansion of the new. I really liked the alternating narration by Zarita and Saulo as it shows the point of view of both sides. The paths of the two young people cross at the beginning , a terrible mistake is made and each will go their own way until the end brings them together again. As the story progresses, whether facing the hardships of life at sea or the fear and suspicion instigated by the church, they grow in courage and strength and learn to confront their own inner demons.
    
It is quite graphic throughout but it wouldn't be historically accurate otherwise. The years have never taken away my sensitivity to reading about burnings and torture but you can't have the Inquisition without the atrocities they committed and it's not overdone.
  
Many years ago it was books like Prisoner of the Inquisition that set alight what became a lifelong love of historical fiction and I hope it will do the same for young readers now. A great plot, a slightly different love story, action and intrigue and a well-researched and vividly described background make compelling reading.Recommended! 

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Historic Spain Giveaway

Over the weekend, I received the news that a bookshop owned by one of my friends is closing down; she invited me over to go through her stock before she opened the store for the final sale. Although it is sad news, I always hate to hear that bookshops are closing; I did purchase a rather large number of books, some for myself and of course a lovely amount for the dear readers of Royal Reviews. Keeping watching Royal Reviews throughout the months to come for brilliant giveaways.

It’s HISTORIC SPAIN WEEK here at Royal Reviews. To kick-off this week, I have a lovely trio of books to giveaway for one lucky winner.

The Giveaway consists of two book featuring Juana of Castile and one featuring Catherine of Aragon:

The Last Queen by C.W. Gartner (Paperback)

Juana la Loca, one of history's most enigmatic
and forgotten queens, tells the story of her tumultous life...
Daughter of Isabel and Ferdinand of Spain, Juana bears witness to the fall of Granada and Columbus’s discoveries. At the age of sixteen, she is sent to wed Philip, Hapsburg archduke of Flanders, just as her youngest sister, Catherine of Aragon, is sent to England to become the first wife of Henry VIII.

Juana finds unexpected love and passion with her handsome young husband, but when tragedy strikes and she inherits the Spanish throne, she finds herself plunged into a battle for power. Besieged by foes, her intelligence and pride used as weapons against her, Juana vows to secure her crown and save Spain from ruin, even if it could cost her everything.

From the somber majesty of Spain to the glittering and lethal courts of Flanders, France, and Tudor England, The Last Queen brings to life all the grandeur and drama of an incomparable era and the humanity of a courageous princess whose fight to claim her birthright captivated the world.

The Scroll of Seduction by Gioconda Belli (hardback)

On an outing from her boarding school, young Lucía meets Manuel, an art historian and exquisite storyteller, who shares with her the story of one of history's most tumultuous loves, in this novel by the major Nicaraguan poet and revolutionary Gioconda Belli. Manuel spins tales of the love of Queen Juana of Castile for her husband Prince Philippe the Handsome in 16th-century Spain, and of power-hungry relatives who dubbed her Joanna the Mad and barred her from the throne after Philippe's death. In present-day Spain, Lucía becomes so enthralled she begins to emulate the queen, and responds to Manuel's obsessive seduction.


The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory (hardback)

"Katherine of Aragon is born Catalina, the Spanish Infanta, to parents who are both kings and crusaders. At the age of three, she is betrothed to Prince Arthur, son and heir of Henry VII of England, and is raised to be Princess of Wales. She knows that it is her destiny to rule that far-off, wet, cold land." "Her faith is tested when her prospective father-in-law greets her arrival in her new country with a great insult; Arthur seems little better than a boy; the food is strange and the customs coarse. Slowly she adapts to the first Tudor court, and life as Arthur's wife grows ever more bearable. Unexpectedly in this arranged marriage, a tender and passionate love develops." But when the studious young man dies, she is left to make her own future: how can she now be queen, and found a dynasty? Only by marrying Arthur's young brother, the sunny but spoilt Henry. His father and grandmother are against it; her powerful parents prove little use. Yet Katherine is her mother's daughter and her fighting spirit is indomitable. She will do anything to achieve her aim; even if it means telling the greatest lie, and holding to it






Giveaway is International. To enter please leave your name and a valid email address. Giveaway ends, August, 25.





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Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein

Title: Ophelia
Author: Lisa M. Klein
ISBN: 1582348014
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication date: October 2006
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Pages: 336
Rating: 3 1/2 Crowns


He is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; she is simply Ophelia. If you think you know their story, think again.

In this reimagining of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queen's most trusted lady-in-waiting. Ambitious for knowledge and witty as well as beautiful, Ophelia learns the ways of power in a court where nothing is as it seems. When she catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and Ophelia's happiness is shattered. Ultimately she must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life. In desperation, Ophelia devises a treacherous plan to escape from Elsinore forever... with one very dangerous secret.


My thoughts:


I thought this was a unique take on Shakespeare's Hamlet. I loved the play when I read it in high school and college. I always liked the character of Hamlet though I didn't like his treatment of Ophelia. Here we see things from a different angle and we get to know Ophelia better. I liked her more than Hamlet in this book. She is a character that has endured much sorrow from the loss of her mother to her not so great relationship with her father, Polonius and later on the tragedy with Hamlet. What makes it more poignant is how close Ophelia becomes to Queen Gertrude in the book. She serves as one of Gertrude's ladies in waiting and comes to see Gertrude as a second mother and someone to look up to. I thought this relationship is even better portrayed than that of Ophelia and Hamlet. We first see Hamlet when Ophelia is a child and they grow up together at the castle. When she is a teen, they fall in love but it is never clear what Ophelia sees in him. I didn't really buy into their romance, perhaps because the author wanted to keep Hamlet's character true to the Shakespearean version. He is kind but then he becomes the troubled character from the play. We do get a glimpse of why Ophelia might have loved him but sadly it doesn't last long.


I think the parts of the story that diverge from the play are really well done. I liked getting a glimpse into Ophelia's life before her relationship with Hamlet even begins. We see her blossom under Queen Gertrude's influence, watch her hold her own against a spiteful girl at court, and show kindness to an elderly servant.  This helps to develop Ophelia's character and our understanding of her before the events of the play unfold. 


I really enjoyed the historical details about life at court in Elsinore, clothing, customs, and especially herbal remedies. I think this really added to the story. Unfortunately I found the pacing too slow at times and it was all too easy to put the book down.  I also thought the language became clunky whenever the author strayed too close to lines from Shakespeare's play. Most of the dialogue was written in a way to suggest a different historical time period but it was still very readable. When the lines nearly directly quote Shakespeare however it doesn't flow as smoothly. I understood why the author did it but wish she had rephrased the sentences to match the writing style used in the rest of the book. Overall I thought Ophelia was an enjoyable book and our eponymous heroine was a great character to read about. This is the second book I've read by Lisa M. Klein (after Cate of the Lost Colony) and she has proven to be an excellent YA historical fiction writer.

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