The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: March 7, 2013

In the next novel from Nancy Bilyeau after her acclaimed debut The Crown, novice Joanna Stafford plunges into an even more dangerous conspiracy as she comes up against some of the most powerful men of her era. In 1538, England is in the midst of bloody power struggles between crown and cross that threaten to tear the country apart. Joanna Stafford has seen what lies inside the king’s torture rooms and risks imprisonment again, when she is caught up in a shadowy international plot targeting the King. As the power plays turn vicious, Joanna understands she may have to assume her role in a prophecy foretold by three different seers, each more omniscient than the last. Joanna realizes the life of Henry VIII as well as the future of Christendom are in her hands—hands that must someday hold the chalice that lays at the center of these deadly prophecies…

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I admit it has been a while since I picked up a Tudor novel. It is such a popular period and there has been such a slew of new titles in the last few years that I suffered a little bit of burn out. This being the case, you can probably understand my initial trepidation at taking on Nancy Bilyeau's The Chalice. 

Having finished the book I look back at laugh at my skepticism. Bilyeau's writing is wonderful not to mention addicting. She strikes the perfect balance between fact and fiction, never over burdening the narrative with dreary monologues or allowing the plot to diverge too far from historic events.

Now as far as protagonists go, you'd be hard pressed to find one comparable to Joanna Stafford. She is intelligent without coming off arrogant and kind without coming off saintly. She is incredibly dynamic, a personality I wanted to read about and at the end of the day a reader can't ask for more than that.   

Unfortunately I can't say how this its piece compared to its predecessor as I've yet to read The Crown, but I will say I appreciated how Bilyeau approached writing a sequel in that she doesn't spend a lot of time rehashing. Written as a standalone, The Chalice can be enjoyed by those with absolutely no knowledge of Bilyeau's work. 

The Chalice is an intriguing suspense made all the more fascinating in its focus on those individuals displaced by Henry's Reformation. Refreshingly different from most Tudor pieces, it is a  compelling page turner that is sure to satisfy. 

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"The reckoning is coming, it is coming," cried John. "Armageddon is at hand. In the end it will devour you all!"

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CHECK OUT ALL THE STOPS ON THE HISTORICAL FICTION VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR OF Nancy Bilyeau's The Chalice

Tuesday, February 26
Review at She Reads Novels

Wednesday, February 27
Review at The Wormhole

Thursday, February 28
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Friday, March 1
Review at A Bookish Affair

Monday, March 4
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, March 5
Review at The Broke and the Bookish
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Thursday, March 7
Review at Turning the Pages

Monday, March 11
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, March 12
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, March 13
Review at The Eclectic Reader
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Thursday, March 14
Review at Let Them Read Books

Friday, March 15
Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Monday, March 18
Review at Peppermint, Ph.D.
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, March 19
Review at Impressions in Ink

Wednesday, March 20
Review, Interview & Giveaway at A Bookish Libraria

Thursday, March 21
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Friday, March 22
Guest Post at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Monday, March 25
Review at The Novel Life
Review at Devourer of Books

Tuesday, March 26
Review at Historical Tapestry & Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

Wednesday, March 27
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Tapestry

Thursday, March 28
Review at Layered Pages

Friday, March 29
Interview at Layered Pages

Monday, April 1
Review at Words and Peace

Tuesday, April 2
Giveaway at Words and Peace

Wednesday, April 3
Review & Giveaway at Always with a Book

Thursday, April 4
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, April 5
Review at Griperang’s Bookmarks

Monday, April 8
Review at Unabridged Chick

Tuesday, April 9
Review at One Book at a Time
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, April 10
Review at Jenny Loves to Read

Thursday, April 11
Interview at Griperang’s Bookmarks

Friday, April 12
Review, Guest Post & Giveaway at Drey’s Library

Monday, April 15
Review, Interview & Giveaway at The Lit Bitch

Tuesday, April 16
Review & Giveaway at Ageless Pages Reviews

Wednesday, April 17
Review at The True Book Addict
Review & Giveaway at Library of Clean Reads

Thursday, April 18
Interview & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Monday, April 22
Review at Book Drunkard

Tuesday, April 23
Review at A Book Geek

Wednesday, April 24
Review & Giveaway at Review from Here

Thursday, April 25
Review at Historical Novel Review & Great Historicals

Friday, April 26
Review at Enchanted by Josephine
Guest Post & Giveaway at On the Tudor Trail

Monday, April 29
Review & Giveaway at Enchanted by Josephine
Review & Giveaway at Bippity Boppity Book

Tuesday, April 30
Review at Writing the Renaissance

Wednesday, May 1
Interview at Writing the Renaissance

Thursday, May 2
Review at Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books

Friday, May 3
Interview & Giveaway at Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books

Summerset Abbey by T.J. Brown

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: January 23, 2013

Rowena and Victoria, daughters to the third son of the Earl of Summerset, have always treated their housekeeper’s daughter, Prudence, like a sister. But when their father dies and they move in with their uncle’s family in a much stricter household, Prudence is relegated to the downstairs maids’ quarters, much to the girls’ shock and dismay. The impending war offers each girl hope for a more modern future, but the ever-present specter of class expectations makes it difficult for Prudence to maintain a foot in both worlds. Vividly evoking both time and place and filled with authentic dialogue and richly detailed atmosphere, Summerset Abbey is a charming and timeless historical debut.

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La Russe by William McGregor Paxton

I've wrestled with my feelings on T.J. Brown's Summerset Abbey several times and I think I've finally put my finger on the problem. I desperately wanted to love this book, the time period offers a wealth of material, but that being said, I found the piece much more of a challenge than I'd originally anticipated and didn't end it as satisfied as I'd hoped.   

By far my favorite aspect  of the book is the obvious care Brown put in to defining the social classes. Lately I've come across a lot of historic pieces that blur the line between master and servant, choosing to disregard the social stratification that existed between the two. Brown favors history and for that, I am deeply appreciative. The stark contrast between the Buxtons, their household staff and the citizens of Summerset is abundantly clear from the first page to the last, as finite in her fiction as it is in fact. 

I also greatly enjoyed the story as it related to Prudence. All things considered it is probably an unfair assessment, but she is without a doubt my favorite of the three girls. Alone and without a male benefactor Prudence's position is precarious from the get-go and offers the most to the reader in terms of emotional drama, intrigue and movement. 

In contrast Victoria, though interesting, is almost dull. She blends too easily into the background of the story, her sweet and gentle demeanor overshadowed by her cast mates. I can only hope we see more of her in future installments, that her character becomes more complex and that she enjoy the same prominence as her counterparts in Brown's future works. It would be a shame to see her continually lost in the shuffle.

Last I come to Rowena. I think Brown was shooting for conflicted, but something must have been lost in translation as I found her apathetic, spoiled and indecisive. More than that though, Rowena is entirely one dimensional. Where Victoria barely towed the line, Rowena jumped clear over it, frequently leaving me bored and yawning.

Perhaps the only thing as disappointing to me as Rowena's character was the ending. The revelation surrounding Prudence felt rushed and disjointed. Those characters to which it pertained were not fully developed in my mind and their sudden importance was particularly jarring. 

I haven't yet given up hope for the series and though I am optimistic about book two, A Bloom in Winter, I will certainly be approaching it with a moderate degree of caution.

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Was there really a fundamental difference between those of the lower class and those of the upper class, aside from the circumstances of one's birth, something over which a person has no control?

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The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Local Library

Read: July 20, 2012

Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy. Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes. Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky. On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.

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Lady Duff Gordon

I have started to review Kate Alcott's The Dressmaker a hundred times and a hundred times I've thrown up my hands in frustration. Focusing on content alone makes it impossible to understand where I am coming from, but examining my experience with the book also leaves quite a bit out. Apologies, but this might be a little long winded. 

It seems like aa lifetime ago, but like so many I went through a Titanic phase, studying anything and everything I could get my hands on. The publication of The Dressmaker rekindled that interest. Eagerly I waited for the book to become available at my local library. 

While I waited, I came across a New York Times article that detailed the trials Patricia O'Brien faced in getting her manuscript to print. I was naturally upset by the treatment she received from the publishing industry and by the time I finally landed a copy of her work was convinced her struggle was entirely unjust. Then of course, I read the book. 

I'm sorry, but Jack Dawson winning a pair of tickets in a lucky hand of poker was more believable than Tess Collins landing a position with Lucile Duff Gordon on the docks the day Titanic set sail. It is a pivotal moment, one the entire book depends on, but I couldn't force myself to swallow it for anything. The very idea is nothing short of ridiculous though not quite so much as the manner in which Alcott tackled the actual sinking.

The sinking of Titanic

Alcott's story begins in Cherbourg on April 10th, the iceberg made famous by the tragedy is first mentioned on page 48 and by page 65 our plucky heroine is watching dawn break over the waves from a lifeboat in the north Atlantic. While I can understand that Alcott wanted to focus on the hearings that followed the sinking, I cannot wrap my head around actual event receiving less than twenty pages of text. Honestly it might as well have been left out entirely.

Do you see what I'm getting at? The story lacked plausibility, there is no real development of the characters or their relationships and it utterly failed to strike the emotional chord I expected considering the intense subject matter. I wanted to like the piece, but Alcott missed the mark at nearly every turn, the exception being female reporter Pinky Wade who I actually enjoyed even if her involvement with the suffragette movement clashed with the legal proceedings that inspired Alcott to write the book. 

Arrival of the "ship of sorrow" at New York

I forced myself to finish the piece, but it was an uphill battle all the way. By the time I completed the final page I couldn't help wondering if this book was ever given a fair shot. It was initially rejected because of the author's sales record, but it was also part of the rush of Titanic lit that was released to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the disaster. Was it at all possible that the book was rushed through the editing process? Would this lack of development and conflicting storylines exist if the book were to have been released on  some other date? Would the marketing department have created a promotional campaign that more accurately reflected the content of the book if they hadn't been concerned with a deadline? These are just a few of the questions that plagued me every time I attempted to write this review, the root cause of my frustration and reason I don't really know how to phrase my feelings on the book. 

I honest don't know if I had trouble with The Dressmaker because I couldn't appreciate Alcott's style of storytelling or because I set an unrealistic expectation and that my judgment was corrupted before I even got hold of the piece. I am willing to admit both played a part in forming my overall impression of the book, but I suppose in the end it doesn't really matter. I liked the idea of the book, Alcott's exploration of the aftermath, but the execution failed to draw me in.

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“I've told you to look for opportunity, dear Tess. Keep your head up, not down. Don't settle for safety. Push forward-you are not foolish to try.”

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Brighton Belle by Sara Sheridan

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Personal Library

Read: February 19, 2013

1951. Brighton. With the excitement of the war over and the Nazis brought to justice at Nuremberg, Mirabelle Bevan (retired Secret Service) thinks her skills are no longer required. After the death of her lover she moves to the seaside to put the past behind her and takes a job as a secretary at a debt collection agency run by the charismatic Big Ben McGuigan. But when confronted by the case of Romana Laszlo, a pregnant Hungarian refugee, Mirabelle discovers that her specialist knowledge is vital. With enthusiastic assistance from the pretty insurance clerk down the corridor, Vesta Churchill, Mirabelle follows a mysterious trail of gold sovereigns, betting scams and corpses to a dark corner of Austerity Britain where the forces of evil remain alive and well.

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Church of the Sacred Heart, 1908, Hove

I picked up Sara Sheridan's Brighton Belle expecting a historical whodunit, but found instead a light mystery set in the post WWII Britain. Now I have nothing against light fiction, I read a lot of it, but having expected something weightier I found the reality somewhat underwhelming. 

This may seem like small potatoes to some readers, but the time period had little if any real impact on the narrative and that bothered me. I read historic fiction to be transported to another time and place, and was the primary reason for my interest in Brighton Belle. Seeing it so casually handled left me disappointed and the majoring reason behind my three star rating.

The mystery itself is another reason for the letdown I feel. There is a line in the opening chapters, easily spotted if one is paying attention, that gives it all away. Call me crazy, but mysteries aren't as exciting when you are reading to know the details as opposed to obsessing over how it all connects.

My experience wasn't all bad. Sheridan's characters are a little thin, but diverse enough to keep my attention and the plot isn't all that bad despite my calling the conclusion in the early chapters of the book. Most notable, however, is the pacing. Even I have to admit Brighton Belle is a pleasantly engaging read cover to cover. 

This review sounds harsh even to my ears, but bear in mind that it is my disappointment talking. Had I known this would be a lighter piece and formulated a different sort of expectation I know I would have had a much more positive experience with Sheridan's work. 

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'No,' said Vesta decisively, 'we can't go to the police. That's certain. If we do to the police and they get a sniff of it they'll kill Sandor.'

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Odette's Secrets by Maryann Macdonald

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: March 3, 2013

For Jews in Nazi-occupied Paris, nowhere is safe. So when Odette Meyer’s father is sent to a Nazi work camp, Odette’s mother takes desperate measures to protect her, sending Odette deep into the French countryside. There, Odette pretends to be a peasant girl, even posing as a Christian–and attending Catholic masses–with other children. But inside, she is burning with secrets, and when the war ends Odette must figure out whether she can resume life in Paris as a Jew, or if she’s lost the connection to her former life forever. Inspired by the life of the real Odette Meyer, this moving free-verse novel is a story of triumph over adversity.

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Odette Meyer and her mother, 1942
Loc 26, Odette's Secrets by Maryann Macdonald

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Maryann Macdonald's Odette's Secrets when I began reading it, but I was pleasant surprised by what I found in this touching WWII tale.

Based on the life of Odette Meyer, Macdonald's work is a fictional first person narrative of life in occupied France as seen through the eyes of a young Jewish girl. I'm not going to bother making comparisons to titles like The Diary of a Young Girl or I Have Lived A Thousand Years as I don't think it fair. Odette's Secrets is meant for younger readers and though it is still true to the emotional subject matter, it is a much subtler story.

Though I didn't fall in love with the book, I must admit I liked Macdonald's approach. Odette is almost five when her story begins and ages only five and a half years during the narrative. Hers is the voice of a child, one who sees and interprets the world with a naive innocence, focusing on the changes a child would have noted and been concerned over. Macdonald was able to recognize this and create a wonderful volume for adolescents who are just beginning to understand the war and how it affected the children of Europe. 

Written entirely in verse, Odette's Secrets has an almost lyrical quality. It is a simple story, but a poignant and sentimental one. An excellent introductory piece to some of the more intense subjects of WWII.

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Telling my story is what I must do. I'll write it down here in the most beautiful words I can find. The story of bombs and broom closets, of stars and soldiers, of cats and cousins, of family and friends, of heaven and hell. 

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Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: February 3, 2013

Only a woman with an iron backbone could succeed as an undertaker in Victorian London, but Violet Morgan takes great pride in her trade. While her husband, Graham, is preoccupied with elevating their station in society, Violet is cultivating a sterling reputation for Morgan Undertaking. She is empathetic, well-versed in funeral fashions, and comfortable with death’s role in life—until its chilling rattle comes knocking on her own front door. Violet’s peculiar but happy life soon begins to unravel as Graham becomes obsessed with his own demons and all but abandons her as he plans a vengeful scheme. And the solace she’s always found in her work evaporates like a departing soul when she suspects that some of the deceased she’s dressed have been murdered. When Graham’s plotting leads to his disappearance, Violet takes full control of the business and is commissioned for an  undertaking of royal proportions. But he’s certain there’s a killer lurking in the London fog, and the next funeral may be her own. 

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Victorian Woman in Mourning

Christine Trent's Lady of Ashes took me by surprise. Being something of a history junkie the blurb caught my attention straight away. A female undertaker in Victorian England? Sign me up.   

The true beauty of this piece is in how Trent recreated not only the undertaker's profession, but also the Victorian traditions and customs surrounding mourning. She delicately introduces her readers to both the professional and personal sides of death through Violet, examining the science of how the deceased were tended, as well as the various ways in which their loved ones expressed grief. The fiction woven around it is fun, but I must admit this glimpse into the 1860s is what kept me turning the pages. 

Another fun aspect of the story is Graham's deep-seated hatred of the United States. American fiction tends to vilify the English, I suppose it has something to do with the Revolution, but that is beside the point. Though he was far from my favorite character, I enjoyed the perspective he brought to the table. 

On that note I also found Violet quite intriguing. She is a female in a male dominated profession, a wife who struggles to accomplish basic household management, but also a woman who is coming into her own. She really is something of a mouse at the beginning of the book, but her personal journey from beginning to end was a pleasure to read. 

Lady of Ashes is a lighter historic mystery, but a delightful and fascinating one that is well-worth undertaking.

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Violet Morgan often wondered why she was so skilled at dressing a corpse, yet was embarrassingly incompetent in the simplest household task, such as selecting draperies or hiring housemaids.

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Check out all the stops on the historical fiction virtual book tour of christine Trent's lady of Ashes

Monday, February 25
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, February 26
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, February 27
Review at Peppermint, Ph.D.

Thursday, February 28
Review at The Broke and the Bookish

Friday, March 1
Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Monday, March 4
Review at The Novel Life
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court

Tuesday, March 5
Review at Library of Clean Reads

Wednesday, March 6
Review at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, March 7
Review & Giveaway at Book of Secrets
Interview & Giveaway at Library of Clean Reads 

Friday, March 8
Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Monday, March 11
Review at Impressions in Ink

Tuesday, March 12
Review & Giveaway at Always with a Book

Wednesday, March 13
Review at From the TBR Pile

Thursday, March 14
Review at La Canape and Historical Tapestry

Friday, March 15
Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Monday, March 18
Review & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Tuesday, March 19
Review & Giveaway at The Eclectic Reader

Wednesday, March 20
Review & Giveaway at Ageless Pages Reviews

Thursday, March 21
Review at Enchanted by Josephine

Friday, March 22
Interview & Giveaway at Enchanted by Josephine