A Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: January 12, 2013

For Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid serving in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and someone she loves is wrongly arrested for the crime. To save this person from execution, Lucy finds herself venturing out of her expected station and into raucous printers’ shops, secretive gypsy camps, the foul streets of London, and even the bowels of Newgate prison on a trail that might lead her straight into the arms of the killer. In her debut novel, Susanna Calkins seamlessly blends historical detail, romance, and mystery into a moving and highly entertaining tale.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

I have mixed feelings about Susanna Calkins' A Murder at Rosamund's Gate. While I enjoyed the story both for its creativity and originality, there were aspects of it that didn't quite live up to my expectations. Please don't misunderstand, Calkins displays a wonderful imagination as well as a keen eye for intriguing subject matter within these pages, I simply feel she has room to grow as a storyteller.

Personally I like more complex characters than I found here. The cast of A Murder of Rosamund's Gate is interesting enough, but they come off a little flat and static. It isn't something I think will bother the casual reader, but think those with more particular tastes might have difficulty with such simple, cookie-cutter characterizations.

The other thing that rubbed at me was the exceedingly casual relationship between the Magistrate's family and their servants. The familiarity they exhibit towards one another just didn't feel authentic to me and proved a significant distraction. I realize this is something of a necessity for the sake of the story, but I can't say I found it appealing.

Since we are on the subject I want to address the issue some readers seem to be having with the modern terminology Calkins uses throughout A Murder at Rosamund's Gate. I love historic fiction and understand why it is ruffling feathers, but I think there is a difference between authors who make this error in ignorance as opposed to those who make an intentional decision for the benefit of their readers. Though I did mark the language during my reading, I find I am inclined to overlook it as Calkins took the time to explain herself in her notes - something I believe speaks to the personal love she has for the history that inspired her work, her professionalism and the respect she has for her audience.

Now what did I like about this book? I felt the mystery itself well-imagined and not entirely obvious which is quite an achievement for any author let alone one with only a single title to her name. I also felt the horrors of the Great Plague appropriately depicted as were the scenes that took place inside Newgate prison. No fluffy, vague, tiptoeing here and morbid as it sounds I will always appreciate conformity to historic fact over gentler fallacies.

Would I recommend Calkins' work? Certainly especially to those who enjoyed or think they might enjoy God Save the King or The Emperor's Conspiracy. Will I read her again? I fully intend to, rumor has it she already has a sequel in the works. I'm not above admitting it has a few hiccups, but still Calkins impressed me and I am most interested to see where she will go next. 

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

The grimness in the city kept people out of the streets, a heavy fog further quelling the Londoners' spirits. No blooming bouquets, no dancing, and nary a maypole in sight, only withered dried flowers keeping death at bay.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

The Midwife's Tale by Sam Thomas

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: January 6, 2013

It is 1644, and Parliament’s armies have risen against the King and laid siege to the city of York. Even as the city suffers at the rebels’ hands, midwife Bridget Hodgson becomes embroiled in a different sort of rebellion. One of Bridget’s friends, Esther Cooper, has been convicted of murdering her husband and sentenced to be burnt alive. Convinced that her friend is innocent, Bridget sets out to find the real killer. Bridget joins forces with Martha Hawkins, a servant who’s far more skilled with a knife than any respectable woman ought to be. To save Esther from the stake, they must dodge rebel artillery, confront a murderous figure from Martha’s past, and capture a brutal killer who will stop at nothing to cover his tracks. The investigation takes Bridget and Martha from the homes of the city’s most powerful families to the alleyways of its poorest neighborhoods. As they delve into the life of Esther’s murdered husband, they discover that his ostentatious Puritanism hid a deeply sinister secret life, and that far too often tyranny and treason go hand in hand.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

Sam Thomas' The Midwife's Tale is the kind of book you never see coming. You pick it up on a whim and before you know it you've been up half the night with your nose stuck between its pages. It is the kind of book I love stumbling across.

One my favorite aspects of this title appears in the Author's Note where Thomas' discloses the piece was inspired by the will of a real life midwife. His mystery is of course fiction, but Thomas' character was so vividly imagined, so tangible and authentic on the page, I just get a kick out of knowing she was based on someone who actually existed and commend Thomas for being able to so convincingly recreate the some of her spirit in his work.

Of course, Thomas' ability to create such wonderful characters wasn't the only impressive feature of his debut novel. I was also struck by how well-written the book is. Often I come across writers who rely on shock and awe to keep the reader's interest but Thomas' plot has a fluid and steady rhythm I greatly appreciate and I am not used to seeing in unseasoned authors.

An assistant history professor so it should come as no surprise that Thomas did his homework when it came to researching this piece, but what caught my attention was the manner in which he incorporated his research into the novel. There are no drawn out expositions in the book. No weighty passages stuffed with names, dates and trivia. Instead Thomas relies on subtle details to create a sense of life in the seventeenth century, things you hardly even notice as they are so appropriate to the telling they never disrupt the narrative.

The Midwife's Tale is not the most complicated mystery I have ever read, but the book is certainly one of the most fascinating historic pieces I've happened across. A beautifully crafted story that isn't to be missed.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

She is my friend and I am her midwife, so I cannot abandon her. I am the only chance she has to escape burning for a crime she says she did not commit.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

Check out all the stops on Sam Thomas' The Midwife's Tale virtual book tour

Monday, January 7
Review & Giveaway at A Chick Who Reads
Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, January 8
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, January 9
Review & Giveaway at Ageless Pages Reviews
Review & Author Interview at A Bookish Libraria

Thursday, January 10
Review at Raging Bibliomania

Friday, January 11
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie

Monday, January 14
Review at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, January 15
Review & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, January 16
Feature & Giveaway at Book of Secrets

Monday, January 21
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Wednesday, January 23
Review at Book Journey
Review & Giveaway at Words and Peace

Thursday, January 24
Review at Book Dilettante
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Friday, January 25
Review at Jenny Loves to ReadInterview at Unabridged Chick

Monday, January 28
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, January 29
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, January 30
Review at The Bookworm
Review & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Thursday, January 31
Review at Book of Secrets
Review at Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR

Friday, February 1
Review at Reading the Past
Review at Impressions in Ink

A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Local Library
Read: January 6, 2013

In this stunning, imaginative novel, Eve Marie Mont transports her modern-day heroine into the life of Jane Eyre to create a mesmerizing story of love, longing, and finding your place in the world... Emma Townsend has always believed in stories-the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates. Perhaps it's because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn't come close to filling the void left by her mother's death. And her only romantic prospect-apart from a crush on her English teacher-is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma's confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre... Reading of Jane's isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane's body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she's never known-and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane's story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own...

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

North Lees Hall, the inspiration behind Thornfield Hall
Image by J147 (CC-BY-SA-2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

I have a love-hate relationship with retellings. I find them a fascinating sub-genre, but concede they have as much potential to impress as they do to vex. Sometimes I am fortunate enough to cross paths with immensely satisfying reads such as Jax Garren's How Beauty Met the Beast, Elizabeth Bunce's A Cruse Dark as Gold or Sara Donati's Into the Wilderness. On the other end of the spectrum I have had titles that left me bitterly disappointed such as A.G. Gaughen's Scarlet, Alex Flinn's A Kiss in Time, or Steve Hockensmith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls. Knowing where a book will fall is absolutely impossible which is why I tried to keep an open mind as I began Eve Marie Mont's A Breath of Eyre.

For the record I love Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. In point of fact I reread the classic in conjunction with this novel in hopes of better appreciating Mont's work. Unfortunately I feel the decision actually detracted from the novel as it brought to light exactly how much of the original was sacrificed in its creation.


Jane Eyre Illustration by F. H. Townsend, 1868-1920

For instance, one of the primary themes in Bronte's work is that of forgiveness. Jane excuses the mistreatment she suffered as a member of the Reed household as well as Rochester's indiscretions and past wrongs. This idea is eliminated in the cross over portions of the retelling as the Reed family does not even make an appearance and Emma deviates significantly from Jane's path by ultimately refusing to overlook Rochester's actions in order to promote Mont's perception of feminism.

I say Mont's perception because I feel she imposed her modern sensibilities on Bronte's cast, something I feel entirely unjust for what is in part historic fiction, and in Jane's case, wholly unnecessary. For her time, Jane is the very definition of a feminist. By and large, Victorian women were not raised to value education nor were they expected to make decisions regarding their own futures. Bronte's Jane does both. She is a strong woman who defied the stereotypic roles to which society regulated her nineteenth century counterparts. In contrast, Mont uses Jane as a foil for Emma, allocating her to the role of doormat in order to promote Emma's 'superior' version of feminine independence.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

To say I was disappointed to see one of my favorite classics treated this way is something of an understatement. Mont's re-imagining of Bertha, her superficial recreation of Bronte's work as a period romance, the subtle alterations she made to Rochester's make-up... I don't mind retellings that deviate from the originals, but I feel the best ones are those that can emulate or at least compliment the work on which they are based. I didn't see that in A Breath of Eyre. Yes, Mont borrows Bronte's characters and certain events from their story, but I can't help feeling her work trivializes the merits and spirit of the classic.

Despite my ill-regard for this imprudence and the presentation of forgiveness as one of her own creations,  I did appreciate Mont's attempt to address some weightier subject matter, particularly as it applied to her target audience. Mental disorders, teenage romance, drug use, sex, alcohol, suicide... Mont covers all these subjects and more. I've never come across young adult fiction that covers these topics in such realistic tones and I couldn't admire the manner in which handled them more.

At the end of the day, A Breath of Eyre isn't something I would recommend as a retelling, but I think it fits the bill for those looking for intriguing young adult lit. For my part, I haven't given up on the Unbound series, the trilogy promises to incorporate elements from two more beloved classics, but I think my experience with the first installment will serve as something of a guide in the formation of my expectations from here on out.

════════════════════════════ ❧ ════════════════════════════

I feared what I had done to Jane's fate in coming here. But my curiosity as Emma far outweighed any sense of loyalty I felt to Jane's story.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

Lily's Plight by Sally Laity & Dianna Crawford

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: December 8, 2012

Journey to Pennsylvania back country during the French and Indian War. Indentured servant Lily Harwood has always thought of herself as a good Christian lass. . . until she is struck with a deeper, more profound plight than the war that rages around her. When her mistress’s husband returns home on a short furlough, Lily finds herself falling in love with him. As Lily is caught between passion and sorrow in harrowing times, can she find hope in the promises of God?

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

Image by Luke M.

Used with Permission of the Artist

Those who follow my reviews might remember the disappointment I felt after completing book two in the Harwood House series, Mariah's Quest. It was the first of Laity and Crawford's novels that I issued less than four stars and it left me ambivalent about the final installment of the trilogy. That is, until I managed to get my hands on a copy of Lily's Plight.

One of my major complaints regarding Mariah's Quest was the lack of historic content, that the Barclay plantation was too far removed from the conflict, that in this regard it failed to equal the standard set its predecessor, Rose's Pledge, or Laity and Crawford's earlier work, the Freedom's Holy Light series which incorporated events from the American Revolution. In contrast, Lily's Plight takes us to the Waldon farm, to the Pennsylvania back country where a small community of intrepid homesteaders have carved out a rugged existence deep in the North American wilderness. Here the war isn't a thing whispered about at church socials or discussed over drinks at the local pub. Here the war real. Men serve in the militia, leaving their families to fend for themselves, wondering when their loved ones will return or if they will return at all. The historic angle of this series appeals to me a great deal and I was incredibly pleased to find myself back in the thick of things after being kept at a distance for so long. 

That being said I want to caution those who are easily offended. The Native people are portrayed as blood-thirsty savages, killers without remorse and though I understand the political incorrectness of this view I can forgive its inclusion. At this time, in this place, Anglo Americans had no real knowledge of the Native peoples and visa versa. Their information was based on fear, rumors and the violent confrontations that often take place as different societies struggle over the same piece of ground. The prejudice exhibited by the residents of Beaver Cove is not admirable, but it is at least historically accurate for individuals in their circumstances.

On the spiritual side I have to applaud Laity and Crawford. Not only did they tackle a delicate subject, they focused on one I have never before encountered in religious fiction. Usually I find stories of individuals who find faith or use it to get through some terrible circumstance, but here were two individuals struggling with feelings and emotions that came in direct conflict with their beliefs. When I realized this I couldn't help thinking that here was a story worth reading. Temptation and struggle, the fight to follow a path when the things you want are not yours to have. That is reality folks and I got to say, it makes pretty good fiction. Yes, Mrs. Waldon's passing makes the ending of the book inevitable, but the conflict John and Lily feel prior to that, the application of faith within the plot, all of it really impressed me.

It is safe to say I felt these ladies put together a wonderful story, one that more than made up for my experience with Mariah's Quest. A bit slow in places, predictable in the way most books of the genre are, but all in all a satisfying conclusion the Harwood House series.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

What might he have said to her if Eva Shepard wasn't hovering nearby? She didn't dare allow her imaginings to drift in that direction.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

Jane by Robin Maxwell

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Local Library

Read: December 8, 2012

Cambridge, England: 1905. Jane Porter is hardly a typical woman of her time. The only female student in Cambridge University’s medical program, she is far more comfortable in a lab coat, dissecting corpses, than she is in a corset and gown, sipping afternoon tea. A budding paleoanthropologist, Jane dreams of travelling the globe in search of fossils that will prove the evolutionary theories of her scientific hero, Charles Darwin. When dashing American explorer Ral Conrath invites Jane and her father on an expedition deep into West Africa, she can hardly believe her luck. Rising to the challenge, Jane finds an Africa that is every bit exotic and fascinating as she has always imagined. But she quickly learns that the lush jungle is full of secrets—and so is Ral Conrath. When danger strikes, Jane finds her hero, the key to humanity’s past, and an all-consuming love in one extraordinary man: Tarzan of the Apes.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

Never having read Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan books, I suppose I am at something of a disadvantage when it comes to reviewing Robin Maxwell's Jane. Still, I can't help feeling that there is value in my thoughts, that perhaps my unfamiliarity with the originals might present an alternative point of view for those readers like me who have never encountered the classic. Be warned, there are spoilers ahead.

I really liked the idea of Jane sitting down with Burroughs and relating her adventures, thus inspiring the books that made him famous, though I am not altogether convinced Burroughs' contributions were entirely necessary or appropriate. Would it have been so awful if the man merely admired her adventurous spirit? I guess I don't understand why Maxwell thought that relationship needed to include sexual undertones.

On the same note I wasn't a fan of Jane's preoccupation with sex. Though convenient for the story Maxwell wanted to tell, for a woman of Jane's era it seemed altogether wrong and for me personally, this aspect of her personality undermined the presentation of her character as a female academic of independent mind. Not to say that one can't be both, but on paper and in fiction it seemed a contradictory combination of motivations for a single cast member to possess.

While we are on the subject of things I didn't understand I suppose I should tackle the "New Egypt" story line Maxwell created. I'm going to be honest and tell you I found it ridiculous, but I also felt it in poor taste for a novel set on the west coast of Africa. Call me crazy, but why not give a nod to the native culture? Here again, I found myself both confused and disappointed.

Disappointment seems to have been something of a theme during my experience with this book, case and point being the way the story seems to emasculate its leading man. Did Jane really have master life in the jungle so quickly? It took Tarzan a lifetime to master these skills. Tarzan's accomplishments, the strength and fortitude necessary to his very survival is lost under Maxwell's pen. Not having read the original I don't know exactly how much damage is done to his character, but I can't imagine the story would have endured if its protagonist lacked the magnetism and charisma emulated in more than eighty Hollywood adaptations of Burroughs' work. I guess I don't understand why it is necessary to sacrifice one character's talents and triumphs when retelling their story from another's point of view.

There were things I liked. Jane's personal growth was a particularly satisfying aspect of the book and I also enjoyed Maxwell's writing style. It has been years since I have sampled this author and perhaps my memory is tinted various shades of rose, but the fact remains that I expected much more going into this book than I found between its pages.

*Addendum: While discussing this review with a friend, I was informed the Egyptian elements of the story are directly related to Burroughs' original works. I do not want to retract the portion of my review that addresses this plot element, it remains an accurate description of my feelings upon finishing the novel. Still, I want to note that my confusion and lack of appreciation is a byproduct modern day sensibilities and lack of familiarity with the classic works.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

But to hell with them! None of the other girls at Newnham had a fraction of the ambition that I did. I was going to make something of myself. Leave a mark on the world. And that was that.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

The Emperor's Conspiracy by Michelle Diener

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Personal Kindle Library

Read: January 1, 2013

Chance led to Charlotte Raven’s transformation from chimney sweep to zwealthy, educated noblewoman, but she still walks a delicate tightrope between two worlds, unable to turn her back on the ruthless crime lord who was once her childhood protector. When Lord Edward Durnham is tapped to solve the mystery of England’s rapidly disappearing gold, his search leads him to the stews of London, and Charlotte becomes his intriguing guide to the city’s dark, forbidding underworld. But as her involvement brings Charlotte to the attention of men who have no qualms about who they hurt, and as Edward forges a grudging alliance with the dangerous ghosts of Charlotte’s former life, she faces a choice: to continue living in limbo, or to close the door on the past and risk her heart and her happiness on an unpredictable future.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

Sixth months. That is how long I eyed Michelle Diener's work before getting my hands on a copy. The premise intrigued me, but even after buying the book I was hesitant. I had never encountered Diener's in my literary wanderings before and despite my optimism, I was nervous the piece wouldn't live up to my expectations. As it turns out I needn't have worried. I found The Emperor's Conspiracy both a satisfying and enjoyable read. Fair warning, there are spoilers ahead.

Still with me? Fantastic. First and foremost I love how Diener incorporated a real event into her fiction. At first glance Napoleon's attempt to destroy the English economy by exporting gold guineas sounds entirely too far-fetched to be true but then again, the best historic events are the ones that don't seem at all possible. Diener got a lot of points not only for exposing me to an event of which I was previously unaware, but also for the creativity she exhibited in adapting it to her fiction.

As for the fictional premise, well a chimney sweep turned noblewoman was and is a little too implausible for my taste, but I will say it made Charlotte's adventures into the rookeries relatively believable. Don't misunderstand, I really liked how it all played out, but the amateur historian in me wasn't exactly jumping for joy. It is a delightfully fun idea, but lacking the authenticity I look for in historic fiction and though I expected this going into the book, I wanted to share this personal preference in my review as it helps explain the rating I ultimately issued and serves as a bit of a warning to those who prefer weightier historic pieces.

Now I want to talk about character analysis, or rather one particular character analysis: Luke Braken. Oh my goodness, I love this guy. Driven, dedicated, resourceful, I'll admit he is a little warped, but I still can't get over the depth Diener put into him. At first his possessive regard for Charlotte annoyed me, but he became increasingly fascinating as more and more of his background came to light. Then came the moment. "'You want to talk to me about the thousands starving in the stews, while nobs like you ride past them in carriages that cost enough to keep them for life? You want to talk about the Hulks, and Old Bailey, where they lock up children as young as six years old, punishing them as it they were adults, all for take a scrap or two to feed themselves or their families? You want to stand there and tell me I betrayed England? No, Lord Nob, England has betrayed me.'" In that passage he became something entirely different; wounded, complicated, provocative, memorable. Did I mention I loved this character?

By contrast Charlotte and Edward left me wanting. Our heroine was interesting enough, but she never had that defining moment. She spends most of the story trying to keep a foot in each world and though she ultimately stands up and declares she will no longer live to please those around her, the moment is significantly subtler than Luke's, almost anticlimactic by comparison. Edward's journey is similarly bland. Like Charlotte's, it never stuck the chord I wanted it to.

So, will I be reading Diener again? Without a doubt. The Emperor's Conspiracy definitely isn't your average regency romance, that's for sure. An entertaining series of imaginative story lines interwoven with a complex historic mystery, perfect for any lover of light historic fiction.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════

She smiled at the idea of being a captive princess of the rookeries, or a restrained mouse in the glitter of the ton. But Catherine's love and generosity had never come with a single string attached. That was what had won her battle.

════════════════════════════ ❧  ════════════════════════════