Because paradise is a library
Once again, I jumped headfirst into a series, uncaring of the previous installments. To be fair, I always had such an inclination, but I thought I could control myself better in my old age, right? Right. Anyway!
Talk about surprises. Whenever I pick up a book, the bare minimum I expect from it is a trope paired with a fresh twist. Subtle or blatant, it doesn’t matter, as long as I get something new. With Shadebringer, Hooper read my mind because he pulled one hell of a twist–and I’m allowed to talk about it since it’s in the blurb 😀
The Dissent of Annie Lang recounts the life of Annie, the youngest of the Lang family. Her background is religious to the point of being cult-like, and given the historical setting, her upbringing is stricter than most. Personal tragedies and a controlling environment shape her personality, but don’t break her spirit.
Historical fantasy? Wow, sign me up. I’m a big history fan, and I like a well-written fantasy every now and again; as a combo, it sounds pretty much irresistible. The Amber Crane is that combo, mixing both genres in a graceful, poignant way.
Germany, 1944. The Red Army is advancing through Eastern Prussia, occupying cities and villages, and forcing civilians to flee. Among them there are Annie and Werner, two teens whose love story gets interrupted when Werner is drafted. From then on, they struggle to survive as the political landscape changes.
There Came a Contagion is the story of the Helgen, a family who lives in Trier, Germany, during the 16th century. The blurb mentioned rye, so I went in thinking about a rather physical ergot infestation. The contagion mentioned in the title is of a subtler kind, though. It’s an emotional one, based on fear, malice, and prejudice.
The Bookseller’s Secret is a historical novel about the life of Nancy Mitford, writer and bookshop manager back in 1942. We’re in London, the war is raging on, and Nancy seems unable to write any longer. The same thing happens eighty years later to Katie, whose connection to Nancy gets established after she agrees to an impromptu vacation.
Transylvania’s History A to Z: 100 Word Stories delivers what it says on the tin. Tiny stories and poems about Transylvania, inspired by the rich history of Romania.
Berlin, summer 1961. A wall goes up during the night, splitting the city in half and separating East Berlin from West Berlin. The citizens who were used to crossing a nominal border are now trapped in their respective sections, unable to leave. It happens to Jutta and Karin Voigt, too: the two sisters, twins, are both western Berliners, but Karin ends up in an eastern hospital right before Operation Rose begins.
The Mummy of Monte Cristo is a retelling of the old classic, but with a twist: zombies. Gargoyles. Revenants. Vampires.