Review: Agrippa by Robert Harris

Title: Agrippa
Author: Robert Harris
Publication: September 1, 2026 by Doubleday
Genre: Historical Fiction
Find it on: Amazon | Blackwell's | Libro | Waterstones
Rating: 2/5★

From the #1 internationally bestselling author of Conclave and Dictator, a gripping tale of ancient Rome’s descent into dictatorship

He was born feet first, a dangerous way to enter the world. His mother did not survive, and the nickname, Agrippa—mother killer—stuck. But the schoolyard taunting only served to harden his resolve and hone his predilection for aggression. In time, the name lost its sting and became instead a mark of his invincibility. It came to shape his destiny.

Agrippa was a mere commoner, a plebeian, his father a humble Stoic, but he earned the respect and fear of his peers. He defended a bullied young boy, Octavius, who turned out to be the nephew of Caesar himself, a chance encounter that would change the trajectory of his life. He eventually joined the ranks of the legionnaires and marched against their enemies. His prowess on the battlefield spoke for itself, and Caesar relied on him to protect his favored nephew. When Caesar was murdered in the Senate, Octavius inherited the empire in name only. To assume the mantle he would have to fight for it, and Agrippa, forever by his side, would be his closest advisor and the merciless agent of his military will.

As gripping and full of intrigue as his bestselling novel Conclave, Agrippa is Robert Harris’s monumental return to the world of ancient Rome on the precipice of dictatorship, a novel for our times.

I couldn't have been more excited for Robert Harris to return to writing about ancient Rome and I was even more thrilled that it would be a novel about Agrippa. Sadly enough I was left quite a bit disappointed as the story dragged on very slowly for me and felt more like a dry textbook than historical fiction to me.

Agrippa's birth claimed his mother's life, earning him the nickname "mother killer." Born a commoner, he rose through courage and military skill. A chance meeting with Caesar's nephew, Octavius, changed his destiny, leading him to help forge the Roman Empire. In Agrippa by Robert Harris, he finally tells his own tale.

The story is told as a memoir written by Agrippa shortly before his death, where we get his point of view of how Octavius/Augustus rose to power along with himself. The dialogue took some getting used to because of its unusual structure. The narration relies more on Agrippa's inner thoughts than on conversations and I found myself wishing there had been more dialogue.

Unfortunately, Agrippa by Robert Harris didn't quite work for me. While I appreciated learning more about Agrippa's life (which was truly remarkable) the slow pace, textbook-like writing and the focus on Agrippa's inner thoughts instead of dialogue made it hard for me to connect with the story.

About the author:

Robert Harris is the author of sixteen bestselling novels: the Cicero Trilogy - Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator - Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, The Ghost, The Fear Index, An Officer and a Spy, which won four prizes including the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, Conclave, Munich, The Second Sleep, V2, Act of Oblivion and Precipice. His work has been translated into forty languages and nine of his books have been adapted for cinema and television. He lives in West Berkshire with his wife, Gill Hornby.

 

 

Review: The Girl Who Fought Napoleon by Linda Lafferty

Title: The Girl Who Fought Napoleon: A Novel of the Russian Empire
Author: Linda Lafferty
Publication: September 20th 2016 by Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository 
Rating: 2/5

In a sweeping story straight out of Russian history, Tsar Alexander I and a courageous girl named Nadezhda Durova join forces against Napoleon.

It’s 1803, and an adolescent Nadya is determined not to follow in her overbearing Ukrainian mother’s footsteps. She’s a horsewoman, not a housewife. When Tsar Paul is assassinated in St. Petersburg and a reluctant and naive Alexander is crowned emperor, Nadya runs away from home and joins the Russian cavalry in the war against Napoleon. Disguised as a boy and riding her spirited stallion, Alcides, Nadya rises in the ranks, even as her father begs the tsar to find his daughter and send her home.

Both Nadya and Alexander defy expectations—she as a heroic fighter and he as a spiritual seeker—while the battles of Austerlitz, Friedland, Borodino, and Smolensk rage on.

In a captivating tale that brings Durova’s memoirs to life, from bloody battlefields to glittering palaces, two rebels dare to break free of their expected roles and discover themselves in the process.

The Girl Who Fought Napoleon was a quick read but I struggled quite a bit with it. I feel like two stars for the book is a little harsh but the negative things in it definitely dominated the few possitive ones

The book started out well enough. I really like the chapters featuring Nadezhda Durova, a girl who disguised herself as a boy to join the Russian cavalry against Napoleon. I loved Nadya's spirit and courage for running away from home and following her heart.

But there were also chapters about Tsar Alexander I. Although I liked Alexander as a character in this book, I just didn't like his chapters. I feel like the book could've done without those and the few chapters in Napoleon's POV as well. I wish the book had been more about Nadezhda and everything she did. I think then the book would've been so much better.

The writing wasn't bad but I can't say it was amazing either. The narratives could be a bit confusing, jumping from year to year. It's really too bad because I loved the author's book, House of Bathory back in 2014. 

Would I recommend The Girl Who Fought Napoleon? I'm not sure. The story wasn't all bad. It has some great scenes, the history felt well-researched and it didn't take me long to finish. I just wished the focus had actually been more on the actual girl who fought napoleon—Nadezhda Durova.

The daughter of a naval commander, Linda Lafferty attended fourteen different schools growing up, ultimately graduating from the University of Colorado with a master's degree and a PhD in Bilingual/Special Education. Her peripatetic childhood nourished a lifelong love of travel, and she studied abroad in England, France, Mexico, and Spain. Her uncle introduced her to the sport of polo when she was just ten years old, and she enjoys playing to this day. She also competed on the Lancaster University Riding Team in England in stadium jumping, cross country, and dressage. A veteran school educator, she taught at the American School in Madrid and at Aspen High School as an English as a Second Language and Bilingual American History teacher.
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Review: A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe

Title: A Mortal Song
Author: Megan Crewe
Publication: September 13th 2016 by Another World Press
Genre: Young Adult ~ Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 2/5

Sora's life was full of magic—until she discovered it was all a lie.

Heir to Mt. Fuji's spirit kingdom, Sora yearns to finally take on the sacred kami duties. But just as she confronts her parents to make a plea, a ghostly army invades the mountain. Barely escaping with her life, Sora follows her mother's last instructions to a heart-wrenching discovery: she is a human changeling, raised as a decoy while her parents' true daughter remained safe but unaware in modern-day Tokyo. Her powers were only borrowed, never her own. Now, with the world's natural cycles falling into chaos and the ghosts plotting an even more deadly assault, it falls on her to train the unprepared kami princess.

As Sora struggles with her emerging human weaknesses and the draw of an unanticipated ally with secrets of his own, she vows to keep fighting for her loved ones and the world they once protected. But for one mortal girl to make a difference in this desperate war between the spirits, she may have to give up the only home she's ever known.

"Megan Crewe's A Mortal Song is engrossing from the first chapter. The world of the kami is beautifully fantastic and delicately drawn, and the switched-at-birth scenario made me instantly feel for both of these resilient, brave girls. A Mortal Song has lots of magic, lots of heart, and lots to love." -Kendare Blake, author of Three Dark Crowns

A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe was original, there's no denying that. I also loved that it was set in Japan because I haven't read a lot of books that are set there. But in the end I just didn't like the story enough for me to give a higher rating. The beginning was good, I thought but I started getting a little bit bored after that. Maybe this story wasn't just for me. I don't know. 

Like I said, the book was original. it does get some bonus points for that. I thought it was original because of the main character Sora. She finds out after seventeen years that she isn't a Kami, but a regular human and has been switched with another girl. Most stories I read were about someone finding out she's magical, not to other way around. So I really liked that about this story.

I'm also pretty particular about the romances I read about. And I really didn't care for this one at all. I didn't like that Sora going back and forth between the two guys in the book. Anyway, this is what I disliked the most about the story, unfortunately.

The writing was okay, but not it didn't amaze me or anything. I also thought the story went too slowly. Maybe because I was kind of bored through out it. But I gotta say that although I don't know a lot about it all,  I think all the Japanese stuff, the legends about the Kami and everything else was well researched.

I wish I had liked this book more because it has a great concept and originality. There need to be more books like this with Japanese characters. I just had some issues with it, but I think other readers will like it more.

       About the Author:

       Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Like many authors, Megan Crewe finds writing about herself much more difficult than making things up. A few definite facts: she lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and son (and does on occasion say “eh”), she’s always planning some new trip around the world, and she’s spent the last six years studying kung fu, so you should probably be nice to her. She has been making up stories about magic and spirits and other what ifs since before she knew how to write words on paper. These days the stories are just a lot longer.

Megan’s first novel, Give Up the Ghost, was shortlisted for the Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. The Way We Fall was nominated for the White Pine Award and made the International Literacy Association Young Adults’ Choices List, and Earth & Sky was an OLA Best Bet for 2015. She is also the author of the rest of the Fallen World series (The Lives We Lost, The Worlds We Make, and Those Who Lived), the rest of the Earth & Sky trilogy (The Clouded Sky and A Sky Unbroken), and the standalone contemporary fantasy A Mortal Song.

Review: Facade by Kim Carmichael

Title: Facade: A Modern Romance Inspired by The Phantom of The Opera
Author: Kim Carmichael
Publication: March 23rd 2016 by Irksome Rebel Press
Genre: Adult ~ Contemporary ~ Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 2/5

Received in exchange for an honest review.

   

The world is nothing but one big façade. You have to be special to see the behind the mask.

Erik Renevant once lived in the spotlight. As lead singer for the wildly successful group, Specter the world revered him. When an accident destroyed his band and his face, he chose to live his life in the darkness, hiding away from the shadows of his former self and refusing to be seen again.

Christine Day longs to have her chance in the spotlight. Living her life flitting from one thing to the other and currently without a permanent residence, she sees her big break in becoming the backup singer for an unknown band and entering the Stage of Stars, the latest hit reality competition.

When Christine wanders into Erik’s perfectly controlled world and he hears her voice, he knows she is destined for super stardom. However, he never dreamed she would be the one to help him shatter his own façade and lead him into the light.

Façade is inspired by the beloved story of the Phantom of the Opera and is a combination of all the different incarnations.

Facade was a bit of a fail, sadly enough. Sure, it had some things that I liked but mostly it wasn't a very good book for me, which is really too bad because I'm a huge Phantom of the Opera fan.

I'll start with the good. What I liked was obviously that this book was inspired by The Phantom of the Opera. I liked how the author took elements from the original story and put them in a modern setting. It was also a pretty quick read so that's also a bonus.

Now the bad... the characters were kind of boring. Especially Christine fell flat to me. She really had no depth whatsoever. Erik could be okay at times, though. I also wasn't a fan of the writing. It was mediocre at best. I just wanted more character and world building, I guess.

I also want to say that the story itself wasn't bad either. Like I said before I liked the modern setting. And also Christine entering a competition called Stage of Stars where Erik trains her for. 

I'm not sure what to say about the secondary characters. I definitely liked Nash. But as for the others, I don't really feel like I got to know them that well. The romance aspect wasn't my favorite either. Sometimes it was okay, but other times it was just bad.

Overall I wouldn't recommend Facade by Kim Carmichael. I really wanted to like it but even though I'm pretty obsessed with all things Phantom of the Opera, this wasn't the story for me. 

       About the Author:

       Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Kim Carmichael began writing nine years ago when her love of happy endings inspired her to create her own.

A Southern California native, Kim's contemporary romance combines Hollywood magic with pop culture to create quirky characters set against some of most unique and colorful settings in the world.

With a weakness for designer purses, bad boys and techno geeks, Kim married her own computer whiz after he proved he could keep her all her gadgets running and finally admitted handbags were an investment.

A multi-published author, Kim is a PAN member of the Romance Writers of America, as well as some small specialty chapters.

When not writing, she can usually be found slathered in sunscreen trolling Los Angeles and helping top doctors build their practices.

Review: Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios

Title: Blood Passage
Author: Heather Demetrios
Series: Dark Caravan Cycle #2
Publication: March 1st 2016 by Balzer + Bray
Genre: Young Adult ~ Fantasy
Purchase on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 2/5

Review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

   

Blood Passage is the electrifying second book in the Dark Caravan Cycle—a modern jinni fantasy-adventure trilogy from author Heather Demetrios, perfect for fans of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series and Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.

When Nalia arrives in Morocco to fulfill Malek's third and final wish, she's not expecting it to be easy. Especially because Malek isn't the only one after Solomon's sigil, an ancient magical ring that gives its wearer the power to control the entire jinn race. Nalia has also promised to take Raif, leader of the jinn revolution, to its remote location. Though Nalia is free of the bottle and shackles that once bound her to Malek as his slave, she's in more danger than ever before and no closer to rescuing her imprisoned brother.

Meanwhile, Malek's past returns with a vengeance, and his well-manicured facade crumbles as he confronts the darkness within himself; and Raif must decide what's more important: his love for Nalia or his devotion to the cause of Arjinnan freedom.

I'm pretty sad to say that Blood Passage was a bit of a disappointment to me. I've been almost waiting two years to read this sequel to Exquisite Captive but I was really frustrated through most of the book, which made me not like it much.

I struggled with rating this book two or three stars. I ended up rating it two because for the bigger part of the book I was really annoyed by the characters and how the story went. I don't know if it's just me or maybe because it's been almost two years since I the first book but I had expected more considering how big a fan of Exquisite Captive I was.

My main problem lay with the characters. Especially Nalia, Raif and Malek. The love triangle was so annoying, but more than that they all bored me to death. Even Malek! 

I actually liked most of the story in general but the characters ruined it for me with their whining and bitching about each other. Nalia and Raif loving each other but then finding out Nalia killed Raif's best friend which causes problems for only a few pages and then there was Malek loving Nalia although she doesn't want anything to do with him but yet feeling that dark pull towards him. UGH! 

I did like the writing, though. Heather Demetrios is a great writing, in my opinion. There was loads of action, and I did love a good few of them. But in the end it wasn't enough for me. The one character I actually like was Raif's sister Zanari. She was actually interesting to read about and I also liked her love interest. I do hope they will find a way to be together somehow. 

Overall, Blood Passage was a disappointing sequel. I really had expected to love this book but there were just too many things that annoyed me, especially the romance. Too much love drama that wasn't entirely needed that made the characters sound weaker than they were. I do want to read the next book because of course I want to find out how it all will end. I hope it will be a lot better than this one was.

       About the Author:

       Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

When she’s not traipsing around the world or spending time in imaginary places, Heather Demetrios lives with her husband in New York City. Originally from Los Angeles, she now calls the East Coast home. Heather has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a recipient of the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award for her debut novel, Something Real. Her other novels include Exquisite Captive, the first in the Dark Caravan Cycle fantasy series, and I’ll Meet You There. She is the founder of Live Your What, an organization dedicated to fostering passion in people of all ages and creating writing opportunities for underserved youth. Find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherdemetrios.com and www.darkcaravancycle.com, or come hang out with her on Twitter (@HDemetrios) and any number of social media sites.

Review: The White Rose by Amy Ewing

Title: The White Rose
Author: Amy Ewing
Series: The Lone City #2
Publication: October 6th 2015 by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult ~ Dystopia
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 2/5

 

Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.

But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.

But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

It wasn't like I totally hated The White Rose but I thought it was just an okay book and I definitely liked it less than the first one.

The story pretty much picked up where it left off. After catching Violet and Ash together, the Duchess throws Ash in the dungeon to be executed and locks Violet up, while murdering a dear friend of Violet's. So, yeah, you can say the book started out with a bang, I'll give it that.

What I didn't like about it was the lack of serious world and character building. There just wasn't any depth to the characters and the story.

I also didn't care for the romance between Violet and Ash. It seriously was my least favorite thing in this book. Especially because I dislike Ash so much. He's just ugh!

Violet isn't my favorite character ever but I still do like her spirit and will to find herself and fight the royals.

The side characters are actually more interesting. I especially like Garnet. He's pretty awesome and I totally ship him and Raven, whose another favorite character of mine.

The story was too predictable. I literally guessed the ending, which really annoyed me because it was so damn obvious. It's never fun to predict an ending. And hello to yet another cliffhanger. You have been warned!

       About the Author:

       Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Amy Ewing is the young adult author of THE JEWEL, the first in a trilogy from HarperTeen, coming out September 2014. She grew up in a small town outside Boston, where her librarian mother instilled a deep love of reading at a young age. Amy moved to New York City in 2000 to study theater at New York University. Unfortunately, her acting career didn’t quite pan out. She worked in restaurants, as an administrative assistant, a nanny, and a sales representative for a wine distributor before the lack of creativity in her life drove her to begin writing.

Amy received her MFA in Creative Writing for Children from The New School, where she was lucky enough to meet a fabulous community of YA writers who keep her sane on a daily basis. She lives in Harlem, where she spends her days writing, eating cheese, and occasionally binge watching The Vampire Diaries.

Review: Lumière by Jacqueline Garlick

Title: Lumière
Author: Jacqueline E. Garlick 
Series: The Illumination Paradox #1
Publication: December 12th 2013 by Amazemo Books
Genre: Young Adult ~ Fantasy ~ Steampunk
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 2/5

This review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion or content of the review.

 

One determined girl. One resourceful boy. One miracle machine that could destroy everything.

After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures before Professor Smrt—her father’s arch nemesis—discovers her secret and locks her away in an asylum.

Pursued by Smrt, Eyelet locates the Illuminator only to see it whisked away. She follows the thief into the world of the unknown, compelled not only by her quest but by the allure of the stranger—Urlick Babbit—who harbors secrets of his own.

Together, they endure deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the same prize, only to discover the miracle machine they hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all.

Lumière was kind of underwhelming for me. I liked the story but the characters and world building disappointed me a little.

I guess I had expected more of this book. The story wasn't even that bad. I actually really liked the prologue but then it all went a bit downhill.

The characters were kind of a disaster. I really disliked Eyelet (although I really liked her name!). She was just so hysterical about everything and also very childis, especially at the beginning with Urlick.

Urlick on the other hand wasn't a bad character. I actually quite liked him. And as much as Eyelet annoyed me, I loved the banter between her and Urlick. 

Another character that irritated me so much was Smrt. I mean, come on, what kind of name is that anyway? And as the villain of the story I expected a little more character developement with him.

I did like the steampunk aspect of the story. It was probably my favorite thing in the entire book.

Overall, I had a "meh" kinda feeling with Lumière. I expected and wanted more of of this book. But I think I will read the second one because I want to know what's going to happen next.

       About the Author:

       Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Jacqueline was nicknamed “Little Erin” (as in Erin Brockovich) after she took on her school board over being placed in black toxic mould and, well...lost. BUT if she hadn't lost, she's still be teaching with no time for writing, which would be the real tragedy because more than anything else in the world Jacqueline loves to write.

These days, she is affectionately referred to as the Quentin Tarantino of YA, known for her edgy, rule-breaking, Tim Burton-esque style of writing. Jacqueline likes gritty stories with beating hearts, dislikes wimpy heroines and whiny sidekicks, and loves a good tale about an irresistible underdog.

Lumière—a steampunk-fantasy, romance adventure—is Book One in her young adult Illumination Paradox Series.

Review: I'll Sing for my Dinner by B.R. Kingsolver

Title: I'll Sing for my Dinner
Author: B.R. Kingsolver
Publication: April 1st 2015 
Genre: Adult ~ Romantic Suspense
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 2/5

Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

 

When Cecily Buchanan walks into the Roadhouse Bar and Grill and offers to sing for a meal, ex Marine Jake McGarrity can't say no. Some say Jake is too soft hearted for his own good. But letting the waif with the cover girl face and the voice of an angel walk away would be more than he could stand.

Cecily's sweet nature, bubbly personality and obvious talent endear her to everyone she meets, and Jake soon knows his heart is lost.

Cecily has secrets and won't talk about her past, one so dark that she has nightmares and clutches a knife while she sleeps.

When those who are chasing her close in, she faces the decision of whether to run again or to trust her life to the cowboy angel who has taught her the meaning of love.

“Shocking, but oh, so sweet.”

The synopsis of I'll Sing for my Dinner made it really sound like something I would love but in the end it was a bit of a disappointment. I wish I had liked it better but I had just too many issues with it, unfortunately. 

I want to start with saying how the first two chapters were very promising to me but after that it all started going downhill. I didn't care much for the insta-love and how rushed the story was or how the writing at the start was pretty good but with each chapter I liked it less and less.

I really wasn't a fan of Cecily. I think it was the lack of character building that made me dislike her and how fast she fell in love with Jake. Now Jake I liked a little bit more but also with him there wasn't much character building, in my opinion, so it wasn't enough for me to fully love him. And most of the the side characters didn't stand out as well.

Aside from all of that the things I did like were the concept of the book. I liked the idea of this girl walking inside this bar asking to play and sing for her dinner. But I feel like it could've been written a little better with more character building and no insta-love. 

All in all, I'll Sing for my Dinner wasn't a great book. Some parts of it weren't so bad but it felt like a mediocre read to me. I just didn't like the writing, romance and the female main character. It just wasn't for me.

       About the Author:

       Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

BR Kingsolver is the author of the Telepathic Clans series (The Succubus Gift, Succubus Unleashed, and Succubus Rising) and Broken Dolls, a paranormal thriller.