On Holy Ground by Louise Cole – Blog Tour
Not too long ago I reviewed the first book in this series – The Devil’s Poetry (see my review here) and jumped at the chance to read its sequel.
The first book was a unique blend of dystopian fantasy and I was interested to see where Louise took things next.
Synopsis
Saving the world was just the start
In The Devil’s Poetry, Callie gambled with her life to stop a war. And she won. But now the game has changed. A Reader who understands the Book’s magic is either a savior or a curse – what she can’t be is free. When Callie’s stranded in the US, hunted and penniless, she desperately needs allies. But whose agenda can she trust? She must re-evaluate everything she knows, and find a way to escape, or die trying. Don’t miss the riveting sequel to The Devil’s Poetry.
About the Author
Louise Cole has spent her life reading and writing. And very occasionally gardening. Sometimes she reads as she gardens. She can be seen walking her dogs around North Yorkshire – she’s the one with a couple of cocker spaniels and a Kindle. She read English at Oxford – read being the operative word – and hasn’t stopped reading since.
In her day-job she is an award-winning journalist, a former business magazine editor and director of a media agency. She writes about business but mainly the business of moving things around: transport, logistics, trucks, ships, and people.
Her fiction includes short stories, young adult thrillers, and other stuff which is still cooking.
Her YA and kids’ fiction is represented by Greenhouse Literary Agency and she is also published on Amazon as one of the Marisa Hayworth triumvirate.
What I thought
Another cracking opening sentence. I won’t share it though and I advise not reading it until after you’ve read book one.
As with the previous book the point of view switches between first person from Callie and third person from a range of other characters’ perspectives. Not having re-read Book 1 immediately before meant this switching did make it a bit trickier to get back into the story, and something happens immediately that knocks Callie and us for six and takes a while to process.
When Callie heads to America the plot and tension really paces up and along with Callie we don’t fully know who to trust. Not only is The Order and the Cadaveri after her but also a new group join in. Who is friend and who is foe?
It’s good to see a heroine who is vulnerable and who doesn’t always have the answers. Callie is questioning herself a lot in this book and that makes it perfect for a YA. We seem to know more than her and at times it is hard not to be shouting at her not to make certain decisions but this time she has to get herself out of the trouble she finds herself in and this makes for great character development.
The book makes for an intriguing exploration about the purpose of war and explores the concepts of bereavement, ptsd, survivor guilt and more all within the context of a fantasy thriller. It is full of twists and turns and is a pretty complex read as a result.
Do check out the other stops on the tour to see what everyone else thought.
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Legendary Ladies: 50 Goddesses to Empower and Inspire You by Ann Shen – Blog Tour
Summary:
Throughout History comes this lushly illustrated book of goddesses from around the world. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess whose love overcame mortality. Mazu, the Chinese deity who safely guides travelershome. Lakshmi, the Hindu provider of fortune and prosperity. These powerful deities and many more are celebrated in gorgeous artwork and enlightening essays that explore the feminine divine and encourage readers to empower themselves. Ann Shen’s signature watercolorsmake Legendary Ladies a unique, gift-worthy homage to the mighty women within.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35959977-legendary-ladies
Welcome to the final day of the blog tour. There are two posts today. Mine reviewing the last of the 13 selected goddesses and one over at The Pewter Wolf – http://thepewterwolf.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1 – giving an overview of the whole book.
As a Buffy fan I originally asked to represent Hecate because she was the goddess I was most familiar with. I was allocated Oshun.
I said the other day that I’m not religious but sometimes there are little things that happen that do make you wonder what else is out there. When I read about my chosen Goddess she reflects a decision I have made recently. Serendipity perhaps. And it’s always good to step away from your comfort zone and learn about something new. My blog tour date also falls on the day my legendary lady friends and I are heading out to celebrate one of our 40th birthdays.
The first thing I have to say is that the illustrations in this book by Ann Shen are stunning. Look at the vibrancy and colour in this image of Oshun. I love the 🌻 and 🐝 and get a warm summer vibe that can’t help but bring out a smile.
Similar to Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls alongside the images you get a page of text introducing the goddess. This is enough to whet your appetite and then you can go and search for more information on the ones you are drawn to.
Oshun is a goddess in the Yoruba religion, is named for a rover in West Africa and inspires love, beauty and creation and who wouldn’t like a bit more of all of those in their lives.
About the Author and Illustrator
Ann Shen is an illustrator and graphic designer and is the author of Bad Girls Throughout History. She lives in Los Angeles.
Website: http://www.ann-shen.com/books/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anndanger
Tumblr: http://anndanger.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/anndanger
Thanks to Faye and Abrams & Chronicle for my copy for the purposes of this review. It’ll take pride of place alongside all my other inspirational women books, of which I’m building up quite a collection.
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More Than We Can Tell by Bridget Kemmerer – Blog Tour Book Review
So on Saturday I reviewed Letters to the Lost and whilst these two are companion novels you can definitely read More Than We Can Tell without having read the former. I loved them both so highly recommend picking the pair up to devour, and you will have the benefit of already knowing a bit about Rev’s past if you read LttL first.
When I started reading I initially thought that it was going to be very similar to the first book where much of the communication takes place via letter and then e-mail. And although texts and online forum communication features here too it is not between the main characters who actually meet face to face.
The first book dealt with loss. This book tackles some even heavier issues, such as child abuse, fostering and adoption, online bullying and misogynist gamer culture, and another topic I can’t mention without it being a spoiler.
Although Juliet and Declan from the first book feature, the former is very much only briefly mentioned and Declan is relegated to best friend status but is still his awesome self. I love the brotherly relationship between him and Rev.
But this book is time to really focus on Rev’s back story, the reason behind his uniform of a hoodie which leads to his nickname as the Grim Reaper. In the book he turns 18 and that means someone he’d never quite been able to forget sneaks back into his life.
Emma meanwhile has an online stalker slide into her DMs and hack into the popular game she herself developed. The only problem is she knows that gaming culture is like that for girls and her parents are too busy with their own thing, including her mum disapproving with how much time she spends on the computer so she doesn’t feel able to share.
It’s all too common for parents in YA fiction to be absent, and whilst our main characters do have some absent parents it’s nice to see the relationships with the parents they do have explored from all angles. Something that was started in the first book too. It’s particularly good to see such a positive relationship with adoptive parents whilst also showing the challenges that foster/adoptive parents face and the abuses that can sometimes occur with caregivers too.
The end of the book turns into a bit of a thriller and there is some violence that readers expecting a romance may not be expecting.
It’s really good to explore the concept of harassment happening in the context of ‘but that’s just how it is’ and to see teens challenging that and looking out for each other.
One topic that doesn’t get that much mention in books in religion and I thought Rev’s religious views were sensitively handled. Personally I don’t follow subscribe to organised religion, identifying more as a humanist agnostic. I thought the author did a really good job in presenting a balanced view whilst respecting the beliefs of her character.
I loved Letters to the Lost and I think I loved this powerful read a tiny bit more. Actually no I can’t decide. They are both ones I’ll read again.
About the author
Brigid Kemmerer is the author of Letters to the Lost and the YALSA nominated Elementals series and the paranormal mystery Thicker ThanWater. She was born in Omaha, Nebraska, though her parents quickly moved her all over the United States, from the desert in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the lakeside in Cleveland, Ohio, with several stops in between. Brigid is now settled near Annapolis, Maryland, with her husband and children.
Website: http://brigidkemmerer.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrigidKemmerer
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BrigidKemmererWrites
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/BrigidKemmerer
Huge thanks to Faye and Bloomsbury for my copy for review. I will treasure it and the opinions above are entirely my own.
Do check out the other two Bloomsbury Spring Titles – Truly, Wildly, Deeply by Jenny McLachlan and The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler.
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