Review + Giveaway - Reign of Madness by Lynn Cullen

TITLE:    Reign of Madness

AUTHOR:    Lynn Cullen
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 421 pages
PUBLISHED:   Putnam, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review and Blog Tour

From the author of The Creation of Eve comes a tale of love and madness, royal intrigue and marital betrayal, set during the Golden Age of Spain.

FROM GOODREADS:  

Juana of Castile, third child of the Spanish monarchs Isabel and Fernando, grows up with no hope of inheriting her parents' crowns, but as a princess knows her duty: to further her family's ambitions through marriage. Yet stories of courtly love, and of her parents' own legendary romance, surround her. When she weds the Duke of Burgundy, a young man so beautiful that he is known as Philippe the Handsome, she dares to hope that she might have both love and crowns. He is caring, charming, and attracted to her-seemingly a perfect husband.

But what begins like a fairy tale ends quite differently.

When Queen Isabel dies, the crowns of Spain unexpectedly pass down to Juana, leaving her husband and her father hungering for the throne. Rumors fly that the young Queen has gone mad, driven insane by possessiveness. Who is to be believed? The King, beloved by his subjects? Or the Queen, unseen and unknown by her people?

One of the greatest cautionary tales in Spanish history comes to life as Lynn Cullen explores the controversial reign of Juana of Castile-also known as Juana the Mad. Sweeping, page-turning, and wholly entertaining, Reign of Madness is historical fiction at its richly satisfying best.

MY TAKE:   The history of Spain and its royalty was mostly unknown to me until reading this book.  I had heard of Isabella and Ferdinand of course, but not many details.  While Reign of Madness went a long way to change that, it was also an enjoyable read. 

Lynn Cullen has focused on a point in history that is still surrounded by more questions than answers, almost 500 years later.  It continues to be a mystery what really happened to Juana during those four and half decades of imprisonment.  I enjoyed the author's vision of what the Spanish Queen may have gone through. 

One of the things I learned from this story was that Isabella had actually been the power in Spain, not Ferdinand.  The glimpse into their personal life was very interesting.  It is a real shame that poor Juana didn't get to benefit from her mother's strength and teachings.  If she had, a completely different history may have unfolded. 

The story moved along at a brisk pace and I was kept turning the pages, wanting to know more. I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and those who want to read a really good story.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Visit author Lynn Cullen at her website: lynncullen.com or at Facebook

Thanks to the generosity of the author and Lisa of TLC Book Tours, we have a copy of Reign of Madness for one lucky reader!

• US/Canada residents only
• No PO Boxes
• Must be 13 years old or more
• Leave a comment telling me if you're familiar with Juana the Mad, be sure to leave your email address
• Drawing ends 8/29/11, midnight PST
• Winner will have 72 hours to respond to notification

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review + Giveaway - To Die For by Sandra Byrd

TITLE:    To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn

AUTHOR:    Sandra Byrd
INFO:    Paperback, Historical Fiction, 325 pages
PUBLISHED:   Howard Books, 2011

SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review and Blog Tour

 

 To Die For, is the story of Meg Wyatt, pledged forever as the best friend to Anne Boleyn since their childhoods on neighboring manors in Kent. When Anne’s star begins to ascend, of course she takes her best friend Meg along for the ride. Life in the court of Henry VIII is thrilling at first, but as Anne’s favor rises and falls, so does Meg’s. And though she’s pledged her loyalty to Anne no matter what the test, Meg just might lose her greatest love—and her own life—because of it.

FROM GOODREADS:   

 
Meg's childhood flirtation with a boy on a neighboring estate turns to true love early on. When he is called to follow the Lord and be a priest she turns her back on both the man and his God. Slowly, though, both woo her back through the heady times of the English reformation. In the midst of it, Meg finds her place in history, her own calling to the Lord that she must follow, too, with consequences of her own. Each character in the book is tested to figure out what love really means, and what, in this life, is worth dying for.
 
Though much of Meg’s story is fictionalized, it is drawn from known facts. The Wyatt family and the Boleyn family were neighbors and friends, and perhaps even distant cousins. Meg’s brother, Thomas Wyatt, wooed Anne Boleyn and ultimately came very close to the axe blade for it. Two Wyatt sisters attended Anne at her death, and at her death, she gave one of them her jeweled prayer book—Meg.

MY TAKE:    Anne Boleyn has been a subject of fascination for me for many years.  I tend to read any new book that comes along relating to her or the Tudor dynasty.  To Die For is the newest addition to this sub-genre of historical fiction.  It has earned 4.5 Jewels from me as well as a prominent place on my personal library's keeper shelf.

Sandra Byrd has taken the well documented historical figure of Anne Boleyn and given us a completely fresh new look at her life.  Told in the voice of Anne's childhood and life-long friend Meg Wyatt, we get a different perspective of what their life may have been like.  The author seamlessly blends the historical facts into a fictional tale of friendship, love and loyalty. The realistic dialogue and interaction between characters such as Meg and Anne as well as with their brothers added a very human touch to the politics and intrigues of life at court.  We see into the horrible, grasping Edmund as well as the loving dreamer, Thomas.  Our peek into the Wyatts' life at home with a dying mother and a hard-hearted father helps us see how everyone is at the mercy of the King and his whims, no matter how far away from society they might be.

Meg's thoughts and observations add much color and humanity to this story of the ages.  While we know much of the facts surrounding their tale, it was enjoyable to get lost in a version that may have been. I admit that I couldn't put it down until I was completely finished with this engrossing book. 

The book includes some great extras with a reading group guide and an author Q & A. 

You can learn more about Sandra Byrd and her books by visiting her website or finding her on Facebook.  To Die For is the first book in Ms. Byrd's new Ladies In Waiting series.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

TO PURCHASE A COPY:   Amazon or The Book Depository
Check out the Full Tour Schedule to see what the other tour hosts thought of To Die For.

Sandra Byrd and Amy from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours are generously offering one reader a chance to win their own copy of To Die For.  Thank you ladies!

• Open to residents of US, CAN, UK, AUS & NZ. 
• Must be at least 13 years old.
• Leave a comment with your name and email address
• Contest ends 8/23 at midnight PST.
• Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email.

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Lost by Caridad Pineiro

TITLE:    The Lost (Sin Hunters)
AUTHOR:  Caridad Pineiro
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 317 pages
PUBLISHED:   Forever, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review and Blog Tour

FROM GOODREADS:  Adam Bruno is no ordinary millionaire. The heir to an ancient race possessing a dark, powerful magic, he can shapeshift and create energy. His gifts make him a living weapon and have forced him to live in seclusion. But now an inhuman force hunts down Adam-just when he finds someone who makes him feel more human than he ever imagined possible . . .

Home from combat in Iraq, Bobbie Carerra wants only peace, yet soon joins Adam in a terrifying battle against paranormal enemies who hide in plain sight. She's drawn to his strength of mind and body; he's attracted to her courage and intoxicating energy. Their scorching passion can either transport them to the heights of ecstasy or-if Adam's powers rage out of control-destroy them. But when an invisible brotherhood tightens its nets and someone Adam trusts betrays him, only a heartrending decision can save them. 

MY TAKE:    Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Stronger Than Sin by Caridad Pineiro last fall, I was thrilled to be included on this tour for the first book in her newest series:  The Sin Hunters.  Let me note right at the beginning that Caridad's books may all be read as stand alones as well as additions to their series. 

I was very impressed that the author has yet again created memorable characters that stay with you long after you've read their story.  Bobbie and Adam were dynamite together.  The sexual tension between the two of them jumped off the pages.  Their chemistry was amazing!  I was fascinated with the shapeshifting and the energy gathering aspects of the different clans.

Many of the supporting characters in this book would be fantastic starring in their own stories.  I would love to read more about Selina and Kellen's history and I'm excited that Christopher is getting to tell his side of things in the upcoming book The Claimed. 

The world the author has created is full of people with interesting abilities.  Lots of action, intrigue and steam make this book a must read for romance lovers who like strong leads.  Ms. Pineiro's style of writing keeps the reader quickly turning the pages. 

*Loved the cover..

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

PURCHASE:  Amazon and The Book Depository

Visit Caridad Pineiro at the following locations: caridad.com, Twitter and Facebook

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.