savage_book_review's reviews
276 reviews

I was introduced to Grand Duchess Elizabeth last year when I saw the docu-drama 'Royal Mob', and immediately found myself frustrated that the view of Tsarina Alexandra I was taught at school was so narrow that I didn't even know she had sisters, let alone that they all loved such fascinating lives. Elizabeth is Alix's second-eldest sister, and married into the Russian royal family first - she was married to Nicholas II's uncle, Serge, while Alix was still a girl. 

This book takes you through Ella's life, from her arrival in Russia and being heralded as one if the most beautiful women in the world to her experiences at the hands of Bolshevik revolutionaries. It's narrative is clear and concise, focusing on those moments in time where there is something of importance to note, but at the same time all of the characters (and there are quite a lot) are well drawn and come to life very easily. I will admit to getting a little confused on a couple of occasions as to who was who, but there's a very handy spotters guide at the front of the book which helps a bit. 

I haven't got a huge amount of knowledge about them, but from what I have seen and read about Elizabeth and Serge's relationship I can imagine there are many theories out there about it. In this case, the author paints their marriage as one built on a foundation of love, even if Serge fails spectacularly at showing his affection in public, and is unwilling or unable to enter into a physical relationship in private. I rather like this take as, even when he is being overbearing and wielding his authority over his wife, there is this little speck of insight that there might be a reason behind it. It gives his character a whole other dimension, which I can imagine is missing from other sources who paint him purely as a man who rules his home with an iron fist. 

Ella's religious development is also very interesting. Again, somehow the author manages to make her struggle with converting from Lutheranism to Orthodoxy feel like the reader's own, and the steady realisation and solid, deeply held beliefs that follow are wonderfully illustrated. Her devotion to her religious and charitable works is amazing, and it is clear her genuine calling was to do good and help those in need. In turn, this makes the tragic aspects of her life even more so.

Outside of the main character, it has certainly highlighted for me the depth of Alix's shift in personality, and yet at the same time it illustrates so well her stubbornness and desire to cling to what she believes in. From the shy but beautiful girl who was Queen Victoria's favourite and totally willing to give up the man she loved to avoid turning her back on her faith, to the seemingly cold Empress who is so far removed from her people and willing to endure humiliation to keep 'Our Friend' by her side; I've never really understood her as a person, but this book really does make you question what she was thinking a lot of the time. 

There are a few formatting issues with the text on Kindle and the odd typo, but nothing that takes away from your enjoyment of the book too much. I would say there are probably a couple of moments where the focus is on secondary characters that could have been excised to save a bit of confusion, but generally this was a very good read and I would highly recommend.

A freebie on Audible, I picked this one up as an alternative to listening to my usual history podcasts to fall asleep to. I have read this before... in fact I think I only removed the physical copy from my bookshelf last year to donate to charity, so it was vaguely familiar, but equally I've read lots of the different books on this topic by various authors, as it's endlessly fascinating to me! 

You can certainly tell this is an older audiobook because of the recording quality; it's clear and the narrator is very good, but the length if pauses between paragraphs is very long and there's a distinct crackly undertone to the sound. The narrator also pronounces certain words in an odd way, 'joust' being one example (I've only ever heard it said as "jowst", but she pronounces it like "juiced"). I get different strokes for different folks, but this did bug me a bit after a while.

The book is split into the usual dynastic groupings, with a different author taking on each period. While it is fairly detailed and yet concise, I do think it is a shame that Antonia Fraser didn't take this task on herself; she's a great historian in her own right and I think having her perspective one each ruler would be very interesting. As it is, it's a little bit all over the place; some authors focus more on the historic events, others the people, and each author seems to have a clear 'favourite' so you don't get a consistent approach to each examination.

The age of the book does also let it down. Initially published in 1975, this version has been updated to bring us up to 1999, but it's still comes across as  rather traditional history. All if the featured authors are male (as far as I know), and the gender biases of the time do come through quire clearly in places; none of the Queens get a particularly glowing reception, and something about their chapters just seems 'off' to me when compared with the various Kings.

If nithing else, I can recommend this as good for those who struggle to fall asleep - in the nicest possible way, it did the job I asked it to - it's engaging enough that my brain wants to listen and understand rather than start whirring with all my worries, but it's not over-stimulating so sleep comes far more naturally. And it is worth a listen if you have an interest in the subject, but there are definitely better versions out there.

This book has confirmed my feelings that I prefer the story told from Hades' point of view. The story feels like it has so much more depth and scope than in Persephone's novels; his solo trips and the bits that Persephone doesn't see are far more engaging and add to the levels of intrigue, threat and mystery perfectly. From a practical perspective, without these books I think the upcoming finale would be missing a lot of background information that I suspect will become important.

Getting to understand and appreciate Hades' internal struggles is also a massive bonus of these books. He's a great characters through Persephone's eyes, but seeing his world-weariness, the depth of his love for Persephone and his darker impulses rounds him out so well. In some ways, it also gives the spice a bit more of a reason for being; he readily admits he's insatiable! 

Similarly, the pacing of Persephone's trauma and recovery seems to be reflected better through Hades' eyes. His determination to take things at her pace, his fear of inflicting further hurt and his genuine horror when things go awry feel more true-to-life and more deeply considered here. There are still moments that don't sit quite right with me, but it's certainly better. 

I also loved the insight into the Dionysius and Ariadne relationship and the twists introduced to that part of the mythology. Likewise, I'm really enjoying the twist of making Greek heroes into anti-heros or outright villains, and there is a big part of me that hopes the author rips up the rule book in the finale and Hades and Persephone end up as King and Queen of Olympus as well as the Underworld...

My biggest criticism is that it appears the author got slightly lazy towards the end of the book. The closer to the end you get, the more errors there are in the text - definitely needs another going over by an editor. And then to find that the last chapter is just cut, copied and pasted from Malice is quite disappointing - I was hoping for a little extra to bridge the gap between this and the finale. 

So glad I don't have to wait very long for the next book in the series to come out!

Hades and Persephone should be ecstatically happy. They are madly in love, engaged to be married and rulers of their own domain. Except Persephone is still struggling to process her recent trauma, her mother is holding New Athens in an icy grip until they separate, Zeus is yet to grant his blessing on their union, and a conspiracy to topple the Olympians is afoot. 

Overall, I think it's the best paced and most enjoyable story of the series to date. I'm enjoying seeing Persephone grow into her powers and the slow expansion of the 'found family' (even if most of them are actually related in some way...), the twists and turns of the over-arching narrative and Hades just being Hades. And for the first time, I didn't get annoyed by Persephone's immaturity - her character has shifted in to something a little more befitting of the future Queen of the Underworld; she's still a little bit immature and naive in places, but the darker thread of her power coming to the surface and the development of her persona to match Hades, gaining satisfaction from the torture of the souls of those that wrong people makes her feel far more rounded. 

That being said, there's a small part of my brain berating me for liking this. I think my main issue is that, while the trauma Persephone went through in the last book is addressed and it does affect her relationship with Hades, it only feels like it's addressed on a surface level and then discarded in favour of a quick recovery. Likewise, the sufferings of other characters are dismissed fairly quickly and one dimensionally - the author had a great opportunity to give us a deeper insight and context into Demeter's motives, but instead it's referred to in a single sentence and she's branded a hopeless case. 

I also think the author has come to rely on the spicy scenes as a bit of a crutch. Persephone claims that she feels at her most powerful when in bed with Hades, and that could be illustrated so, so well to add layers to the story. But instead, it feels like the choice was quantity over quality, and for the most part Hades is the one in the position of power IMO. She can certainly write the scenes, I just think she needs to be more selective about placing them.

As before, I do like the way the author has seamlessly weaved in elements of various myths to expand the world, and reading some of her explanations in the Author's Notes really make these moments stand out. In particular, I like the twist in the character of Helen, the development of Apollo's character and acknowledgement of his past errors, and the continued back and forth between Aphrodite and Hephestus.

The writing is far from perfect and I would kill for more depth, but I couldn't help but enjoy this. Looking forward tonreading Hades' POV shortly!

Frances Cromwell has only ever really known her father as the leader of the Parliamentary army, victor of the Civil War and Lord Protector of England. With every day that passes, it seems more and more likely that he will be named King in his own right. Facing a choice between duty and desire, she must decide whether to snatch control of her own future or be used as a pawn in service to the fragile regime that makes her a Princess in all but name.

The biggest compliment I can give this book is that it really brings to life Oliver Cromwell the man; the father, the husband, the thinker and the man of God. The author has done a brilliant job at making him a well rounded character, casting off the traditional stereotypes and opening him up to be a more relatable, more understandable human being. I feel like I learned quite a lot about him from this book, despite him not being the lead character! Likewise, it was interesting to get to know his children a bit better - until recently I was only aware that he had one son! It humanises the downfall of the Protectorate and gives an insight into what he might actually have been trying to do for the country.

However, I was less impressed with the choppy pace and overall narrative. I appreciate that this is based on the lives of real people and the author has tried to stick closely to the real timeline, but there is an awful lot of build up within the romantic element for what ends up being a relatively brief payoff. I found it hard to understand the motive behind the author's writing; was she trying to tell a romantic tale based on historical events? In which case the focus should have been very much on telling Frances' story and having the constitutional issues as a background murmur. Or was she looking to give an easily accessible overview of the end of the Interregnum and the Restoration? If so, I think the wrong sister was picked to weave that narrative. As a result, the writing feels hesitant in places, giving neither subject the time and detail it really deserves.

I also think it does a disservice to the character of Bridget, Frances' older sister. While this was the first book written by the author, she followed it up with a prequel, 'The Rebel Daughter', which I read first. That book gives a very sympathetic portrayal of Bridget, which is completely ripped away in this one. I felt that I should have some understanding of her because of her hardships, and yes there are moments in Rebel Daughter that do foreshadow her hardening attitude, but the author seems to have lost all care for the character when writing this book; she is haughty, proud, stubborn and thoroughly unlikeable. I found this detracted from my enjoyment. It's hard to recommend either publication order or chronological order for reading in this case... I think you need the background of Rebel Daughter to properly appreciate what's going on in Puritan Princess, and yet publication order gives Bridget a  bit of a redemption arc, plus avoids spoilers!

As always, I think my favourites moments are those where history meets speculation. In this case, considering whether Oliver Cromwell might have been rescued by his daughters and their husbands so as not to suffer the indignity of being executed after being dead for two years. It's an interesting thought! 

I'll admit to knowing very little about this period - I did briefly study it in middle school, but it never interested me in the same way as the Tudors or the Wars of the Roses. So it was interesting to read about the factions within factions, and the considerations of where the merry go round might end. Some basic understanding may aid you in following the political background of the book, but overall you don't need that knowledge to follow the story.

This isn't a book I can get truly excited about, and nor am I likely to read it again, but if this era is to your taste, you probably would enjoy it more than I.

I was in need of a quick read to decompress after work, and I was inspired by a recent Goodreads post which asked who your favourite book couples were. One of mine is Callum and Sephy from Noughts and Crosses, and this World Book Day publication is a little extra 'what if' scene from that story. 

It is a beautifully written insert, which adds a whole extra layer of emotion and meaning to the main narrative. It brings to a head so much of what has happened before, and makes what happens afterwards even harder to bear, even with the parallel scenario. These moments with Callum resonate so deeply within my heart; I love both Callum and Sephy's characters anyway, but there has always been something about this extra insight that makes them even more of an epic pairing. 

The only complaint I have is that it's not longer - I needed this night of the story to be stretched out for as long as possible! I had misremembered parts too, but that's my fault and I am determined to reread the whole series (or at least the original trilogy) at some point this year as it's been far too long since I last picked up one of the all time great book series.

So I didn't want to buy this in hardback as it won't fit on my bookshelf, and I have no idea when I'd be able to get it from the library (the reserve queue is huge), so I made use of my Audible subscription and bought the audiobook instead. Cheaper than the physical copy, and means I save more money to spend next year!

Thus far I haven't been as drawn into the world of Crescent City as I have with Sarah J Maas' other realms, but I was nevertheless very excited to read this one as soon as it came out as it starts to draw the worlds closer together. With Hunt, Ruhn and Baxian stuck in the dungeons of the Asteri and facing torture, and Bryce no-where to be found on Midgard or in Hel, everything is set up for this to be a gripping, bloody, thrilling ride toward the ultimate showdown.

I was hoping for an epic crossover event, a really impactful tale that would serve as an episode in both of her incomplete series and a temporary yet meaningful blending of the Night Court and Lunathion... but I was left feeling a bit cheated. I will be fair, although the ending of CC2 had been spoiled for me some time ago, I only read the book a few weeks ago so I haven't had the same length of time to have this building in my head. But if I had, I suspect I would have hurled the book across the room. Ultimately, there's a lot of wandering through tunnels, a little bit of friendly interrogation and a bitch-off between Nesta and Bryce and... that's about it. I did like the fact that little hints from both CC and ACOTAR were pulled into the narrative here, but overall the crossover element felt more like it was there to please the fans than to actually move the plot along. There is one moment which is gorgeous and brilliant and sort of illustrates Nesta's character development in a nutshell though... 

This series is probably the most complex of the three in terms of worldbuilding, and generally speaking you can see that a LOT of thought has gone into it, but it almost feels like too much. There are just so many elements to keep track of, so many character threads to follow and so much lore to remember that a lot of bits and pieces get lost in the noise. And this book only adds to the worldbuilding, expanding on the origins of the people of Midgard, the history of the Asteri and so on. Unfortunately, while I can imagine the scenes where this is set out playing well on a TV or movie screen, when listening or reading it does feel like a never-ending info dump during these moments. And there are more than one of them, which really deadens the pace and had me zoning out a little. Similarly, I'd say that a lot of snippets could have been edited out so that the focus remained on the main story. 

I'm ashamed to say that I can't ever really tell you who my favourite character is. I just can't connect with anyone in here. Their relationships with each other are well drawn and every one of the main characters and supporting cast is really well fleshed out, but there's just nothing binding my soul to one of them. If I had to choose, I'd probably go with Hunt, but even that doesn't sit quite right. And in terms of their character arcs throughout this book, I wouldn't day there are any major surprises - everyone basically acts exactly as you'd expect them to. 

Likewise, most of the major plot points are fairly predictable; however, there are a couple of moments that make you sit up and take notice, and those are worth tuning in for. There are a couple ofmloose threads that I guess could be picked up in another book or two, but I suspect any future instalments might suffer from too thin a plot and too much magical politics.

The whole series has a bit more of a sci-fi edge to it, but that's definitely expanded in this book - why am I imagining Stargates dotted a over Crescent City and at the Northern Rift? I do like it because it's not what I was expecting, but equally I think I'm more of a straight fantasy type of girl.

I'm not disappointed with the book, but nor am I particularly worried about picking it up again. A shame for such an anticipated release!

So the note at the back of this book says the author doesn't like it when people show her version of Hades all the love while bashing Persephone. My response to that has to be that, while I like Persephone's story arc and am keen to see her grow into her powers and role as Queen of the Underworld, I'm thinking the reason she doesn't get the same amount of love is because Hades has his opportunity to shine in both her PoV and his. This book tells the story of 'A Touch of Ruin' from Hades PoV and, once again, you get to explore what happens when Persephone isn't around and see just what other s**t he has to deal with. At this point, I'm very much preferring seeing things from his perspective; I appreciate he is a few millenia older than Persephone, but his jaded, world-weary outlook seems so much more real to me than Persephone's quite immature attitude.

However, I guess it's meant to be like that; it's just a struggle to remember that Persephone was essentially kept in isolation for 18 years when she seems to have so much more experience than her four years in New Athens would suggest. In some ways, she is still very much a child and, seen in that context, her erratic behaviour and desperate desire for reassurance, friendship and love becomes a little more understandable. I think the main issue I have is that, where Hades seems to genuinely feel something when taking action (whether rage, lust, sadness, pride or joy), Persephone's outbursts don't feel like they have that same depth - they're more like temper tantrums, which I guess brings me back to her essentially being a child.

Although I would say that you really should read 'A Touch of Ruin' first, this book does flow better for those who might be jumping in here. There is much more of a story going on for Hades, and it serves as a great build up to what I can only assume is going to follow in the next books. And the development of his relationship with Persephone makes so much more sense when seen through his eyes - this man who has never had anyone to ask him 'how was your day?' or who wants to be in his orbit because of him as a person, not him as a God... even though I felt for him in the last book and got why he acts the way he does, to see his thought processes and the repercussions of that really gives him a properly rounded character, and one that I'm incredibly drawn to.

I enjoyed the interactions with other Gods, Dionysius and Hephestus in particular, and the sinking feeling that the Olympians are about to come to blows. Likewise, Hades' relationships with Hecate and Hermes continue to make me smile and are giving me 'found family' vibes. I want a 'family dinner' scene with them, Persephone, Thanatos and Charon all just being relaxed and comfortable with eachother, banter flying, and everyone ganging up on Hades to poke fun at something ridiculous he says or does.

I'm also continuing to enjoy the weaving in of established mythology to the modern context. The introduction of Ariadne as a detective, for example, I thought was great. And her chemistry with Dionysius sparks off the page very well.

Overall, I'm still not completely sold on the writing, but it works well enough to trigger my imagination and for me to enjoy the retelling of the classic myth. So it's not bad! Slightly annoyed the next in the series isn't available on KU yet, but at least my library service has a copy I can borrow!

Persephone and Hades' relationship is now public knowledge, but her Divine existence remains hidden. Living in a lust-fuelled haze, can the Goddess of Spring reconcile her desire for the Lord of the Underworld with her dreams of a 'normal' life? And what happens when the Gods choose not to smile upon those she loves?

While I did enjoy the story of this one, I found there to be a lot points to unpack, none of which went into sufficient depth to have a real impact on me. The strongest thread of all is clearly the relationship between Hades and Persephone, but as with the last book there is a lot of bouncing between extremes of mood, miscommunication and a whole lot of bedroom shenanigans! The trouble is, after a while this does start to detract from the story. At one point Hades compares himself to a horny teenager, and I'd have to agree; everything seems to stir his loins! It's not badly written, but equally it does get a bit gratuitous and it ends up just not being as spicy as it should be for the sheer volume that there is. 

I think it's a shame that the stories of Leuce, Lexa and Sybil were all shoehorned into one book. They all feel a bit rushed, as do other plot points. When the resolutions come, they all happen very quickly and we just move on with the story. In this format it feels quite formulaic, and I wonder whether it might have been better to extend the series and have focused on one friend per book, or stretched the tension out over multiple books so that there could be more character and story development. 

Apollo is probably the biggest let down for me - from an a-hole to an ally in essentially one conversation, I felt this completely let down the incredibly good rivalry and potential future threat that the author was building in. 

That being said, I do like Persephone's gradual acceptance of her role as Queen of the Underworld, and her slow discovery of some of Hades' secrets and his life before her. And Hades is just a babe - he might be awful at communicating and have no idea how to be in a co-dependent relationship, but it's the mix of his 'touch her and die' attitude with his 'I'm so in love I can't think straight' vulnerability that makes him the most well rounded and fleshed out character of the series. 

Looking forward to Hades' POV on this one!

I love that someone has finally realised that there is potential in releasing two books telling the same story from both main characters' point of view! This is the story of 'A Touch of Darkness' told from Hades' perspective. But don't worry, there's plenty of new material for you to enjoy too!

This is definitely darker in tone to match the fact we're following the Lord of the Underworld, but it comes with that glimpse of vulnerability and, more importantly, makes you realise just how wrong the people of New Athens are about him (for the most part). The author has done a great job at giving Hades a more rounded personality; he absolutely stays true to the traditional ruler of Tartarus, seemingly enjoying the maiming and torture of souls... but only those who actually deserve it.

I also enjoyed the development of his friendships with Hecate and Hermes, and his rivalry with Poesidon (particularly as the latter is so, so different to his portrayal in the Percy Jackson series!). Again, when you think of the Gods you think of them all sat on their thrones on Mount Olympus, or in their finery and ruling it over the likes of Nevernight or La Rose, so to have those moments where they are just 'normal' is a really lovely comparison. 

This serves to flesh out the main narrative of 'A Touch of Darkness', giving you an insight into what happens when Persephone isn't around. In particular, there is a whole subplot regarding a mortal trying to cheat death, confounding the Fates and causing them to threaten Hades with the severance of his bond with Persephone if he doesn't bring him to justice. It feels a bit mafia-ish, and while I don't think it's the most well written it again gives you more of an insight into the internal struggles Hades faces every day. 

I think my biggest criticism with this book is that you absolutely must have read ATOD before picking this one up. It's not quite a series of vignettes, but equally it doesn't flow very well as a standalone story - you certainly need the knowledge of the previous book to fully understand what's going on. I almost wonder whether the two should have been put together and presented as a single book with alternating chapters; one Persephone, one Hades. That being said, I do get why they are separate; while there's no major spoilers, I think the slow burn effect of ATOD would have been unbalanced by the fact that you know Hades' initial reasons for approaching Persephone from the outset.

Can't wait to see where the series goes next!