Review: Blood Eye

Blood Eye by Giles Kristian

Raven #1

Bantam –August 28^th, 2012

448 pages – Adult Fiction

http://www.gileskristian.com/

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Twitter: @GilesKristian

Source: The Publisher via Edelweiss

Read what this book is about here.

I received a digital galley, free, in exchange for my honest opinion.

                Wow! I can’t say that I am a huge fan of historical fiction, I’m not. I am a ginormous fan of a really good story. I don’t really care what genre that story falls under.  Sometimes, I stay away from certain genres because my lack of exposure to them or my experience with them.  No offense to those who like historical fiction because of the facts that bog down a story, but that is what turns me off from HF. That was not the case with Blood Eye.  It was an amazing bloody story.  Yep, bloody –blood flowed freely off the pages. Sometimes it was mixed with brain matter or intestines, but the pages were drenched with blood. And I loved it. Raven’s story is not for anyone that is faint of heart or weak of stomach. But if you want stories of warriors and battles and fields drenched in blood, without the bitter aftertaste of being sugarcoated, this book is definitely for you.

                One thing that I loved about this story was that it was not nameless violence. Yes, it was violence that may have been avoided at times. But when the battle is over, and Raven is looking over the carnage he is able to name those fallen and laying dead beside him.  Along his journey, Raven encounters warriors who fight against him in one situation, fights beside him in another. If Raven knows the name of the fallen then when he describes the manner of death he honors the warrior by remembering his name.  Is it important to the story? Maybe not, but it’s important to me. I think it also makes Raven stand out among the wolves a little bit more.  

                This was my first Viking adventure, and I definitely want to read more! To clarify, these were Norsemen –not to be confused with the Danes.  Raven was the perfect narrator for this story (this is his story, of course). He was learning what it means to be part of the wolf pack right along with us. The choices he made to embrace his future, instead of looking back at what he lost (and the part he played in it) are difficult choices.  It is a way of life that is contrary to what he is accustomed to, but may be closer to where he began then he knows.  I really felt as if I was sitting by a fire listening to an old story teller. I don’t want to say beautiful for that it is a much too feminine word for a story that is so… masculine at its best.  I think Odin would be proud.

                For those literary folks: the characters were well-developed. They were not flat and did not stay on the page that well. (They were such ill-mannered heathens!)  Each character, whether minor or major, jumped off the page and came to life for their brief bit of story.  The setting was vivid and there were moments when I felt that I could reach out and touch the trees or the walls surrounding a village. It was as real as a storyteller could create. Historical accuracy?  Honestly, don’t care but if you must know, I personally don’t know enough to comment on.

Recommendation: This is definitely a book worth checking out, whether a fan of historical fiction, Viking tales, bloody battles, or amazing storytelling. Go check this book out ASAP!!

What’s next? Sons of Thunder

Always Shine,

Starr K 

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Review: The Secret Keeper

The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr by Sandra Byrd

Ladies In Waiting #2

Howard Books, June 5, 2012

http://www.sandrabyrd.com/index.php

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Twitter: @sandrabyrd

Source: The publisher, for review

Rating: Awesome and engaging read

Click hereto read what this book is about.

My favorite part of The Secret Keeper would be the romance between Juliana St. John and Jamie Hart. The ending, no I won’t ruin it for you, is beautiful. It was befitting a journey filled with bitterness, deception and disloyalty. I loved Juliana’s strength and character, her ability to carry the burden of her gift of prophecy and her willingness to be loyal. Especially since loyalty in the time of Henry VIII was only another way to gain power. I don’t have much experiences with historical fiction of any sort, so I guess in the grand scheme of things I can’t compare this to anything that’s already out there. While I do enjoy history, I like it best in small doses. I’ve never had the opportunity-or desire- to dig real deep in the reign of Henry VIII. So there were moments where I was a bit confused as to who was whom and the implication of such connections. I don’t know how close to the mark Byrd came or how big of a miss it was.  But, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the brief glimpse she gives us.

The story showed the dark side of people (John Camp, Thomas and Edward Seymour comes to mind)as well as the light side (Julianna St, John, Hugh St. John Jr. & Sr.  as well as Jamie Hart). There are quite a few characters that fall into the grey area. Kateryn Parr was one of those characters , to my great disappointment.  I liked her in the beginning. She was generous and trying to create change in a positive way.  She married the king, though her heart belonged to another, because she felt that was what God was leading her to do. But then everything that happened to Lady Elizabeth kind of ruined her for me.  To me, she failed when it mattered most.

This was a heartbreakingly beautiful story. Obviously a lot of research and hard work went into the making of the story of Mistress Juliana. She came alive with such vibrant and volatile life and it did so in such a seamless and engaging way. Sandra Byrd is an author that has made it on my “watch” list. I will definitely be checking out more of her books.

Recommendation: A must read for everyone!

What’s next:   Ladies in Waiting #3: Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth, due out in 2013.  

This book was given to me, free, in exchange for my honest opinion.  

Always Shine,

Starr K