Mississippi Jack: Being an Account of the Further Waterborne Adventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman, Fine Lady, and Lily of the West (Bloody Jack Adventures) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In this, the 5th novel in the picaresque/historical fiction series about the adventures/misadventures of the irrepressible Jacky Faber, we see our heroine again narrowly escaping transport back to England to be hanged for piracy. Jacky then begins another rousing adventure tale as she travels west to the Allegheny-Ohio-Mississippi Rivers on her way to New Orleans, meeting characters along the way that sound like they could have come from the pens of Mark twain, James Fenimore Cooper, and George MacDonald Fraser. She meets and shelters a runaway slave named Solomon (just like Twain's Huck Finn and Jim), a free-spirited backwoodsman and a Shawnee, Lightfoot Bumpus & Chee-a-quat, (Cooper's Natty "Leatherstocking" Bumppo & the Mohican Chingachgook), Royal Navy Lieutenant Flashby and Captain Richard Lord Allen (sharing the good and bad traits of Fraser's anti-heroic rogue Harry Flashman). The author, Louis A. Meyer, throws in the "Larger Than Life" Mike Fink of American Folklore and many other interesting (albeit flawed) folks. Jacky seems to have a knack for getting into trouble and thoroughly loves the attention she receives (except for the rough handling, imprisonment, and tar and feathering parts, that is). All in all, this is one heck of an exciting riverboat ride and the most rollicking Jacky Faber escapade yet. I highly recommend this and the other books in the series.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mississippi Jack: Being an Account of the Further Waterborne Adventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman, Fine Lady, and Lily of the West (Bloody Jack Adventures)

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Mississippi Jack: Being an Account of the Further Waterborne Adventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman, Fine Lady, and Lily of the West (Bloody Jack Adventures)

Read More...

The Beekeeper's Apprentice: A Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After the death of her family, Mary Russell, a fifteen year-old, moves to a farm with her "evil" aunt. In one of her walks around the area she meets the famous Sherlock Holmes, who is retired and dedicates his hours to the study of bees. Right from the start the two main characters in the book match their wits and Holmes is surprised by the potential he sees in this young woman. He then decides to tutor her and introduce her to the art of investigative work. In the next few years, they go through a few cases and Mary goes away to Oxford to continue her studies; but at one point they are faced with a more dangerous opponent, who wants to kill not only Holmes, but also Mary; even Dr. Watson and Mycroft are in danger. If you want to know the rest, you better read the book!
In my opinion the author does a very good job in maintaining the particular characteristics that define the characters in Arthur Conan Doyle's books, especially in the case of Sherlock Holmes. It is amazing how you feel that the deductive work is done by exactly the same detective you knew from the past, and with the added benefit of a fresh mind assisting him!
I was very pleased to see the ingenious way in which Laurie King connected this new series with the Conan Doyle's work. She concocted a story about her receiving the manuscripts of the different stories in the series some time ago, and that she is merely the editor. The manuscripts were of course written by the enchanting Mary Russell.
Finally, let me tell you that, since I am an avid chess player, I thoroughly enjoyed the way in which Holmes uses a chess game with Mary to explain the strategy he was planning to utilize in one of their cases.
I will definitely continue reading the books in this series, and if you haven't started yet, I recommend you do it now!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Beekeeper's Apprentice: A Novel

Click here for more information about The Beekeeper's Apprentice: A Novel

Read More...

The Faerie Path #3: The Sorcerer King: Book Three of The Faerie Path Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This would be the more grim of the Faerie Path series. Like the 1st was the more love story, and the 2nd was the more idk. I wouldn't recomend this book to tweens under the age of 12(possbily 11)because this book is violent, and umm... there's not many 'happy' moments. But it is very good and hard to put down.
Cordelia, Edric, Sancha, Titana, Tiana, and Zara escape safely from the Gray Nights of Lyonesse, in London, only to find what used to be lush gardens are now dried up and dead, King Oberon is imprisoned in an Amber Prison and their home is pretty much destroyed.
Sancha, Tania, Zara and Edric head into the palace looking for King Oberon, while Titana and Cordelia stay hidden in the woods. While Sneaking around Tania and Eden find out that the Sorcer King is to burn Sancha's precious library. Sancha, while the library is burning around her, tries to grab the soul books. She is unsucessful but Tania is able to grab a few pages of her father's soul book, which tells them he at the desolate island of Ynis Maw.
Zara, Cordelia, Tania and Edric head toward Ynis Maw, but an unfourtunate event happens, leading them to Caer Kymry, where Hopie is.
Cordelia, Tania and Edric set free Oberon on Ynis Maw. On the way the make new friends. There is a big battle, near the palace, and tradgedy happens. Like all the books I've read this one has a happy ending.
Unlike the other books in the preivous books, this one does not tell of another sequel, but there could still be one. I hope there is another book. (I hope I haven't told too much.)
This book also makes me believe that the Faerie Path series would be an excellent movie.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Faerie Path #3: The Sorcerer King: Book Three of The Faerie Path

Get 22% OFF

Click here for more information about The Faerie Path #3: The Sorcerer King: Book Three of The Faerie Path

Read More...

Three Hands in the Fountain (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Lindsey Davis' Marcus Didius Falco series of murder mysteries set in ancient Rome (AD 70-73) is spot-on. Besides being riveting mystery novels, Davis' historical knowledge is both extensive and up-to-date. (I should know. I have recently received a doctorate in Roman history and am whiling away the long wait for an academic post.) "Fountain" offers an almost painless introduction to the supposedly tedious subject of Roman aqueducts and water management. In the novels, obscure facts of Roman history (such as the organization of the vigiles, Rome's firemen and police, or the Maiuma, a religious carnival involving nude bathing - in "Palmyra") come alive. What's more, Davis does this with humor and a light touch. She completely undercuts the supposedly stuffy image of the ancient Romans with Falco's irreverent perspective. Davis is 1000 times better than Colleen McCullough's bloated "First Man in Rome" series.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Three Hands in the Fountain (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries)

Get 15% OFF

Click here for more information about Three Hands in the Fountain (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries)

Read More...

Elegy for a Lost Star (Symphony of Ages) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have to admit that I toyed very briefly with giving this book 4 stars instead of 5, because it lacked the breadth and depth of previous Haydon novels, and I think a little more background and interaction with the characters was in order for those unfamiliar with earlier books. However, considering its much shorter length -- a little over 300 pages, compared to nearly twice that size for Requiem for the Sun, the first installment of this trilogy, and nowhere near the 850+ pages for Destiny, the last installment of the first trilogy -- you still get a lot of bang for the buck.
It is hard to top the cunning menace of the F'dor, yet Haydon still manages breathtaking suspense and action with the awakened Anwyn and the transformed Faron. I was delighted to see the emphasis on dragons in this book, and those who are fond of Haydon's beasts will be very satisfied. I would have liked to have seen more of Grunthor (my very favorite character, with Achmed a close second). And we at last have the birth of Meridion, the time manipulator; I'm hoping at some point in this series we get to see the time line that Meridion changed, which Haydon has tantalizingly hinted at on a few occasions.
If you are as entranced with these characters and Haydon's writing as I am, you will enjoy this book. If you are expecting another long, complex novel like the previous ones, you may be slightly disappointed and simply have to wait for the next installment, which Elegy has set up beautifully.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Elegy for a Lost Star (Symphony of Ages)

Click here for more information about Elegy for a Lost Star (Symphony of Ages)

Read More...